Born in Blood



Clang!

The index, middle, and ring fingers of Gerard Ursus were instantly consumed by the smoke, leaving behind a trio of bloody nubs.

At the same time, the strength behind Liam's swing was too much for Gerard, spraining his wrist and forcing him to retreat backwards – any smugness disappeared from his face.

Liam didn't follow straight away, choosing to wait for any hidden reaction.

His expression turned sour as he witnessed the scene.

Gerard's fingers instantly grew back, reforming with flesh and bone, even faster and potent than Liam's own regeneration.

The noble's pained look gradually softened, turning to anger.

Meanwhile, the crowd went wild at Liam's showcase of abilities.

Cultivators with the darkness element were extremely few, and any noble family that birthed one was guaranteed a high status in one or two decades.

As long as you were pure blooded, of course.

At the same time, in Ucladd's underground, Rogan and Lloyd watched the tournament with wide, tense and proud eyes.

All around them, fellow cultivators and rich business men watched as well, beer and drink in their hands, which they didn't dare take sips from lest they miss the fight.

During the Region Power Tournament, such 'TVs' would be brought to special establishments where they could witness the fights for a price, but Lloyd had never cared enough to watch them, till now.

Despite only Rogan and Lloyd knowing of Liam's identity, everyone in that room, and underground in general, rooted for the Blood Demon, a peasant, to win against a noble.

///

Gerard casually fixed his sprained wrist and stretched his arms, curling and bending his reformed fingers as he waved his blade.

On the other hand, Liam witnessed the red strands surrounding Gerard's body dim just a tiny amount.

'Whatever it is, it helps him regenerate and probably use more spells,' he thought, before growing stern.

Now that he could use his Darkness freely, Liam no longer felt bonded.

Forcing another breath, he shot forth, blades burning.

Tremors echoed from below, erratic rocky tendrils cracked through the ground and reached for Liam's feet, attempting to stop his advance.

Simultaneously, Liam caught sight of dozens of circular spots glowing around him, forcing him to evade and dodge backwards to avoid the lethal spikes.

Gerard knew not to let Liam close. He had watched his fights, and noticed how Liam didn't have any long ranged spells or attacks.

His offense hadn't stopped there.

As Liam continued to evade his spells, Gerard gathered a burst of energy around him, his muscles bulging and growing twice the size.

He bent his knees and squatted, slowly rising up his right foot, before stomping on the ground.

Boom!

Countless cracks spread across the ground, like a mirror shattering, causing Liam's footing to shake and wobble.

A rocky tendril managed to grab tightly at his right foot, but he yanked backwards just in time before a spike tore through his thigh. Still, jagged pieces of rock caused cuts to appear on his body.

Boom!

Another stomp caused small chunks of the stage to jut out and rise in the air, remaining in a floating state by Gerard's command.

This time, Liam wasn't as fortunate.

Both his feet were wrapped tightly together, rendering him unable to move as spikes impaled his calves, thigh, and foot.

At the same time, the floating chunks of solid rock converged at his figure, bluntly smashing against his body.

Gritting his teeth, he activated Cartilage Braces for the second time and spun around himself, unshackling his feet.

As he did so, blunt arcs of stone shot at him from different angles, slashing at his shoulders, hips, and arms.

Liam coughed a mouthful of blood as he dashed backwards, creating a moment of reprieve for himself.

His pale body was covered with gruesome cuts and purple bruises, his tattered clothes doused in flowing warm blood.

A heavy drowsiness weighed against his mind, barely balancing the chaos happening within his body. His mental energy had been lowered to a scarce amount from using too many spells.

His bloodshot eye fell on Gerard's figure.

The red strands had disappeared from his body entirely, leaving him bare.

But… Gerard was woundless, only expressing a slight tiredness on his arrogant face.

'Will I lose?' Liam wondered, mesmerized by the feelings of pain he was going through, like a child absorbed by the flickering of a flame. 'Did I render her death in vain?'

Liam let out a soft breath, slowly closing his eye. A serene feeling started to wash over him, calming his mind.

Gerard smirked as he started to bolt towards Liam, his longsword clenched close to his hip.

Liam gathered all his focus and aimed it all towards his opponent. Like a statue, he stood unmoving, unwavering, unblinking.

Liam's sea of consciousness had stilled.

His perception of time seemed to slow down. Liam felt his heart muscles contract and relax, its rhythmic beat echoing throughout his body.

His consciousness left his being and spread out to his surroundings.

…So much so, Liam was unaware of the streaks of drool flowing from the corners of his lips.

There were no feelings at all — not even thoughts. Only a blade intent on cutting through its victim.

Liam slowly bent his knees at a forward angle, his body falling diagonally as his blades were clenched tight.

The dark smoke around the edges of his katana and wakizashi started to whir violently, coating the blades in a sharp haze.

Gerard's panicked eyes reflected that sight, catching him off guard for a split second as he tried to raise his sword, but excruciatingly tight chains – darkly linked with corrosive properties – had bonded his feet together.

Liam's body blurred, reappearing behind the noble with his blades stretched forward and stained with blood.

Two gaping slashes had torn through Gerard's chest, the inside of which brutally festered and consumed muscle and bone. 

A silence stilled the air around the stadium, but the announcer's voice awakened all from their stupor.

"Blood Demon wins!"