Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Chapter 80: The Conflict of Past and Present

Nikolaiʼs eyes narrowed the moment he felt her move—like a blur. Mariʼs body sped up quickly. He tightened his muscles and twisted away from the edge of the blade, a flash of silver and red cutting across the air just before his throat.

ʼNo matter how much sheʼs changed, those movements arenʼt human...ʼ

Mariʼs movements felt eerie. Despite their extreme speed, her ability to turn and change her angles felt jarring and stiff.

ʼI can hear her bones grinding together as if two different parts were forced together.ʼ

The truth was that the woman he might have held affection for in the past now looked nothing like her former self. Mariʼs face was the only part without various stitches and scars—the length of her arms was uneven, and her legs seemed to be from a different person.

ʼThe Faust Clanʼs masterpiece... It makes sense right now.ʼ Nikolai thought as he stepped forward, pushing Mariʼs left arm away and leaping up, his left foot lashing out like a whip.

ʼSheʼs not a human any more... Sheʼs a monster. I donʼt need to feel any remorse!ʼ

Mariʼs neck snapped back from the impact, her eyes blinking rapidly and her mouth opening with a hiss of surprise while blood dripped from her nose, and a dark bruise appeared on her pale cheek. ”You actually hit me. How amusing.”

”Youʼre quite durable,” Nikolai replied while hopping back and opening and closing his hands. His heart felt excited because she was strong, stronger than the dog or the mutant he fought. The excitement of the Volkov and Lupus bloodlines began to surge, an explosive desire to crush his enemy.

[Take it slow, donʼt force yourself, Nikolai.]

ʼI understand, donʼt worry.ʼ

”Your attacks are heavy but not strong—theyʼre fast but not sharp.” Mariʼs lips spread, her mouth opening wider than what a human should as a hiss escaped her lips. ”But theyʼre fun. They feel good!”

ʼ...ʼ

The hiss sounded strange and felt uncomfortable, so much so that Nikolaiʼs ears began to ring. The hairs on his skin stood up, and he couldnʼt help but feel a sense of nausea—images appeared from his past with Mari, then became distorted by this corpse with her face twisted and filled with the stench of death. A sour odour that made his nose tingle.

Nikolai didnʼt respond. Instead, he stepped forward, using the outside of his forearm when Mari swung down with a violent slash and held her blade a few inches from his eye before throwing a masterful left hook at her face, his knuckles slamming against her jaw.

Bang!

ʼHer bones are solid like iron!ʼ

The moment he thought, Nikolai turned and brought his right knee up, smashing against the bottom of Mariʼs ribcage and sending her flying back a few meters. Yet, despite leaving the floor, the face showed no signs of pain, and Nikolai felt a dull ache in his knee where he struck her body.

Despite the crowd around them going crazy, even the queen began to speak with a more neutral commentary, as if she knew more about the creature calling itself Mari Yamamoto.

”That was a pretty wonderful combination, Nikolai. However, I can tell youʼre starting to struggle.” Her bones, muscles, and skin were far superior to the average human—no, they were superior to the thralls and low-rank squires he met!

Her eyes were dull, yet the more they fought, Nikolai felt he could see a twinkle of light or life inside them. He didnʼt hold thoughts of saving her, but if killing Mari now would set her free, he would do so.

ʼIt doesnʼt seem like sheʼll be tired anytime soon. Honestly, I should not hold back... That dark blood, to destroy her, Iʼll have to use it.ʼ

A feeling of twisted emotions began to well up inside Nikolai the moment he made his choice. His hair grew longer, glossier like raven feathers before his arms distorted, snapped and became deformed, longer and twisted at the elbows. Now able to move in any direction and finally, both his hands suddenly became twice as big, his fingers longer like curved blades as he became a part monster.

”Aha, a beast, huh? Do you want to mess me up that bad, Nikolai?” The cold, empty voice of Mari reached Nikolaiʼs ears.

Mari licked her lips and charged, her steps silent, her body appearing a blur while Nikolaiʼs eyes narrowed. With a glint of silver, her blade slashed at his arms with a sweeping strike—before she could connect, Nikolai stepped back and deflected the blade with his black claws.

The impact allowed Mari to ride the momentum; like a fairy of death, she twirled around, slicing through the air and aiming at his opposite flank.

Nikolai moved with equal speed, his arm bending like a snake and blocking her attack, the sound of metal scratching against the hard, obsidian-like surface of his arm.

”You?!” Her cold snarl echoed before her eyes widened as Nikolai smashed her face with a brutal headbutt, the colour of his eyes now black with a silver ring around his iris and red pupils.

”This is what you get!” Nikolai snapped and slashed out with his other hand, his claws cutting the air and slicing through her shoulder. Blood gushed out, spraying across his face and shirt, but his mouth opened, his tongue sticking out and licking the dark fluid. It wasnʼt quite black, but neither was it vibrant red.

”Peh...” He spat the blood out and looked at Mari with a disgusted look, ”Sour... and expired! Truly the blood of a corpse.”

”!!!”

His words seemed to insult what little self existed in her soul as the two began to clash rapidly, a series of sharp blows with black and silver lights colliding from her blade and his claws.

Bang! Crack!

The floor beneath their feet began to fracture and splinter slightly, the speed and power of their exchange increasing steadily until, finally, a burst of strength came from Nikolaiʼs chest the moment his heart pounded.

He felt it—the black blood that used to make him insane, full of bloodlust, instead, was under his control. Exhaustion quickly started to overwhelm him, yet his claws were slowly tearing apart the doll before him as he exerted more and more power, as if trying to carve both her body and any memories he still kept hidden in the depths of his heart.

”Urk!”

Nikolaiʼs fist slammed against the side of Mariʼs head, a sickening crunch as the bone was crushed, and the already torn flesh was destroyed, her nose broken, and her lower jaw cracked.

Yet, despite the brutal and deadly attacks, Mariʼs face didnʼt show pain—instead, her blade penetrated Nikolaiʼs right abdomen. Her wrist twisted the blade while his maw opened and bit a chunk from her neck, tearing her flesh before a powerful kick to her chest sent her tumbling backwards, her blade still embedded in his body.

Blood gushed out, yet the wound began to heal rapidly and closed just as fast. Nikolaiʼs eyes remained locked on Mariʼs body as she got up, trembling. Her right arm snapped while she fell twice, finally on her knees. She looked up with a fierce gaze and spat out a mouthful of blood, her flesh slowly regenerating apart from her neck wound just like his.

ʼHmmm? The wounds from my claws and bite donʼt heal?ʼ

[Youʼre right... is it related to those black blood crystals? They seem to be related to necromancy, and they carry the stench of death...]

ʼWe need to find out—we might need to use that black blood.ʼ

Nikolaiʼs tone was serious, and the Spirit didnʼt respond, sensing his decision.

”Ha, haha... hahaha...” Mariʼs shrill laughter made those near her unconsciously step back as she slowly raised her hand and pointed at him, ”Iʼll kill you, Iʼll kill you! You have to die!” Her eyes became eerie, with tiny pupils, her face twisted with a horrifying smile. ”Iʼll kill you!”

Nikolai frowned as strange energy came from the creature that looked human but was a monster. It became darker—her blood was no longer a dark red but began turning black as if the more damage he dealt, the closer to death she came.

”Hehe, this is... youʼre a monster, huh? Nikolai Volkov.” A rasping, dry and almost insect-like voice echoed from her throat, a sound different from the previous. It wasnʼt Mariʼs voice but... something else. ”But you donʼt understand what we are, the powers we wield!”

”Do you think I give a shit? Die!” Nikolai took a deep breath, the feeling of stress vanished, and he rushed forward, his black claw covered in a strange light, a silver mixed with darkness; Nikolai felt like his hand was on fire, but it felt warm and comforting.

ʼBurn, burn, and destroy this damned thing!ʼ

”You canʼt stop me, and you will die!” The monster that looked like Mari laughed maniacally before she became a blur, a shadow that shot towards Nikolai. ”Iʼll tear off your face and skin. Wear it like a mask! Iʼll make you suffer before I kill you.”

The creatureʼs movements were faster and more refined than ever, its attacks sharper and filled with a desire for his death.

However, the moment she hit him, the creatureʼs left hand exploded into flesh and broken bones on impact. She had already lost her arm and was now severed on the ground, the stump bleeding black, almost tar-like blood.

”Wha-What?!” Mariʼs eyes widened, and she screamed, ”Die, you have to die! Die! Die!”

The creatureʼs face distorted even more, its eyes becoming huge and round, with a thick, purple-red line, a mouth that was too big, filled with crooked, sharp teeth, and a long, fat tongue.

Nikolai didnʼt hesitate any longer, his arm lashing out swiftly and elegantly like a panther attacking its prey.

The obsidian-like claw slashed at the creatureʼs throat with a speed that left no opening for her to dodge. The moment Mariʼs body stepped back, he lunged forward, taking her body to the ground before his fists began raining down on her.

From a distance, the sound of bones being broken, flesh being torn, and muscle pulverised echoed, the floor cracking and splintering from the brutal attacks, a pool of dark blood spreading as the crowd became excited about the climax.

ʼIt hurts.... my fists are breaking.... but I will end this now!ʼ

A familiar scene of his past came to his mind, a time when he was weak, unable to protect anyone... Her face as she looked at the edge of tears before they broke up. However, now, Nikolai felt strong, the feeling of vengeance welling up inside him as he poured all the strength he could muster into his fist.

ʼEnd this, end this now! Please... Let her die! Let me be free!ʼ

Bang!

Crack!

The creatureʼs face was smashed, her skull broken, and brain matter splattered on the floor.

”Is she dead? Can we confirm the kill?”

”Sheʼs done for! We have our winner!”

In the boxes above, Alistair stood in shock, his hands trembling at the sight of his best work, now a lump of crushed meat and bone in the middle of the arena.

”Not only did he win, but he really destroyed her... How brutal.”

”We have our winner, my lovely pigs! The lowly hero from nowhere, an unknown rookie by the name of Nikolai! All rise for the birth of a new challenger! Congratulations on your win!”

Queen Tsukinoʼs act seemed to change completely, no longer a mocking tone or her fandom routine. Instead, she directed all attention to Nikolai, his body covered in slowly healing wounds and the blade still inside his abdomen.

The young man knelt, his hands trembling from punching concrete with so much power, likely to have damaged his nerves and broken or fractured the bones in his hand.

ʼI won... Is it over?ʼ Nikolaiʼs eyes looked dull as he felt the black crystals from her heart flowing into his hand. Honestly, he didnʼt want them, but it was too late when he came to his senses...

[Nikolai...]

He felt his motherʼs voice, and the tension started to vanish—his black arms began to return to normal, along with his eyes, the werewolf fur evaporating before his eyes looked up and saw a strange light... and a faint figure in the pink light.

However, because he stopped using the black blood, his eyes returned to normal, and the figure vanished from sight.

ʼMari?!ʼ