Ashan surveyed the relentless blood knight army surging forward, their numbers swelling with each passing second. They charged like an unstoppable tide, weapons of crimson blood forming in their hands.
'It's time to get serious.'
He clapped his hands together and took a deep breath, channeling his chakra.
Whoosh…
A colossal fireball erupted from his mouth, engulfing the entire blood knight horde in an instant. The knights vaporized in a burst of steam and ash, the air filling with the acrid scent of burnt blood.
The vampire queen, Narasha, recoiled in shock from her balcony perch, her red eyes widening.
'What was that? Did he just convert his breath into fire? I'm confident that it wasn't a spell. Then how did he do that? Wait! Could it be that he is a dragnoid human?' Her mind raced, piecing together the impossible display.
But the knights regenerated, reforming from the blood pools, their ranks replenishing endlessly. Ashan wiped sweat from his brow, a confident smile playing on his lips.
'If I use Technique Extinguishment, I can undo this spell. But it's dangerous to show your trump cards to your enemy. I have to use other ways.'
Narasha's voice echoed down, laced with intrigue.
"What is your name, Human?"
Ashan glanced up at her, meeting her gaze steadily.
"Ashan, My name is Ashan Ashvale. What about yours, my queen?"
Narasha rose from her blood-crafted chair, the liquid throne dissolving into mist around her.
"My name is Narasha, The pure-blooded. I would like to ask a question. Are you a half-blood dragon? Is that why you can use fire breath?"
Ashan shook his head.
No, you are mistaken. That fire breath is one of my abilities.
Narasha tilted her head, puzzled.
"Hmm.. it's my first time seeing a human do such a thing. But in the end, nothing will change. You can't stop my army using only that."
Ashan nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are right. I can't stop them using only that ability. But there is another way."
He pointed at her with a smirk, his green eyes gleaming.
"If I manage to defeat you, the summoner, it will be over. Am I wrong?"
Narasha smiled, her fangs glinting. The blood around her coalesced once more, forming a protective formation.
"Yes, you have to kill me in order to stop it."
Ashan wasted no more words. He leaped into the air, soaring toward the balcony. A barrier of blood enveloped Narasha, spikes erupting from it and shooting toward him like deadly arrows.
[Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu]
Ashan's fireball obliterated the spikes, slamming into the barrier. It held, but barely.
'So I need a better force to break it. In that case…'
[Rasengan]
He landed on the barrier, driving the swirling the Rasengan into it. The violent explosion shattered the defense into crimson shards. Narasha flashed backward, her eyes narrowing.
'He broke my defense that easily? It seems I need to give my all.'
She aimed her index finger at Ashan. An invisible force weighed down on him, slowing his movements. Ashan gritted his teeth.
'Ahh.. an invisible force is interrupting my movements. It must be her telekinesis ability. I need to surpass it with my own force.'
He steadied himself and charged forward. Blood tentacles formed around Narasha, lashing out like whips.
"You are amazing. Even withstood my telekinesis ability. This is also the first time someone cancelled it with ease." Narasha admitted, impressed.
Ashan smirked. "Get ready, Narasha. You are about to experience a few things for the first time."
He grabbed the tentacles, crushing them in one powerful blow.
Slash..
A sudden strike from the side sliced a deep gash into Ashan's right hand. He leaped back, cursing under his breath.
Narasha laughed mockingly.
"What are you going to do now? No matter how powerful you are, I'm confidently more experienced in combat. Simply, you are at a disadvantage."
Without a word, Ashan flexed his muscles. The wound healed instantly, leaving flawless skin.
"What about now, my queen?"
Narasha felt a flicker of fear for the first time in centuries. Her pupils dilated, her mind scrambling.
"Who in the world is this human? That recovery speed is insane. Not even our lord can recover that fast. To heal from such an injury takes at least half a minute for me."
"Ashan!"
Nevil's scream pierced the chaos. Ashan turned to see Nevil surrounded by blood knights, overwhelmed and helpless.
'Shit! I forgot about him.'
He jumped from the balcony, swapping places with knights to reach Nevil swiftly.
"Ashan, what should we do now? They're not going to stop." Nevil shook his shoulder, panic in his voice.
Ashan's expression hardened. 'I was going to save some points. But in this situation, I have no other choice.'
Narasha watched from above.
'So he chose to save his ally and skipped the fight. He could've given me a fatal blow if it dragged on. He has to choose whether to fight me or save his ally.'
Her thoughts halted as thirty shadow clones of Ashan materialized on the battlefield. They unleashed fireballs, decimating the knights.
'What kind of ability is that? He cloned himself? This is dangerous. I have to take him down as soon as possible using my ultimate move.'
Ashan marveled at his clones, thrilled.
'Wow.. they're really shadow clones. They're really efficient. I should've purchased the skill earlier. While my clones take care of things here, I can continue my fight with Narasha.'
Swoooshh…
Hundreds of sharp blood needles rained down at lightning speed. Ashan barely had time to react. He grabbed Nevil and leaped to safety, but the needles pierced his legs. Pain surged through him as his clones vanished, the feedback was overwhelming.
"Oh.. you are quick. But still, you got hit by my attack." Narasha smiled in satisfaction.
Ashan frowned, confused by her glee. He checked on Nevil, who had been struck in the head and lay unconscious.
"Sorry, Nevil. I was careless."
After laying Nevil down gently, Ashan advanced toward the palace, eyes locked on Narasha.
"I don't understand. What can a mere needle do to me?"
Suddenly, he vomited blood, his body convulsing. Numbness spread, his balance failing.
'What is this? Did she use poison on me?'
He quickly accessed his health status window.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
…Health Status…
Blood Poisoning A strong poison is spreading everywhere through blood Nerve system is getting damaged
Chance of Survival - 0%
Time Before Death - 3 minutes 6 seconds
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------
'So she really poisoned me. I need to remove the poison immediately.'
Ashan fumbled for a poison neutralization potion from his space storage and downed it in one gulp. The agony intensified, and he passed out, collapsing before the antidote could fully take effect.
Narasha pointed her finger, lifting Ashan's body using her telekinesis. As he floated toward her, she noticed his heart still beating. Intrigued, she made a small cut on his hand and tasted his blood.
'How is this possible? My poison is fading away. Is it because of the potion he took before?'
She held him close, inhaling his scent. Her pale cheeks flushed red.
"What an attractive fragrance you have. The taste of your blood is also mouthwatering. As I promised you before, I will turn you into my blood slave.'
Narasha vanished into the palace with Ashan in her arms, the gates sealing behind her. The blood knights dissipated without their summoner, leaving Nevil unconscious on the cold floor.