The trio, barely clinging to life just moments ago, gasped in shock as the pain was replaced by a flood of rejuvenation. Even their mana cores began to stabilize, cleansed and restored as if a reset button had been pressed.

However, unlike others, the three were not able to recover and bounce back that quickly. While their conditions seemed to have stabilized for now, their bodies could only weakly plummet to the ground.

Another set of blood tendrils shot from Damon's body, shaped like hands, and quickly caught them. Unlike the golden hand, the blood red hand gently cradled them and held them tight, not letting even a single stray attack touch them.

Mark, finally, let out a sigh of relief. Erin, who was on the other side, finally shook off all the incompetent C ranks holding her back and let out a roar that shook the whole battlefield. Kaelthorn grinned with reverence in his eyes as his blade slaughtered faster and cleaner.

Damon's presence was like a mountain, so immovable and inevitable that every single vampire on the battleground panted in fervour. Even the Blood Generals couldn't help but feel their blood boil at the sight of him.

His aura rippled through the battlefield like a sovereign's decree, leaving no doubt about who reigned supreme.

Damon hadn't just come back. He had returned as something else entirely. A monarch, cloaked in blood, who needed no crown to be recognized.

"What are you all looking at? KILL HIM! SHOOT HIM DOWN! NOW!" Michael screamed, now once again back in the safety of his army. The command rang out like a thunderclap, but it failed to shake the suffocating dread that gripped every soul on the field.

Around Michael, there were nearly fifty forced C ranks, all clearly with the sole purpose of protecting him. He adjusted his golden mask and sneered as he felt satisfied with this line of defense.

"You burnt your potential for nothing! You are going to die today, and your blood hall is going to collapse. You will always be a fucking loser. Look at my power and kneel! You will never be able to touch my level! You have no idea what I am capable of! You are just a filth with a commoner's blood! Do you even know the history of my bloodline!"

Damon laughed and looked straight at him through all of the mess and chaos. All sorts of attacks started flying at him, but now he did not even bother to move to block any of them. He simply used his blood tendrils to block one attack after another as if they meant nothing.

Michael trembled. He couldn't meet Damon's eyes and looked away. That single gaze shattered whatever illusion he had wrapped around himself.

For the first time, Michael felt it, not fear, but insignificance. His words, his power, his mask, his entourage… they all suddenly felt meaningless. It was as though the universe itself had tilted, placing Damon at its apex and reducing everything else to mere background noise.

He gritted his teeth and hurriedly took out a magic scroll when, all of a sudden, an ominous feeling gripped his heart. The next moment, Damon appeared beside him, silently.

Michael shuddered. It was as if the devil was standing right next to him.

"Before today, I did not give two shits about you." Damon finally spoke, his voice only reaching Michael's ears, barely a whisper. Yet it echoed like a thunderclap inside Michael's head.

"I did not care if you lived or died as long as you stayed out of my way. But today you did something you should not have. You touched what was mine. And now your entire family is going to pay for it. A secretly powerful, hidden family with unfathomable powers? In thirty days, I will make you and your entire family disappear like you had never even existed in the first place."

Michael's heart raced. He opened his mouth, but he felt so much pressure from Damon being so close that he couldn't bring himself to say anything or do anything.

"You think I'm bluffing?" Damon murmured again, his tone casual as if he were discussing the weather. "Then pray. Pray to whatever gods your ancestors once worshipped and to whichever God gave you his blessing. Because I will rip your name from history, carve your bloodline out of the books, and make sure no one remembers your legacy except as an example of what happens when filth dares to claw at what's mine."

Michael's trembling fingers finally managed to activate the teleportation scroll. "Huga… Huga…" He muttered someone's name in desperation, but there was no time for anything. Blood silently leaked inside the golden shield, formed a hand around Michael's neck.

Then, just like how he had squeezed Aurora, Kate, and Ellora, the blood hand also tightened around Michael's throat. Dozens of forced C ranks rushed towards Damon and unleashed a barrage of attacks on him, but a storm of blood enveloped him and Michael, a storm that did not allow any of the attacks through.

A blood domain!

It was clear that they needed some time to break the domain. The numerous C ranks threw everything they had at the domain. They finally managed to crack the domain after a few good seconds, but when they did, it was already too late.

Damon mockingly sneered at them before he disappeared from their sight once again. Next to him, Michael's body collapsed on the ground, limp and lifeless. His golden mask rolled on the ground, broken, revealing his horrified face and his pathetic expression.

Damon had also done the courtesy of breaking all of the armor on his body so everyone could clearly see that the man had actually peed in his pants. It was a sight that no one would forget. Even as Michael's body became motes of light and disappeared, everyone's eyes were glued to his crotch, watching the wet spot.

A man once regarded as untouchable, hidden behind layers of privilege, protected by power, legacy, and fear, was now reduced to this level.

For many, this moment would be seared into memory forever. Not Michael's strength. Not his threats. Not even his death. But the pathetic, all-too-human truth revealed at the end.

The same man who had once claimed to be divine had died a coward's death, piss-soaked and broken.

***

Mass Release Chapter 2 sponsored by RoastUberDroid

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