The Duke's Passion

Embracing the rotting darkness within me was something I had to accept slowly. But releasing it? It felt like I was having an orgasm. I was... relieved, in a way. Especially that I could use it against the people who truly deserved this darkness.

"Ugh!" Maxine ground her teeth when I sliced through her torso like she was a piece of paper. It felt nice, feeling how her flesh tore and the scent of her blood thickening in the air. The side of my lips stretched into a smile as Lakresha sliced through the side of her hips. 

If she was any less normal, the wounds she inflicted so far were enough to keep her on the ground. But alas, despite the blood dripping from her, she still managed to hop several meters back from me. She was doing great, considering she was blind.

"Dear Maxine, is thirty seconds' rest enough for you?" I asked while tilting my head, keeping my consciousness because I might wreak havoc if I let this darkness consume me as well. My eyes fell on the ground she was standing on, seeing nothing but blood dripping onto it.

"Terrible," I spat out under my breath, raising my brows when I heard a loud shattering of concrete. I glanced in the direction of the sound, only to see Fabian holding a severed head while stepping on the body. He tossed the head like a ball, only to stab it with his Maleficent.

"Fabian, did you also get rusty at cleaning the house? It took you quite a while to finish Benedict." My eyes veered towards the enrage Acheron, landing in a distance. 

"Your Majesty, please do not rub salt in my wound. I am simply experimenting with different theories in mind." Fabian wiped the side of his forehead with the back of his fist. "As expected, crushing their skull is still the best option."

"Already figured that out," I replied while setting my eyes back to the exhausted Maxine. "Her healing just slowed down, but it still heals eventually."

"During this time, I cannot help but think of that little girl, Charlie." I nodded at Fabian's remarks. If Charlotte was here, she could back us up from somewhere. Although it was presumptuous to think that Acheron and Maxine couldn't deflect her arrows, having her around would make things easier. 

"Fabian, want to change opponents?" I proposed while staring at Maxine, feeling that her aura was evolving. "She smells... horrible. Like a rotting corpse or something."

"Such horrible scent, indeed." 

I glanced at Acheron as he hung his head low. Both Acheron and Maxine felt like they were growing even stronger. I already felt this before we took a break, and only now I was certain it wasn't just my imagination. These two... had literally sold their soul to the devil. 

It was hard to distinguish if they were still vampires or undead. But what I was certain of was that these two were monsters.

"Fabian," I called under my breath, gazing at George's corpse and seeing its shadow stretched towards Maxine. 

"Yes, Your Majesty. It seems they had also learned the art of absorption." Fabian also gazed at Acheron, who was sipping in the air, sucking the shadow of the dead Benedict. "It's more like... a human Maleficent."

My brows rose as I glanced at Fabian. He seemed more displeased than alarmed, raising his sharp eyes in Acheron's direction. Although this information was shocking, I didn't question it, nor did it rattle me anymore. I had already expected the worst. This wasn't the type of worst I was thinking, but it was still the same. 

So, I shifted my focus to Maxine, then to Acheron. "Deal with her, Fabian."

"Sure, Your Majesty. Be careful of him..." Fabian didn't argue with me, knowing me fighting Acheron was better because I was still a pureblood on the top of the blood chain. Even though Maxine was also a noble vampire, Acheron had lived longer. In vampires, the longer they lived, the more powerful they become. Fabian's lifespan might've stretched this long because of his blood contract with Sam, but he was still a human. 

That was why I was a better match against Acheron right now, and he could definitely handle Maxine. My grip around Lakresha and Catharsis tightened. 

'If these two had grown this powerful... I'm terrified about Zero and Stefan's strength.' I took a deep breath and released it through my mouth. 'The last time I used darkfield was still unstable. I couldn't be careless in using it at this time since... I might actually die then. I still have a choice and I didn't have to resort to such things for now.'

"This will take a while and the rebels were near." I bent my knees with my eyes fixed on Acheron and his already buffed physique grew bigger. "Let's take them away from here."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

I didn't reply anymore as I sprung towards Acheron at full speed. Using Catharsis, I thrust it forward only to get blocked by him easily. My jaw instantly tightened as he deflected it easily. Not good. Despite the realization that he suddenly grew ten times stronger, I didn't stop launching attacks and picking up my speed. 

Although Acheron could deflect my attack, he was still hopping back in the direction I was pushing him to. I had to take him to a distance away from those fools. If I didn't, those people would lose their lives without them knowing. The only reason I could protect them was that they were in the same spot. Once they stepped outside the line, I wouldn't guarantee their safety anymore. 

"Your Majesty, you are surprisingly soft to those people." Acheron simpered as he blocked my incoming attack. "They will all die either way. You're just prolonging their sufferings."

"Shut up!" My yell was followed by our sword clashing, two swords against a sword and a scythe. "Acheron, be grateful that I will be the one ending you."

"I can't say the same."