< Romania (2) >
Crash—! Clatter—
A middle-aged man with brown hair busily prepared various items in a chaotic space filled with all sorts of junk and unidentifiable objects.
Amidst this, noises echoed continuously.
“Oh! My, it has already begun!”
However, his frantic movements didn’t last long.
The man, Doctor, suddenly tossed aside what he was holding upon seeing a holographic projection of a forest on one wall and hurried over.
“Ho ho! I can’t miss this moment. While hands-on experiments are best, real-time data is important too! Goodness, I’m already feeling excited!”
He plopped down on a sofa prepared in front of the hologram, rubbing his hands together and shining his eyes with excitement.
The bizarre anticipation reflected in his gleaming eyes and the corners of his mouth lifted in madness.
“I have plenty of backup plans ready just in case! I must say, it’s a bit bittersweet and a relief if it ends quickly…”
After detecting the invasion of a target he had long awaited.
He released all the prepared traps at once, successfully cornering his opponent.
To be precise, this was a trap that was bound to succeed from the start.
Regardless of how things played out, Phantom would inevitably come to Bucharest.
Knowing the target’s intent meant that the situation was effectively over already.
The easiest method would be for the target to enter deep into the city, but judging by past actions, that was far too optimistic.
“Kuh! But I’m glad my efforts weren’t in vain. After all, it’s finally time to utilize them properly!”
So he set up a net around the entire surrounding area.
No matter where the target tried to escape, he would not let it slip away.
Naturally, this involved considerable losses, both material and intangible, but such trivialities were nothing compared to the importance of this event.
“Now, shall we enjoy the show? Let’s check the freshness of the test subject too!”
Having waited quite a while, all experimental preparations were in place for the moment the target was delivered here.
Earlier, he had just been overly excited and had poked around unnecessarily.
There was no need for him to do anything more now.
“Come, come— show me, Phantom! The infinite potential you harbor! The clues to reach the end of evolution! Quickly give me the key to the truths hidden by the world!”
Crunch, crunch—
The Doctor stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth while holding a cup of cola in the other hand.
Being thoroughly prepared, he had already set everything up for the viewing.
The table in front of the sofa was laden with popcorn, nachos, cheese, and soda.
Above all, the Doctor’s special magical equipment, the ‘Non-Melting Ice Cream Tub,’ filled with mint chocolate ice cream, stood out gloriously.
“Oh? Is it starting? Is it really starting? Let’s go—!”
With one nonchalant spectator added to the mix.
The forest scene was in a high-stakes situation.
*
After a while of staring contest with the Duke, Heinz tilted his head slightly.
‘Indeed.’
It seemed that the reputation of being the strongest in Europe was not unfounded, as the pressure emanating from him had a density different from anyone he had encountered before.
Even Heinz, who had become strong in ways that others couldn’t even imagine, felt this would be a tough fight.
‘Well, I’m not the only one with special abilities in this world. The other side has surely become strong in ways I didn’t foresee.’
Furthermore, unlike himself, the opponent was a monster that had been active since the beginning.
Of course, he didn’t think he would lose.
It might be challenging, but he felt confident the victory would ultimately be his.
…Looking at the situation, it seemed the opponent shared similar thoughts.
‘The issue is that the other conditions are too one-sided.’
Heinz, alert and on edge, was surveying the area while keeping an eye on the Duke, and he slowly frowned.
Isn’t this a bit excessive?
The barrier surrounding them was so complicated that it was difficult to identify all its functions at a glance, with suspicious magical equipment giving off an unusual aura set up everywhere.
‘And those guys too.’
Transcendentally strong individuals belonging to the European branch of the Buncheon Society.
For now, only three had revealed themselves, but he understood.
They were merely the first to step forward from the unit that would engage in battle.
‘There’s also that sniper and that eyeball monster. By the flow of mana, it seems there’s at least one magic type hidden nearby. An assassin?’
Moreover, the vampires that accompanied the Duke were no ordinary foes either.
Each of them radiated Trueblood-level energy, around twenty in total.
Of course, while most vampires might have reached their level through means separate from the tyrant of France, considering that even the ‘Hybrids’ who absorbed most vampires in Auterica numbered only a dozen, it was clear how absurd their force was.
‘One must remember that vampires were originally a secluded race like lycanthropes.’
Heinz’s mind was growing complicated.
Since he was an avatar, he could disengage from the summoning at any time.
However…
“You seem to be deep in thought. I can hear the gears turning in your head.”
At that moment, the Duke fake laughed mockingly, trying to probe him during their power struggle.
Seeing that Heinz was more formidable than expected, he was visibly irritated.
“Then I shall help you feel a bit more comfortable.”
And as those words ended—
Swish— Bang—!
A fierce explosion erupted in the instant between the two, who had closed in on each other.
Swinging a blood spear over three meters long, the Duke relentlessly barreled through, while Heinz slowly began to retreat against him.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of collisions twisted the air, and a shockwave whipped past.
‘Impressive strength.’
Heinz, while remaining cautious, flinched slightly at the Duke’s attacks, responding to each with precision.
It wasn’t his will to step back; that much was clear.
Although he had a penalty due to needing to pay attention to other elements, unlike his opponent.
‘Each strike is heavy. Exceedingly so.’
This wasn’t simply a matter of skill level.
Just as he couldn’t focus purely on maximum output, power projection invariably required an efficient flow and rhythm.
But the Duke disregarded all of that, relentlessly hammering him with full-strength straight shots like jabs.
‘Yet he doesn’t seem to tire or falter. Is it similar to Isea’s capabilities?’
It felt reminiscent of her unleashing high-level magic with nearly infinite mana.
A wildly inefficient series of attacks pouring out overwhelming energy.
‘Let’s see if I can dig deeper.’
Heinz prepared to counter, watching for an opening in the Duke’s attacks.
And just as he sensed a twitch in the Duke’s brow—
Boom—!
With a tremendous sound, he was forcefully tossed back.
Skid—
Leaving two long tracks on the ground, Heinz managed to stop just in time.
However, the Duke remained standing still, merely looking down at himself.
A large hole punctured his side, clearly indicating the damage he’d taken.
“…It’s more than just speed. An attack that ignores the intermediate processes. I nearly let my guard down and almost had my heart pierced.”
Strangely, despite his words, his expression remained calm.
And to prove that attitude, the hole in his side began to heal gradually, closing cleanly.
Considering it was a wound inflicted by Heinz’s level of strike, it must have consumed considerable energy to heal, yet he demonstrated no sign of concern.
“Hmm, was it Phantom? From which dimension do you hail? …No, there’s no need to bother with that now. There will be plenty of time in the future.”
With his expression recovered in an instant, he didn’t launch another attack and instead planted the blood spear into the ground, speaking leisurely.
As if to demonstrate that an attack of that level was nothing against him.
“Hmm.”
Seeing this, Heinz’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Regrettably, contrary to the Duke’s intentions, he had gained a certain assurance from this exchange.
‘I’ve got a sense of what’s going on.’
Definitely, excluding the Buncheon Society Leader, the Duke was the strongest opponent he had faced on Earth so far.
With a level like that, it was possible he could put up a decent fight against Hans.
However—.
‘Good. It seems I can handle this easily enough.’
With a wave of thirst rising, he licked his lips slightly.
When Heinz II acquired ‘Hybrid Evolution,’ one additional effect came from devouring all the hardliners of the blood alliance.
He could instinctively impose some degree of intimidation over other vampires by negating their hostile abilities as a predator.
This was an incredibly useful ability for him, who had relied on intraspecies predation as his main growth method, and it had been a significant factor in ensuring he maintained the upper hand in every subsequent battle.
‘That certainly applies in this situation too.’
While their levels might seem somewhat similar, the methods they use to build their stature were fundamentally opposite.
That was the very nature of it.
Not just against the Duke, he was a natural enemy to all vampires that existed in the world.
As Heinz was an— ‘Intraspecies Predator’ who constantly grew by preying on his kind.
But things did not flow entirely as he wished.
“Duke, may we start joining in?”
“…Of course, I know you will win, but it feels inappropriate to drag this out further.”
“Hahaha! Let’s finish this quickly and interrogate him! The Doctor must be anxiously waiting now!”
With the Duke having sustained injury, those who had been watching now hinted that they would join in one by one.
Since they were not average level beings themselves, they judged it was time to get involved for real.
“…Tch, very well. To completely capture him, there’s no other choice.”
And perhaps sensing some discomfort with the final exchange, the Duke ultimately surrendered to their proposal.
From now on, he would truly be facing everyone present alone.
‘What a shame. If I had just a bit more leeway, if only a small opening could be given, I could finish this for certain.’
Sensing the rising pressure of enemies closing in from every direction, Heinz smacked his lips in regret.
Was he really to back down just like that?
With such a feast seeming so close at hand?
‘…I can’t allow that.’
It truly was too disappointing to simply retreat like this.
Who knew when another opportunity like this would arise? Considering the future, he needed stronger power right now.
‘If I don’t have the luxury, I can simply create it.’
If lacking power, just add it in.
Didn’t he possess the capability to do just that?
In the midst of countless incoming attacks, he quickly evaluated potential candidates.
‘Firstly, I’ll exclude Hans and Heinrich.’
He hesitated to call upon the beings who had actively participated back in Korea to this venue.
Since Heinz had only recently operated in Korea, revealing that connection too overtly would be ill-advised.
‘So that leaves…’
He pondered between the ultimate evolved lifeform Harley and the High Elf archer Harris.
Which of the two would ensure effective results…
Whoosh—!
Before his thoughts could even conclude.
An arcing shot tore through the space.
Blink, blink—
Simultaneously, countless eyes sprouted around, leering with disgusting winks.
Woosh—!
Beams of light rained down from the sky like a deluge, bombarding him repetitively.
Slice—
At the same time, the sudden assault from assassins resulted in a consecutive flurry of swords, hammers, and fists raining down.
An unknown aura clung to his limbs, making him feel heavy and disoriented.
“Phew— This is rather displeasing. I could handle this alone, but since it’s for the Doctor’s wish, it seems I have no choice. Let’s wrap this up quickly.”
Then, joined by none other than the Duke and vampires beneath him, all the more formidable—
‘Ah, this won’t do.’
Amidst the frantic chaos, as Heinz was barely holding on, he finally resolved firmly.
And then…
In that moment.
The wind blew.
“Hmm?”
“Wait, what is this?”
Those who had reached a high level of mastery reacted sensitively even to the slightest changes.
The space quivered.
The energy surged.
The tide of battle shifted.
“Intruder!”
“How did they sneak in here…!”
———!
Their surprised cries were abruptly interrupted by dozens of beams of light shooting silently across the air, aimed not at the fray but at a far-off area in the outskirts of the forest.
Boom—!
A shockwave echoed from afar.
Simultaneously, the repeated sniper fire that had been targeting him ceased.
Numerous eyes that had sprouted around disappeared in an instant.
The enormous magic circle hovering in the sky dispersed.
“Who dares…!”
“Calm down! Finding him should take priority!”
“I will handle Phantom! Dracul, spread out and begin the search!”
Although surprised by the unexpected turn of events, the Buncheon Society members quickly reestablished their formations and began to respond like seasoned veterans.
However.
The variables didn’t end there.
Krazz—!
From the trees, a black silhouette suddenly dropped down.
Badly mangled and missing an arm and a leg.
That assassin, clad in black night gear, squirmed without a sound, but soon ceased to move altogether.
Whooom—!
As he vanished like smoke, a figure with a massive build came crashing down, wielding something in both hands.
“Kuhaha!”
Crack!
With a savage roar, he smashed the heads of two Dracul vampires he held in either hand into pulp.
As their skulls burst open like overripe fruit, blood sprayed everywhere.
“…What the hell is that?”
“Wasn’t it just one?!”
All eyes gathered on him thanks to his staggering entrance.
His colossal form, towering above two meters, was filled with transcendent muscles and savage tattoos.
He embodied violence itself, a personification that could only be described as the very essence of brutality.
‘Right, if I’m going to do this, I might as well do it right.’
Then, amidst the chaos, Heinz finally attained the desired leeway.
What he chose between the two possibilities was—
‘To summon both.’
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