Vampire

Vampires (吸血鬼) are one of the races in the world of The Eminence in Shadow with nearly eternal life. Although they can reproduce, they normally abstain. Hosting overwhelming magical energy and vitality, their flesh never decays.

The majority of vampires have become extinct, leaving only Elisabeth and her clan as the sole survivors residing in the Lawless City. Following the Red Moon Incident, Elisabeth and Mary are the last two remaining vampires.

Appearance
Vampires closely resemble humans, with distinctive features including red hair, red eyes, sharp teeth with pointed fangs, claw-like nails, and occasionally, a tendency towards pale skin.

Background
According to Mary, vampires once reigned as the dominant species, feeding on humans as livestock. However, a significant shift occurred when humans unearthed their vulnerabilities: sunlight, heart-piercing, and their dependence on human blood. Consequently, humanity launched a relentless pursuit of vampires, nearly driving them to extinction, with just a small cadre of formidable individuals remaining.

Red Moon Incident
During the fateful night of the Red Moon ascent, cornered vampires staged a formidable rebellion. The Red Moon persisted for three harrowing days, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. On the initial night, an entire country lay in ruins. Over the following two nights, three more nations suffered damage so severe that recovery seemed impossible. As the Red Moon eventually descended, the Blood Queen and her kin abruptly vanished, retreating into hiding, patiently awaiting the next lunar cycle, effectively causing humanity to forget their existence entirely.

A millennium later, a second Red Moon emerged, ushering in the revival of Elisabeth by Crimson, who sought to harness her power in order to reassert dominance over humanity. However, before tragedy could unfold, Shadow intervened, thwarting Crimson’s nefarious plans.

Category and Classification
Vampires, as far as known, once held a prominent position among the most formidable and mystical races in the world, potentially ranking third, surpassed only by Dragons and Demons. However, when humans unearthed their vulnerabilities and unveiled their true nature, their status plummeted dramatically. They went from being a fearsome threat to becoming easy prey, even for ordinary civilians who lacked any significant magical abilities, relegating them to nearly the lowest tier of perceived threats.

Despite their near-eradication, vampires remain a potent and lurking menace to the public. Their terror and formidable power can resurface when they are subjected to the heightened influence of the Red Moon, transforming them into nearly indestructible beings capable of posing a threat, perhaps even to a Dragon, and especially to an entire nation.

Vampiric Dexterity and Ability
Vampires' primary prowess lies in their superhuman strength, which amplifies further with age and the consumption of copious amounts of blood, rendering elder vampires even mightier. Additionally, they experience heightened enhancement in their five natural senses, with a notable emphasis on vision, hearing, and smell.

Certain vampires can outpace humans and even their fellow vampires in terms of speed, and this aptitude is intricately tied to the vampire's age and the volume of blood they've consumed.

Night Vision
As vampires, they inherit the bat's remarkable night vision, granting them the capability to discern their prey both nearby and in the distance during the darkest of nights.

Vampiric Regeneration
Vampires possess a natural regenerative capacity, allowing them to heal common wounds, ranging from minor cuts to deep lacerations, rendering them impervious to typical natural illnesses. The most powerful among them, the highest-ranking vampires, exhibit an even more profound regenerative ability, capable of mending grievous wounds like limb amputations or even decapitation, provided their heart remains intact and there's sufficient time for their body to mend the injuries.

Vampire Curse
They have the ability to transform humans into Ghouls, or alternatively, into fellow vampires.

Vampiric Immortality
As vampires, they are virtually immortal, sustaining eternal youth and physical vitality as long as they are adequately nourished.

Red Mistform
Mystify is the extraordinary capability exclusive to high-class vampires, enabling them to transmute their corporeal form into mist.

Weakness

 * 1) Their ultimate vulnerability lies in the piercing of their heart. Despite their formidable regenerative powers, vampires lose their ability to heal when their heart is destroyed. This crucial weakness became a formidable advantage for humanity, once fearful of these seemingly immortal beings.
 * 2) The sustenance of their powers hinges on the regular consumption of blood. Vampires who abstain from blood for extended periods eventually find themselves with strength hardly distinguishable from that of ordinary humans. It's an intrinsic aspect of their existence, compelling them to coexist with, rather than annihilate, humans to survive as a species.
 * 3) Sunlight proves fatal to vampires, reducing them to ash upon exposure. Regardless of the vampire's strength and the human's vulnerability, anyone can eliminate a vampire by harnessing sunlight. Numerous methods, including traps and the destruction of their sanctuaries, turned daytime into the execution ground for countless vampires.

Known Individuals

 * Elisabeth
 * Crimson
 * Mary

Trivia

 * Based on Beta's insight from Eta's hypothetical theory, there's a suspicion that the vampire curse on their race's blood shares some resemblance to the Demon Possession curse. However, the exact nature of this relationship remains unknown.. However, the precise nature of this connection remains unknown.
 * Mary firmly opposes this notion, considering it blasphemy against the Vampire Progenitors, as both she and her associates are convinced of their disconnection.
 * Aurora herself has affirmed that vampire blood and demon blood are distinct entities.
 * Even to this day, the question of whether Elisabeth was the original vampire remains shrouded in mystery. Although Mary and her clan have asserted that Elisabeth is the most formidable progenitor of their kind, they've never definitively stated that she was the very first vampire.
 * In the world of "The Eminence in Shadow," the enigmatic occurrence known as the Red Moon, or the Bloody Moon, unfolds once every 1000 years. Within this world, the phenomenon extends over three complete days, with the sun remaining hidden from view. In stark contrast, in our earth, this event transpires on a much more frequent basis, transpiring approximately every year and a half and enduring only for a brief span of hours. On average, it reoccurs every four years, appearing in the same location, spanning from one country to several, before vanishing once more.
 * In the light novel and manga, the protagonist Cid Kagenou openly admitted to never having witnessed a Red Moon, not even once. However, this doesn't necessarily imply its absence. It's highly probable that his intense focus on training and his unwavering aspiration to become the Eminence of Shadows caused him to overlook the significant events occurring around him.