Chapter 26: Vampire Lord

The arena where the duel would take place stood at the eastern sector of the academy, a grand stone coliseum built in a perfect circle. Its walls framed the open sky, with rows upon rows of arched seats rising upward like the ridges of a bowl. Carved banners of the four student tiers, Stone, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, decorated the entrances, while an enchantment glowed faintly across the sand-covered arena floor. The seats were packed. First-year students filled most of them, their eyes gleaming with excitement. But Noah also spotted a few second-years scattered among the crowd, lounging with casual interest as if waiting for a child’s scuffle. In the center of the arena stood Ben Stanley. His arms were folded across his chest, and a deep scowl twisted his face. His foot tapped against the ground in short bursts of irritation. Arlo stopped at the entrance, nudging Noah with an elbow. "Try not to end it too fast. Give us a good show." Then he left, disappearing into the seats above. Noah stepped onto the sand. Every eye turned toward him. The moment Ben saw him, his scowl deepened into a snarl. "What took you so long?" He snapped. "Or did you finally remember you’re just a weak little rat and almost ran back to your hole?" Noah smirked. "Didn’t know I was so important that you’d wait all day for me." Ben scoffed, trying to laugh it off, but the irritation didn’t leave his face. "Important? Don’t flatter yourself. I waited because I wanted to humiliate you in front of everyone." Noah stepped closer, his voice calm. "Right. But I think you’ve forgotten some pretty important information." Without waiting for Ben to report, Noah continued. "Because back at school, you needed teachers and your little gang to protect you. But here? Right now? No one’s here to stop me." Ben’s eyes narrowed. "You think you can beat me?" Noah shrugged. "I don’t think. I know I can beat you even with one arm tied behind my back." Murmurs rippled through the crowd. His plan was working. He needed to stir Ben into a rage. The kind of rage that would create a fight that will trigger his merged beast’s instinct to survive. The kind of atmosphere perfect for Overdrive. Ben’s fingers clenched into fists. "I’m going to break you." Noah just laughed, raising his hand slowly. "Then come try." He beckoned. Ben’s expression twisted into fury, and his foot slid back into a stance. Mana gathered around him, swirling faintly as the duel officially began. The spectators held their breaths at the sight. And then Ben moved. Noah’s eyes widened at the sudden burst of speed. In a flash, Ben was on him, fangs bared, the force of his charge kicking up dust from the arena floor behind him. ’Fast,’ Noah realized, ducking just as the swing aimed for his face sliced through the air. Ben’s physical attributes weren’t overwhelming, but they were just enough to stay ahead. He was stronger, faster. Not by much, but enough to push Noah onto the back foot. A spell flared to life in Ben’s hand. Blood coiled from his fingertips, hardening into jagged claws that glistened with a faint crimson light. His grin stretched wider as he slashed. Noah skipped back, pivoting on his heel to dodge left, barely escaping the bite of those claws. They tore through the air with a soft whistling sound. Ben chuckled as he kept slashing, pressing forward. "What’s wrong? Thought you were brave now, Dragon boy." Noah didn’t answer. He focused on keeping his balance, reading the rhythm of Ben’s attacks. Even with all of Ben’s new attributes and spells, Noah had fought against him to know how he moved, every step he took, and the patterns with which he moved. Ben was no genius, but he’d trained. And now, his rage was morphing into something more dangerous. Bloodlust. "You think you can challenge a Vampire Lord?" Ben hissed. "You? A pathetic little lizard who doesn’t even have a proper skill?" He slashed again. Noah twisted to avoid the first swipe, but the second caught him in the arm. The pain tore through his skin. Blood welled, running down to his fingertips. Noah gritted his teeth, stepping back to recover. Ben didn’t let up. He spun low, then came up with a clawed uppercut. Noah raised his arm to block, but the claws tore through his sleeve and left three shallow cuts on his forearm. "Look at you." Ben laughed. "You’re nothing. You’ve always been nothing." He jabbed with another slash. Noah dodged, but the final claw scraped his shoulder, just enough to sting. Blood oozed from the wound, dark against his uniform. Noah stumbled back a few steps, chest heaving. Ben grinned, licking a drop of blood from one of his claws. "This is why you’ll always crawl in the dirt beneath me. You don’t belong in the same world as me." He stopped attacking. For a moment, he just stood there, arms wide, chest out, daring Noah to try something. "You done running?" he said with a cruel smirk. "I’ll let you breathe before I end this." Noah didn’t speak. He stepped back once more, widening the space between them. His heart was pounding in his ears. He could feel it. His body breaking, straining. Not just from the pain or blood loss. Something inside him was starting to stir. Slowly. Painfully. And it was hungry. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Ben. This wasn’t the feeling he was looking for. His inner dragon wanted him to tear Ben to shreds. Even with Ben’s new physical advantages, the fight just wasn’t... enough. It still didn’t have that touch of real danger that would let Overdrive kick in. ’Is it because I’m trying to fake the situation? Is it because I feel no desperation?’ If he needed a new skill, he would have to take things up a notch. He would have to make Ben use his A-rank skill, Blood Armament. And when it seemed like he was about to die... he would be reborn.