The golden wall that once cloaked the Antrois like a divine mantle vanished… revealing the forgotten beast that had disappeared for an age long past.
With his short, wild golden hair, golden eyes, and tears flowing down his cheeks like waterfalls… clad in crimson armor stained with gold… He held a long sword etched with jagged edges, dripping with blood, and a hilt crowned by a grinning skull — a skull that spoke in a faint, terrifying whisper.
"I haven't seen you in a long time… King of Kings of Vampires, Cradil Insight Danis…"
The Golden Antrois spoke with a deep, solemn voice.
Cradil's hand trembled slowly, his eyes staring as if they beheld death itself incarnated before him. He gave a cold smile and spoke in a deep tone:
"You were sealed in the Realm of Mysteries… How did you come here?"
The Antrois walked with unwavering steps, closing the distance between them… then rested the blade on his shoulder and spoke in a cryptic tone:
"Someone has appeared… someone seemingly close to the Mysteries. He spoke in a tongue hard to understand, but what I gathered was this — I shall no longer be a prisoner in that world."
He smiled strangely and continued with a cold tone:
"Could it be… that there is someone stronger than you? Strong enough to break your seal and release me?"
He raised his sword slightly, his golden eyes filled with dread and majesty.
"I hate to admit it… but yes. He doesn't fight in traditional ways… but in dialogues, and equations that override causality itself."
"This universe must be vast… vast enough for someone to surpass even the very concept of gold — without whom, gold would not have existed."
Cradil spoke with a sharp tone.
"That's true," replied the Antrois with a mocking smile, "But it seems I am now the strongest in this world… strong enough to make your hand tremble in my presence."
"Don't be foolish," Cradil smirked coldly. "In the million years I've lived, my hand has never trembled before anyone — not even during our battle twenty thousand years ago did I bow my head."
"And that is exactly why you've managed to survive for a million years, Cradil,"
The Antrois replied with a regal, sarcastic tone.
"But what a cruel joke of fate… to be placed inside the body of such a pathetic human."
Cradil chuckled lightly.
"It's a long story. This boy possesses a potential that… one day… may lead to my death."
The Antrois replied with a quiet voice.
"Don't be ridiculous, Antrois. I do not die—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
The Antrois suddenly grabbed him by the neck, his eyes glowing gold. He slammed Cradil into the ground, struck him in the stomach, and hurled him directly toward the gate — smashing him into it.
So fast was the Antrois that neither the soldiers nor Braith could see him move. They only saw Cradil being struck, and the Antrois standing firm.
"It seems the legends are true… That's not a monster — that's a being on a different level,"
Braith said, laughing like a madman.
The dust settled. Cradil emerged, brushing the dirt off his clothes, wearing a cold smile.
"What strength, Antrois… But it's not the same as twenty thousand years ago."
"You're right. This boy's body can't handle my full power… this is only 5% of it."
He raised all five fingers to his face, smirking with sarcasm.
Braith's eyes widened in pure shock… His expression alone told the story — that was only 5%, and he couldn't even see the full strike. What if it had been 100%?
"His power is limited to 5%, and yet he exudes such terrifying presence… just like in the ancient ages… What a terrifying being."
Cradil muttered to himself in a low voice.
Cradil opened his palm. The ground shook violently, and from beneath it emerged a sword soaked in ancient blood. He grabbed it and swung it with such force that the earth itself shifted from its place.
"Oh, it seems you've grown a little stronger."
The Antrois spoke with a mocking tone.
"Thanks for noticing, but I've gained strength just to match you—because you don't die."
Cradil placed his sword's blade across his face and spoke coldly.
Cradil lunged with speed surpassing the concept of light. He swung his sword to strike—but the Antrois stopped the blow with a single hand. He struck Cradil's sword and then conjured a small, golden magical whirlwind around Cradil's abdomen, hitting him and sending him far backward.
Cradil retaliated, manifesting blood spears to restore balance. He launched one toward the Antrois…
The sword moved on its own, and the Antrois spoke a single, grave, harsh word:
"Paradise."
A word that meant destruction.
The bloody spear disintegrated into dust and fell to the ground. The atmosphere was majestic and dark… blood rain poured down fiercely, lightning struck without thunder… it was terrifyingly epic.
The Antrois shifted a single foot and appeared in front of Cradil. He swung his sword and stabbed Cradil in the belly, slashing at him to wound—but to no effect. The Antrois dodged with his eyes alone.
He drew his sword from Cradil's side and smashed his head against a tree… Then Cradil swung his sword at the Antrois's neck, who bent back and placed a hand on Cradil's chest, uttering a heavy word:
"Doojaa…" meaning annihilation.
Cradil flew into the sky, eyes cold and furious… The Antrois leapt after him, and they stood suspended, eye to eye.
"Like the old days, my friend."
Cradil smiled and spoke calmly.
"That's true, my friend."
The Antrois answered in the same way.
Braith watched—this was an inhuman duel, as if outside time and space…
"King Cradil is terrifying and majestic… but this opponent is invincible. He even halts attacks with his eyes alone. Hahaha. You'd die from his gaze if you faced him."
Cradil landed a double strike, splattering blood on the Antrois's armor—but he hit an illusion. From the Antrois's terrifying speed, duplicates sometimes fought in his stead.
Cradil swung and struck the Antrois's armor powerfully, grabbed the sword to break it—but it turned into bloody liquid. He countered with a sudden blow that made the Antrois recoil.
Cradil appeared behind him at terrifying speed, unleashing a volley of blood spears and bloody lightning that struck directly.
Then he slashed and unleashed a blood comet toward the Antrois, triggering an earthquake so fierce the sky began to crack.
Cradil sighed downward, speaking in a sharp, mocking tone:
"I guess I was fighting a replica of you all along… while you were watching."
Braith gasped at the sight—he expected the Antrois to be above, but he was beneath, observing his duplicate fighting.
"Sometimes, I enjoy watching you fight my copy."
The Antrois spoke with an ironic tone.
Cradil landed on the ground. The Antrois took a single step—then paused, gazing at Cradil's chest. He closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly reopened them, smiling.
"Hey, King Cradil… it seems this boy wants to master this form. Wise decision—he will take over from me."
The Antrois spoke quietly.
Cradil was shocked—how could such a narcissistic being heed a lesser human?
A golden light shone from the Antrois's body… his eyes widened in shock, and he collapsed, vomiting vast amounts of blood as the strange power entered him. He looked down at his body and arms.
"What a terrifying form. I sense a sealed power stirring within, on top of the others."
He rose, wiping blood from his mouth, drew the sword from his back, and gazed at it. The hilt whispered softly, laughing at him.
"I've never seen a sword so terrifying and majestic in my life."
Then he looked to King Cradil, met his blood-swirling eyes. The king stepped forward and appeared before Faithless in the Antrois form.
"The combat shift between the original Antrois and you… is like fighting an army wanting to prove itself with mere numbers."
Cradil said in a contemptuous, disrespectful tone.
"And if those numbers are pathetic… they'll wipe the floor with you."
Faithless replied sarcastically.
Cradil placed his palm against Faithless's face and unleashed a bloody wave, pushing him back into the soldiers and killing them. But Faithless emerged, his eyes glowing gold, sword ready to strike Cradil's head.
Cradil blocked with a blood wall—but Faithless released a golden wave from his palm that the king deflected.
Braith leaned against a tree trunk, clutching his stomach in pain as he watched:
"This damned… he's changed much since our last battle."
They both charged, the ancient gold clashing with ancient blood—the sword strikes sparked with sacred fire. The earth trembled from the force of their blows.
They jumped high and Cradil unleashed a blood wave that pierced the golden armor—Faithless appeared behind him, laughing coldly, pressing ten fingers to his face, and slammed him into the ground with tremendous force.
But Cradil swung his bloody sword, carving a deep cut across Faithless's cheek. He hammered Cradil with successive, powerful strikes—but Faithless watched and evaded them.
Cradil withdrew his sword and executed a horrific technique: Dimensional Slash—waving his sword at superluminal speed, literally slicing through time.
Faithless was caught off-guard, but activated Royal Guard, blocking the blow just in time…
A golden light mixed with crimson emerged—dimensions shattered, and countless eyes appeared watching the duel. The blow rebounded off King Cradil with multiplied force…
Yet the king remained standing, sword perched on his shoulder, blood trickling down his face. He swiped the blood away with a finger…
"How I love the scent of blood… it has a unique essence."
He licked his blood, face twisted in a maniacal grin. He began to rise slowly toward the sky, expression terrifying and ominous, heralding doom.
Faithless looked upward, eyes trembling from the terrifying aura radiating from this man. Cradil raised his hand in straight then perpendicular motion, forming a six-pointed star in the air. Then he slowly lifted his palm.
From beneath the earth, a gigantic arena rose—a grand Grecian design, filled with an audience whose glaring red eyes were the only visible feature.
A torch ignited at the arena's center—but it was composed of human skulls… And blood flowed from within the arena's floor…
The sky shattered, revealing white-and-black angry eyes watching Faithless. The crimson moon drew closer to the arena…
From the abyss behind Cradil emerged a black hole, bleeding blood from its maw…
Faithless didn't know if he was in reality or nightmare—or in hell with no end in sight…
"Into what hell have you sent me, Saint Isaac?"
he whispered, voice trembling with fear.
Cradil descended near Faithless, locking eyes with him, voice deep and mysterious:
"It seems the Great Ones sensed the awe radiating from you… they wanted to witness it. So please… show them what you've got."
King of Kings of Vampires remained silent for seconds, then continued in a wide, terrifying smile:
"From this moment forward… you will meet Mr. Crimson."