Chapter 191 – Ending Part 1: The Boy was Just Asleep

Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen

The next day, the morning sun filtered through the dark forest and streamed into the quiet hall through the castle’s tall, stone arched windows.

Tang Qing woke up lazily.

As expected, there was still no one by the bedside.

Sephiroth should have returned to his coffin to sleep.

Tang Qing suddenly realised that vampires sleep during the day and don’t need sleep at night.

So what exactly did Sephiroth do lying next to him on the bed at night?

Could it be that he just silently watched him all night?

Tang Qing was momentarily shocked by his own thought.

No way—Sephiroth must have waited until he fell asleep before going to discuss matters with the butler. He was just being overly narcissistic.

Tang Qing walked out of the castle, intending to take a stroll in the garden.

Suddenly, something rolled under his foot with a rumbling sound.

He looked down and was shocked to see a head.

The head was wrapped in long hair, twisted to face him, slowly revealing a ferocious grin, mouth wide open as if ready to attack.

It was Countess Bathory.

Tang Qing screamed in fright.

“Anne, come with us now.”

Suddenly, Tang Qing’s hand was grabbed forcefully, pulling him away from Countess Bathory’s attack—it was Shax.

“Shax, why are you here?” Tang Qing was still shaken.

“Anne, Lord Carter’s knights are already attacking Castle Csejte. You need to come with us now.”

The attack was much sooner than Tang Qing had imagined, surprising him.

Shax kicked Countess Bathory’s decapitated head away and said disdainfully, “These vampires are impervious to weapons; even with their heads cut off, they keep fighting. This place is way too dangerous. Anne, come with me. Hide in the sunlight—they won’t dare to attack.”

“Tang Qing! So you’re the maid Anne!” Countess Bathory glared fiercely at Tang Qing. “You’re the one who led them into the castle. You bitch, you deserve a terrible death!”

Countess Bathory’s head still tried to attack Tang Qing, so he quickly followed Shax and fled.

Sure enough, when they ran out from under the castle into the sunlight, Countess Bathory remained inside, glaring viciously but dared not pursue them any further.

“Anne, don’t be afraid. It’s daytime now, and vampires are very weak during the day—they’re creatures that cannot stand the light. You’ll be safe as long as you run with me outside. Princess Lily is still waiting for you.”

The protagonists were taking advantage of the vampires’ daytime weakness to assault Castle Csejte.

“Anne, it’s truly thanks to you that we found Castle Csejte during the day. It’s always surrounded by magic, only detectable at night. During the day, no matter how you walk, you’ll get lost in an endless maze.”

“That’s because when you rescued those blood slaves last time, you used the wooden bird Princess Lily gave you. The wooden bird not only remembers the route back to the capital but can also retrace the path, guiding us to Castle Csejte.”

So that’s how it was.

No wonder the protagonists attacked Castle Csejte so much earlier than expected — it turned out to be because of his accidental assistance.

“Princess Lily has always been worried about you and sent us to bring you back quickly.”

After running a long way with Shax pulling him along, Tang Qing finally reached the gathering point.

Among the group were Princess Lily, Lord Carter’s knights, and a priest.

The priest’s name was Harry, and he was intently staring in the direction of the vampires. He hated vampires most of all but revered the old priest Adley.

Old Priest Adley had prophesied the birth of the vampire prince and guided everyone’s saviour.

However, rumours said that in Adley’s final days, he was restless and would mutter incessantly. His family overheard him repeatedly confessing to feeling guilty and saying he could only go to hell after death.

Since childhood, Harry vowed to inherit the old priest’s mission—to eliminate these dark creatures and comfort Adley’s spirit in heaven.

Lily took Tang Qing’s hand. “Anne, the knights have to continue attacking the castle. It’s far too dangerous here. That vampire prince could appear at any moment. I’ll take you away first. Lord Carter will meet us ahead.”

【  Host, you should hurry and go with the female lead. Your mission is almost complete.】

Holding Tang Qing’s hand, Lily ran toward the capital.

This path had no shade; the sunlight shone directly, and no vampire dared to come near.

“Tang Qing!”

Suddenly, a figure appeared, blocking their path.

Sephiroth approached from afar, staring straight at Tang Qing, his voice cold:

“Your Highness, put down Tang Qing. You are no match for me.”

“Tang Qing belongs to me.”

At that moment, Carter also arrived from afar, holding a longsword, his gaze coldly fixed on Sephiroth:

“Sephiroth, your opponent is me. Today is the day you die.”

Sephiroth ignored Carter’s threat and reached out to grab Tang Qing.

In the sunlight, Carter’s sharp longsword pointed directly at Sephiroth’s heart, stopping his advance.

A green glow flashed, striking Carter’s sword; the scorching light forced Carter to retreat several steps.

“I won’t let any vampire take away the people close to me again.” Carter stood before Sephiroth, resolute in his eyes, sword poised to fight.

Sephiroth looked at Carter, a ruthless gleam flashing in his eyes. He leapt forward, unafraid of the direct sunlight. Magic clashed against the longsword.

“Sir, we should leave.” From a distance, the butler Liszt urged anxiously.

Daytime is not a battlefield for vampires. When faced with tough opponents, vampires never choose to fight humans under sunlight; they seek chances to flee instead. That’s why humans can’t find vampires during the day.

Even one as powerful as Sephiroth suffers great strength reduction under sunlight.

Moreover, these past few days, Sephiroth endured the pain of divine punishment every daytime, leaving him far weaker than before.

【  Host, hurry and follow the protagonists. Your mission is almost complete. No need to stay by the villain’s side anymore.】 the system urged anxiously.

Lily pulled Tang Qing back and looked behind them, comforting him: “Anne, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.”

Tang Qing watched Sephiroth battling Carter, his heart filled with anxiety.

“Tang Qing!”

Just as Lily pulled Tang Qing away, Sephiroth, momentarily distracted, was pierced through the arm by Carter’s sword.

Ignoring the gushing blood from his arm, Sephiroth rushed straight toward Tang Qing.

He had no intention to fight—he only wanted to reclaim his Tang Qing.

In the chaos, an arrow suddenly flew toward Tang Qing.

Father Harry stood at a distance, holding a bow.

He could sense that Tang Qing carried a different aura from ordinary humans and that Tang Qing’s connection with the vampire was deep.

He knew his act of targeting a human was shameful, but he could tell that Sephiroth cared deeply about this boy—beyond reason.

As long as it could disrupt the vampire prince’s steps, even if he mistakenly harmed an ordinary person, he was ready to accept damnation.

Sure enough, Sephiroth’s expression changed. Ignoring Carter’s attack, he leapt forward and wrapped Tang Qing in his arms, using his body to shield the arrow directly.

“How are you?” Tang Qing noticed the arrow had pierced Sephiroth’s body.

The man staggered, standing before Tang Qing as the green glow on him faded, and his entire body began to transform.

“The demon will reveal its true form eventually,” Harry said coldly from afar.

The arrow was soaked in holy water for 81 days, capable of temporarily stripping a vampire of his power.

It also forced vampires to reveal their true forms.

At this moment, the boy—still concerned about this vampire—was most likely bewitched by his handsome appearance.

When the true form was revealed, the boy would realise the vampire prince was nothing but a filthy, hideous monster.

“Tang Qing, come with me,” the man said, ignoring the loss of his power, gripping Tang Qing’s hand tightly, trying to take him away.

But Tang Qing noticed that the man’s form gradually changed.

In the sunlight, the man’s face turned pale and bloodless, his features exquisite and beautiful; black hair fell desolately beside his cheeks, his nose perfect as if carved with a knife, thin lips seemingly always pressed tight, and his eyes held a faint, melancholic green, as if harbouring countless secrets.

It was none other than the young Julian.

“Julian!”

Tang Qing exclaimed in surprise.

The man tried to lift Tang Qing and fly away, but found his powers sealed, able only to move like a normal human.

“This is the moment!” Seizing Sephiroth’s brief loss of power, Harry gave Carter a signal.

Carter, sword in hand, charged towards Sephiroth.

Looking at the man’s face, everything finally made sense.

No wonder Sephiroth slept in Julian’s coffin.

He was the young man who had fought for both himself and the vampires, the one who had shielded him from the flying arrow, from beginning to end, the one who had risked everything for him was the same person.

“Julian!”

Tang Qing didn’t see the sword’s flash behind him; relying solely on instinct, he threw himself in front of Sephiroth and tightly embraced the man.

He forgot the blood feud between humans and vampires, forgot his mission.

All he knew was that the person before him was both Sephiroth and Julian—the one he had secretly cared about all along in this little world.

The sound of the sword piercing flesh.

The boy fell weakly.

Carter had stopped running but couldn’t withdraw the sword from the boy’s body.

Sephiroth held Tang Qing tightly, showing a look of panic for the first time.

“Tangtang…”

The man’s voice trembled with anxiety.

Bright red blood flowed from the boy’s chest.

For the first time, Sephiroth realised how glaring the colour of blood truly was.

Leaning against Sephiroth’s chest, Tang Qing summoned all his strength to slowly reach out and hold the man.

“Julian, so you really are Julian…”

Tang Qing’s voice grew weaker and weaker.

“Thank you… for always shielding me from all harm.”

“I also want to protect you… just this once.”

The boy’s face had lost all colour; his long eyelashes gently fell, hiding those moist, clear eyes.

On his delicate face lingered a gentle expression, pure and serene like the melting snow of early spring.

Just like he was asleep.

The breath of the boy in his arms weakened more and more; warmth gradually faded away.

“Give Anne to me. Sephiroth, you too are destined to die.” Lily shouted.

Sephiroth held Tang Qing tightly, wishing to embed the boy deep within his own blood.

The wind stirred his black hair; his lips were dry and dark like congealed blood. He twisted his lips into a bitter smile, his once amber eyes devoid of all light. His exquisite pale face showed only despair.

He collapsed weakly to his knees, slowly closing his eyes.

Cradling Tang Qing with one hand, he gradually reached into his chest.

His chest was torn open—blood and flesh all a blur.

But the man seemed unfazed by the pain, numb as he continued his motion.

A bright red, beating heart appeared in his hand.

He pulled the heart out in a voice as low and still as stagnant water:

“Isn’t this what you want?”

“Leave him to me. I just want to be with him forever.”

Sephiroth said this, holding the boy in his arms, and stood up.

“Let him go.” Lily blocked Carter, who wanted to step forward, her voice full of reluctance.

Tears streamed down her face, though no one knew when they had started.

“He… he is also dying…”

Sephiroth, cradling the boy who had long since lost his breath, stepped slowly under the scorching sun, gradually making his way to the eternal grounds and returning to the coffin inscribed with “Julian”.

He opened the coffin lid and carefully laid the boy inside.

Then eagerly, he lay himself down as well.

His boy’s face remained peaceful and smiling, as if dreaming sweet dreams.

He was just asleep.

“Tangtang, I’m coming to accompany you now¹Ah I’m sobbing in the office gdi.”

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  Ah I’m sobbing in the office gdi ↩︎