Iode retracted his trembling hand from the impact. He could feel some of the bones in it had shattered—though they were already beginning to heal.
'What kind of skull is that made of?' he thought.
"What a tickle. Want me to show you something manly? Eat this."
The vampire clenched his fists and punched Iode in the abdomen, launching him into a pile of abandoned devices.
Lying on the ground, dazed, Iode groaned and slowly stood up, clutching his stomach.
"Thank goodness I concentrated my mana in my abdomen at the last second… I wonder how much damage I would've taken otherwise."
"What kind of parahuman are you, anyway? Your scent is… new. Unique," the vampire said, suddenly appearing right in Iode's face.
Acting on instinct, Iode jumped back.
'This guy's dangerous. Are all vampires like this? I need to step up or I'm going to get wrecked.'
Iode channeled his mana throughout his body and partially transformed his hands. Scales wrapped around his forearms, forming gauntlet-like armor ending in sharp claws.
"That energy… are you a Draconian? You're radiating draconic energy. I've never met one, but I've seen artifacts made from them. So this is what they smell like…" the vampire muttered.
"Draconian? Oh, right. I must be giving off Tony's draconic energy since I transformed my hands. So, Draconians exist on Earth too… fascinating," Iode said under his breath.
Without delay, he swiped his clawed hand. A slash of purple aura cut through the air. The vampire responded with a swipe of his own, red energy surging out. The two auras collided and canceled each other out.
'His power rivals Tony's… the same power I used to fight demigods and monsters from the underworld—he just nullified it. This vampire… he's at Dagon and Kaisellin's level.' Iode thought.
Suddenly, the vampire vanished from sight and reappeared behind Iode. He shaped his fingers like a spear tip and aimed for Iode's nape. But thanks to his draconic senses, Iode narrowly dodged the strike by tilting his head.
The vampire adjusted instantly. In less than a second, he redirected his hand, grabbed Iode, and flung him across the alley. Iode crashed back-first but stood up again.
He saw the vampire charging. Iode raised his clawed hand to strike, but the vampire was too fast—he caught Iode's hand mid-swing and delivered a brutal uppercut.
Iode's head jerked back. He staggered.
But the assault didn't stop. The vampire kicked him in the gut, slamming him to the ground.
'Damn it… Should I go Dragon Man? But what about the neighborhood? I can't draw attention… Still, I'm seriously getting my ass kicked,' Iode thought, gritting his teeth.
The vampire reappeared before him and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air. His red eyes glowed ominously.
"Tell me—who are you, really?"
Iode felt himself slipping into a trance. But then—his spiral eyes activated and snapped him back.
[Welder's Mental Flaw: Compulsion Spell was Active.]
'A compulsion spell?! He was trying to make me talk—and he almost succeeded…'
Iode's eyes glowed. A purple ray burst from them, striking the vampire and slamming him into a nearby wall.
[Maximus Robert — First Progenitor of the Crimson Tide Faction
Behavior: Strong-willed and astute. Capable of contending with celestials. Possesses near-impervious, durable body.
Flaws: Pansexual philanderer; vulnerable to blessed weapons at the head and heart; susceptible to holy energy of RAWH; cannot overuse blood powers.]
Iode smirked. 'Clairvoyance of flaws… it only activates when my life's on the line.'
The vampire, Maximus, slowly rose to his feet and locked eyes with Iode. As a vampire, his vision pierced the dark alley—and even if it was for just a split second, he saw Iode's spiral eyes.
'What was that? It stunned me… broke my compulsion spell. What kind of ability is that?'
Iode moved fast. He charged mana into his hand and aimed for Max's heart with a claw-like spear strike.
Max saw the attack coming and was startled—until now, Iode had only hit where he assumed it would hurt. This was the first time he directly targeted his heart.
As Iode's clawed hand lunged forward, Max parried the strike and countered with a powerful kick to the stomach. Iode slid a few meters back but didn't fall. He smirked.
'I can't help but think those eyes gave him some kind of insight…' Max thought.
Iode stood firm.
'In hand-to-hand, he's clearly superior. But that's not my specialty. My true strength… is magic—supplemented with swordsmanship.'
He extended his arm. The emblem of Valier etched on his wrist shimmered. Particles of light scattered and then converged to form his trusted sword, gleaming with Valier's symbol.
"A sword? You want to fight me with that? Fine—bring it on," Max said.
He raised his hand, and a stream of blood flowed from his palm, solidifying into a red sword that shimmered faintly.
'First draconic energy… now a demonic energy tied to a devil celestial? Who the hell is this guy?'