My Horny Stepmom Turns Me into Her Vampire Slave

Chapter 194: Isabelle’s true power (2)

A single blink lasts only fifty to one hundred milliseconds. An unimaginably brief span of time.

And yet, that tiny instant is all Isabelle needs.

The moment Zayn blinks naturally, she bursts forward and carves a deep gash across his chest with a single slash.

The thick blade of her blood-forged sword pierces just beneath his neck before tearing its way down to his thigh, ripping his body wide open.

It’s a strike meant to split his skull and cleave him clean in half. But Zayn’s reflexes save him at the very last instant, allowing him to pull back just enough to escape certain death.

Despite the depth and size of the wound, Zayn, in his current state, can regenerate it in an instant.

But once again, Isabelle’s reaction speed is on an entirely different level.

She thrusts forward with blinding speed, driving her blade deep into the gaping wound before it has a chance to close.

Zayn raises his black saber to intercept the attack, but the weapon shatters the instant it comes into contact with her blade.

Even so, that desperate attempt to defend himself buys him a few precious moments, allowing him to escape death once again.

Instead of piercing his heart, Isabelle’s greatsword passes a hair’s breadth beside it, tearing through his ribcage, puncturing a lung, and bursting out through his back.

In a desperate attempt to counterattack, Zayn channels every ounce of his strength into a violent eruption of black energy, forcing Isabelle to leap backward and reestablish the distance between them.

The entire exchange of attacks and defenses unfolds in the blink of an eye beneath Costantine’s stunned gaze.

Never has he felt so utterly outclassed, so out of place.

As though he were nothing more than a mere spectator watching the battle between Isabelle and Zayn.

A crushing sense of helplessness and worthlessness weighs down on him.

He remains frozen in place, his hand trembling around the handle of his war hammer, unable to make a single move.

An unbearable humiliation for the vampire renowned throughout the Kingdom of Mildelar for possessing the strength of a general.

Me... the captain of the Crimson Requiem... standing here helpless like some frightened child? No. That’s impossible! I’ve never feared an enemy, and I never will! Not even if that enemy is the Platinum Death!

Meanwhile, Zayn’s wounds regenerate completely, and a new black blood saber takes shape in his hand.

The very same black blood now drips from Isabelle’s body and hair, splashed all over her when she tore Zayn wide open.

"T-This is ridiculous... It’s completely ridiculous!" Zayn says, his voice strained with pain and exhaustion. "I-It makes no sense for you to be this strong! It’s not fair, damn it! It’s not fair! After everything you said about accepting your limits... you’re a fucking hypocrite! Of all people, you were the one preaching that to me! You... a damn bitch who was lucky enough to be born with a body that doesn’t have any limits!"

Zayn grits his teeth so hard they seem on the verge of shattering, his face twisted with overwhelming rage and frustration.

"I... I had to give up everything to obtain this power! My soul... the lives of the people I cared about more than anyone else... my freedom... and for what?! What was the point of sacrificing all of that if I’m still this much weaker than you?! That damned bastard assured me that if I did everything he told me, no vampire would ever be my equal... and yet..."

At those last words, both Isabelle and Costantine immediately sharpen their focus.

"Who are you talking about, Zayn?" Isabelle asks, a faint note of concern creeping into her voice. "What exactly did he promise you?"

She almost sounds genuinely worried as she watches him sink deeper and deeper into despair.

For a brief moment, Isabelle’s attention is drawn to a towering pillar of pink flames rising in the distance.

She recognizes it immediately, and the worry on her face only deepens.

Damn it, Mia... what the hell are you doing? I’ve already got more than enough problems to deal with here. Don’t you dare create even more for me, or I swear, the moment we get home, you’re getting the punishment of a lifetime!

"Who that piece of shit is and what he promised me is none of your damn business, you hypocritical vampire bitch!" Zayn roars, consumed by blind fury.

His rage grows more uncontrollable with every passing instant, and with it, the intensity and destructive power of his black aura continue to surge.

Then he charges straight at Isabelle, pouring every ounce of strength and resentment he has into a single devastating slash.

But once again, her speed proves to be overwhelmingly superior.

She catches Zayn’s saber with her own sword — the collision unleashes a shockwave so violent that it blasts a deep crater beneath Isabelle’s feet.

Yet she doesn’t budge a single step.

Her fist slams into Zayn’s chest, crushing his ribcage all over again.

This time, however, his heart doesn’t escape unscathed.

It’s still beating, but it’s been badly damaged.

The impact hurls Zayn dozens upon dozens of meters into the distance, sending him bouncing across the ground again and again until he crashes into a rocky cliff, burying himself beneath the collapsing rock.

While all of that is happening, Costantine doesn’t stand by and watch.

He seizes the opportunity to gather every ounce of his Sanguis, channeling it into his war hammer.

The weapon becomes so saturated with energy that it begins to vibrate in his hands like a pressure cooker on the verge of exploding.

Then Isabelle turn her calm, unreadable gaze toward him.

"Honestly, I was hoping you’d use this chance to run. Even though I was keeping an eye on you, I would’ve let you escape... just as I let Levreeshka go. You know, the idea of killing a dear friend doesn’t exactly fill me with joy."

"So... General Levreeshka Dulcar is still alive...?"

A faint smile slowly spreads across Isabelle’s face.

"The fact that you’re surprised tells me everyone in Mildelar believes she’s dead. It seems she’s finally decided to leave the past behind and build a new life somewhere else."

A trace of warmth softens her smile.

"I’m truly happy for her."

Then the warmth vanishes from her expression, replaced once more by cold composure.

"You’re a man of honor, Costantine. More than anyone else in Mildelar. I know that if you gave me your word, you’d keep it. So promise me you won’t cause us any more trouble... and I’ll let you live."

In response, Costantine slowly raises his crackling war hammer and points it at Isabelle.

"Precisely because you know I’m a vampire of honor, you also know I’d never betray the oath I swore to the Crown. Even if it costs me my life."

"I know... I knew that would be your answer, even though, deep down, I hoped it wouldn’t be..."

"I-Isabelle...?" Costantine murmurs, his heart sinking as tears begin to stream down her face. "The strongest vampire of them all shouldn’t let sentiment get the better of her in front of an enemy."

"I-I know, but..." she sobs. "I can’t help it."

She lowers her gaze for a brief moment.

"You’ve been one of my dearest friends... ever since our days at the Care and Vocational Training Center."

Isabelle slowly raises her own weapon, leveling it at her old friend.

"It’s all that bastard Markus Dulcar’s fault. Because of him, I’m losing every single person I hold dear, one by one. I lost my husband... my family... Levreeshka Dulcar... soon I’ll lose you too... and after that, the other generals. Every time I find myself standing against someone I fought beside for years... my heart breaks. S-So... at the very least, allow me the right to shed a few tears..."

"You’re talking as if I’m already a dead man walking..." Costantine mutters with an irritated scowl. "Instead of wasting your time crying over my corpse before I’m even dead, you should focus on killing me first! Come on, Isabelle! Don’t think I’ll roll over just because it’s you! I have no intention of giving up my life without a fight!"

A crimson aura then erupts from his body, even slightly more intense and more heavily charged with energy than the dark aura Zayn had unleashed.

Costantine lowers himself into a fighting stance, ready to charge at her.

Isabelle does the same, still drawing upon the power of both her hearts.

His unwavering, resolute gaze meets hers, filled with compassion and still red from tears.

"So then, Isabelle Valakys... my old friend." Costantine bends his knees even lower. "Are you ready for our final battle?"

Isabelle takes a long, steady breath.

For a brief moment, she lowers her eyes, then she wipes the tears from her cheeks with her wrist.

Finally, she raises her gaze to meet his once more.

This time, there’s no sorrow in her eyes. Instead, they’re just as steady and resolute as his.

"I’m ready."