115 Full Throttle
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Despite my smaller stature, I dominated the exchange, my slender fingers, glowing with an eerie black light, landing blow after blow on the elder tigervamp.
The essence of death seeped into the creature's flesh, disrupting its veins. The Resurrected Body and the Shadow Touch techniques, working in tandem, proved devastatingly effective.
Vampires were naturally strong, especially a Crystal Realm tigervamp, a creature powerful enough to claim a territory of its own.
But against my onslaught, the elder tiger vampire stumbled back, its body wracked with pain and numbness. A strange tingling sensation spread through its limbs, a clear indication of some sort of vein-disrupting technique.
Its eyes widened in alarm. Such devastating palm strikes... no Wave Realmer could produce such force. Even without the element of surprise, this human was nearly its equal. Had he practiced some sort of advanced body tempering technique?
It roared, its back muscles rippling, the long blade strapped there vibrating with the force of its exertion. Its powerful legs slammed into the earth, arresting its retreat.
A golden light flared around its arms, and a tangible essence erupted. It crossed its arms before its face, protecting its head, its stance solid, ready to withstand my next attack.
But then, the younger tiger vampire lunged, its powerful leg slamming into its brother's back. The elder tiger stumbled, caught off guard. Even I was surprised by this sudden betrayal.
The massive form, like a collapsing mountain, crashed towards me. There was no time to dodge. I swiftly retracted my palm, my elbow driving upwards into the creature's face. The younger tigervamp, seizing this opportunity, leaped forward, its claws extended like gleaming blades.
While I grappled with its brother, it unleashed a flurry of golden essence, razor-sharp arcs of energy aimed at both of us.
The attack was perfectly timed, leaving me no room to maneuver. But it came at a cost: the elder tiger vampire was also caught in the blast.
I didn't hesitate. My knee slammed upwards, connecting with the elder tiger's groin. A howl of pain erupted as the creature doubled over. I seized the massive form, using it as a shield.
Thud! Thud!
The golden essence tore through fur and flesh, leaving deep, ragged wounds. The elder tiger vampire, its body drenched in blood, hadn't even registered the pain when I struck again. I flipped through the air, my leg slamming against the creature's neck.
The force of the blow sent the massive form crashing to its knees. I wrenched the ceremonial sword from the creature's back, and with a roar, brought it down.
The elder tigervamp strained against the pressure on its neck, desperately trying to raise its head. But even with its full strength, it couldn't resist the force pushing it down.
Crack!
The black blade connected with its face, biting deep into bone.
The elder tiger vampire's head throbbed, blood streaming from the wound where the blade was embedded. But it refused to fall, its powerful arms straining to support its weight.
"Not bad, whelp," it growled, "not bad."
For a Crystal Realm vampire, even such a grievous wound wasn't fatal. The Leviasaur could still drag itself a considerable distance, even after being cleaved in half.
The wind whistled as another attack came. I dodged, narrowly avoiding the younger tiger vampire's slashing claws. I retaliated with a swift kick, sending the creature flying.
"Tsk, not bad," the younger tiger vampire snarled, its pride stung by its failure to land a blow.
It crouched low, its claws digging into the earth, and casually twisted its neck. A sickening cracking echoed through the forest. In a flash of golden light, it transformed, its true form – a monstrous tiger, ten yards long, its tail a deadly whip – lashing out, shattering trees. To defeat this resilient human, it would have to unleash its full power.
At the same moment, the elder tiger vampire, despite its injuries, swelled to its full size, towering over me. It shook off the embedded blade, its eyes burning with a malevolent crimson light.
"Impressive body tempering, human," it growled. "But I wonder... will it be too tough to chew?"
They were like two furry mountains, circling me, their movements predatory, their demonic aura filling the air, blanketing the entire hillside.
Brotherly squabbles were all well and good, but when faced with a formidable opponent, unity was key. They stalked towards me, their eyes gleaming with hunger.
They were young, newly ascended to the Crystal Realm, not yet as powerful as their father, but still forces to be reckoned with. Their combined aura pressed down, silencing even the distant clamor of Bellingham. An oppressive silence descended.
After a brief exchange, I assessed the situation. I could likely take down one of them, with my full strength. But against both at once? That would be a challenge. I wasn't quite strong enough to pull this off without some risk.
I bent down, retrieving my fallen blade, giving it a casual twirl. The two tiger vampires watched, a flicker of amusement in their eyes. Such a futile gesture... like a cornered rat, baring its teeth.
But then I looked up, and a familiar crimson light flickered in my eyes. The tigers paused, their amusement turning to apprehension. Between their two vampiric auras, a third emerged, equally ferocious, yet more profound, more stable...
For the first time since Crown Mountain, I fully opened the Melting Sun Furnace. The Vampire Devouring External Crystal thrummed, its restraints broken. A torrent of demonic energy surged through my veins.
I reveled in the power coursing through me. I stretched out my left hand, flexing my fingers. A dark red mist curled around my eyes. My black jacket billowed, my sleeves fluttering as my veins pulsed with demonic energy, tiny red lines appearing on my pale wrists. I was no longer a tempting morsel, a human elixir. I was a predator, a vampire unleashed.
The younger tiger vampire's tail stilled, its body tensing as a wave of fear washed over it. It stared at me, its eyes wide with disbelief.
"My Lord?" it stammered.
"You idiot!" Though confused, the elder tiger vampire didn't hesitate. It lunged, its massive form blotting out the sun, golden essence radiating from its powerful frame. Its claws lashed out, tearing through the air towards me.
The air rippled with the force of the blow. But just before its claws could connect, the tiger vampire froze, its massive body suspended in mid-air. A hand, slender yet impossibly strong, pressed against its belly.
The golden essence, so solid a moment ago, shattered like glass, the tiger vampire's veins dissolving along with it.
Fingers, knuckles prominent, pierced its flesh, reaching deep within. They closed around the nascent crystal core, slowly pulling it free.
"Aagh! Aaagh!!"
A scream of agony echoed through the hills. Blood, gushing from the wound, stained my sleeves, but my expression remained impassive, my eyes cold and merciless.
Leviasaur Power, Hundred Renewal Exoskeleton, Resurrected Body, combined with the Leviasaur Lord's three thousand years of cultivated essence... this tiger vampire, barely stronger than the Delgado family patriarch, was utterly outmatched.
I effortlessly extracted the nascent crystal core, depositing it within the silver bell. Only then did the elder tiger vampire collapse, its life force draining away. It thrashed on the ground, its eyes wild, reaching towards me.
"Give it back..." it gurgled, its voice a desperate rasp. "Give it back..."
I glanced at the creature, my breath quickening. I fought the urge to inflict further pain, and instead raised my blade.
With a single, precise stroke, I severed the tigervamp's head. A drop of blood, drawn from its heart, flowed into the bell at my waist.
[Crystal Realm Tigervamp slain. Total lifespan: 3960 years. Remaining lifespan: 1823 years. Absorption complete.]