Enrico and Vladimir were finally at the same level. To withstand that fight, Enrico had used the remaining time of his inner ring and raised his evolution percentage to a level that, just moments earlier, had seemed impossible to reach. Even so, he knew he could not consider himself superior just because of that change.
Vladimir possessed a considerable amount of mana, a healing ability that made his injuries less significant, and blood magic that allowed him to transform his attacks and defenses in various ways. Enrico, on the other hand, still had the advantage of knowing his own techniques better and possessed a final pact that he had used against Danyana, which he could use to withstand an attack of great power.
"Zero Impact!"
"Piercing Sword!"
The two advanced at the same time. Vladimir's sword, coated in a violent concentration of blood and mana, collided with Enrico's fist.
The collision produced an explosion that made the air tremble around them, scattering fragments of mana throughout the surroundings. This time, however, Enrico was not pushed backward. His feet remained firmly planted on the ground, and he took advantage of the moment when their arms were still in contact to grab Vladimir's wrist.
Before the vampire could react, Enrico twisted his body, lifted him, and hurled him forcefully against the ceiling. The impact made the structure shake, but Vladimir did not remain there for long. He bent his knees and prepared his body to return to the fight, while Enrico was already creating his fire bow.
"Flaming Shot!"
The arrow crossed the space before Vladimir could fully regain his balance.
The projectile struck his stomach and opened a huge hole in his body, making him lose his breath for a moment. The pain was so intense that his eyes closed involuntarily. However, his vampiric healing ability activated almost immediately, and the edges of the wound began to regenerate.
When Vladimir opened his eyes, he realized that several more arrows were coming toward him. He would not have time to dodge them all.
A blood rope emerged from his own clothing, wrapped around his body, and pulled him to the side, allowing him to narrowly escape the barrage of shots. The arrows struck the ceiling and walls, leaving burn marks throughout the surroundings.
"Tsk... I should have stayed calm and finished him off."
Vladimir gritted his teeth as he regained his balance. He now understood the extent of the mistake he had made by allowing anger to control his decisions. He could not undo it, nor did he intend to admit that Enrico was right. After all, if someone had destroyed his family, taken everything he considered important, and then appeared before him as if nothing had happened, he would probably have lost control as well. In Vladimir's mind, his reaction was justified.
The problem was that justifying his feelings would not help him win at that moment.
Holding both blood swords, Vladimir prepared for the next attack.
Enrico appeared behind him, trying to take advantage of the moment while his opponent was still recovering. Vladimir noticed his approach and crossed his blades, blocking the kick coming toward him. The impact made his arms tremble, but he managed to hold his position and immediately counterattacked.
"Blood Slash!"
The two swords crossed in front of Vladimir's body, releasing two energy slashes that advanced in different directions. Enrico tried to move away, but the speed of the attack did not allow him to escape completely. The slashes struck his arms, opening deep wounds that began to bleed. He retreated a few steps, using his water magic to close the wounds before Vladimir could take advantage of the opening.
'I'm doing my best to heal without letting him know about my water magic. I have to save it for the right moment.'
Enrico's expression remained calm, but his eyes became more attentive. That attack had been faster than he expected, and continuing to rely solely on his own speed would be a mistake. He needed to find a way to get through Vladimir's defenses without allowing the vampire time to react.
That was when Enrico changed his stance.
He brought his feet closer together, adjusted his body's balance, and concentrated mana in his fist. During his time in the vampire dimension, he had used that way of attacking without thinking much about a name for it. Now, however, he wanted to turn it into a technique he could refine, something that represented his fighting style and could continue evolving alongside him.
"Concentrated Punch."
Vladimir noticed the change and tried to prepare himself to defend against the blow. Enrico advanced, concentrating all the force of the movement into a single point. His fist pierced one of the blood swords, breaking its structure before it could withstand the impact, and struck Vladimir squarely in the chest.
The vampire spat out blood and was forced to retreat. For a brief moment, it seemed that Enrico had managed to gain a decisive advantage, but Vladimir still had a weapon in his hand. Even while injured, he twisted his body and performed a quick slash, striking Enrico's cheek.
"Return!"
The broken sword returned to Vladimir's hand, regenerating along the way.
As soon as he recovered his weapon, he advanced again and made another slash, this time against Enrico's chest. The blade opened a superficial wound, but the vampire was not interested merely in causing damage. His eyes followed the blood that separated from his opponent's body, and he tried to absorb it before it fell to the ground.
Enrico was already expecting that.
With a movement of his hand, he set the blood in the air ablaze, consuming every drop before Vladimir could reach it. The flames disappeared shortly afterward, leaving no trace the vampire could use.
'No way am I letting that happen.'
Enrico understood his opponent's plan perfectly. Vladimir wanted to prolong the fight, accumulate injuries on his body, and take advantage of every opportunity to obtain his blood.
If he managed to drink a sufficient amount, he could use that advantage to accelerate his evolution and make the difference between them even greater. Therefore, Enrico needed to avoid not only the most dangerous attacks but also any injury that would allow the vampire to achieve his goal.
'I need a stronger attack.'
Vladimir also realized that the swords were becoming a problem.
Whenever he tried to attack with the two blades separately, Enrico found a way to escape or destroy one of them. So he decided to change his strategy. He brought the weapons together and began concentrating mana within both structures, causing the blood to gradually merge.
The result was a larger, denser sword that appeared to be far more powerful than the previous ones.
Feeling the weapon's increase in power, Vladimir advanced at high speed, hoping to surprise Enrico with the change.
"Idiot, you've become slower."
Enrico dodged with a smile. As soon as he observed the sword's trajectory, he realized the reason for the difference. The concentration of mana had made the weapon much more physical, increasing its weight and making Vladimir's movements more difficult. Although the vampire had managed to increase the power of his strikes, he had also sacrificed part of the speed that made his attacks so dangerous.
"Blood Slash!"
Vladimir swung his sword and launched a high-speed slash. Enrico managed to dodge most of the attack, but the blade still reached his body and cut part of his ribs. The pain was immediate, although he began healing almost at the same instant. Before Vladimir could approach and take advantage of the blood, Enrico burned it again, forcing the vampire to stop his advance.
"Okay, that was fast... Congratulations."
Despite the sarcastic comment, Enrico decided to change his approach. Instead of continuing to exchange attacks from a distance, he advanced to force a close-range fight. Vladimir noticed his intention and began retreating, trying to maintain enough space to use the larger sword without allowing Enrico to get too close.
'That bastard... How did he reach my level so quickly? He must have some kind of trick.'
[You can see just how frustrated he is on his face.]
'The more, the better.'
Enrico continued smiling, but he knew his situation was not as comfortable as it seemed. He had increased his evolution percentage, not the Circle itself. This meant that his mana reserve had not received the same increase. Every powerful attack consumed a considerable portion of his strength, and continuing to prolong the fight could end up favoring Vladimir.
Even so, Enrico possessed something his opponent did not know about.
A card up his sleeve.
[What is it?]
'It's quite obvious, actually. Try to guess.'
The system did not respond immediately. Enrico took advantage of that brief moment to continue pressuring Vladimir, forcing him to move away while observing his movements.
He had already used the reward he received to improve his main body, increasing his speed. That improvement had been essential for allowing him to dodge some of the most dangerous attacks, even when the difference between them had still been considerable.
But he could not use everything at once.
'I also need to save my final pact.'
Vladimir advanced again, trying to take advantage of an opening. Enrico caught the sword with one hand and redirected its trajectory to the side, creating an opening for a punch charged against the vampire's chest. Before Vladimir could regain his balance, Enrico raised his other fist to strike him once more.
"Blood Transformation: Shield!"
The sword changed shape at the last instant, transforming into a compact shield. Enrico's fist struck the surface of the defense and caused a mana explosion that shook the surroundings. The force of the impact pushed them both apart, but Enrico suffered part of the backlash, feeling the skin on his arms become injured by the released energy.
He retreated, watching the shield Vladimir was still holding.
'It's difficult to deal with someone whose abilities I don't fully know. But that doesn't mean I'll lose.'
On the other side, Vladimir was breathing with difficulty. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and his regeneration was beginning to consume an increasing amount of mana. Enrico realized that the vampire was also reaching his limit. The healing ability was powerful, but it could not be used indefinitely without consequences.
"Huff... huff... Damn it."
Vladimir tried to catch his breath while keeping his eyes fixed on Enrico. The fight had lasted much longer than he expected, and his opponent was still standing despite all his injuries. He still had one final strategy, but he needed to choose the right moment to use it. If he made a mistake, he might not have the strength to try again.
Enrico, for his part, also began preparing his next move. The flames around his fist grew more intense as mana gathered in a much greater quantity than before. He knew he could not continue in that situation for much longer. The next exchange of blows would have to change the course of the fight.
The two stared at each other in silence, each trying to understand what the other was preparing. Vladimir tightened his grip on his weapon, while Enrico adjusted his stance and kept his fist surrounded by flames.
Vladimir took a small step forward and let out a heavy sigh as he watched the enormous amount of mana escaping from Enrico's body along with Lunaris's mana.
The flames consumed the air around the boy, enveloping his fist in an increasingly dense layer of energy. Even without fully understanding what his opponent was preparing, Vladimir realized that the fight was coming to an end. Neither of them seemed willing to retreat, and the next confrontation would probably decide who would leave that place alive.
'It seems that bastard is going to use one final attack. Then I'll use my best as well.'
The magic Vladimir had created possessed a special characteristic: his sword could fragment into several smaller blades, which he was able to control freely in the air.
His plan was to wait until the very last instant before breaking apart the weapon, allowing Enrico's attack to hit him. While the impact injured him, the blades would spread out and pierce his opponent's entire body, preventing him from escaping unharmed.
However, Vladimir could not focus solely on the boy in front of him. The fire clone remained behind Enrico, ready to serve as a possible escape route.
He had already witnessed that ability to switch positions and did not intend to make the same mistake again. He needed to watch both of them at the same time and choose the exact moment to execute his counterattack.
'I can withstand this attack with my healing, but I don't think he can withstand mine.'
Vladimir's confidence was not entirely unfounded. His regenerative ability allowed him to continue fighting even after suffering severe injuries, and his resistance as a vampire was far superior to that of an ordinary human.
Even so, his body was beginning to pay the price for that battle. His breathing was heavy, his mana decreased with every movement, and all the magic he had lost made it increasingly difficult to maintain the same pace as before.
Despite that, he could not give up. After everything he had lost, he would not accept Saul, the man he associated with his family's downfall, continuing to stand before him as if none of it mattered. For Vladimir, defeating Enrico was not merely a matter of survival. It was an opportunity to finally overcome the resentment that had accompanied him for so long.
'All right. Everything is ready.'
The two launched themselves at each other.
Enrico advanced with his fist enveloped in intense flames, while Vladimir raised his blood sword and concentrated the remainder of his strength into the weapon. The space between them disappeared within a few moments. Vladimir kept his eyes fixed on his opponent, but he also discreetly followed the clone's movements, waiting until the last moment to reveal his true intention.
"Blood and Fire Impact!"
"Blood Sword!"
The attacks were about to collide when Vladimir put his plan into action.
The instant Enrico's fist struck his weapon, he shattered the sword into dozens of smaller blades. The impact pierced his defense and struck his body, making him spit out blood. Pain spread through his chest, but Vladimir endured the blow, convinced that the small opening would be enough to guarantee his victory.
Enrico switched places with the fire clone.
Vladimir noticed the movement and immediately extended his hand backward, directing the blades toward the place where the clone had originally been. The weapons cut through the air at high speed, converging on the point where he expected to find his opponent's real body.
"This ends here!"
Vladimir turned his face in time to see Enrico about to be struck by the blades. For a fraction of a second, he believed he had managed to predict all the boy's movements. Then, a sphere of water appeared around Enrico, completely enveloping him and intercepting the approaching blades.
The weapons struck the liquid surface, producing violent waves, but they could not reach the body protected inside.
Vladimir's eyes widened.
"Wait... Water magic?"
He had not considered that possibility. For most of the fight, his attention had been focused on the flames, the clones, and Enrico's physical techniques. The water magic seemed to have been deliberately concealed, waiting for the moment when Vladimir would be too committed to his own attack to react.
"Did you like my surprise?"
The voice came from the front.
Vladimir abruptly turned his head and found Enrico standing before him. The boy had switched places with the clone once again, using the confusion caused by the blades to approach from an unexpected angle. Before the vampire could reorganize his defense, Enrico raised his hand, and a water spear formed in front of him.
The attack advanced without hesitation and pierced part of Vladimir's heart.
The vampire felt the impact before he could even understand what had happened. His body lost its strength for a moment, and the confident expression he had maintained throughout the battle disappeared.
The spear had pierced one of the most important points of his body, causing an injury that would have killed most living beings almost instantly.
Vladimir, however, was not dead yet.
Vampires possessed a resistance to death far superior to that of humans. Even without a functioning heart, they could remain alive for a few minutes, enough time for their regenerative ability to attempt to repair the damage.
It was a final opportunity, although an extremely limited one, and Vladimir clung to it purely by instinct.
"If you're thinking of surviving thanks to the vampires' resistance to death, I'm sorry, but I won't allow it."
Enrico did not give him the opportunity to try to recover. The sphere of water that had protected his body began to expand, enveloping both combatants. At the same time, the mana accumulated inside it increased rapidly, concentrating until the pressure became evident even to Vladimir.
The vampire sensed the danger and tried to move away, but Enrico was already too close. The water closed around them, forming a liquid prison that isolated them from the outside environment. The mana continued accumulating, and Vladimir finally understood what his opponent intended to do.
He was not merely trying to injure him.
Enrico planned to make the sphere explode with both of them inside.
"You're going to die too, you bastard!"
Vladimir advanced desperately and grabbed Enrico's arms with all the strength he had left. His fingers closed around the boy's wrists, preventing him from making any sudden movements. More than that, the vampire allowed some of his blood to adhere to his opponent's arms, using a magic that would allow him to follow Enrico's movements if he tried to escape.
If the boy switched places with the clone, Vladimir intended to go with him.
If he tried to escape the sphere, he would be dragged to the same fate.
For the first time since the beginning of that fight, Vladimir believed he had found a way to prevent Enrico from escaping his attack. Even with his heart destroyed and his body on the verge of collapse, he would not release those arms. If he had to die, he would take his opponent with him.
Enrico, however, showed no sign of panic.
While the mana continued accumulating around them, the boy lowered his eyes for a moment and looked at his own hands, as if evaluating something. Vladimir interpreted that calmness as an opportunity. He moved his face closer and tried to bite Enrico, hoping to reach his blood and take advantage of the final moments to evolve.
If he managed to absorb enough blood, perhaps he could surpass his limits. Perhaps there was still a way to survive that situation.
His teeth approached Enrico's neck.
The boy simply smiled.
That expression made Vladimir hesitate for a fraction of a second. Even while trapped, injured, and about to be struck by the explosion he himself had helped make inevitable, Enrico seemed absolutely confident. There was no desperation in his eyes, nor the expression of someone who was accepting his own death.
Vladimir did not understand why and had no time to find out.
The accumulated mana reached its limit, and the sphere of water exploded.
A wave of energy took over the enclosed space, compressing the water and releasing a devastating force at close range. The impact engulfed both combatants, leaving Vladimir no room to use his blades or attempt to reorganize his defense.
His body was struck by the explosion while the wound in his heart remained open, and his regeneration could no longer keep up with the speed at which he suffered new injuries.
He tried to keep his arms locked around Enrico's, but his strength disappeared. The blood he had spread lost its purpose, and his last hope of using his vampiric resistance to survive vanished along with the consciousness he had left.
In those final moments, Vladimir did not think about his magic, his evolution, or even the family he had lost. All he could see was the image of the man he had believed he hated for so long. Saul. The person who, in his mind, had always been one step ahead, even when Vladimir sacrificed everything to catch up with him.
Now, facing his own death, he understood that he had failed to surpass his rival even at that moment.
'Even at the end of my life, I can't surpass you, Saul.'
That was his final thought.
The explosion consumed the remainder of his strength, ending the life of Vladimir Octavian and, with it, the rivalry that had turned into a resentment impossible to abandon.