The first step wasn’t difficult. I had done it once before.
As I braced myself against the blades of the Church goons, the exhilaration I felt back then flooded my mind and focused me, as if blood was slowly boiling from somewhere near my heart and spreading a warm sensation throughout me.
The breeze against my skin became vivid, and I felt my movements becoming slightly more precise and nimble.
It wasn’t dramatic; it could easily be dismissed as just a matter of feeling or a difference in condition.
Yet at this moment, I had a clear standard to differentiate whether this sensation was part of some ability I didn’t even know I possessed or just a trick of my mind.
‘Shallow. Definitely.’
As time passed, the blades that had been leaving deeper and more lethal wounds began to falter, almost as if they were returning to a few minutes prior, gradually moving away from my vital spots.
There was no way I could misjudge the distance to death. The enemy’s skill hadn’t deteriorated in just a few minutes, so it was more likely I was simply reacting faster.
It was certain. I just hadn’t realized until now that I was already in the realm of Blood Magic.
Once I acknowledged this, I could distinctly feel the presence of True Blood flowing through my veins. And not only that, True Blood responded to my will in a subtle way.
But that was as far as it went. I could sense the blood inside me, but just like during my fight with Kanak, I couldn’t feel the presence of the blood inside my enemies.
With my somewhat faster movements, I was buying time to protect my heart, but at this rate, I would eventually run out of options.
I desperately wracked my brain.
What exactly is Blood Magic? How can I draw more power than this?
Though we call it magic, it must be different from the type of spells one generally imagines.
It’s a unique magic, a theory that doesn’t even exist, only wielded by the Progenitor of Vampires.
The key must lie within True Blood. As Raul had said in the past, this frail body so similar to a human’s structure could turn into a monster that endlessly craves blood and grows because of the power of True Blood.
True Blood is, after all, the origin of the very existence of Vampires and the essence that shapes their identity. There couldn’t be a better fit to touch on unique magic.
So what is True Blood? What makes my blood special?
I keep my thoughts organized while moving.
If all the traits of a vampire stem from True Blood, then drinking the blood of other beings and stealing their strength must be the most fundamental act.
…Wait a minute. Drinking and stealing strength?
Yeah, strength. It sounds abstract, but if I put it precisely, for me, it’s life force.
What if drawing and manipulating the power of True Blood itself constitutes Blood Magic?
Though it was a sudden thought, it was quite persuasive. And if this hypothesis is right, then the force I need to handle is the vast life force accumulated in True Blood.
In truth, I’ve been using the life force of True Blood already. The regenerative ability that instantly restores wounds that would have led to death must be the power of True Blood.
So far, that has been enough. But in the future, I must face more formidable foes.
I can’t just rely on my growth and charge blindly; I need to fully utilize the abilities I’ve been given.
To move forward, I would need a weapon beyond what I currently possess.
Just relying on defense by replenishing the life force lost when struck isn’t sufficient.
This ability, capable of vast regeneration, is too precious just to use for that. I need to turn the life force within into a weapon I can wield with my will.
Then how do I manipulate the life force accumulated in True Blood?
It’s easy to say, but when I try to think of a method, nothing comes to mind.
In a moment of impatience, a blade slices into my neck.
I quickly twist my neck and awkwardly lift my arm to deflect the sword. The wound on my neck remains a mere couple of inches deep, but instantly, several times that many cuts appear on my arm and torso.
Stay calm. Think calmly.
Blood Magic cannot be learned from anyone else. Its usage lies entirely within me.
Trust the instincts of a Vampire; Martini used to say that every time she taught me how to fight.
Controlling True Blood with my will, manipulating the life force within—could that indeed be under the domain of instinct?
True Blood is what makes me a vampire. To control True Blood is like asking a human to regulate their hormones.
But I must believe it’s possible. Because I am a Vampire.
How can I turn this into a weapon? How can I kill the enemies and flee into the woods?
It feels like I should be able to grasp something, yet I can’t shake off the feeling of being just one step short.
While I’m lost in thought, another blade penetrates my back.
A shiver runs through me, but I shouldn’t be surprised by something so trivial as flesh tearing. I ignore it and twist my body, barely grazing my heart with the sword.
Staggering, I narrowly avoid a direct hit, but I feel something being forcibly stripped away from inside me, just like during my fight with Ludrik.
I can’t lose my heart. I must protect my heart.
Focus. It’s better than back then.
Grimacing, I desperately shake off the enemy behind me to pull the sword out of my chest.
Was it coincidence, or was it inevitable?
The moment blood gushed out like a fountain from the wound leading to my heart, I heard the whisper of instinct.
– If you lack, then take.
…Right, if I’m lacking in power, I’ll just take it from others.
In that fleeting moment of realization, I swing my arm towards the blood droplets scattered in the air.
To the three enemies in front of me, I must have looked like I was doing something absurd. But I had an intense conviction that I wouldn’t fail.
The spilled True Blood soaked my raised arm.
And the moment I fully extended my arm, the scattered droplets moved as if possessed, defying gravity and shot forward as a barrage of bullets, piercing the enemies directly in front of me.
“Guh!!”
Though it only left six tiny holes in a surprisingly seasoned enemy’s body, it was undoubtedly a hit.
It worked. For the first time.
I see now. I had fixated on the power of life itself and overlooked its essence.
The essential thing is not the life force itself, but the characteristic of ‘seizing’ the life force from others.
To crave blood and steal life. That is, after all, my essence, the essence of the Progenitor of Vampires.
And True Blood embodies the vampire’s instinct to seek out life force, etched in a way that far surpasses my rationality.
Then I just need to breathe my will into that. For now, there’s no need for precise control.
It’s like releasing a starving hunting dog on its prey.
The moment I recognized even the True Blood exiting my body as a part of me and strongly wished to consume the life force from the enemy before me, the spilled True Blood responded to my will and turned into bullets.
“Aha.”
So this is how it works. This is it.
I am the one taking. You are the ones who will be taken.
Clarifying subject and object, confronting my own instincts and desires opened my eyes wide.
The vague notions are beginning to take shape. Things that lingered in the realm of luck are slowly transforming into certainty.
This is what it meant to follow one’s instincts. I really didn’t need to think too hard about it.
Thump. Just a moment ago, I had no sense of it, but the outline of life pulsing beneath the enemies’ blood vessels began to surface as if rising to the surface.
Now, as long as the enemies are living beings, I won’t lose sight of them, even without relying on my sense of smell.
I instinctively counted the number of enemies and their positions.
So far, there are three surrounding me and Plona… Wait. Something’s approaching from afar. There were four enemies, not just three?
“Unique Magic! I’m using Unique Magic!!”
“Raising the danger level!”
I need to get out of here.
But it seemed the Church goons could read my intentions. Prioritizing restricting my movement towards the misty direction, they switched to a more aggressive posture.
I swung my arm again toward the blood droplets, but this time it was smoothly blocked. Unlike before, when the surprise of introducing a new pattern had allowed me to exploit their moment of distraction, it seemed the Church goons weren’t going to fall for the same trick twice.
Meanwhile, the creature approaching from a distance was close enough to count now.
There were three of them. Given their speed, they would reach here within a minute.
If they’re odorless, they must be from the Church goons, too.
What should I do? I’m barely evading serious wounds from three of them—strictly speaking, I’m not perfectly avoiding, but it’s tough enough, and if it becomes six, that’s a whole different story.
No, if Plona joins in, that makes seven or more.
With Plona still passive and only those three attacking me now, this might be my last real chance to escape. Honestly, the odds seem nearly nonexistent, but I have to act.
I erased my hesitation immediately. Calculating the route with the highest probability of breakthrough.
Humans can’t fight at full power every single moment. Otherwise, it would be a wasteful drain.
The moment my enemies collide with me is the time for my full power, which means the moment their life force may swell is the perfect time for me to attack.
I found a tiny gap within their organic coordination.
The chances aren’t more than fifty-fifty, but if I can break free from this web, I can dash straight into the woods. Assuming Plona won’t chase after me again.
‘Now.’
I catch the sword with my blood-soaked right hand. The sword shone as the holy magic activated, but unlike holy magic, which is in direct opposition to dark magic, the freshly learned yet still clumsy Blood Magic managed to push the sword away for an instance.
I kick off the ground and run. Taking a hit from an attack coming from the opposite side, I break through their encirclement.
And for the first time, I break free from the Church trackers and face the woods unimpeded.
……I made it. If I keep running like this, I can live.
—Or so I thought, the moment my body felt as if it were shackled.
‘…Damn.’
Was I overdoing it with this newly learned Unique Magic? My heart was slightly injured, and the other strains were too great.
I wish I could have held out just a little longer.
A wave of despair washed over me.
The delay in my movements was only a fleeting moment, but infuriatingly, in front of the three skilled foes, that moment stretched infinitely.
“This is—”
“No!!!”
This time, there’s no escaping. As I watch the two swords approaching my heart, I felt a strong intuition when suddenly a shrill scream rang out, accompanied by a flash of silver light.
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