"No way! It's completely impossible!"
In the lower levels of Kazdel, a group of mercenaries stood silently.
Their companions were taken away right before their eyes, and they had no power to resist; they were only alive because the other party showed them mercy.
Closure skin, tears streaming from her eyes.
"No... no... they took the engine, and it's too late to get it back now."
The atmosphere grew even heavier; everyone knew what it meant.
With Catastrophe looming, the only consequence of being unable to activate the city is destruction along with it.
What should we do?
One of the mercenaries looked at Hedley, who remained silent.
Based on past experience as a team leader, the best course of action in the current situation is to evacuate; they certainly have the capability to do so with their horde of Berserk Boar.
But...
"The boss, she really..."
Snap!
The mercenary who had spoken slapped himself hard across the face, panting heavily.
"No... no way..."
The atmosphere grew increasingly somber, until a calm voice rang out.
"Team leader, I'm leaving."
Everyone looked at Rice, who had spoken, as he carried the Butcher on his back and headed towards the passage.
"... Where to?"
"Go save them," Rice said firmly.
"Even though it's Catastrophe, we should be able to survive if we hide in the lower levels of the city, right? We need to bring the residents from outside in."
"Are you out of your mind?" a mercenary snapped, standing up abruptly.
"Save them? At a time like this? With the leader's life hanging in the balance?"
"Big Sister will be alright!"
Staring intently at the speaker, Rice said firmly:
"Our leader is so strong, she can even control Catastrophe, she'll definitely be fine."
"Then why did you...?"
"But that doesn't mean we can just stay here and do nothing!"
Rice lowered his head, his voice low.
"I'm weak and can't help you much, I know that."
"Although the boss seemed angry when she bought the slaves, I know she was actually happy."
"If... I could save the people here, wouldn't the boss be even happier?"
Rice clenched his fists and looked up.
"I have to go, I absolutely have to go."
"If I have to stay here and do nothing, I'd rather die in Catastrophe."
"..."xN
Looking at his colleague, who usually only cared about grabbing food, one of the mercenaries stood up with a ferocious expression.
"Having a name makes a difference, doesn't it? After all, you'll be remembered even after you die, right?"
Rice paused for a moment, then confidently raised his head.
"The boss named it! Do you have one?"
"[Sarkaz profanity!] I'll ask the boss for one after this is over!"
The mercenaries then stood up, Rice looked at Hedley remained silent.
"Team leader, aren't you going?"
"Yes, of course I'll go."
Hedley exhaled a stale breath, Ines emerged from the shadows.
"The reconnaissance is complete. She is indeed in the furnace, but the Confessarius is also there, and I can't get close."
Under the surprised and delighted gazes of the mercenaries, Hedley approached Rice and patted him on the shoulder.
Do you know why I'm the team leader?
"Ah?"
Without offering any explanation for the slow-witted fellow, Hedley immediately began issuing orders.
After confirming the rescue and attack personnel, he looked at Closure.
"... Ines, I'm begging you."
Supporting the Closure, Ines said in a deep voice:
"One condition."
"As long as I can survive, I'll take as many as I can."
"I want to open a shop."
"Good."
"I need you to help me with the cash register."
"Good."
"I need your secret savings as seed money."
"Okay... cough cough! How did you know?"
Seeing that determined look in his eyes, Hedley said helplessly:
"That was originally prepared for you."
Ines' eyes widened, Hedley turned away, unable to look any longer.
"Everyone, let's go!"
Golden Storm swept toward the dark city, and Ines, along with Closure, sank into the shadows.
"Where are we going...?"
"Someone needs to relay what happened here to the Babel Tower, and the only option is to entrust this to you."
Closure tears in her eyes, raised her head.
And what about you?
"I'm also a member of a mercenary group."
After finally waiting for that blockhead to understand, even if you want to leave, you have to find out his intentions first.
As Ines accelerated again with Closure, her heart grew heavier the closer she got to the outskirts of the city.
What happened?
As the sky was filled with blood, seemingly harmless raindrops pierced his body, and the pain roused Uzi from his dream.
Dragging his injured body into the house, a bewildered Sarkaz looked at the Catastrophe scene outside and began to recall.
Who I am?
Uzi... that name my irresponsible parents left me. I am the patrol guard of Kazdel.
Why am I here?
Yes... the general has left, and I have received orders to wait here for His Highness's arrival.
So what exactly happened?
Blood continued to be drawn from the wound, and Uzi's eyes widened as he remembered.
The Confessarius entered the city, and their leader used magic to control the residents. My fellow citizens and I rebelled.
And then... and then...
Uzi couldn't recall anything after that; the loyal soldier simply stared wide-eyed as he became a dried-up corpse.
The Banshee's lament echoed through the city, bidding farewell to these innocent warriors who had perished so tragically.
"Your spells have become weak, Aifanel."
With a casual flick of his fingertips, the drawn blood transformed into dangerous spiral crystal spears under Ducare's control.
"Wasting your energy in battle to protect these civilians? That arrogance will get you killed here."
There was no response. The Banshee's song changed from mournful to shrill, like countless wild beasts scratching at glass.
The crystal spear shattered in mid-air, but instantly turned into blood, once again coming under Ducare's control.
However, before this invisible sound wave could reach the enemy, it was shattered by the claws formed from blood.
"Useless struggle. If you want to live, unleash even more powerful magic."
"Vampire... do you know what you're doing?"
The Banshee Queen finally spoke, her anger suppressed by the dangerous spells surrounding her.
"Did Theresis know about the betrayal of the Demon King?"
"It was the Demon King who betrayed Sarkaz, Aifanel."
The Vampire Demon Lord descended the blood-soaked staircase slowly.
"I once trusted the Demon King just like you, Flame Demon embarked on the path of punishment, Goliath roared with fearless calamity."
"But just as Teekaz gradually weakened, the Demon King is also growing weaker."
The blood took on various shapes, and ferocious beasts pounced on the Banshee.
"Theresa and the others saved the Sarkaz in that war, and I thought she would be the hero the Sarkaz had been waiting for."
The Banshee brandished her Bone Pen, and the incantations manifested as chains, binding and tearing apart the roaring Beast Herd, which then transformed back into blood that surrounded their ruler.
"His Highness has fulfilled everything she promised!"
The Banshee glared at the Vampire, defending her monarch.
"Of course, I don't deny that."
Ducare nodded nonchalantly.
As the Banshee said, the reigning demon king had achieved a tremendous leap from nothing to something in the past hundred years.
Industry, education, healthcare... no matter how bad they are, these facilities have indeed been built in the city.
Theresa was certainly an excellent queen, but...
"She's meddling too much."
Blood transformed into blades and whips, clashing repeatedly with the chains of incantations, while the overflowing Gale easily sliced nearby buildings into fragments.
The two rulers of the Royal Court faced each other across the battlefield. The battle that had destroyed most of the city was merely a warm-up for them.
"The weak will eventually be crushed into dust by history. When the Demon King chooses to mingle with those alien races, one day, her boundless mercy will become an obstacle for the Sarkaz."
"Besides, remove that filter and the sense of honor, the Demon King isn't anything special. At least I've killed one Demon King before; it wasn't difficult."
The blood rain from the sky continued unabated, constantly replenishing Ducare's power, yet the Banshee Queen's Spellvoice grew increasingly shorter.
"That's enough, Aifanel. Your power is worthy of the title of Lord of the Royal Court. Abandon futile resistance, and the Vampire and the Banshee will remain inseparable allies."
The blood blade was sheathed, a gesture of goodwill from the Vampire, but the Banshee did not appreciate it.
"If Your Highness cannot give Sarkaz a future, then what are you, slaughtering the inhabitants right now?"
Logos was slightly out of breath. Even though he had deliberately taken control of the battlefield away from the outer city, the casualties were still shocking.
"The future of the Sarkaz may not be in His Highness's hands, but it certainly won't be in the hands of Butcher like you!"
The incantations were written in the air, and the songs were chanted.
"My words are the Royal Court."
The Banshee chanted, black air currents carrying incantations, and blood dried silently upon contact.
Faced with this rather unfavorable situation, Ducare applauded and praised:
"The Carrion Eater's witchcraft, the Banshee has actually developed spells to such an extent... I'm becoming more and more reluctant to kill you."
The battle is turning in the Banshee's favor; the new spells are reducing the reuse of blood and suppressing the Vampire's regenerative abilities.
At least for now, Ducare has several scars on his body.
But the Banshee knew this was just an illusion.
Due to Monarch's near-immortal regeneration, the Wither spell can only temporarily restrict its movements.
If a ruler of a Royal Court wishes to leave, no other ruler of a Royal Court can stop him.
Logos activated the communicator on his waist again, Closure.
Besides, he's the one whose movements are restricted right now.
"I see, you were worried about your companion?"
Logos suddenly looked up, Ducare smiling contemptuously:
"Killing that group of Confessarius is not bad for a warrior, but that's about it."
With her fists clenched, the Banshee Queen had grasped the current situation.
Missing operators, lost communications, and the Confessarius and Vampire Demon Lord who shouldn't be here.
His Highness is likely in dire straits. Hedley's squad seems to have achieved some success, but the Confessarius team is here, and their leader is probably also present.
So, the only one who still has the ability to act...
Looking back at the furnace, the logos seem to see the light inside shining brighter than ever, perhaps due to the dim sky.
"You still have time to be distracted?"
How could this be!?
Ducare's pale hand was close at hand, but he paused for a strange moment.
The defensive runes the Banshee drew for Logos ultimately worked, maintaining a safe distance with the Banshee Queen's blink.
Startled, Logos looked up and saw the horrific state of the Vampire.
The decaying magic corroded the flesh of his opponent, Ducare ignored it, cutting it apart and letting the blood fill and repair the wounds.
"After all, he's not a true Carrion Eater. If the sorcery just now was used by Nachzehrer, I should at least have a new body by now."
The damaged dress was repaired by mimicry blood, and Ducare regained his original composure.
"Continue the demonstration, Aifanel."
The incantation reappeared, and the Banshee Queen had no time to attend to anything else.
The man before me is the symbol of the Court of Blood; as long as there is blood, he will not fall.
I'm sorry everyone.
The Banshee Queen gritted her teeth and unleashed her magic with maximum force.
It's up to you to rely on yourselves...
"Logos!"
Closure! Is the communication connected? No... the direction of the voice is--
"Don't come any closer!"
The spell to be cast could not be interrupted, and in desperation, Logos remembered Lucky sleeping peacefully in his arms.
[In an emergency, throwing it out might have a surprising effect.]
So this is what it's used for?
Before you could think, the round sphere was thrown towards Closure.
Meanwhile, the Bloodline Heir Cluster crossed the outer perimeter of the Catastrophe, and thanks to the near-1G network signal, Vane finally logged into his account.
Huh? What happened...?
Lucky opened his eyes to Closure, the battling Logos, the relentless rain of blood, and the ever-growing Catastrophe.
"It looks awful."
"Huh?"
"What kind of expression is that? That look, and those tears? Can your tears save this city!?"
Closure was completely stunned as she caught Lucky and was immediately scolded.
"But... but..."
"No buts! Your companions are in grave danger, and what are you doing? Don't you feel ashamed!?"
What can I do?
In a fit of rage, Closure grabbed Lucky and began to tear at him.
"I'm weak! Unlike other Vampire who excel in combat, I'm just a weakling!"
"Then ask me for help! You want to save them, right?"
"Of course! How could I not want to..."
"Then let's sign a demon contract."
Before Closure could figure out what a demonic contract was, the girl instinctively opened her mouth at Lucky's command.
"Ugh--!!!"
Closure clutched her neck and knelt on the ground, unable to bear it any longer Ines, who was pulling the other woman away, tried to pull her away.
"What are you doing? If you don't leave now, it'll be too late..."
"Shh..."
Ines' eyes widened as she was enveloped by an endless sea of crimson light from the perspective of Originium Arts.
No, I can't breathe!
"Don't look around, little lamb."
Lay the vomiting Ines flat on the ground, and "Closure" emerged from the shadows.
At the same time, the two Royal Court who were fighting suddenly distanced themselves from each other.
Ducare looked up, his brow slightly furrowed.
The rain he created... has stopped?
Noticing that his companion had not yet left, Logos anxiously looked back.
"Closure, who... who are you!?"
Logos was filled with doubt and uncertainty. The person in front of him was undoubtedly Closure, but his intuition was screaming warnings.
"Don't be nervous, the internet signal is weak, so we'll have to borrow this body for now."
Closure twisted her neck, breathing heavily.
"Ugh, fresh air is... cough! cough! What the hell is this air quality?!"
The brief moment of doubt subsided, and looking at this fellow clansman who had intruded into the battlefield, Ducare remembered who he was.
"Having excellent parents and extremely pure blood, yet a freak who never drinks blood... I remember how trembling you were back then."
Ducare suddenly laughed.
"You look great right now, that gaze... You're better than those weaklings who can't even look me in the eye."
"What are you babbling about?"
After warming up, Closure clenched her fists together.
"OK~ You've gotten used to it. Watch me beat you into a little cat roll and collect all the defeat CGs!"
Ducare's eyes grew increasingly dangerous. Although he didn't understand the strange title, he understood the significance of defeat.
"You want to challenge me? Challenge the Vampire Demon Lord?"
"Challenge?"
Closure frowned her beautiful brows and assumed a charging stance.
"Don't get it wrong, you're the challenger."
"Interesting..."
Ducare didn't react much to these presumptuous words, maintaining his relaxed demeanor.
No one had challenged him in a long time, let alone any member of his clan.
"Very well, I bestow this honor upon you. As long as you can trample me underfoot, you will be the new..."
Snap--
His face made tight contact with the shoe's surface, Ducare tumbled backward before quickly regaining control of his body.
"..." x3
Closure wiggled her toes, her expression strange.
Why didn't you dodge?
Touching his cheek, feeling the lingering sensation, a deep laugh emanated from Ducare's throat, growing louder and louder.
He certainly wouldn't dodge; his control over his blood was enough to allow him to automatically counterattack when the enemy arrived.
But just now, the blood he controlled refused to attack the other party.
The Vampire's battles are simple and pure; the one with greater control over blood power can easily crush their opponent.
He, the mighty Vampire Lord, even though he wasn't paying attention just now, lost to a little girl in terms of blood control?
"Hmph hmph hmph... Hahaha!"
From bass notes to loud laughter, Ducare's joy outweighs his anger.
"Closure... that's the name, isn't it? Come to the Military Commission, and I will personally instruct you. Your talent deserves this honor!"
Ten minutes.
"What?"
Closure raised her head and gazed at the distant sky.
"If you can't beat me in 10 minutes, you'll die."
"That's exactly what I wanted!"
Ducare's smile remained unchanged, his surging blood a silent response.
In the cracks, in the corners.
Blood surged like a swarm of snakes, pouring down towards Closure.
Closure did not move; the torrent of blood stopped before it touched her, losing control.
"... I see."
Ducare's pupils contracted slightly; as soon as the blood left his body within a certain range, the control over the blood would be stripped from his grasp.
If remote suppression fails, then...
Blood solidified into claws at his fingertips, and the Vampire Lord transformed into a blur, aiming straight for Closure's throat.
Closure her hand to block, her claws striking her forearm, the resulting shockwave blasting away all the surrounding debris.
Ducare's attacks were relentless: punches, palms, claws, elbows, knees, feet...
Accompanying her long lifespan was her superb combat skills; for a time, Closure could only defend.
The ground cracked, the air trembled, and from Ines's perspective, all she could see were two figures, their afterimages constantly shifting and intersecting amidst the ruins.
But...
"Blocked it?"
"What do you mean 'blocked'? You're underestimating me."
Closure turned back in displeasure. A fierce glint flashed in Ducare's eyes, followed by a crimson arc of light, and his fully charged claws pierced straight out.
Nothing happened.
Closure remained motionless; her throat, which should have been pierced, didn't even leave a white mark.
Ducare's face showed a moment of astonishment; the feedback from his hand made him almost doubt his own senses.
"Too low."
Closure looked up, her crimson eyes filled with boredom.
"Your purity is too low."
Without dodging or evading, a twisted vortex appeared in Closure's palm during a gap in Ducare's attack.
With palms facing each other, the spherical energy body continuously converged.
"Starting from just now--"
The vortex was compressed into a flat surface, its edges trembling incessantly, emitting a teeth-grinding buzzing sound.
"--You just can't keep up at all!"
Ducare's body reacted faster than his mind, his spine bending at an angle close to breaking.
A black line swept across from above.
It flew quietly, glided silently across the sky, and quietly—touched the cluster of buildings behind Ducare.
The next instant, the buildings took flight in perfect unison.
The upper and lower parts are smoothly offset, as if even space itself has been severed.
What is that?
Ducare his first moment of doubt during the battle.
Is this truly the Vampire's fighting style?
"Three minutes have passed already~~"
A casual reminder came through, and Ducare's eyes were bloodshot.
As Ducare straightened up, preparing to counterattack, he noticed his line of sight was lowering.
The approaching ground told Ducare that his back... was broken.
"Are you kidding me!"
The blood flow at the fracture surface prolonged, forcibly rejoining the separated bodies.
Under Ducare's manipulation, the surrounding blood rapidly converged, transforming into a continuous stream of crystal pillars that pierced inward.
At the same time, countless blood-red leeches surged from Ducare's body, their fangs, capable of crushing steel, charging towards the enemy.
For a moment, Closure, surrounded by a large number of attacks, disappeared from sight.
Off the court, Ducare, looking grim, reflected on the inexplicable emotions he had just experienced.
He, who had always considered himself a strongman, had surprisingly developed the pride of a weakling...
No, that's the humiliation of being suppressed in the same field.
"His fighting style was ugly, just like a beast."
The sound came from the smoke. Ducare stared intently at the center of the battlefield. As he expected, this little trouble was not enough to deal with the enemy.
"Where is the elegance of the Vampire? Where is your composure as a Great Lord?"
Closure utterly disappointed.
"You're so boring..."
Bored? Does fighting me bore you?
"Of course, look at yourself now."
As if she could see through Ducare's thoughts, Closure looked down.
You're shaking.
Ducare looked down in astonishment; his body was indeed trembling uncontrollably.
Ah, am I excited?
Believing this, Ducare laughed wildly:
"Indeed, outstanding descendant! In my long life, no Vampire has been more outstanding than you, not even my brother who became the Demon King!"
"Therefore... I will give you the grandest trial!"
Ducare deliberately plunged his own heart into his own, activating the Teekaz's Blood within.
The atmosphere trembled, and the blood, out of control, returned to his side, weaving a crimson Crown of thorns above his head.
"Feel honored! This is the Teekaz's Blood! The true blood of Teekaz..."
"This little bit of blood makes you ecstatic?"
Interrupting Ducare, Closure stretched her shoulders.
"I told you, you only have 10 minutes to present."
"Arrogant!"
Just as Ducare was about to launch an attack to display the glory of Teekaz, he suddenly discovered that another bloodline, not his own, had entered the battlefield.
Looking up, a sky full of blood-red gauze robes converged above.
"Since you've already activated your second form, I'll transform too and do something similar."
Black bat wings unfurled from her back, Closure rose into the sky, enveloped by a constantly gathering blood-red veil.
"... cocoon?"
Amidst the Catastrophe, what coalesces with the heavens is a giant, blood-red cocoon.
Before Ducare could wait long, a pale arm emerged from within and tore the cocoon apart.
Closure Plus makes its grand debut.
An unprecedented sense of oppression enveloped Ducare, forcing him to fight back.
"What exactly are you!?"
A tidal wave of blood leeches surged downwards, the surging tide of blood destroying houses and flooding the city.
Faced with this horrific scene, Closure her hand, and rain began to fall.
The surging waves subsided instantly, and like raindrops, slime Bloodline Heir fell from the sky, easily enveloping the blood leech's body with their harmless, soft forms.
"Didn't I tell you? Your purity is too low."
Looking at Ducare, who was enveloped in his own blood, Closure ruthlessly announced the reason for his defeat.
"Control over blood, the strength of offspring, the origin of bloodlines... in every aspect, I am superior to you."
"There's no need to feel ashamed. Just as you've suggested, on a purely biological level, you cannot defeat me."
Closure Ducare had lost interest in listening.
Should he be happy? He should be happy that his ethnic group has a stronger compatriot.
But...
Looking into Closure's eyes, Ducare gradually understood.
Was the trembling earlier not due to excitement?
That is the instinctive fear in one's blood when facing a predator that is above one's own food chain.
Just as he never considered the weak as his comrades, the monster before him was certainly not a friend of the Sarkaz.
We have to tell Theresis! We have to get the message out!
Realizing what he should do, Ducare immediately transformed into blood and fled.
"Hey? I haven't finished speaking yet?"
As mentioned before, if one ruler of Royal Court wants to leave, the other ruler of Royal Court cannot stop him.
Ducare, who can transform his body into blood, can be resurrected on a pre-arranged altar even after death.
But can it really go that smoothly?
"I was originally planning to try out more moves, but never mind."
Closure tilted her head and made a camera shape with her hands.
"That move, I remember it being done like this..."
He didn't chase after us?
There was no movement behind him. Ducare, who was fleeing, looked back and his blood-soaked body froze for a moment in shock.
The pervasive blood mist shrouded Closure's figure, making it appear even more profound under the cover of night.
In this abyss of darkness, Ducare saw an eye.
It was a constantly rotating eye of an abyss, as if it wanted to suck in souls.
"Ducare, do you... believe in gravity?"
One, two... By the time Ducare came to his senses, the blood-red river he had created was already filled with these abyssal eyes.
A blood-red river meanders through the city, its surface covered with abyssal eyes formed by Otherworldly Vortex, mercilessly devouring everything it touches.
The building sank into the river, and the ground was relentlessly eroded away.
The river of blood churned up everything it could touch, and the black gravity tore at Ducare's body.
[Ding: One new member added to the We Many]