Chapter 141: The Awakening of the Pale One

The instant Heavenpiercer collided with Vlad’s blood-forged blade, the entire Garden shook beneath them.

Reinhard pushed forward with every ounce of strength his Demon God Tyrant Body and Demon God Awakening could provide, his golden aura surging around him as the Heavenly Pillars amplified his body even further.

He did not give Vlad a moment to breathe, because Emily was still behind him, and every second he spent fighting was another second she remained within Vlad’s reach.

Reinhard’s eyes locked onto Vlad’s crimson gaze, and the pressure of Eyes of Domination immediately spread through the Garden.

It was not merely an intimidating stare.

His mental pressure crashed toward Vlad with enough force to break the confidence of anyone whose mind could not resist it, and the longer the target remained under his gaze, the stronger that pressure would become.

Yet instead of seeing Vlad stagger, Reinhard suddenly felt something slam into his own mind.

His body instinctively recoiled, and his eyes widened as an ancient and suffocating mental presence pushed back against his ability. It felt nothing like ordinary resistance. Vlad’s mind was like an immovable wall that had survived decades of hatred, grief, and violence, and for the first time in a long while, Reinhard felt his instincts tell him to look away.

Vlad noticed the brief movement immediately and smiled. "You flinched."

Reinhard’s expression tightened as he steadied himself. "I noticed."

The faint amusement in Vlad’s eyes deepened, but then his own body shifted slightly as the pressure of Eyes of Domination finally reached him. It had not overwhelmed him, but it had made him react.

Reinhard noticed that as well.

"So it works," he muttered, his gaze becoming sharper.

"Interesting," Vlad said as the pressure continued to weigh against his mind. "You actually made me feel something."

Reinhard didn’t answer. He simply opened his mouth and released Demon God Roar.

The sound exploded across the Garden, shaking the trees and cracked stone structures while Vlad’s movements suddenly stalled.

Reinhard immediately followed with Graviton Chain, dozens of invisible forces locking around Vlad’s body and dragging him downward as the ground beneath his feet fractured from the pressure.

For a moment, Reinhard thought he finally had him.

He didn’t waste it.

A Space Tear opened directly around Vlad’s neck, its spatial edge closing with terrifying precision.

Vlad’s head separated from his body.

Reinhard’s eyes narrowed as the head fell and the body remained standing for half a second longer. He had expected resistance, regeneration, something that would explain how Vlad had survived the earlier battle with Archon, but instead the entire body suddenly disappeared.

Reinhard’s Danger Intuition screamed.

He turned.

Vlad appeared behind him.

His body was completely headless.

Reinhard barely had time to process the sight before a crimson sword swung toward his neck.

The Right Hand of God, which Reinhard had already activated before entering this area, moved on its own.

The invisible crimson arm appeared directly in front of him and blocked the sword.

The impact was enormous.

Reinhard was still sent flying upward despite the defense, because the Right Hand of God’s Auto-Defense could stop the attack itself, but it could not completely erase the force behind it. Reinhard gritted his teeth as he was launched through the air, then immediately used Instant Strike.

The crimson demonic hand appeared behind Vlad’s headless body and smashed him across the Garden.

Vlad crashed through several trees before finally disappearing into the ruins.

Reinhard stopped himself in midair and stared downward.

The headless Bloodkin slowly stood.

Then his head grew back.

Flesh, bone, and crimson Blood Mana reconstructed themselves in seconds until Vlad was once again looking at Reinhard with an amused smile.

"You have quite a few interesting abilities," Vlad said as he casually touched his regenerated neck.

Reinhard’s eyes narrowed. "You’re supposed to be dead."

Vlad’s smile remained. "I have been dead before."

Reinhard didn’t like that answer at all.

He immediately opened a Space Tear above himself and disappeared through it, then another tear opened behind Vlad. Reinhard stepped through with Heavenpiercer already swinging, forcing Vlad to turn and block the golden weapon with a blood-forged sword.

The collision sent both of them backward.

Reinhard used Spatial Step before Vlad could recover, appearing beside him and driving a fist into his ribs. All-Cutting Slash followed, an invisible edge tearing across Vlad’s body before Demon God Roar struck again and disrupted his movement.

Reinhard continued attacking without allowing Vlad to regain his rhythm.

Heavenpiercer pierced forward.

Another Space Tear opened beneath Vlad.

Fooling created several false movements around Reinhard.

All-Cutting Slash followed each opening, forcing Vlad to defend from multiple directions while Reinhard’s Combat Prediction and Combat Analysis continuously adjusted to his movements.

Vlad blocked one attack, avoided another, and took the third across his shoulder.

Reinhard didn’t stop.

"Let’s see how much punishment you can take."

He raised one hand.

Shock descended first.

Lightning tore through the Garden and struck Vlad with enough force to illuminate the entire battlefield.

Before the smoke could clear, Reinhard unleashed Inferno, and an enormous wave of fire swallowed the surrounding ruins.

The temperature surged so quickly that the remaining trees caught fire, but Reinhard’s Fire Resistance allowed him to stand within his own attack without hesitation.

He followed the flames with Enhanced Ice Shard Bullet.

Hundreds of sharpened ice projectiles tore through the Inferno, freezing and piercing everything within their path.

An Ice Pillar erupted beneath Vlad.

He leapt away, only for an Ice Sword Array to form above him and rain down dozens of frozen blades.

Vlad destroyed several of them with Blood Mana, but Gale Wind suddenly compressed the battlefield and drove the remaining ice weapons toward him from every direction.

The ground beneath his feet turned black as Dark Pool spread outward, and before he could escape the darkness, a concentrated Light Beam tore through the center of the battlefield.

The combined attacks swallowed Vlad in fire, ice, lightning, darkness, and light.

Reinhard remained airborne above the destruction, breathing steadily as he watched the smoke.

Then his Danger Intuition screamed again.

His gaze snapped upward.

Countless blood spears were already falling from the sky.

Reinhard immediately summoned Aegis of Eight.

Eight shields appeared around him and began moving on their own, automatically positioning themselves between him and the incoming attacks.

The first Blood Spear crashed into a shield.

Then another.

Then five more.

The shields repositioned constantly, intercepting attacks from every direction as cracks spread across their surfaces. One shield shattered, and another instantly moved into its place. Two more broke beneath the overwhelming barrage, forcing the remaining shields to overlap and reinforce one another.

The final wave struck all at once.

The combined impact overwhelmed the defensive formation and sent Reinhard flying backward through several burning trees.

He twisted his body in midair and landed on the ground, but before he could recover, the Garden itself seemed to come alive.

Blood erupted from the earth.

A massive Blood Tornado formed around him, dragging Reinhard upward while crimson birds flew through the storm and attacked from every direction. Blood bombs detonated around his body, while blades and spears formed inside the tornado and shot toward him from impossible angles.

Reinhard raised his arms and blocked one attack before another tore across his side.

Then another struck his shoulder.

Then another.

The first few attacks hurt badly.

The next ones hurt less.

Reinhard noticed the change almost immediately.

His Crown of the Unbroken was adapting.

Every time the Blood Mana attacked him in a similar way, his resistance increased. The damage wasn’t disappearing, but it was becoming more manageable.

Reinhard swung his hand, and All-Cutting Slash tore through the Blood Tornado. The invisible slash cut apart several blood creatures, but the attacks didn’t simply disappear. The Mana supporting them was enormous, allowing the Blood constructs to reform almost immediately.

Reinhard frowned.

"So that’s how it is."

He had been trying to overpower the Blood Mana.

That wasn’t working.

Instead, he began adapting to it.

The Blood Tornado finally exploded apart, and Reinhard crashed onto the ground. He rose through the smoke, his clothes torn and blood running from several wounds, only to see Vlad standing several dozen meters away.

Vlad brushed a torn piece of clothing from his shoulder, revealing that he had taken damage as well.

Then he smiled.

"My daughter has an amazing husband," Vlad said, looking Reinhard over with genuine interest. "Even after all those Blood Mana attacks, you’re still adapting."

Reinhard wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I don’t really have the luxury of stopping."

Vlad’s smile grew.

"Indeed."

The Blood Mana around him suddenly gathered.

Reinhard’s Danger Intuition erupted.

Vlad raised his hand, and an enormous crimson spear formed above him. Unlike the previous attacks, this one was incredibly dense, compressed with enough Blood Mana that the surrounding air distorted around it.

Vlad hurled it.

Reinhard didn’t dodge.

He reached into his inventory and pulled out Gunga Gourd.

The enormous Blood Spear struck the opening of the gourd and vanished inside.

Vlad’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Reinhard gave him a small smile.

"Thanks."

A Space Tear opened behind Vlad.

Reinhard thrust the hand holding Gunga through it.

The gourd’s mouth emerged directly behind Vlad’s back.

Reinhard released the Blood Spear.

The attack erupted from the gourd at point-blank range and tore straight through Vlad’s body.

Blood exploded across the Garden.

Vlad’s body was thrown forward, and Reinhard immediately stepped through the Space Tear to finish him.

Then he heard a familiar voice.

"Now then, my dear daughter."

Reinhard froze.

His expression changed as his gaze snapped toward Emily.

Vlad was standing beside her.

One hand gently caressed Emily’s face.

Reinhard’s stomach dropped.

He had been so focused on fighting Vlad that he had lost track of Emily.

Vlad looked toward her with a sorrowful smile. "It is time for you to awaken."

Emily’s body trembled.

"Emily!" Reinhard shouted as he immediately moved toward them.

Crimson Blood Mana began leaking from Emily’s body.

Her white hair slowly changed first, the strands lengthening as they flowed down her back. The color gradually shifted from white into a brilliant blond, and her crimson aura spread outward with every breath she took.

Her eyes opened.

They were crimson.

Her clothing began changing as well, the fabric transforming into the dark Bloodkin attire surrounding her body. A long crimson robe formed around her neck and flowed down toward the ground, moving like liquid blood even though there was no wind.

A strange hexagonal sword formed in her hand.

Then her aura exploded.

The entire Garden shook.

Trees bent away from her.

Cracks spread through the ground.

Even Reinhard felt the pressure from the transformation pressing against his body.

His eyes widened.

This wasn’t simply Emily becoming stronger.

Something had awakened inside her.

Vlad stood beside her with a faint smile.

"You misunderstand, Reinhard," he said calmly. "I didn’t turn her into anything."

Reinhard’s grip tightened around Heavenpiercer as he stared at Emily.

Vlad looked at his daughter with unmistakable pride.

"I simply gave my daughter the power she was always promised."

Reinhard’s expression hardened.

He looked at Emily’s crimson eyes, her long blond hair, the strange sword in her hand, and the Blood Mana surrounding her body.

"You damn bastard..." Reinhard said, his voice becoming dangerously quiet. "You turned my wife into a Bloodkin!?"

"No."

Vlad smiled.

"I awakened my daughter."

Reinhard’s eyes narrowed.

Vlad turned toward Emily.

"Emily."

Emily slowly looked at him.

"Kill him."

Her crimson eyes shifted toward Reinhard.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Reinhard stared at his wife, desperately searching her expression for something familiar. There was still something there. Her face was still Emily’s, and the way she held the sword wasn’t completely unfamiliar.

But the Blood Mana surrounding her was overwhelming.

Reinhard tightened his grip around Heavenpiercer.

A faint smile finally appeared on his face, though the tension in his eyes remained.

"I really am going to enjoy it when I smash you again."

Emily disappeared.

Reinhard barely raised Heavenpiercer in time.

Her hexagonal sword crashed against the golden weapon, and the resulting shockwave tore through the Garden. Reinhard was forced several steps backward as his boots carved deep trenches through the ground.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

"Emily..."

She didn’t answer.

Her crimson eyes remained fixed on him as the Blood Mana around her grew denser.

[Target Value Increased.]

[Emily Ashcroft: C+ → A]

What kind of jump is that!?

Vlad watched from behind her with a faint smile. "Go on, daughter. Show your husband the power you were always meant to possess."

Reinhard tightened his grip around Heavenpiercer. He could feel the pressure coming from Emily’s body, and for the first time since entering the Garden, he hesitated.

Not because he was afraid of her but because he was afraid of hurting her.

Emily raised her sword again.

Reinhard lowered his stance, his expression becoming serious as he looked directly into her crimson eyes.

"Damn it..." he muttered.

His grip tightened around Heavenpiercer.

"How am I supposed to fight my wife?"