Nikolai felt the urge to flee, not because he was a coward, but because his body screamed that it was his only path to survival.
"So it's you? You are the mutt that became the squire of our princess?"
"I... I'm not a mutt!" Forced to use all his willpower and strength just to spit out the words burning in his heart, Nikolai felt this man's aura was cold and empty.
"Hmph..."
"Sebastian, don't threaten him. Even if he's a Volkov, he's my squire; do not be rude!" Selene spoke out, her voice lacking the usual arrogance and confidence compared to usual.
"Quiet little girl, I have permission from your father to judge this situation however I see fit. He specifically said to ignore your opinion and whining."
Nikolai saw the princess silenced so easily for the first time since meeting her.
She looked frustrated before moving away and sitting down on her huge squire-shaped couch created with two L-shaped fixtures.
'I can't move well; if this old man wants to kill me, I will die, fuck, I should have ignored her calls!'
Sebastian then turned to Nikolai, adjusting his necktie and cuffs, before looking down at him with an arrogant face and a slight smirk. "Now then. Mr Nikolai Volkov, you have two choices."
"But first, let me introduce myself fully," with this, he bowed, with one hand across his waist, the other swirling outwards in an elegant display.
"I am Sebastian Tepes, gifted the name as a sign of my work for the Tepes family over the past twenty years, five as a squire and fifteen as a thrall. Now, one of their elite squires is about to reach the level of knight."
Though the vampire clans and different words felt a little foreign.
However, he understood that being a knight was the ultimate goal of a squire because they would become a true member of whatever race they served.
The butler with short grey hair and a scar across his eye watched Nikolai like a huntsman.
"Tonight, our princess's father commanded me, that is Lord Tepes wishes to test her Squire."
Nikolai felt a sudden chill. His eyes narrowed while feeling the true threat of this man, before listening to his following words.
"You can choose to fight me. Should you manage to place a single wound on my body, then lord Tepes will accept you as Selene's Squire and no longer interfere. Or, you can choose to undergo a blood cleansing and break your bond as a squire. We will pay you a large amount for your silence, and you will return to your normal life."
'Liar...'
Nikolai could feel it, the words, feelings and true intent from the butler, though it felt distorted, like listening to an old radio with a weak signal.
He clearly knew that wasn't what the butler meant. The second offer was a LIE!
'He just lied!'
[You understood his true feelings without my help? If so, I am impressed.]
'Yes, if I decline to fight, then he will kill me where I stand!'
[Good, that's the correct way to use your gift, not relying on me but your instincts]
'It's not just if I decline the fight, though; if I lose... her father's orders are to kill me.'
A sudden feeling of fear lingered over his heart before he thought of his father standing tall and then shook his head.
"I will fight."
There was no need to fear; if he would die, then he should die. It just means that was his fate!
"Nikolai, don't, you will die!"
"Eh? Why are you..."
"Silence, Young Lady, let us continue this in the arena. Your father has already invited many guests."
"N-no... Sebastian, he is joking he cannot fight you. Let him go! I will speak to Father..."
"That's impossible, he accepted already. Now, be silent. My words are equal to your father's at this moment!"
"!!!"
It was the first time that Nikolai saw Selene look at him with a look of worry, 'she's actually kind of cute when she looks close to crying.' He didn't have a sudden change of heart, not was he doing this for her...
It was for his life and because he wanted to hit this bastard in the face!
****
What surprised Nikolai was that the battle would be held in the basement of the Scarlet Group's building.
Not only that, but dozens, if not all, of the employees were vampire thralls or from the many Tepes branch families, and they all seemed excited to watch him fight Sebastian in the cage.
Yes, it was a cage, like a mixed martial arts cage, but double the size and no exit.
"This is going to be bad..."
'I suddenly feel stupid accepting this fight...' Nikola saw the body of Sebastian, someone who seemed like a normal old guy, but with his shirt off, the sheer muscle mass and sculpted body made him realise this would be difficult.
"Welcome everyone to the Tepe's group special event! A battle between the legendary Squire Sebastian and the filthy dog of the Volkov family that forced our princess to sully herself to accept him as a squire!"
The crowd was wild, screaming and shouting 'Tepes' or 'Sebastian' before the announcer spoke again and caused Nikolai's eyes to widen.
"Without further ado, let's watch our senior tear him apart!"
Like a gust of wind that casually blows past your ear, Nikolai only heard the sound before his face felt a severe impact, heavily smashing into the cage. He felt as if stars were dancing through his head before he adjusted himself, this time lifting his arm before a huge roundhouse smashed into his side.
The power was so intense that he felt his wrist fracture and two fingers dislocate.
"Argh..... what the!?"
Bang!
Another uppercut struck his jaw, sending him airborne, before he saw a leaping Sebastian with his hands held together before hammering Nikolai into the mat with a terrifying thud.
"Cough..." Teeth and blood fell and poured from his mouth, the power difference causing him to feel a tremble of terror.
Nikolai was outclassed.
Sebastian stood over him with a ruthless smirk. There wasn't a count out and this match would last until he submitted.
"Wait... he can't fight... we submit... surrender! Nikolai, I order you to give up... you'll die. Father wants to kill you!" The thought passed through his mind. Her screams and shouts actually made him feel inspired to fight.
'The stupid girl, we both hate each other. Why is she upset over seeing me beaten?'
"Look at you, just like your pathetic dog of a father. What kind of useless bitch did he copulate with for such a weak and useless son? Was it the inferior bitch, or are you even his child to begin with, hahaha!"
[You piece of shit, Sebastian! When Ivan was active, you hid your little bitch ass when he walked the streets and fought! Don't make me find the videos where he beat you with a single hand!]
The amulet's intense shouts in defence of his father shocked Nikolai.
His mother's voice, shouting profanities, calling this vampire who was supposed to be elite on such terms, seemed to wake him up.
'Ah, that's right... Dad, you always said to give your all even in a fight you feel impossible to win... I let my mind and body defeat me before we even started; of course, I would die.'
A slight breeze passed over his head before he rolled and leapt to his feet; a tremendous bang like a shotgun being fired echoed as the heel of Sebastian missed his head by a few inches before he stood up.
Nikolai's hair, slightly grey, becoming messier, turned a silver colour, much like his father's... different from when he lost control and the black claw appeared.
His anger seemed to make him focused, his pride and respect for his father driving him as his right arm began to tear and transform, covered in a soft, glossy silver fur down to his clawed hand.
Unlike the monstrous claw, it was smaller but could function as a normal hand as it wasn't deformed.
'Strange... my mind is so calm, and I feel different....'
Sebastian's brutal attack didn't stop, as he lunged forward with a left jab and right hook like a juggernaut.
However, this time, it was different, like he could see the future—Nikolai's head tilted to the side, the blow still tearing a gash into his face before he avoided the right hook completely.
Then, landing a left hook of his own, knocking Sebastian back two steps with a sudden counter and leaving a slight mark on his cheek.
***
Inside the pendant, a beautiful woman floats in a dark space, her beauty beyond all mortal limits, the image identical to the photograph in Nikolai's home... It was his mother.
[How? How did you awaken your father's bloodline to 10%?!]
[Wait... It's still only 5%, so why?! Eh?]
[What's going on? Your third bloodline is now identical to your father's bloodline.]
[How can a bloodline perfectly mimic another? It's as if the Diabolus bloodline is different, not even blood at all. How can it mimic the other bloodlines inside our son?]
[Ivan, what have we done?]
[Isn't this the cursed blood you spoke of? You once said that your family's blood is cursed and tried to break off with me, but I didn't believe you.]
[Is this... it?]
[The legend you told me... that your family carried the cursed blood of an evil god...]