CHAPTER 194: Blood War-10

CHAPTER 194: Blood War-10

In the damp room where Selene and Michael had been chained, the silence was broken by a metallic creak. Michael closed his eyes with contained fury, forcing a transformation in one of his hands. His nails grew, elongated and dark, and his skin hardened enough to deform the shackle. The metal gave way with a dry snap.

Michael gasped, freeing his other hand with effort.

"Don't move," he murmured, approaching Selene.

Selene watched him with a mixture of pain and relief as he destroyed the shackles that held her immobile. Once free, Selene stood up without wasting a second.

"I thought I was going to be here forever," she growled.

"I don't plan on dying in chains," Michael replied, shaking off the remains of burnt metal from his skin. "And I'm not leaving you behind either."

A distant crash rumbled through the hallways, followed by gunfire and muffled screams.

"That doesn't sound good at all," Selene whispered, sharpening her gaze.

"It means someone else is fighting out there," Michael said. "Or that we're much more screwed than we thought."

They exited into the dark hallways, advancing cautiously. The echo of bullets grew louder with each step, mixed with roars that seemed to move the air. After several detours, they reached an area dimly lit by red emergency lights.

Before them lay something unexpected: an improvised armory, full of open cases, automatic weapons, and stacked ammunition.

Selene raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it seems someone was preparing for a war."

She approached the main table and picked up a compact submachine gun, checking the magazine with ease.

"This will be useful."

Michael shook his head.

Lucian and Marius stood face to face, just a few meters apart. The underground hallway trembled from the distant clashes, but between them only a heavy silence reigned, ready to break at any moment.

They both began to walk in a circle, studying each other. Their steps were slow, almost ceremonial, as if each movement were part of an ancient ritual.

"You were always a disappointment…" Lucian murmured.

"And you were always a chain around my neck," Marius replied, with a dark smile.

An invisible spark unleashed the storm. Marius lunged first, transforming his arms with a roar that distorted the echo. His claws struck Lucian's abdomen, then his chest and jaw. The vampire's body moved with the force of the blows, but his expression didn't even change.

Marius stepped back, incredulous.

"I've been studying you, old monster…" he growled. "I've discovered your weak point."

Lucian tilted his head dismissively.

"And what do you think that is?"

"The sun. The older you get, the more vulnerable you become. There comes a time when dawn no longer just weakens… it pulverizes. And you… you're already over five hundred."

Lucian advanced unhurriedly.

"Too bad, I thought you were going to say something interesting."

In an almost invisible movement, he drew a silver knife hidden on his back. The blade glowed with that cold light that only silver could emit.

Marius barely had time to react when the edge grazed his cheek from top to bottom. A thread of dark blood fell slowly, like thick ink.

Marius's eyes widened, surprised by the speed.

"You still haven't understood…" Lucian whispered. "I am the entire night."

Lucian smiled with that poisonous calm that had always defined him.

"When you're on the ground, I'll turn your body to ashes and scatter them in front of all your dogs. So they can see what happens when an animal tries to play king."

Marius frowned and stepped back just in time to dodge a direct thrust. Lucian attacked again, then again, moving like a liquid shadow. Marius retreated, dodging each charge by millimeters, never taking his eyes off his enemy.

A quick spin. The metal gleamed. Lucian threw the knife like a deadly dart, straight at Marius's forehead.

Marius extended his hand in the air and caught it with inhuman precision.

"Nice try," he growled.

In a violent gesture, he returned the weapon, stabbing it into Lucian's hand. The vampire clenched his teeth, but didn't make a single sound.

Marius was already drawing something heavier. From the back of his belt, he pulled out his Magnum Wildey Firearms Semi-Automatic .475 pistol, an imposing piece designed to hunt monsters, not simple humans.

"Now we're going to have some fun."

The shots thundered like thunder inside the tunnel. Bullets exploded against the walls as Lucian disappeared into the darkness, moving with vampiric speed.

The lights flickered. For an instant, Marius lost his silhouette.

"It's useless to hide," Marius roared, reloading the weapon without taking his eyes off the hallway. "You're on my turf, old man. You can't run here. Here, I'm going to rip your crown off with my own hands."

The echo of his voice spread through the hallways like an omen that the worst had barely begun.

The ceiling vibrated with a sudden crash. Dust and concrete fragments began to fall, raining down on Marius. An enormous block collapsed, opening a crack beneath his feet.

The floor split.

Marius lost his balance and fell into the void. Lucian lunged after him, taking advantage of the fall to rake his face and torso with his claws, tearing flesh and leaving bloody lines.

They both ended up crashing against a metal grate belonging to an old drainage system. Below, a channel of dark water ran strongly, dragging dirt and debris from the base.

Marius, gasping, took advantage of the second of confusion. He threw a direct punch to Lucian's jaw. The vampire fell to the side, dazed.

Marius stood up and began to beat him without stopping. Each blow was more violent than the last. Lucian's face deformed, bones cracking against the wet metal.