[Vol. 7] Chapter 100: The Power of Blood
A sudden, elderly voice echoed in Enrique’s ears without warning. Instinctively, a chill ran down his spine. Without a second thought, he swung his short bow sideways, sending his twin curved blades slashing toward the source of the voice.
But in the next instant, his weapons rebounded as if they had struck an unbreakable wall. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his hands, making his weapon tremble in his grip.
A formidable enemy, unfathomably strong!
Enrique didn’t dare to hesitate. Using the force of the rebound, he leaped backward. Even while airborne, he loosed an arrow. An emerald-green energy bolt whistled through the air, streaking toward the unseen foe in a swift counterattack.
In the brief exchange, his nearby teammates, [Tree Rampart] and Qionghua, immediately reacted. The latter, usually shy and reserved, swiftly retreated to put distance between herself and the enemy. At the same time, she raised her staff, summoning several beams of light that pierced through the ceiling, landing separately on her two teammates.
Meanwhile, [Tree Rampart], fulfilling his role as the front-line defender, let out a loud battle cry and charged forward with his sword and shield raised high!
As an Astrologer, Qionghua excelled at enhancing her allies while weakening her enemies in battle. The starlight she summoned enveloped [Tree Rampart], amplifying his already imposing presence. His aura surged past the threshold of legendary warriors as he swung his sword with immense force.
"Brave Blade Strike!"
Only now did [Tree Bow], Enrique, finally get a clear look at the enemy who had appeared beside him like a ghost.
It was an elderly man, dressed in a neat yet simple tailcoat. His short, dark red hair was combed smoothly, and though he wasn’t particularly muscular, he carried himself with an upright, dignified posture. He resembled an aging noble butler.
He stood there with an almost imperceptible presence, appearing utterly ordinary at first glance. But both [Tree Rampart] and Qionghua had just witnessed the same terrifying sight. This man had blocked their captain’s full-force strike with just one bare hand, without even drawing a weapon. That was no feat an ordinary person, or even a typical warrior, could accomplish.
Without hesitation, they launched their attacks.
Almost simultaneously, Enrique’s emerald energy arrow streaked through the air with immense force, while Qionghua swiftly chanted another spell. Her staff glowed as she invoked an incantation at incredible speed, summoning yet another beam of starlight, this time targeting the tailcoat-wearing elder.
"O dazzling stars of the night sky, cast your radiance upon my foe and shake their very soul—Star Howl!"
The three adventurers launched a perfectly coordinated assault against their formidable enemy. In that brief moment, the combined strength they unleashed was no less than that of three individual legendary warriors fighting at full force. Even the powerful Vampire Grand Duke would likely have to avoid direct confrontation and retreat under such pressure. But…
"A decent combination, but still too inexperienced."
The elderly man, his short dark red hair tinged with white, yet still standing strong and vigorous, smiled faintly. With just two fingers, he effortlessly caught [Tree Rampart]’s full-force sword strike. The weakening magic cast by Qionghua seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever. Then, with his other hand, he casually caught the energy arrow fired by [Tree Bow], stopping it completely in its tracks.
"Condensing arrows with magic is a clever technique. It can catch opponents off guard. But against enemies with high magic resistance, it makes you particularly weak. Kid, don’t underestimate the traditional craftsmanship of your clan’s wooden arrows."
As he spoke, his strong fingers clenched tightly, crushing the energy arrow into dust. Then, with a simple wave of his hand, the heavily armored warrior, [Tree Rampart], was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the hall’s wall with a thunderous impact, raising a cloud of dust and debris.
"This kind of strength… Y-You’re…!"
Enrique landed on the staircase connecting the manor’s first and second floors, his eyes filled with shock as he stared at the butler-like elder who had just effortlessly repelled all three of them. Although the man hadn’t revealed any wings, his blood-red eyes and dark red hair, streaked with white, clearly indicated that he belonged to the same race as that girl.
But what truly mattered was the sheer, overwhelming power he had just displayed. This was far beyond what even a legendary-ranked Vampire Grand Duke could achieve. Based on what [Tree Bow] had seen so far, if not for the presence of Violet and her golden beast companion, then even if everyone present joined forces, they would still be completely outmatched and crushed by this man.
"A Vampire Prince!" Enrique shouted. "Is your kind behind the conspiracy happening here?!"
The elder, suspected to be a Vampire Prince, simply smiled faintly. He dusted off his impeccably neat coat with a graceful motion, his gaze briefly shifting to the side, toward a black-haired girl who had yet to make a move. Then, like a true gentleman, he gave a slight bow, though it was unclear to whom he was addressing his gesture.
"Augustine Constantius. That is my name. The second-generation Vampire Princes. A pleasure to meet you all."
His blood-red eyes gleamed as he calmly continued, "Kid, you accuse my kin of orchestrating the events here from the shadows. Do you have any proof?"
"If your only reasoning is that our meeting today is mere coincidence, then I must express my deep regret for the decline of Lingmu tribe’s wisdom."
"…?"
Realizing that Augustine didn’t seem intent on making another move for now, Enrique took a quick glance at the battlefield. Sophie and her two teammates were still locked in a fierce fight with the vampire girl, while Violet and the other two women were held back on the other side. Probably because the battle had broken out so suddenly that they hadn’t had the chance to intervene. With a serious expression, he spoke in a deep voice.
“If this isn’t your doing, then why did your kin suddenly attack my teammates? If we didn’t have the ability to defend ourselves, someone could have died just now.”
"Heh… It’s obvious. This was just a misunderstanding."
The elderly prince, dressed like a butler, turned his head slightly to look behind him.
"That’s enough, Avrilia. Come back. You got carried away—they are not with them."
The vampire girl, still wielding her massive battle-axe, glanced at him with a hint of confusion.
"But Uncle Augustine, they clearly just—!"
"I said, come back."
"Tch..."
Hearing his tone grow firmer, Avrilia clicked her tongue in frustration. Though reluctant, she didn’t dare openly defy him. With a powerful swing of her axe, she broke free from her stalemate with Sophie, then flapped her bat-like wings and quickly retreated, landing beside Augustine.
The old prince swept his gaze across the group, then gave a polite, refined nod.
"This entire conflict was caused by Avrilia’s impulsiveness and lack of maturity. As a Constantius, I sincerely apologize on her behalf. We are not your enemies, at least, not for now. I hope this incident doesn’t leave you with the wrong impression that all vampires are aggressive and unreasonable. Haha…"
"Now then, feel free to continue as you were. We’ll be taking our leave."
With a grand wave of his hand, Augustine and the vampire duchess beside him suddenly dissolved into countless tiny bats. They swarmed upward through the hole in the ceiling and disappeared into the second floor in an instant.
"......"
Only when they were finally gone did Enrique let out a long breath, slowly lowering his weapon. His tense body and nerves, wound tight the entire time, finally relaxed.
Augustine’s strength was terrifying, easily among the most powerful beings Enrique had ever encountered in his century of life. If the vampire prince had insisted on fighting, the outcome would have been impossible to predict. His power wasn’t just beyond human limits. It had stepped into the realm of myths.
No matter how many people they had, there was no way to bridge that gap.
That was truly... too dangerous.