#75
Brokoslak Clan (2)
After obtaining information on Frisia through Rosilica, Heinz moved diligently and subjugated the vampires scattered throughout the capital.
「Refined Blood Crystal」 forcibly evolved the vampiric factor in the body from the moment it was injected.
And the instant the vampiric factor—the source of a vampire’s power and the origin of their abilities—was altered, the “Blood Subordination” tied to it had no choice but to have its master forcibly changed as well.
From “Brokoslak” to “Heinz II.”
To the vampires he had subjugated in that way, Heinz gave an appropriate version of the lies he had told Rosilica, then instructed them to act as usual for the time being.
‘I deliberately injected only a small amount of 「Refined Blood Crystal」 to minimize the alteration of their blood. Unless something unusual happens, they shouldn’t notice anything wrong.’
A high-ranking vampire sensitive to the scent of blood might feel a slight sense of incongruity, but who would imagine that those who had been eating from the same pot until yesterday had suddenly changed banners?
To begin with, the premise that the vampiric factor could be altered and cause a change in a subordination relationship was something impossible in this world.
Unless one had gone completely mad through devouring one’s own kind—and that was not the case—it was a situation that could not have been anticipated from the start.
‘That’s also why Rosilica and the other vampires were able to believe me more easily.’
If they were a collateral branch split off from the same root, then perhaps it might be possible—they could force themselves to accept it that way.
Of course, it still did not make complete sense to them, but since it had already happened, they understood it as such and moved on.
However, there were bound to be some among them with particularly firm loyalty, so even if he had set the control strongly, he would not be able to hide it for very long.
And the person most likely to discover it would be none other than Frisia Brokoslak, the one in charge of surveillance within the capital.
Based on the information he had obtained from several vampires, Heinz immediately prepared a stage to lure her out.
‘Then shall I try fishing for a big catch?’
Not long after he finished his preparations, the moment of execution arrived.
***
“Lady Bright, you are truly beautiful again today.”
“Would you like to take a look at this new ruby necklace that just came in? It was made by an artisan who has been making quite a name for himself lately…”
Frisia Brokoslak was, as usual, leisurely enjoying a life of luxury.
Today was the day she patrolled the southern district.
After leisurely finishing her shopping at a jewelry store, she sat beneath the shade in the rooftop garden of an upscale café, enjoying tea and refreshments as she looked down at the humans bustling through the streets.
“It’s amusing no matter how many times I see it. The way they struggle so desperately to somehow keep living. Hohoho…”
Her public identity was “Frisia Bright,” a member of the House of Bright, the true power behind the Kingdom of Talia.
As the only ducal house in Talia, they boasted absolute authority within the kingdom, to the point that their influence surpassed even that of the royal family.
‘Most of them are already nothing more than our puppets. Because of the Church, we cannot step to the forefront, but this much is more than enough.’
The only matter that concerned them was that the Talia Diocese of the Main God Church had recently shown signs of expanding its influence with support from the main body.
‘The Lord will do everything in his power, but it seems things will become a bit more troublesome from now on.’
Still, if they used political means and showed opposition at the kingdom level, the Church would not be able to move rashly.
After all, one of the reasons the Church had been able to receive everyone’s respect all this time was that whenever they carried out something somewhere, they always sought understanding and permission from that place first.
Because they had shown themselves to be considerate of other powers and had restrained themselves from interfering in internal affairs as much as possible, other powers had also shown compromise and respect toward the Church.
During the expedition against the Immortal King, the matter had been so grave that it would have been difficult to respond even if they had acted coercively, but there was no such situation now.
Sip—
Frisia took another drink of her tea.
Enjoying fragrant tea was also one of her modest hobbies.
Just as she was savoring her hobby and spending a leisurely time…
“Hm?”
Beyond the capital’s southern gate, at the edge of her detection range, she sensed the aura of an unfamiliar vampire approaching the capital.
“What is this…? The aura seems to be around pureblood level, but something feels strange.”
Frisia, frowning slightly, set down her teacup and rose from her seat.
If she did not know, she could simply confirm it herself.
As someone with outstanding senses, she was the type who could only be satisfied after personally confirming anything uncertain.
Judging by the aura, the opponent was not particularly threatening to her as a true-blood, and no one would be foolish enough to pick a fight with them within Brokoslak territory.
Whoosh—
Her figure vanished from the rooftop garden like a gust of wind…
And a short while later, she appeared atop a hill outside the city wall.
Behind the unidentified vampire, who had stopped moving and was quietly looking at the capital.
Leisurely twirling the parasol she held, she opened her mouth.
“You there. What exactly are you? It would be best if you answered obedient… ly…?”
Fwoosh—!
But at that moment.
A thick scent of blood spread in all directions, and crimson patterns rose from the ground as if surrounding the hill where they stood.
Though she did not know it, it was a barrier created using 「Concealment」 and 「Blood Mystery」.
The instant it activated, the space inside and outside was completely severed.
Until the barrier was destroyed, not only escape, but even a single trace of energy would not leak outside.
“…A trap?”
But Frisia still merely frowned with a composed expression and looked around.
Her lofty pride as a true-blood and her confidence that she had accurately grasped her opponent’s strength prevented her from feeling any sense of danger.
“May I take this as you picking a fight with me, Frisia Brokoslak?”
Her eyes, which had been disguised as blue, slowly turned red.
Then her bewitching gaze, imbued with will, turned toward the vampire with black hair and black eyes, who was slowly looking back at her.
“Kneel where you stand at once— Kh!”
As she looked into the opponent’s eyes and activated her Mystic Eyes, she stepped back several paces, her eyes twisting in pain.
A line of blood trickled down from the corner of her eye as she hurriedly avoided his gaze.
‘My Mystic Eyes were repelled?! This much repulsive force—impossible!’
At some point, the man’s black eyes had also turned as red as blood and were silently staring at her.
And only then did Frisia realize that her opponent was not merely at pureblood level.
He was a true-blood… one with enough skill to completely deceive even her, who prided herself on her detection abilities.
“…What is your goal? For a true-blood to invade Brokoslak territory without any prior notice. Are you trying to start a war?”
She raised her tension and slowly folded her parasol.
Though she could not use her Mystic Eyes, she stared fixedly at him without even blinking so as not to miss a single movement.
At the moment the tension reached its peak.
“My goal?”
The black-haired vampire smiled faintly and slowly opened his mouth.
“Everything Brokoslak has.”
Boom—!
Immediately after, along with an erupting shockwave…
Frisia Brokoslak and Heinz II collided head-on.
***
Every time an explosion rang out and remnants of energy spread, the barrier surrounding them shook again and again.
A noblewoman in her early twenties with radiant golden hair.
Contrary to her delicate appearance, the battle with Frisia was indeed far from easy, as expected of a true-blood.
Swish— Boom!
The parasol, enveloped in blood magic power, traced a chaotic path as it occupied the directions Heinz might move in.
Even from Heinrich’s perspective, it was a proper swordsmanship learned and realized over long years, enough to draw admiration.
‘Since she uses Mystic Eyes, I naturally thought she’d be the mage type, but I was quite flustered when I heard she was a martial fighter.’
Even though he had begun the fight already knowing this, the synergy between a vampire’s body and swordsmanship honed over long years exceeded his imagination.
The instant he deflected the tip of the parasol that sharply thrust toward his upper body, she used even the recoil to draw a semicircle and immediately slashed at his leg.
He raised his knee to knock it away…
‘Light?’
There was no weight to the attack.
Crunch!
At the same time, her pointed high heel, extended after deceiving Heinz’s senses, drove into his ankle.
The moment Heinz briefly staggered from it, the parasol thrust once more toward his heart.
Boom—!
Using 「Acceleration」, Heinz hurriedly raised his guard and barely blocked the parasol, but he lost his balance and was helplessly flung backward.
However, Frisia, who had landed a valid blow, merely glared at him as the distance opened, a slightly irritated expression on her face.
“Hm, indeed… impressive.”
Only faint admiration lingered on Heinz’s face as he lightly rolled his shoulders and stretched.
It had been an attack imbued with dense blood magic power that could pierce steel like tofu, but to him, it was only damage he could soon recover from.
“You…! What is with that body of yours! And that blood magic power!”
Frisia ground her teeth again and gripped her parasol.
In terms of combat technique, including experience, Heinz was inferior to her, but in every other area, the gap was the opposite—and even greater.
The overwhelming difference in specs achieved through 「Hybrid Evolution」.
Not only physical abilities such as strength, speed, and durability, but even the amount of blood magic power, control, and application were on an entirely different level.
The blood magic power that instantly gathered at the point of impact deflected attacks, and the shock was dispersed throughout his entire body and absorbed.
On top of that, any damage he took was recovered in the blink of an eye with 「Super Regeneration」, so for Frisia, it was enough to drive her mad.
‘And she’s getting worked up over just this… I’m fighting with a considerable penalty even now.’
To begin with, Heinz’s combat style was closer to that of an assassin who delivered stealthy and lethal attacks.
He was only fighting her head-on to prevent her from destroying the barrier.
No matter how much effort he had put into the barrier, it would not last long against an attack from a true-blood who truly put her mind to it.
Moreover, the blood magic power continuously leaking out to protect the barrier from the aftermath of their collisions was also a small handicap.
‘But perhaps because she’s a vampire who has lived for over a hundred years, her realm is no ordinary one. Even with this much difference in specs, if we clash head-on in close combat, I won’t have much chance of winning.’
Of course, he would not lose either, so the battle would drag on endlessly.
Frisia’s blood magic power was around level 7 by Earth’s standards, but her combat power was on an entirely different dimension from the hardliners’ Betas.
It was likely the difference between an Awakened who had rapidly grown through all sorts of growth corrections and unique skills, and an otherworlder who had sharpened herself over long years.
“You are indeed excellent, but it’s a bit of a shame. Have you no thought of following me? I can make you far stronger than you are now.”
He offered recruitment just in case, but all that returned from her was a gaze that seemed to be looking at some lunatic.
Regrettable, but it seemed she, too, would require a bit of force.
‘My analysis of Frisia is more or less finished now.’
There was bound to be a difference between information heard from others and information experienced firsthand.
She was not a remnant-blood or a pureblood, but a true-blood. To bring her under his command, he needed to properly understand his opponent.
“It can’t be helped. Still, if you keep getting beaten, I’m sure your thoughts will change a little.”
“Hah… such bravado. With your skills, that’s impossible. And no matter how hard that body of yours may be, if I keep striking and striking, eventually— Ngh?!”
Interrupting her words, crimson blades shot out from the barrier behind her.
The blades grazed past her as she twisted her body sharply, then reached the opposite barrier and naturally melted into it, disappearing.
“You…!”
“I don’t know what you’ve misunderstood, but I’m not a martial fighter like you. Until now, I was simply keeping you company.”
From the very beginning, the inside of this place had been Heinz’s domain.
As he used 「Blood Mystery」 more actively, part of the barrier bared its teeth according to his will.
Blades, arrows, harpoons, chains—all sorts of attacks shot toward Frisia.
Blood magic that originated from Heinz and blood magic fired from the barrier created synergy, throwing her hands and feet into disorder.
On top of that…
Boom—!
“Kuhak!”
In an instant, he used 「Concealment」 and 「Invisibility」, identified an opening with 「Insight」, then burrowed in with 「Acceleration」 and drove a fist filled with blood magic power into her side.
Crimson chains wrapped around her entire body as she was flung sideways, followed by countless linked blood spells.
However, Heinz’s expression hardened slightly as he looked at his shoulder.
‘As expected, she’s not easy.’
At the instant his attack landed, Frisia’s momentary counterattack had pierced a hole through his shoulder.
He had focused too much on attacking and failed to defend properly.
Of course, it recovered in an instant with 「Super Regeneration」, but it seemed he needed to be a little more careful.
As Heinz began to tighten his grip on her throat more thoroughly, the situation thereafter became one-sided.
She struggled desperately to escape somehow, but as if sinking deeper and deeper into a mire, her momentum gradually weakened.
And at last.
“You lasted longer than I expected.”
“Kh… Y-you…!”
Frisia, her entire body reduced to a ragged mess, lay sprawled before Heinz while bound in chains.
It was the moment when one of the true-bloods of the Brokoslak Clan finally fell into Heinz’s hands.