Chapter 176: The Final Salvo - II

The moment Nikolai's knee crushed the face of Alistair, it caused the deformed monster's neck to snap. He didn't die from the damage—instead—black sludge began to leak from the wound.

"Urgh... you damn mutant."

Alistair's hands twisted and deformed, grabbing at Nikolai's body. However, the werewolf hopped back before grabbing his right arm. Then Nikolai tore it from the socket using his black deformed claws.

"Shut up!"

'This monster, not only did he mess with Mari's life... how many other victims are there?'

Nikolai felt angry and disgusted with himself for thinking their methods might help him revive his mother. Yet, this ugly form with rotting flesh and foul-smelling sludge leaking from his wounds.

Alistair could never be Nikolai's goal.

'I will learn their methods, but never use them... the knowledge will be good to have.'

'...but nothing more.'

The next moment, Alistair tried to counter-attack with his left leg, sweeping the ground and trying to catch Nikolai off guard. Yet the moment Nikolai moved to block the attack, a series of black spikes exploded from his thigh as the entire limb went limp.

"What?!" he called out, attempting to jump back, only to find the stub of his arm became a long black tentacle grabbing his body.

"Kekeke! Die, Nikolai!"

Alistair roared, a twisted delight in his dull yellow eyes as the spikes penetrated Nikolai's abdomen and thighs.

"You will suffer now, but it won't end so quickly..."

Alistair kept pushing while trying to force the tentacle down his throat; however, Nikolai didn't care; instead, he just grabbed its chest with both hands and took a deep breath to endure the pain in his body.

Then he thrust his knee into the chest of Alistair once again with all his might.

Yet, unlike last time, he began to punch with every ounce of strength his monstrous form would allow him. Bones crackled, flesh ruptured, and sludge leaked from every orifice.

Yet still, he did not stop.

"Oh my goodness! The prince of the Faust clan is on the back foot! His pretty face now nothing but mush!" The voice of Queen Tsukino echoed, but Nikolai couldn't hear anything—his ears popped, and only ringing remained.

"Die! Die!"

Nikolai kept up his relentless attacks, even with several tentacles stabbing through his abdomen, writhing and matching his fists blow for blow.

Despite this situation, Nikolai had a feeling that he would win—because something was changing inside Alistair's body as each blow connected.

He felt like it became mush under the onslaught of attacks—no longer having any rigidity or life. It was after stopping he realised why—the body had become completely limp and devoid of life.

'You... are gone.' Sёarᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The relief washed over him instantly—once he crushed the heart of Alistair. The black sludge began to melt into a fluid, no longer able to hold the form of tentacles and spikes.

Then suddenly, the mutated creature known as Alistair began swelling like a balloon.

"...Ah."

A moment before impact, Nikolai jumped back just as it exploded violently—covering the surrounding walls in thick black sludge with chunks of flesh scattered throughout them. This substance clung stickily without dripping down at all while emitting an awful stench.

"I'm damn lucky that didn't touch me..." Nikolai sighed after the explosive display finished their fight spectacularly.

"Now... what to do?"

He could feel the exhaustion from overusing the beast mode he gained from Nikita. Then, the Tepes Blood Art allowed him to cast multiple different spells and copy the enemy's spells with just a glance.

'I think my body is screaming... Can I keep going like this?'

Nikolai struggled to move—the final wounds from the raging spikes and tentacle left him riddled with holes in his body, the black blood oozing from his body.

'So many blood crystals...'

After killing Alistair, he found a large amount of red and black blood crystals inside his heart and, without a second thought, took them all into his body.

However, if he were to devour them, now it might end in disaster. While the act of doing such would make him powerful beyond measure, given the sheer quantity he absorbed at once...

'Devouring everything I just collected wouldn't be a good idea; it feels like too much strain on my system.'

The other problem came in deciding whether to eat them right away or risk suffering the pain of such large quality black blood crystals... they were much larger than normal.

Close to the size of a golf ball, instead.

Nikolai absorbed the red blood crystals, all of them on the spot, and would slowly enjoy the black blood crystals. 'I'll just get these small ones outta here!'

A decision made easier by knowing they would aid in healing injuries sustained during previous battles...

"Ladies and gentlemen, can you believe it? Our victor is none other than Nikolai, the son of Ivan Volkov! What a stunning victory indeed!"

He devoured the red crystals almost immediately and felt the benefits.

Nikolai slowly began to heal while he stood up and staggered towards the exit panel, listening to Queen Tsukino announcing the winner and prize money for winding. Yet he didn't have any interest. Nikolai only wanted to sleep quickly.

'If I didn't have the skills from Nikita and Selene I would have lost...'

'Of course Risa's skills helped the most.'

He would never have been able to keep up speed with the abomination form of Alistair without his Beast Mode and the Wind Step boost.

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The first time he had ever used this unique combination of skills combined with the enhanced strength of the Obsidian Tide transformation...

'After reaching 50% awakening... I can now transform both legs... and arms it's an explosive increase in speed and power.'

Finally, he reached the teleportation pad, noticing the many gazes on his body, whether excited, affectionate or stoic and aggressive. He gave a wave before vanishing back to his private room.

"Ugh..."

The moment he appeared, his body lost all strength, the tight sensation of his convulsing muscles before collapsing across the sofa.

"You really worked hard... Nikolai."

A beautiful and low voice sounded from the doorway, causing his almost-closed eyes to flutter and snap open.

'Please let me sleep...'

"N-Nikolai?" A second, more worried voice followed.

Selene held Nikita's arm and stepped into the room, amused by the state of the place. When he collapsed, he knocked over several chairs, and now he lay with a pale, sweaty face.

"Well, who knew our handsome little fiance had some tricks left to show," she said, turning to Nikita with a mischievous smile.

"Mhm, he was amazing..." Nikita blushed, muttering. She moved forward slowly until she stood above Nikolai's prone figure—Nikita then knelt and began stroking his slightly damp silver hair.

After the battle, it was tough to maintain any form of transformation, so he didn't return to his black hair.

"Nikita... you smell good, come here."

Nikolai's head felt dizzy, so he didn't want complex conversations. Instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the sofa with him, causing her to let out a cute squeak and making Selene's pale face dark.

"Kya?!"

Nikita didn't resist. Instead, she began to relax after a few moments, resting her head on his chest. She could hear his heart thumping loudly and felt at ease.

"Am I a third wheel for you two, or something?" Selene asked while stepping closer and sitting at the edge of the sofa near Nikolai's head.

Not that he was choosing either of them, but Nikita approached first... the sleepy eyes of Nikolai opened. He gazed at Selene's hips and side profile with a smile on his lips before reaching out to her.

"Come here, give me a goodnight kiss, beautiful princess of the night."

Nikolai spoke without thinking since he accepted who he was—compliments and his desires were something he didn't hold back.

"You are so..."

Selene held her breath, looking at Nikita, hugging his chest with a swaying tail; she let out a long sigh. The next moment, her body leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Idiot..."

Selene felt embarrassed, her cheeks becoming pale pink before turning away, her hands stroking through his silky hair.

Then she noticed the display showing his fight in reply, and the moment Alistair's spikes penetrated his body made her heart tighten, and her face became cold.

She hated he put himself in such danger, but her anger and hatred focused on the Faust and Nosferatu families, unlike Nikolai, who didn't recognise everything.

As a princess, she knew their current situation was terrible and unstable, which would cause much more significant problems if they couldn't deal with it swiftly.

'But I cannot ignore that magic... and aura. It wasn't just the Faust's blood art. That was clearly necromancy!'

Although looking at him sleeping so peacefully, the cheeky face made her heart flutter and race... Selene couldn't remain angry.

Instead, she just hummed a lullaby her mother used to sing while watching the pair of them sleeping.

"Why am I such a fool for this man?"

Yet no one would answer her question.

***

Meanwhile, in another private room, several men and women gathered. It was the parents of Selene, Nikolai and Nikita.

"Are you sure that this was something arranged by those bastards?" Dimitri growled at Vladimir, who sat calmly with a glass of blood wine.

"Yes, the same family that broke the taboo and almost killed those kinds seventeen years ago."

Vlad's voice sounded calm, but his eyes burned with cold rage like a serrated blade poised to strike its target.

"I see..." Ivan's voice was deep, without nonsense. "Then I will kill their current master."

"W...wait!"

"Are you mad, Ivan?!"

Vlade and Dimitri shouted out; they felt stunned at their friend's words.

To kill the head of a royal clan wasn't an easy feat.

"I won't have them targeting my son anymore!"

"Don't follow me."

He didn't speak more and left the room, causing both Dimitri and Vlad to look both offended and amused.

"It looks like our best friend has returned, Dimitri."

"Ah... he seems to have finally recovered."

"So... Vlad, shall we follow him?"

"Hmph! You damned fools... how could I the king of vampires kill my own..."

Vlad then lifted his sword and looked at Dimitri with a rare smile. "...Of course I'm coming!"

After the men left the room, Nagisa could only cover her face and look at Vlad's two wives.

"Did we marry idiots that will never grow up?"

"Ahaha! Well said, Nagisa!"

"But... isn't that what makes them so sexy..."

The two other women looked at Selene's mother and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Yes, that was their fault as women who loved handsome men.

"Well then, shall we enjoy some excellent wine, then see our future son-in-law after his match?" Nagisa narrowed her eyes and showed a wicked smile.

Because she knew her daughter had rushed to meet him and wanted to tease her.

""Agreed!!""