Chapter 148.1: Part 1

A lump of coughed-up, dark red blood splattered onto the floor.

Blood continued to seep out from my chest.

Charelei, her face creased with concern at my state, asked,

"What do you think you're doing?"

"......."

I didn't answer her question.

Currently, the atmosphere in the spectator stands was one of bewilderment.

The bizarre actions I had displayed just now...

Because of that, the audience was once again silent, at a loss for words.

Well, naturally, there were many reactions such as 'Are you crazy?' or 'Have you lost your mind?'

In fact, the majority of the opinions were like that.

But all of this was necessary for me to carry out my next move.

*Swoosh-*

Fighting off the dizziness, I pulled out the crimson dagger from my pocket.

The dagger Ares had given me, saying it was a memento of his close friend.

The crimson dagger had the latent ability to unleash a powerful force using my blood as a medium.

'It's certainly powerful, but...'

A small amount of blood was not enough to penetrate Charelei's barrier.

That's why, in order to be sure, I had to make this choice.

To draw out blood until the brink of excessive bleeding, until the moment before death.

Perhaps it was thanks to experiencing the moment of death several times.

I could still feel that it was bearable.

If the instructors realized the seriousness of the situation, they would intervene and send me to the infirmary, but judging by the atmosphere, it didn't seem like they were going to stop the match right away.

Only Ares was frowning and watching me.

... He probably never imagined that the dagger he gave me would be used in this way.

In a way, I felt a little sorry because it felt like I was misusing it, but I had no choice if I wanted to win.

To break through Charelei's mana shield, I needed multiple strikes imbued with killing intent.

However, Charelei had declared that she wouldn't give me more than one chance.

Therefore, I had no choice but to use my last resort.

'...Just this once.'

It would be fine if it succeeded.

But if it failed...

The mere thought was terrifying, so I shook off the distracting thoughts and focused on controlling the blood.

*Hum-*

Before I knew it, a pool of blood had formed, staining the floor crimson.

And the crimson dagger began to resonate with it.

*Swoosh-*

Suddenly, dizziness washed over me, and I heard the phantom sound from the sword again.

— Die!

— I don't accept it! I don't accept it!

The sound was like the grating of metal.

...It felt like my ears were going to bleed.

But I had to endure it.

Only then could I unleash the move that would defeat Charelei.

Even at this moment, blood was pouring out of my body at a rapid pace.

The instructors, finally grasping the gravity of the situation, began to stir.

They were about to intervene, thinking I might actually die.

*Thud-*

I raised my hand once, calming the instructors down.

And I pushed the power of the crimson dagger, resonating with my blood, to its limit.

*Swoosh...*

The pool of blood, which had been still until now, began to writhe, its ripples like waves, leaving a small cut on my cheek.

Soon, the wave of blood rose into the air.

The blood, reminiscent of a small whirlwind, swirled violently.

I inhaled, gazing at the storm of blood.

'...This isn't enough.'

I was certain that it could unleash a considerable amount of power even now, but even so, it wouldn't be enough to break Charelei's mana shield.

Her mana shields were so numerous that it was overwhelming even to count them with the naked eye.

To break through dozens of layers of mana shields, I needed a more powerful attack.

*Hum-*

I activated my telekinesis towards the crimson torrent surging in the air.

Telekinesis condensed the undulating wave of blood.

Smaller.

Even smaller.

I compressed it to be even smaller than the size of a fist.

After about a dozen seconds had passed.

*Hum-*

The wave of blood contracted into an oval shape.

However, its end wasn't blunt but sharply pointed.

It boasted a sharp form like the tip of a keen blade.

Then, I activated telekinesis once more and rotated it clockwise.

*Clank, clank, clank, clank-*

The wave of blood, floating in the air, was spinning like a bullet.

'A bullet of blood.'

My last resort, its penetrating power pushed to the limit to pierce Charelei's mana shield.

This technique, made solely from my blood, would unleash a power that even Charelei wouldn't be able to ignore.

I watched the blood bullet and gave a wry smile.

"Why don't you try and take this."

However, unlike my smiling face, my insides were burning rapidly.

...Because I wasn't confident.

This was the first time I was using this technique.

Naturally, my proficiency was lacking, and I hadn't even grasped how to apply it properly.

Despite facing such a situation, I had succeeded in creating a proper technique.

"...Not bad."

Charelei, perhaps sensing the power dwelling within the blood bullet, gulped nervously, her Adam's apple bobbing.

However, Charelei didn't 'cowardly' surprise attack me.

She had already declared that she would block my last resort.

So, Charelei waited for me to unleash the technique.

While expressing my gratitude to her inwardly...

"Bang-."

I made a gunshot sound with my mouth.

Charelei furrowed her brows, as if taken aback, and...

*Clank, clank, clank, clank-*

The blood bullet shot towards Charelei.

"...!"

Charelei's eyes widened as she witnessed its momentum.

However, I couldn't see the bullet piercing through Charelei's mana shield.

...Ridiculously enough, as soon as I completed the technique, my body began to crumble.

*Thud-*

In the end, I collapsed to my knees.

A stream of blood trickled out from the corner of my lips, and the sound of mana shields shattering reached my ears.

*Crack-*

One layer.

*Crack-*

Two layers.

*Crack-*

Three layers.

*Crack, crack, crack, crack-*

...When it surpassed six layers, I stopped trying to count by sound.

"......."

"......."

The arena was silent.

Only the sound of the blood bullet, created using the crimson dagger, breaking through Charelei's mana shield, echoed.

How much time had passed like this?

Mustering all the remaining strength in my body, I lifted my head with difficulty.

*Crack, crack, crack-*

My blood bullet was still piercing through Charelei's barrier.

Every time it succeeded in breaking through one layer, it would hit another one of Charelei's mana shields.

...Would Charelei's mana shield break first?

Or would the blood bullet lose its power and fade away?

The outcome of this battle would be decided by that.

With that thought, I held my breath, like the rest of the audience, and watched the blood bullet as it peeled away the mana shields one by one and advanced.

And then,

"......."

"...Huh."

A gasp escaped someone's lips in the silent arena.

The intense sound of the mana shields breaking, which had been echoing throughout the arena, was no longer audible.

*Thud-*

And someone collapsed to the ground.

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