Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

The screams of the crowd went wild, and the announcer's witty and sarcastic input flowed into Nikolai's ears—with each breath, he could feel the powerful beat of his two hearts. The two hearts beat in opposition to each other, causing his chest to ache.

"Haa.....haa...."

As the Dark Hound unleashed its power, the battle took a dangerous turn for Nikolai. His once pristine silver fur was now covered with crimson stains, a visual representation of the intensity of the fight. His silver hair clung to his skin with sweat as he kept a wary eye on the now cautious hound.

"I hope it doesn't have any tricks up its sleeve." He muttered before lowering his body, both pairs of claws shimmering in the spotlights, as he spread his palms, collecting energy in both.

"It's just an ordinary beast with an ordinary bloodline—if I go all out, then it'll be dead before long, but that would be boring. But now... how about I play with you, hound?"

"????" The hound's head tilted, but it definitely understood the words because a moment later, the huge beast shot forward, its large jaws opened, revealing two rows of yellowed and sharp teeth.

"That's a foolish decision," Nikolai scoffed, his eyes suddenly shining with a deep and mysterious red light, his pupils transforming into an intricate geometric pattern. This was a power he didn't fully understand, but those of the Báthory clan would recognise it instantly—the symbol of their royal bloodline art activating.

In the past, against Sebastian, it was a mixture of instinct and the barely awakened blood art. However, the small battles and Nikolai practising how to use his powers by letting his celestial aura flow through his veins and body allowed him to awaken the ability all his family would die for completely.

Some would call it divination or foresight and depending on the desire of the heir that inherited this ability, it would take different forms.

His mother's main use was to gaze into the future, able to change any tragedy that might befall her loved ones. However, in combat, her ability wasn't strong; she might be able to avoid attacks from weaker enemies or an assassin's first blow. Yet, in a long battle, her ability would deteriorate rapidly.

The Báthory were a clan of diviners and enchanters at most. They were not a clan that enjoyed combat. However, their thralls were intensely trained into the strongest knight order in the distant past. This could only happen thanks to the enchantment and special abilities of their blood arts.

Compared to the Tepes, Allucard and other families, their actual power as true-blooded vampires was weaker than the rest.

However... what would happen if that bloodline was mixed with the most violent and combat-loving bloodline of werewolves? The answer appeared instantly as Nikolai's mind returned to reality.

His head leaned to the right, by the smallest possible amount to avoid any damage from the hound, before his right knee, like a hammer, smashed into the hound's lower body, crushing its balls, before his right arm stretched out, fingers wide open, as it grasped the hound's neck.

"Gruuu....." The dark hound whimpered, and Nikolai's ears twitched as the beast desperately tried to retreat. Its eyes locked on the man in front of him, disgusting globs of acidic drool leaking down his mouth, causing Nikolai's glowing eyes to narrow.

"I will devour you and take every ounce of your strength, mutt."

"GRUUAAAAA!!!" The Dark Hound let out a miserable howl as its jaws opened up and aimed towards the hand gripping its neck. Nikolai's eyes turned into pinpoints, and a strange sensation travelled through him.

"So that's how it is..."

He could see the dog's head and movements and its path in his mind as if he were watching the future happen in slow motion. It was only a few nanoseconds, but he could react and twist his body out of the way of the beast's razor-sharp teeth while his left hand was raised above his head, energy compressing into a solid form.

'Compress all my celestial aura into my claws, protect the bones and muscles from damage and!'

It was a technique that, when used with the bloodline of a werewolf, would have a much more destructive power.

"Moonlight Rend."

It was a simple name, but a deadly attack as he threw his hand downward, and the energy shone along his claws like a beautiful silver moonlight, leaving a trail of silver as his claws sliced the hound's neck and tore through its flesh, removing the creature's head cleanly.

With a thud, the body of the Dark Hound hit the ground, but Nikolai's wounds, although healed, caused him to suffer damage as he knelt on a single knee, looking at his right hand that began to return to normal.

[I cannot believe it... you made a skill with pure celestial aura?]

"Haa....haaa..."

"A perfect kill, ladies and gentlemen! A perfect and awe-inspiring move from our guest fighter, Mr Nikolai!" The announcer's voice was filled with admiration as the crowd's screams were almost deafening.

Nikolai couldn't afford to listen to the announcer before his hand felt sore, a tingling sensation as the power from the dark hound was devoured.

Though he didn't understand the mechanic, it seemed a small hole, like a mouth, appeared on his hand, devouring the monster's crystals and blood, which not only reduced his frenzy level but also improved his physical strength.

'Ugh... it feels like someone is packing my muscles with foam... like an old sofa cushion.'

The reality was Nikolai's analogy was correct when he devoured others. The evil god's blood would then enhance and purify the crystals to the highest level and then disperse that strength to his body in real time.

His muscles would become stronger and more durable, and his stamina would increase explosively. The stronger the creature, the less he would lose from the evil god's purification.

'I guess that's why those thralls gave such a negligible amount of aura and power... but I can really feel it with this hound. My body is brimming with celestial aura!'

"How does it feel, Kai? How does it feel to be a new force in the ring?!" The announcer laughed, and Nikolai finally looked up at the announcer with an aggressive grin on his face.

"I don't mind being called the king of the arena!"

"OOOOH!"

"This young man's confidence! Is it overconfidence or his determination? We'll find out! Please enjoy the quick break as we prepare for the next match! As for you, Kai! We hope you don't keep us waiting too long!"

Nikolai felt proud of himself. The battle was tough, but he truly felt that he could now use his blood art at will, and it would also activate automatically if needed.

He wondered if his father would teach him more when he returned because Nikolai had only recently awakened. There was far too much to realise, but he wanted to change the name of his bloodline skill—it was too useful just to call it blood aura.

'I should try to learn more about the bloodlines after this is over.'

[Well, when you used it, your eyes shone with a beautiful crimson glow, and a pattern emerged on your iris. It was so beautiful!]

'Huh, really?'

***

Meanwhile, as Nikolai and his master were busy talking, a man was sitting in the VIP seats, his eyes locked onto the boy below, his brows furrowed. He shared a slight similarity with Nikolai's features, with black hair and red eyes, but with a more gentle and soft look compared to the wild and dangerous look of Nikolai.

"Hmm... A strange child, but that pattern." He grasped a golden bell and rang it before a male in a suit entered and bowed.

"Your lordship?"

"Prepare a present for that young warrior named Kai, something that will help him fight, maybe a light armoured shirt or something useful. Have it prepared before his next fight."

"Yes, my lord!"

The man dismissed his servant before leaning back in his chair and sighing.

He then opened a small necklace with a picture of a stunning young woman with long black hair and a red ribbon, along with eyes identical to Nikolai's and a cold smile on her face. In the picture, she looked to be around fifteen.

"Kai... for some reason, you remind me of my daughter. My little angel, If only you never left my side, would you have passed away so young?"

'Maybe it's time I returned to the clan; I have been mourning my loss for over fifteen years.'