555 Chapter 555: Vampire Prince (1/2)

I winced as Fan Le Lao's spear left a cut on my skin again and staggered back. Fortunately, the wound wasn't too deep or sevre, but that didn't stop the blood from trickling down my arm. As I said, I was suffering a death by a thousand paper cuts. That was Fan Le Lao's strategy. He was taking his sweet time, attacking me in an unharried manner, knowing there was nothing I could do to completely block his attacks now. He knew it wouldn't be long before my consciousness faded from the massive blood loss and I would eventually fall to his attacks.

He was delusional if he thought I was going to let that happen.

”Green Dragon!”

My Celestial Guardian materialized behind me and lashed out with a claw. Fan Le Lao parried the blow, scything down the vines and plants that coiled around him. While he was distracted, Green Dragon struck him with his tail, sending the vampire prince flying.

Blood qi surged out and Fan Le Lao burst out of the outgrowth, his spear surging forward to stab me in the chest. By now, I was ready for him. Green Dragon stepped in to counter, but Fan Le Lao swerved about, making use of his smaller size and greater speed to evade my Celestial Guardian and curved about to strike me.

Once again, I had expected that.

”Black Tortoise!”

My third Celestial Guardian materialized in his chibi form, mounted atop my shoulder. My azure mana coalesced into a fog that enveloped both of my blades just as I crossed them to parry Fan Le Lao's spear. My mana then froze my surroundings and entombed Fan Le Lao's spear and his arms in ice. His eyes widened for just the briefest of moments, but he then coolly responded by increasing his crimson, demonic mana and shattering the ice before slamming me away with a swing of his spear. Even though I succeeded in blocking his strike, I was still sent hurtling across the chamber.

”Gah!”

I lay on the ground, winded from the ferocious blow. Huffing, I tried to crawl to my feet while Fan Le Lao leisurely strolled forward.

Was he an idiot?

Green Dragon's claw crushed him onto the ground. Any normal foe would have been pulverized, but the vampire prince managed to withstand the blow. Bellowing, he used his spear to shove Green Dragon's paw back and slashed, but his blood blades merely dissipated harmlessly against the wall of wood that Green Dragon conjured

Fan Le Lao held his left hand up and closed his fingers. Behind me, several dozen blood spears lurched from the ground and streaked toward me. There were a hundred or so that also hurtled toward Green Dragon, who was busily engaging the vampire prince in combat, forcing the immense Celestial Guardian to retreat. Gritting my teeth, I reached out to Green Dragon mentally.

A slash from above forced me to raise Hei Yue and Bai Ri to parry it when the spear easily cleaved through my icy sphere, but Fan Le Lao's foot came flying from another direction and connected with my body. I coughed as the vampire prince's kick sent me flying again.

”Ugh…”

I spat out some blood and heaved on the ground, leaning on my two swords as I tried to get to my knees. Damn it…what a blow. That kick must have cracked a rib or two at least.

”Richard!” Rossetti cried out from the side, but she was forced to block a pair of blood claws with her chakrams.

”I'm all right,” I assured her. As if to prov my point, I summoned Snow Aegis to shield myself from Fan Le Lao's relentless barrage. Similarly, Green Dragon conjured thick walls of wood to counter the rain of blood spears falling from above.

Despite erecting an impenetrable defense, Fan Le Lao's next move completely caught me by surprise.

”…!”

Blackthorn vines whipped out from Fan Le Lao and curled around me. I tried to hack and slash, but the more I struggled, the fiercer they wrapped around my limbs.

Then I stopped struggling.

I had recalled this scene from earlier. Yeah, this was what happened when Zhao Yan was captured. The more she resisted, the tighter the blackthorn branches restrained her. It was futile to escape. Defeated, I slumped as the blackthorn vines hauled me up.

While I was hanging suspended in the air, Fan Le Lao strolled toward me with a smirk. Raising a spear, he aimed it at my chest. Behind him, Green Dragon bellowed in futile rage, but Fan Le Lao kept my Celestial Guardian at bay with his hail of unceasing blood spears. Ignoring my Green Dragon, the vampire prince sneered at me.

”You fought well…I didn't think you would have lasted this long. But it's time to die.”

”You really have to spout that cheesy line before you kill me, don't you?” I sighed. Fan Le Lao's brow twitched and he responded by plunging his spear into my heart.

Or would have, if I didn't choose that moment to unleash my ice spell from my chibi Black Tortoise. One that I had learned from Teacher Einsberg.

”…!”

The mana that I had been accumulating was released in a single spell, freezing the blackthorn vines that were holding me captive and shattering them. Despite his formidable constitution, even Fan Le Lao was forced to jump back or suffer grievous injuries. Even so, his arms and part of his body were caught by the freezing blast, turning into ice.

Not only that, Green Dragon selected that instance to smash through the rain of blood spears with his wood spells and smashed a gigantic log onto Fan Le Lao, crushing him onto the ground.

”You…!”

Scowling as blood frothed from his mouth, Fan Le Lao shattered the ice with a surge of his demonic mana. He forcibly swung his spear upward to cleave the colossal wooden log into pieces to free himself, but the splinters embedded themselves deeply into his rapidly regenerating body. Mist rose from his body and he panted, realizing that he had expended a significant amount of mana to liberate himself and heal his wounds.

”What the hell was that spell?!”

I didn't reply. Instead, I was charging forward with both of my swords, focusing all my remaining mana into the point of the blades. I thrust Hei Yue at him, yelling determinedly.

However, Fan Le Lao managed to parry my last-ditch attack with the shaft of his spear, holding it up with both hands to prevent the sharp tip of my black sword from burying itself in his chest. Gritting his teeth, his demonic mana flared up and he sent several volleys of blood spears at me.