My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness

Knock Knock—

"Lord, it's Frizia. May I come in? I have something to tell you."

"Come in."

With the permission coming from inside, the door opened, revealing the interior engulfed in pitch darkness.

Within the darkness, only a pair of red eyes revealed their presence.

"Lord, really. You should at least light a candle or a glow orb. Is there really a need to live in such darkness?"

"I'm not human, and simply do not see the need for it."

The atmosphere was unexpectedly informal, perhaps because they were of the same bloodline.

While they conversed, Heinz, who had quietly followed Frizia into the room, carefully looked around the interior.

'Impressive. I heard that the Lord was a mage type, but to think it's to this extent of blood magic barrier. It's like a fortress in itself.'

The walls, floor, and ceiling of the spacious room were densely covered with crimson patterns.

Even the decorations within the room were all items that assisted with magic.

'It feels audacious to have entered the domain of a mage like this...'

The tension rose again at the sight of the numerous barriers analyzed as "Mysteries of Blood."

But there was no choice.

Mullo Brokolak, a vampire who had lived for hundreds of years, had not taken a single step outside his room for decades.

He had built a fortress in what he considered the safest place and only had his subordinates handle various tasks.

His obsessive pursuit of safety made it difficult to lure him out.

'But if we could get a little closer and surprise him before he can activate the barrier...'

"By the way, Frizia. Who is that behind you?"

At that moment, Mullo asked in a low voice, looking at Heinz standing behind her.

It was an opportunity to get closer.

"Ah, Lord. I was just about to introduce him to you. Heinz, come over here."

Before Heinz could step forward, following her smiling instruction, Mullo slowly opened his mouth again.

"Oh, before that... Frizia, there's something I want to ask you."

"Yes? Please, ask anything."

He casually picked up a glass bottle and a wine glass from the table next to him, continuing in an unconcerned tone.

"By any chance, have you changed your perfume?"

Gurgle—

The red liquid filled the wine glass.

A faint smell of blood began to spread throughout the room.

"Despite having spent over a hundred years with you, I smell a very strange fragrance I have never noticed before."

Mullo calmly swirled the glass, savoring the aroma, but his gaze never left the two.

"I can't seem to figure out the cause."

As the atmosphere tensed, Frizia forced a smile and brought up a prepared excuse.

"Ah, Lord. That's..."

"Most of all."

However, it seemed Mullo had no intention of listening to her answer after asking.

"Today, I feel a distance from you."

He was already certain.

Somehow, Frizia had stepped out of the shadow of Brokolak.

'This is bad.'

The moment he made his judgment, Heinz, who had used "Acceleration," rushed at him like lightning.

At the same time, Frizia's parasol, which was closer, was also thrown towards Mullo, but it seemed to be blocked by something before it could reach him and couldn't advance any further.

Whoosh—

The blood patterns drawn throughout the room glowed red and twisted the space.

The size of the room, which was just spacious, expanded repeatedly, and the distance between them and Mullo widened in an instant.

'Ah, I should have stayed as close as possible.'

Even though he was a being specialized in sorcery, he was also a pureblood vampire.

His reaction speed was on a different level from that of an ordinary mage, so I wanted to approach carefully and start trouble, but to be discovered before that.

'It seems I underestimated the Lord too much.'

Still, there was a moment when I thought that Frizia and I could easily defeat Mullo alone.

"Children of Brokolak. Come to me."

Puddles of blood formed here and there in the expanded space, and from them, vampires began to appear one by one.

"Eh? What's this? The Lord has called us!"

"Get ready for battle first!"

As Heinz frowned at the suddenly increased number of opponents and prepared for battle...

"...What is this? Is this all that's left in the capital?"

Mullo himself was just as surprised by calling his subordinates.

The 'Call of Blood' that summoned nearby kin had been answered by only about half of the usual number.

"Frizia... What exactly did you do?"

He growled lowly at her, glaring.

"That is, well..."

And she went on to elaborate on her grand plan with Heinz.

This time, Mullo didn't interrupt and listened to her excuse to the end.

"So what you're saying is, based on such fantastical words, you want to hand over the entire clan to some unknown being?"

Of course, his reaction wasn't good.

"No, but it's already been proven..."

"What are you talking about? Yes, it's impressive that he didn't kill our kin but subjugated them, but is there any evidence that it will work on other clans?"

There was nothing but Heinz's word for it, no actual proof.

"Does he have the capability to subdue all clans under him? You know, don't you? That Bisc Eupersh has inherited the holy blood."

That was why he, who was prematurely frightened, hadn't been active outside and had been holed up here for decades.

"That... That is..."

"...It seems like you've been enchanted by something. It's a done deal now that 'Blood Subjugation' has passed on, but still."

Leaving their conversation unattended seemed like it would only undermine Frizia's morale.

In fact, Heinz, who had slightly influenced her using "Mysteries of Blood," stepped forward to face Mullo head-on.

"You have a sharp tongue. So, you're saying you don't believe I have such capabilities?"

"You..."

"I never expected to resolve this through words from the start. I'll just engrave it directly into your body with force."

And Heinz, for the first time since the fight with the hardliner faction of the blood alliance, went all out, emitting his aura as he approached Mullo.

Step— Step—

With each step he took, a thick blood-red aura emanated from Heinz's body, spreading in all directions.

"Huh!"

"This, this is..."

The momentum of a predator who had hunted countless vampires across dimensions, collecting their vampiric genes to evolve repeatedly.

The vampires of Brokolak instinctively stepped back, overwhelmed by the pressure.

Mullo was also affected by this momentum.

Heinz, with a cold smile directed at Mullo's stiffened face, became like a gust of wind and launched himself towards him.

***

"Block it!"

"Too strong... Argh—!"

Mullo frowned at the situation unfolding before his eyes.

This was his territory, strengthened over many years.

The summoned kin became much stronger here, and enemies received all sorts of debuffs, making them weaker.

Additionally, his blood magic was more than capable of tearing apart any adversary.

Yet...

'What's going on? How is this possible?'

His subordinates fell like leaves in the wind, and his magic seemed unusually ineffective against Heinz.

Although the subordinates, supported by the barrier, continued to regenerate even after being beheaded or having their hearts burst, it would only lead to meaningless exhaustion if this continued.

Especially since they couldn't keep up with Heinz's speed, which was the biggest problem.

'This won't do. I need resources that can match his speed.'

There was a limit to his firepower support.

If the front lines were breached, the situation would only worsen, so immediate measures were necessary.

"...Come to me. Obor—!"

With a deep sigh, Mullo chanted a spell, and a pool of blood formed in front of him.

From it, a white-haired boy slowly emerged.

"...What's this? Why did you suddenly call me, Lord? Wait, what's going on here!"

Caught off guard by the sudden call, 'Obor Brokolak' looked around in confusion but soon took action to restrain Heinz's movements as commanded by Mullo.

Only after the pureblood capable of matching Heinz's speed was deployed did the balance of the battlefield begin to stabilize.

'Never thought Frizia would become this strong...'

Even as Obor joined the fight, excluding him, all other vampires rushed to face Frizia, yet she alone was enough to hold them at bay.

Despite the weakening effects of the barrier properly applied, she was holding her ground against a significantly strengthened group of vampires.

"Indeed, you seem to have the right to make such arrogant claims."

It seemed more effort would be necessary.

Mullo murmured lowly with a stern expression and took a deep breath.

***

Kwaang—!

Heinz crushed the blood spikes erupting from the ground underfoot, while simultaneously blocking the swiftly approaching boy's palm strike.

"Damn! How is this guy's body so tough!"

The white-haired boy, Obor Brokolak, vented his frustration as he clung to Heinz again.

Despite being enhanced by the Lord, the fact that it was difficult even to catch his opponent was a blow to his pride, but there was no time to dwell on such matters.

With immense strength and a solid body as the basics, along with mysterious blood magic of unknown origin, even he, a pureblood assassin type, was impressed by the speed and ability to conceal presence.

The ability to momentarily outmaneuver him and rush at the Lord made his heart chill every time.

'And then there's this strange energy being emitted! What's this? A mental attack?'

Obor frowned at the intimidating effect of the predator affecting the vampires.

Though it didn't significantly affect him, a pureblood, the slight irritation felt during extreme combat continued to disrupt his focus.

However, it was definitely not easy for Heinz to face them either.

'This is truly a battle against a sorcerer who has properly established his domain. Indeed, facing two purebloods within a barrier is tricky.'

While fighting Obor, he once again used "Concealment" and "Invisibility" in combination to hide his presence and used "Acceleration" to approach Mullo, but...

Swoosh—

At that moment, blood mist blossomed from all around and clung to Heinz, momentarily halting his movement.

That brief moment was enough time for Obor to react.

Boom!

"It's no use! Where do you think you're going?"

Thus, Obor managed to catch him by the ankle again, and the battle resumed.

Despite trying various methods, it was indeed impossible to ambush Mullo alone within the barrier.

'It seems I have no choice but to break through directly. A mage entrenched in his own domain is a troublesome foe.'

Had he not evolved by preying on vampires on Earth and gained the ability to 'partially ignore the hostile abilities of other vampires,' the situation would have been significantly difficult.

Thanks to his ability, which was supremely effective against weakening effects of the barrier and sorceries, including blood magic, he could continue the battle more smoothly.

Then.

His acute senses, "Insight," and "Mysteries of Blood" simultaneously detected something was off.

The mild weakening effect that had been binding him disappeared, and Frizia, who had been entangled with vampires on one side, suddenly overpowered them.

Conversely, a moment of weakness was exposed in Obor, who had been rushing at him, as his strength momentarily drained.

He reflexively drove his fist wrapped in blood flames into that gap, analyzing the situation.

'The barrier's effect has vanished? Why all of a sudden?'

As Obor was propelled away, enveloped in blood petals from his strike, the answer to his question quickly became apparent.

Right after the successful attack, in a very brief moment of vulnerability.

Without any sign—Mullo appeared beside him.

With such a ghostly arrival, he used "Acceleration" without a second thought to retreat but...

Swoosh!

Splash!

Blood streaked through the air.

"...You're quite fast."

Mullo sneered, shedding bloody tears after launching the attack.

"This is troublesome."

Heinz murmured, frowning deeply.

He had moved quite a distance in response to the attack, but his condition was far from fine.

Despite reacting instantaneously... the area below his elbow on his right arm was torn away.

And that arm.

Was held in one of Mullo's hands, which had long, sharp claws extended.