Pause and think. Think and imagine for a second you never had any notion of love, lust, attractiveness, and all the sweet stuff that stirs loins and leads to clapping cheeks. Asexual for 100,000 years. When out of nowhere, a Human Aphrodisiac arrives to stir the pot. Lighting your body on fire with a blast of corrupt pheromones.
Well...now you know how Aurelia felt. The Blood Empress reeled left and right, quivering with her jaw dropped as her knees buckled, her legs clamped, and her heart pounded in her chest. Never in Aurelia's life had she experienced such shock and fear. The terror took over. Trapping her in a vegetative state.
Marcus and Hakim's instincts went on maximum alert, and they teleported out of the way, blitzing out of Mithras' range through Quantum Tunneling. A wonderful call, because the moment next, the Solar Blood Field went off, sucking Aurelia in and leaving her at Mithras' mercy!
Yes! Now bereft of Inner Flames, the three Fylkirs had no way to resist Mithras' Theses—condemned to die if they got caught! But though Marcus made his life a priority, when Hakim saw Mithras step forward, edging dangerously close to the vulnerable Aurelia, he moved on autopilot—activating his Dark Rites!
[Rite of Oblivion: Lunatic Eruption]
Hakim went off, a dark moon forming at his back as he bolted towards Mithras! Mid-charge, Hakim bit his lower lip, letting his fangs rip through as pitch-black glyphs and lunar markings took shape on his chest, face, shoulders and back.
The strongest skill of the Rite of Oblivion, Lunatic Eruption enabled the caster to channel the malignant energies of dark celestial bodies to boost their physical and spiritual attributes drastically...but at the cost of temporary insanity.
Hakim was no exception, and as his Lunatic Eruption took over, he lost half his mind, going from a hoodlum to a frenzied beast as he swung at the Solar Blood Field. A barrage of dark lightning swept through the flames, leaving a trail of rumbling waves as they slammed into Mithras!
"Rumble," Not bothering to look Hakim's way, Mithras aimed at the Huntmaster, firing the same rumbling waves that Hakim had unleashed at Vel moments prior. The storm of dark lightning broke down. Mithras' Rumble breaking through Hakim's armor and shattering his organs effortlessly. Hakim flew back, his blood spurting all over as he tumbled down.
"What exactly are you hoping to accomplish without your Blood Flame? Hakim, the fight is over," Mithras said in a calm and composed tone. Solar Genesis burning at maximum power as he reached for Aurelia's mask.
'He's right...it's hopeless. Without Blood Flames...there's no Blood-Smelting Art. Half our abilities have been wiped out, and our attributes crippled beyond repair. We...can't defeat him,' too reasonable for his own good, Marcus panicked. Clutching at his chest as the realization that he'd truly lost his Blood Flame settled.
But when Marcus thought things couldn't get worse. An outburst of mournful howls came from behind. And Marcus spun, now noticing that the Trajan he'd ripped apart had reformed already. Leading Mithras' Abominations and Blood Disciples to wipe out Aurelia's forces.
By the time Marcus had noticed the twist, the damage was done. Trajan's Abomination now held the heads of two Princeps, the same two that traded blows with Ishtar beforehand: Octavian and Claudius. Aurelia's only surviving elder brothers and strongest Princeps...had both fallen. Around them, the piled-up corpses of hundreds of Blood Nobles.
The Blood Aristocracy's elite cohort...had been wiped out!
'(You overestimated yourselves.)' Trajan smiled at Marcus, speaking the Old Tongue as he aimed at his Blood Son, conjuring a prison of sanguine flames that folded on Marcus.
The Blood Calamity couldn't compare. In over 100,000 years of existence, the Blood Aristocracy had never faced such a crisis. But as Marcus despaired...
'He's wrong. While only Gurus can become Sages, the 100,000 years you've dedicated to the study of Higher Wisdom will not vanish because you've lost your Inner Flame. Marcus, you are the most learned man under the blue sky. Believe in your wisdom...and you can still turn the tide,' a familiar voice echoed in Marcus' mind, followed by pale-gray flames that filled his empty eye sockets.
Here, Marcus snapped out of it, and with newfound resolve, joined his hands in a prayer sign. A dark-purple crest took shape at his back, rippling with the eldritch energies...of the Palace of Indulgence!
"(The Dark Crest of Paradise? You...are a Dark Preceptor?)" The Abominations couldn't believe their eyes, unable to fathom how Marcus had broken the Curse that prevented Blood Nobles from exceeding the Third Secret.
"Hard work and consistency often beat talent. I have dedicated my life to Higher Wisdom so I could transcend the Curse and dominate my monstrous nature. My reward now crystallizes. Too bad the true Trajan is dead and will never get to witness...his heir taking down the Sun," Marcus said, sitting cross-legged as the mysteries of the Gate of the Fifth Secret...opened in his Soul World.
[Temple of Meditations]
Marcus' Palace of Indulgence materialized, enclosing Mithras' Solar Blood Field...and sucking both him and Aurelia in!