The Transcenders

Chapter 64 - Obscure War (3)

"Alright, but we need to discuss the terms beforehand," Raphael responded as he walked away from Gabriella. "If I win, you'll become my queen and forget about the friends you brought here since you won't see them again."

Gabriella opened her mouth, but Raphael grinned and continued, "And on the off chance that I lose, well, you can have my head."

"No." She spoke towards Raphael but addressed herself to all the vampires around. "When I win, you must accept me as The queen and treat Isaac's wound."

"Sure, okay." He responded dismissively, his voice dripping with indifference.

"Be careful," Luo told her. "I'll help you if something goes wrong."

However, Gabriella only shook her head. The dim lighting cast eerie shadows, and the hushed murmurs from the spectators sent a shiver down her spine as she stepped on the cold concrete. Each footfall echoed throughout the vast town square, amplifying the tension in the air. With no barriers to protect the onlookers, the arena felt exposed, intensifying the gravity of the impending duel.

One of Raphael's vampires ascended to a balcony and spoke through a microphone, exciting the growing public. The onlookers stood in the town square all around the arena. Some flew atop buildings or in the sky for a better view.

Meanwhile, Gabriella Rivampe and Raphael Vanthorn prepared to fight, each on opposite ends of the concrete stage.

'He's way too strong. I can't beat him.' Gabriella's confidence was already lacking from the beginning. Now that her parents were dead, he was the strongest vampire in the Obscure Guild.

Gabriella wasn't sure what she was doing. No one was rooting for her but Luo and a minority of vampires. Jenna was with Isaac in the car.

But she knew, in Vamp City, a duel was the only way to settle a dispute. She despised this tradition. She never liked anything about vampires. They were just fiends who ate, sometimes slept and fought between themselves. Every high vampire was corrupt, and the other vampires were just pawns.

She used to take pride in her parents, the only ones that seemed sane. 'But I was blind. My mother wasn't any good, turning innocent men like Ejiro and flipping their lives upside-down. My father only wanted to rule with an iron fist. They both left politics to the other vampires. And I was also uncaring. I killed countless humans like they were toys, from children to the elderly, and I found it fun.

'This is all in the past now. I'm no longer a lazy princess but the Queen. That's what I'm here to prove.'

Catching on to her unrest, Raphael softly offered, "You're welcome to give up anytime."

There were hundreds of vampires around now. But almost none seemed to be on her side.

Gabriella clenched her fist, her voice trembling with determination. "No. Start the match." She stared at him without fear despite her wavering confidence.

The vampire with the microphone shouted at the top of his lungs, "3...2...1... start!"

With her raw power, Gabriella moved quickly. Yet, Raphael was the first to arrive in the centre of the fighting ground. He showed her his claws and swung.

She backed up and narrowly avoided his sharp nails. Raphael was a very skilled fighter. Each of his moves was calculated and instantaneous, never underestimating Gabriella's speed and power. Pure vampires had more cursed magic, after all.

The only way Gabriella could win was in a battle of mana, but she quickly realized that her inefficient movement due to lack of expertise put Raphael at an advantage.