The great hall of the Holy Church was silent.
Sunlight filtered through towering stained-glass windows, casting fractured halos of crimson and gold across marble floors polished by centuries of prayer. Rows of priests stood in rigid formation, hands folded, breaths shallow—as if the walls themselves were listening.
Heavy footsteps echoed.
Holy Knight Yukio strode through the cathedral doors, his white mantle trimmed with silver sigils of purification. His presence alone bent the atmosphere; this was a man who had walked battlefields soaked in heresy and survived.
At the far end of the hall sat the Pope, robed in immaculate white, his expression calm—almost serene.
"Yukio," the Pope said gently. "Is it true that a vampire invasion is upon us?"
Yukio stopped at the center of the hall and knelt on one knee.
"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "It is."
A murmur rippled through the priests.
Yukio rose and continued, his voice cold and precise. "The Dead Apostle Ancestor Roanoke has been hidden from us since approximately 300 A.D.—since the era we created the Black Keys. We believed him eliminated. We were wrong."
The air grew heavy.
"He has been building an army in the shadows," Yukio said. "To date, five hundred thousand humans have been turned into vampires under his command."
Color drained from the priests' faces.
"B–By the name of the Lord…" one high priest whispered, his lips trembling. "How could such an abomination occur without our notice?"
The Pope raised a hand, silencing the hall.
"No," he said calmly. "A better question is this: how do we keep this a secret from the public?"
The priests stiffened.
"The normal human world must never be allowed to learn of this," the Pope continued. "Panic would collapse order. Faith would fracture."
From the back of the hall, a hesitant voice spoke.
"B–But… High Priest…"
All eyes turned.
A young man stepped forward, his robe still unmarked by years of service. His name was Alex, a newly ordained member of the Church.
"We serve the Lord Jesus," Alex said, forcing himself to stand tall. "He taught us to preach righteousness and truth. Shouldn't the public be made aware of such evil?"
Silence.
Then—the Pope smiled.
"Yes," he said warmly. "We preach righteousness and truth in the name of God Most High." His eyes narrowed just slightly. "But surely… even God understands when a small lie is necessary to keep humanity under control."
Alex froze.
The words struck him like ice.
Around him, senior priests shot him sharp looks—warnings etched into their gazes.
Do not question.
Do not doubt.
Before Alex could speak again, Yukio turned toward him.
"Alex," Yukio said coolly, "who are you to question the Pope himself?"
The young priest stiffened.
"The Pope speaks for us all," Yukio continued. "It is written that whatever the Pope declares is what God wills to be spoken. To claim the Pope is wrong… is to claim God Himself is wrong."
Yukio's eyes hardened.
"Are you truly prepared to question the God you worship?"
Alex's knees buckled.
"I—I beg forgiveness," he said, bowing deeply. "Forgive my rudeness, High Priest."
The Pope's smile returned—gentle, merciful.
"You are forgiven, my child," he said. "Our Lord forgives all. And so shall I."
Then, the Pope turned his gaze back to Yukio.
"Yukio," he said, voice steady, "I believe this vampire invasion is a test from the Lord."
The Pope rose from his throne.
"The Holy Church will win this war," he declared. "Especially with our Ultimate Life Form on our side."
Yukio's eyes widened.
"…Really?" he asked. "You intend to release him for this conflict? That will completely disrupt the balance of power."
The Pope's smile sharpened.
"Yes," he replied. "With him—and with our Lord's blessing—it is inevitable that the Church shall triumph."
Yukio lowered his head.
"That is… reassuring to hear."
He turned toward Alex.
"Come," Yukio said. "I'll take you through the Church and explain the Vampire Hierarchy."
Alex nodded silently, unease tightening his chest.
Together, they walked away—leaving behind a cathedral filled with prayers… and lies.
The stone corridors of the Holy Church were quiet.
Footsteps echoed softly as Yukio led Alex through candlelit halls lined with ancient scriptures and sealed reliquaries. Alex's mind was still reeling from what he had witnessed in the cathedral, but Yukio suddenly stopped before a mural depicting angels, moons, and blood-red sigils.
Yukio spoke without turning.
"Alex," he said, "to understand the Vampire Hierarchy, you must first understand the origin of vampires themselves."
Alex swallowed and nodded.
"It all begins," Yukio continued, "with the True Ancestors."
He placed a gloved hand against the mural.
"The True Ancestors are incarnated Nature Spirits—Elementals. They are not cursed humans, nor fallen saints. They are an original blood-sucking species, independently established by the Planet itself, acting as its sense of touch."
Alex's eyes widened.
"They are Elemental royalty," Yukio went on. "Born as vampires from the moment of their creation. Unlike Dead Apostles, their bloodlust is not physical—it is psychological. A flaw in their design."
Yukio's voice grew colder.
"Because they are part of nature, they wield Marble Phantasm—the authority to rewrite the world around them according to their thoughts. They are greater fairies, beings whose Foundation of Mystery cannot be reached through magecraft."
He paused.
"They are classified as Planet-class Spirits. One rank higher than Divine Spirits. With the Planet backing them, the limits of their actions are the limits of nature itself."
Alex felt his breath catch.
Yukio continued.
"Their origin dates back to the Age of Gods. Humanity was corrupting the world indiscriminately. Gaia—the will of the planet—suffered. But at that time, Gaia lacked the means to defend itself."
"So it asked for help?" Alex murmured.
Yukio nodded.
"Gaia sent a plea to the other celestial bodies. Only a planet can judge another planet fairly. The one who answered was Brunestud of the Crimson Moon—the Ultimate One of the Moon."
Alex stiffened.
"A pact was formed," Yukio said. "In exchange for being allowed to exist on Earth, the Crimson Moon permitted the creation of a planetary self-defense mechanism modeled after himself."
He turned toward Alex.
"From that pact, the True Ancestors were born. A Counter Force given form—created to return the planet to its original state, before humanity's corruption."
"But… wouldn't that make them enemies of humanity?" Alex asked.
"They were," Yukio replied calmly. "Yet Alaya does not treat them as targets. They are mediators of nature first—extensions of the planet. What the planet desires but humanity rejects is destined to fade. That is why their numbers declined."
Yukio hesitated briefly.
"Most True Ancestors are born naturally, like storms or earthquakes—when the planet requires them. But Arcueid Brunestud was different."
Alex leaned forward.
"She was deliberately created," Yukio said. "A perfected existence. Designed by the other True Ancestors to hunt their fallen kin—the Demon Lords—and their renegade offspring."
Yukio's eyes hardened.
"Which brings us to the Dead Apostles."
He continued walking.
"Dead Apostles were originally created by the True Ancestors as emergency rations—painkillers for their vampiric impulse. Each True Ancestor would keep a single underling alive for that purpose."
Alex's face twisted.
"But some broke free," Yukio said. "Twenty-seven of them. They achieved independence and evolved into something greater—beings empowered by Idea Blood."
He stopped again.
"They became known as the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. Rank IX existences who surpassed even the True Ancestors."
Yukio exhaled slowly.
"Dead Apostles began appearing frequently between 20 and 100 A.D., targeting magi. By 300 A.D., Europe was overrun."
"And that's when the Church intervened," Alex said quietly.
"Yes," Yukio replied. "We developed Black Keys—Scripture blades forged from gospels and litanies for the dead. Weapons capable of reverting Dead Apostles into corpses that returned to dust."
He continued.
"At the same time, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the Magician of the Second Magic, rallied the Mage's Association and waged war against the Crimson Moon in the Millennium Castle Brunestud."
Alex held his breath.
"Zelretch defeated the King of Vampires," Yukio said, "and the Third of the Dead Apostle Ancestors—but was turned in the process, inheriting that seat."
He looked away.
"After Arcueid's creation, she hunted down the Fallen True Ancestors and many of the Dead Apostles they sired."
Alex staggered back slightly.
"That's… a lot of information," he muttered. "But in simple terms—True Ancestors came first, then Dead Apostles. And normal vampires are just servants?"
"Yes," Yukio answered. "There are countless subspecies, but that detail is unnecessary for you."
His tone sharpened.
"What matters is this: our current enemy is the Dead Apostle Ancestor Roanoke. He has existed for ten thousand years. His immortality is so extreme that even gods of the Age of Gods failed to kill him."
Alex frowned. "Then what can hurt him? Spiritual weapons?"
Yukio shook his head.
"If spiritual weapons were enough, this war would already be over. We require an A-Rank Conceptual Weapon—one capable of severing the concepts of space-time themselves."
Alex's face went pale.
"You're joking… right?"
Yukio sighed, his expression grave.
"The Ultimate Life Form is our only hope. Alongside the four strongest Holy Knights."
Alex swallowed. "Who… who are the top five?"
Yukio smirked.
"First—the Ultimate Life Form. Second—Ciel of the Executors. Third—myself. Fourth—Riesbyfe Stridberg. Fifth—Omega Heinriel."
Alex's eyes widened. "Omega Heinriel is only fifth? He killed two hundred and fifty thousand demons by the age of eight!"
Yukio glanced back at him.
"Demons are powerful," he said calmly. "But they are not comparable to vampires."
The corridor fell silent once more.
The war ahead was no longer abstract.
It was inevitable.