Vacuse had never heard something so ridiculous in his entire two lives. He had lived enough to hear a lot of things, ridiculous and strange, but what Blood Spike just said left him dumbfounded, and for some moments he could only stare at her and try to think of what to do.
Maybe she was sent by Drenvar? Because who else might come with the idea of trying to test him?
His face darkened. He raised his hand and pointed. "Kill them. Make sure to destroy the heads."
But before anyone could make any moves, all the heads opened their mouths and laughed, speaking with one voice. "Do you think I won't take precautions? I brought a powerful artifact with me.
"Vacuse Vorrakyn, we have thirty minutes to spend with each other. We should spend it well!"
Vacuse felt a chill touch him and he turned, realizing what had happened too late. All the surroundings were frozen. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net
Kagerou, Harkon, and Amros were all frozen in their different positions. They weren't dead, but time itself had stopped for them, and he assumed it was the same for the Soulbearers in the carriage.
Vacuse narrowed his eyes.
The girl floated in the air, her spear held casually in her hand, and she looked at him with a smile that didn't match the flat dead look in her eyes. "Well then, let's get to it. We can't waste any more time."
She gestured, and a beam of brown shot out from the ship, unfolding into a large circular platform that floated in the air between their ship and his dragon construct.
She landed on it. "This will be my stage. We've already wasted ten minutes. Don't worry, I will really let you go. This time."
Vacuse didn't think much of the promise from Blood Spike. He didn't know her, but he knew humans, and they are not the reliable type to keep their promises, especially when they are powerful.
But he jumped into the stage, giving her a weary look.
"You should treasure this fight. The girl and her tribe don't use the Soulbearers' power. If you go into the world, you'll find a lot of strange powers. You should get yourself used to them."
Vacuse didn't really care.
He had looked into them, had been taught as a child that it wasn't only the Soulbearers' way of power that existed, but so what? Power is power.
As much as anyone was trying to kill him, he would fight them back. Besides, what type of powers can exist that aren't available in the Beasts? Some Beasts even have necromantic powers!
But he didn't say any of that out loud.
Instead, he controlled void, and his weapon appeared in his right hand.
She blinked. "An umbrella?"
Vacuse smiled tightly and raised it as if in a salute.
The umbrella was blacker than midnight, and all its edges ended in sharp blades with purple sharpness. "It will kill you."
"I don't doubt that!"
And then, the fight began.
She raised the spear and disappeared.
That was the only way that Vacuse could describe it. She seemed to turn into a black trail of light and appeared in front of him, bringing the spear around and down at him.
Vacuse raised his own weapon with one hand, but then at the last moment, from a flash of instinct, he raised his other hand to support his first one.
Because when the spear collided with the umbrella, his two hands briefly lost sensation from the force, and he was thrown back as if he weighed nothing, his body shuddering from shock.
He almost fell from the stage, planting his feet down at the last moment.
Blood Spike frowned. "I have brought down my level of power to match that of the secret stage, and you can't even match me in strength? Is the SSS really this weak?"
That's the strength of the second stage?
Vacuse stared at the girl in shock.
As an SSS, the number of second-stage Soulbearers that could match him in the entire world could be counted, and that wasn't an exaggeration at all.
He could even punch above his stage!
Is it really because it was a powerful person reducing their power to match his own? Is that the reason?
She shook her head. "A shame. Oh, I should tell you this. If you should fall from the stage, I will let you die, and since I won't hold back, any accident will be your death."
Vacuse blinked. "I thought..."
"...that I want your seed? Of course I do! But if you're not as strong as the standard I want in my head, then it's really not worth it. You're not the only Dragon alive, after all."
Vacuse's body turned cold and his heart began to pound. This was why he hated people with power. They could decide and undecide as they wanted. He was the same in different circumstances, but that still didn't mean his eyes didn't fill with bitterness.
And what the fuck did she mean that he wasn't the only Dragon? Was she talking about the other Vorrakyn or...?
But he didn't have time to think about it because she was coming again!
And instead of just waiting for her to come to him, Vacuse threw himself forward.
His left hand gestured and void spears shot into the air after her, throwing her momentum off as she tried to avoid the attack, cutting through them with her spear.
The spears exploded one after the other.
But it didn't seem to affect her or slow her down, as she was immediately on him once again.
Vacuse gritted his teeth and his eyes blazed.
Instead of turning to run, he shot toward her instead.
She raised her brows in surprise and increased her speed.
The two of them met in the middle of the stage, their weapons clashing in a resounding booming sound.
Vacuse was shoved back, but not by much, as he was prepared this time.
He smiled. "Yes. Let's fight."