115. Do you think a single ordinary human is worth more than trash on the side road?

115. Do you think a single ordinary human is worth more than trash on the side road?

The next thing Brad knew, a fist came straight to his face, and his body was blown away and stuck on the wall behind the podium.

"Guhaa!" Brad let out a pained voice. "Cough!" he coughed up some blood while his body was still stuck in the wall. He didn't even finish understanding his situation. Hee also still had some blood to cough out. Yet…

*Bamm

The Second attack connected to his stomach. The surrounding wall was also destroyed by the impact, and Brad fell to the floor as there was nothing that held him in the wall.

"Kuaghh!" Brad moaned in pain. He tried his best to scan his surroundings, and when his slightly blurred sight came back to his eyes, he saw a shoe coming fast to his face.

Brad reacted in the last second, but he wasn't fast enough *Bamm "Ugh!" he was kicked in the face and spun on the floor like a spinner.

This time Brad didn't think about the situation anymore and followed his instinct. He used his Mana to form a dome-like earth wall, like a turtle hiding behind his shell. But without proper imagination nor control of his Mana, also a defensive spell wasn't his forte either.

*Boom *Crash *Crack

With one kick from Lex, the earth dome collapsed and was destroyed, and of course, Lex didn't wait for Brad to recover himself. Brad also knew it, but he could do nothing about it. *Boom, his body was stomped by Lex.

However, this time was a bit different. Brad, who knew he couldn't defend the attack previously, decided to abandon it altogether and concoct his next move. With proper Mana Control and his best Magic. The blood… his splattered blood around his body moved in rapidly and became like a hedgehog's spine. It pierced anything around him.

Lex easily avoided it with a step back. But it was also what Brad wanted. He wanted that small frame of time to recover himself. The white tuxedo Brad wore almost became a red tuxedo by his own blood now.

Watching his state, Lex suddenly remembered what had happened two years ago. The Mana Race 'Skeleton King' who pushed him into the state like the Vampire in front of him now. The same Mana Race as before, but the places they stood 180% differ from that time.

Lex snapped out of his flashback only to see Brad standing up, and then he realized blood spikes around him were sucked inside his palm.

"I'll make you regret this!!" Brad shouted in anger while ignoring his aching body. It hurt him, but it wasn't enough to incapacitate Brad. The sucked blood quickly formed a colossal scythe and was swung once by Brad.

*Swoosh

The air blew away the surrounding chairs, yet it was only like a breeze to Lex. Lex knew fully well never to underestimate his enemy. Yet, no matter how he calculated it in his head, he could not see Brad and his scythe as dangerous. Nevertheless, Lex watched his every move, not to miss the smallest detail.

Lex's lack of reaction was received in the wrong way by Brad. "Don't make fun of me!!" He shouted. He thought Lex underestimated him, which isn't that far from the truth. "I'm Brad, The Vampire's Progenitor! Marked it in your soul! What it means to be against me!!" he screamed and moved his way toward Lex while destroying everything nearby. At every swing by his scythe, things were cut and blown away.

"Tch!" Lex clicked his tongue. Then without any delay, gloves made out of metal covered his fist. There are only a few magic that Lex could use. This means only those magic he could practice with, like a swordsman who only practiced one move. Lex practiced this magic or spell to its perfection. He didn't need any incantation for this magic anymore.

Lex watched every move Brad made. And Lex also wasn't stupid to contest his gloves with Brad's scythe, even if he was sure his gloves could clash with his scythe head on a 98% probability that his gloves won't lose or be destroyed after thousands of clashes.

Like an eagle watching its prey. When Brad swung to Lex diagonally. Lex didn't waste his move and docked to the side and dodged it while entering his personal space and threw his punch. However, Brad also expected this counter from Lex and defended it with the blood scythe's snath. Realizing this, Lex changed the elements of his glove at the last second.

*Sizzles

The blood scythe was burned by the flame.

Lex's first plan was to overwhelm him and make him give up, but after his first ambush, he realized Brad's pride wouldn't make him surrender to him.

That's why he changed his strategy. He will obliterate his ego, giving him a chance as if he could fight back, only to be crushed again and again. Isn't hope the best spice for despair?

They continued their exchange. Each time Lex would only aim at his blood scythe and slowly burn it off.

Sometimes he also breaks Brad's body balance whenever he makes a bad move. He also blocks or interrupts his swings before they can reach full power. In other words, Lex didn't let Brad fight comfortably and never allowed him to use his full power.

This act slowly brings frustration into Brad. At the same time, it also made him think that Lex was afraid to contest power with him. (As long as I can use my full strength, I can kill him)

Brad slowly but surely became more and more frustrated. His elegant and sophisticated scythe play becomes simple and crude as time passes by and eventually relies on power alone.

"Arghh!!" Brad screamed in frustration as he swung his scythe with full power, leaving a massive crater on the floor without thinking of any consequences or further attack, leaving him wide open for any counterattack.

Lex could use those openings to destroy him, but he knew it wasn't enough to crush his pride. That's why...

Lex waited for him to recover his balance, then when Brad swung his scythe with full power…

*Boom

The clash between Brad's blood scythe and Lex's metal gloves created a shockwave that blew everything around them.

Lex caught Brad's full power swings and stood in place like a mountain. Lex didn't get pushed back even an inch. There's also one more person besides Lex who knew this fact.

"HAH!?&@^$$@*" Brad let out an incomprehensible scream. Then, with his unstable mind, he pulled his scythe and swung it again toward Lex. But Lex caught it easily like before. It was like an adult facing a child. No matter how the child tries, the adult won't budge.

"aaAARGHHH!!!" Brad shouted as he swung his scythe repeatedly, slowly realizing the difference between them and losing his mind.

On the other hand, Lex's focus already went by passed Brad, the enemy before him. The moment he discerned that Brad was losing his mind, Lex turned his gaze toward his future enemy, the Vetus Orbis, the organization behind Brad.

As if something was released and let loose from inside him, something dark slowly dyed his mind and body. (Just wait…) he thought flatly. At this point, Lex didn't know how he would regret this action in the near future.

The distracted Lex was a beat late in grasping Brad's movement. The moment someone was sure of their victory was when they were in their most vulnerable state.

+++

Lex's negligence created this situation. If he is just more careful… if he checks his surroundings… if he could calm down… if he didn't get obsessed with Vetus Orbis…

There are too many ifs to count, but nothing could change the situation…

Lex thought Brad's spirit had been crushed by him, yet he was more resilient than Lex expected and had a leftover strength.

+++

When Brad realized the difference in power he decided to flee with his tail between his legs. But he also knew even if he used all of his strength. He was unable to escape from Lex. That's the case if he only depends on himself… however what if there's another variable to help him.

He remembered the snack he had caught yesterday. Fortunately, he wasn't hungry yesterday, so he didn't kill it immediately. Once again, Brad realizes the importance of being prepared.

***

There are a few ways Lex detects his enemy; with his top-notch Mana sensitivity, he effortlessly senses the change in Mana in his surroundings. His range was narrower than those who could send Mana as a sonar to scan their surroundings. However, his range was still far enough to react to any unexpected situation. As long as something suspicious entered his range, he could respond.

On the other hand, if someone hid their Mana, he could also feel the natural Mana's turbulence state was too calm. It was quality over quantity with Lex.

The only one he could think of bypassing his senses was Livia alone, who had Godlike control of Mana.

Then what if someone didn't use Mana at all, or his assailant couldn't control Mana at all? For that kind of situation, Lex also learns the skill for it. It was like a hunter in the forest. He could skillfully track down its game, and with Lex's inhumane senses, he could feel much much better than professional.

There are three things Lex depends on in those situations: the skill he learns under Turner Crimson, his experience in recent years, and instinct. The last one is the one that helped me in the most dangerous situation. Yet not any of those helps him today.

***

Lex was distracted, Brad could take a bit of distance, and someone slowly walked toward Brad from nearby. As expected, Brad didn't hesitate to take that person into his hands. When Lex returned to his senses that the person already in his hand was functional as a hostage, Lex could only glare at Brad now.

Brad put his finger on that person's neck. "Don't move, or I'll kill her," Brad tried to intimidate Lex. This was one of the techniques he learned in his life to survive.

*Suu…Haa…

Lex took a deep breath silently, then he calmly said, "What makes you think I'll stop for her? Do you think a single ordinary human is worth more than trash on the side road" he argued. Sadly, the only thing that was calm about Lex now was his outer shell… his acting. Actually, He was in chaos on the inside. His feelings were all messed up all over the place, and anxiety was the biggest.

Unlike before, when Lex could still think of his future move to search and destroy Vetus Orbis, This time, he fully uses all of his abilities to get out of this situation. To help the hostage.

(Why… Why the hell are you here!!!) he screamed in agony and dismayed as he secretly stared at the blank face of Alice in Brad's hand.