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Chapter 24 - Chapter 24— Crimson Resolve

The Castle Of Foreverness scene

The chamber was silent.Only the sound of the elder's staff tapping against the polished stone floor echoed faintly, resonating with age and authority. The Castle of Forgiveness stood like a monument carved into eternity, its black marble walls glowing faintly under the crimson torches lit with eternal flame.

Inside the throne hall, a massive mirror dominated the center. Its surface wasn't glass, but a shifting layer of silver liquid that pulsed like it was alive. Around it, dozens of vampires stood in silence, their cloaks sweeping against the floor, their crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dark. Some were curious, some were wary, but all listened as the elder spoke.

"This," the elder's voice rumbled, ancient and deep, "is the battle now raging in the city of false mages. Watch closely, for fate is being rewritten."

The mirror rippled, showing the violent chaos within the mage city—frost, fire, blood, and lightning tearing through streets once thought sacred. They saw Yuji standing tall, his frost army endless, his smirk filled with arrogance. They saw Klein ripping through storms of flame and lightning with raw force. They saw Oban wielding his vampiric blade, slashing through reality itself, his strikes leaving afterimages like echoes. And they saw Allisa, body bleeding, spirit refusing to break.

Among the gathered vampires stood Aijack, arms crossed, face unreadable. His crimson hair fell to his shoulders, and his gaze was locked on the mirror like it could burn through. He had sent this team—Oban, Allisa, Klein—to fight. He believed in them, but even belief now trembled.

"They are strong," he whispered to himself, "but strength alone will not be enough. The boy Yuji… he is dangerous. And the mages…"

The elder glanced at Aijack, his withered lips curling into a thin smile. "Your faith will be tested. But perhaps, this is exactly what the world needs. A war that burns away weakness."

The mirror flared—shifting back into the chaos.

Scene Shift – Allisa vs. Yuji

Blood dripped from her arms.Her legs shook violently, but Allisa refused to fall. Before her, the frost bear stood like a mountain of ice and crimson crystal, its roar shattering the silence of ruined streets. Each breath of the beast was mist and death.

She clenched her jaw. "Not… yet."

Her eyes turned violet, power leaking from her soul. In one desperate surge, she extended both arms outward and whispered an incantation that rattled her very bones. Space bent, towers crumbled, and the battlefield folded inward like pages of a book.

The frost bear screamed as its massive frame was dragged into an altered dimension—a false one, constructed only by her blood, her mind, and her will. The world dimmed, colors bled, and reality itself flickered. The bear, once indomitable, shrieked in agony as the fake dimension compressed it into nothingness, shredding it apart like fragile glass.

Allisa fell to her knees, blood running down her lips. She coughed violently, her chest heaving. "Finally… gone."

But Yuji only chuckled. His steps echoed as he walked toward her, his eyes glowing faint blue. "Gone? No, dear Allisa… that was only the beginning."

He snapped his fingers.

The ground ruptured, and seven more frost bears emerged at once, each larger, each crowned with crimson crystals sharper than blades. Their roars shook the foundations of the mage city.

Allisa's eyes widened, her body trembling in disbelief. "Seven…?"

Yuji tilted his head, smiling like a predator. "Let's see how long you can dance before being torn apart."

The bears charged. Their claws ripped through stone as if it were paper, their frosty breath freezing the air itself.

And then—

A crimson slash tore through the battlefield, halting the bears in their tracks.

Its none other then Oban who already Arrives

Oban stood there, blade glowing faintly in his hand. His cloak fluttered in the icy wind, and his crimson eyes burned with determination. In his arms, he carried Allisa's weakened body, shielding her from the incoming beasts.

"Allisa…" he muttered softly, "don't you dare fall here."

She blinked weakly, looking up at him. "You… came…"

The mirror-like interface of his system appeared before his eyes, glowing with runic patterns, its voice calm and sharp like an AI.

[SYSTEM ALERT]Combat mode engaged. New skill unlocked.Blood Manipulation Phase IV: Healing Factor – Online.

Oban's blade pulsed as crimson energy surged into his veins. His skin glowed faintly, his wounds closing instantly. But more importantly, he placed his hand over Allisa's body, and tendrils of blood energy wove into her wounds, sealing them slowly, knitting flesh together.

Allisa gasped, strength returning faintly. Her bleeding slowed, her breathing steadied.

Yuji snarled. "Don't you dare interfere! Kill him first!!"

The frost bears roared, charging all at once. Their claws gleamed like blades, their eyes glowing with frozen malice.

Oban didn't flinch. He simply smiled faintly, his blade raised.

The system's voice echoed again:

[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED]Vampiric Slash → Multi-Slash Mode.Blood Enchantment Protocol – Active.Current weapon durability increased ×10.

His blade pulsed crimson. He slashed once—just once—but the air itself split into dozens of arcs of crimson light. The frost bear in front of him froze in mid-motion, then its body split into two, shattering into shards of ice and crimson crystal.

The other six roared, leaping on him together.

Oban didn't hesitate. He bit into his lip, blood dripping onto his blade.

[BLOOD ENCHANTMENT SUCCESSFUL]Weapon resonance 300%.

Slash impact: Unstoppable.

"Come then," Oban whispered, eyes blazing, "I'll break every last one of you."

His body blurred. His slash became a storm. The frost bears fell one after another, split apart in crimson brilliance.

And as the dust cleared, Oban stood tall, his blade dripping crimson light, his body glowing with the system's eerie power.

Yuji's eyes narrowed. His smirk faltered.

For the first time—he looked concerned.

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