The two were at the same level because Enrico, in order to endure this fight, had already used the time of the inner ring. He still had an advantage, since he still had a pact that could withstand a great attack.
"Blood Impact"
"Piercing Sword"
The two blows collided, but this time he was not pushed back. Without wasting time, he grabbed Vladimir's arm, lifted him, and slammed him hard into the ceiling.
"Flaming Shot"
His arrow pierced through his stomach, leaving a huge hole that Vladimir only survived thanks to the vampiric healing that began closing it. Opening his eyes, as he had shut them from the pain of being impaled, he noticed many arrows coming toward him. A blood rope shot out from him, pulling him out of the way.
"Tsk, I should've stayed calm and finished him off."
Now he couldn't cry over the mess he made, but for him it was a mistake many would have committed if their family had been destroyed. Holding both swords, he spun to block Enrico's kick, who had appeared behind him.
"Blood Count"
Crossing his blood blades, two slashes shot out, striking Enrico and cutting both his arms.
"Focused Punch"
His arms healed with water magic, but the important thing was that he took his characteristic stance for his best punch, finally giving it a name even if it was a simple one.
'I'll use everything I have to end this guy.'
Punching the air, his fist broke through one of Vladimir's swords, striking his chest and making him spit blood. Without taking a step toward him, Vladimir slashed with his sword, cutting Enrico's cheek.
"Return"
He grabbed his broken sword, which regenerated upon returning, and made another slash at his chest. Seeing the blood in the air, he tried to drink it immediately, but Enrico's kick to his chin forced him back.
Raising his hand, Enrico burned the blood, leaving no trace. He already knew Vladimir's plan was to cause as much damage as possible in order to use it to evolve his circle.
'No way I'd let that happen.'
'I need a stronger attack.'
Joining his swords, Vladimir attempted something new and managed to fuse them. He felt the power rise, then charged at Enrico at high speed.
"Idiot, you just got slower."
Seeing Enrico dodge with a grin, he realized his sword was heavier because his mana concentration had reached a physical state, increasing its weight.
"Blood Slash"
A high-speed cut — when Vladimir swung the sword, it sliced part of his rib. As always, Enrico immediately healed and erased the blood before he could approach.
"Okay, that was fast… congratulations."
Enrico quickly closed the distance, forcing close combat, while Vladimir retreated, avoiding that type of fight, realizing he was inferior up close.
'That bastard… how did he reach my level so fast? Must be some cheat.'
[You can see on his face how frustrated he is.]
'The more, the better.'
He seemed calm but knew his mana was depleting quickly. He had only raised his percentage, not his circle, which would've increased his mana pool.
'I still have one card up my sleeve he doesn't know about.'
[What is it?]
'Pretty obvious actually, so try to guess.'
He had already used his reward, which improved his main body — his speed — a good reason he had managed to dodge some of Vladimir's strikes during the fight.
'I also need to save my last pact.'
Getting closer, he grabbed the sword and pushed it aside to land a charged punch on Vladimir's chest. Raising his other fist, he struck again.
"Blood Transformation: Shield"
The sword turned into a shield, and at the touch of his fist, a mana explosion occurred, damaging Enrico's skin and pushing him back.
'It's tough dealing with someone whose skills I don't know, but that doesn't mean I'll lose.'
"Huff… huff… damn."
Seeing Vladimir's exhausted breathing, he realized that magic must consume a lot of mana, meaning at most he could use it a second time. It was time to end this fight.
Channeling a large amount of mana into his fist, flames engulfed it completely, mixing with Lunaris' blood power. Vladimir recreated his sword, only this time more compact, looking as though it could shatter at any moment.
'Looks like that bastard is going to use a final attack, so I'll use my best too.'
The magic he had created had the ability to shatter into multiple blades that he could control midair. His plan was to wait until the last moment, then dissolve it, allowing himself to be struck so the blades could pierce his opponent's entire body. He also noticed a fire clone behind him, so he'd have to be careful.
'I can endure this attack with my healing, but I don't think he can withstand mine.'
'Alright, everything's ready.'
Both prepared their attacks and rushed at each other at high speed. Vladimir focused on both his opponent and the clone, waiting until the very last second.
"Blood and Fire Impact"
"Blood Sword"
Both attacks were about to collide when he dispersed his sword into multiple blades, accepting the blow. Spitting blood, he saw Enrico switch with the clone, so he moved his hand back, sending the blades toward where the clone had been.
"This ends here."
Looking, he saw Enrico about to be hit until a sphere of water formed around him, protecting him.
"Wait—water magic?"
"Liked my surprise?"
Hearing Enrico's voice in front of him, he realized he had switched with the clone again. In his hands, a water spear was summoned and pierced through his heart, nearly killing him instantly, only surviving because even without a heart, vampires could live for a few minutes.
"If you're thinking of surviving thanks to a vampire's resistance to death, sorry, but I won't allow it."
A sphere of water engulfed them both, mana inside accumulating. Vladimir realized they would both be blown apart in that space.
"You'll die too, bastard."
He gripped Enrico's arms tightly, trying to prevent him from switching with a clone. He left blood on Enrico's arms — a spell that would force him to move together if he tried to escape.
Enrico looked at his hands while Vladimir tried to bite him, planning to use the moment to make his plan work and evolve.
Seeing the bite closing in, Enrico only smiled confidently, shocking Vladimir. With the explosion that engulfed them both inside the sphere, Vladimir knew Enrico wasn't planning to escape for some reason. His last thought before dying was:
'Even at my end, I can't surpass you, Saul.'