At the opening in the pce wall, the royal knights and soldiers took up arms to defend against the vampires’ assault.


    Magic, arrows, and des shed between the two forces, their might shing in a fierce struggle. Yet, for all their efforts, the true battle wasn’t unfolding there but atop the pce wall, where Commander Zaman stood against two vampires. One was Carmi, wielding a dark red whip, and the other was Nisha, the Mistress of the vampires, holding no weapon, but instead a peculiar crystal orb with a single drop of blood suspended within.


    Though outnumbered, Zaman stood resolutely, halberd in hand. "What is your purpose in attacking us? As far as I know, we’ve done nothing to provoke you."


    Carmi threw her head back inughter. "Foolish human. Perhaps not in your lifetime, but you will pay for what your kingdom has done to us in the past. The Primo—"


    "Don’t monologue, Carmi. He doesn’t need to know why." Nisha interrupted sharply. Internally, she sighed. While Carmi was undeniably capable, she had a penchant for talking too much when the odds were in her favor. This was precisely why Nisha hadn’t left her to attack the pce alone. She had apanied her while the other A-rank vampires targeted key locations across the city.


    ’Because of the blood moon, she’s even chattier today.’


    Nisha’s gaze fell on the crystal orb in her hand, its single drop of blood glowing faintly. This was the Blood Reign, a legendary artifact that enhanced blood magic and created the blood moon, a phenomenon that shielded vampires from the sun and greatly amplified their power. The orb drew its strength from a drop of blood belonging to an outer god, a treasure Nisha had "borrowed" from the Primogen.


    She shivered at the thought of what would happen if he discovered her actions. But as always, she reasoned, it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.


    Although Nisha had never intended to use the Blood Reign, the incident in the sewers had forced her hand. The original n was no longer viable, and swift action was now their best strategy. If they dyed, heightened patrols or the captured Brekster would soon expose the vampires’ hideouts scattered across the city.


    Even though victory was not yet secured, the attack could already be deemed a sess. Battles raged everywhere, and while their forces were outnumbered, their superior strength guaranteed eventual triumph. Still, Nisha remained vignt.


    ’We can’t afford to let our guard down. We must stick to the n to ensure victory.’


    "[Bloody Cleaver]."


    A massive de of blood materialized above Zaman and plummeted toward him.


    Zaman frowned as the crimson strike descended. "So, no peaceful resolution then."


    With a powerful swing, he shed upward with his halberd, splitting the blood cleaver in two. As his weapon arced upward, Carmi’s whip snaked around it, locking it in ce.


    Zaman tugged, attempting to free his halberd, but Carmi held fast with supernatural strength. The weapon refused to budge.


    "Oh~? Is the big, strongmander weaker than little ol’ me?" Carmi teased, her mocking grin wide.


    The blood moon had granted her incredible strength, even though herw technique didn’t focus on enhancing physical power. Despite Zaman’s resistance, he couldn’t match her raw force. Without a word, he released the halberd, allowing it to fly into Carmi’s grasp.


    "Hehe, now that you’re unarmed, you—"


    "Carmi, stop ying around." Nisha interjected, her tone sharper now.


    "Yes, Mistress." Carmi replied, begrudgingly. Though she relished toying with an A-ranker while empowered, she knew Nisha’s patience had limits.


    Carmi’s eyes glowed red as she activated herw technique, [Heart Turner].


    Her smirk widened as Zaman’s expression softened, his eyes zing over with a glossy red sheen.


    "Poor Commander~" she crooned mockingly. "Even the mighty Royal Knight Commander isn’t immune to my charms." She sauntered closer, twirling her whipzily, savoring her supposed triumph. "Why don’t you kneel, darling? I promise to show you mercy."


    Zaman dropped to one knee, his gaze fixed on her. His eyes betrayed no emotion, only the haze of her control.


    "The silent type, hmm? Don’t worry, I don’t mind~."


    Behind him, Nisha frowned but refrained from interrupting. This performance was part of Carmi’s technique, meant to deepen her victim’s infatuation for her. Despite her confidence in Carmi’s powers, Nisha couldn’t shake a lingering unease. ’Even under the blood moon, we shouldn’t underestimate him.’


    Carmi leaned forward, holding Zaman’s halberd. "Now, beg for forgiveness, Commander. Perhaps I’ll let you live... as my pet."


    Zaman’s lips moved, a faint whisper escaping. "Forgive me..."


    Carmi’s grin widened. "Good. Now, I think I’ll—"


    The whisper grew sharper. "...for whates next."


    Before Carmi could react, Zaman’s hand moved in a blur. A second halberd materialized in his grasp, and he shed in a zing arc of steel.


    Carmi’s eyes widened in shock. She jerked back instinctively but wasn’t fast enough. The de cut through her abdomen, spraying blood.


    "[Transfusion]!"


    Being on guard, Nisha reacted instantly, casting a healing spell. The spilled blood surged back into Carmi’s body, sealing the wound before it could be fatal.


    Carmi, still reeling from the attack, yelled, "How are you able to resist my charm?!"


    Under normal circumstances, she might have epted Zaman’s resistance, but in her current empowered state, such defiance should have been impossible.


    Zaman chuckled. "Sorry, I just don’t lean that way."


    "What?! How does that even make sense?!" Carmi shouted, incredulous. She didn’t care about his sexual orientation, her charm worked regardless of such things. She had made both men and women fall before her countless times before. Herw technique transcended such limitations.


    In her brief moment of confusion, Zaman seized the opportunity to strike again. He swung his halberd, aiming to pierce through her head.


    "[Blood Wave]!" Nisha intervened swiftly.


    A cascading wall of blood surged between Carmi and Zaman, forcing him to retreat. The wave pursued him relentlessly, but he doubled back and leaped over it, his movements fluid and precise. Multiple halberds materialized around him, and with incredible power, he hurled them at the two vampires.


    Nisha cursed under her breath as the projectiles sliced through the air with deadly precision.


    "[Scarlet Barrier]!" she shouted, raising her hand. The blood around her solidified into shields, deflecting the iing halberds. Carmi, though still recovering, snapped her whip, destroying a few more before they could reach her.


    "You’re more troublesome than I thought." Nisha muttered, her calm demeanor tinged with frustration. She nced at the Blood Reign orb in her hand, weighing whether to channel more of its power. Though the blood moon had already granted her overwhelming strength, Zaman’s resilience and resourcefulness were proving a greater challenge than anticipated.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Unbeknownst to most observers, Zaman was constantly leveraging hisw technique, [Evesting Present]. Though a passivew technique, it allowed him to analyze his surroundings with unparalleled rity and devise perfect counters to any situation. This ability let him face opponents far stronger than himself.


    Zamannded deftly on his feet, his gaze sharp and unyielding. He gave the vampires no chance to regroup. With amanding yell, he hurled another halberd at Carmi, forcing her to sidestep, then closed the distance with lightning speed.


    "You’re outmatched." Zaman said coldly, his voice cutting through the air. "It doesn’t matter how much stronger you are than me."


    Carmi sneered, even with the de at her neck. "Maybe, but I’m not alone."


    Before Zaman could react, Nisha’s voice sliced through the tension. "Enough."


    The air thickened with oppressive energy as the drop of blood within the Blood Reign orb began to glow ominously. Crimson light flooded the surroundings, casting eerie shadows across the battlefield. Zaman instinctively leaped back, distancing himself as Nisha’s power surged.


    "This kingdom’s time hase." Nisha dered, her voice resonating with a power far beyond mortalprehension. "You fought well, Commander, but you stand against the inevitable."


    She raised the Blood Reign high, and the blood moon’s light pulsed violently. A wave of energy erupted, washing over the battlefield. The vampires below roared in unison, their strength surging even further. Their attacks grew more ferocious, overwhelming the knights, soldiers, and adventurers defending the city.


    Zaman gritted his teeth as the oppressive aura pressed down on him. Despite his formidable strength, he couldn’t ignore the overwhelming advantage the vampires now held. He steadied himself, gripping his halberd tightly.


    "I’ve seen the inevitable before." he said, his voice steady. "Trust me, you’re not it."


    With that, he charged forward once more, reigniting the sh with even greater intensity. Nisha and Carmi moved in tandem, their attacks synchronized with deadly precision. Yet Zaman’s strikes remained calcted, his defense imprable, and his unyielding will matched their overwhelming might.


    Though he held his ground valiantly, the tide of battle began to turn against him. As powerful as hisw technique was, it had its limits. Identifying openings was one thing, but if hecked the speed or strength to exploit them, he was left vulnerable. Bit by bit, he was forced onto the defensive.


    During one exchange, Carmi’s whipshed around his leg, binding him in ce. Zaman anticipated the attack but couldn’t move his body in time.


    "It seems you were wrong, Commander." Carmi said with a vicious grin. "We are inevitable."


    "[Sanguine Lances]." Nisha intoned.


    Dozens of crimsonnces materialized around Zaman in an inescapable formation. They hovered menacingly, poised to strike.


    But just as they were about to be unleashed, a beam of pure void energy streaked through the air, targeting Nisha.