The High Elder pointed his blood-created staff at me as magic power was sent flying all over. Like a tempest in the roughest of seas, a torrent of pure energy rushed in all directions, levelling trees and burning bushes. The famed Bloodborne House bloodline was in full effect as a mysterious force seemingly weighed in on my Bloodline.
The other members of the Bloodborne House that were near had their hands to their throats as they struggled meaninglessly on the ground. Sweat and blood were trickling down their heads as their eyeballs gradually popped from their sockets.
It was a gruesome sight to see.
But alas, that was the power of the Bloodborne House. Many questioned why the Bloodborne House was still considered a great Vampire House, even though they had squandered their wealth and influence throughout the years. Even though they were direct descendants of the First Vampire, their influence over society had waned throughout the years.
And the answer was actually quite simple…
Power.
The Bloodborne House still had monsters like the High Elder serving their ranks. These ancient Vampires could suppress anyone of a lesser bloodline, effectively making them the only true Royal House. No matter how powerful a Vampire became, they would be suppressed by the Bloodborne House's bloodline. It didn't matter if you were Matriarch Innocence, a relic that had honed her skills for thousands of years, or if you were a talented upstart like Sirius Moonreaver.
As long as you were a Vampire, you would be suppressed by the Bloodborne House's bloodline.
If you're an ordinary Vampire, that is.
"That won't work on me."
I was no longer a traditional Vampire whose bloodline and powers all came from the Bloodborne Progenitor. With my spell, I had recreated my body to become my own Progenitor, a lifeform that towers over all creatures, including those from the Bloodborne House. All this time, my only weakness had been my lack of magic power. And as someone who was barely a Vampire for a year, my limited reserves of magic were understandable.
But now…
Clenching my fist, I channelled a small amount of magic power into my fist. I didn't bother constructing a spell or moving it through my Vampire Aspect. I sent a shockwave flying at the High Elder using pure brute magic power.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
The entire landscape changed with my casual punch. The ground started to shake, and the trees behind the Bloodborne elites were instantly uprooted. Dirt and gravel were laid out all over the forest floor as the weaker members of the Bloodborne House were knocked unconscious by my casual attack.
"This magic power…"
The High Elder supported himself up with his staff as he held onto dear life. Evidently, my raw magic power came as a shock to the ancient Vampire.
"You've… Absorbed all of our sacrifices?"
Watching the High Elder's flabbergasted face really brought a smile to my own. Which was why I couldn't help but taunt him even more: "Funny, isn't it? You'd thought that sacrificing over a million souls would get your Ancestor back. But now… It's all in the hands of your enemy. I don't think there has been a bigger cuckold than you."
"Jin Valter… Your arrogance knows no bounds."
"You'll know soon whether I'm arrogant… Or just plain confident."
There was a fine line between arrogance and confidence. While my words may sound arrogant to some, I'd realised something the moment I'd transformed myself into a Progenitor…
Why the fuck should I care about what the masses think? The lion never cares about the opinion of the sheep. And I was an entity that far surpassed a regular lion. Other than Rosa, there were no other Progenitor-class Vampires that could threaten me.
Which was why…
I raised my Soul Armament and channelled my magic power into the life ring. Much like the River of Life, an emerald light broke free from the enigmatic ring as a spell was completed within nanoseconds. And without me even thinking a single thing, reality was changed.
"Arghhhh…"
"Die!!!"
The numerous Bloodborne House members still on the battlefield crawled out from the rubble, their faces torn and bruised. Groaning like mindless zombies, the men moved with bloodthirst in their eyes. However, their fighting intent wasn't directed at me… But the High Elder.
"You've… taken control over my subordinates?"
Moving faster than the speed of sound, the High Elder easily evaded the surprise attacks. Each time a Bloodborne House member attempted to reap his life away, the man would simply move a few steps with agile footwork, much unlike his mage persona.
"They aren't like you, a direct descendant of the First Vampire, so controlling them is a piece of cake."
The High Elder paused for a moment, giving a small window of opportunity for my controlled zombies to attack. One of them even got close enough to send a flying claw in the man's direction. But the High Elder grabbed it before it could pierce his brain.
"... HAHAHA!!! Not only would you insult me by stealing away everything I built, but you're even using my own loyal dogs against me?! HAHAHA, you irritate me to no end, Jin Valter!"
With a maniacal laugh, the High Elder squeezed his attacker's hand until it burst into a blood splatter. However, that wasn't the end of it. Channelling magic power into his staff, the man lit up the human skull with an enigmatic flame as if in unison…
BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!
The various Bloodborne members surrounding the man exploded like balloons being popped, and one by one, their lives were taken violently away.
"You… Aren't they your kin?"
"The moment they went under your control, they served no purpose to me." The High Elder said in a bored tone. However, the fury that was hidden within his eyes was undeniable. "Besides, their sacrifice won't be in vain. With my power, they were better off dead than alive."
"What?"
I naturally had questions, but the High Elder gave me my answer through his actions. The Bloodborne members who exploded into a pile of flesh and blood slowly morphed into Blood Golems, each more gruesome than the others.
One turned into a headless giant, with Bloodfire running down its massive arms. Another turned into a flying serpent, its eyes possessing a sinister gaze that could seemingly turn anything to stone. And another became a humanoid warrior who could change blood into any weapon.
Bit by bit, the Bloodborne House members turned into unspeakable beasts, each in a worse shape than the others. And with my 'vision,' I could see the core that made those beasts function. The souls of the Bloodborne House members, who should have returned to the Emerald River at the moment of their deaths, were being forced to live within the Blood Golems.
Their souls were being corrupted by the second, and their groans of agony and suffering were as loud as a jet plane to my ears. The corruption of their souls was completely the same as the false Progenitor I'd seen at the River of Life.
They were living in a state of complete stasis. Neither living nor dead. Bound to eternally suffer at the hands of its creator.
"You would even do this to people of your own blood… How disgusting."
"Haha, feeling compassion for the enemy? You're far too naive, Jin Valter."
"Compassion? No, you're mistaken. I don't feel any compassion for you or them. The feeling I have right now… Is complete disgust."
"HAHAHA, disgust! I guess that's an apt description!" The High Elder laughed once more.
The High Elder pointed his staff in my direction and commanded the Blood Golems to attack. One of them used Bloodfire in its attacks, creating a searing hot flame that was thousands of degrees and spewed it in my direction. Another created fifteen blood pillars which crashed down all around me, making a miniature magic seal that could inhibit my movements.
However, that was just the start. Two of the Blood Golems started creating crimson lightning bolts, while others cast beautiful spells that weren't possible for inanimate objects.
Woah, these Blood Golems could even cast their own magic? I guess that's why the High Elder needed to trap his subordinates' souls inside them.
But still… Are you really trying to use magic against a Progenitor?
"Imperium: Break."
My Soul Armament resonated with my desires and cast a spell before I could even think about it. The Blood Golems that moved towards me all froze on the spot, and the blood pillars abruptly shattered back into a puddle of blood.
With one wave of my hand, every Blood Golem that came charging towards me lost its shape and was sent flying far in the other direction.
At this point, even the High Elder, who had seemingly lost his mind, could only frown.
"... So this is your famed Spacetime magic?"
"So you've heard of it, huh?"
"Haha… Not only do you have a strong grasp on Life Magic, but there's still Spacetime, Creation and Destruction… Even Father in his prime didn't have that kind of magic. What kind of moronic God made you?"
"I wasn't created by a God," I scoffed. "I created myself."
"Haha… Hahah… HAHAHAHAHA!!!" As if he'd finally lost his mind, the High Elder broke into a fit of complete laughter.
"I see… I really did bring a Progenitor into this world."
As if he'd given up all hope, the High Elder looked to the skies with a satisfied smile. Lowering his staff, the man looked as defeated as one could be. A Vampire that had lost all meaning of life, a man without a direction, a soul… that had lost its way. Logically speaking, this should be the High Elder's weakest moment.
And yet… a certain sense of uneasiness crept up my spine. Something I'd never felt since obtaining the power of a Progenitor.
"I have failed you, brethren of the Bloodborne House. I have failed you, Father. I have failed you… Mother. But as payment for my failure, I will vanquish the one who ruined everything. Even if it costs… my life."
Taking his bloodied staff, the High Elder pierced his chest with a vengeance and sent vast amounts of blood flying.
All the Blood Golems that remained turned into tendrils of blood and were sent flying towards the High Elder's body, filling the hole he'd created rapidly. And with the surplus of energy, the High Elder's broken body started to change.
His face started burning, instantly becoming charred and making his features completely unrecognisable. A white cloak started to drop down from his shoulders, shrouding the man's body in an ivory gown that hid every part of his disfigured body. And the most striking change…
Two red eagle wings sprouted out from his back. Each one possessed hundreds of feathers; from each feather, I could hear the voices of the tormented. Souls that had been harvested for his own use and souls that would strengthen his already potent magic.
But holding those souls came with a curse.
Every second that passed corrupted the man's soul, and in due time… The High Elder will transform into the same beast I saw at the Emerald River.
"ARGHHHHH!!!"
A banshee's wail came out from the changed thing's mouth as Bloodfire spewed everywhere. Flapping its wings twice, it created a downpour of blood. However, this rain wasn't the same kind that one might be familiar with. Each drop of blood corroded flesh like acid, and through the use of magic, it could be turned into Bloodfire, Blood Lightning or any kind of Bloodborne speciality.
I could feel my skin crawl as the transformed monster descended from the heavens with blood and fire at its beck and call. And at that moment, I could only think of one true resemblance.
The High Elder had become…
An Angel of Blood.
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