inspire-indiana Chapter 626 - 626
Chapter 626 - 626
Principle Blood Ring?Eiji narrowed his eyes, his expression growing slightly more solemn.
As expected.
In the world of Dead Apostles, the concept of "Principle Blood Rings" existed—a power capable of killing planets, believed to be inherited from the primordial vampires.
It was speculated that there were twenty-seven Principle Blood Rings in existence, each corresponding to one of the twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.
In other words, mastering a Principle Blood Ring was the threshold to becoming an Ancestor. Only by mastering one could a Dead Apostle reach Ancestor-level status. The presence or absence of a Principle Blood Ring was the most fundamental distinction between ordinary Dead Apostles and Ancestor-level Dead Apostles!
This distinction wasn't just about status—it was about power.
The white-haired Dead Apostle before him was likely an Ancestor who had mastered the "Ice" Blood Ring!
With the sheer magnitude of ice he commanded, given sufficient scale, he could completely destroy this planet!
In other words, no creature on Earth could survive his frigid currents.
No wonder the burst of cold he'd unleashed earlier approached absolute zero. If such ultra-low temperature currents were to envelop Earth, it would undoubtedly turn the planet into Pluto in the shortest time possible.
This Dead Apostle was powerful!
If caught by his attack, even Eiji might risk freezing to death!
"But whether I can win or not—that's something I'll only know after fighting!"
Eiji's eyes remained clear, showing no intention of retreat.
If anything, a powerful enemy was exactly what he desired.
One-sided battles were far too dull. It was this kind of fight—the kind that brought him a sense of crisis—that he truly looked forward to, the kind that made his blood boil!
As soon as he finished speaking, Eiji took the initiative to strike!
The white-haired Dead Apostle merely blinked, and Eiji's figure vanished from his field of vision.
His pupils contracted slightly. Before his brain could even process what was happening, an unnatural gust of wind swept past him.
Instinctively, he raised his spear horizontally, bracing it in front of him.
"Clang—!"
A piercing metallic crash assaulted his eardrums.
A gleaming silver blade collided with the spear shaft, sending intensely fierce sparks flying.
"Ugh!"
The white-haired Dead Apostle grunted.
Even though he hadn't retreated a single step, a searing pain—as if his internal organs were being churned in a meat grinder—shot through his body.
No—in that split second of perception, his internal organs had indeed been pulverized instantly!
Recovering from such an injury would only take him a moment, but he was plunged into deep confusion.
What had happened?
How had it been done?
Through sword technique alone?
Before he could figure out the reason, the shimmering blade light clung to him like a persistent maggot.
In the blink of an eye, the human had already swung his second strike!
The white-haired Dead Apostle's eyes narrowed sharply.
If he just took one step back...
If he just took one step back and unleashed his frigid currents!
As long as his opponent was human, no one could survive ultra-low temperatures approaching absolute zero!
"Haaah!"
But instead of retreating, his eyes bulged as he forcefully thrust his spear forward!
If he retreated now, he felt he would lose in some other way!
The spear shaft was so massive it acted like a shield, protecting his upper body.
Even if his opponent tried to strike his head, the blade simply wasn't long enough to reach!
But "Demonic Light Flow Blade" never relied on length!
"Boom!"
This time, a tremendous roar echoed through the air.
With a thunderous roar, a figure was sent flying like a cannonball.
On the other side, the white-haired Dead Apostle's movements abruptly halted as he was forced backward uncontrollably.
Eiji dug his feet into the ground, skidding dozens of meters before dissipating the force.
Meanwhile, the white-haired Dead Apostle regenerated his body once more, staring at him with a grave expression.
In this first exchange, though Eiji had gained the upper hand, he hadn't inflicted any substantial damage.
"Truly surprising. To think there still exists a warrior like you in this era?"
The white-haired Dead Apostle's icy gaze revealed profound astonishment.
"And to wield a blade technique even I cannot comprehend... It seems my earlier remark about your messy stance was presumptuous!"
Unexpectedly, this fellow turned out to be quite straightforward for a Dead Apostle.
Yet from his words, it was clear he hadn't yet "awakened."
He must have only recently entered this Singularity.
Probably, like Arcueid, he had arrived within the past couple of days, which explained why Arcueid was unaware of his existence.
"To show my respect for you, I shall offer my name."
The white-haired Dead Apostle looked directly at Eiji, his eyes carrying a hint of admiration.
"My name is Flauros, Flauros Alghun. Among the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of the modern era, I hold the position of the Nineteenth Ancestor as a Dead Apostle!"
"Warrior, state your name!"
His gaze held a probing curiosity.
Like a knight of old, he inquired his opponent's name with courtesy.
"Eiji. Just an ordinary person."
Eiji stood with his blade ready, his face showing no trace of fear.
"Eiji... I shall remember that name."
Flauros murmured thoughtfully, showing respect toward Eiji.
"Flauros, you're a Dead Apostle from the North Sea, aren't you?"
At that moment, Arcueid stepped forward proactively.
Her injuries had completely healed, the pallor of her face replaced with a healthy flush.
By some unknown principle, even the bloodstains on her white sweater had vanished entirely, leaving her spotlessly clean.
"Oh? You can tell?"
Flauros's expression returned to ice-cold as he responded to Arcueid's query with a sidelong glance.
"You've grown considerably weaker, Pure White Princess. Your power should be only about half of normal, otherwise you wouldn't be so... inadequate."
If this were the usual Arcueid, he would have been completely overwhelmed by now.
"That's none of your concern!"
Arcueid snorted displeasedly.
"From what I know, a millennium ago, a Dead Apostle journeyed to the hidden realm of the North Sea and hasn't appeared before others since. That Dead Apostle possessed the Blood Ring of Ice. That should have been your master, correct?"
"...And if it is?"
Flauros fell silent for a moment.
"The hidden realm of the North Sea—that is, the Wandering Sea—is an alternate dimension absolutely inaccessible to outsiders, existing outside the normal timeline. For you to become a Dead Apostle, you must have been taken there personally by your master. Yet now, you possess the Blood Ring of Ice and appear as an Ancestor."
Arcueid paused, her tone detached as she spoke.
"In other words, you overthrew your master, didn't you?"
"..."
For the first time, Flauros was left speechless.
Under Arcueid's questioning, all expression vanished from his face. He simply lowered his head in silent contemplation.
"...Indeed, I was the one who killed my master."
Flauros slightly closed his eyes, his expression turning extremely complex.
"You're quite blunt."
Arcueid clicked her tongue in annoyance.
The Wandering Sea was an inaccessible arctic wasteland even she couldn't enter. Unless someone inside guided the way, outsiders absolutely couldn't get in.
Moreover, Flauros had likely become a Progenitor very recently, which was why she hadn't known of his existence.
She had previously assured Eiji there wouldn't be other Progenitors, that the flaming Dead Apostle definitely wasn't one, yet such a loophole had appeared.
How embarrassing!
"I won't deny what I've done."
Flauros shook his head with closed eyes.
"In that case, why are you here?"
Arcueid's expression sharpened, her gaze locking onto Flauros.
"What's your purpose in coming to this city?"
This was indeed a valid question.
Eiji nodded inwardly.
Flauros didn't know this was a Singularity. He must have been absorbed into this Singularity around the same time as Arcueid, meaning he was definitely in this island nation at that time, and probably very close to Arcueid!
In other words, he must have had a special purpose for coming to this Singularity.
And that purpose, most likely—
"I tracked you here."
This time Flauros didn't conceal anything, frankly answering Arcueid's question.
"Someone told me that if I obtained your blood, I could free myself from the torment of ice."
Surprisingly honest.
While possessing a powerful Blood Ring, Flauros also suffered terribly from its power. The excessively strong ice constantly tormented his entire body, even making him usually choose to enter a "frozen stupor state," actively isolating his own rationality.
The blood of a True Ancestor indeed held immeasurable benefits for Dead Apostles, so being pursued wasn't particularly strange.
"There's another reason."
Flauros' features suddenly twisted violently, his ferocious fangs clenched tightly.
"That person also told me that by killing my master and drinking her blood, I could suppress the ice's torment. But that guy completely deceived me! Even after killing my master, there was no relief from this torment! I'll never forgive that bastard—I'll definitely tear him to pieces and seal each part in different corners of the world, making sure he can never reincarnate!"
Dead Apostles created by their masters would inherit part of their master's power.
Flauros, turned into a Dead Apostle by the former Nineteenth Progenitor, naturally possessed the curse of ice while simultaneously suffering from its torment.
A hundred years ago, he happened to meet that man.
He deceived him, saying that by killing his master and consuming her power, he could be liberated from the ice's torment.
To free himself from centuries of suffering, Flauros followed his instigation, ambushed and killed his master, then drained her dry of blood.
That was how he obtained the Blood Ring.
But after obtaining the Blood Ring, he fell into complete despair.
False.
It was all false.
No liberation existed at all!
Even after draining his master's blood, he still suffered the torment. In fact, as his power grew stronger, the torment became far more terrifying than before, making him afraid to retain his rationality as he collapsed and retreated into instinct!
Flauros was consumed by rage.
At that moment, he swore he would definitely find the Dead Apostle who deceived him and make him pay the price he deserved!
Considering his arrival in the Far East at this time and his use of the term "reincarnation"—
"Is the Dead Apostle you mentioned Roa?"
Eiji made the deduction.
"Correct!"
Just hearing that name made Flauros' expression turn icy, as if he could barely contain his fury.
"Has that bastard deceived others with lies again?"
Arcueid's face also darkened considerably.
Eiji glanced at her with pity in his eyes.
Centuries ago, when the innocent Arcueid was troubled by her blood-sucking impulse, Roa had deceived her with lies, tricked her into drinking his blood, and stolen her power, turning her into the "Serpent of Akasha."
If not for Roa, she would still be the naive True Ancestor princess, not someone who rushes to hunt him down every time he resurfaces.
Roa truly was a scourge.
"Then, is there a possibility of cooperation?"
Eiji rubbed his chin.
Although Flauros was also an enemy, responsible for numerous lives, their current enemy was the same. They could join forces to eliminate Roa first, then settle their personal grudges later.
"No!"
Arcueid shook her head instantly.
"Having you as my partner is enough!"
Hmm.
How to put it.
Thanks for the trust!
Eiji felt subtly pleased inside.
"Rejected."
Flauros coldly refused.
"My goal is to obtain the blood of the True Ancestor."
Right.
If they really cooperated, they'd have to worry about Flauros stabbing them in the back.
While this guy seemed straightforward, he had a history of killing his own master.
"Then let's continue!"
Eiji never really expected the proposal to be accepted.
After being rejected, he straightforwardly raised his sword, ready to fight again.
If they couldn't be friends, then enemies should be eliminated early to avoid being backstabbed later!
"No, I don't feel like fighting today."
But all fighting spirit had vanished from Flauros' face. He even turned his back openly, as if preparing to leave.
"Are you running away?"
Arcueid's gaze turned cold.
"Say what you will."
Flauros sneered with his back to them.
"That guy isn't an ordinary human—I've realized that much. If he teams up with you, even I know the consequences. Forget obtaining blood, I might not even be able to protect myself."
Ah.
Eiji was speechless.
So you're this self-preserving?
No wonder he's a Dead Apostle who's lived for centuries. After regaining his sanity, he shows no intention of being reckless!
"In that case, how about I lend you a hand?"
Right then.
Another figure suddenly appeared on the scene.
"Boom!"
The moment she appeared, she hurled a bronze statue like a cannonball.
This method of attack was unmistakably Carmilla's!
And her bronze statue ignored everyone else, flying straight toward Eiji!
"Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
Eiji was full of question marks.
He swung his sword with lightning speed.
The blade vibrated as it sent the statue flying away!
He silently shook his hand. Such a large statue indeed had strong recoil—he couldn't completely dissipate it, and his hand felt slightly numb, though it would fade in seconds.
"And you are?"
Flauros looked somewhat surprised at the woman who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
Tall and curvaceous, her face was obscured by a mask, and multiple chains bound her body, giving off a distinct dominatrix vibe.
"She's Roa's lackey!"
Eiji declared righteously.
How laughable.
As if anyone couldn't play at sowing discord.
"What?"
As expected, Flauros's expression darkened, his gaze toward Carmilla filled with murderous intent, barely restraining the urge to strike.
"Don't misunderstand. I also have a grudge against Roa!"
Carmilla snorted coldly in response.
"Staying by his side is merely for the convenience of revenge!"
Flauros raised an eyebrow.
He pondered for a moment.
"...I'll trust you for now."
He turned around, his menacing gaze fixed on Arcueid.