Chapter 88: Awakening (One)

Supreme class battles do not have sluggish rhythms and scattered force like supra class and ordinary class battles. More often than not, supra class battles and ordinary class battles would look terrifying, but in reality, they would waste a large amount of their strength and stamina.

In contrast, almost everyone in supreme class were fearsome existences who had full control over their powers and can use them flexibly in any way they wanted. Therefore, battles between them were often timed to perfection, simple, and straightforward. Time and effort were saved, and these battles were also highly efficient and very fatal.

For them, if one party slipped up even slightly in terms of control, it was very common for the other party to reverse the situation and gain the upper hand in the blink of an eye.

Like now...

Hestad expressionlessly pressed Chris onto the ground. His right claws were tightly clenched, and his strength slowly increased along with the contraction of his terrifying True Form muscles. It was aimed towards Chris' hideous head.

Chris laughed softly.

"Old friend, whether I am fighting by your side, or as your enemy, both of them would be my honor," Hestad said plainly.

In the next moment, he threw a punch with tremendous force!

Unstoppable.

It only took zero-point-five seconds from the time the punch fell from the air to the time it touched the tip of Chris' nose.

Within these zero-point-five seconds, Chris' abruptly revealed his fangs and he roared furiously!

The skeletal wings on his back shot out from the snow-covered ground. The sharp thorns on the tip of the wings went straight for Hestad's eyes.

It was a futile struggle.

Hestad—having experienced many battles—snorted lightly in his heart. With his most familiar battle instincts, he quickly twisted his strong body, then relaxed his left hand which was restraining Chris, and his right fist continued travelling downwards!

Chris seized the moment when Hestad relaxed his left hand to pound his fists on the ground. His heavily injured body shot up and charged back towards Hestad.

Hestad's horrifying right fist grazed past Chris' hideous left cheek and left ear. The strong breeze mercilessly shaved off skin and flesh, shaving off a piece of horrendous, black flesh and blood.

*Boom!*

Hestad's fist landed on the ground. Snow flew everywhere.

The heavily injured Chris had half his face scraped off. Howling, he used the force provided as he charged backwards, and bent his arm to use his elbows to hit Hestad's armored chest with all his strength!

Hestad calmly watched his old friend's counterattack. He blocked Chris' arms with his chest. The muscles on his waist and legs flexed while his skeletal wings spread open to maintain his balance.

He absorbed part of the impact and shifted another part of the impact to other parts of his body. He managed to negate Chris' attack after sliding backwards on the snow-covered ground for only two inches.

Chris flapped his bony wings frantically, but he could no longer make Hestad move back at all.

"The struggles of a trapped beast," the huge Hestad said coldly.

Before Chris could react, Hestad roared furiously. Clenching both his claws, he suddenly exerted force towards the middle of his arms. Chris' head was planted on Hestad's chest. Hestad's powerful fists—which possessed astonishing momentum—went straight towards Chris' head from both sides.

Chris reacted extremely quickly by immediately extending his elbows upwards and blocking Hestad's arms. With a burst of strength, he moved his head before Hestad's fists could touch his head.

Under Chris' interference, Hestad's fists missed the latter's head by a few millimeters.

The pair of fists with spurs on them crashed into each other two inches behind Chris' head!

*Boom!*

The huge, explosive sound even made Chris—who had just avoided disaster—deaf for a second. Fortunately, he had the powerful regenerative abilities of Blood Clansmen who were in their True Form. In the blink of an eye, his body adjusted its blood flow and concentrated in his brain, healing his damaged ears.

However, the battle had yet to end. Hestad did not care at all that he had missed an opportunity to kill his opponent. He immediately pulled back his arms, restraining Chris to his bosom!

"Do you prefer to die like this?" Hestad asked coldly. In the blink of an eye, the muscles in his arms contracted with great strength! His terrifying arms bound Chris' upper body tightly, restraining him tighter and tighter. "After I shatter the bones in your entire body, I will mercifully dig your heart out."

*Snap! Snap!*

The sound of bones snapping inch by inch resounded.

Chris howled in pain, but he could not free himself from Hestad's deadly embrace. Hestad laughed out loud and hugged Chris tightly, as if he was embracing a battle companion.

Just like how they embraced each other without any ill feelings after achieving victory in an arduous battle when they were younger.

However, the glorious past had disappeared without a trace forever.

*Snap!* Chris' bones were still fragmenting piece by piece.

"Before you die, beg for forgiveness from His Majesty!" Hestad's arms drew tighter and tighter!

At this moment, Chris, who was in extreme pain, shot him a smile with great difficulty. "Time is... up..." he said in pain.

Hestad was stunned. 'What time?'

He did not want to waste time. He prepared to continue exerting force with his arms, intending to squash Chris into pieces in his bosom. But then, Hestad realized in shock that the force of his arms... was becoming weaker and weaker?

'What's going on? Why is my energy... disappearing?'

Hestad started to lose feeling in his arms. He furrowed his brows tightly and released Chris without hesitation.

In the next moment, Hestad stared at his arms, his eyes were filled with disbelief and shock. 'Impossible.'

For some unknown reason, half of his arms had been corroded by Chris' black blood! There was no other reason to it.

'My True Form Armor... It is completely impossible for it to be corroded!'

Hestad gritted his teeth hard, wanting to comprehend this impossible scene.

'Had a few hundred years of battles not proven this point?'

Chris panted on the ground with great difficulty, smiled wanly, and said, "Haha, unstoppable strength, unbreakable defenses? Have you heard of the Far Eastern story about the spear and the shield?"

Hestad took a step back in shock.

'What? When did he...'

His arms were still corroding continuously!

Swaying, Chris stood up. "Your fists are sharp weapons. They also have hard armor that can withstand impact. They are sharp and hard at the same time. Amplified by your strength which is comparable to that of a great dragon. Your terrifying battle instincts, and incomparable mastery of force, you are indeed...

"However, when they are pitted against each other, what would happen?"

With an unpleasant expression, Hestad hammered Chris back to the ground with his head.

'No... No!'

However, Chris stood up again, swaying. He smiled and said, "At the moment your fists crashed into each other behind my head... a slight crack that even you did not expect appeared. Maybe, after this battle, they would repair themselves.

"But for my blood, this slight crack is enough for it to seep into that True Form Armor of yours that is supposedly unbreakable, and corrode the completely vulnerable blood and flesh within."

Arduously, Chris held on to Hestad's arms. The black blood on half of Hestad's arms immediately flowed through him at an increased speed. It rapidly seeped from Hestad's wounds to the insides of his body!

Hestad gritted his teeth and moved his body. The corrosion from the black blood had already reached deep inside him.

"This is the end to our battle, my fellow clansman." Chris coughed out a mouthful of blood, smiled wanly and said, "To battle with you... it is an honor indeed."

Hestad could not support his body anymore. Lying on the ground with indignation, he raised his head towards the sky and roared furiously.

.....

"Can you not see it yet?" Katerina said coldly, "There has never been any human blood that is so nourishing. She was probably in good condition since the beginning!

"This woman is a born performer. You were deceived by her from the beginning to the end! Just like how she deceived everyone in the Corleone family!"

Thales looked at the adult version of Serena in a daze.

'Could it be that... she was never heavily injured? So, her form as a little girl... The so-called 'alliance' with me. When did she start...? When she first arrived at Mindis Hall? Morat's visit? Vine Manor? It cannot be... Then, our alliance...'

However, the fatal battle between the Blood Clan sisters—where they would use all attacks at their disposal—had already begun.

"Do not dream of changing into your True Form," Serena, whose strength was obviously superior, disregarded her younger sister's hands that were gripping her wrists. She abruptly seized Katerina's neck and sank her claws into her flesh. She smiled and said, "Just like in the past, you have no chance!"

"Ugly-faced woman," Katerina said with disdain.

Serena's expression changed. She whistled towards the back. The trial of strength between Katerina and Serena finally had a result.

It was because the supra class Blood Clanswoman, Rolana who was watching the battle from the side, appeared behind Katerina in the blink of an eye and thrust her claws outwards!

Shrieking, Katerina moved her head and dodged the attack, but the claws still pierced a hole in her shoulder.

Serena grabbed tightly onto the wounded Katerina. Both of them disappeared from the spot at the same time, and then appeared not far away in the air, crashing hard into two birch trees and breaking them!

*Bang!*

The snow dispersed completely, revealing Serena's naked figure. She laughed softly and said, "How is the feeling of being continuously attacked and not being able to change into your True Form?"

With a chilly expression, Rolana appeared beside the two sisters and tightly held Katerina in place. Serena laughed maniacally. Facing the obviously restrained Katerina, she thrust her fist out so fast that it stirred up a breeze, and she punched her younger sister's face!

*Boom!*

Katerina spat out a mouthful of blood and her head was flung powerlessly to the side.

Thales cursed loudly. It was obvious that the attitude of Serena's party towards him was no longer one of 'alliance' like it used to be. Based on the situation right now, the Night Queen was his only hope.

*Boom!* Serena's second punch landed on the Night Queen's face.

"Do you miss this, Kat?" Serena smiled happily, and aimed for Katerina's soft and sweet face. "An older sister's love!"

Katerina's gaze brightened. She turned, and with a speed that could not be seen by the naked eye, as well as sharp claws aimed at a sharp angle, she slashed Rolana behind her with ease. She even inflicted a wound that was so deep the bones beneath were visible on Rolana's chest.

However, she did not have the time to attend to Serena who was in front of her. The patricide threw another punch!

*BOOM!*

This is the third punch with larger force. It pushed Katerina onto the snow-covered ground.

Thales anxiously watched the battle. At the same time, he searched through the carriage's remnants for something that can be used to cut the rope.

However, with his eyesight, he could not grasp the Blood Clanswomen's fearsome and extreme speed. He could only see a sight where the three of them looked like as if they were experiencing frame skips.

It was not that he had not contemplated escaping while the chaos went on, but he knew that on the snow-covered ground in the evening, he would not be able to escape the Blood Clanswomen's pursuit and attack by only relying on his short and tiny legs, no matter which party it was.

Rolana climbed up from the ground and roared. On the other hand, Serena went forward while laughing shrewdly.

But in the next moment, a strange sound rang from where Katerina was!

"Whimper... Ah..."

Serena's expression changed drastically!

"Whimper... Ah..."

Having heard that sound, Thales suddenly felt his whole body tremble. He could not help but feel that the entire world had been turned upside-down!

"Ah... Whimper..."

He could not even maintain his balance while sitting on the floor. Swaying, he fell down. He could not stand up anymore!

Thales panicked. 'What is going on?'

*Whimper... whimper...*

Thales moved laboriously, but his consciousness was clouded, as if he had lost all sense of direction. When he extended his hand towards the left, it ended up being extended to the right. When he raised his head up towards the sky, it went even deeper into the snow-covered ground!

After wriggling about randomly, he finally shifted his gaze towards the battlefield. He shifted his eyes towards Katerina.

Her purple eyes had currently become pure black and an unknown black liquid seeped out of her eyes without stopping!

Beside her, Rolana fell onto the ground as if she was drunk, just like Thales. She was cursing out loud with gritted teeth.

Thales' heart jolted. 'Is Katerina... Crying?'

He immediately thought of Katerina's nickname, 'The Weeper. So, is this her ability?'

With black liquid flowing out of her eyes, Katerina emitted a strange and mysterious sobbing noise. She slowly stood up and looked at her older sister.

"Tears of the Bloody Night!" With her body swaying, Serena spoke resentfully, "Who would have thought that it can be used without the True Form?"

Amid these strange cries, Serena kept herself going with much effort, intending to punch through her younger sister's chest before collapsing!

*Slap!*

Thales saw in astonishment that Serena's fist was clamped tightly by sharp white claws that had spurs growing on them.

Serena furrowed her brows. Katerina, who was restrained all along, raised her swiftly transforming head. Her ears became longer, her fangs became sharper, and parts of her bones jutted out of her face. Her entire face gained a strange, pale white color.

Thales watched in a daze as Katerina's entire body expanded, changed shape, and had white skeletal wings grow out of it. She slowly transformed into a massive, white monster.

The 'True From' exclusive to supreme class members of the Blood Clan.

*Bang!*

Amid Serena's shrill cries, her sister had already punched a hole through her stomach!

"Whimper... yes... whimper... my elder sister... whimper." Katerina, who was in her white True Form, had her pure black eyes open. She spoke with a hoarse voice, "Your younger sister... ah... loves you very much, too... whimper..."

Serena shrieked and frantically shook her body, but within Katerina's strange cries, she was powerless.

"Whimper... it seems that you did not recover well, my elder sister... Whimper..." At this moment, Katerina looked like she was sobbing and talking at the same time. It appeared especially terrifying. "In contrast... whimper... I have improved too much! Whimper... Right now, I... whimper... do not even have to change into my 'True Form' to use 'Tears of the Bloody Night'! ...Whimper... This forbidden ability is truly one that attacks without differentiation between friend and foe!"

While using her alleged 'Tears of the Bloody Night', Katerina raised her fist that had pierced through Serena's stomach and dragged Serena in front of her. She displayed an expression that looked like she was both crying and smiling.

Thales shut his eyes in relief. 'Does this count as... executing a major attack in time? This change in this situation... is truly scary.'

Katerina's skeletal wings slowly extended and unfurled. The skin and flesh on her body began to fall off. Soon, she would completely change into a pure white, 'True Form' Blood Clanswoman!

However...

"Now, Rolana," Serena said, barely alive.

Katerina furrowed her brows. It appeared that Rolana, who was lying on the ground, had adapted to that feeling of having lost her sense of direction and balance. She hugged her arms hard around Katerina, who was still transforming.

Rolana flashed a charming smile that immediately became a bitter, wan smile. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but this is for freedom."

Thales felt an ominous presentiment.

*Boom!*

The next moment, Rolana's entire body exploded and dispersed into black blood that filled the whole sky, but splashing onto a small area.

It drenched the still transforming Katerina and the heavily injured Serena entirely.

Both of them raised their arms to cover their faces, blocking off the black blood that showered from the sky.

A mere few seconds passed, the strange cries stopped abruptly, and was replaced by Katerina's shriek!

"Ah... this is...." She raised her trembling hands. Staring at the black blood on them, she roared miserably in disbelief, "Filthy Blood Poison!"

Katerina appeared as though she was splashed with the sulfuric acid which existed in Thales' past life. Under that black blood, her entire body trembled, and her True Form started shrinking!

Without the effect of 'Tears of the Bloody Night', Thales sat up and watched this scene in a daze. 'What is this?'

At that moment, Serena pressed the wound on her stomach hard and let out a sincere, wild laugh that filled the whole sky!

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

The next moment, the skin and flesh on her body fell off inch by inch. A blood-red layer of keratin grew and took shape!

Her ears became long and her skeletal wings pierced through her back. Spurs and sharp claws eventually took shape.

In the blink of an eye, Serena changed into a massive, blood-red monster. Apart from the color, she looked almost exactly like Katerina.

There was only one small difference.

Unlike Katerina's facial features, which were still pure after changing into her True Form...

...Serena's facial features...

Trembling, Thales remembered the scene that he did not want to recall the most.

'A large, black mouth which extended to the back of her ears. A pitch-dark nose which is completely devoid of anything. Eyes that were like two irregular black holes. This is... Apart from the fact that the skin was no longer scorched-black and withered...'

This was basically the terrifying mummy version of Serena Thales saw that night in the black coffin at Vine Manor!

Drenched in cold sweat, Thales watched the scene. He suddenly understood what Katerina meant when she called Serena an 'ugly-faced woman'.

'Truly... She's really ugly.'

Serena, who had an inelegant True Form, opened her massive mouth and revealed fangs that were equally irregular. As though having her prey in her grasp, she let out a savage snarl at Katerina!

"Roar!"

*Ka-boom!*

Amid the True Form Serena's hoarse cackles and Katerina's screech, the Night Queen's wings were snapped!

*Tear!*

The next moment, Katerina's left arm was torn to pieces. Blood splattered everywhere.

*Rip!*

This time, her right arm was effortlessly snapped off!

Katerina, who had lost both her arms and both her wings, howled maniacally. However, True Form Serena only flashed a victorious smile and struck her onto the snow-covered ground with a punch!

*BOOM!*

The terrifying True Form Serena raised her sharp, red claws—that were at least double the length of those of a normal Blood Clansman—and fervently swung them downwards!

*Tear!*

She chopped off both of Katerina's legs!

Katerina's True Form finally disappeared completely, resuming her form of that endearing-looking queen in black. However, she was already too powerless to turn the tables.

Thales watched this reversal of the situation in a daze.

'This is bad,' he thought, 'Very bad.'

Katerina, whose four limbs were broken and wings shattered, spat a mouthful of blood in indignation. She watched as the True Form Serena slowly changed back into her normal appearance.

"The True Forms of supreme class members of the Blood Clan are terrifying," Serena said happily and seductively to her younger sister who was lying on the ground in an extremely pitiful state. "However, very few people know that the process of changing from our normal states and into our 'True Forms' is a process where we transform our body's tissues, change our blood, and become reborn."

Serena picked up the cape Rolana left behind after sacrificing herself, and wrapped it around her own body.

She sat beside her younger sister and made a pretense of sighing. "This is the time when the immunity of Blood Clansmen towards special toxins is at its weakest, especially if there is Blood Clansman from the same family and the same source, who voluntarily dissolves the Filthy Blood Poison into her own body and lets you absorb it while you are changing forms...

"Is this not a brilliant idea? You know, your so-called 'forbidden ability' had always given me a headache..."

Thales found a sharp wooden fragment and desperately sliced at the rope that tied his hands behind his back. However, this was totally not as easy as depicted in the television movies from his past life!

He could not see the situation behind his back, nor know what the most effective way to slice through the ropes was. He was also unable to exert force!

'I must be a little quicker. Or else, after Katerina, it would be my turn! What should I do?!' Gritting his teeth, Thales contemplated frantically.

Katerina, who was powerless to fight back, resentfully said, "Crazy b*tch! Using your subordinate's life to... Do you know how painful it is for someone to absorb poisonous blood into their body?!"

"Hahaha, I like to see this adorable manner of yours the most—where you can only retort with foolish words after the situation is reversed at a crucial moment." Serena clapped happily and laughed loudly, "Seeing how powerful I am, the Night Wing King would probably be very gratified, don't you think so?"

"Shut up!" The Night Queen, who had lost all advantages, cried hoarsely in indignation and resentment, "You have no right to mention him! You murdered our father! Patricide!"

"Father!" Serena suddenly turned her head, and her face was shrouded in a chilly look that seemed to have no end. "You call him father! Just because he bit your neck?"

On the ground, Katerina was suddenly stunned, as if she was hit on her weak spot. She then immediately retorted in a frenzy, "He rescued us and raised us!"

Katerina, whose four limbs were broken, was filled with hatred. She struggled to raise her head and glare at her sister.

"He gifted us with his most valuable origin blood! Allowing us to possess his bloodline, share his glory, and even inherit his title! He loved us like how a real father would! Otherwise, the two of us mere orphans would have died a violent death during those turbulent days of the Battle of Eradication!"

Thales shuddered violently. 'Battle of Eradication?'

Serena moved in a flash. She seized the latter's neck and raised her up!

Filled with disgust and derision, the patricide spoke coldly to her younger sister, "My naive younger sister, you do not know anything. You only remember the human-shaped doll that he gave you, only remember the love he gave you, don't you, Kat? You will always be nothing but a cry-baby who hides behind me. Did you think that I do not know what you were thinking? Your thoughts towards him?"

Katerina's gaze seemed as if it was frozen by something. She watched her elder sister with a gaze full of suspicion.

Serena coldly said, "Every time that man returns to the palace, you were that idiot who was the first one to rush to him, and you would act in a pettishly charming manner. If any simple-minded female servant or dame showed slight affection towards him, you would taunt and jeer at them, secretly oppress them, and make the servants isolate them.

"The Weeper? Half of your tears are shed because you are afraid of me, and the other half are shed because you like him!"

Katerina trembled abruptly!

"Yes, I know!" Serena said while smiling mockingly, "Kat, you not only admired and idolized him..."

Struggling, Katerina put on a disbelieving expression.

Under Thales' astonished gaze, the patricide spoke, enunciating each word, "You also liked him and desired him! You loved him deeply!"

Katerina stared at Serena while trembling. She was lost for words.

At this moment, Serene laughed deeply, mysteriously, and insanely. "...You fell in love with the person who gave you a second chance at life, fell in love with the powerful Night Wing King. Am I right?"

"No!" Katerina's brows moved to show her struggle, as if she was immersed in disbelief and pain.

"Is that not so?" Serena said coldly, "You wished that you were his wife or his lover, instead of his daughter!"

As Thales watched this scene, he was taken aback, 'This is... severe... Electra complex?'

Thales lowered his head and sighed. And yet, his fate depended on this queen.

Struggling, he stood up. 'Damn. Why do I... every time, in the end... have to save the world... by myself?'

The heavily injured Katerina started to roar hysterically.

"And this ugly and shameless feeling of yours," Serena's gaze become cold. She extended her blood-red claws and softly grazed it past Katerina's fair face, "Let it end now!"

Suddenly—

"Wait!"

Serena furrowed her brows slightly and turned her head to look towards Thales.

Thales was leaning against the carriage wreckage. He struggled up from the ground and with brows tightly furrowed, looked at the hideous Serena.

Under Serena's gaze, he walked towards the black coffin.

The legendary anti-mystic equipment—the Dark Night Black Coffin.

"I heard that there is a Mystic inside here?" Panting, Thales Jade Star flashed a bitter smile. "He is even the type that can be let out.

"Do you want to meet him?"