In an instant, countless blood threads burst free from Aurok the Mad's limbs. They quickly condensed into streaks of blood that arced through the air, pursuing the fleeing rebels.
"AAAH—!"
The rebel at the very rear screamed and collapsed. A wave of searing pain tore through his thigh. When he looked back, he saw that his leg had already been riddled with holes by the pursuing blood threads, blood pouring out in torrents.
But that wasn't all.
In his sheer terror, he watched his own blood seem to become "infected," transforming into blood threads that rose into the air and danced wildly.
Meanwhile, all he could feel was his body temperature climbing higher and higher. His internal organs burned with scorching pain. The moment he opened his mouth, his throat felt as though it were on fire—dry, cracked, and agonizing.
"Help me! Save me!"
The fallen rebel forced out a hoarse scream. His desperation lent his shredded voice an uncanny strength, and for a brief moment, the surrounding rebels couldn't help but slow their steps.
They turned back.
Their trembling eyes were filled with the fallen man's horrific state as they saw dark red flames suddenly ignite along his legs.
Within the flames, agile shadows flickered faintly.
"Th-Those… those are vampire blood threads…"
Someone murmured, their pupils slowly dilating.
Then, as realization struck, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Run!"
Too late.
The moment they chose to stop, their names had already been erased from the ledger of life. Trying to flee now didn't even leave them time to think of last words.
The dark red flames engulfing the fallen rebel suddenly flared violently. Countless blood threads drifted out from his body, now charred black, slicing through the clothing of the fleeing rebels with nothing more than a light graze.
Where skin was exposed, intense pain erupted. They instinctively looked down, only to see swelling crimson flesh, blood seeping out in thin trails. On their curled leg hair, a few sparks of dark red flame still clung and danced.
Buzz!
In the next instant, the dark red flames ignited from within their bodies.
Rebels fell in droves, like wheat cut down at harvest.
They struggled desperately, clawing and crawling forward, but no matter how hard they tried, nothing could change their fate. They would all be burned to ash.
Their blood, too, would become part of Phaga's feeding ground—another component of [Blazing Sacrifice · Bloodthread Run].
Gradually, all signs of life within the factory vanished.
Amid the roaring inferno, Phaga drifted down to the ground, still gripping Aurok by the collar.
He swept his gaze over the devastation before finally pulling it away from the raging flames and settling it on the man in his hand.
Aurok wasn't dead.
Or rather, Phaga had deliberately kept him alive.
That said, "alive" was a generous description.
For vampires, precisely calculating how much blood a human could lose while remaining alive—yet completely immobilized—was a basic skill.
And Phaga was clearly a master of it.
"Well?" Phaga said calmly. "Your limbs feel like dead ice, don't they? You can sense how terrifyingly cold they are, like ants crawling all over you—yet you can't move them at all."
He lifted Aurok by the collar until they were eye to eye, his pupils glowing crimson.
Aurok's lips trembled violently. Sweat poured down his face. The moment he heard Phaga's voice, he snapped his head up as if grasping a final lifeline, staring at him in despair.
"Kill me," he begged. "Please… just kill me."
Ants were nothing.
Even if centipedes or cockroaches were crawling into his mouth, it wouldn't compare to this agony.
By any scientific measure, he should have died from blood loss long ago—yet he hadn't.
Not only was he still alive, he could clearly feel every nerve in his body screaming in the throes of extreme anemia, transmitting unbearable pain straight to his brain, driving him to the brink of madness.
What was worse was that although his limbs were still attached, he had completely lost control over them. He couldn't even raise his hands to clutch his head and cry.
"No rush," Phaga said lightly. "Answer a few questions first."
He glanced around, then his eyes lit up as if he'd spotted something. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a shard of Ether crystal flying. It embedded itself in a chair hidden in a corner, which he promptly yanked over and set upright before tossing Aurok onto it.
As a member of Victoria, even when facing an enemy, one was expected to maintain elegance, composure, and a measure of respect.
So Phaga calmly adjusted his tie and smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes. After letting Aurok stew for a moment, he finally spoke.
"Why are you here? Who gave you your orders? How many branches do your rebel forces have, and how many took part in this operation?"
Any trace of the authority he once held as a military commander was long gone. Bled to the point of utter torment, Aurok now wanted nothing more than death. He answered without hesitation, almost tripping over his words.
"It was TOPS! They contacted our headquarters and offered a reward so huge we couldn't refuse. The Supreme Commander ordered all nine divisions to act separately and encircle New Eridu to extract TOPS."
"Nine divisions…" Phaga murmured. "Go on."
With Phaga's permission, Aurok hurried to continue.
"I'm the military commander of the Eighth Division. Along with the Seventh and Ninth Divisions, we were assigned a diversionary operation—to make New Eridu think we're the main force and draw their primary combat units here."
Two more divisions here?
Phaga's pupils constricted sharply. His brow furrowed so tightly it seemed it could crush a fly. After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, "Where are those two divisions now?"
"The Seventh Division moved out early. They're setting up camp near New Eridu. The Ninth Division went to gather supplies—most likely raiding towns and gangs around the Outer Ring."
Raiding…
Blazewood.
Phaga shot to his feet. Just as he was about to speak, a deafening roar echoed from the factory entrance.
An off-road vehicle barreled inside. As the high beams shut off, the noise subsided.
A tall, striking Shark Thiren stepped out of the driver's seat. Her tail swayed anxiously as she activated [Roaming Hunt], rushing straight toward Phaga.
"…Phaga!"
Skrrrk—
Her heels scraped against the ground, throwing up sparks. Using the friction, Ellen came to a sudden stop.
Seeing the tension on her face, Phaga's own heart tightened as she spoke urgently.
"I've dealt with all the Ethereals around the factory, and the scattered rebels who escaped."
"But there were too many Ethereals. One rebel slipped out during the chaos. The moment he exited the Hollow, he fired a signal flare into the sky."
"I took him out right away, but the flare was already launched. It burst into red smoke in the air."
A signal flare. Red smoke.
What was it for?
"That's the recall signal for the Seventh Division."
Aurok's weak voice drifted over. Both Phaga and Ellen felt as if they'd been struck by a heavy blow.
Phaga finally closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths to rein in his emotions.
…To hell with restraint.
Bang!
With a single palm strike, Phaga smashed Aurok's head apart like a rotten melon.
Ellen raised an eyebrow.
Aside from the incident involving Black Phaga, she had never seen him like this before.
It felt as though something major was about to happen.
"Move. Get in the car."
The sharp command snapped Ellen out of her thoughts. She quickly followed Phaga, opening the door and climbing in.
The moment the door slammed shut, Phaga turned the key. The engine roared to life, its thunder echoing throughout the factory.
"Ellen," Phaga said, "once we're out of the Hollow, contact Corin. Tell them there may be rebel activity near Blazewood and to stay on high alert."
Ellen nodded, then hesitated. "What about us?"
"Intercept the Seventh Division."