Ascension of the Dark Seraph

"It's going to really… really hurt for her."

Lucivar's lips curled into a cynical smile.

In truth, he wasn't really that mad about being manipulated by Master Tobias, who was adamant that he did it to make him stronger. Rather, he was quite grateful. He didn't need Master Tobias' help to become what he is right now, as this had always been his fate.

But he couldn't deny that Master Tobias helped him achieve it faster.

Killing Delilah to push Lucivar to the edge when he realized the betrayal from his real family was not enough, grouping him up with the family who provided the environment to reaffirm his conviction—he couldn't deny Master Tobias' work.

Just the act of manipulation alone doesn't trouble Lucivar at all.

And killing Delilah was brutal and painful, but necessary.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Lucivar would spare him.

It only meant that Master Tobias would die knowing that he was grateful for helping him grow.

Lucivae was certain Master Tobias understood one thing: to manipulate someone as dangerous as him, the manipulator had to ensure he never realized it until the end of time. Because once the truth came to light, no matter the reason, the victim would always retaliate, most of the time fiercely.

Once exposed, death is on the line.

Just the simple fact that Master Tobias went through with this meant he had decided to take the risk.

'And the only reason he was nervous right now must be because of Vanessa.'

Lucivar's eyes glistened as he locked gaze with Vanessa.

A couple of nights ago, they were getting to know each other.

Neither of them expected that not long after their first encounter, they'd be going against each other.

Now, he was going to use her to get back at Master Tobias.

Seeing the absolute malice behind Lucivar's eyes—sent a shiver down her spine, forcing her to clutch Master Tobias's shirt tighter. Especially since she practically knew now that Lucivar had the bloodline of multiple Gods inside him.

Hybrids with a vampire bloodline would already be way superior to many others.

At the same rank—a Vampire Hybrid was probably as strong as five to ten normal Hybrids, capable of fighting multiple Hybrids of the same rank at the same time. A high-grade bloodline is that impactful, and everyone was aware of it.

Vanessa couldn't even begin to imagine how much stronger Lucivar was compared to his peers.

Even the fact that he could stand his ground against Master Tobias meant his combat prowess was that of a Savant-rank Hybrid, which was almost unheard of and outright scary. And now, she has only come to realize that the one fighting Master Tobias earlier wasn't the real Lucivar.

It was a revelation that made her heart skip a beat.

And now, they were going to be fighting against the real Lucivar.

But she didn't lose hope.

"Don't underestimate me too much," She mumbled, eyes blazing with ether. "I'm not and will never be a damsel in distress. I don't know where you get the impression—that I'm helpless and weak, but I can assure you that I'm not. I clawed to this position myself, and I can definitely claw out of this alive."

Despite the odds, Vanessa didn't lose hope.

She was going to make this a two-versus-one, putting Lucivar at a disadvantage.

Confidently, she came out from behind Master Tobias and stood beside him.

"Let's beat him and get out of here," She said before nodding firmly. "We can start anew."

Almost instantly, the smile on Lucivar's face turned maniacal and savage.

He couldn't hide his excitement anymore.

Hearing what Vanessa said only made Master Tobias sweat harder.

"Tch. She should've stayed quiet…' He thought with concern. 'She's playing into his hands.'

Even though it might seem natural, Lucivar was calculating the situation—in incredible detail, like a surgeon dissecting a person during an operation—precise and purposeful. He wanted Vanessa to be like this, fiery, full of hope, and determined.

So that when he broke her, it would be more painful for Master Tobias.

'Just like what I did to Mirel, he's raising my expectations unwillingly.' Master Tobias thought, exhaling the air in his lungs that he unconsciously was holding. 'I know what he was aiming for, but I can't really do anything to stop it.'

"In that case," Lucivar's voice rang, pulling their attention back to him. "It's two against one."

Following his words was tense silence.

Lucivar stayed standing on his spot, his hands placed nearly on his sides.

Swish…

Slowly, the Divine Armaments, the mask, the black sword, and the abyssal eye began to form again.

"Remember, don't look into his eyes or the mask. He awakened Loki's powers first, so he was used to using illusions more." Master Tobias whispered, warning Vanessa about his powers, as one mistake would be instant death. "Don't bet on your abilities against his. He has divine powers, we don't."

"I've seen you fight—you don't need to tell me," Vanessa answered. "Focus on him."

Earlier, he watched how Lucivar fought and made sure to remember it.

In her ascent to power, paying attention is the most important skill that she developed naturally.

She could tell that Lucivar was a problem, and decided to pay attention—in case of something like this happening, and she was correct. As for Master Tobias, he was still undecided, but he eventually focused on Lucivar again.

"Here I go," Lucivar smirked. "Guess what the Devil is thinking…"

Both of them tensed when Lucivar raised his hand.

He slowly made a handgun with his hand and charged an unbelievable amount of ether.

All of it swirled on his fingertip, creating a ball of corruptive darkness.

"Head!"

Bang!

In an instant, the silence was shattered.

A bullet of darkness erupted forward, its release punctuated by a thunderous crack that spilt the stillness of the forest. The sound tore through the night like a cannon blast, reverberating against the trees, and rattling the very earth beneath their feet.

It was the Night Piercer spell.

But it wasn't the same as what it once was.

Compared to the last time Lucivar used it, the bullet moved terrifyingly faster—a blur that outran even the echo of its own detonation. His divine elevation pushed him to new heights, far beyond how strong he was yesterday or before the birthday party.

Master Tobias' eyes flashed with the eerie gleam of his Seer bloodline.

He saw the bullet before it came, reacting the instant Lucivar's finger twitched.

One would say that his response was near-inhuman, or even near-inhybrid for his rank, yet even so, he barely managed to intervene. The shot was already at Vanessa's brow, a whisper away from ending her life as if she were a nobody.

A blood shield burst into existence with a snap of crimson light.

Upon impact, Master Tobias' arm rattled as the bullet ricocheted off, shrieking past their flank.

It carved a molten hole clean through the bark of the tree beside them, leaving behind a scorching hiss of smoke before it vanished into the night with a keening whistle. The air grew heavy in the aftermath, the forest holding its breath.

Lucivar's first strike came and went.

Just from that alone, Master Tobias and Vanessa knew at once—this was going to be hazardous.

Vanessa, in particular, felt her throat tighten.

She swallowed hard, her pulse pounding in her ears as the truth settled over her far too clearly. If Master Tobias had been a fraction slower, she would already be dead. The Night Piercer was far too fast, too merciless for her, as her bloodline had never been built for speed.

And in that silence, broken and scarred by the echo of darkness, the danger became undeniable.

Lucivar whistled, admiring the expression on their faces, "That was a close one, huh?"

Gritting his teeth, Vanessa charged her ether, intending to strike.

But Master Tobias blocked her with his arm.

"Don't," He said with a serious tone. "Don't even try to attack him. Trust me."

Upon hearing this, Vanessa wanted to argue.

Staying still like this would only put them at Lucivar's mercy, forced to play by his rules, a disadvantage no matter how they approached it. In a situation like this, the only choice for them was to overturn the table and force the game onto their own terms.

Or at least, that's what Vanessa always did.

She couldn't understand why Master Tobias was adamant about letting Lucivar have his way.

Feeling her disagreement, he turned to look at her and repeated, "Trust me."

Upon hearing this and seeing the way Master Tobias' face contorted, realization dawned upon her.

A faint trace of ether could be felt coming—from Master Tobias' crimson eyes, but it wasn't the blood attribute he had from being a Vampire Hybrid; it was something else. Naturally, it could only mean he was using his Seer bloodline.

And for him to be adamant in stopping her could only mean one thing.

Vanessa looked ahead again at Lucivar, her blood running cold.

'He saw me die…' She clenched her fists tightly.

Master Tobias could see into the future, and if he allowed Vanessa to attack right now, she would die.

Even though Lucivar was smiling right now, seeming harmless as he kept his bloodlust close, there was no doubt that he was incredibly dangerous. The only way to escape this situation was to outwit him, a feat that was almost impossible now that he was on guard, but still more plausible than using force.

"Hey, that's cheating," Lucivar chimed playfully. "Stop using that damn foresight of yours."

"In that case, stop using your divine powers." Master Tobias retorted.

Lucivar cackled, "Fair enough."

"Now…" He lowered his stance. "Let us continue."

"You're really being over your head, Luicvar." Master Tobias suddenly said right before Lucivar could make his second attack, tilting his head and smiling a little for the first time. "I've been planning this for years and years before you came into the picture. I even aimed to awaken your Divine Armaments, the new accessories of yours."

He pointed at multiple parts of Lucivar's body, pointing the Divine Armaments one by one.

Unlike earlier, he was now more relaxed, as if his distress was nothing but fake.

Lucivar's face turned grimmer and grimmer with each word.

Clearly, the words were getting on his nerves.

"What makes you think you have any chance against years of planning?" Master Tobias asked, his voice laced with genuine curiosity. "You are incredibly sharp—and meticulous. I am sure you understand the stupidity of what you are doing right now."

"Haah…" Lucivar scratched the back of his head nonchalantly. "Seems like you misunderstood me."

Lowering his hand, he stared straight at Master Tobias with cold sharpness.

"Can't you see it, Tobias?" He asked with a flat, unimpressed voice. "You have my full attention now."