The petals gnawed into Vlad's flesh and devoured him alive. He could bear the pain well as a vampire, but it was almost impossible to endure. Each petal's gray energy made it look like a piranha that had gnawed at his enemy's flesh.
Vlad roared like a wild beast, and his eyes filled with blood. The earrings flashed, and a lightning wave departed from him, destroying the petals.
He breathed heavily and stared at Wain.
The night was the best time for vampires to show off their abilities, but suddenly Vlad was at a disadvantage. Wain stood quietly in place with his wings wide open. His eyes were cold and sharp, and so was his sword, around which the petals slowly floated.
The Vlad swung his hand, and blood headed toward him.
"You know, if you keep recovering, our fight will never be over." Wain muttered, looking at the blood-soaked bridge. Vlad killed and wounded dozens of people, not because of a fit of cruelty but out of consideration for a future battle.
For Vlad blood was the most important resource in the battle, which he could use at any moment. Wain understood this and therefore decided to change the situation.
A multitude of spiky vines burst out of the ground on which buds blossomed. They opened wide and shone brightly. The blood heading toward Vlad suddenly changed direction toward the buds.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"What?! What the hell?!" Vlad was shocked. He used more power, but only a fraction of the blood responded to his call. It was enough for him to repair his wounds, but the buds absorbed the rest of the blood.
"I hate to admit it, but my powers, unlike yours, are running out. However, now you won't be able to recover. How about solving everything in a few powerful blows?" Wain said and snapped his finger.
The buds exploded and petals filled with blood headed for his wings. The creepy branches completely covered the petals, and there were no gaps, so Wain could fly several meters above the ground just by flapping his wings.
"Everyone talks about how vampires are an overconfident and careless race, but it looks like we're a long way from humans level." Vlad uttered, and the earrings glowed again.
Lightning wings erupted from his back, and he lunged toward Wain.
Wain raised his sword high above his head and used Thundering Dissension. The sword was covered in black lightning, and a thunder pillar came crashing down on Vlad.
Vlad created a bloody barrier over himself, but the black thunder easily destroyed it and hit Vlad. This attack caused serious damage to the vampire, he received multiple burns all over his body, and his skin looked like coal in some places.
Vlad clenched his teeth and endured this terrible pain. He felt as if he had been burned alive. His eyes sparkled, and his wounds began to recover gradually. Even without an external blood supply, vampires had one of the best regeneration of any race, but it took time, which Vlad didn't have.
Wain flapped his wings and found himself in front of Vlad. The vampire tried to retreat, but Wain acted instantly. Above him appeared the silhouette of a giant serpent tail, and it, like a whip, came down on Vlad.
Vlad flew down like a projectile and hit the impenetrable stone bridge with his back. Vlad threw up a mouthful of blood. He looked up and saw Wain hovering in the center of the blue moon with his massive wings.
Wain flapped his wings one last time, and they disappeared. He collapsed on the Vlad, and his left arm was covered in black flame. The moment he landed, there was a fiery explosion, and the flames burned Vlad alive.
This fire was impossible to put out, and all Vlad could do was endure and hope for his regeneration.
Wain ran out of strength. He used the full potential of the fifth form that Knight of the Bloody Rose had told him about, as well as all of his skills and the various variations of their application.
The sword disintegrated into petals, as did the spiked armor. Wain's appearance returned to normal, and he could barely keep his feet from falling.
"AAAARGH!" Vlad shouted, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, that hurts!!!"
He held his hands to his face, the skin on which continued to burn. Only when the flames went out after a few minutes was Vlad able to breathe a sigh of relief. His flesh was healed, and new skin gradually grew back. Even his hair was restored to its former length.
"Damn, what a shame. A noble vampire lost on a night with such a bright moon." Vlad muttered, partially covering his eyes with his hand.
"Huh, if you attack now, you win." Wain muttered and fell to the ground. He struggled to stand, so he didn't have the strength to finish Vlad's, so his words were true.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"No, even if I kill you now, it won't change anything. I lost, and we both know it. Such a victory will be nothing more than a pathetic lie that will always languish in my heart. Only a fool would do something like that."
"Glad to hear it, but I can't give you a liter of blood now. I at least need to rest."
"Oh, that's not a problem. Moreover, I agree with you. Such exhausting battles are not something I can get used to. I urgently need to rest." Vlad slowly stood up and opened the portal.
"Come with me." He said.
"Are you suggesting I go to the vampire's lair?"
"Don't be so tedious. Do you expect me to teach you the ritual here? Come, I won't call again." Vlad uttered and walked into the ink.
"Damn, someday my faith in the steadfastness of fighting spirit and honesty will get me into trouble." Wain muttered and took a slow step toward the rift.
As he passed through the portal, he found himself not in a spatial rift but in an underground city.
Vlad invited him not to the Void but to his estate, which every noble vampire had.
Wain was surprised, for it meant that he was now somewhere on the continent on which all the races found themselves. After the merging of worlds, he was in territory beyond the influence of humanity and the beasts in the dark lands for the first time.