326. Given

Fictus panted as another one of the apparitions was evaporated by her [Combined Skill: Blood Nova]. Well, it wasn’t actually her Skill. [Blood Nova] was Mentior’s Skill. But together, they could enhance its effects with [Combined Skill].

It was a rare Skill she’d obtained alongside Mentior. From the moment of their birth, they’d been inseparable. They’d grown up together, fought with each other always by their side, and found the salvation of Regnorex with one another.

They had been rewarded for it at Level 100. They gained [Combined Skill] together. Regnorex had told them it was incredibly rare. It was a Racial Skill that only Demons or Spirits could get. That mortals would never obtain. The only catch was that it could only be used in unison with another who had the same Skill. And even then, it would take a bit to attune to them.

It meant that Fictus couldn’t combination cast with just anyone. Not that she’d want to. Mentior was her brother. They were born from the same pool of Lifeblood. As much as they bickered, she liked him. As long as they were together, they were unstoppable. That was why Regnorex had entrusted them to deal with the Vampire families.

The [Blood Nova] slowly dissipated as the golden apparitions disintegrated, leaving only the real Human girl before them. Salvos charged them and swung her rainbow-colored scythe. Fictus could sense power emanating from the weapon. It was bad news, and she wasn’t going to let herself be caught by it.

She raised her hand together with Mentior. They spoke at the same time.

“You were too reckless. You lose. [Combined Skill: Blood Bath].”

Fictus winced as her blood seeped out of the tip of her finger. It hurt her. Each spell she cast siphoned away her own life. That was the curse of blood magic. It was incredibly powerful at the cost of the user. That was not to account for the exhaustion that came from combination casting. That was why she needed to end it now.

Her black blood pooled together with Mentior’s, coalescing into mana. A powerful sphere of energy. It blasted out in a beam, striking Salvos before she could even get close.

The [Succubus] sighed in relief, glad that it was over. Even a [Hellprince] would be injured by their combined [Blood Bath] if caught off guard. It was over—

“[My Flame Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends].”

She blinked as Salvos flew straight through the black tide. The silver-haired girl grinned.

“You’re wrong. I won.”

And Fictus blinked. With a single swing, her arm was cleaved right off. It was a numbing pain. One which took her a moment to realize what just happened. She stared at the stump left behind. She didn’t even have time to react— to create a [Blood Armor].

Her right arm was gone. Mentior’s eyes grew wide as he snarled.

“Fictus! How dare you—”

He slashed his claw at Salvos. But the silver-haired woman just took the strike. He recoiled as he scraped at a flickering blue fire. Sparks streaked out, like he’d cut something solid. But he didn’t harm the girl.

Salvos spun around, smiling at him as good as new. All her prior injuries were gone. The cuts she’d taken from the [Blood Prison] had vanished. She was good as new. And she grabbed Mentior by the arm before he could fly back.

“I’ll be take this—”

She sliced his left arm off, and Mentior let out a terrible scream. Fictus gritted her teeth. While the silver-haired girl was distracted, Fictus created a [Blood Ring] and tossed it at her. Salvos paused as the ring engulfed her, igniting into a black fire.

But even as it flared up, it couldn’t burn past the flaming aura around Salvos. Fictus grabbed Mentior and the pair flew back.

“Just what happened? Why isn’t anything working against her?”

Fictus asked, exasperated. Mentior shook his head and drew out his own blood. He placed his hand on Fictus’ shoulder as she did the same to him. Their limbs began to regrow as they healed each other with blood magic. At the expense of themselves, they were able to restore their limbs.

“Calm down, Fictus.”

Mentior spoke as he flexed his newly healed arm. He eyed the silver-haired girl. She tossed aside his arm and bared her teeth at them. He shook his head.

“We still have the advantage. Even if we can’t harm her, we can just immobilize her—”

“Hey, I just cut that off.”

Salvos interrupted him, frowning.

“I don’t have long. So if you don’t mind me, I’m just going to… rectify that.”

Fictus blinked, and Mentior opened his mouth. Before either could react, there was a flash. Mentior was suddenly flying back towards Salvos. It was like he was moving in reverse. And so was the silver-haired girl.

They plopped back into place— when she had his arm in her hand. She smiled and swung down again. He screamed as his arm was sliced off a second time.

“Mentior!”

Fictus screamed as her brother was kicked to the side. She swooped down to catch him, but Salvos laughed.

“I’m not done with you, either. [Invoke Wrath].”

The [Succubus] froze. The anger boiling within her bubbled up and exploded into rage. All she saw was red. She turned her attention to the source of her hatred. The silver-haired girl. How was she doing this?

Why was she suddenly able to beat them? It only angered Fictus even more. She swung at Salvos, her claws burning as she struck the wisps of flames and nothing more. The silver-haired girl just smirked as she slashed back at Fictus.

But the [Succubus] threw herself out of the way just in time. She felt like she was stronger. She moved faster. Empowered by her rage.

Salvos narrowed her eyes.

“Huh. Didn’t know it did that.”

“Fictus! Snap out of it!”

Fictus barely heard Mentior’s scream. He tried calling out to her, but she charged the silver-haired girl once again. Salvos was prepared this time. She took the brunt of the strikes, timing her counters at the exact same time.

The slashes tore through even Fictus’ [Blood Armor]. She recoiled from the pain, before a volley of black spheres shot up and exploded on Salvos. Mentior grabbed Fictus by the hand, pulling the [Succubus] back as she snarled.

She nearly swung at her brother, but he grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Fictus— it’s me!”

Fictus paused. Her vision cleared up. The haze over her mind vanished as she took in her surroundings. The pain from her injuries caught up to her as she regained her senses. The minor buff she’d felt was gone.

“W-what…? What was that? A curse?”

“I believe so. A high-leveled one at that. But that doesn’t matter.”

He glanced back at the clearing smoke. Salvos cocked her head, still unharmed. He gritted his teeth.

“We need to end this now. Come on.”

“Right.”

Fictuss nodded, accepting her brother’s hand. The threads of mana between them wove together. Their magic became one as they aimed at Salvos. No more offensive magic. All they needed was to bind her.

“[Blood Prison Enhancement: Blood Bindings].”

Salvos paused. She saw the needle-like threads tangling around her. They didn’t pierce her skin, but they bound her. They flickered and held her in place as she just floated there, unable to move.

“Huh.”

“How is this? You can’t move, can you? There’s nothing you can do. You’re trapped in place. You were too arrogant, Human!”

Fictus sneered. Mentior shook his head, speaking casually.

“Now we’ll just wait for whatever Skill that is of yours to end, and we’ll have won.”

Salvos shrugged.

“You’re right. I can’t move. This kind of sucks. Maybe even if I had… however, that’ll take a few more weeks…”

Fictus raised a brow. Why is that Human so calm? It made no sense to the [Succubus]. Salvos should’ve been panicking right now, instead of whatever this was— an eerie coolness despite the flames wisping off her.

“You caught me because you worked together. Good job.”

Salvos’ eyes glinted as she let her scythe vanish.

“But it seems you forgot about one thing.”

Mentior’s eyes widened. Salvos continued.

“I’m not alone.”

Saffron looked over the ritual circle. A dozen servants lay in a pit. They’d been flayed. No skin, just flesh. Their corpses fueled this bloody spell.

“I’m sorry we weren’t able to save you…”

She took in a deep breath and raised her hand. A blast of fire, water, and wind shot out. Elemental magic wiped the spell clean off the surface of the earth. The oppressive feeling on her shoulder lifted, and she sighed in relief.

The young noble looked up towards the distant figures in the sky. She spoke softly.

“Now it’s all up to you, Salvos…”

Fictus’ gaze snapped down as she felt her [Blood Prison] dissipate. Her jaw dropped.

“No—”

The [Blood Bindings] vanished. She stared down at the Vampire. The pink-haired girl had destroyed their ritual circle. Her existence had slipped Fictus’ mind.

“That girl…”

“Oh, I’m not just talking about her.”

Salvos chuckled. Fictus paused. Mentior’s gaze snapped to the side. He pushed his sister out of the way.

“Fictus—”

And from below, a golden figure grabbed onto Mentior’s legs. The apparition. One of them had survived. Not all of them were killed, of course. Fictus was shoved back, unable to do anything but stare as her brother closed his eyes. The apparition glowed, shining brightly before exploding into a brilliant cross.

Fictus went flying back as words resounded in her head.

Title Lost!

(Twins of Despair—

Her brother was dead. Just like that. The one she’d been born with. They’d survived for so long. As [Infant Demons], they’d fought through hordes of other wild Demons. He’d saved her life in many occasions, just like now. And she’d done the same for him.

But now she failed. What would Regnorex think? No— that didn’t matter. Mentior was gone. She had nothing left to live for. She never imagined a world— a life— without him. Everything that she’d worked up to until this point was meaningless. Her life was nothing. She had no reason to live… except to avenge him.

Her eyes blazed as she saw the silver-haired girl flying her way. She stabbed herself, rippling with power as she cried tears of blood. More words echoed in her head as she screamed.

“I’ll make you pay for that!”

Title Gained!

(Avenger of—

Grand Skill [My Life, My Blood—

Abundant experience is awarded for learning a Grand Skill—

A roiling darkness shot out as her skin peeled off. Her entire essence poured out in a cone that seemed to suck in the light of even the sun. It engulfed Salvos as it blasted up. Fictus laughed maniacally as her Grand Skill shot up.

“Sorry, but I already told you—”

Salvos dove straight through the shadows. Fictus’ eyes bulged as the silver-haired girl burned brilliantly, slashing for her head.

“I’m the one here who’ll make you pay.”

I’m sorry brother… Fictus thought as her vision grew dark. I’ll be joining you—

And Salvos unleashed a deluge of white flame at the Archdemon’s decapitated corpse.