Chapter 222: Fighting Seth

Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Fighting Seth

If the other Knights had still been here, it would have been impossible to fight like this. Lucian couldn’t go all out — not with human witnesses. Not with cultivators who had just watched their comrades die to vampire fangs and claws. He didn’t know what their reaction would be to discovering he was a vampire himself. An Ancient Vampire leading humans against vampires. The irony wasn’t lost on him.

Seth shook away the fear. His crimson eyes hardened. No. I will not cower. Not in my own fortress. Not before my children.

I must avenge them all today. Now.

His hands slammed the ground. BOOM! Shadows exploded outward from his body — spreading across the ruined throne room floor like an ink spill. Ssssss. The darkness covered everything within a thirty-meter radius. Shadow serpents materialized from the shadow field, coiling around their legs. Hiss. Hiss.

Lucian felt it immediately. His mana drained rapidly. The serpents fed on his energy — siphoning mana through contact with his legs. Clara gasped. Mickey stumbled.

All three jumped. Fwooooosh. They launched upward.

Seth was ready. Multiple shadow serpents launched upward — tracking each of them. SSSSS. Hiss. Sssss.

Clara raised her hand. "Gravity Annihilation." BOOM! Purple-black orbs struck the serpents coming for her. CRACK. CRACK. Shadow particles rained. Fshhhh.

Mickey fired a powerful fire spell. FWOOOOM! The flames engulfed the serpents coming for him. But the spell drained more than half his mana. He gasped. Pant. His vision blurred momentarily.

Lucian activated Devouring Void. Fwooooosh. The dark pool spread beneath his feet in mid-air. The shadow serpents entering his radius lost their mana cohesion instantly. Hiss. Fshhhh. They dissolved. Their mana — drained, absorbed — flowed into Lucian. Thrum. His reserves ticked upward slightly.

But the strain showed immediately. His face twisted. The Devouring Void consumed everything — including his own energy. He cancelled it after three seconds. Fshhhh.

But the absorbed mana was enough.

Ten Blood Clones materialized around Lucian radiating his exact mana signature.

Telepathic link. "Jump back. Both of you. Now."

Clara and Mickey didn’t hesitate. They launched backward. Fwooooosh.

The ten blood clones rushed Seth. Flick. Flick. Flick. Crimson streaks closing from every direction.

Seth drew his weapon. A long curved blade materialized from his storage ring — A-Rank, dark steel, serpentine runes glowing along the edge. SHING. He slashed outward. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! Three clones fell — bisected, dissolved into blood mist.

But the remaining seven reached him.

Lucian closed his fist. "Blood Explosion."

BOOOOOOM!

Seven clones detonated simultaneously. A massive sphere of compressed blood energy erupted around Seth.

The explosion tore through what remained of the throne room. Walls disintegrated. CRACK. The floor cratered. BOOM. A shockwave blasted outward and debris launched in every direction. Fwooooosh.

Mickey appeared beside Clara and Lucian. He stared at the dust cloud. "Is he dead?"

Clara rolled her eyes. "Come on, Mickey. Don’t go jinxing it."

The dust cleared.

Seth stood in the center of a crater. His Shadow Serpent Armor was shattered — scales cracked, missing in chunks. Blood poured from wounds across his chest, arms, and face. But his crimson eyes blazed with fury.

ROOOOAR!

Seth launched forward with blinding speed. FWOOSH! He crossed the distance in a heartbeat.

Lucian jumped back. Light Steps. Flick. Seth’s claws raked through the air where his head had been. SWISH.

But Seth wasn’t aiming for Lucian.

He went for Clara.

The Dark Wyvern appeared. SCREECH! The beast intercepted — its massive body slamming between Seth and Clara. Seth’s hand pierced through the wyvern’s scales. SHHHHK! Dark blood sprayed. The wyvern roared in pain. SCREEEECH! It fired Dark Flame Breath point-blank. FWOOOOOM!

Seth blocked. A shadow serpent avatar materialized before him — coiling, absorbing the flames. The fire was consumed. Seth gathered shadow mana around his fist. He punched the wyvern.

BOOOOM!

The wyvern and Clara were launched together — tumbling across the courtyard. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! They crashed through two walls before stopping. The wyvern lay bruised. Clara coughed blood.

Mickey fired Gravity Compression orbs. Three purple-black spheres screamed toward Seth. Shadow serpents intercepted the first two. CRASH. CRASH. The third reached Seth. He raised his hand. A massive shadow serpent avatar materialized — enormous, its jaws wide enough to swallow a building. SSSSSS. It devoured the gravity orb. Gulp. The serpent avatar pierced upward through the sky — a dark tower of shadow mana. Fwooooosh.

Lucian closed the distance. Light Acceleration. FLICK! The greatsword swung. SWISH! Heaven’s Severance flickered along the blade. Seth blocked with the shadow serpent avatar. CLAAANG! The impact sent shockwaves through the ground. BOOM. Lucian’s arms trembled. Seth’s free hand fired a shadow blast. FWISH! It struck Lucian’s chest. BAM! Lucian was sent flying. CRASH! He tumbled through rubble.

He coughed blood.

"We need a powerful attack to end this," Lucian said, wiping his mouth.

The injured wyvern limped toward them. Clara sat on its back. The beast deposited her beside Lucian and Mickey. Tap. She landed on her feet.

Clara looked at Lucian and Mickey. "Buy me one minute."

Lucian and Mickey moved.

Seth advanced slowly. His shadow serpents coiled around him — a fortress of living darkness. Ssssss.

Lucian charged first. FLICK! Light Acceleration. The greatsword blazed. "First Form — Crescent Moon Slash!" SWISH! The slash cut through a shadow serpent. SLASH. Seth parried with his curved blade. CLANG! Sparks flew. Lucian pressed — slashing, thrusting, pushing Seth backward. SWISH! CLANG! CRASH! Each exchange sent shockwaves rippling. Lucian’s Predator Form amplified his speed and strength. His crown pulsed. Thrum. But Seth was Peak Grand Core and also a vampire with lots of experience.

Seth’s blade found Lucian’s side. SLASH! Blood sprayed. Lucian gritted his teeth. Tch. He kept fighting.

Mickey flanked. He fired fire blasts. FWOOOM! Seth dodged. Mickey copied Seth’s Shadow Serpent on contact — his Perfect Copy activating when a serpent grazed his arm. Bzzzt. He fired his own shadow serpent. SSSSS. It was weaker — Early Grand Core versus Peak — but it forced Seth to split attention.

CLANG! SWISH! BOOM!

Lucian and Mickey coordinated — attacking from opposite sides. Lucian with the greatsword. Mickey with fire, gravity, and copied shadow abilities. SWISH! FWOOM! CLANG! Seth blocked, dodged, countered. BOOM! A shadow blast sent Mickey tumbling. CRASH.

Lucian fired Mind Spike. Seth flinched for half a second. Lucian exploited it. SWISH! The greatsword opened a gash on Seth’s thigh. Slash. Blood sprayed. Seth roared. ROAAAR! He retaliated — a shadow serpent caught Lucian’s arm. CRACK! Bone fractured. Lucian gasped. Gasp. His regeneration worked.

Mickey launched a gravity orb. FWIP! Seth deflected it with a serpent. Mickey followed with a fire blast. FWOOOM! Seth dodged. But the attacks kept coming and was relentless giving him no room to breathe.

Seth’s patience snapped. His aura erupted. BOOOOM! He fired a massive wave of shadow serpents.

Lucian and Mickey were forced back. CRASH! BAM! Both launched backward. Lucian crashed through a pillar. Mickey tumbled across the ground.

Seth turned toward Clara. His crimson eyes locked onto her. She stood in the center of the courtyard alone. Her hands were raised above her head. Silver mana poured from her body in a blinding radiance. The air itself crystallized with lunar energy. Frost spread across the ground. The temperature plummeted. Hiss. Seth’s breath fogged.

Above Clara, the moonlight intensified. A pillar of silver light descended from the sky.

FWOOOOOSH.

"Lunar Eclipse — Moonfall Collapse."

BOOOOOOM!

The pillar struck. Silver energy erupted across the courtyard. Lunar mana washed over everything — disrupting every mana pattern it touched. Seth’s shadow serpents shrieked. SCREEEE! They dissolved.

His Shadow Serpent Armor cracked. CRACK. Scales fell.

Seth coughed blood. The lunar disruption tore through his mana circuits. His cultivation destabilized momentarily. His Peak Grand Core aura flickered. Flicker.

Lucian saw the opening.

He raised both hands. Every ounce of Mental Power he had left surged through his Mind Palace as he fired multiple mind spike barrage.

Zzzng! Zzzng! Zzzng! Zzzng! Zzzng!

Five Mind Spikes launched simultaneously — each one a lance of pure mental energy driving into Seth’s consciousness.

Seth’s body froze. Blood poured from his nose, his ears, his eyes.