Chapter 587: Jealousy is My Power (87)
Chapter 587: Jealousy is My Power (87)
The duration for which I could stop time was growing longer and longer.
Naturally, for the Vampire, this was an utterly unforeseen development. My body was exhausted to the point of collapse, and a powerful technique like 'Time Stop' could not be used indefinitely.
If such a thing were possible, I wouldn't be called a High Expert; I would have been hailed as a 'Master.'
Yet, the current me was flying directly in the face of that common sense.
Of course, this wasn't a miracle that came without a price.
Not that it was something worth worrying about at this point.
While the Vampire stood there dazed, I couldn't even count how many more times I swung my hand axes.
Finally, with a sharp shatter, particles of light scattered into the air.
It was proof that the blood-red chains had been broken.
Even then, the Vampire remained standing still, lost for words. Her blue eyes, watching me intently, held nothing but a look of utter incomprehension.
The Great Witch, who had narrowly been released, felt the same.
"You, how... no, are you even okay? First Child?"
The Great Witch’s concern was well-founded. My condition looked that dire, even to the naked eye.
I didn't even have the luxury to check the reactions of those around me.
My gasping breath was ragged. My overworked brain and lungs were screaming at their limits.
But the more they did, the more vivid the visions became.
The memories of a strange man were rummaging through every fold of my brain.
It felt as if the blood vessels in my head were about to burst. Snap, pop. The capillaries in my eyes ruptured, tinting my vision a faint crimson. I suppressed the urge to scream with everything I had.
I had no choice but to sink to the ground, letting out low, agonizing groans.
Only then did the Vampire show a hollow smile.
"I don't know what you did, but I see... there is no power without a price. You made a 'deal,' didn't you?"
It was then that the Great Witch staggered to her feet.
As the Vampire stared at me with contemplative eyes, the Great Witch deliberately stepped in front of me. It was clearly an attempt to protect me in my incapacitated state.
The Vampire, however, didn't seem to feel particularly threatened.
"My pathetic little sister, do you still not understand? Unless you draw upon your true power, there is no way for you to defeat me... Why not summon your main body now?"
"So your main body can escape the barrier in the meantime?"
At the retort spat through gritted teeth, the Vampire replied with a short laugh.
Dozens of mysterious geometric patterns were rising behind the Great Witch's back.
"No matter how much you've fragmented your soul, a soul needs a core to maintain its mass. So, the maximum power you can pull is about thirty percent?"
"That's more than enough."
The Vampire snorted and raised her hand.
Watching the scene, I hammered my fists against my thighs. The battle was about to begin; I didn't have time to sit around like this.
As I expected, the fight was one-sided.
Cr-crack! Fire, wind, and electricity mixed simultaneously to create a bolt of light. It was magic that combined no fewer than five elements.
The explosive force was beyond imagination.
However, this was inside the Vampire's barrier.
Boom!
The Vampire merely made a single gesture with her hand.
With that alone, the ground flipped, cracks appeared in the sky, and the magic circles the Great Witch had painstakingly prepared were all shattered. Naturally, the Great Witch, unable to withstand the shock, coughed up a spray of blood.
So this was the cause of the earthquakes felt even outside the barrier.
"...To punish a thief like you!"
Just as the Vampire was about to swing her hand down like a blade again.
With me at the center as I staggered to my feet, the world was once again dyed in monochrome.
The excessive use of Aura placed a terrible strain on my meridian points. Unable to control the overflowing mana, silver sparks of electricity crackled and popped from my eyes.
Even so, my body kicked off the ground and sprinted forward of its own accord.
It was, quite literally, the unconscious.
My will was no longer necessary. Before I knew it, I was in front of the Vampire, scattering silver Aura that spread like mist.
The secret of 'Unbinding' (解).
But my opponent was a legendary Fiend.
A thunderous explosion struck the space and echoed out. Nothing had moved, yet the sensation of a self-generated momentum slamming into me was so alien it was bewildering.
Where the shimmering spatial distortion receded, the Vampire, having regained her color, wore a look of pure annoyance.
"How bothersome...!"
And then, another explosion.
It wasn't an artificially triggered blast. The Vampire had simply struck the flat of my blade with her hand, but the pressure felt as if it would snap the bones in my arm.
The reason I didn't let go of my sword despite the danger.
It was to seize the chance for a counterattack.
Spurt.
As blood sprayed, the Vampire stumbled back with eyes full of disbelief. A small puncture wound had appeared on her shoulder.
It was the result of instantly firing the Aura I had dispersed with 'Unbinding' by concentrating it with 'Binding' (結).
It was like a majestic, flowing river suddenly meeting a narrow channel.
Its piercing power was incomparable to any other technique. Considering it had managed to inflict a piercing wound even on the Vampire who had regained thirty percent of her power, one could guess its true might.
Of course, there was a regrettable point.
Because, originally, I had been aiming for the Vampire's heart.
As I expected, the wound on the Vampire's shoulder healed with startling speed. With a hissing sound, smoke rose, and soon not even a trace of it could be found.
However, next it was the Vampire's turn.
My sword, unable to withstand the Vampire's raw strength, had long since been flicked away. All that remained was a future where the Vampire's fists and feet struck my arms and legs in succession.
And the result was catastrophic.
Crunch. Snap.
Do you know the sensation of your body parts being crushed and torn away, bone and all?
It was a feeling I would have preferred to never know in my entire life. Unable to even let out a scream, I clutched at the ragged flesh where my left arm and right leg used to be.
Not that I could stop the bleeding from my lower body, since I only had one arm left.
The Great Witch's scream erupted from behind me.
"First Child! Urgh...!"
Dozens of magic circles rose into the sky again along with her cry, but the result was always the same.
With a simple snap of her fingers, the sky vanished.
It wasn't an exaggeration or a metaphor. The sky, which had already been nothing but pitch-black darkness, was being torn away along with the space itself—a sight that was nothing short of horrifying.
It felt as if a transcendent being was ripping through space like a sheet of paper with their bare hands.
And what filled the void was another kind of darkness.
At least it was visually slightly better than before. In the newly created sky, a blood-red moon hung.
The crimson moonlight was vivid. Bathed in that eerie illumination, the Vampire looked somewhat irritated.
"Did you think something would change with two of you? How truly foolish."
Indeed, the tide of battle was grim.
I was clearly incapacitated, and though the Great Witch tried to stagger to her feet, only the sound of her collapsing echoed out. It was uncertain when Senior Elsie, who was groaning in pain, would even wake up.
There was only one person here still capable of taking a step.
Without even the sound of a footfall, gracefully.
The Vampire's eyes, slowly approaching me, held a faint murderous intent. Judging by the way she glanced down at her shoulder, she seemed quite resentful of the fact that I had landed a blow on her.
The sound of her grinding her teeth was proof of that.
Slowly, my vision began to blur. My breathing grew shallower, and as the blood loss increased, my consciousness was fading.
"However, that strike just now was impressive... It reminded me of when my pathetic sister was in her prime."
Which is why I find it even more unforgivable.
A low whisper seemed to pierce my ears. I couldn't be sure, as I was already on the verge of fainting.
I only knew that the Vampire's hand was slowly being raised.
Detecting approaching death was an instinct of all living creatures.
Finally.
Is it finally over?
Just as I thought that and was about to close my eyes.
"What...!"
I heard the Vampire's voice, sounding visibly flustered. And then, a sudden pain that felt like my spine was being heated to a sear.
It was enough to make my closing eyelids fly open.
"What is... Gaaah, aaaaaaaagh!"
As I regained consciousness with a scream, a bizarre sight unfolded before my eyes.
In the space buried in darkness, countless blood-red threads were spread out. Forming a complex and sturdy web like a spider's, those lines were connected to both me and the Vampire.
Every time the blood-red thread that had pierced my spine pulsed, I felt a searing heat. The result brought about by that pain was truly astonishing.
My limbs were regenerating.
It was a miracle thought possible only through divine power. Moreover, an ordinary sacrifice shouldn't have been enough to heal my body anymore.
On the other hand, the blood-red threads connected to the Vampire were performing a completely different role.
They were binding the Vampire's body tightly, making it so she couldn't move an inch.
There could only be one person who wielded such a bizarre power.
Soon, a cry filled with hatred erupted from the Vampire's mouth.
"'Greed'...!"
That was the signal.
With a tap, a girl dropped from the sky and showcased an elegant landing. She slightly bent her knees to absorb the impact and spread her arms as if performing a formal greeting.
Black hair and golden eyes caught my eye for a moment.
Along with the jet-black robes that boasted a dangerously high level of exposure.
The girl slowly stood up, her lips moving as if she were singing.
"A man and a woman having a 'physical conversation' all alone in a closed, dark room? Not good, not good at all... As your younger sister, I absolutely object!"
"You crazy bitch who wants to mate with her own brother...!"
The Vampire ground her teeth as if the words were absurd, but she couldn't land an effective blow on the girl's heart.
On the contrary, the girl stood up and even went as far as to give a wink.
Specifically, toward me.
"Now, the younger sister who loves her Oppa is here! You can relax now! Because Oppa must never be broken until he becomes mine!"
It was a line that still made my head spin.
I considered just closing my eyes again, but in the end, I let out a sigh and pushed up my upper body.
Right, I have to fight.
Because that is the 'contract.'
It was a sibling's united front.