RD 4 Ch 56

I moved forward, striking back at Vidar as the blood within me sang. Each swing became stronger and stronger as whatever shackles he put on my bloodline cracked away.

He stood, his massive form beginning to twinkle as he prepared an ability. When he threw his hands forward, it was like the stars themselves poured out of his palm to attack me.

The blood flowing to me seemed exceptionally receptive to my thoughts. I wove a blood hex in mid-air that managed to intercept the strike.

The strike blew through it a moment later but was weak enough for me to take on crossed arms. Each speckle of starlight in the beam twirled and spun, ripping at my skin with each pass. Vidar threw himself to his feet, roaring and charging after me.

I met him, matching him blow for blow. The two of us were literal titans, duking it out amidst the fortress. Our strikes shook the earth, crumbled the concrete around us, and scattered what workers remained in the fortress. The workers had managed to hide themselves in every nook and cranny during the attack.

I tried to guide our fight away from the places where I saw our farmers and tradesmen escaping like ants scattering from a smashed anthill.

Vidar's eyes shifted over my shoulders, where trails of blood led back to the Mul Branova. He pulled a strange orb from his spatial ring, hurling it over my shoulder.

I couldn't ignore him attacking the Mul Branova. The entire reason I had come to the fortress so quickly was to protect them. I turned and spun, reaching out after the orb, inciting a flurry of Sanguine Slashes to destroy the ability.

The sphere opened up, inscription scripts flying out of it in a symphony of light, scorching the air where it passed. Vidar's laughter boomed behind me. "They're dead, and so is your support!" he shouted, already relishing in his triumph.

I ignored his words, instead working to scan all of the inscriptions while they spun in the air. My powerful spirit was ripping through their meaning far faster than even Vidar could have predicted. Blood hung in the air, and I swished through it, painting my own addition. My finger swirled impossibly fast through scripted loops and complicated patterns, interweaving a massive web to the orb’s inscriptions.

With a final flourish, I connected mine to his, only for the solid column of light that erupted to go up instead of down.

It pulsed with nearly blinding power. The smell of burning ozone filled the fortress as the beam cut through the clouds and ripped its way harmlessly through the sky above.

I chuckled and turned to Vidar, whose triumph was dying on his lips.

His face was growing increasingly cold as I felt the support from the Mul Branova redouble.

A few of the women had paused in fear, but the majority had continued on, trusting that I would protect them. Each one of those members beamed with joy, pushing everything they had into me as if they were reaffirming their faith.

I focused on my opponent. It was time to end this. But I needed a little more strength if I was going to make a decisive victory.

Vidar wasn’t one I could take while holding back.

I cracked open my spatial ring, pulling out a drum that appeared like a soda can in my hand. I crushed it before bringing the mixture of so many bloodline samples to my lips. I felt the stats hit me like a gut punch, even in Bloodrage Ascension, and flicked away the system message.

[493 Bloodlines have been added to Bloodline Collection]

[Blood Hegemon has upgraded to SS Rank]

[Level has been reset to 1]

I grinned. Part of me would have lamented this loss, but having the extra power just to shove it in Vidar's face was going to be worth using it at this moment. I charged back at him. This time our fists met, and I blew him backwards. The other giant stumbled, surprise flickering across his face.

"What was that?" he gasped. "Some potion for temporary strength? You have no idea the depth of the Borrsons’ power."

He flicked something tiny out of his spatial ring as he jumped backwards, going further than expected. Once again, he tapped into his spatial power, buying himself enough time to throw a shining bead into his mouth. The second the bead entered his mouth, the stars that swirled around him picked up speed and luminosity, glowing so bright that I winced.

Refusing to look away, I charged after him, a massive Bloodiron Blade growing from my wrist and slapping into the palm of my hand.

Whatever Vidar had done was now complete. He came back at me, strong enough that I felt my ribs cave in as his fist blew past my guard and sent me staggering backwards.

"Tricks," I groaned as I spat out blood. I slashed at him quickly in response.

He brushed off my strike, letting it hit him in the arm, opening a nasty gash. But he treated it as if it had been a simple scratch, continuing to march forward, murder in his eyes.

I took the blood and flicked it back behind me off of my blade and to the Mul Branova. I hoped that continuing to drink the blood of my enemies would continue to strengthen them and the ability they were granting me. But they would have to figure that out on their own.

Vidar charged, and the fist that hit me was powerful enough to send me sliding backwards, even as a giant.

I could feel that I was outmatched with the strike, and he appeared before me a moment later ready to deal the next blow.

A glowing white blade extended from the back of his fist as he crouched down to punch me in the chest.

I roared defiantly at him as he twisted it in my gut, ripping out a good chunk of my health.

"You should have known your place, exile. You couldn't ever fight a real Borrson!" Vidar roared.

I grinned at him, no doubt blood staining my teeth as my skin lost its color.

"Is that so?" I said, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him down with me. I felt my stats explosively increase, and my own Bloodiron Blade appeared in my hand, already stabbing through him when it wasn't even half-formed.

Vidar twisted his weapon and ripped it out only to stab me again.

The fight must have looked incredibly awkward. Bystanders would see two titans, rolling around the ground, stabbing each other repeatedly, and cursing to the heavens.

I managed to roll on top and smash my forehead into the bridge of his nose.

Vidar howled and used the same swirling blast ability from before, but this time he was using it at point-blank range. The blast ripped through my chest, shredding skin and muscle, threatening to tear apart everything inside of me.

Yet, I didn't relent. There was no giving up at this point. Last Stand was active, and I had to end it now. I held on to him, activating Blood Siphon and draining as much of his life as I could, using anything I had from my skull to my elbows to my knees to smash away at him.

Every movement smashed into him while he kept twisting that blade of light in my gut.

With Last Stand fully active, my strength eventually peaked, and I grabbed Vidar by the throat before I hurled him off me and staggered to my feet. Another Bloodiron Blade formed, my other one forgotten in the brawl, as I loomed over him like death itself. I speared his knee to the ground before making another blade and cutting off his arm, including his hand with his spatial ring.

The last thing I needed to do was rip out his bloodline, and I needed to make sure he couldn’t pull out another trick as I began to use Bloodline Manipulation, and streams of rich blood flowed from his wounds.

He glared at me, still defiant, and turned to the side. "Venthra, now!" Vidar boomed.

For a split moment, I spun, wondering what deep plan he had worked out. There was a real chance Venthra was a plant and was about to betray me. I turned, only to see several Mul Branova already holding her as if she was a hostage.

When my eyes spun back, Vidar tore his leg forward, ruining it, and flashed, his titanic form disappearing into the air as he managed to take the smallest of steps.

I roared in frustration as the man managed to escape certain death and punched down, rocking the earth and making a crater where he’d just been.

Ventra fell to her knees, looking at me fearfully. It wasn’t her fault; he found exactly what would distract me for the moment that he needed.

I scoffed and waved a hand. "You're not worth my time. Get up." In my hand was his bloodline, and he wasn’t going to recover that arm or his knee.

For a moment, I hoped he’d pop back up with a last-ditch attempt to kill me, but as soon as I was certain Vydar wasn't coming back, I released everything, shrinking and growing weaker by the moment.

Yet even this weakness was an improvement. After all, after consuming so many bloodlines, my base stats were far above where they had been.

"Do we need to worry about him coming back?" Circe asked.

“He used some sort of item, which means the boost would have worn off. He’ll want to recover and grow stronger before we go head-to-head again. He's going to be out of commission for a while.” I wanted to let out a roar at losing the chance to end him.

I glared at Venthra. "You’ll get your spatial rings later. And you need to strip. Someone to give her something to wear," I growled, and she hurried to comply. Even in my weakened state, no one was taking me lightly.

Simone glanced over at Circe. "Are you that scary when you get serious?"

"No, I don't get giant. And I’m not as strong one on one. I'm far better at leveling armies and cities," Circe commented, crossing her arms.

"She could escape me in a heartbeat," I answered Simone, "and then wait out my abilities, coming back when I'm weakened. At least, I assume that's how you'd take on an opponent who fights with pure strength," I said, glancing at Circe.

Circe simply shrugged. "That's the way I've done it when Hercules and I have gone all out to test each other."

AN - A few inconsistencies addressed and this also marks the first time I've gone and edited a prior book :)

Heavenly Fist/Mountain - Book 1 is fist, 2 is mountain and I did fist again here. So edited book 2 to match.
Hell Gate in Atlantic moved to Pacific and Angola moved to Egypt. Corrected in the 'Next Time' in book 3 as well.