The Call of the Past and the Power of Friendship

“I will surpass the Blood Clan!”

“What… you want my blood too!?” Iqiyah already seemed to know this scenario. “Can you even get it? And what good would it do if you did?”

“Hmph, I don’t need yours!”

With that declaration, Shest raised her blade and plunged it directly into her own abdomen, drawing forth a crimson gush of blood.

“I have no need for the filthy blood of your Scarlett family!”

“Hey, hey, hey, that’s a personal attack!”

From somewhere around the room, a middle-aged Blood Clan member, who had been chatting animatedly, voiced a righteous protest.

“So what if it is!?”

Clasping her chest, Shest smeared the fresh blood onto a mask, then swiftly donned it. With several sharp, clanging sounds, the mask’s edges instantly sprouted fangs, piercing deep into Shest’s face.

“Soon, I’ll make it so none of you dare to look directly at me!”

‘Dare not look directly at her? Such arrogance.’

Iqiyah observed her opponent with a dismissive gaze.

‘Even if you are no longer a Blood Clan member, what difference would it make?’

The power of the Blood Clan was, after all, already at the pinnacle among humanoid races. Any enemy insurmountable by their strength would likewise remain unconquered by any other humanoid creature.

“Hmph hmph, Iqiyah, go ahead and laugh!”

Shest lowered her head, her brow furrowed in a furious glare, and pulled something shimmering silver from her pocket.

“Oh, dear! It’s terrifying!”

Merely glimpsing the silver gleam, some of the older Blood Clan members already faltered, unable to maintain their composure.

“Holy hell! This is bad! It’s a cross! Everyone, retreat quickly!”

Indeed, what Shest had produced was a silver crucifix.

“Hmph hmph… Blood Clan members are Blood Clan members; ultimately, they must bow to racial suppression.”

Observing the panic-stricken assembly, Shest couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“How about that? I told you none of you would dare look at me again, didn’t I?! Hahahaha!”

“This woman… I didn’t expect her to use such a move.”

Perhaps aided by the blessing of the [True Ancestor’s Blood], Iqiyah could resist some of the fear, but she still shielded her eyes with her hand, unwilling to directly face the intimidating radiance of the silver crucifix.

‘This crucifix… it must be enchanted. An ordinary one wouldn’t instill such terror in me.’

‘Tsk… this puts me at a disadvantage.’

Under the crucifix’s intimidation, the Blood Crimson Dragon let out a low wail, retreating step by step, until it finally dissolved into a myriad of crimson light particles, scattering and vanishing from sight.

“Without your dragon, let’s see how you’ll deal with me!”

Brandishing her twin swords, Shest once again adopted a charging stance.

Seeing this, Iqiyah instinctively raised her hand, attempting to summon crimson tentacles for a counterattack.

Alas, summoning the Blood Crimson Dragon had already consumed too much of her mana. At this moment, she was powerless to summon any further assistance.

“Out of mana, aren’t you? Hahahaha!” Shest roared with laughter. “My mana, however, is utterly abundant!”

“Shest!”

Just then, a storm of angry shouts erupted from both sides of the room.

“Shest! What you’re doing is dishonorable!”

“Shest! Do you no longer wish to be a Blood Clan member? Do you not want to associate with the Blood Clan anymore!?”

“Shest! Put down your weapon at once! That way, at least the Redster family’s reputation can be preserved!”

“Reputation? Hahahahaha……”

Shest cast a disdainful look at the surrounding Blood Clan members. “Once I acquire the [True Ancestor’s Blood], power, reputation… they will all naturally fall into my grasp!”

“How can I let momentary gains and losses shackle my feet!”

“This is my final flash strike! Take this, Iqiyah!”

A trail of light shimmered behind her once more, and Shest vanished from sight.

‘This is bad!’

Iqiyah knew Shest intended a killing blow, yet she possessed no remaining strength to parry.

In her current state, she was powerless to summon ice crystal defenses or to reverse the flow of life.

‘Could it be… that I can only stand here and watch Shest kill me!?’

Knowing her life was about to reach its end, Iqiyah’s mind began to play a rapid montage of memories.

She recalled distant memories, reaching back almost… ten thousand years. Perhaps not quite that long, but close enough.

She found herself back in that ancient manor, by that person’s side.

****

“Sister.”

Back then, her sister, Cardo, had just turned ten thousand years old. Immensely powerful, she commanded immense prestige among the Blood Clan and was Iqiyah’s most admired sibling.

That day, in fact, was Iqiyah’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Even as an adult, compared to her sister, she still felt like a small girl.

Her sister, as always, lifted her up and held her close.

Iqiyah had lost her mother at a very young age, and her father was perpetually busy, never truly close to her.

Only Cardo, her beloved sister, had always been there, keeping her close and holding her on her lap.

“Iqiyah, my dearest Iqiyah.”

“Why aren’t you happy?”

‘Was I… unhappy back then?’

‘It was my birthday, so why wouldn’t I be happy?’

“Today is my birthday,” Iqiyah had said, “but I have no friends. No one came to my birthday banquet, and Father is away on business…”

“Sister, does no one like me?”

“How could that be?”

Hearing Iqiyah’s foolish, childlike words, Cardo simply smiled gently.

“Don’t you still have me?”

“Oh… you’re right. I’m sorry, Sister.”

“Iqiyah, there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“You must believe… that in this world, there are many, many people who love you.”

“Though Father is busy, I know he loves you very much.”

“While you may not have many friends now, I believe that those who will love you are waiting for you in the future. They will love you as genuinely as I do.”

“And you must also believe… that among them all, your sister loves you the most❤”

“Then… Sister,” Iqiyah felt a warmth spread through her heart, yet she sensed it wasn’t quite enough, “how can I meet them?”

“It’s very simple.”

Iqiyah gazed at Cardo’s face. After ten thousand years, she finally saw her sister’s countenance again.

‘Huh? Strange, she looks… like someone else…’

“As long as you call out loudly, they will surely answer your call.”

‘Infinite War God, emerge!’

“Why not… try it now?”

‘Try it now~’

****

Iqiyah’s eyes snapped open once more.

As if to ensure precision and prevent her timing from being discerned, Shest had not yet delivered that crucial strike.

‘Call out loudly…’

Iqiyah took a deep breath, channeling her energy to her dantian—

“Seraphina!”

Instinctively, Iqiyah cried out Seraphina’s name.

The very next second, a flash of golden light erupted. Countless magical arrays instantly enveloped her, layering upon Iqiyah like a golden throne, their brilliance so profound they seemed to obscure the very heavens.

[Divine Power Boost], [Divine Speed Boost], [Divine Endurance Boost], [Divine Indestructible Golden Body], [Divine Infinite Mana], [Divine Might Enhancement], [Divine Raw Damage Amplification], [Divine Life Recovery]…

In the stands, Godia Scarlett’s eyes widened in utter shock, watching Seraphina Scarlett, who had suddenly risen to cast spells. He was utterly speechless.

‘Th-th-t-th-this… is this even reasonable!?’

“Oh, right, and this too.”

Seraphina Scarlett flashed a mischievous smile, cupped her hands, and shouted towards Iqiyah—

“Iqiyah! If you win, come back, and I’ll cast [Purification] on you!”

“[Purification], you say? Hehehehe…”

Hearing something that promised her immense pleasure, Iqiyah couldn’t help but chuckle mischievously.

“Then I absolutely have to win, Seraphina!”