Bab 153: Plague vs. Blood
Lacilet looked down on Vlad, who was breathing hard and had blood gushing out from his mouth, ears, and nose at a rapid pace. Making him only smirk at how unfortunate Vlad was.
"I wonder how much blood you have even if you are a Blood Human. Come let me see, young prince!"
Vlad, who heard that, could only hide his sinister smile on his bloody face, continuing to maintain a play for Lacilet to believe he was approaching the Gates of Hell.
The blood inside him started the assault on the bacteria eating at Vlad, and with each second they were fighting, Vlad's body began feeling alive. This was something he hardly could conceal because he was using his Blood Powers in an overdrive mode, unleashing everything he had just to destroy the invisible enemy inside his body.
He began to crawl toward the throne Lacilet was standing like a dying man, creating a new feeling for Lacilet, who was ecstatic to see Vlad suffer.
"Ohh, you wish to do something before dying, young prince?" said Lacilet as he got on his feet, gazing at Vlad moving slowly toward the throne, like some zombie.
Vlad ignored that comment and kept his act together, moving toward Lacilet in his most pathetic manner, and he started reforging the blood exoskeleton once again after one minute of fighting against the bacteria.
His body felt better, but the plagues dark marks on his hands, legs, and elbow remained on, selling Vlad's story even more to the clueless Duke.
Lacilet walked down the elevated throne with his sword in hand to look closely at Vlad. With a grab of Vlad's black middle-length hair, he raised his head to look in him closely, later asking him.
"Tell me, little prince, do you wish to end all this agony you are living right now? I can easily send you to your father."
Vlad, who has still forced the black blood out of his system through his mouth, nose, and ears, looked with unfocused crimson eyes at Lacilet, giving the feeling he wasn't even alive in those moments.
"Sigh, you can't even say your final words. No problem, I shall send you to your next life." declared Lacilet with a cold tone, preparing to pierce Vlad's heart with his sword.
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It was at that moment that Vlad's eyes shined with crimson lights, and he summoned Nemesis back in his hand with his blood connection, before he stabbed Lacilet in his chest, causing Lacilet to release a shriek of pain, sending a kick to Vlad that pushed him away from him.
"Bastard, you were supposed to die." said Lacilet gnashing his teeth while holding his chest, which was bleeding furiously.
Vlad, who got pushed away, suddenly intensified his aura, and next dark smoke began to surround him.
Lacilet saw this, and from this dark smoke, looking similar to the Dark Union's [Dark Arts], he heard Vlad's cold voice saying with a ridiculing tone.
"If you are not dead, how could I possibly be the first one to hit the dirt? Thank you a lot for your stupidity in allowing me to solve that cursed power of yours."
Then, when Vlad ended saying that, Lacilet could see Vlad looking slightly different, his body grew taller, along with his middle-length hair that turned white long and clothes that were shifted, now adorned in blood, shifting their normal appearance into something darker and sinister, along with a remarkable dark-crimson cloak.
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Vlad, who turned into the [Blood Lord] form, walked slowly toward Lacilet, revealing his snowy white hands void of any plague signs, the aura of his body intensifying with each step he moved toward Lacilet.
" To think there would exist such nasty Devil Powers that would let someone actually control those invisible monsters. However, this shall be the last moment of such devil powers making their appearance in this kingdom."
Ending saying that, Vlad moved with lighting speed appearing right in front of Lacilet and slashing with Nemesis covered in Armament, Blood Energy, and Dark Energy.
"YOU WISH! [Putricided Blast]!"
Roared Lacilet while around his body, the dark green miasma intensified, later blasting it toward Vlad, stopping his sword slash movement, but only for a few seconds, yet enough for Lacilet to take a defensive stance and block the oncoming sword.
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Once Nemesis made contact with the dark green sword in this clash, it began to make its way inside the sword's material while releasing abyssal lights from the blade. Bit by bit in this clash, the dark green sword started cracking, something that Lacilet, whose hand erupted in blood and whose bones could be seen, noticed and pushed more power in his strike, enveloping Vlad in his Devil Powers, manipulating it to enter his body.
After that, he jumped from the slash that landed on the throne room floor, shaking the entire palace.
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Looking at Vlad, who felt the bacteria entering his body again and creating havoc, turning his face with a pained grunt, Lacilet began laughing madly, saying disdainfully.
"Little Prince, you should base your words on real facts, not just the fantasies you have in your head. Now suffer under my power! This time you shall see no mercy. Your agony shall be my fuel."
Lacilet began unleashing another green miasma wave at Vlad from where he was, merging inside his body.
After that, he waited for some seconds, and with eyes that started shining with a dark green color, he waved his hand at Vlad before grasping his fist tight.
At that point, Vlad felt the bacteria moving faster in his body, devouring at his blood cells, but keeping his calm, he pushed his blood powers into the circulatory system.
In other seconds a wave of T cells and B cells along with dendrites that seemed to be mutated by his blood powers made their way inside the battlefield. They began annihilating every bacteria entering Vlad's body, yet they didn't disperse, standing guard for upcoming enemies.
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Removing any sign of Lacilet's powers inside his body, he dashed quickly at Lacilet, who just now noticed his lost connection with the bacteria, and getting the upper hand, he pierced Lacilet's torso, and along the way, drawing Nemesis back creating a nasty wound on the Duke.
Retreating away from Vlad that followed like a ghost, he used his Devil Powers to cover all his body in bacteria that created a seal on the wound, without even harming him like they did with Vlad.
He sent another [Putricided Wave] in Vlad's way that got absorbed inside his body. Yet, just as they got inside his body, Vlad's cell began working immediately, cleaning out his system.
"What is going on? Why don't my powers work on you?"
Vlad, hearing that, took the chance to send a [Blood Slicer] in Lacilet's direction, which the latter barely managed to block after morphing his shattered sword into a great sword that cleaved apart the blood attack.
"WHY AREN'T MY POWERS WORKING?!" roared Lacilet with his eyes giving off green miasma, slashing at Vlad with a sword wave that contained his devil powers.
Still not responding to him, Vlad summoned a [Blood Aegis], covered it in Armament Haki, and easily blocked the attack.
Like this, Vlad kept Lacilet guessing and confused why his devil powers didn't work.
'I'll let you exhaust your energy by doing that useless attack, and then I will impale you.' thought Vlad coldly, preparing himself to end Lacilet that seemed to turn madder and madder by each minute they fought.
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Vlad kept his advantage smartly by attacking Lacilet with efficient strikes that didn't consume a lot of his blood energy. Lacilet was the opposite. He kept assaulting Vlad with his devil powers, believing that there was something that Vlad was doing that had a limit, also exhausting his energy.
'Little bastard, we will see who has the most energy in this fight! I can keep this going for more than enough to see you dead.'
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The fight between those two kept going, creating small quakes shaking the palaces whenever they would clash their swords, with Vlad having the advantage of all clashes.
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It was until some minutes when Khorne told him that Robert wanted to transmit something using his connection with the [Progenitor Blood] he shared with Robert, Tomas, and Sofiya. Hearing Robert's panicked voice saying to him with a pleading voice.
<Big brother, use the armour powers to keep uncle Ramoth alive. I don't need it.>
'Khorne, what is the situation over there that Ramoth and the others are endangered?'
*** Lord, from what I could see while being inside the young master sword and armour, those Dark Union people are powerful. The white-haired one called Wincester is someone who single-handedly defeated those 3 guards from your mining days. ***
' I see. How many vials does he still have?'
*** None Lord, the young master, used all of them to protect himself and help out those guards. ***
Hearing this from Khrone, Vlad frowned a bit, something that Lacilet didn't expect, but he couldn't capitulate at this moment because Vlad continued to attack him. He focused on keeping Lacilet in check until he heard Robert's voice again in his mind, saying with a pleading tone.
<Please, big brother, I know you care more about me than the royal guards, but he will really die if we don't do anything to stop his bleeding. I can protect myself only with the sword.>
*** What should be the response, Lord? Should I continue watching the young master and abandon those people? *** asked Khrone with his childish voice sounding a bit cold and emotionless.
Vlad thought of that while fighting Lacilet, and with a cold voice, he said to the red wisp.
'Help them.'
*** Understood, My Lord! ***
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Without having to think for even a second more if Ramoth of the others he wasn't concerned and consuming his energy without reason, he kept pushing Lacilet.
'Resilient bastard. You've been fighting me for 15 minutes in this form, and you still don't show signs of breaking your spirit. I only have about 32 more minutes of [Blood Lord] form. Even if I manage to efficient the energy expenditure of the ability, it still keeps draining me fast.'
[Master, it is better than what you managed to do the last months, barely keeping the form for 10 or 15 minutes. A piece of advice, continue forcing him off and use the willpower in break intervals. It will eat at his energy.] reminded the black moth with a dead head mark on its body.
'Still, it is a small range of time when I have to fight against monsters who are powerful than Lacilet or Kuljub. Also, how do you know this could possibly work?' (A/N: Kuljub - Great Priest from the Rain Islands Arc - Stone Logia fruit user)
[I don't know, I just proposed to you my advice. It is up to you if you listen to me or not. I just kept observing this amateurish guy's moves and attacks, intervals he would stop to execute his attacks, and all those intricate details of the body.] explained the black moth in a cold, arrogant tone to Vlad.
In a deeper place of his mind, where another part of Vlad was in the light temple room, in the white flame, he thought to himself without the black moth being able to listen.
'This type of response shouldn't be something a type of power is able to give. The white flame doesn't even have a conscience. Khrone is most likely a devil spirit that my ancestor modified to serve Vermilions. Yet this being that kept watching me since I came to this world, even controlling my body at one point, seems far more intellectual and experienced than those two.'
'What is this being, or better said, who he is?'
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Away from Vlad's questioning self, hidden deep in his soul, protected by the white flame, the one fighting Lacilet began executing the advice of the black moth.
Vlad kept his pace of attacks forcing Lacilet to be on defense. However, it wasn't like the blonde Duke wasn't preparing something for Vlad.
Inside his body, a constant gathering of bacteria was forming, ready to counter Vlad anytime soon.
It was 3 minutes later that Lacilet finalized his plan, and he parried Vlad's attack, pushing him back with a counter.
"Hoh, you still are in this fight, lowly duke?" commented Vlad when he found himself pushed away from Lacilet.
"Pathetic kid, I was just waiting for you to use all your energy. But it seems my patience runs off, and I will need to take the lead of this fight."
"[Armour of Blight]!"
When he said that from Lacilet's body, all the gathered bacteria came out, creating a wave of green miasma moving around Vlad, pushing him off a decent distance.
Vlad's sharp crimson eyes looked at what was happening with Lacilet, and to his shock, he could see how the rod-like green monsters, the bacteria that eat at his body, began mutating and morphing into the shape of a skin-tight armour, enveloping Lacilet.
The dark green [Armour of Blight] on the Duke's body started pulsing like it was alive and emanated a putrid smell, covering the entire throne room. (A/N: I don't know man, are bacteria live matter? It has a DNA sequence gene enveloped in a fat shield. It eats at things, multiplies, and so on. I remember some documentary saying that bacteria and the cell we formed are like the first stuff to appear on earth)
Lacilet began spreading out and enforcing his sword with his devil powers, creating a pulsing dark green sword, making his appearance while wearing the armour quite sinister and disturbing.
Nevertheless, Vlad didn't bother himself too much or was disturbed by what he saw, moving toward Lacilet, starting their new clash.
Laughing with a sinister undertone, Lacilet covered his dark green sword in Armament and clashed with Nemesis, who released enraged lights.
"You are overestimating yourself. Lay low, otherwise you will be destroyed."
As if enraged by what Lacilet commented in his arrogant tone, Nemesis began shining with dark and crimson lights while vibrating in Vlad's hand.
'Calm down! We don't need to rush ourselves. We still have 25 minutes.'
Vlad took some steps back bringing the [Wrath Guard], and after some seconds of filling Nemesis with blood energy, he called out in his mind the name of the ability [Blood Vortex], later slashing in the Duke's direction, creating a crimson typhoon, spinning at fast speeds, destroying what was left of the ornaments on the throne room.
The typhon created chaos in the room, pushing Lacilet to make a response of his own to combat the sword attack.
"[Plague Strike]!"
When Lacilet roared that attack name, he slashed his sword toward the [Blood Vortex], sending a vertical green sword slash of enormous proportions that clashed with Vlad's attack.
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Gazing coldly at those strikes colliding and the throne room that only had the red throne chair standing untouched, Vlad moved forward, covering his sword in more dark energy while his body pushed past the two strikes colling, creating an intense atmosphere in the room.
Lacilet meets him face on, also undisturbed by the intensity of the room, with his sword gushing out with dark green energy.
'[Death's Serenity]'
"[Plague Strike]!"
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The moment they clashed their swords, a strong shockwave blasted toward the walls of the palace, and with each moment, they were clashing their swords, increasing in the intensity of the colliding forces, making some stones of the throne room to crumble.
"Little Prince, you are not bad at all." said Lacilet with a wide grin on his face.
Similar to Lacilet, Vlad's face also held a crazy smile as they clashed their swords.
"Likewise, you traitorous bastard. I will not be hypocritical like you and confess, for such fights I've been longing all my life."
"Haha, what life, kid? You are only a little shit who still hasn't even grown all his hair." replied Lacilet disdainfully.
Hearing this, not offended by the comment, he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, pushing on Lacilet's willpower.
"Argh, motherfucker. I almost forgot that you Vermilions had that ability."
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They distanced away after finding that they were still balanced in power and kept clashing their swords like equals until Vlad said to the red wisp in his mind.
'Khrone, I will leave you a part of my Blood Energy to assist Sofiya or Tomas if they need help. I, unfortunately, have to dim my connection with the rest since I reached a moment where I can't be disturbed.'
*** Understood, lord, I will remind them of this. ***
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Some minutes later, Sofiya, who was fighting against Vord, the Ancient Cave Bear user, heard Khrone childish voice telling her that Vlad was unavailable.
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Minutes passed in Vlad's and Lacilet fight, and things kept their stability until Vlad's expression seemed to turn pained.
In that exact moment, Sofiya used the last [Progenitor Blood] vial he had left her, but choosing the [Empowering] option, which connected her directly to Vlad's Blood Energy, making him feel everything going on with her.
'Khrone, you bastard! What is going on? Who is she fighting!'
*** Calm down, Lord! While Mistress is in a tricky situation, she is still fine, I am looking after her. ***
'You better do, otherwise you know the consequences.'
Then as he was fighting with a pained expression that made Lacilet a bit surprised, he heard Sofiya contemplate her choice while suffering the pain of [Empowerment].
'I did, my love. But I never expected you to use it.'
It was in that moment that Lacilet capitulated on this half-focused Vlad, slashing at his body and blasting him crashing on the durable throne room walls that didn't collapse even under this crash.
"Hoh, you have something impressive on your body, little prince. But why have you turned weak all of a sudden? Is there something on your mind?"
[You nailed green parasite, this foolish bastard can't even concentrate properly, and once his soul mate gets in harm's ways, he turns all stupid and emotional.]
'Yea sure, as if you know what I am going through right now. The way she used the [Progenitor Blood] is like connecting herself on my blood energy like she is tapping on my powers.'
[Ohh, you can do that? Why did you never tell me?]
Vlad chooses to ignore the black moth comments and stabilize himself, reforming the exoskeleton that suffered breakage.
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Getting back on his feet, he saw Lacilet take the lead in the fight, placing him on the backfoot.
As he was on his backfoot, he heard Sofiya call for power, which he could only comply with and transmit more energy to her just enough so she wouldn't die from his powers, but him doing this meant that his energy also diminished slightly.
Lacilet kept pushing more into Vlad, feeling that the end was nearing.
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It was only after other minutes that his expression paled suddenly, releasing a grunt of pain before not long vomiting a mouthful of blood, while Lacilet didn't even manage to wound him properly.
This made Lacilet smirk and said with disdain. "Something is wrong, little prince? Your face turned pained and weakened. Don't tell me someone close died? Here let me give you some comfort, my prince!"
As he said that, he waved his arm, and a large wave of green mist was blown in Vlad's direction, for which Vlad barely managed to regroup himself and morph the blood around himself in a body-size crimson shield.
Blocking that green mist wave that corroded and decayed the blood shield, he thought to himself after hearing a childish voice in his mind.
*** Lord, the Mistress, is fine, along with the other three. ***
'I know Khorne. I felt all her pain. I just had to increase my connection with her heart and give her more power. I also had to awaken her healing cells so I don't lose her since she is in a dangerous location.'
'Now, let's focus on our fight since everyone dear to me is safe.'
Thinking that, he heard another voice that sounded cold and detached running in his mind.
[Fool, now you are weakened because you gave them your blood powers. You better don't beg me to help you, or you'll regret it. This person keeps trying to kill you from inside, so be careful of that nasty miasma around him.]
' Hah, you think I haven't noticed? So many blood cells in my body got destroyed by this bastard that I can't even tell you the number. It eats at my energy to produce more fighting cells, however, I should be fine. I still got many cards up my sleeves.'
Finishing his small conversation in his mind, he canceled his [Blood Aegis], and with a cold, sinister gaze, he pushed his Will upon Lacilet Vestios.
A dark-crimson shockwave exited his body and blasted apart the green mist wave approaching him, moving menacingly for the blonde man.
"Tsk, again with your damned Conqueror's! Haven't you learned your lesson, young prince? We have been fighting for almost 30 minutes. While you have this ability, it is still not powerful enough to defeat my Will."
In a rare moment, Vlad said something to Lacilet in a cold fashion.
"Vestios, you think too much of yourself. What will a backstabber have to even desire to become a king and rule over people? A nobody like you who is the dog of others? Hah, collapse under my Will peasant!" declared Vlad while intensifying his Conqueror's, that shock the entire Throne Room destroying what was left of the windows still on the frames.
Feeling pushed by Vlad's will, Lacilet Vestios gritted his teeth and surrounded himself in a cloud composed of dark green miasma. Slowly he went past the waves blasting on his miasma cloud, and with a hateful tone and sinister gazing, he said to Vlad.
"VERMILION BASTARD, YOUR FATHER WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO LIFT A FINGER AGAINST ME! YOU THINK YOU CAN DO SOMETHING YOUR PRODIGY OF FATHER COULDN'T ACHIEVE AND ACTUALLY TRYING TO KILL ME!"
"SO WHAT IF YOU HAVE THAT CURSED ABILITY! I AM STRONGER THAN THESE DAMNED PRIVILEGED BASTARDS WHO WERE BLESSED BY THE GODS TO GET THAT ABILITY!"
As Vestios ended saying that, the sinister green armour on his body intensified, shining brighter, and with each step, he pushed past the strong waves of Conqueror's Haki coming from Vlad.
Hearing what Vestios had to say, Vlad started laughing coldly and quickly increased the intensity of his Will to his pinnacle. His face turned sinister while he was laughing, and at a visible rate, he began resembling his former self, the Impaler, more while fighting against Vestios.
"Haha, what a funny fool. My will was tested by so many catastrophic challenges that you, a nobody who ruled a small piece of land in peace, couldn't understand. You wish to challenge my will? What a funny joke. Rats trying to raise against humans! Then come, let's see if you can approach me."
"This time, I am no longer helping anyone from the shadows. It is only you and me."
With that said, the rocks, blood, and everything in the throne room started flying around while the entire palace was shaking from his unleashed will.
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A/N: We got to the climax of their fight.
Also, there are some questions asked in this chapter that are quite compelling even for me. The Black Moth, what is truly is?
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Fun fact moment from the chapter: Can you guys tell me why Lacilet's powers no longer work on Vlad's body?
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P.S: Doesn't concern the story, but today I think I've written like 7000 words, for the One Piece story and my new story Saharan Successor combined. My head goes brrr, I need to put it inside the freezer.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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