Helena's gaze remained serene, almost disdainful in its composure. Clearly, she believed that Zeke's words were nothing more than empty bluster.
It only made his smile widen.
Was this not exactly the kind of opponent that was the most satisfying to defeat?
Slowly, the blood in his body began to stir. Once more, he did not use a spellform. He was beginning to understand why Maximilian had insisted that he engrave such a vague spell for his strongest Blood affinity during his first advancement.
It had not offered overwhelming power at the time, but its flexibility had made up for it. Now that he was coming into his own, he was beginning to understand the true purpose behind that decision.
Blood would always follow. All it needed was a nudge. And a nudge was exactly what his engraved spell could provide.
Following the vague image in his mind, a fine vapor burst from his pores, turning both of his hands red within seconds. Instead of dripping to the floor, it clung to his skin as if it were attached to it.
Just like that, his fists, all the way up to his elbows, were coated in a thin layer of blood.
Zeke inspected his own Blood with great interest. It might not have been obvious to anyone else, but he could see and feel the difference compared to the blood of others. The Mana contained within it was several times greater than that of any other Mage. Besides that, the color was slightly off. Instead of the usual crimson, Zeke's blood carried a faint metallic warmth. It was as if a trace of yellow had been mixed into it.
The changes brought by his Draconic Essence had been largely invisible until now, but the denser it became, the more apparent the change grew. At the moment, it stood just short of being noticeable. In the future, however, he would have to find a way to explain why his blood was becoming more and more like that of the ancient races.
But those problems were for his future self to worry about.
A moment later, the blood on his hands crystallized into its final form. It had taken the form of clawed gauntlets, with interlocking, layered scales that made them impervious to piercing or slashing. At least, that was how it appeared. On closer inspection, however, his hands now closely resembled the claws of a dragon, like the ones he had seen on Khai'Zar.
He found the shape oddly appealing. Unlike the whips and appendages Akasha had once used to control him, this form was far easier to use.
He brought his fists together experimentally. A satisfying clinging sound rang out as they struck each other, like metal hitting metal.
His gaze flicked to the silver snake. He could not wait to see how it would fare against his punch now. Well, there was no better time than the present to find out.
Helena was still standing in the exact same spot, watching him with that same emotionless gaze that almost reminded him of Akasha's first attempts at being human. Though he found it far less endearing on her.
"Get ready. Here I come."
Zeke kicked off the ground once more, launching himself toward Helena. The distance vanished in an instant. Once again, Helena could not even follow his movement. Or perhaps she did not even try.
For Zeke, however, the charge lasted far longer. The reason was simple. The moment his feet left the ground, he activated his [Sanguine Clarity]. Though he had determined that Mind Magic would be ineffective in this fight, that only applied to his opponents.
He could still use it on himself.
He immediately set it to about twenty-five percent of its maximum strength.
That might not have sounded like much, but it was enough to stretch the fraction of a second it took him to reach her into several times that long in his own perception. To his eyes, he was moving as slowly as if he were wading through water.
With this enhanced perception, he could not only control his own movements perfectly and eliminate wasted motion, but also keep track of all three snakes at the same time.
Their serpentine heads followed him perfectly. Even the golden snake, which appeared to be blind, had no trouble keeping track of his position. Clearly, they weren't ordinary. Yet none of them acted. They simply watched him approach.
Only when Zeke entered striking distance did one finally move.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Once again, it was the silver snake that intercepted him. This time Zeke did not hold back. His gauntleted fist shot straight toward Helena's face. It was a killing blow. If the snake had not moved, nothing but a red mist would have remained of her head.
Now that its movements were slowed in his perception, he could clearly see what it was doing. The snake moved to block his fist with its forehead. A reinforced plate seemed to be embedded there, some kind of bone structure likely used for both attack and defense.
To his surprise, it was even faster than he did. Despite attacking with full force, he could not quite match the snake's sudden burst of speed.
His fist collided with the silver scales. He felt the impact before he heard it. Once again, it felt as if he had punched a steel wall. From the moment of contact, he knew he would not be able to break through it in one punch.
But the snake was not as unaffected as before. Though it held firm, Zeke could feel its scales deform slightly under the blow, like an imprint left in sand.
He immediately followed with a second strike. His feet were firmly planted, and the power behind this blow was even greater than before.
But at that moment, the red snake moved.
Its mouth opened wide, as if to snap at him. Yet Zeke could tell that was not the true attack. The instant its maw opened, the surrounding Mana began to gather into a single point.
Not good!
Zeke immediately abandoned his strike and twisted his body aside. Only his drastically enhanced perception allowed him to dodge the concentrated beam of molten fire that tore through the space where his head had been a moment earlier.
The attack was almost on the level of an Archmage. If not in scale, then certainly in lethality.
He glanced at it varily from the corner of his eye before resuming his attack. Despite the danger the red snake posed, there was no point in changing his target. Only by defeating their master, Helena, could he ensure victory.
His feet stabilized, and his fist struck out again.
It struck. And struck. And struck. Yet it never reached its target.
His fist was moving not just as if he were submerged, but as if he were trapped in molasses. It was several times slower than before.
Just as he began to suspect that he had unconsciously increased the intensity of his [Sanguine Clarity], he noticed the golden snake. Its vacant eyes had become sharp, its pupils now clearly defined. Its gaze was locked directly onto his with a menacing glow.
This was clearly its work.
But realizing it didn't mean he could do anything about it. Under that golden gaze, the very laws of the world seemed to mock him. It felt as if he was swinging at full force, but his body was barely moving.
Then there was a flash of silver.
His feet lost contact with the ground. The pain arrived an instant later.
His ribs.
He felt them crack. One. Two. Three. Definitely broken. He landed a moment later, his feet sliding back a step as he leaned forward to counteract the force.
Throughout the entire exchange, Zeke's eyes had never left the snakes.
His mind replayed the events from a moment ago. Again and again. He examined every detail of the exchange. Slowly, the sequence grew clearer until it formed a complete understanding. The initial impact, the counterattack, the sensation of being slowed, the final blow.
A sigh of admiration escaped his lips.
It was like watching a conductor lead an orchestra. Every instrument had placed its part so perfectly that it almost seemed as if the script had been written in advance.
The first snake had stopped his charge and created the opening for the second to launch its attack. That, in turn, gave the third snake enough time to use its ability. Finally, the first snake struck again, dealing damage and creating enough distance for the other two to recover their abilities.
Silver—Red—Gold.
Metal—Fire—Time.
Defense—Offense—Support.
All guided by a brilliant commander and strategist.
In all his time, Zeke had never encountered a more well-rounded opponent. Helena embodied the three principles of combat perfectly without sacrificing anything in return.
Honestly, he could hardly imagine anyone at their level posing the slightest threat to her. Even without the restrictions on space and mind, he would struggle to match her.
This was exactly what Maximilian had wanted for him as well. Blood as offense, Space as defense, and Mind as support. Unfortunately, Zeke had not been able to follow his mentor's path to the end. Otherwise, he might have become something similar to the woman standing before him now.
How fortunate, then, that he had long since found his own path.
Zeke straightened to his full height and took a deep breath. His heart was hammering so hard it sounded like a war drum. The pain in his ribs dulled, nothing more than a faint ache in the background.
His golden eyes slowly moved across the snakes, one by one. Silver. Red. Gold. Every detail became inpossibly clear, each individual scale. They stared back with the same emotionless gaze as their master, like predators looking at prey.
How humiliating...
How utterly, impossibly humiliating...
To be looked down upon by such worms.
Zeke took a step forward. It was not a charge, merely a regular step, as if he were out for a casual stroll. Yet the moment his foot touched the ground, the air in the room changed. This was not like the pressure created by the space-locking array. It was an instinctive terror that turned limbs to lead and the spine to jelly.
The three pairs of serpentine eyes wavered.
Confusion. Uncertainty. Fear.
Remarkably expressive for such base creatures...
A second step, and the pressure in the room doubled. As one, the three snakes averted their eyes.
A third step. Their heads drooped.
A fourth step, and even Helena's gaze began to waver. A trace of shock appeared in her eyes.
The fifth step brought Zeke directly before the much shorter Mind Mage.
"You... what... are..."
Her words faded as she met his gaze.
Slowly, he raised his hands. This time, none of the snakes moved to stop him. None dared. He casually placed his palms on Helena's cheeks, like a father holding the face of a beloved daughter.
It might have seemed like a gentle gesture, if not for the terror in her eyes.
"You know the best way to defeat a monster?" Zeke asked, his smile curling to reveal a row of knife-like teeth. His slit pupils locked onto hers with a hunger far beyond anything a human should feel when looking at another of their kind.
"You send a bigger monster."