Chapter Sixty-One: The Duke of Wind

On the desolate outskirts of the city, two immense magical forces collided violently, the resulting shockwaves flattening the grass and trees in all directions. I clashed headlong with the Third Arbiter, Duke of Winds; his cyclone swept me off my feet, flinging me through the air, and when I landed, my body was lacerated with countless cuts, as if I’d been slashed by innumerable blades. The raging winds swirling around him were as sharp as knives, omnipresent and impossible to defend against.

“Princess Liliana, your power is indeed formidable,” the Third Arbiter addressed me, “but you have yet to fully command your strength. As you are now, you are no match for me. Surrender this futile resistance.”

“Hmph. Who wins and who loses—that won’t be clear until the very end. Underestimating me will only cost you your life.” I shifted my position again and again, using teleportation to evade the Duke’s rampant wind blades. The roaring storm encircling him was ceaseless, making it impossible to approach for close combat; my powers were restrained, leaving me no choice but to dodge.

“In that case, forgive my offense.” Seeing my unyielding resolve, the Duke of Winds made up his mind to teach this proud princess a lesson. “Secret Art of the Wind—Dragon of the Sky.” At his command, the invisible gales around him gathered and coalesced into the form of a colossal azure dragon. Every scale, every muscle, every tooth, even its eyes, were sculpted from the wind itself, vivid and distinct. In that instant, the intangible air became solid form.

The azure wind dragon raised its head and unleashed a thunderous roar, a sound forged from the howls of countless tempests. The shockwave tore the clouds from the night sky, casting the moon’s cold light in sharper relief.

“Princess Liliana, forgive me. Afterwards, I will beg pardon from His Highness,” the Duke declared coldly.

“Hmph, then come at me. You think a mere overgrown lizard can defeat me? You truly underestimate me.” As soon as I spoke, my form vanished, reappearing before the dragon conjured by the hurricane. My black scythe, trailing myriad shadows, slashed toward the dragon’s chest.

Yet the Sky Dragon did not flinch. Instead, it unleashed a breath of wind blades toward me. My scythe drove deep into the dragon’s belly, even as its breath engulfed me—a vortex of azure wind blades consuming all space in front of it.

When the dragon’s breath finally dissipated, the aftermath was revealed. The ground was pitted with countless gaping holes, crisscrossed and bottomless, while my figure had vanished. The Sky Dragon’s abdomen bore a massive wound, nearly splitting it in two.

“Damn it.” My gasping voice sounded from a distance. Space twisted, and I emerged, covered in a dense lattice of wounds that seeped blood, staining me almost entirely crimson. I looked as though I’d been sculpted from blood itself.

The Sky Dragon, seeing I had survived its breath unscathed, roared at me in fury, sending a new barrage of wind blades my way. This time, rather than teleporting again, I spun my scythe with all my strength, its shadow forming a black sphere around me. The clear, ceaseless clang of wind blades striking the scythe’s edge rang through the air.

At last, the dragon’s roar faded, replaced by my own labored breathing. I leaned heavily on my scythe, barely able to remain standing.

“Princess Liliana, I am curious—how did you escape unscathed from the Sky Dragon’s breath?” Seeing me on the verge of collapse, the Duke signaled the dragon to halt its assault and questioned me with keen interest.

“I hid in another dimension,” I replied coolly, without the slightest attempt to conceal the truth.

“What?” The Duke’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Impossible. No living being can survive in a dimensional rift.”

“Hmph. I can’t survive there for long—ten minutes is my absolute limit. My power is command over space itself. Because my strength is insufficient, it usually manifests as teleportation. But teleportation is simply me folding space to create a passage.”

“I never imagined your talent was so remarkable, Princess Liliana. No wonder His Highness values you so highly. Even Lady Liliel, a pureblood, is far inferior to you in this regard. If given enough time, you may even reach the heights of His Highness himself.” At this, the Duke’s eyes gleamed with fervor. “All the more reason I cannot let you remain in the mortal realm. Even if it costs my life, I must return you to the Vampire Citadel.”

“We’ll see if you have the strength to do so.” I straightened, defiance blazing in my eyes.

“In that case, Your Highness, be on your guard. I will use my full strength, and end this battle in a single blow.” A grave resolve flashed in the Duke’s eyes.

It seemed I had underestimated the power of the Arbiters. Facing just the Third Arbiter, I was already hard-pressed; I could only imagine the might of the second and first. I had thought that, having awakened my bloodline, I would at least be among the rare few without rivals, if not the strongest. Yet I had found myself so quickly in dire straits. But now was not the time for reflection. As I sensed the Duke’s magic swelling ever stronger, I readied myself, preparing to answer his next attack with everything I had.

“Secret Art of the Wind—Serpent of the Gale!” The Duke shouted, releasing the immense power he had gathered. The wind element surged around him, even the Sky Dragon dissolving into pure wind, merging with the nascent form of a spectral wind serpent.

“I can’t let him complete this technique.” Feeling the crushing pressure from the unformed serpent, I gritted my teeth, expending the last of my magical energy to teleport toward the Duke. But before I could reach him, I was repelled from the very fabric of space. I suppressed a cry of pain as a great wound split my back, and stared at the nearly completed wind serpent. I hadn’t expected these winds to be so potent as to pierce through space itself; the moment I entered, I was gravely wounded.

Helpless, I watched as the Serpent of the Gale took its final form. Like the previous Sky Dragon, it was shaped entirely from the wind, its eyes locked on me with lethal intent. Every detail of its scales was visible, and in its pupils, my own reflection was cast. I gave a bitter smile—this was no mere amalgam of wind, but a living being. I could sense its breath, its heartbeat. But I knew, even as a living entity, the wind serpent had no true weakness; immune to all physical harm, it was beyond the reach of my strongest attacks. My expertise was not in manipulating space, but in delivering physical blows. Against this wind serpent, I had no means to resist.

“Princess Liliana, do not persist in this futile struggle. You must sense the enormous gulf between yourself and the Serpent of the Gale. You have no hope of victory. I do not wish to see you harmed, so please, return with me to the Vampire Citadel. I promise you, not even the First Arbiter would dare lay a hand on you.”

“Perhaps returning with you is my best option now—no, my only option. But there is something I must do, a task unfinished. If I return to the Citadel, I will lose my freedom forever, never again to have this chance. So, impossible as it may seem, I will fight one last time.” I stared up at the wind serpent and the Duke standing atop its head, and spoke with unwavering resolve. “My determination is no less than yours.”

“Is that so? Then it seems there is nothing for it but to fight.” The Duke of Winds sighed, a trace of regret in his voice. “Princess Liliana, please protect yourself. The Serpent of the Gale’s power is beyond even my full control; sparing your life is the utmost I can do. So, try not to let yourself be too gravely wounded.”

“I understand. Remember, the life force of a vampire is not so easily extinguished. No matter the wounds, I will not die—this, I once promised someone.” I gathered the last remnants of my magic, raised my black scythe, and declared, “Come, let me make one final struggle!”