Philip stared in empty air after not having any breakfast. In any case, he decided to not chase after the maid to eat. He he can always skip meals since he was used to it during high school
He went towards the balcony because he wanted to see the frontyard in the morning. Something with plants and greeney gives Philip the feeling of happiness and bliss
He doesn't know how, but he'll take it and let the positive emotions and feelings flow inside him. It's very rare for him to get happy over simple things
As Philip entered the balcony, he could see the verdant grass that is pleasing to the eyes. The sunlight highlighted the colors of the trees and plants. It gave Philip the feeling of bliss. It was enough of a breakfast to his eyes
Security Personnel were still patrolling around the frontyard but most of them are standing guard without moving at all. He looked to the right and saw someone familiar
It was Jude. He was wiping a curved longsword that was two times his height. Jude then moved the sword through the air in an elegant manner and formed a sword stance
Jude has his right hand on his side while holding the long hilt of the curved longsword. The blade of the sword goes up around his back and up above his head for about double his size. He closed his eyes and he placed his left hand in front of his head. The hand is gestured to point two fingers upward while the others are closed
Morning breeze swirled around Jude's body and the grass swayed with rhythm
Philip was mesmerized upon the sight of Jude and the extremely long sword behind his back. He could also feel the particular aura emanating from Jude and it was telling him come closer to him
He then subconsciously look at the wooden sword on top of the table in his room. He suddenly had the urge to grab the sword and go to Jude
Eventually, the urge overwhelmed him and he properly picked up the sword and handle it carefully. He then wondered if he would go the safe place throught the mansion and to the frontyard or just jump through the balcony and easily reach Jude
Surely, there will be more development if he passed through the mansion and he might meet one or two residents of the house and get to know them more. Or, he could just quickly go to Jude by jumping through the balcony to quickly go to Jude
It's like a game, whether he goes to Jude, the main quest, or through the mansuon with who knows how many side quests
In the end, Philip decided to go through the mansion and hope that he gets to meet someone along his way
~~~
Philip walked through the hallway with the wooden sword on his hand. The sword doesn't have any sheath so he can't hang it on his waist. He had to carry it by hand
He passed a few maids and butlers and all of them greeted Philip with a good morning. Philip doesn't do well with greetings and he only managed to slightly smile and nod back, indicating that he accepted their greetings
He walked down the stairs and towards the front door of the mansion. He couldn't believe that he haven't met anyone yet, beside the maids and the butlers. Perhaps all of them were still sleeping or eating their breakfast
Nonetheless, Philip shrugged his shoulders and a butler opened the front door for him
The fountain met his eyes and the water splashes around it while mist covered the surrounding of the fountain. It produced a faint refraction of light from the Sun that created a rainbow in his peripheral vision
The scene of the fountain itself was beautiful but Philip wanted to go to Jude immediately. His body was urging him to hurry up. He was feeling butterflies fluttering in his stomach
As Philip arrived at the frontyard, he could see Jude in his stance. His stance was probably a meditation stance, concentration stance, or an attack stance. So, Philip decided to step back and wait for Jude to finish his stance
Upon closer look, Philip was intrigued by the design of the curved longsword. It was longer than a Long Odachi and thicker than a Cleaver. The curved longsword gives the impression that it was heavy and impossible to weild, yet Jude was able to handle it while his right arm muscles were bulging from his suit
There are also inscriptions along the surface of the blade. Rather than inscriptions, it was almost like scratches or a poor handling of the grinder
If any person saw this sword, they will only see it as a defective sword since it has scratches all over it and it was heavy. Perhaps this was an ambition of a deranged swordsmith
But Philip on the other hand, he could feel immense power from the sword itself. The feeling was uncanny since he could feel actual power or energy emanating from the sword
It was like, the very concept of the sword was emanating from the sword and for some reason, Philip could see it and feel it. His mind and body was screaming to wield a sword and the wooden sword on his hand was vibrating
Philip closed his eyes and perceived his surroundings by his feelings. He could feel the morning breeze, the gazes of the security personnel, the ruffling of the leaves and grass, and the movement of the clouds
But the most apparent feeling that he can receive is the large swirl of energy around Jude. The only thing that is mysterious from his perception is that the curved longsword was black, like void, as well as the wooden sword on his hand
He then deeply concentrated on both swords and tried to understand it
At this moment, the Extreme Self-awareness ability was activated and Philip was blasted by the presence of the swords. He felt the wooden sword as an extension of his body and the curved longsword as another extension of the body
He could see that the wooden sword was vibrating happily as he held it and the curved longsword was looking at him like it wanted Philip to be held by him instead of Jude
He was confused as to how he can suddenly understand the "feelings" of the swords. Perhaps it was the Extreme Self-awareness ability, Body Language Translator, or something else?
Anyways, Philip opened his eyes and he saw a new world. The surroundings were brighter and he could see light surrounding the curved longsword and the wooden sword. He didn't know what happened, so he'll let it pass for now. Perhaps he may discover the answers to these questions later
At this point, Jude felt the presence of Philip on his left. He undid his stance and swiped the curved longsword around the air. The wind followed the blade and created a breeze that swept throught the frontyard
He then set the curved longsword in front of him and held it with one hand, not minding the weight and center of gravity of the large sword. He was carrying the curved longsword like it was a long light stick
Jude looked at Philip and saw the wooden sword on his hand. He could feel Sword Energy coming out of the sword. He became curious about Philip, not the sword, because he believed that the wielder of the sword is the one responsible for releasing the potential Sword Energy of a sword
"Sir Philip? What brings you here?" Jude politely asked Philip
"I saw you holding a sword and doing a stance at the balcony after I woke up. It piqued my interest and my body just told me to pick my sword and go to you..." Philip said with honesty
"I see..." Jude's eyes widened from Philip's statement. If Philip's body was telling him to go to Jude, then the Sword Potential inside Philip is being attracted to Jude's Sword Potential
Sword Potentials always seek each other out when both swordsmen hold their swords. In this case, Philip saw Jude first and seek his own Sword Potential
However, after Jude looked at Philip, his Sword Potential was not activating and seeking his Sword Potential. It was probably that Philip's Sword Potential was very small or hasn't been unlocked yet, but that should be impossible since Philip seek Jude when he saw his sword
Nonetheless, Jude was very interested in Philip, especially that his wooden sword emanates a particular kind of aura. It's as if the sword had a mind of its own. Now, he wanted to know more about the ordinary looking sword and probably a little more about Philip's Sword Potential and he has an idea on how to do it
"Do you want to learn Swordsmanship, Sir Philip?" Jude gave Philip the opportunity to learn Swordsmanship due to his interest and curiosity. It is also primarily because he has nothing to do at the moment but practicing his sword
Philip's eyes perked up and accepted Jude's invitation. He quickly went to Jude with bright excited eyes. The scene looked like a teacher-student relationship in sword training
The old-looking man with white hair and clean beard, a tuxedo and clothing that suits a head butler, and a large curved longsword on his hand. The side hair beside his head flutters from the breeze. A young man with looks that surpasses the most handsome men on Earth, a body that seems frail yet muscular and durable that is covered by a gray sweater, the holder of Fate Control, and an ordinary wooden sword on his hand. His swept back hair slightly flutters from the breeze
"What are we going to do?" Philip asked with curiosity
"First, I'll test your ability to wield a sword. Swing your sword three times towards me and I'll block or parry it." Jude said with humility. He didn't underestimate nor overestimate Philip since he has a peculiar sword. It is also because it is the right mindset for a Swordsman to have zero expectation to anyone the meet when in battle or sparring session
He then took a stance, like earlier with his curved longsword reaching from his back to past his head. This time, his left hand is nowhere but to his side. It looks like he has several openings but there was none at all
Philip looked at Jude incredulously. He thought that Jude was very humble. He saw Jude as a very capable and responsible person
"Alright..." Philip closed his eyes and he also took a stance. He took in consideration of all Sword Stances that he read and saw in anime, manga, and novels and mixed everything together to perform the most optimal Sword Stance
Upon deeper understanding of how a Sword Stance work, according to his logic and knowledge, a Sword Stance will increase the Resonance between a Swordsman and a sword. It will also increase the potentiality of every sword use and attacks
So, Philip took his stance. He turned his body to the left and slightly raised his right arm. The wooden sword on his right hand is perpendicular to his arm. At this moment, his Supreme Sense of Measurement was flickering in his eyes and he could accurately measure and move his body to the most optimal position to his stance
A few moments later, Philip finished his stance and his Supreme Sense of Measurement has deactivate. His Sword Stance was normal and anticlimactic. He only had his arms to his sides with the wooden sword on his right. Although his left hand had two fingers, the index and the middle, pointed downwards while the rest is closed
He opened his eyes and a surge of energy bursted out of Philip. No one felt this except for Jude
Jude's eyes widened from the pressure alone. His hand subconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword harder and his battle sense spiked. He also unconsciously released his own Sword Aura and filled the frontyard
The security personnel were overwhelmed by the aura and took several steps back
Alucard, who was still sleeping soundly, abruptly opened his eyes and glowed bright red. He instantly stood up as his blanket fluttered in the air. The blanket then properly folded itself and landed on his coffin bed
He went toward his balcony and look outside towards the frontyard. The Blood Eyes of Truth glimmered upon seeing Philip. Alucard's eyes widened and sweat formed on his forehead and flowed down to his cheek
Camille also woke up from her frozen corpse state. Her body floated quickly and she walked efficiently towards her balcony to look outside on the frontyard. As he looked at Philip, her skin showed the glowing veins that faintly showed the bright flowing blood across her body. The Blood Rose on her head was also glowing like a fire
Kyouko, who had a gentle expression while eating breakfast in her room while reading a book, subconsciously looked to her right, towards where Philip and Jude is located. She narrowed her eyes and waited for a reaction
Mathilda's ears suddenly perked up without her knowing why. The skin behind her ears transformed into metal casings and couplings. The metal casings erected a crown that has three pointed protrusions from each ear. Each protrusions has a different functionality like Enhanced Hearing, Ultra Sensing, and Energetic Receiver
Bea, who was reading a thick book in the library, lifted her head up and stared at the bookshelf straight in front of her. She began to sweat and her eyebrows furrowed after knowing what Philip and Jude were doing
"Jude..." Bea couldn't help but mutter and all the books from the bookshelfs inside the library began to shake uncontrollably. The shaking stopped after a few seconds
A Swordsman and an Aspiring Swordsman, faced each other. The former testing the latter but conflicting energies and aura. Only one will dominate the other one
~~~
Philip walked slowly forwards while maintaining his stance towards Jude. He didn't dash or run like how he witnessed in all sorts of media
His eyes glazed and widened as his breathing became calmer and non-existent. His muscles were extremely relaxed but his mind were being flooded by uncountable thoughts
But one thought is clearest from the others
'Should I attack him with a weaker swing and attack him with the strongest swing at the third? Nah, that's boring... I'll just swing it with my full strength'
Philip actually didn't know what he was doing. He just knows how to swing a sword and knowledge he received from all sorts of media and primarily logic
He gripped his sword harder and lifted it above his head the moment he went closer to Jude, but there is still a distance between them where his sword won't be able to physically reach Jude at all
Philip felt an odd feeling rising from his body upwards. The feeling was soothing and uplifting
However, Jude became shocked by the second. His eyes became wider and a single sweat formed on his forehead. He had to consciously close his mouth and not leave it agape
At first, he was confused as to why Philip will swing his sword away from him without getting closer since he was a beginner. But it immediately entered his head as to why
"Sword Wave?! No..." He paused after he saw the rising aura behind Philip as he raised his sword. "Sword Aura?! Sword Splitter?!! A Sword Emperor?!!!"
Jude's mouth finally opened and hit the floor from what he was seeing
In the world of swords, there are different stages of mastery in wielding a sword. Jude is a Sword King and it is the 8th stage of Sword Mastery
For a person to reach the first stage, Sword Beginner, one must be able to use the sword as a weapon, for a person to reach the second stage, Sword Advance, one must be able to win a match against another Swordsman of the second stage, and for a person to reach the third stage, Sword Expert, one must be able to manifest a Sword Wave
Philip was about to use a Sword Wave, from what Jude can see as a Sword King
What's more, Philip emanated a Sword Aura which is the requirement for becoming a Sword Master, the fifth stage of Sword Mastery. Which means, Philip will be able to learn and use Sword Skills and Sword Abilities
But the surprising part is Philip is also about to use the Sword Splitter power that can split lands and mountains. This is also a prerequisite on becoming a Sword Duke, the seventh stage of Sword Mastery. Just one stage below Jude's
Jude was shocked beyond belief, Philip was a Sword Duke all along despite his young age. Jude was stuck on the Sword King stage because of the curse set on him since birth, the Reverse Sword, which reverses his Sword Orientation during offense and defense and restricted the development of his Sword Potential. He had been a Sword King for over thousands of years in his million of years of living
Little did Jude know, since he is only a Sword King, Philip's Sword Potential is ever growing past Jude's Sword Potential
Jude slowly turned his head upwards and saw a growing manifestation above Philip. He felt small and he shrunk back
"W-what..." Jude muttered
Jude broke his stance and place the large curved longsword in front of him towards Philip
Alucard also saw the growing manifestation above Philip. He widened his eyes and disappeared into a red mist then drop of liquid that dropped on the floor
Philip then let his sword casually swing in front of him as he dropped his arm. There was no force or strength behind it because he knows that swinging a sword that way will waste the Sword Potential collected on the sword which will lead to a weaker strike
A Sword Energy and Sword Wave was released from his wooden sword. His Sword Aura also roared and the Sword Splitter rushed around him. Sword slashes and flashes blink in the air towards Jude and the atmosphere dimmed even though the morning Sun was beaming in the sky
Jude's danger senses were spiking and he released his own Sword King Aura. He lifted his large curved longsword to try and defend from Philip's Sword Wave and attack
The large curved longsword glowed and emanated a powerful energy that shined across the blade. Jude was about to swing his sword when he was overwhelmed by the incoming Sword Aura. By then, his sword refused to swing and stayed down. The glow dimmed and the shine turned off
At this moment, Alucard appeared in front of Jude and extended his hand towards Philip. Red and black liquid came out of his hand and swirled in front of him like a shield or a cyclone. This is the 55th Inheritor's ability, Devouring Blood Eater
The incoming sword wave met with Devouring Blood Eater and tried to slash and cut it
Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light that filled the entire frontyard and blinded everyone that saw it. The flash of light was noticable from the city but it was just in an instant
The flash of light dimmed down and revealed the aftermath of the clash. The verdant cool grass was cut away and mounds of dirt and earth was scattered across the frontyard
There were large and small lacerations, cuts, and slashes on the ground, the plants and the wall of the fence. The air and winds were sharp and cutting the space repeatedly and constantly. The clouds in the morning sky were split in different parts and pieces and there were debris and dust flying in the air as it circles around due to the pressure of the sharp winds and air
Jude was kneeling on the ground with one knee and ripped attire. His upper clothing was ripped apart off his body and showed his ripped muscular body. He had several scars with different shape and sizes across his body. He was also sweating profusely and he was catching his breath
His hair is very ruffled and a few strands of hair seemed to be cut as it dropped down in front of his face. New cut wounds formed on his arms and a few on his body and it bled down across his body
The large curved longsword was on the ground while Jude was holding it tightly. The sword lost its glow and newer scratches formed on the surface of the blade
In front of Jude, Alucard is also kneeling down with one knee while he was holding his right shoulder with his right hand
Alucard's right arm was ripped off and cut into atoms. His noble-like clothes was torn and ripped apart but it retained its form and it wasn't ripped apart from his body
There was a small cut on his right cheek and his silver-white hair was fluttering in the air. The ends of his hair were dyed red. His eyes became completely red with his retinas becoming red and his pupils becoming yellow
Red liquid covered his left hand that was oriented in hexagonal shapes. There was also crimson armor pieces across his legs, left shoulder, left breastplate, and left upper arm. The same red liquid is also seen across his neck that was wriggling up to his jaw. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and right eye
On his forehead, a red crimson horn that is sectioned into two parts was erected. The horn is at least 12 inches long and shaped like a sharp Karambit
The ground around Alucard had red liquid wriggling and sloshing around the cracks. The red liquid rose and formed a red puddle around Alucard
The red puddle formed rising spikes around him that rose and shrunk repeatedly. Eventually, the small spikes formed large spikes. The spikes then moved like tentacles and began violently attacking the air. The ends of red tentacles had afterimages as it attacked the sharp winds and air. The sharp winds and air also started attacking the tentacles and trying to slice them apart
Alucard's face distorted from pain as he closed his eyes tightly. He slightly bowed his head and gritted his teeth. The stump on his right shoulder, where his right arm should be, began to bled more like a waterfall. The waterfall of blood then wriggled violently in horrific manner and expanded
The expanded blood immediately contracted and formed an arm. The arm did not return to its normal appearance but a red liquid that covered his entire arm the same as his left hand. The plain red arm formed hexagonal shapes across the surface. Then, the red liquid formed an armor across the entirety of the arm up to his shoulders
Alucard slowly stood up and the expression on his face was unchanged. His face showed signs of struggle and difficulty as he began to sweat blood
Philip's eyes widened from the aftermath and Alucard's appearance. He also witnessed the change of the environment and the change on his body
He deduced that it was the Pureblood power that he inherited. Different abilities are currently being used. But why was Alucard using these abilities now?
The security personnel panicked by the sight of Alucard using his power. They immediately used their ear pieces to communicate with other security personnel
Camille also saw Alucard and she was surprised by the power he was displaying. She immediately jumped down and dashed towards Jdue instead of Philip or Alucard. Her limbs were glowing from the illuminated veins and blood that are shining across her veins
Jude on the other hand, had shock in his face, not from Alucard's display of power, he knows how powerful Alucard is, but to Philip's display of Sword Potential
A moment later, Camille rushed in front of him and carried him. She then dashed away from the area, away from Alucard
She had a sad and worrying look on her face because of Alucard. She was wondering where the Old Man currently is, when Alucard needed him the most
Camille arrived at the front door of the mansion and Mathilda came barging out of the door. Mathilda's appearance is of that a robot mech. A body of metallic body parts with high-tech components but her head is unchanged. She wore a mettalic crown that hovers above her head and the Oblivion Wing behind her that ejects energetic material and exotic metal structure
"What's happening here?!" Mathilda shouted as Camille arrived in front of her. She changed his behavior after seeing Camille
"Jude tested Philip's Sword Potential and Alucard went in between them to stop Philip's strike. Then that happened." Camille pointed to the standing Alucard that had his head lowered that hides his eyes
Mathilda looked towards Alucard's direction and widened her eyes. She immediately flew above the mansion with feet that had boosters and the Oblivion Wing that helped her fly faster. The wing ejected blue energy which propelled her upwards
She then lifted her hand above her head and the metal casings on her arm detached and expanded into a thicker arm. The arm had several components attached around the modified arm. The components of the arm then flowed blue as a blue colored ray beamed up to the sky
The beam converged in the sky and exploded into a thin film of blue shield that covered the entire mansion. It was to protect from attacks on the outside and in the inside
Mathilda's eyes turned blue and she hovered in the sky to maintain the dome
Alucard's right eye sheered and glowed woth intense red light as he slowly lifted his head. Although there is still sadness and struggle on his face
The sky outside turned red and the surrounding had blood swirling in the air. The blood then formed a transparent dome and gaseous blood filled the air
The air behind Alucard's back formed and condensed liquid blood. The blood then formed large wings on Alucard's back that resembles a bat. The wings were glowing and had three parts for each side
The blood in the air also formed strange symbols around Alucard. The symbols are Blood Runes that Alucard learned from the previous inheritors
Rain also began pouring down despite clouds being absent in the sky. The rain is red in color and formed large red puddles in the frontyard
Finally, a bloody crown formed above Alucard's head that had 70 points protruding out. Above the crown, a smaller crown also formed with 30 protruding points like thorns
Alucard tried to crouch down and resist the formation of the Pureblood abilities but a red explosion bursted from his body and cracks formed on his chest. He returned back to standing straight. The crowns rotated and the blood wings flapped
Bloody tears dripped down on his left eye. He was tearing with sorrow. He then spoke
"Philip... Master... Please kill me... I'll die without ending the inheritance on me... So please... I have decided..."
Alucard's voice reverberated throughout the area. It made Camille, Jude, and Mathilda's minds tremble and shake. The blue shield dome was wobbling since Mathilda was distracted by Alucard's voice
Philip also had tingles in his brain after hearing Alucard's voice. It seemed that Alucard's power in his voice was amplified by the Pureblood abilities
He faced Alucard and his face had no expressions or emotions. The wooden sword was still on his right hand
He stared straight at Alucard's sorrowful red eyes