BOOM!
Another massive explosion erupted.
Watching from a distance, Bern shut his eyes tight, then opened them again. He exhaled a long breath of stale air as yet another cloud of Ether Substance rose, blocking his vision.
"Are we seriously not done with Ether dust today?"
But grumbling or not, Bern still spread his wings and hurled himself straight into the cloud, intending to drag Phaga out.
He had barely flown two seconds before a silver-white metal sphere burst out of the purple haze, barreling directly toward him.
"What the—ugh!"
Bern's eyes widened. He tried to shoot upward, but it was too late—the metal sphere slammed into him, sending him tumbling back.
"Cough—cough, cough!"
While Bern hacked on the ground, the sphere finally unfolded. Phaga stumbled out, bracing himself against the rim.
In the next instant, the sphere shifted in his palm, reverting to a long blade that he drove into the ground for support.
"Pfft!"
But the moment he steadied himself, a tight ache seized his chest. A mouthful of black blood splattered onto the ground as his knee buckled, nearly dropping him onto one leg.
Before he could fall, a hard yank on his collar jerked him upright.
He turned—Bern was gripping the back of his shirt.
"Crimson Overdrive isn't used like that. Are you trying to kill yourself?"
Bern shot him a sharp glare. Having grown up among vampires, he recognized the symptoms instantly—Phaga had activated Crimson Overdrive on his own.
A vampire's innate ability: detonating part of one's blood vessels, burning blood as fuel to gain strength. But just like a human child raised by wolves wouldn't learn to speak, what good was innate talent to a vampire raised entirely in human society?
Using Crimson Overdrive like this… if someone replenished Phaga's blood afterward, fine. But if no one did—and their enemy excelled at endurance—then even a vampire could die embarrassingly fast.
Still, Bern couldn't help marveling. Phaga had discovered this ability on his own, without instruction, and survived it. Genius was the only fitting word.
"Don't yank my collar… at least help me stand properly…"
After a brief pause, Phaga finally regained enough strength to straighten. He commanded his platelets and immune cells to work, sealing the ruptured vessels inside him.
Within moments, his complexion improved.
Though he had expended a great deal of energy, after the emergency repair, his strength had recovered to roughly seventy percent.
"...Forget Crimson Overdrive for now. Black blew off half a wing. Call the other vampires—we'll kill him together."
Instinctively, Phaga pressed a hand to his chest.
Even before Black detonated his wing, Phaga had already transformed Kunmutu into a metal sphere to shield his entire body. But now, touching his chest, the heat still burned deep, as if his bones were caving inward.
He absolutely did not want to take an attack like that again.
"Unfortunately, that won't work."
Bern gave him a sidelong glance. "The others must hold the perimeter. If any Ethereal get close—"
"If Black absorbs them, all the damage you've done so far goes to waste."
"Tsk."
Phaga clicked his tongue, but he knew Bern was right. He took a deep breath and raised his blade, gazing into the swirling Ether haze. A shadow moved within it.
He muttered, "Weren't you the one who told Ellen I'd only be assisting? Otherwise, she wouldn't have let you leave so easily. Don't tell me you actually believed your girlfriend-soothing lines?"
Bern shot him a brief look before his wings lifted him off the ground.
Then—like a bullet—Bern launched himself into the cloud.
Moments later, ice-coated hands emerged from the haze as Bern found Black and struck downward.
Clang!
Black raised one hand, blocking the blow. Slowly lifting its head, its grin widened as roaring flames clashed with Bern's ice.
"It's you? The generous soul who fed me my Creator's umbilical cord blood."
"You offer me umbilical cord blood and then attack me? What ungrateful kindness."
Bern's eyes darkened. He pulled back his left hand and drove a heavy kick toward Black's stomach.
But Black had anticipated it—using its remaining right wing as a shield.
Its foresight shocked Bern. He beat his wings hard, pulling back just in time to avoid the claw of fire that slashed past his calf.
"Don't misunderstand. Even the Creator receives equal treatment. To build a world where no one bullies the Creator, I need strength. And all of you… are my nourishment!"
Black cackled. It bent its legs and shot upward like a rocket.
"Tsk!"
Bern's expression hardened. He gripped his right wrist with his left hand and spread five fingers. Blood welled instantly from his fingertips, droplets floating beneath him.
"Amplifrost: Hemofrost Burst!"
His voice was low and sharp.
At once, the mist-like droplets froze into flowers of ice, solidifying into a thick ice shield.
Thud!
Black's claw slammed into it, leaving only shallow scars—unable to break through.
Gravity soon dragged it downward, its momentum fading.
But then—
A flash of fire streaked through the edge of its vision.
Black looked down—
A blood-red blade shot toward its abdomen.
Phaga's eyes were razor-sharp, focus absolute.
Floating in the air on only one wing—he had no room to dodge.
Either Black detonated another wing,
or—
Die.
Phaga tightened his grip.
But Black chose neither.
It bowed its head with a sigh.
[Ah… the Creator truly knows how to seize an opening. You've forced me into a corner.]
The next instant, its swaying hand was torn off entirely—stuffed into its own mouth.
And immediately, its back writhed—
The previously blown-off wing regrew in an instant.
Whoosh!
A blast of air swept across. Phaga's eyes went wide as he helplessly watched Black sprout fresh wings and escape his strike.
Buzz—
Flames flickered along the Longblaze Blade, the technique dissipating with no target hit.
Phaga muttered, "You can do that?"
A vampire raised among humans—his worldview shattered.
Eat your own arm… regrow your wings… what—
He turned to Bern.
"Ahem. Yes, you can."
Bern coughed twice, awkward. "Vampires have many abilities, but… because most are crude and grotesque, we don't use them."
[Dying for pride, living in misery—vampires truly are a clan of useless fools!]
Far ahead, Black soared high, waving its last remaining arm as it laughed:
[With such wonderful bodies, you vampires only need enough fresh blood. I, as an Ethereal, only need enough Ethereal Substance.]
[As long as the materials are abundant, we can experiment on ourselves endlessly and create greater power. Why not?]
[But of course… talking about this now is meaningless.]
Black narrowed its eyes, smiling faintly.
[Dawn is approaching!]