Vampire

Vampire (吸血鬼(きゅうけつき), Kyūketsuki^?) are one of the many demon races. Known as the 'Lords of Demonkind,' they possess unmatched strength due to their unique ability to manifest Beast Vassals. The original and most powerful among them are called Primogenitors.

Overview

A type of demon. In a narrow sense, it refers only to those who are descendants of the Primogenitors. They have a physical structure almost identical to humans but are sustained by negative life force, granting them a high regenerative ability. Additionally, they host a summoned creature known as beast vassal within their body, and by drawing out the beast vassal's powers, they can use various supernatural abilities. On the other hand, their physical bodies are relatively fragile compared to other demons, and they have many weaknesses, such as vulnerability to precious metal bullets and sunlight.

Vampires, a species possessing high intellect and vampiric characteristics, were by no means in constant conflict with humanity. As many of them preferred to live their lives melted away into human society, they had been careful to avoid making an enemy of the entire human race until now. Furthermore, every national government had signed treaties with the Primogenitors banning indiscriminate vampiric activity, bringing about what seemed like peaceful coexistence on the surface. However, that was the result of the exceedingly precarious balance of power among the three Dominions.

Characteristics

A so-called immortal body is a prison for the soul. The peace of death, granted by rights, is something we vampires will never know. Thanks to the continued regeneration of our bodies, our nerves shall never wither. Nor can we lose our sanity to escape from mind-rending pain.

Velesh Aradahl

A race with an immortal body (不老不死の肉体) due to their negative life force (負の生命力). In Strike the Blood, the vampire's immortality and regenerative abilities (再生能力) are emphasized. While they avoid intense direct sunlight, exposure does not result in death. Instead, it only hinders their ability to turn into mist (霧). Vampires are not weak to flowing water either. Furthermore, even if they live for hundreds of years, their physical appearance is proportional to their mental age.

There were still many things misunderstood by the world at large, but the species known as vampires did not drink the blood of others to satisfy hunger. Food and drink were sufficient to address simple hunger and thirst. Certainly vampires could replenish their magical energy through the act of drinking blood. Magic also existed that used blood as a catalyst. However, these were nothing more than by-products. A vampire’s urge to drink blood was triggered mainly by sexual arousal. In other words, by lust.

Their thirst for blood is driven by sexual desire, and when they feed, the person being bitten also experiences intense sexual pleasure. Therefore, when they feel the urge to feed, they do not drink blood but instead consume food and drink, just like normal humans.

To vampires bored with long, nigh-eternal life, risking their lives in battle against a powerful opponent was the only supreme pleasure remaining to them.

Appearance

Vampires possess a human form, but when excited or enraged, their eyes—and even their vision—turn crimson, while their canine fangs lengthen and sharpen.

History

During the era of the Devas, Vampires were created by Cain through the inscription of an overriding law into the world's existing laws—permitting either the transformation of a Human’s mortality into immortality via his now-lost secret spell. Thus, the Primogenitors came into existence.

Ranks

• Primogenitor
• Wiseman
• Old Guard
• Ordinary
• Blood Servant

Lineage

• D-Type: Vampires under the watch of Lost Warlord. Often referred to as "classic vampires" by the people, they possess the ability to transform into mist and summon beast-like familiars.
• G-Type: Vampires under the watch of Fallgazer. Their unique abilities remain currently unknown.
• T-Type: Vampires under the watch of Chaos Bride. They are capable of summoning intelligent familiars, which are then utilized as weapons in combat.

Abilities

Vampires possess innate physical strength and agility far surpassing that of humans. They can further enhance their combat abilities through magic, as actual physical training has no effect on them due to their unchanging nature. Vampires have unique innate abilities, including the ability to replenish or amplify their demonic energy through blood consumption, regeneration, and strengthen themselves further through cannibal consumption. While their strength is on par with most demons, their ability to manifest Beast Vassals from Another World grants them unparalleled power, making them feared even by Attack Mages. Many vampires can summon a Beast Vassal, but the most powerful among them, such as the Primogenitors, can manifest multiple Beast Vassals at once. Additionally, some vampires are capable of learning and using Magic, and even Spiritual Arts, such as summoning a Shikigami.

Blood Consumption: Vampires could replenish their magical energy through the act of drinking blood. Vampires possess the ability to consume spiritual energy from a human through drinking their blood and channeling it into themselves to replenish or strengthen themselves.

Cannibalism: To unaging vampires, blood was the source of their magical strength. It was their medium for summoning Beast Vassals as well as the foundation of their very existence. By sucking on the blood of many beings, long-lived vampires amassed even greater magical power within that blood. Old Guard vampires possessed greater power than younger generations for that very reason. That went double for the Wisemen. But that didn’t mean a younger vampire was unable to obtain great power sooner rather than later. He just had to rob magical power directly from the blood of more powerful vampires. For vampires to consume the blood of other vampires, their very existence…it was, in a sense, cannibalism. But it was said that one normally could not consume a vampire more powerful than oneself. Even if he sucked the other person’s blood dry, it would take control of his own flesh and mind from within. The one attempting to consume would instead be consumed himself. That was the danger of cannibalism, and the primary reason younger generation vampires did not defeat their betters.

Curse of Immortality: Even though vampires were said to be ageless and undying, that did not mean they were completely invulnerable. In particular, their brains, which controlled their magic power, and their hearts, which governed the circulation of their blood, were lethal vulnerabilities. Even for the Elders, receiving severe damage to either meant certain death. However, as Primogenitors bodies was different. Even their completely destroyed heart could regenerate; most of the blood they would lose would flow right back into them. But there would be no coming back if they managed to get themselves turned to ash like vampires in legend.

Beast Vassal Summoning: Vampires possess the ability to manifest concentrated physical forms of demonic energy; the Beast Vassals, with the weakest amongst them are as strong as battle tanks whilst the strongest amongst them are as strong as natural calamities.

Mist Transformation: Use of transformation into mist was pretty much exclusively for blood relatives of Old Guard vampires and above.

Transformation: Including Giada herself, the vampires from the Third Primogenitor’s bloodline in the Chaos Zone were all endowed with the power of transformation.Vampires of the Third Primogenitor’s bloodline had the ability to transform into ferocious beasts and birds of prey.

Weaknesses

Vampires possess several natural weaknesses. The severity of these vulnerabilities varies greatly depending on the vampire’s rank, with Primogenitors being exceptions to nearly all of them:

• Sunlight: A vampire was doomed to be weak to sunlight. This held true even for the Primogenitors. The rays of the morning sun cut particularly deeply. Though they could not burn vampires to a crisp, they had to contend with a variety of symptoms such as feelings of fatigue and ennui, sleepiness, and loss of appetite. It was the latter symptom that was really troublesome, but to the uninformed, these symptoms were indistinguishable from a normal human being lacking sufficient sleep from staying up all night.
• Water: Though it is mere superstition that vampires cannot cross the ocean, it is nonetheless true that their abilities are limited when over water.
• Blood Loss: If a vampire loses too much blood, they will die. Once a vampire dies—regardless of blood loss—they cannot be revived, even if blood is provided. Only Primogenitors can defy this limit and regenerate from death.
• Decapitation: If a vampire’s head is severed or destroyed, they will die permanently, unable to regenerate from such a fatal wound.
• Heart Destruction: The destruction of a vampire’s heart is a surefire way to end their life. Once the heart is destroyed, there is no coming back.
• Extensive Bodily Damage: Although vampires, especially Old Guard vampires, can regenerate from severe injuries that would instantly kill a human, there is a limit to their resilience. If a vampire’s body suffers critical, irreparable damage—such as the destruction of vital organs or severe disfigurement beyond their regenerative capacity—they will die. Once this point is reached, there is no means of revival, and the vampire's life will come to an irreversible end, with the exception of the Primogenitors, who can regenerate even from such fatal injuries.

Primogenitors stand apart from all other vampires. While they may still find sunlight uncomfortable, it does not meaningfully weaken them. They can regenerate from any form of physical destruction—including blood loss, decapitation, and heart obliteration—making them virtually impossible to kill unless reduced completely to ash.

Known Vampires

Name	Image
Avrora Florestina (アヴローラ・フロレスティーナ, Avurōra Furoresutīna?)
Ki Juranbarada (キイ・ジュランバラーダ, Kī Juranbarāda?)
Aswad-Guul Aziz (アスワドグール・アズィーズ, Asuwadogūru Azu~zu?)
Giada Kukulcan (ジャーダ・ククルカン, Jāda Kukurukan?)
Kojou Akatsuki (暁 古城(あかつき こじょう), Akatsuki Kojō?)
Hektos (ヘクトス, Hekutosu?)
December (ディセンバー, Disenbā?)
Liana Caruana (リアナ・カルアナ, Riana Karuana?)
Veldiana Caruana (ヴェルディアナ・カルアナ, Verudiana Karuana?)
Nozomi Kamikiba (神木庭 希未(かみきば のぞみ), Kamikiba Nozomi?)
Moegi Akatsuki (暁 萌葱, Akatsuki Moegi?)
Reina Akatsuki (暁 零菜, Akatsuki Reina?)
Velesh Aradahl (ヴェレシュ・アラダール, Vereshu Aradāru?)
Dimitrie Vatler (ディミトリエ・ヴァトラー, Dimitorie Vuatorā?)
Iblisveil Aziz (イブリスベール・アズィーズ, Ibirisu Beru Azuizu?)
Gigliola Ghirardi (ジリオラ・ギラルティ, Jiriora Giraruti?)
Beatrice Basler (ベアトリス・バスラー, Beatorisu Basurā?)
Tobias Jagan (トビアス・ジャガン, Tobiasu Jagan?)
Kira Lebedev Voltisloa (キラ・レーデベデフ・ヴォルティズロワ, Kira Rebedeffu Vuorutisurowa?)

Trivia

• The second-generation vampires are also called Wiseman.
• Healing magic doesn't work on vampires.
• The time just before seven AM was the harshest time of day for a nocturnal vampire.
• The rumor that cursed soil granted vampires power was merely an old wives’ tale.
• The popular image was that at least vampires could get by on drinking wine or tomato juice alone, but in actual fact, they got hungry and ate solid food like anyone else.
• As demons went, vampires were pretty frail. Without Beast Vassals, their combat abilities paled in comparison not only to other demons but even to human Attack Mages.
• Superstition would have it that mirrors did not reflect vampires, but this applied only to a particular subset of the furniture.