Born in Blood

As soon as the Mayor said 'disqualified', the General slowly raised his head. For two seconds, he looked utterly confused, as though he'd just woken up from a nap.

On the third second, a look of realization and surprise fell on his face.

On the fourth second, he sighed and rubbed his face.

Finally, he started laughing wholeheartedly, utterly unfazed of the embarrassing loss.

"Ah… Alucard," the General said with a little laugh. "You know me so well, eh? Knew I'd take it head on?"

Alucard remained silent, but gave him a cold smile.

The General's laugh slowly turned into a light chuckle. Silence.

"It's a shame I was only allowed one ability."

Silence again.

Taking his time, the General made a beeline towards the exit tunnel, his wide back growing distant. Before long, he was gone. …One ability?

Everything the General used was just one ability?

Impossible!

Of course, he could just be lying.

But the old man didn't seem like the deceitful type. In fact, he probably dropped that last line just to make Liam and Alucard realize how little he was trying. Or, at least, allowed to try.

It was the Mayor that tied one hand behind the General's back, after all.

The Queen scoffed in disdain as she watched him go. "Sore loser."

It was… strange seeing Royalty say such words, but perhaps the grudge was so deep that titles and social standing didn't matter – even in front of others.

Then, the Queen's heavy gaze was directed towards Alucard and Liam.

Even with two against one, an air of pure confidence oozed from the royal.

However, even though she was outnumbered, her Position wasn't particularly disadvantageous.

After all, she had 150 meters that she could defend all by herself, while Liam and Alucard had 400 meters to cover in total — 200 each. The air turned tense.

This was it!

Just two little obstacles stood in Liam's way to attaining the Star Dust. Well… they weren't little.

One was a Queen and the other was a Pashah.

The Mayor threw the ball towards Queen Thyress, who grabbed it with one hand and stared at it for a few seconds.

Then, she raised her head resolutely.

Light grew brighter in her eyes. WHOOM!

A moment later, her irises had gotten so bright, they seemed like stars!

At the same time, a slow glow rippled over her hair, causing each little thread to shimmer and float on its own. Liam's hairs perked up.

Danger.

Liam felt danger.

"Is she using her Path?" Liam subtly whispered to Alucard without using his lips. Alucard gave him a firm, silent nod. Liam had no clue what that path entailed. In fact, besides knowing that the Queen was a light elemental, there was nothing else he knew about her.

'Her progeny is weird,' Liam thought. 'They all had iridescent energies replacing their elements. Is that a by-product of her doing?' Liam didn't know. And there was no more time to think. Just then, the Queen jumped alongside the ball, just a few inches away from the net.

BOOOM!

With a hand basked in pure light, the Queen slapped the ball forward. WHOOSH!

Other than the initial impact, the ball seemed to get faster the further it went! It bent the air around it, causing violet gales to spread everywhere.

But truth be told, Liam didn't expect that response.

He expected a flashy move like Liam's response was instant.

With one foot, he kicked himself towards the ball, and with the other foot, he kicked the ball towards Alucard!

BANG!

Similar red energy rippled over Alucard's forearm, arriving at his palm as he struck the ball back to the Queen.

BOOOM!

WHOOSH!

Crimson energy crackled across the ball's surface. That energy made the General sleep!

The General!

Liam expected more or less the same thing to happen to the Queen!

…

But that was not the case.

As soon as the ball arrived at the edge of the net, the Queen slapped it back with both her hands clasped with light.

BHOOM!

Faster now, the ball ricocheted back at Liam. It didn't make her fall asleep!

All it did was make a scowl form on her face. Was the red power repelled because of the light?

BOOM!

Within the same second, Liam kicked it back directly towards the Queen with a stylish downwards heel.

BOOM!

With light-covered hands, she sent it back towards Alucard, who received it with the crimson energy crackling between his fingers.

A second later, Alucard hit it back.

BOOOM!

WHOOSH!

BANG!

WHOOSH!

BANG! WHOOSH!

BOOOM!

As the game continued, the ball resembled a bolt of lightning, flashing to Liam's side of the pitch or Alucard's.

Queen Thyress was a monster. As soon as the ball was an inch across the net, she was already there.

Then, she would smash it in with light covered hands, ignoring the pain or discomfort that came with touching that crimson energy.

It wasn't that she couldn't feel it.

She definitely could.

Each time it grazed her skin, her grimace deepened.

And yet, as the game went on, instead of slowing or getting worse… the Queen got stronger!

Way, way stronger!

Liam was falling behind!

He had already used 99% of his ichor.

He had hit the invisible wall that denied him the ability to do any more. His skin and muscles ripped while his bones cracked each time he struck the ball. Alucard looked much better off physically. However, he wasn't even using physique-empowering abilities.

In fact, he wasn't using his blood at all!

He was just using that red energy.

Not more or less.

Just the same amount.

And there was no question about it. It was supposed to work as intended.

Well, it did work as intended.

But it wasn't working on the Queen!

BOOOOM! WHOOOOSH!

BOOOOOM!

WOOOOOSH!

The speed, power and might of each pass was getting stronger and stronger.

And yet, the Echorian Queen showed no signs of slowing down.

'Does she get stronger the more effort she uses?!' He was struggling to keep up.

And if Liam's eyes weren't failing him… he was pretty sure he saw a tinge of pleasured sadism in the Queen's expression.