The Curse of the True Ancestor’s Blood

As the blood surged into Iqiyah Scarlett’s palm, a colossal figure slowly began to rise behind her.

ROAR—

A deafening roar accompanied by intense gusts of air erupting outwards heralded the sudden appearance of a colossal dragon behind Iqiyah Scarlett, its body a striking mosaic of crimson and jet black.

“Blood-Crimson Dragon!” Iqiyah Scarlett declared, sweeping her hand dramatically towards Shest. “Annihilate your enemy!”

ROAR—!

The dragon roared once more, brandishing its enormous claws as it charged towards Shest with the unstoppable momentum of a runaway truck.

“This… this is practically cheating!”

Against such a colossal dragon, Shest found herself utterly powerless. Despite her desperate attempts to flee, a short dash was futile against a beast ten times her size.

With a single swing of its massive claw, Shest was sent flying, emitting a muffled grunt. She crashed heavily into the audience stands like a bowling ball, incidentally knocking over a few ‘lucky’ spectators.

****

“This… no one died, did they?”

Seraphina Scarlett stared, dumbfounded, at the immense dragon before her and the airborne Shest.

‘Iqiyah Scarlett, that woman… she still had a trump card up her sleeve, didn’t she?’

“Do not worry,” Godia Scarlett replied calmly, addressing Seraphina Scarlett’s concern. “Vampires are resilient creatures; such an impact won’t injure them.”

“Let’s discuss something else instead.”

Evidently, Godia Scarlett had a clear purpose in seeking out Seraphina Scarlett; he had no intention of squandering this opportunity to talk about Shest.

“No, I still don’t wish to speak with you. Allowing you to sit beside me was already my greatest concession.”

The moment Godia Scarlett settled beside her, Seraphina Scarlett suddenly remembered what she had overlooked.

Godia Scarlett.

Iqiyah Scarlett had warned Seraphina Scarlett that she absolutely must not get involved with Godia Scarlett.

Yet, Godia Scarlett had repeatedly sought her out, persistently trying to establish a connection.

Clearly, she could not escape the entanglement of this father and daughter.

‘Since I can’t avoid it… perhaps I should confront it directly!’

However… even in confrontation, she needed to maintain control. Godia Scarlett had to demonstrate a certain level of sincerity.

Only then would his words hold enough sincerity and value.

“Can you tell me why?”

“There is no ‘why.’ Instead, can you tell me why, amongst all the vampires present, you specifically chose to speak with me?”

“Alas…” This question clearly presented a dilemma for Godia Scarlett.

He buried his head in his hands, sinking into silence.

Stealing a glance at the indecisive Godia Scarlett, Seraphina Scarlett felt utterly speechless.

‘This man… he strikes with the sudden force of thunder, yet before acting, he becomes excessively irresolute…’

Backed by their previous encounters, the moment Godia Scarlett fell into hesitation and deep thought, Seraphina Scarlett grew wary, anticipating a sudden shift in his demeanor and the unleashing of a powerful move.

‘You fool… that ‘good guy’ act only works once, and it’s useless now.’

‘Whatever mess you’re in, just spit it out already.’

“Silence will not resolve the issue, Mr. Godia Scarlett,” Seraphina Scarlett stated, breaking his quietude. “You must demonstrate sufficient sincerity before I will negotiate with you.”

“Sincerity!?” Godia Scarlett’s expression instantly changed upon hearing this. “You, a mere thrall, dare to demand negotiation from me!?”

“Of course,” Seraphina Scarlett replied, gesturing towards the dragon on the field. “I certainly dare to negotiate with you.”

“Though I lack proof, I surmise you are here to see me because of Iqiyah Scarlett, correct?”

“…Seraphina Scarlett, you are far more intelligent than I anticipated.”

The anger vanished from Godia Scarlett’s face, replaced by the calm born of an emotional release.

“Then, I shall reveal the truth to you.”

“Seraphina Scarlett, do you wish to save Iqiyah Scarlett?”

‘Save Iqiyah Scarlett?’

Seraphina Scarlett’s face was a picture of utter confusion.

“No, I see your dear daughter currently has the upper hand, doesn’t she? Surely she doesn’t require my salvation?”

“No… not that,” Godia Scarlett shook his head. “Shest is merely an ignorant fool; she poses no true threat to Iqiyah Scarlett.”

“What I speak of is—the [Blood of the True Ancestor].”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Seraphina Scarlett raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise, though in truth, she was not at all astonished by this revelation.

After all, she had been a direct witness to Iqiyah Scarlett’s coma and understood the damage the [Blood of the True Ancestor] inflicted upon her body.

“Everyone believes the [Blood of the True Ancestor] is a power, but in reality, it is a curse—a grave error I made in my ignorance.”

Godia Scarlett sighed, an endless sorrow seemingly echoing within him.

“As you must know, the Scarlett family now consists only of you, me, and Iqiyah Scarlett.”

“Ten thousand years ago, we became embroiled in a conflict with the Redster family.”

“The process is unimportant; the outcome was that most of the Scarlett family was slain, including my wife. The only survivors of our entire lineage were myself, Iqiyah Scarlett, and… Iqiyah Scarlett’s older sister—Cardo.”

‘So, there really was an older sister?’

Seraphina Scarlett nodded, prompting Godia Scarlett to continue.

“Concurrently… that conflict also weakened another individual—the True Ancestor.”

“Yet, even in her weakened state, the True Ancestor’s power was beyond the match of ordinary beings.”

“Weakened, she desperately needed a new body… and so, she sought me out.”

Godia Scarlett.

‘Do you wish to protect your family?’

‘Then make a deal with me.’

“She offered to bestow power upon us, making every descendant of the Scarlett family unprecedentedly strong… but the price was…”

“That you must sacrifice 30 points of life essence to the True Ancestor every second, right?”

“Hm?” This time, it was Godia Scarlett’s turn to be astonished. “How did you know that?”

“Hmph, I know far more than you imagine,” Seraphina Scarlett said, a smirk playing on her lips. “Continue.”

“Though I signed that contract, I was too old; the True Ancestor deemed me unworthy… So, she turned her gaze upon my eldest daughter—Cardo.”

‘Your daughter… truly delectable ❤’

“At the time, I didn’t realize the true meaning of those words,” Godia Scarlett confessed, covering his face, his voice filled with boundless regret. “She even said that Iqiyah Scarlett was too young to bear such power.”

“Oh, so you were probably thinking, ‘Ah, this one’s quite benevolent, isn’t she?'”

“Ugh, please, stop,” Seraphina Scarlett’s words only deepened Godia Scarlett’s shame. “Our family was plunged into utter darkness, and I only wished for its swift revival, so I agreed to her terms.”

“And so… Cardo inherited the [Blood of the True Ancestor]. From that moment, she swiftly became the strongest among the vampire’s new generation, and her formidable reputation endures to this day.”

‘No wonder the Redster family knew about Iqiyah Scarlett’s sister.’

Observing the dragon raging like wildfire in the center of the room, making Shest cry out in pain, Seraphina Scarlett began to understand how other vampires viewed the Scarlett family.

But…

“However, thus far, I haven’t discerned anything truly fatal,” Seraphina Scarlett remarked. “Even if life is the price, Iqiyah Scarlett can sustain herself entirely through the Blood Manor, can’t she?”

‘Then why… why did Cardo die?’

“…The [Blood of the True Ancestor] is not as simple as it appears.”

Godia Scarlett sighed deeply once more; clearly, the most shocking part of his tale was about to unfold.

“When Cardo reached ten thousand years of age, and Iqiyah Scarlett came of age simultaneously… the [Blood of the True Ancestor] revealed its true nature.”

“That night, Cardo claimed she heard a voice within her…”

Godia Scarlett took a deep breath, a faint red glow emanating from his eyes.

“It was the voice of the True Ancestor.”

****

“Enough!”

Just as the colossal dragon was about to swing its claw again, Shest cried out, narrowly avoiding her impending fate of being sent flying.

“Oh?” Iqiyah Scarlett raised an eyebrow. “Have you finally come to terms with reality?”

“Not bad, not bad. It’s not too late to surrender now.”

“Surrender?”

Shest gritted her teeth.

“How could I possibly surrender!?”

“I merely… during our battle, came to a realization…”

“The abilities of a vampire… have their limits!”

“The more I rely on schemes, the more acutely I feel this truth…”

“? What exactly are you trying to say!?”

“Hmph.”

Shest let out a cold snort, then, with a flick of her wrist, pulled a mask from her waist.

“I will no longer be a vampire, Iqiyah Scarlett!”

“I will transcend vampirism!”