Born in Blood-Chapter 560: Alive

This had been the plan all along.

Throughout the whole fight, Liam bided his time, accumulating Gorock’s blood unbeknownst to him, and turning the tables before he suffered any major injuries.

But it was not over.

Although the Dusk Blades became a terrifying threat, Gorock’s vitality had not been diminished. He blurred away and fell back momentarily.

Liam did not let him.

He rushed in without a second thought, using a mixture of long-ranged and mix-ranged swings to deny Gorock’s tactical retreat.

CLINNG!

SHING!

CLANG!

WHSH!

BOOOM!

Shallow yet gruesome cuts formed on the Prince of Cruelty’s body as he parried and countered.

The bloody waters thickened.

From the vampire’s perspective, defending against the two swords was like boxing against a professional fighter... with only one arm.

The initial advantage the Rank 5 scythe had on the fight was huge — amplifying Gorock’s monstrous strength to an impressive degree.

But that advantage was no more.

Liam’s Dusk Blades had taken the upper hand, despite being an entire Rank below the scythe...

However, it was not as simple as this. There was no doubt that the scythe was way stronger than the Dusk Blades, even with their predominant, superior form.

...But there were two swords, not just one.

Still, two Peak Rank 4 items versus an Initial Rank 5 item could not create an equal playing field.

...But with his umbrel shadows wrapped around them, and his improved Ashuran strength aiding the joined effort, there was only a sizable gap between the two.

Plus, Liam’s Dusks could explode with a ferocious wave of Chaos, letting him slip past Gorock’s defenses for a brief moment and rending a good portion of the vampire’s flesh.

By then, Gorock had realized what had happened.

’He’s using my blood against me!’ Gorock thought, his face twisting as his eyes focused on the Dusk Blades, finally understanding their purpose.

It had been so subtle and easy to miss, that he’d simply dismissed it as a method of progression... which it was.

Only, it came with a unique prospect he could not have guessed it came with.

Suddenly, all three of the Shadow Clones rushed in without a care in the world about their lives.

Gorock grimaced.

Not now!

He was fighting!

He was fighting for his damn life!

Right now, the vampire’s blood reserves were at a solid 30%...

He had sacrificed 25% of it to gain more power, as well as multiplying the eyes on his body.

This ability continued to burn through his blood reserves throughout the duration of the fight, losing him 15% of his total blood percentage.

And they had been fighting for – although it didn’t seem like it – two entire hours.

15% was used to regenerate the most extreme of his wounds.

Another 15% had been used on a series of wild blood attacks, like the arcs and blood rains.

As such, he was left with 30%.

But as Liam’s power rose the longer the battle stretched, Gorock’s power fell!

It was like a meteor falling from space, and a spaceship launching off the earth.

At one point, they would no longer be the same altitude!

Keeping a cool mind and defending himself all the while, Gorock weighed his options and calculated the right course of action.

Extending the fight was a no-go. He would lose without a doubt.

Running away was also a no. His stone palace was a fortress of invaluable knowledge... and his pride as a vampire was at stake.

That left just one option.

Ending this in one fell swoop... and using everything he had at his disposal.

RSHHHHHHHHHHH!

29% of Gorock’s blood was instantly consumed.

The power it gave him was immense.

A little too immense.

His body – now thin and emaciated – was rapidly breaking apart, his pallid skin turning flaky, his orifices leaking blood, unable to handle such an influx of mighty energy.

Gorock grimaced as pain flooded him like a broken dam. So much so... he could no longer move. If he did, he would crumble like a cookie.

Not to mention, the 1% of blood that remained in him was only going to last... about 10 seconds.

The Prince of Cruelty had just enough power for... one swing.

Just one.

***

...His eyes widening, Liam immediately realized what Gorock’s objective was.

His first thought was to run away as fast as possible using Shadow Blink, outliving the vampire’s temporary burst of strength... but that was very unlikely.

His Shadow Blink would not be as fast as Gorock’s attack. Nor would he be able to dodge, since he had already used Mind Edge. Using it once more would leave him incapacitated.

All in all, there was only two things he could do. Use Expel to dampen the vampire’s attack, paired with a dual swing of all the power his body could muster, praying it was enough.

’I have to risk it.’

One second passed.

Gorock brought the scythe over his shoulder, preparing to swing with his body, heart and soul.

Liam’s veiny arms, now the size of a human torso and ridiculously muscular, tore through the water, swinging the Dusk Blades horizontally in a scissor-like swing.

At the same time, his two arms began to glow radiantly, turning brighter with each second that passed, before detaching from Liam’s shoulders.

Two seconds passed.

The scythe flashed so fast, even Gorock himself didn’t see it, while Liam’s swing snipped through the vampire’s torso and exploded.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNG!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

***

The huge explosion rumbled across the Quadrant for a good four minutes before halting to a stop. Dust and debris was everywhere, obscuring the results of the battle.

Slowly, everything settled.

Liam was... well, there was no real way to put it. He was slashed from right shoulder to abdomen, missing more than half of his body and both of his arms.

His eyes were unfocused, his soul teetering on the edge of death and life.

Gorock, on the other hand, looked even worse.

His entire figure was deformed and almost mummified, leaving him unrecognizable.

The arm he had swung the scythe with had disintegrated due to the harsh movement... but he couldn’t use the rest of his limbs even if he wanted to.

Parts of him continued to crumble.

But there, between all the grime and charredness on his face, there was a faint light in his dull eyes.

He was alive.