The Last Laugh and True Immortality

In the ruin of Jerusalem, Titus Brunestud stood with Rita Rozay-en, watching the city swamped by the undead. With Brishian's death in his hand and Lord Bartholomeoi and Vortigern's combination being forced to run away by his sister, the Mage Association, in combination with Roman forces, took a great blow to their morale and could only be lambs to be slaughtered as the smell of blood lingered through the air.

The brutality of war was perfectly depicted before him: the smell of blood, the smell of anguish, and the smell of all people's hypocrisy. In front of war, it was nothing. This was the only time when they showed their true side, the ugliness of their nature. Some humans began to take the initiative to join the undead and commit crimes against their former friends, their former neighbors, and their former families.

Titus just watched it with chilling indifference as the tragedy unfolded before him. He was not a Hero of Justice, nor did he have the right to condemn the atrocities of others when he was the one who ignited this massacre in the first place.

Everyone was a sinner in this grand scenario. If Zelretch hadn't started the war, the massacre would not have happened; Zelretch's friends and the Mage Association would not have died by his hand. The Mage Association wasn't innocent either; they agreed to the Crimson Moon War, so wasn't it his right to hurt them back? When you have the consciousness to hurt others, then prepare yourself to be hurt in return.

If it were not for the fact that Crimson Moon was so incompetent and led by the nose by Gaia, he wouldn't have gone to this point and launched the rebellion to seize power. He is not willing to hand over his future to such an incompetent leader. Whether it was the Mage Association, the Counter Force, Zelretch, or any others, they would seek their demise. Crimson Moon, wasn't someone that could be trusted or relied on. Her trust and reliance on Gaia were borderline annoying; she didn't even realize that she was being betrayed by the Counter Force.

Yes, the Crimson Moon War was a conspiracy of Alaya and Gaia. The source of conflict was Yumina, the former First Magician User and Zelretch's lover. She died by his father's hand, and the order came from Gaia. Gaia wanted Yumina dead, and Crimson Moon obliged to please her.

As for the reason why, he didn't know. His information was limited. Even though his primary purpose was the Holy Grail, he wasn't in a hurry to get it. He just stood there silently as if he were waiting for something, something that would be delivered to him on a plate, and boy, it did deliver.

The blonde-haired girl with crimson eyes in a petite form appeared in front of him and caught Rita beside him off guard.

"You have gone too far, Titus. This atrocity shall end."

"I never knew you cared so much about humans, Arcueid. Shouldn't you defend our own people on the moon? Are you determined to be Gaia's dog?" Titus's voice was dripping with disdain when he addressed the sister before him.

"But, it was the rule that we would never be allowed to hurt or hunt humans or suck their blood." Arcueid was at a loss at first with her brother's rhetoric but quickly mentioned the fact that he, her brother, broke the rule that he shouldn't attack humans.

Her fangs and crimson eyes flashed dangerously at him. He knew better; Arcueid would really attack him to maintain the rules. This was her role, after all. But he still smirked at his dear sister and approached her step by step.

She stared at him vigilantly but didn't maintain further hostility or intent to attack him. She waited patiently to hear what her brother wanted to say before she punished him for his misdeeds.

If it had been another True Ancestor, she would have killed them without mercy. But Titus was different. He was the only True Ancestor who didn't hate her like the others. Everyone preferred to stay away from her, but not him. That's why her tolerance for Titus was so great.

"Of course we are, we should protect humans, take care of them and nurture them as it was something that we were supposed to do, because we are Counter Guardians, is that your argument, Arcueid? Of course, we already do all of that, yet look where it got us, Arcueid, Crimson Moon War. They declared war on us just for petty reasons. The message needs to be sent: this is the price for overstepping us! Tell me, Arcueid, which side are you on?" Titus scoffs. Humanity? Those same humans who cheered for their demise? He lays it all bare, the hypocrisy, the betrayal.

Of course, he didn't mention Alaya and Gaia's betrayal over them. Let's be real, she wouldn't understand or perhaps didn't want to understand the dirty nature of those two beings who wanted to wipe them out after using them. Gaia is her mother, after all. He noticed the unusual atmosphere of Earth over them. Humans no longer respect them, nature is against them, even their past deeds and protection over humans are wiped from their memory. Everyone and everything becomes strange. He knew Alaya probably removed human memory and goodwill toward them and turned True Ancestors into monsters in their impression, and this war is the breaking point of their last friendship. True Ancestors are no longer needed for Earth after their last value is being squeezed out by them.

The ones who protected humanity or Earth have never been Alaya and Gaia in the first place, but True Ancestors! Yet they have the gall to snatch all of their achievements?

In the past, it was Crimson Moon who protected them when they were weakest. If not for his father and True Ancestors, Alaya and Gaia would have been wiped out long ago in the Era of Gods.

That's why he hated Alaya and Gaia; their ungratefulness made him repulsive toward them.

If not for the fact that he was born late, he would have gotten rid of them long ago or made them his puppets before they grew more powerful.

"They are innocent, brother, the humans. At least if you wanted vengeance, limit it to the Mage Association." Arcueid compromised.

"I will not argue with you, Arcueid. Give me the Holy Grail. Tell Gaia I just need it, and we will end this war," Titus decided to end this argument. He didn't want to talk and was too lazy to explain his actions to others.

Arcueid pondered for a while, then nodded as she began to communicate with her mother. Gaia seemed to agree, and the Holy Grail appeared in her hand.

It was not the Holy Grail from the magi ritual, but from Jesus. The legend said the Holy Grail was the reason why True Ether vanished; it absorbed the veins of Earth and cleansed all the sins of mankind. This Holy Grail contained True Ether and all of mankind's sins, but that was all. Its usefulness had already been fulfilled and it didn't have any other function except that, and no one knew what Titus wanted to do with this broken thing. That's why Alaya and Gaia easily agreed to the request. The Holy Grail, to them, was like a chicken rib: tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away.

The Holy Grail wasn't in Jerusalem, and he knew it. It was in the hands of Alaya. He purposely led the massacre here to force Alaya to hand over the Holy Grail to him for the truce. The Mage Association was too important for the Counter Force and they didn't dare to bet that Titus would really go crazy because of this. It was a cheap price to pay for the grand scenario. Why not?

It's not their prime time, but the earliest time where they are not yet divided the timeline into many parts. They are strong, but not to the point of their prime, where they could throw timelines at will. That's why Titus could exploit this weakness. Moreover, for them, this request isn't much and reasonable. Since his request was just the Holy Grail, they compromised instantly, as the Holy Grail wasn't really useful for them, especially since its usefulness had already been utilized in 1 AD.

He smirked at Rita as he put the Holy Grail in his pocket and said, "Tell them we have won, Rita. Now, it's time to go home."

[Do you want to fuse with the Holy Grail, Titus Brunestud?]

Not now.

The chat group was indeed a very convenient tool. Even the Holy Grail could be fused. With this, he would be truly immortal. The blood-sucking impulse would never apply to him again, and he would be immune to the holy light or any other weaknesses that vampires had. He would become the perfect creature, the perfect form that Crimson Moon always wanted but never achieved. Moreover, with the Holy Grail, his strength is no longer static as previously. Yes, True Ancestors are born powerful, but couldn't improve their strength because of the limitations Crimson Moon set over them. Now, that shackle is broken. It took the Holy Grail to fulfill this ideal state.

Hah...

What a sweet victory to savor indeed. He bypassed his sister and disappeared as if he and the horde of undead had never been there in the first place, leaving only Arcueid and a bunch of survivors in place.

They underestimated him, thinking the Grail was a worthless trinket. Little do they know, they've just unleashed a monster, and the Counter Force would come to bitterly regret their decision, forever haunted by the memory of the day they handed over the Grail to Titus Brunestud.

Now, The Counter Force thinks they've won. They've bought a temporary truce with a trinket. But they've unleashed a force they can't control.

Titus Brunestud is now unstoppable, a god among vampires.