Black narrowed his eyes, a faint smile curling at his lips:
[Dawn is approaching!]
At those words, Bern's expression instantly hardened. His heart tightened as he murmured, "Yeah… dawn really is coming."
"So we need to wrap this up early."
The moment he finished speaking, Bern's aura shifted sharply. Phaga's heart jolted. He turned toward Bern—and saw a surge of killing intent erupt from him. Frost clung to Bern's temples, melting into droplets beneath the steadily rising heat of his body. Two opposing temperatures—biting cold and scorching warmth—rose from him at the same time!
"Watch closely, Phaga."
Bern lifted his left hand and sliced open his wrist with the tip of his right finger. Blood burst forth like a fountain—yet the spray scattered into suspended droplets, each one floating in place, arranged with no pattern at all. In the next instant, Bern brushed a finger across the wound. It vanished instantly.
But Phaga, through his Vampiric Sight, saw the truth clearly: only the surface had healed. The artery beneath was still ruptured—just hidden inside the flesh now.
Bern spoke again: "This is how you use [Crimson Overdrive]!"
The countless blood droplets shimmered, glowing across the sky as the temperature plummeted. Standing closest, Phaga felt the cold bite into his bones.
"Go!"
Bern flicked his finger. The droplets transformed instantly into tens of thousands of ice spikes, shooting outward and carving long chains across the air.
[Tsk. Vampires really are ridiculous. How have they not wiped out humanity already?]
Black cursed inwardly, then spun around. He'd burned far too much energy already—he couldn't take that attack head-on. Run!
His wings snapped open. With a powerful beat, he blasted forward at incredible speed.
"Move! After him!"
Seeing Black flee, Phaga launched himself into pursuit.
Bern pressed a hand to his earpiece:
[You all pursue Black as well. Keep it away from any Ethereal. The plan is on track—don't relax.]
[Understood!]
Thirty vampire voices replied in unison. Thirty streams of multicolored light surged forward after the two dark-red streaks at the front. From afar, it looked like a constellation escorting two crimson meteors. In truth, it was a massive cage tightening around its prey.
Bern soon caught up. Under [Internal Combustion], his speed was staggering—he shot straight to the front of the formation.
Then came the storm.
Hundreds of ice spikes descended at once, like a torrential downpour hammering straight down at Black.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
[Damn it! What kind of absurd ability is this?!]
Black screamed as pain tore across his back, but he forced himself onward. Then, suddenly—heat. A scorching wave rolled from behind. His scalp prickled. He twisted hard, veering away from Phaga's incoming slash.
A brilliant bloom of fire lit up the night sky behind him—dazzling, blinding. Black had already darted tens of meters away, shifting direction yet again.
But escaping wasn't that easy.
Bern watched from above, eyes locked on him. Just as Black relaxed for an instant, a sudden rain of ice fell directly in his path. The impacts were so dense they cratered the asphalt in seconds.
Ordinarily, Black could have dodged it. But after such a long battle with Phaga, wounded and without any Ethereal essence to recover with, his focus had dulled. And after narrowly avoiding Phaga's ambush, he had no way to respond to the next one.
So the sudden strike caught him completely off guard. He crashed headfirst into the icy downpour and was crushed deep into the ground under the sheer force.
Thud!
[Aaah!!!]
Black shrieked. His wings were torn to shreds. His spine-braced back was reduced to bloody pulp under the relentless barrage. Tiny wounds exploded across his body, leaking purple Ether Substance uncontrollably.
He clawed desperately at the cratered asphalt with his remaining right hand, screaming as he tried to drag himself out. But before he could pull forward, Bern sensed it. His half-lidded eyes shifted—cold, sharp.
A single, distinct ice spike shot into the hail. Far sharper than the rest, it speared straight through the back of Black's only remaining hand.
[Aaaargh!!!]
Black roared, jolted back to full awareness. He swung violently, flinging a mass of Ether Substance outward.
It flared like fire. Every falling spike melted instantly, turning to water, then vaporizing into steam. The steam mixed with the Ether Substance, spreading into a vast purple haze.
Above, Phaga's pupils turned crimson. Through Vampiric Sight, he saw it clearly: Black hadn't fled. He was only defending—barely.
"I'll keep him pinned. You finish it."
Bern spoke softly, eyes narrowed in thought. But time passed—no reply came from Phaga.
Bern frowned and glanced his way, puzzled.
Phaga, too, wore a heavy expression. His gaze stayed fixed on the buildings around Black.
"Something's off…"
"Like what?"
"Why didn't Black blow off his own wings and escape? Better that than sitting there taking hits."
"No idea."
Bern shook his head, subconsciously drifting a bit further from him.
"But there's one thing you should keep in mind. See that pale glow on the horizon? The sun hates us. Before it climbs up, we need to be gone."
"Fair point…"
Phaga nodded. He wasn't as sunlight-sensitive as Bern, but the warm light still felt deeply unpleasant—instinctively repulsive.
"Then let's end this."
Phaga's blade shifted form, transforming into a sniper rifle in moments. The scope extended. Guided by Vampiric Sight, he adjusted the barrel until it aligned with Black's head.
Aim. Fire.
Bang!
The Ether-Nether Flames bullet shot into the storm. But as recoil rocked him backward, Phaga caught a glimpse through the swaying scope—Black's lips had curled upward.
It lifted its head, mouth opening and closing silently. Phaga couldn't hear the words. But afterward, he could only assume it said:
[My people… have finally arrived!]
Black grinned wildly, eyes fixed on the incoming bullet.
[Roar!]
A deafening roar erupted from beneath the earth—not one Ethereal, but thousands.
BOOM!
The ground beneath Black collapsed. A tidal wave of Ethereal surged forth.
Arlaune, blooming like a flower, crouched low—
Beside her, the orange-yellow glow of the Tarasque Mixer blazed.
And floating near Black was something even more startling—
A towering, human-shaped Ethereal, pure white from head to toe, gripping a long spear.
Phaga narrowed his eyes, murmuring:
"Thracian?"