Chapter 208: Chaos!!
The once tranquil outer castle grounds had transformed into a gruesome battlefield with the ground saturated with blood and mangled flesh.
Amidst the shouts and screams, Damien navigated the chaos with a fierce determination, his sole focus on ensuring Rose's safety.
He had managed to bypass the tomb and found a way out with Rose behind him while the other Lords and High lords remained, engaged in a battle to stop Dravena in her madness.
"You're pulling me too hard," Rose complained, her voice barely audible above the din, as Damien propelled them through the throng of vampires fleeing.
With a fleeting glance of frustration, Damien tightened his grip on Rose's hand.
"I have a baby in me, you know," she continued, her tone tinged with annoyance. "I can't afford to—"
"Would you prefer we reduce our pace, inviting potential peril?" Damien interjected with a sharp tone, his eyes flashing with impatience. "I am diligently endeavoring to ensure your safety, woman! All I need is you to keep your mouth shut. Yet your cooperation appears elusive."
Before Rose could respond, a Dhampir lunged at them, his dark eyes gleaming with malice.
Damien, though still engaged in conversation, remained alert. With lightning reflexes, his hands intercepted the Dhampir's advance, effortlessly breaking his grip and sending him sprawling backward.
"Your touch is unwelcome, Dhampir; you filthy thing!" Damien declared his voice dripping with contempt.
As the Dhampir, despite his broken and crushed arm, sprang back into action with a primal roar, Damien's annoyance flared. How could such a feeble and weak creature dare to challenge him, the embodiment of power and strength? For all the shouts and glorified stories about their kind, not a single Dhampir had ruffled his hair yet.
"Quite odd that you'd rush back into certain death. To be completely honest, I am affronted by the audacity," Damien scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt. "Do you not yet grasp the immense chasm of power that separates us? How utterly pathetic!"
With a disdainful wave of his hand, Damien unleashed a surge of energy, his movements swift and decisive. Even before closing the distance, he exerted his dominance over the Dhampir, a mere flick of his wrist signaling the creature's impending demise.
As Damien approached, his hand outstretched, he unleashed a devastating wave of force that tore through the air with unstoppable power. It was like the recoil action of a shotgun but it was Damien merely commanding this force to hit the Dhampir square.
The Dhampir's body disintegrated into a shower of fragments, following the imaginary trajectory traced by Damien's hand and crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. All those years of training and mastering his battle craft gave him an overwhelming edge. He had mastered a range of abilities and sometimes never used his main stay, his ice abilities.
But this trait was only special to vampires at the Lord rank or higher. They could master more than one technique and use it effectively. Some even go as far as learning more than three different abilities as long as their bodies could sustain it.
Seeing his foe completely obliterated, he scoffed, then swiftly seized Rose once more, paying little heed to her protests, and propelled her through the chaos, determined to ensure her survival amidst the fray.
As they pressed onward, the battlefield seemed to intensify around them. Clashing fists, thunderous footsteps, and anguished cries filled the air, creating a maelstrom of chaos and danger.
"Stay close," Damien commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos as he led them through the tumultuous sea of bodies. "We're not out of danger yet."
Rose rolled her eyes in slight annoyance.
Suddenly, Damien's acute senses picked up a rapid, almost imperceptible buzzing sound slicing through the chaos. Instinctively, he whirled around, his eyes scanning the tumult for the source of the imminent threat.
Before him, hurtling through the melee with blinding speed, was a Dhampir—a figure cloaked in darkness and brimming with deadly intent.
Damien recognized the approaching assailant as a female, her form a blur of malevolence cutting through the carnage.
With a fierce determination, Damien released his grip on Rose, his sole focus now on protecting her from harm.
As the Dhampir closed in, Damien's reflexes kicked into overdrive, his body moving with a fluid grace honed by years of combat training.
But then, in a bewildering twist, Damien's keen eyesight betrayed him. In the blink of an eye, the female Dhampir's form seemed to shift and morph before his very eyes, transforming into a burly, heavily built man brimming with brute strength and lethal intent.
For a fleeting moment, confusion clouded Damien's mind as he struggled to reconcile the sudden change in his opponent's appearance.
It was as though reality itself had been warped, leaving him momentarily stunned and off-balance amidst the chaos of battle.
But Damien was not one to be deterred by mere illusions. With a steely resolve, he refocused his attention, his senses sharpening as he prepared to confront this new threat head-on.
With a deft movement, he adjusted his stance, his muscles coiled like a spring, ready to unleash a devastating counterattack against the formidable foe hurtling towards him.
But this new foe was unlike the ones he had faced. The now huge brute opponent was even faster than he had anticipated. This Dhampir was moving at the speed of a bullet and in a blink, he had reached Damien's position.
In an instant, the Dhampir swung his fist and the punch connected with Damien's chest, a jolt of force rippled through his body, threatening to send him reeling backward.
Yet, despite the impact, Damien stood firm, his muscles tense with the effort to remain upright. With gritted teeth and a steely resolve, he refused to yield to the overpowering force of his adversary.
His feet skidded violently against the blood-soaked ground, carving deep furrows as he fought to maintain his footing.
Damien's mind raced, trying to comprehend the sheer strength and skill displayed by the Dhampir who stood before him.
For a brief moment, admiration flickered in Damien's eyes as he acknowledged the Dhampir's impressive feat.
"I've crossed paths with myriad adversaries akin to you," he snarled, his voice dripping with venomous contempt. "Yet, I begrudgingly acknowledge, your recent action almost merits applause. Almost. Nevertheless, rest assured, your odyssey concludes at this very moment."
With a primal roar, Damien surged forward, his movements fueled by a potent mix of anger and amusement. His eyes blazed with fierce intensity as he closed the distance between himself and the Dhampir.
Rose could see it all play before her even when everything was happening in a blur. There was a particular smile on Damien's face. He was getting excited. This was the Damien Rose feared the most. The one that enjoyed the thrill of battle. The one that loved to bath in his enemy's blood.
As Damien closed in on the Dhampir, his senses remained keenly attuned to Rose's presence, never once letting her out of his sight.
But even amidst his vigilance, Damien found himself caught off guard by the Dhampir's unexpected tactic. With lightning speed, the Dhampir seized his own hair and hurled it towards Damien, a seemingly feeble attack meant to distract and disorient.
Reacting with lightning reflexes, Damien deftly sidestepped the airborne strand, his movements fluid and precise. Yet, to his astonishment, the seemingly innocuous hair began to shimmer and shift, its structure morphing into a something else before his very eyes.
The sudden transformation took Damien by surprise, momentarily unsettling his focus and leaving him vulnerable to the Dhampir's next move.
Before he could regain his bearings, Damien felt the hand of the Dhampir that transformed from the hair clamped down on his shoulder tightly.
"Hello," A voice, dripping with malice and triumph, whispered in his ear.