Chapter 204: A Thousand-Year-Old Iron Tree… Bloomed?
"This... this is impossible!"
Mary was witnessing the most shocking sight of her life.
Not only had this human boy completely surpassed Lady Elisabeth in magical power, he had even forcibly seized control of the blood!
This technique should only be usable by Lady Elisabeth!
Was this boy truly human?
Meanwhile.
Elisabeth lay amidst the rubble, her vacant eyes fixed on the night sky, gazing at the blood-red moon hanging overhead.
Her body was pierced through by blood arrows until it was utterly broken. Beneath her crimson dress, countless bloody holes covered her form, with jagged white bones fully exposed to the air.
Superficially, it appeared the vampire princess had fallen into existential doubt.
Until Mahiro's mocking voice drifted over faintly.
"Really now, are you giving up already? Is this all you've got? The legendary Blood Queen."
"Blood Queen..."
Those words seemed to strike a nerve in Elisabeth.
Suddenly, her magical power explosively intensified, even shaking the surrounding air.
"My, my, you can still grow stronger? For someone so cute, you're quite the extraordinary monster," Yukime remarked lightly, her reopened fan hiding her astonished and grave expression.
The opponent's heightened magical power had reached a level she could only look up to.
But seeing Mahiro's unperturbed, even slightly excited demeanor, her heart settled somewhat.
Master, you will surely win, right?
At that moment, Elisabeth slowly rose to her feet.
As if lifted by an invisible hand, her delicate form ascended from the ground, the gruesome wounds beneath her blood-stained dress healing at a visible pace.
She hovered mid-air like an empress overlooking the world.
Under the crimson moon.
Elisabeth slowly raised her hand, scarlet magic gathering once more, coalescing into a blood-red scythe.
With a casual swing, blood splattered.
Flowing through the night sky like rose petals.
Since the opponent had made a move, Mahiro had no reason not to respond.
"O cold Steel Queen, O Holy Sword that slays demons—"
Mahiro chanted softly.
"—Become the steel blade here and now, and aid me in striking down my foes!"
[As you wish.]
Instantly, the long spear in his hand transformed, becoming the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword.
The divine power radiating from it made Elisabeth frown slightly.
She actually felt a hint of discomfort.
Yet Mahiro grasped the fearsome Holy Sword and swung it forward, as if tearing through space, sending invisible magical ripples spreading outward.
Like a drop of water falling into a still lake.
But this drop was no ordinary water...
Infinite darkness spread from beneath his feet—Yotsuba Maya's signature convergence magic, "Meteor Stream"!
As if boundless night enveloped the entire Crimson Tower, shrouding the entire night sky beneath the blood moon once more!
The swirling stars and scattered radiance actually outshone the crimson moon, obscuring its bloody light!
"Is this our master's power? Truly formidable..."
Epsilon trembled with exhilaration at the sight.
Mary's eyes flickered with wavering unease, her shocked mouth gaping wide enough to fit an entire egg!
She could now be certain—this boy who called himself Yotsuba Mahiro was absolutely no ordinary person. He was a monster comparable to Lady Elisabeth herself!
But if it were him...
Perhaps the tragedy from a thousand years ago wouldn't repeat itself?
Master, could you finally rest in peace?
Elisabeth seemed to have noticed the abnormality in the night barrier as well. With a graceful wave of her hand, rose petals filling the sky transformed into blood rain arrows descending from above.
"The same move won't work on me."
Tap.
Mahiro took a step forward, magical ripples once again spreading from beneath his feet.
The affected blood rain immediately halted mid-air, abruptly turning around to assault the other falling blood droplets.
Boom—
Though appearing to be ordinary blood on the surface, they erupted into violent explosions upon collision!
It was pure magical energy clashing against magical energy.
Mutually annihilating, mutually devouring, mutually strangling.
Yet in the next instant, earth-shaking roars echoed from the heavens above.
Rumble!
The stars flowing within the night barrier suddenly began falling.
Different from Maya's meteor night.
These countless stars were no longer mere orbs of light and rays, but genuine meteorites and falling stars!
Tower-sized meteorites assaulted Elisabeth from all directions—above, below, left, right, front, and back.
The mere shockwaves from their impact seemed capable of crushing her delicate frame to dust!
Swish, swish, swish—
Like an elegant waltz, Elisabeth spun gracefully mid-air, her scythe tracing beautiful crimson arcs through the atmosphere that expanded outward.
With just a few strikes, all surrounding meteorites were completely shattered to pieces.
"Not bad at all."
Mahiro's voice suddenly came from behind her. Elisabeth's dress writhed and transformed into countless tentacles, instantly surrounding the boy who had appeared at her back.
Yet all Mahiro did was simply swing his sword.
Without even employing a trace of magical energy, pure physical strength alone easily deflected these rapidly approaching tentacles.
As if strolling through the sky, he boldly advanced several steps.
However, the numerous crimson tentacles continued their frenzied dance, though this time they seemed to intentionally avoid Mahiro, passing by his sides instead.
Tap.
Another step.
He had already discerned all the tentacles' movements, teleporting before Elisabeth as if in an instant.
"Lovely Queen, might I have this dance with you?"
This sudden invitation made Elisabeth pause briefly. Their eyes met and held for a moment before an ethereal, calm voice gently escaped her cherry lips.
"Kind sir, might you tell me your name?"
"Of course. I am Yotsuba Mahiro."
Swish—
The Demon King Killing Sacred Sword in his hand traced a sharp white arc through the air.
Elisabeth instinctively raised her bloodied great scythe to block, but the keen blade cleaved through both her scythe and her defenses, leaving a vicious, horrifying wound across her chest.
"..."
This was the first time in so long that the Blood Queen had voiced her pain.
But the next second, both the wounds and the scythe had been restored to their original state.
The two swung their weapons, slashing and colliding with each other, dyeing the entire space in the color of blood.
Meteors occasionally descended, and tentacles flew out, intertwining with one another.
Their speed had surpassed the dynamic vision of the naked eye—a true battle of inhuman beings!
In the process, Elisabeth had lost count of how many times she had raised her magical threshold, yet each time, Mahiro effortlessly crushed her.
As if it were endless.
Gradually, the restraint on Elisabeth's calm face lessened, replaced by a hint of liberation.
She no longer suppressed the uncontrollable power within her, releasing it all!
The immense magical shockwave was naturally insignificant to Mahiro, but for Demon Possessors like Alpha and Epsilon below, it was far from pleasant.
"Tsk..."
Alpha clutched her arm, her delicate body trembling slightly, her elegant brows tightly furrowed.
She felt it.
That faint, nostalgic yet detestable pain, coursing wildly through her entire body.
Her magic became slightly disordered.
Though it could no longer harm or affect her, the sensation still made her nauseous.
"Epsilon, are you alright?"
"Yes, Lady Alpha, I'm fine."
Epsilon wore the same expression.
With just a glance, they understood from each other's eyes.
It was a symptom of Demon Possession...
At that moment, they seemed to understand why Mahiro had tried to stop them from following. If more people had come...
"Epsilon, go check on the others below. I'll guard this place."
"Yes, Lady Alpha."
Epsilon also understood the urgency of the situation. The newcomers of Shadow Garden below were not like the Seven Shadows.
Their control over magic was not as proficient, and if left unchecked, something terrible could happen!
Without hesitation, she leaped from the edge of the tower.
By the time she reached the ground, Juggernaut's corpse lay to the side, covered in cursed poison marks.
The others were curled up in agony on the ground, their bodies radiating crimson magical arcs—clearly on the verge of losing control over their magic.
Even Nu was suffering intensely.
Only No. 559 was relatively fine, as the power had been personally bestowed by Mahiro, placing her on a completely different level from the Seven Shadows.
"It seems it's time to end this game."
Mahiro noticed the situation on the ground. With a flick of his longsword, he effortlessly deflected Elisabeth's massive scythe.
Then, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers gently.
"Freeze, Mahapadma!"
The technique created by Esdeath using her Teigu, "Demon God Manifestation," was reenacted here!
The surrounding space, everything in existence, was frozen.
Even Elisabeth, brimming with formidable magic, gradually slowed down until she fell into a state of complete stillness.
Mahiro moved directly behind her, one hand gripping her slender arm, the other lifting her crimson hair to reveal her pale neck.
Slowly, his mouth opened, revealing two sharp fangs.
"It's time to return the blood I lent you."
Blood Collection: Absordex!
He gently wrapped one arm around the slender waist of the woman before him and bit down hard on her porcelain-white collarbone.
At that moment, time and space shifted once again.
"Ah—!!!"
Feeling her blood rapidly draining away, Elisabeth let out a pained cry. Her hands instinctively grabbed the hair of the person behind her, her pink fists flailing weakly as she struck out.
But the blows were mere tickles, utterly useless.
Mahiro showed no intention of letting go.
"Lady Elisabeth!"
Even Mary was shocked by this scene.
Lady Elisabeth, the progenitor of vampires, was being drained of blood?!
Elisabeth's recently flushed face gradually returned to its original pallor, the light in her eyes dimming before finally clearing.
Eventually, her two arms fell limply, allowing the person behind her to continue draining her blood.
This way... it should all be over, right?
That was what Elisabeth thought in this moment.
Hearing someone call her name from below, her gaze shifted downward. When she saw Mary, her eyes gradually softened.
"Ah, Mary... I'm sorry for making you worry for so long, for guarding someone like me all this time..."
She wanted to say these words, but her trembling lips could no longer produce any sound.
Yet, Mary still read her lips.
She shook her head wildly, her similarly colored long hair flying about.
"No, Lady Elisabeth..."
Restrained by Yukime and Alpha, she desperately reached upward as if trying to bridge the vast distance through sheer will.
In a sense, she did reach her.
Just as Elisabeth was about to be completely drained of blood, Mahiro released her, letting her fall from the sky back to the top level of the tower.
But his eyes had become more demonic and crimson than before.
The blood lingering at the corners of his lips, the overwhelming magical power radiating from him—it was as if he were the true vampire progenitor reigning over the world!
"Now, time for the final blow."
A merciless voice quietly sounded.
Mahiro slowly raised the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword in his hand, lightly tracing a line toward the sky.
The night-stained heavens were instantly dominated by immense magical power, dyed pure white!
Turning the world bright as day!
Arcs of magical energy flowed orderly through the air.
Since he came to this world, how could he not try that move?
"I Am....."
What was he trying to do?
No one knew—at the very least, Mary, who was tightly clutching Elisabeth's weakened form, had no idea.
She could only feel this overwhelming magical power capable of crushing one's spirit.
"Recovery..."
The moment the words fell.
"...Atomic."
All sound vanished.
Violent streams of pure white light occupied the entire field of vision, their dazzling radiance enough to make any living creature lose consciousness.
Engulfing the entire Lawless City.
And Mary did indeed faint.
When she woke again, she was still tightly holding Lady Elisabeth in her arms, but everything around them had disappeared.
The blood moon in the night sky was gone, restored to its usual clear, pure white...
The millennia-old Crimson Tower that had stood for ages had vanished...
The ruler of the White Tower, Yukime, had also disappeared without a trace...
And those from Shadow Garden...
Along with the mastermind behind it all—
"Were you looking for me?"
Mary was startled by the voice coming from behind her.
Turning her head, she saw Mahiro crouching on the ground gazing at her, his dark eyes imprinted with strange magical arrays filled with amusement.
Alpha, with her long golden hair, was attending at his side.
"..."
"Calm down."
Noticing she had awakened, Mahiro slowly rose to his feet and stretched his limbs.
"Rest assured, neither you nor Queen Elisabeth have died. This isn't hell—otherwise I wouldn't be here either."
A good person like him would at least end up in heaven.
Though it's more likely he'd slaughter his way through hell and fight his way up to heaven...
"Why... didn't you kill me...?"
These words didn't come from Mary, but from Elisabeth who lay in her embrace.
Having lost her magical power, her gown had long dissipated, leaving her completely naked again. Under the clear moonlight, she appeared as exquisite and precious as jade.
But she paid no mind to this, sitting up from Mary's embrace and slowly opening her eyes.
Her crimson pupils calmly observed Mahiro.
"Why would I kill you?"
Mahiro tilted his head with a smile and said, "My goal from the beginning was never to kill you."
"?"
Now it was Elisabeth's turn to be confused.
If not to kill her, then what was the purpose of everything he had done before?
"Just for fun, of course. Since coming to this world, I haven't encountered a single worthy opponent, so I used you to test my strength."
"Truth is, getting some exercise and working up a sweat feels really refreshing."
Mahiro even stretched exaggeratedly as he spoke.
"Besides, haven't you noticed? The bloodsucking impulse within you has disappeared."
Upon hearing this, Elisabeth indeed realized.
She gently twitched her nostrils and discovered that the intense craving she had previously felt for the young man before her had completely vanished.
"..."
Elisabeth was astonished.
As a progenitor, her bloodsucking impulse wasn't like other vampires' that could be suppressed and eventually disappear by abstaining from blood for extended periods.
Instead, it would accumulate over years and grow more impulsive, particularly when the crimson moon appeared—that was the strongest, uncontrollable moment.
Crimson had known this back then, adding blood to her meals, which ultimately led to that tragedy a millennium ago—
Three days of continuous slaughter, destroying three kingdoms, along with the sanctuary she had built herself.
"But I still don't understand... what's the meaning behind you doing this..."
Having witnessed countless humans, she knew well that even if she and her kin bore no malice, they would always be two irreconcilable races.
Nor would there exist a human so benevolent as to save her.
"What if my target from the beginning was you?"
Mahiro chuckled, half-jokingly.
"Oh right, I remember you were looking for a so-called resting place, weren't you? I happen to know a good place that could take you in—the Shadow Garden that Alpha and I established. Though it might not exactly be a resting place, its main virtue is peace. I wonder if you'd be willing."
"?"
Elisabeth slowly typed a question mark, instinctively looking toward the golden-haired elf beside him.
Alpha gradually revealed a gentle smile.
"If you're willing, I'd warmly welcome you to join us."
Elisabeth: "..."
Hearing this, her gaze shifted back to Mahiro.
After staring at him for a long time, she gently nodded.
"Mary and I are already homeless, and besides... I'm already yours... If you don't mind, I'd be happy to join."
Mahiro: "???"
Not just him, even the smile on Alpha's face froze solid.
What is this situation?!
Seeing the atmosphere suddenly become awkward, Mary also blushed and explained with an embarrassed smile:
"Well... actually, there's something I forgot to tell you. In our clan, the act of blood-sucking isn't just for feeding... it's also a symbol between lovers."
"So, Lord Mahiro, since you drank Lady Elisabeth's blood, that means she's already your blood partner..."
Mahiro: "..."
"But I'm human."
Hearing this, Mary smiled awkwardly and replied:
"That... still counts the same."
Well now, so the thousand-year iron tree has finally bloomed, hasn't it?