Zhao Lun avoided the attacks, fearing for the safety of the ladies, while Dracula was also concerned that they might die.
Now, Dracula had become a lone wolf, needing to replenish his harem. The women before him caught his eye and were potential candidates to become his "brides." Thus, he didn't want to harm them.
Moreover, if he truly found himself unable to overcome Zhao Lun, he could always capture one of them to draw blood and save his life.
Zhao Lun was more than happy to create distance. He temporarily refrained from enhancing his power, enduring multiple blows that sent him flying, appearing quite disheveled. In reality, he wasn't injured at all; he was intentionally drawing Dracula away. The blade in his hand continued to slice at Dracula, successfully drawing aggro and executing their battle strategy effortlessly.
Dracula paid no mind to these wounds; they caused him little damage and even less pain. More importantly, it appeared that Zhao Lun was the one who was more disheveled, constantly being pressured and beaten.
"Useless! You cannot kill me!"
"I will catch you and drain your blood!"
Dracula had lost the initial elegance he displayed upon their first encounter, revealing his sharp fangs and snarling.
"Had enough? Now it's my turn!"
Zhao Lun stopped playing around and faced his enemy with calm determination. The sharp horizontal blade in his hand seemed to come alive with a soft hum as he empowered it with his strength.
With the blade's gentle hum, Dracula felt a wave of death's aura wash over him, sending chills down his spine. He fixed his gaze on the blade, momentarily thinking of his immortal body's regeneration, which relieved some of his tension.
"Your blade cannot kill me!"
Boom! With that declaration, another explosion erupted, shattering the air like a truck crashing into Zhao Lun. He flew out once again, unable to react, and slammed against the stone wall.
This time, the impact was severe. He was embedded in the wall, which cracked significantly. Zhao Lun's predicament could not be described as anything less than dire.
"Allen!"
"Allen!"
"..."
Anna, Penelope, and Nicole anxiously shouted Zhao Lun's name, weapons in hand, rushing to help him, while Mulan, without a word, was the first to charge in. She swung her box directly at Dracula.
Bang! Just as Dracula was about to pounce, he was struck solidly. He staggered but appeared completely unharmed.
Roar! Dracula casually swept his arm, sending Mulan flying along with her box. Nicole and Anna, who attempted to shoot in support, were knocked over by Mulan's trajectory.
A blue magical light struck Dracula, exploding a gaping wound in his chest, flesh writhing, but he recovered in less than a breath.
Dracula was once again injured, and this time, he was truly enraged. Ignoring Zhao Lun, he charged directly at the girl who had unleashed the spell.
A flash of light enveloped the girl, her armor shielding her from the attack, but she was still sent flying. As the furious Dracula prepared to deliver a fatal blow, Zhao Lun finally emerged from the wall, swinging his sharp blade at one of Dracula's claws.
"Monster! I'm here!"
The shout successfully drew his aggro, allowing the fallen girl a moment of respite. Dracula turned his attention back to Zhao Lun.
The steel claw evaded the blade, aiming to grab Zhao Lun and tear him apart!
Clang! Thud! Zhao Lun swiftly turned his blade, striking the steel claw. The sound of metal clashing rang out, followed by the sound of slicing through material. Both combatants quickly stepped back and faced each other.
Zhao Lun's long blade was positioned defensively in front of him, while Dracula stared in disbelief at the severed claw.
His claws were harder than steel, yet they had been easily cut off. This astonished him. Fortunately, no blood had spilled, and his regenerative abilities activated, rapidly growing a new claw.
In an instant, both understood the situation and resumed their fierce battle.
Clang! Bang! The sounds of metal clashing continued, and someone was sent flying—Zhao Lun.
While he had the advantage in weaponry, he was at a disadvantage in technique. Dracula, having survived for four centuries, was far more skilled, resulting in Zhao Lun being the one to suffer more during their exchanges.
Dracula's near-immortal recovery ability showed no signs of exhaustion, allowing him to maintain the upper hand in their duel.
"It seems I need to work on my close combat skills in the future!" Zhao Lun thought, feeling frustrated by being outmatched in technique. He made a mental note to communicate with the divine realm, enhancing his strength until he could no longer contain it. He suddenly shouted, and the power of the divine realm surged through him, causing his blade to shimmer with a layer of cold light.
Filled with energy, he locked onto his enemy, leaping forward, and brought his blade down.
The sharp edge of the blade, cold as a ghostly spring, emitted a vibrating hum as he swung it. The blade traced a chilling arc, and the sound of the hum drowned out all other noise.
When he stopped, one of Dracula's legs had already been severed. The blade did not halt there; it continued its course, slicing directly toward Dracula's arm, the blade flashing like lightning, and that demonic claw was also severed.
The two halves of the demonic body separated, visibly losing color before quickly withering and decaying.
Just as Zhao Lun prepared to strike again, Dracula unfurled his wings and flew up to a higher platform, panic evident in his gaze as he looked at Zhao Lun and the blade in his hand. At this moment, his wounds were healing slowly, a stark contrast to his previous rapid recovery. If this continued, the outcome would be dire.
"Why can your blade hurt me?"
Previously, he had been cut before; while that blade was sharp, it hadn't mattered, and he had recovered swiftly. Now, however, he felt a threatening presence, an extreme threat.
He cautiously observed Zhao Lun, noting a faint layer of energy around him that prevented his probing.
Unwilling to accept this, he attempted to force his way in, but merely a glance revealed to him the most terrifying sight in the world, sending him into a state of extreme panic.
"Do you know?"
"Mortals have fleeting lives. If you wish, I can bestow upon you eternal life!"
"Come join me, and we can share this world together! We can—"
Sensing Zhao Lun's threat, he tried to tempt him with the promise of 'eternal' life.
"Bestow eternal life? You think you are worthy of that?" Zhao Lun scoffed, jumping into action to respond to his choice.
The so-called eternal life was nothing more than becoming a monster like him. After that, it would be like being imprisoned, forever hiding in a dark corner, waiting for the decay of one's soul, repeating Dracula's fate.
The blade flashed, and the platform where Dracula had stood was cleaved in two. Having learned from his previous mistakes, Dracula had already dodged and was not injured.
"Wait! We can negotiate!" he shouted in panic as he flew toward the ladies.
"Trying to run?" Zhao Lun sneered. Taking advantage of the moment before the platform collapsed, he pushed off the ground and charged after him.
Boom! The platform finally crashed to the ground, and the ladies who had been knocked away stared wide-eyed, incredulously watching Zhao Lun chase after Dracula with a blade, their mouths forming an 'O' shape.
Zhao Lun had previously discarded his wand in favor of a blade to engage in combat, which had already astonished them. Now, not only had he turned the tide, but he was also actively pursuing and attacking Dracula, which was truly extraordinary!
Isn't he a wizard? When did wizards start engaging in close combat? Wizards were always known for their magic, and Zhao Lun's actions shattered their preconceived notions of what wizards could do.
The unfolding situation did not leave them much time to be surprised, forcing them to pick up their weapons to fend off the attacker.
Bang! Bang! Gunfire erupted! Several bullet holes appeared on Dracula's body, but the bullets were ejected by his healing flesh, leaving him relatively unharmed as he continued to approach.
Although his recovery was slow, he was still healing. He believed that if he could get some fresh blood right now, he could escape this predicament and recover quickly.
Buzz! The sound of the knife slicing through the air resonated as Zhao Lun caught up, empowered by divine energy, moving at an incredible speed. With a leap, he was right on Dracula's heels.
Dracula had no choice but to dodge behind some obstacles, hoping to use them to buy himself some time against Zhao Lun.
Unfortunately, Zhao Lun surged forward; his blade sliced through all obstructions, swiftly closing the gap between him and Dracula.
Dracula barely had time to react before the long blade struck him from behind, cleaving through with astonishing speed.
As he flew toward Nicole and the others, Dracula was blissfully unaware of his injury. Looking at the increasingly close prey, he laughed triumphantly.
Thud! Mid-laugh, he collapsed in front of several prey. At that moment, he could no longer control his blood, which burst forth uncontrollably.
"Ah!" It was only then that he felt the pain, letting out a wail of agony as he realized he had been grievously wounded.
A gash ran from his right shoulder down to his waist, and his regenerative abilities were ineffective.
Death rushed upon him, and the demon who had lived for four centuries felt intense fear as he extended his claws, grasping at the air, desperately seeking a lifeline.
"Save me!" As his blood rapidly drained away, he sensed his strength waning.
As life slipped away, he struggled violently, unleashing tremendous power that shattered the stone beneath his claws.
The wound was fatal; the more he struggled, the faster his life force faded. Dracula soon found his thoughts becoming muddled. Initially, he intended to grab the ladies and drain their blood, but he lost control, spinning in place.
"Awrooo!"
At last, with an unwilling howl, he expended all his strength, falling motionless, devoid of any life force. (To be continued.)