«This round’s draw is downright cruel!» the announcer begins with enthusiasm. «It’s rare for two familiars to face each other again so soon—but today, it’s happening! And we’re not talking about just any familiars, but a mber of House Valakys and one of House Dulcar! Will Count Markus Dulcar’s familiar manage to avenge his sister’s honor against the familiar of the one who defeated Countess Alia? We’ll find out now! Let the battle between Luke Dulcar and Lyon Valakys begin!»
Who would have thought I’d face him again this soon...? Still, the idea of fighting him again fires up—not because I enjoy battling, but because I finally have a chance to uncover the secret Luke and Ginevra are hiding about that so-called "monster" connected to him! Win or lose, after today, I’ll tease him for life!
«Blood Word: Telum!»
The blood sword materializes in my hand.
Behind , Ayra sits in the usual spot reserved for the masters of the familiars in battle. I’m wearing that sa red-glowing earpiece as always, but this ti, not a single word from her. Normally, she’d be non-stop—either cheering on or threatening in her own amusing way if I lost. But now... complete silence.
Luke wastes no ti and charges straight at —the Vis energy surrounding his body is shockingly well-controlled for soone ranked only slightly above . It’s clear he deserves a much higher position, but I’m definitely not going to be the one to help him rise in the rankings!
Since our last fight, his strength and speed have improved dramatically—but I haven’t been sitting around either.
His punches co at fast and powerful, but thanks to the skill I’ve developed in swordsmanship, I can block them with relative ease—this ti using the edge of the blade, not the flat side like in our last clash. I’m not letting the weapon break again. Yet, his knuckles don’t even flinch at the sharp edge of my sword—he must have concentrated a much denser and more compact amount of energy around his fists than in the rest of his body. I expected nothing less from soone who relies solely on brute strength.
...and it’s exactly that confidence that leads to a serious miscalculation on my part...
I never would’ve expected that, just as his punch was about to land—and I was already prepared to block it—he’d instantly redirect the Vis energy from his arm to his right leg with such lightning-fast reflexes.
He twists his torso slightly and delivers a spinning kick to the hand holding my sword, disarming and sending the weapon flying—until it dissolves into red smoke.
Once the fight shifts to real hand-to-hand combat, the initial balance between us starts tipping dangerously in his favor. My close combat skills aren’t full of flaws like before—I’ve made real progress thanks to all the training with Dorje during my weeks at Castle Valakys—but Luke is still clearly superior to .
Well, if it worked once, maybe it’ll work again...
«Blood Word: Obice!»
Luke is about to land another blow when the scarlet, viscous disk forms near his knuckles. His fist slams into Obice... but once again, he manages just in ti to redirect his energy from the fist to the rest of his body, draining the arm of every last drop of power.
Obice reflects the force of the blow back to the attacker, but there was no energy left in that punch—it was barely stronger than a normal human’s strike—while the rest of his body, still charged with energy, absorbs the backlash from my Blood Word without suffering any damage.
Luke follows up imdiately with an attack—a kick to the stomach that knocks to the ground.
«Is that all the strength you’ve got, Lyon?» Luke says, genuine disappointnt in his voice. «How do you expect to protect Ginevra if you’re this weak?»
«Ginevra...» I choke out, my voice thick with blood. «What does she have to do with all this...?»
«You really are an idiot...» Luke says, shaking his head in resignation. «Anyway, I can’t stand the thought of leaving her in the hands of soone weaker than !»
I don’t know what he’s talking about, but... he’s right. I’ve trained hard, I’ve learned to wield three Blood Words more than decently, and yet I feel weak... Like there’s a huge amount of energy inside , but sothing’s blocking it...
At this point in the fight, completely overwheld by my opponent, I was expecting sothing from Ayra—threats, curses, anything... but nothing. She doesn’t seem to have any intention of breaking the absolute silence she’s kept since the battle began.
Ayra... could she be the reason behind my physical and energetic collapse? Since the very beginning, I’ve always had to stir up erotic thoughts about her to awaken the Visanguis—but now... the coldness she shows , her total indifference, has hurt so much that I can’t see her that way anymore—not as the woman I had strong feelings for—but only as a vampire who sees as nothing more than her battle human, soone to throw into fights just to boost her own standing. As if a princess and future commander of the Scarlet Army really needed to improve her status. But of course... it’s obvious, isn’t it? She doesn’t need anymore and tossed aside like a toy she’s grown tired of. And to think I believed she was different from the others... I really was a fool. I wouldn’t even be surprised if one day she handed off to soone else—that’s the only thing left...
But what disturbs more than anything is the desire that keeps growing inside , day by day... for soone I’m ashad to even think about. It’s wrong—completely wrong! I shouldn’t feel this way about Daphne. She’s a truly special woman, and honestly, she might be the only one in all of Mildelar with even a shred of a heart. Her kindness, the way she’s cared for and filled the emptiness Ayra left behind... maybe she did it too well. So well that now, I feel happier when I’m with her than when I’m with Ayra—a thought I never wanted to have.
But right now, I have to stay focused on the fight—I need to unlock the energy trapped inside my body. And unfortunately, I’ve realized what it takes to do that...
A sudden burst of purple Visanguis energy erupts from my body, forcing Luke to retreat in shock—the air pressure alone is enough to make him stagger, even from a distance.
...Damn it, I knew it! I could feel that there was energy inside I couldn’t release for so reason, and I was hoping I was wrong—that it wasn’t because I’ve grown distant from Ayra and closer to Daphne—but unfortunately, that’s exactly it...
With eyes burning with anger and disappointnt, I hurl myself into the counterattack—this ti, it’s Luke who’s overwheld by my sudden surge of strength. His power and speed are incredible—no doubt thanks to that technique he’s mastered, the one that lets him shift Vis energy rapidly through his body to maximize force wherever he needs it. But even that’s useless now—my strikes are faster and stronger than his.
Using the basic martial arts principles Dorje taught , I manage to bring Luke down with relative ease—pinning him face-down, my knee pressed into his back as I grab his wrists and pull his arms behind him. I’m not trying to break them—I just want to force him to surrender.
But he refuses to give up.
«D-Damn it... I was hoping I wouldn’t have to use that against you, of all people, but I’ve got no choice,» Luke mutters through the pain.
In that instant, his muscles suddenly swell, ripping through his blue tunic as he breaks free from my hold, hurling away with a swift and powerful swing of his arm.
But it’s not just a matter of increased muscle mass—in fact, that’s the least disturbing part. His legs start to stretch, twisting into an unnatural shape, just like his arms. His body... becos covered in thick black fur, his hands and feet morph into paws with long, razor-sharp claws, and his face elongates forward.
Frozen more by shock than fear, I watch as he transforms into a lycan.
W-What the... what the hell is going on...?! And yet, no one in the audience looks even remotely surprised. Clearly, this isn’t the first ti they’ve witnessed such a horrific transformation... Now I get it—the famous secret of Luke. He can turn into a lycan—a creature far more monstrous and abominable than a vampire. Oh, Luke... long years of mockery are waiting for you!
Luke glares at with a fierce growl, his small yellow eyes glowing—saliva dripping from his jaws. And yet, despite his monstrous appearance, his body still radiates Vis energy.
«Don’t you dare say a word about this to anyone!» growls Luke—his voice now unrecognizable, darker and deeper, yet still understandable.
«I guess you owe so explanations...» I say calmly, still staring at him with wide eyes, unable to believe what I’m seeing.
«I’ll tell you after I defeat you!»
Luke drops to all fours and charges at terrifying speed. When he’s just a few ters away, he leaps toward —his claws aid straight at my body.
I extend my arm toward him, and... «Blood Word: Interius!»
«The winner is Lyon Valakys!»
announces the comntator, as Luke’s lupine body collapses to the ground, a large hole torn through his chest—a wound the arena’s barrier will heal instantly.
«Did you see that, Ayra? I defeated him using the best Interius I’ve ever cast—it’s not perfect like yours, but it’s ten tis better than the ones I used before our training at the rocky quarry. I hope you’re proud of ...»
«You did well» are the only words I hear through the earpiece. But when I turn toward her station, she’s already gone—she left the arena without even coming to hug like she always did.
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