CHAPTER 177: THE TEST OF LORDS

The sound of footsteps echoed across the vast courtyard of the royal palace. The crimson sun above cast long shadows on the black stone floor as Aamir, the nine vampire lords, and King Zalmic arrived at the royal training grounds.

Zalmic stopped at the center of the open ground and raised a hand.

"Here," he said, his deep voice carrying authority. "This place has seen the blood of kings and warriors alike. You may fight here without restraint."

Aamir smirked, rolling his shoulders as he stepped forward, his boots clicking against the polished blackstone. He walked toward the center of the courtyard and turned to face the nine vampire lords.

"Alright," Aamir said casually, his voice sharp with confidence. "How do we wanna do this? All at once, or do I crush you one by one?"

Murmurs rippled among the vampire lords. Clicy, the only female among them, stepped forward with an amused smirk. Her crimson eyes glimmered with mischief as her bat-like aura flared faintly around her.

"We will fight you one by one," she said, her tone confident and challenging. "I’ll go first. Don’t disappoint me, Beast King."

Aamir grinned, cracking his neck. "Ladies first, huh? Fine. Show me what you’ve got."

Before another word could be spoken, Clicy vanished.

BOOM!

The ground cracked beneath her takeoff. In an instant, she reappeared in front of Aamir, her leg swinging down in a vicious axe kick aimed straight for his head. The speed was enough to blur her form for a moment.

Aamir’s crimson eyes sharpened. With effortless precision, he tilted his head slightly.

WHOOSH!

Her heel slammed into the ground where his head had been.

CRACK!

The blackstone floor split apart under the impact, spiderweb cracks radiating outward from her kick. Dust rose in a violent cloud.

Aamir looked down at the broken ground and then back at Clicy, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Not bad," he said. "But you’re gonna have to be faster than that."

Clicy didn’t hesitate. With a sharp hiss, her aura flared again. She darted forward, throwing a flurry of high-speed kicks and strikes, each one fast enough to leave afterimages in the air.

But Aamir?

He moved like a ghost. His body weaved between her attacks effortlessly, his hands in his pockets the entire time.

"Tch—stop dodging!" Clicy snarled, her pride clearly being tested.

Aamir chuckled lightly, his tone calm and mocking.

"Why? I’m having fun watching you miss."

The other vampire lords watched in silence, their expressions shifting from amusement to unease. Even King Zalmic raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Aamir’s casual display.

Finally, Aamir raised a hand. As Clicy swung again, he tapped her forehead with one finger.

FWOOM!

The impact was small, but the force sent her flying backward, skidding across the blackstone until she slammed against a training pillar with a loud THUD!

The courtyard went silent.

Aamir stretched lazily and smirked.

"Next."

Zalmic chuckled deep in his chest, his sharp fangs glinting. "This is going to be entertaining..."

The other lords, however, looked at each other with grim determination.

One of them, a broad-shouldered vampire named Gordan, stepped forward, his fists tightening as a crimson aura surged around him.

"My turn," he growled.

Aamir grinned wider, his crimson aura flickering faintly in response.

"Good. Don’t hold back... I hate it when fights end too fast."

And with that, the second battle began.

Gordan stepped forward, his heavy boots cracking the ground with every stride. His frame was massive, his aura thick and oppressive, vibrating with raw physical strength. The other vampire lords watched in silence as his blood-red energy condensed into his fists, the air around him distorting from sheer power.

"Gordan," King Zalmic called out, his voice steady, "don’t hold back. Test him properly."

Gordan smirked, his sharp fangs glinting. "I wasn’t planning to, my king."

Aamir tilted his head slightly, his crimson eyes gleaming with excitement. "Finally, someone who might actually make me stretch a little."

Without another word, Gordan’s foot slammed into the ground—

BOOM!

He shot forward like a cannonball, the ground exploding beneath him. His fist came crashing down toward Aamir’s chest with the weight of a mountain.

CRASH!

The impact shook the courtyard... but Aamir wasn’t there.

In the blink of an eye, Aamir sidestepped, his movements smooth and unhurried, almost lazy. Gordan’s fist smashed into the ground, creating a crater where Aamir had stood.

"Too slow," Aamir said, grinning.

Gordan roared, spinning around with a wide hook. Aamir casually raised one hand and caught the punch mid-air with two fingers.

The vampire lord’s eyes widened. "What—?!"

Aamir smirked, his grip tightening ever so slightly. "You hit hard. But strength without precision? That’s useless against me."

And then—

BAM!

Aamir twisted his wrist, yanking Gordan forward before slamming his knee into the vampire lord’s gut. The sound was like a drum being struck. Gordan staggered, coughing violently, but his rage only grew.

He jumped back, blood-red runes suddenly igniting along his arms.

"Blood Titan’s Fist!" Gordan roared, his aura flaring so violently the courtyard trembled. His muscles swelled, his fists glowing crimson as raw destructive power condensed into them.

Aamir’s grin widened. "Now we’re talking."

Gordan launched forward again, his fists swinging in a barrage of devastating blows. Each punch tore through the air, creating shockwaves that shattered nearby stone pillars.

But Aamir...

He moved between them like water flowing through cracks, every step perfectly timed, his hands still in his pockets.

"Pathetic," Aamir muttered. Then, with a sudden flash of speed, he appeared in front of Gordan, his fist cocked back.

"My turn."

BOOM!!!

Aamir’s punch connected squarely with Gordan’s chest, the sheer force launching the vampire lord like a ragdoll. He crashed into the far wall of the training ground, stone and dust erupting around him.

The other lords stared, wide-eyed.

Gordan groaned, buried in rubble, but to his credit, he stood back up. His body trembled, but his eyes burned with determination.

Aamir smirked approvingly. "Still standing? Good. Come at me again."

King Zalmic, arms crossed, chuckled darkly. "Impressive. He’s toying with them... and yet, they still can’t touch him."

Luman’s voice echoed in Aamir’s head, amused. "Host, maybe you should end this soon. If you keep humiliating them like this, their pride might shatter."

Aamir grinned. "Good. Maybe then they’ll stop underestimating me."

Gordan roared one last time, summoning every ounce of strength he had left, his aura blazing like crimson fire—

And Aamir... vanished.

In an instant, he appeared behind Gordan, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"Too slow."

BAM!

A single palm strike sent Gordan sprawling face-first into the ground, unconscious.

The courtyard went dead silent.

Aamir turned toward the rest of the vampire lords, his crimson aura flaring faintly as he smirked.

"Who’s next?"

Aamir stood at the center of the courtyard, his crimson aura flickering faintly like a storm restrained behind a thin wall. His grin was sharp, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he glanced at the vampire lords—nine of the most powerful beings on this planet, their pride already shaken from what they’d seen.

He cracked his neck lazily. "Well... let’s make this interesting. Why don’t all of you come at once?"

The courtyard went silent for a heartbeat.

The lords exchanged shocked looks. Even Gordan and Clicy, who had just been beaten back, froze in disbelief.

Aamir tilted his head, smirking. "What? Don’t tell me you’re scared."

A low growl escaped Gordan’s throat, and Clicy’s eyes blazed with fury. The other lords clenched their fists, their pride as vampire lords burning like fire.

"You dare..." one of them snarled.

"Damn right I dare," Aamir interrupted. "But listen well—don’t hold back. If you do, you won’t even have a single chance of touching me."

He turned his gaze specifically toward Gordan and Clicy, his smirk widening. "And that goes for you two especially."

Clicy grit her teeth, her aura flaring like a crimson tempest. "You’re going to regret those words."

Gordan roared, slamming his fist into his palm. "Enough talk. I’ll crush him myself if I have to!"

But before they could move, another lord stepped forward—a pale vampire with black markings over his arms, his aura sharp and suffocating.

"Enough," he said coldly. "He wants all of us? Fine. Then he’ll get all of us."

The lords nodded one by one, their bloodlust uniting. In an instant, nine separate auras erupted across the courtyard, shaking the ground and turning the air heavy like molten lead.

From his throne-like seat above the ground, King Zalmic smirked, his sharp fangs glinting. "Interesting... He’s provoking them deliberately. Either he’s insane, or..."

"He’s proving his dominance," one of the royal guards muttered in awe.

Zalmic’s grin widened. "Exactly."

Meanwhile, Luman’s voice echoed in Aamir’s mind, laced with dry amusement.

"Host, you’re enjoying this far too much."

Aamir chuckled inwardly. "Of course I am. You don’t get to spar with nine so-called elites every day. Let’s see if they can make me move seriously for once."

Clicy moved first. With a burst of speed, her figure blurred, launching a crescent kick toward Aamir’s head, her leg surrounded by a cutting red aura. At the same moment, Gordan charged from the opposite side, his fists glowing with destructive runes.

The others followed, surrounding Aamir in a deadly circle.

Aamir’s smirk only grew.

"Now this..." He shifted his stance ever so slightly, his aura beginning to boil around him. "...is going to be fun."

BOOM!

The ground cracked beneath his feet as the first clash began.