1 Bloodbound Dominion (1)

Chapter 1: Bloodbound Dominion (1)

Inside a Dark Castle from the Styria region, deep in the Crypts of this imposing structure, there stood a coffin embroidery with a lot of ornaments, as if to signal that it belonged to someone of high status.

But the bangs from the interior of the coffin made the chilling atmosphere far creepier.

--Bang--

A hoarse young voice called out into the unknown, but no one was there to respond. It contained all the emotions the human body would possess, with the predominant one being fear and confusion.

"What's happening? Why am I here? Someone, can someone hear me? I need help!"

…

"Why? Is this Hell? I've done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment! God!"

…

The pleads slowly died down soon enough after the youthful boy inside the coffin discovered that no one would even care about his fate, and that's when he decided to abandon this pitiful attempt and wait.

He, a simple human, died once only to awake inside a dark, constraining place like this coffin. He was scared about the unknown, but as he calmed down he found it strange that he didn't feel the craving to eat food or for other bodily needs.

There was only a thirst for something he initially didn't know, but as he was grinding his teeth and biting his lips to suppress such emotions, he found out what his thirst was, blood.

'How long has it been since I got stuck in this damned body? Which cursed bastard would put me into a coffin to let me rot with the cockroaches?'

'Counting on my nail marks left on the walls of the coffin… It's been one year of confinement.'

'Honestly. I feel like butchering whoever put me here. I'll soak my fists in their minced meat while eating their intestines.'

'Fuck you, God. This isn't a second chance at all, only a ticket to Hell. Heck, even the Devil's wouldn't be so harsh with a pitiful soul like mine.'

The youngster that was in a state of mummification, dry completely of his liquids, but still surviving, continued to lash out all sort of curses to the 'Grand Creator's

This kept on going for an additional month, until his heart slowed down and he felt drowsy, as if ready to take a millennium slumber. But he forced himself to stay awake, for fear he would never wake up.

"Never! This time I might never open my eyes again. The last time I slept was two months in total."

The heartbeat continued to slow down, while the youngster looked horrible, akin to a zombified ghoul. Beat by beat, it started beating like a drum that echoed even in his subconscious space, and it brought twisted thoughts that he never enjoyed entertaining all of this imprisonment. 

'Would it be better if I just kill myself? Who cares about a second chance when I've been like this for an entire year? Hah, I'm certain I've become some monster in a Fantasy World, but what's the point in enjoying myself if I can't even move my body?'

'This is just agony.'

With his dark thoughts, from his body-skin, mummified state, a crimson light flashed with the epicenter being the weakened heart that kept on preserving the vital nutrients for his existence. 

'If only I had the power to move my body at will and break off this coffin lid. Afterwards, I might as well exterminate everyone in my surroundings. Yeah, that's right. That's what I would do.'

'Heh, am I getting greedy now? First I get jumped by those fucking bastards and stabbed to death? Then here in some Fantasy World imprisoned into a blasted coffin, as if I committed the greatest sin.'

'I was never religious, but fuck me. I haven't sinned much besides acting like a 'Bad Boy' to get some hook-ups.'

As he kept on wishing, dreaming for the nonexistent power in his body that would as if magically extracting him from this prison, his heartbeat got stronger and louder until it finally brought him a headache. 

From his willpower and desire, with the catalyst being his beating heart, a crimson jewel extruded out from his heart before a silver chain morphed out from nothing around his mummified body.

This jewel now appeared to be in the shape of a blood-red, intricately designed pendant, containing some ancient symbols, while its design was both elegant and ominous, reflected by the dark crimson glow it emitted in the emptiness of the coffin. 

With these changes, as if sensing the changes going around his body, the youngster opened his sunken-in eyes, revealing a pair of predatory crimson eyes that had a charm and dignity as if they belonged to a Devil Monarch. Along with the changes he was experiencing, the light emitted by the pendant intensified, the glow becoming more vibrant and all over the youngster, blood started forming out of nothing.

[Wake up, my descendant. It's too soon for you to slumber.]

A mature voice rang into his mind overshadowing his heartbeat, and just the fact he wasn't alone in this Hell, triggered a slow, painful smile to appear on the dry, cracked lips. 

'I don't know who you are, but just being here at this moment with me. Much appreciated.'

[Stop thinking and act upon your instincts, Child of Blood. You shouldn't embrace the Eternal Slumber. You'll reach a state even if I can't assist you.]

'It's alright. I feel better now.'

With the newfound power that circulated his body, even though it was ironic that after so many days and months, something akin to a change of 'Fates' was happening to him, and that at the expense of his mind.

However, he instinctively grasped on the powers as if it was second nature to him, and outside the coffin from the crypt, small tendrils made from blood with all sorts of monstrous crimson eyes sprouted out from the small crevices of the wooden coffin.

It was moving around navigating in the darkness, and with the rats that scrowled around his vicinity, without thinking a second he willed the tendrils to attack the rats in the Crypt, his desire to quench his thirst burning deep in his throat.

The squeal of the rats who instantly got killed, left in a skeletal form with all of their blood and nutrients being stolen by the entity inside the coffin.

This insignificant amount of blood wasn't enough to make a change in his appearance, but with loud bangs on the coffin, finally with a snap, the lid was opened, revealing a mummified young man who used the blood built in the coffin to give assistance in getting up.

Getting up after one year of lying down, he was greeted by darkness which wasn't a surprise, but instead of acting panicked or fearful, he grinned maliciously while grasping a deep breath of air to oxygenate his lungs that put on mold like a maturated cheese.

Without waiting for enemies to get alarmed that he escaped from his prison, he moved first, leaving the crypt while in his path all the rodents and even insects were turned into a source of sustenance for him.

'Mister, what is this power that you granted me? What do you want in exchange for helping me get out?'

[I wasn't one to offer you this power, it was you who willed it out and the God's System fulfilled your desire. I'm just a Soul trapped as punishment for abusing this Gift.]

'Hah, a gift? From whom? God? Sorry if I sound petty, but he could eat shit for all I care.'

[It might be hard to come to terms with this change of events, but it's the Truth. The power you descendant of mine wield is called 'Bloodbound Dominion', my Sacred Gear.]

'...'

'Sacred Gear? Gift from God? Who are you mister? How come you've got imprisoned in this pendant?'

[I doubt you'll even know who I am, if I tell you since so many years have passed. But, to make it simple for you, people in my time called me 'Impaler', that's what the Humans called me. While the Devils that I fought all of my life named me 'Nosferatu'. My name is Vlad Tepes, proud son of Wallachia.]

'I'm not in some Fantasy World, sir? Are you telling me we're still on Earth? Wait… This sounds familiar.'

Then moving into a mindspace that not even the entity residing in this 'Artifact' could access, he began pouring out all of his life experiences, especially those of his past life before waking up in the coffin. 

'I might be on mushrooms right now? No, better call them spores since I'm in a crypt. I'm not sure if this is as safe an Earth as the one I've lived in, but gosh does it reeks of Fantasy World vibes.'

'Sacred Gears… Devils, Gods, Angels, Humans with supernatural powers. Yeah, thinking about all of the light novels I've read thus far, it's that one. The one about the perverted retard who got to play the Hero with his Dragon powers.'

Even if his thoughts continued to flow relentlessly, his pace wasn't changed as he created a path of death behind him with all sorts of rodent skeletons being left as ornaments to the Crypt. His eyes dropped slowly on the pendant, targeting the blood jewel that had the mirror image of an 'Vampiric' Eye on it.

'I need to confirm some elements about this world. If they match with my lore of that light novel, the idea will be greenlighted, otherwise, I'll have to dig deeper.'

[You've been quiet for a while.]

'Mister, I have some questions about this World, afterall, I feel like I've been living in a lie for so long.'

'Who are those Devils you fought? What about God? Does he even exist? Are all of the legends and myths about this World true? The Pagan Gods? The Angels? Even Dragons?'

Sounding like a lost soul who tried to clear the uncertainty of life, the youngster made sure to not leave room for interpretation regarding his past-life knowledge since it was the generic troupe that doom would follow the one who spills about his secrets.

And after a brief silence from the being inside the pendant, 'Nosferatu' started his explanation with a long sigh. 

[I was just like this in my early days, the time where I have yet to awaken the Sacred Gear and face all the challenges life threw at me. But in hand-sight, all of the beginnings you've mentioned, do exist. They limit their contact with Humans, and are mainly focused on manipulating them from the shadows, either them being Angels or Devils.]

[Humans we're always a pathetic existence in the eyes of those monsters, but at least God wasn't that pathetic in leaving us without a chance at defending us. He did go out on his shield in the Great War from what I've heard.]

'So God is dead. Then… I heard that you mister was a Vampire. And… I'm also one if I'm not mistaken otherwise I would have been dead in the first week of my confinement in that coffin. How you got Cursed with Vampirism?'

[It's a complicated history. You might not believe me, but the Great War between all Factions of Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels was staged in my Era, and I was a soldier for the God's Faction.]

[However, I have killed my General who tried to switch camps with the Devils after Lucifer corrupted him. You might know or not his name, his name is Astaroth.]

'So, for breaking the Chain of Command and attacking your superior, you've been Cursed? Should I call this narrow-minded for God to punish you for doing what you considered just?'

[Well, I didn't just kill Astaroth who was an Archangel. I killed all of his Angels who were in cahoots with the Devils. This triggered outrage from the Angels who believed I was just a crazed butcher set on spilling blood. Not far from the truth, but my main focus was on killing the Ottomans who were backed by the Devils.]

[I lost so many occasions of wiping those damned Turks because of Astaroth gaslighting me with fake promises that he would support me if Lucifer would make his appearance.]

'That's unexpected. In history this information was never mentioned.'

[Of course it would never be recorded in Chronicles of that time, especially for the Human side. We suffered such as much as the other factions.]

'One more question, before I switch my focus on escaping from this prison.'

[I'm all ears.]

'How have you died? It says you were backstabbed by your soldiers. Is that the truth or just lies written down by your enemies? You don't have to answer if you don't feel like it. Just a curiosity of mine.'

[No harm done. Just after serving my prison time for my actions against the Angels, and after I adjusted to my Vampirism affliction, I prepared myself for another campaign against the Turks to lower their power. The Great War reached a stalemate without any faction winning, and the big shots also died like flies in summer's heat.]

[I was arrogant, one might say overconfident on my newfound power of Vampirism that synchronized with my Sacred Gear, I was my strongest while the Devils the Fallen Angels and Angels were on decline.]

[Without the support of any of the factions, I set on with my campaign, hard bent on annihilating the Turks along with the Devils supporting them.]

'It ended in betrayal?'

[They played dirty. I got ambushed by all of those vermin. Lucifer's son along with the Satan supporters, the Fallen Angels lead by Azazel and unexpectedly, the Angels lead by Michael.]

'But why?'

[Why? Hahaha, you might find it amusing too. When I asked that bitch, Michael, he told me I was too great of a Danger for the Balance of the World if let to grow in power. His father thought that cursing me with Vampirism would weaken me, but I made that power mine.]

[It seems my children also inherited that Curse, so it must have been hard on you, young one. To suppress that urge of drinking human blood, to suppress those carnal sins. I'll never be able to atone for my sins.]

'Sir, it's fine. I don't really care about this Curse, as long as we can make good of its powers. As for atonement, maybe God has placed your Soul in this Sacred Gear for this goal.'

[This sounds like something that an old man would do. What is your name, child?]

'Carl. I'll be in your care, Count.'