BAM!
Jace's violent punch slams into Ren's face so hard that he feels his jaw crack.
He spits blood, yet he keeps his footing.
He counters with a thrust of his massive energy sword, but before he can reach Jace, the vampire is already behind him. Jace's knee drives into his back, striking his spine squarely.
Once again, Ren tries to react, generating a sweeping gust of wind with a flap of his wings, but Jace's physical strength and speed overwhelm him again.
The vampire lands a devastating kick to his side, cracking his ribs and sending him flying in a high arc, like a kicked ball. And unfortunately for him, he doesn't have his opponent's regenerative abilities.
Jace's current overwhelming superiority comes from Blood Rage.
It's a technique any vampire can learn, but only a few manage to master. It works by drastically increasing blood flow through the veins, causing an exponential rise in physical abilities. But forcing one's body to such extremes causes severe damage. For this reason, it's usually used only for a short time and as a last resort.
And Jace clearly intends to end the fight before his body collapses.
Those few, deadly blows are enough to reduce Ren to a wreck. He forces himself back up, but the pain in his back and side is unbearable.
He clenches his teeth and prepares for Jace's next assault.
It takes the vampire a single leap to close the distance. He throws another punch aimed at Ren's face, but this time he avoids it by the slightest margin.
The blow carries on with its momentum and slams into the ground, opening a massive crater, as though a small meteor had struck.
"H-How the hell did that bastard get so strong?"
Ren isn't a vampire and has spent his whole life on Earth, so he has no idea what Blood Rage is.
"Whatever this is, it's clear that such a sudden and insane power boost must have side effects — just look at his skin tearing apart. If I could get to high altitude and wait for it to wear off, it'd be easier… but it's too risky to leave my sister alone down here. If only I could infuse Magic Paralysis into my long-range spells… damn it, I have to come up with something!"
He barely has time to stand, leaning on his sword, when Jace is already right in front of him again. He draws back his fist, once more aimed at Ren's face.
Ren wants to react, defend himself, or at least dodge. But his battered body doesn't react in time, and he can do none of the three.
He barely manages to shift enough for the devastating punch to hit his shoulder instead of his temple.
A piercing scream bursts from his lips… and from Jace's an instant later.
The vampire trembles violently. His hand is stuck to Ren's shoulder. Then he's thrown backward and falls flat on his back. Black smoke pours from his mouth, and much of his body is badly burned.
The same effect as someone who's been electrocuted.
His wounds don't regenerate — they can no longer do so now that Magic Paralysis has kicked in.
Ren collapses to the ground, completely exhausted and shattered. His skin is covered in burns too, though far less severe than Jace's. The palm of his hand is bleeding from a long wound he inflicted on himself by gripping his sword's blade.
Using his own body as a conductor for the electric magic inside his sword was the only idea that came to mind the instant he saw Jace's fist inches from him.
A risky move that nonetheless proved effective.
Jace's smoking body lies collapsed just a few steps away, showing no signs of life.
Yet, despite being completely wrecked, Ren's only concern is Iris.
He smiles weakly when he sees the blood vines liquefy and Iris crawl toward him on her elbows.
And Ren does the same, crawling toward his sister.
But they aren't alone on that hill, now turned into a war zone.
«So it's true… that incubus really can master Magic Paralysis. Who would've thought someone besides Raelor and his daughter could use it…» Clarissa Fairmolt mutters.
She's a girl in her early twenties, with brown hair tied in a bun and glasses that make her look like a secretary. She's standing on a tall, thin pillar of rock she created with magic, hidden among the surrounding trees.
«What did I tell you? Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you owe me an apology for calling me ignorant,» replies a boy sitting on a tree branch next to her.
Jace Lance — the real Jace Lance.
The one defeated by Ren was nothing more than a copy created through Doppelganger magic.
It's a Blood Manipulation technique created by Jace himself, which turns a massive amount of his blood into a perfect clone, capable of moving and speaking at his will, as long as he maintains visual contact.
It's still under development, and for now Jace can only create a copy with a little more than half of his real strength.
«So, what now? Do we kill him? In his condition, it should be child's play,» Clarissa suggests.
«Casting Doppelganger drained me completely. You try doing it yourself if you want, but at your own risk. Besides, judging by that confused look you had during the fight, it's clear you could barely follow his movements, right?»
«Y-You're right… but that pendant around your neck. Using it, you could summon the woman in the photo inside — the Archwitch Veronica. She could eliminate Ren in an instant even at full strength. Let alone now. The boss told us to eliminate him if your suspicions turned out to be correct.»
«My mother is currently busy on planet N'Raeth with far more important matters than squashing an insect. If I summoned her, she'd be so angry she'd kill you and punish me. And honestly, I'd rather avoid both — especially my punishment.»
«Oh, how thoughtful…» Clarissa comments sarcastically. «So, what will you do now?»
«I think I'll go back to New York. John Hardley only tasked me with supervising Leon Thazreel — and besides being lazy, he turned out to be a traitor too. I only offered to gather information on Ren Toya because he just happened to live in the same town as Leon, nothing more. I'm not risking my life over things that don't concern me. If John really wants him dead, he can send someone stronger than me.»
>>>>>
BAM!
Jace's violent punch slams into Ren's face so hard that he feels his jaw crack.
He spits blood, yet he keeps his footing.
He counters with a thrust of his massive energy sword, but before he can reach Jace, the vampire is already behind him. Jace's knee drives into his back, striking his spine squarely.
Once again, Ren tries to react, generating a sweeping gust of wind with a flap of his wings, but Jace's physical strength and speed overwhelm him again.
The vampire lands a devastating kick to his side, cracking his ribs and sending him flying in a high arc, like a kicked ball. And unfortunately for him, he doesn't have his opponent's regenerative abilities.
Jace's current overwhelming superiority comes from Blood Rage.
It's a technique any vampire can learn, but only a few manage to master. It works by drastically increasing blood flow through the veins, causing an exponential rise in physical abilities. But forcing one's body to such extremes causes severe damage. For this reason, it's usually used only for a short time and as a last resort.
And Jace clearly intends to end the fight before his body collapses.
Those few, deadly blows are enough to reduce Ren to a wreck. He forces himself back up, but the pain in his back and side is unbearable.
He clenches his teeth and prepares for Jace's next assault.
It takes the vampire a single leap to close the distance. He throws another punch aimed at Ren's face, but this time he avoids it by the slightest margin.
The blow carries on with its momentum and slams into the ground, opening a massive crater, as though a small meteor had struck.
"H-How the hell did that bastard get so strong?"
Ren isn't a vampire and has spent his whole life on Earth, so he has no idea what Blood Rage is.
"Whatever this is, it's clear that such a sudden and insane power boost must have side effects — just look at his skin tearing apart. If I could get to high altitude and wait for it to wear off, it'd be easier… but it's too risky to leave my sister alone down here. If only I could infuse Magic Paralysis into my long-range spells… damn it, I have to come up with something!"
He barely has time to stand, leaning on his sword, when Jace is already right in front of him again. He draws back his fist, once more aimed at Ren's face.
Ren wants to react, defend himself, or at least dodge. But his battered body doesn't react in time, and he can do none of the three.
He barely manages to shift enough for the devastating punch to hit his shoulder instead of his temple.
A piercing scream bursts from his lips… and from Jace's an instant later.
The vampire trembles violently. His hand is stuck to Ren's shoulder. Then he's thrown backward and falls flat on his back. Black smoke pours from his mouth, and much of his body is badly burned.
The same effect as someone who's been electrocuted.
His wounds don't regenerate — they can no longer do so now that Magic Paralysis has kicked in.
Ren collapses to the ground, completely exhausted and shattered. His skin is covered in burns too, though far less severe than Jace's. The palm of his hand is bleeding from a long wound he inflicted on himself by gripping his sword's blade.
Using his own body as a conductor for the electric magic inside his sword was the only idea that came to mind the instant he saw Jace's fist inches from him.
A risky move that nonetheless proved effective.
Jace's smoking body lies collapsed just a few steps away, showing no signs of life.
Yet, despite being completely wrecked, Ren's only concern is Iris.
He smiles weakly when he sees the blood vines liquefy and Iris crawl toward him on her elbows.
And Ren does the same, crawling toward his sister.
But they aren't alone on that hill, now turned into a war zone.
«So it's true… that incubus really can master Magic Paralysis. Who would've thought someone besides Raelor and his daughter could use it…» Clarissa Fairmolt mutters.
She's a girl in her early twenties, with brown hair tied in a bun and glasses that make her look like a secretary. She's standing on a tall, thin pillar of rock she created with magic, hidden among the surrounding trees.
«What did I tell you? Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you owe me an apology for calling me ignorant,» replies a boy sitting on a tree branch next to her.
Jace Lance — the real Jace Lance.
The one defeated by Ren was nothing more than a copy created through Doppelganger magic.
It's a Blood Manipulation technique created by Jace himself, which turns a massive amount of his blood into a perfect clone, capable of moving and speaking at his will, as long as he maintains visual contact.
It's still under development, and for now Jace can only create a copy with a little more than half of his real strength.
«So, what now? Do we kill him? In his condition, it should be child's play,» Clarissa suggests.
«Casting Doppelganger drained me completely. You try doing it yourself if you want, but at your own risk. Besides, judging by that confused look you had during the fight, it's clear you could barely follow his movements, right?»
«Y-You're right… but that pendant around your neck. Using it, you could summon the woman in the photo inside — the Archwitch Veronica. She could eliminate Ren in an instant even at full strength. Let alone now. The boss told us to eliminate him if your suspicions turned out to be correct.»
«My mother is currently busy on planet N'Raeth with far more important matters than squashing an insect. If I summoned her, she'd be so angry she'd kill you and punish me. And honestly, I'd rather avoid both — especially my punishment.»
«Oh, how thoughtful…» Clarissa comments sarcastically. «So, what will you do now?»
«I think I'll go back to New York. John Hardley only tasked me with supervising Leon Thazreel — and besides being lazy, he turned out to be a traitor too. I only offered to gather information on Ren Toya because he just happened to live in the same town as Leon, nothing more. I'm not risking my life over things that don't concern me. If John really wants him dead, he can send someone stronger than me.»
BAM!
Jace's violent punch slams into Ren's face so hard that he feels his jaw crack.
He spits blood, yet he keeps his footing.
He counters with a thrust of his massive energy sword, but before he can reach Jace, the vampire is already behind him. Jace's knee drives into his back, striking his spine squarely.
Once again, Ren tries to react, generating a sweeping gust of wind with a flap of his wings, but Jace's physical strength and speed overwhelm him again.
The vampire lands a devastating kick to his side, cracking his ribs and sending him flying in a high arc, like a kicked ball. And unfortunately for him, he doesn't have his opponent's regenerative abilities.
Jace's current overwhelming superiority comes from Blood Rage.
It's a technique any vampire can learn, but only a few manage to master. It works by drastically increasing blood flow through the veins, causing an exponential rise in physical abilities. But forcing one's body to such extremes causes severe damage. For this reason, it's usually used only for a short time and as a last resort.
And Jace clearly intends to end the fight before his body collapses.
Those few, deadly blows are enough to reduce Ren to a wreck. He forces himself back up, but the pain in his back and side is unbearable.
He clenches his teeth and prepares for Jace's next assault.
It takes the vampire a single leap to close the distance. He throws another punch aimed at Ren's face, but this time he avoids it by the slightest margin.
The blow carries on with its momentum and slams into the ground, opening a massive crater, as though a small meteor had struck.
"H-How the hell did that bastard get so strong?"
Ren isn't a vampire and has spent his whole life on Earth, so he has no idea what Blood Rage is.
"Whatever this is, it's clear that such a sudden and insane power boost must have side effects — just look at his skin tearing apart. If I could get to high altitude and wait for it to wear off, it'd be easier… but it's too risky to leave my sister alone down here. If only I could infuse Magic Paralysis into my long-range spells… damn it, I have to come up with something!"
He barely has time to stand, leaning on his sword, when Jace is already right in front of him again. He draws back his fist, once more aimed at Ren's face.
Ren wants to react, defend himself, or at least dodge. But his battered body doesn't react in time, and he can do none of the three.
He barely manages to shift enough for the devastating punch to hit his shoulder instead of his temple.
A piercing scream bursts from his lips… and from Jace's an instant later.
The vampire trembles violently. His hand is stuck to Ren's shoulder. Then he's thrown backward and falls flat on his back. Black smoke pours from his mouth, and much of his body is badly burned.
The same effect as someone who's been electrocuted.
His wounds don't regenerate — they can no longer do so now that Magic Paralysis has kicked in.
Ren collapses to the ground, completely exhausted and shattered. His skin is covered in burns too, though far less severe than Jace's. The palm of his hand is bleeding from a long wound he inflicted on himself by gripping his sword's blade.
Using his own body as a conductor for the electric magic inside his sword was the only idea that came to mind the instant he saw Jace's fist inches from him.
A risky move that nonetheless proved effective.
Jace's smoking body lies collapsed just a few steps away, showing no signs of life.
Yet, despite being completely wrecked, Ren's only concern is Iris.
He smiles weakly when he sees the blood vines liquefy and Iris crawl toward him on her elbows.
And Ren does the same, crawling toward his sister.
But they aren't alone on that hill, now turned into a war zone.
«So it's true… that incubus really can master Magic Paralysis. Who would've thought someone besides Raelor and his daughter could use it…» Clarissa Fairmolt mutters.
She's a girl in her early twenties, with brown hair tied in a bun and glasses that make her look like a secretary. She's standing on a tall, thin pillar of rock she created with magic, hidden among the surrounding trees.
«What did I tell you? Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you owe me an apology for calling me ignorant,» replies a boy sitting on a tree branch next to her.
Jace Lance — the real Jace Lance.
The one defeated by Ren was nothing more than a copy created through Doppelganger magic.
It's a Blood Manipulation technique created by Jace himself, which turns a massive amount of his blood into a perfect clone, capable of moving and speaking at his will, as long as he maintains visual contact.
It's still under development, and for now Jace can only create a copy with a little more than half of his real strength.
«So, what now? Do we kill him? In his condition, it should be child's play,» Clarissa suggests.
«Casting Doppelganger drained me completely. You try doing it yourself if you want, but at your own risk. Besides, judging by that confused look you had during the fight, it's clear you could barely follow his movements, right?»
«Y-You're right… but that pendant around your neck. Using it, you could summon the woman in the photo inside — the Archwitch Veronica. She could eliminate Ren in an instant even at full strength. Let alone now. The boss told us to eliminate him if your suspicions turned out to be correct.»
«My mother is currently busy on planet N'Raeth with far more important matters than squashing an insect. If I summoned her, she'd be so angry she'd kill you and punish me. And honestly, I'd rather avoid both — especially my punishment.»
«Oh, how thoughtful…» Clarissa comments sarcastically. «So, what will you do now?»
«I think I'll go back to New York. John Hardley only tasked me with supervising Leon Thazreel — and besides being lazy, he turned out to be a traitor too. I only offered to gather information on Ren Toya because he just happened to live in the same town as Leon, nothing more. I'm not risking my life over things that don't concern me. If John really wants him dead, he can send someone stronger than me.»
BAM!
Jace's violent punch slams into Ren's face so hard that he feels his jaw crack.
He spits blood, yet he keeps his footing.
He counters with a thrust of his massive energy sword, but before he can reach Jace, the vampire is already behind him. Jace's knee drives into his back, striking his spine squarely.
Once again, Ren tries to react, generating a sweeping gust of wind with a flap of his wings, but Jace's physical strength and speed overwhelm him again.
The vampire lands a devastating kick to his side, cracking his ribs and sending him flying in a high arc, like a kicked ball. And unfortunately for him, he doesn't have his opponent's regenerative abilities.
Jace's current overwhelming superiority comes from Blood Rage.
It's a technique any vampire can learn, but only a few manage to master. It works by drastically increasing blood flow through the veins, causing an exponential rise in physical abilities. But forcing one's body to such extremes causes severe damage. For this reason, it's usually used only for a short time and as a last resort.
And Jace clearly intends to end the fight before his body collapses.
Those few, deadly blows are enough to reduce Ren to a wreck. He forces himself back up, but the pain in his back and side is unbearable.
He clenches his teeth and prepares for Jace's next assault.
It takes the vampire a single leap to close the distance. He throws another punch aimed at Ren's face, but this time he avoids it by the slightest margin.
The blow carries on with its momentum and slams into the ground, opening a massive crater, as though a small meteor had struck.
"H-How the hell did that bastard get so strong?"
Ren isn't a vampire and has spent his whole life on Earth, so he has no idea what Blood Rage is.
"Whatever this is, it's clear that such a sudden and insane power boost must have side effects — just look at his skin tearing apart. If I could get to high altitude and wait for it to wear off, it'd be easier… but it's too risky to leave my sister alone down here. If only I could infuse Magic Paralysis into my long-range spells… damn it, I have to come up with something!"
He barely has time to stand, leaning on his sword, when Jace is already right in front of him again. He draws back his fist, once more aimed at Ren's face.
Ren wants to react, defend himself, or at least dodge. But his battered body doesn't react in time, and he can do none of the three.
He barely manages to shift enough for the devastating punch to hit his shoulder instead of his temple.
A piercing scream bursts from his lips… and from Jace's an instant later.
The vampire trembles violently. His hand is stuck to Ren's shoulder. Then he's thrown backward and falls flat on his back. Black smoke pours from his mouth, and much of his body is badly burned.
The same effect as someone who's been electrocuted.
His wounds don't regenerate — they can no longer do so now that Magic Paralysis has kicked in.
Ren collapses to the ground, completely exhausted and shattered. His skin is covered in burns too, though far less severe than Jace's. The palm of his hand is bleeding from a long wound he inflicted on himself by gripping his sword's blade.
Using his own body as a conductor for the electric magic inside his sword was the only idea that came to mind the instant he saw Jace's fist inches from him.
A risky move that nonetheless proved effective.
Jace's smoking body lies collapsed just a few steps away, showing no signs of life.
Yet, despite being completely wrecked, Ren's only concern is Iris.
He smiles weakly when he sees the blood vines liquefy and Iris crawl toward him on her elbows.
And Ren does the same, crawling toward his sister.
But they aren't alone on that hill, now turned into a war zone.
«So it's true… that incubus really can master Magic Paralysis. Who would've thought someone besides Raelor and his daughter could use it…» Clarissa Fairmolt mutters.
She's a girl in her early twenties, with brown hair tied in a bun and glasses that make her look like a secretary. She's standing on a tall, thin pillar of rock she created with magic, hidden among the surrounding trees.
«What did I tell you? Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you owe me an apology for calling me ignorant,» replies a boy sitting on a tree branch next to her.
Jace Lance — the real Jace Lance.
The one defeated by Ren was nothing more than a copy created through Doppelganger magic.
It's a Blood Manipulation technique created by Jace himself, which turns a massive amount of his blood into a perfect clone, capable of moving and speaking at his will, as long as he maintains visual contact.
It's still under development, and for now Jace can only create a copy with a little more than half of his real strength.
«So, what now? Do we kill him? In his condition, it should be child's play,» Clarissa suggests.
«Casting Doppelganger drained me completely. You try doing it yourself if you want, but at your own risk. Besides, judging by that confused look you had during the fight, it's clear you could barely follow his movements, right?»
«Y-You're right… but that pendant around your neck. Using it, you could summon the woman in the photo inside — the Archwitch Veronica. She could eliminate Ren in an instant even at full strength. Let alone now. The boss told us to eliminate him if your suspicions turned out to be correct.»
«My mother is currently busy on planet N'Raeth with far more important matters than squashing an insect. If I summoned her, she'd be so angry she'd kill you and punish me. And honestly, I'd rather avoid both — especially my punishment.»
«Oh, how thoughtful…» Clarissa comments sarcastically. «So, what will you do now?»
«I think I'll go back to New York. John Hardley only tasked me with supervising Leon Thazreel — and besides being lazy, he turned out to be a traitor too. I only offered to gather information on Ren Toya because he just happened to live in the same town as Leon, nothing more. I'm not risking my life over things that don't concern me. If John really wants him dead, he can send someone stronger than me.»