CHAPTER 196: THE ULTIMATE CLASH ENDED

The battlefield trembled beneath the weight of their blows.

Aamir and Shamrock’s fists collided like colliding meteorites, each impact sending out shockwaves that split the ground and cracked the sky. The air screamed from the force; dust and energy exploded outward with every clash, throwing weaker soldiers to their knees.

The Vampire Lords, who had been battling Zalmic’s forces nearby, froze for a moment just to watch. The sheer intensity of the fight was unlike anything they had seen.

Zalmic’s face darkened as he clenched his jaw. "This... this isn’t just a duel. It’s a battle of death. Whoever loses here will vanish completely."

Sparks of crimson energy coursed across Aamir’s body, his Titan Pulse amplifying his every move. Shamrock, the werewolf champion, towered with bulging muscle, his golden fur bristling with rage. His claws glistened like blades as he roared, slamming forward once more.

Their fists met again, a crack of thunder ringing through the skies.

Aamir gritted his teeth, feeling the crushing force drive into his bones. His arms shook, but he held his ground. "Well, Shamrock... you’re strong, I can give you that." He smirked through the pain. "But I have to win."

Shamrock snarled, veins bulging across his massive frame. "Arrogant human! You cannot—"

Boom!

Aamir’s crimson aura pulsed harder, his body surging with even greater heat. Blue flames suddenly erupted, flowing across his entire frame like an inferno unleashed. His heartbeat thundered like war drums.

[Adrenaline Flow: MAXIMUM]

[Pran Resonance: FULL RELEASE]

The blue flames licked his arms as he focused every shred of energy into his body. His blood boiled, his veins glowing in streaks of crimson and sapphire. He pulled his hands back, his eyes glowing with determination.

"So this is your end."

A wave of energy burst out as Aamir began condensing everything—his blue flames, his pran, his adrenaline energy—into his palm. The three forces intertwined violently, twisting into a spiraling mass of unstable power.

Orange sparks flared. Pink streaks cut across the blue fire. The sphere grew, humming with terrifying power.

The battlefield itself reacted. The ground quaked. The skies dimmed. Wind currents swirled uncontrollably around him, whipping dust and rock into a storm.

Shamrock’s eyes widened as he tried to move, to rush forward, to end the human before the attack could be unleashed. But suddenly—

"Wh–what?!" His legs froze. They wouldn’t budge an inch. His claws dug deep into the earth, but the weight of Aamir’s gathered energy pressed down on him like an invisible mountain.

"No... this isn’t right... why can’t I move?!" Shamrock howled, thrashing in place.

From the sidelines, Zalmic’s eyes narrowed. His usually calm voice trembled as he whispered, "That attack... it’s strong enough to destroy an entire civilization. If he fires it..."

Aamir’s flames surged brighter, his arm trembling as the sphere of energy reached critical mass. His voice rang out like a death sentence.

"Now die!"

He thrust his palm forward.

FWOOOOSH!

The beam erupted like a cannon of pure annihilation, tearing forward in a devastating line of fire. The ground ripped apart beneath its path, leaving a scar that stretched endlessly across the battlefield. The very air shattered like glass as the energy carved reality itself.

The beam struck Shamrock directly.

KRRRSHHH!

The werewolf champion’s roar was drowned in the thunderous blast. His body was engulfed, torn apart as the beam ripped straight through him. Flesh split. Bones shattered. The force was merciless.

When the light finally dimmed, Shamrock’s massive body collapsed, torn in half, his golden fur now drenched in blood. His once-mighty eyes dimmed, fading into silence.

For a long moment, the battlefield was quiet.

Aamir staggered, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face. His crimson aura flickered weakly. "So... finally... it’s over." He dropped to one knee, exhausted but alive.

Then—

[CRIMSON SYSTEM ALERT]

Congratulations! You have slain a Superior Being.

+ Level Up!

Current Level: 81

The notification glowed brightly across his vision.

Aamir chuckled breathlessly. "Oh well... that’s pretty good, I guess."

From the distance, Zalmic stepped forward and lowered his weapon, his expression softening. "I am... so grateful, Lord Aamir. You’ve rid us of a nightmare."

But before relief could settle in—

CRRRRRRK!

The ground beneath them shook violently. Cracks spread across the battlefield like spiderwebs. Tremors rocked the air.

Aamir froze, his instincts screaming. "Wait... this isn’t right."

The earth groaned louder, chunks of stone rising into the air. From beneath Shamrock’s fallen body, dark energy began seeping out—twisting, writhing, alive.

Zalmic’s eyes widened in horror. "No... no, this presence... it’s even worse than before!"

The battlefield’s silence was shattered once again. Something monstrous was awakening.

The arena fell into a silence so absolute it was suffocating, broken only by the slow, grinding exhale of the creature. The air thickened, pressing down on lungs, making every breath feel stolen.

Even the arrogant vampire lords—beings who had watched empires fall—stood rooted, eyes wide, as if staring into the maw of inevitability.

Lord Rauth, the eldest of them, took a step back, his usually mocking smirk vanished. His lips trembled as he whispered, "That... that thing shouldn’t exist anymore."

Lady Veyra clutched her blade tighter, her pale knuckles showing strain. The cold confidence she wore like armor cracked, her crimson eyes darting toward Aamir as though silently demanding an explanation.

Zalmic, normally unreadable, looked like his soul had been ripped open. His hands shook at his sides, and he pressed them together in something resembling prayer. "This presence... It is older than the oldest curse. Lord Aamir, this isn’t a beast. This is a calamity given flesh."

The arena crowd—what little remained after the brutal fight between Aamir and Shamrock—lost all restraint. Warriors, nobles, and servants screamed as they stampeded for the exits. Some collapsed mid-run, clutching their chests as the pressure alone suffocated them. Others clawed at the sealed gates in blind desperation.

Aamir stood his ground, crimson system screen still faintly glowing at the corner of his vision. His chest rose and fell heavily, but his eyes didn’t waver.

The monster’s gaze lingered on him, ignoring the chaos around them. It tilted its head, the sound of bone grinding like boulders rolling against each other. "Your scent is different," it growled, voice carrying an eerie amusement. "Not prey... not yet."

The words sent a chill crawling down every spine. Even Seemus, who had faced horrors in his time, shook his head violently. "No... no, this is impossible! That’s a eclipse!"

At the name, several of the vampire lords inhaled sharply.

Lord Kael spat on the ground, his voice trembling despite his attempt at bravado. "Eclipse were myths—creatures that consumed civilizations and turned gods into ash! They were wiped out in the Great Purge... a thousand years ago!"

The beast’s laughter thundered through the coliseum, low and jagged, rattling teeth in jaws. "Wiped out?" Its voice was like molten rock pouring through cracks. "No... we were merely sleeping."

Zalmic’s knees nearly buckled. He had read of such horrors, whispered only in forbidden texts. The fact he was seeing one now felt like being dragged into a nightmare. He muttered under his breath, each word shaking: "To think... Lord Aamir’s battle woke this thing..."

The monster’s wings spread wider, blotting out the remaining torchlight as shadows consumed the arena. Flames guttered out as if in submission.

Lady Veykar took a single step forward, though her voice wavered. "If this truly is a Eclipse, then none of us are leaving alive."

Her words hung heavy. The vampire lords glanced between each other, pride at war with terror. Their centuries of dominance, their endless hunger—it all seemed laughable before this abomination.

And yet, all eyes returned to Aamir.

The young warrior, barely steady after his clash with Shamrock, now stood face to face with something that made even the immortals falter. His breath slowed, his crimson eyes glinting under the monster’s gaze.

He exhaled once, a misty fog in the suffocating air. Then he muttered, voice low but firm, "If you think I’ll be your feast... you’re mistaken."

The monster’s grin widened, serrated teeth gleaming like rusted blades. It leaned forward, talons gouging the ground. "Then struggle, little flame. Struggle... until your light goes out."

A wave of killing intent rolled outward, so dense it forced the vampire lords to stagger backward. Tiles shattered beneath Aamir’s feet, yet he didn’t move, crimson system pulsing at his side.

For the first time in centuries, predators looked like prey.

And the only one standing tall... was Aamir.

Aamir’s crimson veins pulsed brighter, heat rolling off his body like wildfire.

The beast’s wings snapped once, a shockwave blasting across the arena.

Stone chunks flew, slicing through vampires who weren’t fast enough.

Aamir dug his feet in, blue flames licking his fists.

"If you want a feast..." he growled, eyes burning, "...then choke on fire."

The beast lunged forward, claws carving the ground like molten blades.

Aamir met him head-on, Titan pulse roaring, their collision splitting the air.

Flame and fury erupted, shaking the arena like thunder made flesh.

The clash painted the night in crimson and blue fire.

Neither yielded.