Chapter 108: Blood Lord’s Might & End of the Priest
It felt like an instant, the amount of time Vlad, who was in this slender and tall form, whose long white hair flowed behind the crimson-black clock and skin-tight armor.
With Nemesis in hand coated in Armament he delivered a thrusting cut that broke Kuljub stone defense and stabbed along his flesh.
The high priest gritted his teeth, swallowing his desire to let out his pain, and looking at Vlad, who drew his longsword back from him calmly and coldly, he used his stone power to grab hold of Vlad while he prepared a stone sword that was covered in Armament.
Vlad looked at the stone moving fluidly for him, and when he drew back Nemesis, then getting hold of him.
"You foolish brat, you are done for." declared the high priest while moving his hand, who was holding the stone sword toward Vlad's heart.
Meanwhile, Vlad, who kept quiet since he began his attack, looked left and right at the stone grabbing hold on him and the stone sword that seemed dangerous.
His cold face only left a smirk, as suddenly the temperature around them dropped yet again. From his cloak around his arms, two dark heads of some beasts that looked like wolves appeared, slashing on those stone constraints just in time for him to use Nemesis to block the following attack of the priest.
Still, the high priest pushed the attack, feeling that he should let Vlad have any chance to act.
His stone puppets moved along while their stone arms morphed into swords.
"Let's see if you can resist this attack." commented Kuljub while breathing a bit hard.
All the 50 stone puppets made their way and quickly attacked Vlad with their respective sword arms.
However, even in this situation, Vlad just looked in a composed manner at everything that the old man tried to pull.
When those stone swords approached to cut on his armor or even try to break it, the skin-tight crimson-black armor created a large blood shockwave that pushed away all those stone puppets.
"HOW!? WHAT IS THAT ABILITY OF YOURS!?" roared Kuljub when seeing that not even his puppets had much success toward this long white-haired man.
Yet Vlad kept his quiet and released Nemesis from his hand, but to all expectations, the sword, instead of hitting the ground, moved like a projectile toward Kuljub, giving him a small cut on his shoulder.
The old man was shocked to see that a sword could fly like a thrown javelin, but soon he smirked at the thought that this guy threw away his sword to attack him.
"What are you going to do without that sword of yours? You are nothing without it."
He said that, but when looking at Vlad's face, he could see the same calm and cold expression that didn't show any emotion on it. No longer bothering with what Vlad showed on his face, he rushed toward him to end him since he was unarmed.
However, soon he felt alarmed, and the skin on his arms spiked out. Stopping in place, he looked left and right, but he saw nothing, and then after some seconds, a strong wind could be felt by him.
The thin longsword moved for the high priest back in a ferocious manner while its blade was releasing red lights and dark smoke, along with the lighter black color it had.
"ARGH!?" finally screamed the high priest from his entire soul when Nemesis passed directly from his midsection going back for Vlad's hand.
'You did well, Nemesis. Now let's see if this barbarian can survive a serious [Blood Slicer].'
Nemesis shook a bit in his hand as if it held life inside and was pleased to hear Vlad's praises.
Taking a step forward while he held the sword lowered. He began feeding it with his blood, and after 10 seconds, it accumulated blood on its blade. He took the stance of Wrath Guard and did an over the top strike that sent a significant blood slash that could bisect Kuljub in halves.
Once he sent that strike, he quickly moved to another side of the old man, and he promptly imbued Nemesis with blood, sending another [Blood Slicer]. Vlad did this for all the sides of the old man, sending mercilessly 4 life-ending strikes.
'Your clock is ticking, old man. I can smell your death from a distance.'
The high priest was focused on the first [Blood Slicer] sent in his direction, and using his devil powers together with the armament, he managed to block it but, as a draw back being pushed in another direction.
He turned his head toward all his other sides and saw as 3 more of those large attacks were quickly approaching him.
'Hah, hah. If I continue using my power of ancestors in this way, I will be dried. But I have no other choice. One of those strikes can cut me in half, and I can't even dodge them since they are this big.'
"STONE CAGE!?"
Roared the high priest as the stone puppets around him began disintegrating, going to circle around his body. Even his body began to rise up around him and morph in the shape of a closed cage that he later strengthened using his Armament and could only pray to his ancestor to keep his ability standing.
Vlad watched the old man pull this thought to himself and raised his hand in the sky.
'[Blood World]'
The blood of the battlefield began to gather in the air, and at a decent speed, start spreading around himself and Kuljub.
As the blood of the battlefield began to spread according to his desire. The people of the battlefield and even the citizens who gathered their courage to exit their buildings and move toward the periphery saw a man with long white hair and crimson-dark clothing releasing a sinister dark smoke.
They began shaking around when they saw a large amount of blood floating in the air and moving around himself and a stone structure that had cracking lines.
In a couple of seconds, the zone where Vlad and Kuljub were fighting turned into a blood cube structure with a decent field of action, enclosing the two inside, shrouding the outside back to their chaotic feel.
Zeke, who recovered, looked at the large blood cube with impressed eyes and could only comment with some awe in his tone.
"Velomer and the others really didn't lie. Their prince is really a mighty warrior, even more powerful than me. His skills with the sword are so swift and powerful that not even Master Moriah could match when alive.
"Haha, can you see this Master Moriah, little Maisha? That cursed old monster is also human and screams in pain like any other person."
"Sigh, I still wanted to give him to Maisha and let her decide their fates as a gift for everything her father did for me when I was young. But now I have no say in what this guy will decide to do with old Kuljub."
Looking around himself, he saw that his warriors still fought together with the Kaysang soldiers, and he moved to help them. However, before starting attacking, he thought of giving a chance for those people to stop fighting and let them live to see another day.
Arriving there, he said something surprising for everyone and even the citizens who began to gather around the periphery entry.
"WARRIORS, ENOUGH!? NO MORE BLOODSHED, YOU'VE LOST THIS WAR!? DROP YOUR WEAPONS ON THE GROUND AND CEASE FIGHTING IF YOU WANT TO KEEP LIVING!?"
The warriors of the priest who declined to a number heard Zeke and then looked around themselves.
They could only see dead bodies and smell the metallic smell of blood, yet some of them still had blood lust in them and continued fighting like rabid dogs, while some of the warriors who regained some clarity in them dropped their weapons and dropped to their knees.
"Some of you chose well. You still haven't been fully blinded by the words of old Kuljub. While those who continue to fight will be joining the old man in his journey to meeting the ancestors."
As he said that, he took his large longsword and quickly arrived at where the priest warriors continued fighting his own men.
He cleaved them without much effort, and as minutes passed, he created a massacre that woke another part of the warriors in submission.
Soon, the battlefield was engrossed in silence until a great tremor happened on the earth, followed by another quake.
Flex, Levon, Yetty, and Sofiya felt this tremor while helping the wounded soldiers and looking at the blood cube.
"Your Grace, you don't have to worry. His Royal Highness is powerful, far more powerful than we can even comprehend." said Flex to Sofiya, who had a worried expression on her face while staring at that cube.
"I know that Flex. But there must be a drawback to gaining such power." replied Sofiya in her worried tone.
Meanwhile, Vlad, who was left alone with the high priest in his own blood world, finally acted, and using his [Blood Steps] that increased his speed even more than in this form, he arrived at the stone structure delivering a strong sword strike that had dark smoke releasing after attacking.
'[Death's Serenity]'
The structure cracked even more, but as he drew his sword to do another strike, he heard the high priest release a great roar along with his stone structure spiking out, going for his body.
Those spikes even went for his unprotected face, as if the old man could see what was happening outside.
'Hmph, you think those cheap shots work on me? While I'm using this transformation for at least 12 minutes, I'm untouchable.'
Thinking that in his mind in a disdainful way when seeing the high priest attempt at attacking him.
Blood began to cover his face and, in a brief moment morphing in his usual mask. However, this time, it was straightened by his armament, and when those stone spikes hit his face, they shattered.
Vlad, still maintaining his blood mask, used some quick footstep boosted by his [Enhancement] ability, and when getting in front of the stone structure, he began attacking it and delivered a tempest of sword thrusts that kept going in and out of the stone cage.
'[Crimson Tempest]'
The way Vlad was attacking the stone structure felt to him like he was back in the mines, using his chisel on the gallery walls.
Finally, after he continued attacking using [Crimson Tempest], the defenses of the high priest shattered, leaving Vlad to see a bloodied old man who looked pale.
"HAHAHA, TO THINK I WOULD BE KILLED BY A LITTLE SHIT THAT WOULD STILL WET HIMSELF."
Ended saying Kuljub while trying to counter Vlad after getting his defense shattered.
Yet Vlad parried his stone staff attacks as he said for the first time since transforming in [Blood Lord] form in a composed yet cold tone.
"Old man, while you are indeed strong, the way you use your devil powers is not the correct way. Still, it's sad to think that I could have fought a stronger opponent if you were younger."
As Vlad said that, he finally countered the staff strikes and followed by his strikes using Nemesis, who had its blade dark.
"Heh, fuck off, kid. I don't want to hear those words coming from you, especially after almost ending that brat Zeke. If I were to fight you from the start instead of Zeke, you would be dead." replied the high priest as he began blocking Vlad's sword strikes.
Vlad's cold face finally released a small smile while his red eyes observed the old man, and after pushing the old man back a bit more, he replied back.
"No, old man, you could have a chance at beating me if you were younger. The human body is devious, we grow old, and our moves would no longer look like what we did in our primes."
"Hmph, you talk as if you know what I feel like seeing myself beat by a little shit."
Vlad just smiled coldly as he pushed and wounded Kuljub even more.
'I know it, old man. I know it too well. There are even books talking about this process of aging.'
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Keeping the pressure on the high priest, Vlad finally had enough and decided to end him and put an end to his misery.
"Not yet, boy, not yet. I've noticed your eyes' intensity changed. You are looking to end me? NOT BEFORE I DELIVER MY LAST BLOW."
Suddenly, as the old man said, a large amount of stone began to be released from his body, and he too moved some steps back and extended his hand toward the old man.
'[Star of Collapse]'
As he thought that, the dark energy in his body and his blood powers began getting morphed in the shape of a pulsing ball releasing black and red lights.
Like an all-eating monster, the ball kept on consuming Vlad's energy and even taking what Haki he still had inside of him. It kept growing in intensity and even shape until it was the size of his entire palm.
Kuljub, who also was pushing all his devil powers and haki, created a fist that was releasing haki dark waves.
Finally, after accumulating his powers, Kuljub drew back that giant hit and then moved it forward toward Vlad's body, who still had that pulsing ball in his hand.
"MOUNTAIN FIST!?"
As he threw that gigantic fist toward Vlad, the ground and even the blood cube began trembling as if the priest's attack held destructive power.
Vlad saw this fist approaching him and creating a tremendous shockwave in his way. He looked at the pulsing ball, breathing a bit exhausted he also threw it toward Kuljub and the gigantic fist.
"THIS WILL BE YOUR END, LITTLE BOY!? I REALLY WISH TO KNOW WHAT THAT SMALL BALL OF YOURS IS CAPABLE OF DOING AGAINST MY ENTIRE POWER!?" roared the old man in a proud manner before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Vlad looked at the old man's proud and victorious expression, and no longer keeping himself in check, he released a maniacal laugh that was amplified by the blood world.
"Old man, look at your stone."
Pointed Vlad while laughing at the black stone fist pushed back by the pulsing ball that seemed to spin and release incredible amounts of energy.
Stones began shattering from the fist as the [Star of Collapse] spun around, drilling on pushing Kuljub's attack.
The old man watched as his strongest attack and last resort was pushing more and more by something that would be comparable to a tiny ball in the face of it.
It felt unreal, but when his own attacks seemed to backfire on him and move toward him, he wanted to get away, but the blood of this crimson world rose up and chained him down in place.
"You have no escape, old man. There's no longer time for running. Just embrace your death."
Vlad's attack at long last made its own way out from the disintegrating stone fist. After that, it began increasing its own moving speed along with its rotating speed.
"NOOOOOO!? CURSE YOU, BRAT. I HOPE YOU WILL RECEIVE THE SAME END AS ME!?" roared the old man before the crimson-black ball penetrated his heart and passed past him, exploding on the wall of the blood world, shattering it entirely of its blood material.
With that shockwave, even Vlad felt it as he was pushed on the shattering wall of the [Blood World]
--" Master, this one felt really refreshing." --
Still being pushed by the shockwave and trying to anchor himself down using his remaining blood powers, he commented when hearing the dark being inside of him, in an annoyed tone as the [Blood Lord] transformation began being lifted from him.
"Hmph, you think this was refreshing? My muscles, bones, everything hurts like I've never felt them being like this."
-- "That's the drawback of combining my power and the ones of little red's together. Be glad your body didn't explode from combining the powers like I thought it would happen." --
"Yes, this one was a good test. I just have a bitter taste in my mouth, knowing that the old man would have been stronger if he was younger."
-- "Those are the laws of the world master. Every living being has to experience death. The body of humans decays from their youthful, brimming with life states, to their old selves. You know it better since you also were at the boundaries of turning into an ashen-haired old man." --
"No need to remind me."
Then, as Vlad talked with this dark entity inside his head, the aftermath of the [Star of Collapse] exploding finished, and Vlad finally could stay on his feet without being supported by his blood powers.
"Let's see if that old guy's body is still intact. He might hold something on him that would prove useful."
The people outside of the blood cube could finally see from the dust and smoke Vlad's figure, who by now had reverted to his short jet-black hair and his casual clothes, seeming to look unharmed.
Sofiya felt that the weights in her heart were released as she finally could breathe freely. Her work got even easier, beginning to patch up the wounded soldiers using some of their clothes, stopping their bleeding until Vlad could treat them.
Zeke saw that Vlad's fight was over and moved to check on him quickly while saying in a light tone.
"Your Highness, you really are what your people deem you to be." but suddenly stopped in place when he saw how messed up the aftermath of his battle with the high priest was.
"Ohh, it's you. See if you can find where the old man's body is. I killed him, but the shockwave might have sent his body in another direction." said Vlad to Zeke in a calm manner as he was looking for the high priest body.
Zeke could only nod his head at this weird request, and so he also jumped inside this field that was destroyed and had many craters on it to look for the priest.
"Ahh, he's here. By the ancestors, you really killed him for good." commented Zeke after finding Kuljub dropped on the ground face-first while his back had a large hole in it and around him being a puddle of blood.
"Excellent, you've found him. Move a bit away."
Heard Zeke around his ears as if a ghost was right there behind him.
'Damn, this guy is creepy.'
Vlad looked at the dropped dead body of the high priest, and using minimal blood powers, he pushed away the blood from his body and turned him to see him clearly.
"He's dead."
'Obviously, with such a big hole in your chest and not having a heart, how could you live?' thought to himself Zeke when hearing Vlad's short comment.
After that, Vlad used some blood serpents to check around the priest's body, especially in his tattered robes. A minute later, he got the serpents back to himself while one was having a set of keys in his mouth.
Taking those keys in his hand, looking at their type, and seeing how old they were, he then turned to Zeke, who was beside him, looking with a solemn expression at the dead old man, and asked.
"Do you islanders hold rituals for your death?"
"Yes, we cremate the bodies of our death. Hmm, I still don't know how to call you."
"Right, those officers of mine didn't tell you my name. They were instructed to not do that by me. You can call me Vlad or Zagreus since my full name is Vermilion Zagreus Vlad. No need for honorifics with me since you probably don't understand what my title is anyway."
"I understand it. Your citizens made it easy for me to understand some things about your country Prince Vlad." said Zeke with a slight smile on his face while extending his hand to Vlad.
"I'm Zeke Goddonk, the chieftain of this island. Your people call it Rain Island. Once again, I'm forever grateful for your assistance against the old monster and for your people helping my own."
Vlad smiled slightly while looking at the extended hand for a brief moment and took it into a handshake while saying to the tall, tanned guy.
"I've done what needs to be done to protect my own people. It's just a coincidence that I managed to save you and your people, so don't deify me. I'm just a human like you who makes mistakes.
But let's move away from those competencies. Can you tell me something else? These keys, where do they lead, and what can they open?"
Ended Vlad while saying that, following by showing the keys he picked from the priest's body.
"Those. Let me think. Ahh, to think that old bastard always held the keys to the inner chambers of the temple with himself. Prince, those keys are needed to open the inner chambers of the temple built by my ancestors a very long time ago."
"Ohh, ancient?" asked Vlad while pondering and looking again at those keys.
"Very ancient." assured Zeke of his answer.
"Do you know that temple place well, or do I need someone else to guide me there? I would like to take a look inside and see for myself what those keys hold hidden."
"This. Prince, I don't know much about the temple, but I know someone who knows more than me. It's the daughter of my former teacher who got killed by the old man."
"Ahhh, I understand now why you look like this at the dead body of this old man. You wanted to kill him yourself? Unfortunately, I don't like to play around with my prey, and even thinking of letting them have a chance at survival."
Zeke nodded his head when he heard what Vlad asked and said, but he also added his part.
"I would lie if I say that I didn't want to kill him myself, but I'm still too weak, compared to you, Prince Vlad, or that dead old man. What I wanted the most to do is repay the kindness of my dead teacher and pack the old man for Maisha, the daughter of my teacher."
"Unfortunately, it was not to be. Do you know where this girl Maisha is right now since I need her to get myself to the temple." calmly asked Vlad while he placed Nemesis on its black leather sheath.
"Yes, she should be with your people. Someone called Valen took her out of the city."
"Interesting."
Picking a den-den mushi from his coat pocket, he formed a number and waited for someone to respond until a young voice belonging to Valen picked up.
"Yes? This is Valen talking."
"Little Valen, it's me, Blood talking. The situation inside the island is stabilized, however I need the girl you got out from the city. Maisha is her name. Get her to me since she has a task from me."
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A/N: Here's the end of this war/fight. What do you think of the fight?
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There's still 1 chapter of this mini-arc before going back to Kaysang and prepare for the end of this long-ass Volume.
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