Supremacy

The vampire that charged into the room was another Elder. She was tall, with dark red hair and golden eyes. She charged me, ignoring Kai and Carlito who knew enough to jump to the side of the room against the wall, still holding the guard close and using him as a shield.

I turned to the new arrival, she wielded a small knife and was in the process of attempting to stab me. I moved, faster than she expected and evaded her attack. I stepped in, grabbed her by the throat, then whirled around and chucked her through the wall, and out of the building.

I stepped, turning to mist and reforming in front of the other Cazimir who had retrieved the sword next to his chair, but hadn’t managed to draw it yet. His eyes widened, he tried to block me, but I was faster. I grabbed his head with my hand over his face, then threw him out of the hole I made with the other vampire.

I heard clicks, heard the powder igniting, gunshots fired, and I stepped aside, blurring across the room and evading. I stepped in front of the door as the surprised group of four human guards looked through the narrow doors. I reached out in a blur of movement and squeezed the barrels of their guns, ruining them. Then I kicked the first and sent them all to the ground.

I turned away from the door, then glanced at Kai and Carlito. “Take care of them,” I nodded at the hallway outside.

It would be good practice for them, the hallway was narrow from what I could see, they wouldn’t be able to get surrounded. And from what I felt the guards outside were probably not even in their First Investment.

Carlito pulled his dagger of the throat of the guard in his hands, then smacked him in the temple. He grinned as he dropped the unconscious man to the ground and dashed for the doors.

“Try not to kill anyone!” I yelled after him, then gave Kai a look. She nodded and moved to follow.

I walked over to the hole in the wall and jumped down into the courtyard. There were screams from the people that had been eating dinner on one side, a rush as they tried to get away through the small castle doors.

The two vampires had gotten on their feet, and were waiting for me.

I grinned, a predatory expression that stretched across my face, fangs fully extended. “Finally,” I purred, the thrill of the impending battle coursing through my veins. The thirst was singing. “I haven’t had a real test in a while.”

The newcomer, a female vampire with fiery red hair and eyes like the desert sand snarled. “You dare trespass in our domain, upstart? And mock us?”

“Upstart?” I scoffed. “Lady, you have no idea who you’re dealing with.” I turned my gaze to Cazimir, who was watching the exchange with a detached expression. “As for mocking you,” I continued, my voice dripping with sarcasm, “well, is the truth really mocking?”

Cazimir's expression turned into a blank mask. “Enough with the games,” he said, his voice hardening as he pulled out his sword out of its sheath. “Nadja.”

The redheaded vampire launched herself at me again, this time with far more caution. Her movements were smooth and swift, fitting for any Elder Vampire. There was no wasted movement in her attacks, no emotion, just pure, maximized skill.

I pulled Shadow’s dagger from my lower back and settled in the Heart of Azure, meeting her assault with an effortless grace, letting fear guide me as I blocked her strikes, letting her draw blood with her blade, and then retaliated. Her speed was impressive, but I was faster, my fear gave me insight, allowing me to anticipate her moves before she even made them. I parried her blows, my own strikes landing with a force that sent shockwaves through the courtyard.

Cazimir joined the fray, his sword a blur in the moonlight. He was skilled, I’ll grant him that, but his attacks lacked the raw power that I possessed. I danced around their combined assault, a predator toying with its prey. It felt exhilarating, these were some of the best that my world had to offer. And I was stronger.

Then both of them stepped back, disengaging. They looked at me and Cazimir frowned. A moment later he pulled out a vial filled with purple liquid, and Nadja followed a moment after.

I frowned, and they downed the vials in an instant.

Their bodies bulged, their skin straining against the muscles beneath.

“Uh, what the—”

Cazimir charged, moving far faster than before. His sword blurred, an imprint in the Way that surprised me. Instead of a single attack, I was met with three slices that cut through my arm from three different angles.

I cursed and stepped back, but Nadja dashed forward, her body blurring, almost teleporting, as her speed soared.

I grimaced, I had gotten too engrossed in the fight and lost ground. I focused as Nadja came in, swiping with her dagger at my throat, then I released [Terror Grasp].

Her eyes widened, her body locked for a second, and I backhanded her across the courtyard, smashing her through a wall of another building. I cursed as I felt the bones in my hand groan. Her skull felt like iron.

Before I had the chance to turn around, Cazimir was there, his blade flashing dangerously close to my face. He was almost as fast as me now. Whatever he had taken boosted him. He almost felt like he could match me now, which was insane. I couldn’t explain it, except to say that he was better than me. Better in how he used his body, how he moved.

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“Perhaps we underestimated you,” Cazimir called, his sword cutting up my shoulder. “But you are clearly inexperienced.”

Nadja appeared next to me, as if she had always been there. She surprised me, I wasn’t accustomed to foes getting back up when I threw them through walls. But these were Elder Vampires, I had to remind myself, they healed almost as well as I did. The moment her dagger touched my side, I twisted away, striking blindly with my own dagger at full speed. Her eyes widened and she leaned back as my blade cut open her cheek.

I had to adapt.

[Mist Step]

I appeared behind Cazimir and attacked. He whirled, blocking but my strength pushed him back. I danced around him, attacking as I switched to Heart of Scarlet. Five steps after, I turned to mist again.

I wove in between the two of them, attacking with no regard for defense, letting my blood spill across the ground as I turned to mist with every fifth step, and filled the area with mist.

Then, I triggered [Mistshroud]. Hidden by the mist I suddenly felt everything that the mist touched. I knew where the two vampires were. Cazimir stood near one of the buildings, a wall to his back.

Nadja was—she teleported. One moment she was in the center of the yard, and in the next she was in front of me. Somehow, she could detect me.

Her hand blurred with a skill and pierced my chest, straight through my heart, her arm and blade punching through until it was buried in my chest and the blade left my back.

“Got you!” Nadja whispered, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

That was it. My patience snapped. I burned my blood with my Bloodcast ring, once, then twice. Scarlet steam rose from my skin as blood inside my body evaporated, as I layered in the [My Blood, Surge For Power] skill. My strength soared. A wave of cold fury washed over me, eclipsing the thrill of the fight. I grabbed Nadja by the throat, lifting her effortlessly off the ground, her eyes widening.

A wound such as what she had inflicted would’ve put me down, if I was still a Fledgling. An Adult would’ve been crippled, but could survive a few minutes. An Elder would’ve survived for hours and healed from it. Me? I barely felt it.

“You shouldn't have done that,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. Her eyes bore into mine, realizing her mistake. She struggled, but my grip was unbreakable. I ripped her arm out of my chest, pulling it out of its socket in the process. My heart regenerated in five seconds flat. I grinned at her, then I took a step next to the cliff.

“You... You wouldn’t dare...” She stammered, her voice choked.

I smirked, a cruel twist of my lips. “Oh, wouldn’t I? Have a nice swim.”

I chucked her off the mountain, sending her hurling through the air and straight into the lake below. Her scream wasn’t of fear, but rage. I laughed.

I turned back to Cazimir, who hadn’t moved from his position. He had obviously heard everything, but the mist was thick around us, he couldn’t see.

I moved, each step sure and refined, I danced.

[Scarlet Moon Style; Dance of the Shifting Mist]

The mist whirled, following my will. Cazimir jerked as it condensed around him, as it pushed through his nostrils and into his lungs. He coughed, then clawed at his throat. I dropped [Mistshroud] and let my control go. The mist slowly dissipated as I dashed over to Cazimir. With a swift strike, I cut his sword arm, removing it at the wrist and making him drop his weapon.

Then, as he was confused, I grabbed with both arms raised him up before smashing him against the ground, cracking the stone and shaking the mountain. Somewhere behind me, something cracked and collapsed, but I wasn’t paying much attention.

I stomped on his chest, pressing down with all of my weight. He grunted, his eyes staring up at me.

“Who are you?” He whispered.

I pulled on the thirst, and I shifted. Wings grew out of my back, and my skin turned blue.

“I am The Star That Dances In Blood Beneath the Light of the Broken Moon. I am the blood of Asza, the blood of Ji.”

His eyes widened, he looked down at my foot, ready to crush his ribcage to paste, he gulped audibly, then nodded. “That… answers some questions. Uh… Master.”

I raised an eyebrow, then leaned down and whispered into his ear. “Well, now it is my turn for questions, and answers. You’ve captured a woman by the name of Aurora, blond hair, quirky, can move the earth.”

Cazimir blinked, his eyes growing confused. “I… how did you—”

“—Know?” I interrupted. “Well, you see she’s my friend, and she is why I’m here.”

I could see him struggling to absorb that information, his brow furrowed in concentration. He opened his mouth to speak, but then we were interrupted.

“Stop!” A loud voice called, the stomping of feet followed and then the shuffle of guns being pointed my way. “Release the Count or we’ll shoot.”

I turned my head, moving a wing out of the way so that I could see. On the other side of the courtyard stood a group of humans with weapons pointed in my direction.

I raised an eyebrow, and noticed a glint of something silver in the sky above. Then, a blaze of orange flames came down from above, gouging a line in between me and the humans. They screamed in fear, stumbled backward from the heat.

And then Saia’s large form dropped onto the molten stone with a thud.

“Now you make it work? Really?” I asked her.

Saia’s head turned in my direction.

“Feedback: My repair of the engram was actually ahead of my projections.”

I nearly growled, but then shook my head and turned to look at the bewildered vampire beneath my feet.

“Now, how about you show me where my friend is, and then we can talk about the future?”

He nodded rapidly, and I stepped back, releasing him.

I looked around at the destroyed yard and hummed to myself. For my first conquest, this wasn’t bad, not bad at all.

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Aurora was being held in one of the rooms in the central building. I stood next to her bed as a nervous human fed her an antidote for the sleeping concoction that they had been using to keep her asleep, because… well, a Mask that can shape stone in a castle made out of stone. It was probably a smart thing they did.

Cazimir had been very helpful, almost subservient since he saw me shift and since he heard who my sire was. I caught him staring at me with wide eyes when he thought I wasn’t looking. Thankfully, the people here were all loyal to him, and once he submitted they did too. Nadja had made her way up the mountain, soaking wet and was glaring at me from far away. Cazimir talked with her briefly, telling her that our fight was over.

Kai and Carlito had bashed a few heads, gotten a few cuts and one gunshot wound, but they were fine. Carlito was already laughing with the guards he had stabbed to all hell, so I guess I didn’t have to worry too much.

Though, I was told that there were some people loyal to this King Proximus down in the town. But I could deal with that later.

For now, Aurora was more important.

She woke slowly, blinking rapidly as she went from sleep to wakeful state.

“That’s my teddy,” she mumbled as she hugged a pillow and tried to turn back to sleep.

I rolled my eyes and walked over. I pulled the covers from her, then shook her, perhaps just a little bit too rough. “Rise and shine sleeping beauty!”

She jerked, then sat up in an instant, her eyes alert and her arm raised as if to throw a punch. She looked up at me and paused.

“Mari?”

“You couldn’t stay out of trouble, could you?” I grinned at her.

She looked from me to the other people in the room then back. Finally, she sighed. “Ugh, I can’t believe you saved me. I’m going to have to suffer through the humiliation of hearing all about constantly, aren’t I?”

My grin widened, turned more predatory. “I mean, probably.”

She groaned and threw herself back onto the bed. “Kill me now.”

I laughed and felt lighter. I found my friend and she was safe, I beat up a couple of vampires and took over their castle and probably people. Things were looking up. There even was a Kingdom and a King for me to look forward beating into submission.

My little empire was about to start to grow.