At that moment, a voice echoed.

"Surprising? To think there's a human capable of defeating a Vampire, even a Lesser."

Turning around, Ryu saw a man standing there. He was likely also a Vampire. Ryu instantly activated Dimensional Cleave, attempting to bisect the man's torso.

However, the severed parts turned into a black mist, and the body that was supposed to be cut in two returned to its original state.

Vampire: "You shouldn't lump me in with those Lesser species."

Ryu activated Divine Sight to analyze the man's true nature.

Ryu: "Upper species... Lord...? Are you the boss of the Vampires?"

Quickly scanning the analysis results, Ryu noticed a skill called "Mistfication". This must be the source of the black mist. It seemed the ability allowed the Vampire to transform into mist and back again. This explained why he could regenerate even after being cut in two.

Ryu: "Why did you do something so cruel?"

Vampire Lord: "Cruel? You mean killing humans? We were just having a meal."

Ryu once again activated Dimensional Cleave, severing the Vampire's limbs, torso, and head.

Dimensional Cleave completely isolates the target in a separate dimension, making it impossible for anyone without trans-dimensional abilities to escape. Not even Vampires were an exception.

Yet, the dismembered Vampire simply spewed black mist from the cut surfaces, rejoining his body as if nothing had happened.

Lord: "You have an intriguing ability. But physical attacks won't kill me."

In a blink, the Vampire vanished at an incredible speed, appearing behind Ryu. His fist shot out, aiming for Ryu's heart.

Of course, Ryu had anticipated the danger...

But somehow, he couldn't dodge it. The Vampire's speed was truly astonishing.

However, Ryu always maintains a Dimensional Barrier for safety when facing an enemy. It managed to block the Vampire's attack, but if Ryu hadn't been so cautious, he would have been pierced through the heart.

Lord: "A magic barrier? My bare hands can't pierce it?"

With that, the Vampire drew a sword from seemingly nowhere. Apparently, he could also use storage magic.

Ryu also unsheathed his own magical sword. He decided to fight with swords, wanting to assess the Vampire's capabilities.

The Vampire, armed with his sword, charged at Ryu. He moved with terrifying speed.

Ryu met his attack head-on.

If he hadn't activated Acceleration at the very start, he would have been sliced to pieces before he could even react. The Dimensional Barrier might have saved him, but even someone like Ryu, who could manipulate time, would be helpless if he were attacked before he could activate it.

The clash between the Vampire Lord and Ryu began. A battle of swords unfolded at a speed that ordinary humans couldn't even comprehend.

Even Ryu had to push Acceleration to its highest intensity – or perhaps reach a significantly higher level – to keep up with such speed.

Ryu had never encountered anyone who could move this fast in this world.

This opponent was probably too strong even for an S-Rank warrior, even a human. A Lesser Vampire was already capable of giving even an A-Rank adventurer a hard time. It was understandable that if a whole group of them attacked, they could wipe out an entire city.

After exchanging blows for a few dozen rounds, they separated and stood still.

Lord: "I'm impressed. You're the first human who could keep up with my speed..."

Ryu: "I'm surprised too. Your speed is the fastest I've ever encountered. But now I understand. You're still slower than my maximum speed. Let's end this."

The moment Ryu finished his sentence...

...Time stopped.

Ryu's concentration reached its peak, and Acceleration reached its maximum.

Actually, Ryu didn't know if time truly stopped. When Ryu accelerated, the world around him appeared to slow down. The faster he accelerated, the slower everything became, until it seemed as if time had stopped from Ryu's perspective. However, it was possible that everything was still moving, albeit incredibly slowly. It didn't really matter in the end.

In this frozen time, Ryu used his sword to slice the Vampire's body into pieces and then resumed time.

But even though he had chopped the Vampire into countless pieces, the moment time resumed, the Vampire's body reformed into a black mist. It seemed impossible to defeat this opponent.

However, the same was true for the Vampire. The Vampire Lord couldn't penetrate Ryu's barriers, nor could he match Ryu's speed.

Both were at a stalemate, unable to land a decisive blow, much like a drawn game in chess.

If they fought for an extended period, the outcome was uncertain. But both understood that a quick resolution was difficult.

Lord: "You've surprised me. I never expected to encounter a human like you... No, it seems you're not human. You..."

The Vampire Lord's eyes shone with light, likely analyzing Ryu.

Lord: "...A Dragonkin? Perhaps you are a race closer to us. Why are you siding with humans? Why are you burning with such rage?"

Ryu: "It's only natural to be angry when someone close to you is killed!"

Lord: "So, these humans were your pets? We're sorry about that."

Ryu: "They weren't pets, they were friends, no, family."

Lord: "A Dragonkin with human family? I don't understand... We simply ate them. Humans do the same, don't they? They kill and eat animals and magical beasts. From the perspective of the eaten creatures, humans are the hateful enemies who killed their family and kin, wouldn't you say?"

Ryu: "You treat humans as food?"

Lord: "To us Vampires, humans are nothing more than food. Human blood is the most delicious treat for us. We initially planned to kidnap the younger ones and raise them as livestock. But the Lessers, having tasted human blood for the first time in a long time, went wild and sucked them dry. Well, there are plenty of humans. Humans reproduce much faster than us Demons. We planned to replenish our numbers in the next city."

Ryu: "I won't let you!"

Ryu stopped time once more and swung Fragarach, his magical sword. But there was no resistance.

It seemed that the Vampire was perpetually in a mistfied state, despite his normal appearance. He was intangible.

Perhaps he was only activating Mistfication as a defensive measure during combat, just like Ryu's Dimensional Barrier.

Ryu reluctantly released his time stop.

It seemed that physical attacks were useless against this opponent. He wasn't sure about magical attacks, but Ryu didn't know any general attack spells. This was a truly troublesome opponent. What to do...?

Should he try to store the mist and everything inside it in a separate dimension? Or maybe use teleportation to fling him somewhere else? While Ryu was contemplating his options, he found himself frozen, open to attack.

However, the opponent didn't seize the opportunity.

Lord: "I felt myself being cut a few times... Your speed is terrifying. I can hardly even perceive you, as if you're stopping time. But you won't be able to defeat me..."

Ryu: "..."

Lord: "Besides, the sun will soon set. At night..."

Ryu had assumed that Vampires in this world were weak to sunlight, as was common knowledge on Earth. Yet, they had been fighting under the sun without any problem. Did this world's Vampires not have a weakness to sunlight?

Lord: "...I believe that at night, I'll be invincible. But there's no point in continuing this fight. It's time to retreat."

Ryu: "You think I'll let you escape?"

Lord: "Can you even catch us in the darkness, when we're in our mist form? Besides, I haven't used all my abilities yet. If we continue fighting, you might be the one who dies."

He was right. It was almost impossible to see the black mist in the dark. And if they possessed any attack abilities in their mist form, it would be a nightmare.

Lord: "We can survive even without attacking humans. Human blood is not a delicacy, but a luxury. Our Lessers, having tasted human blood after a long time, went a little overboard and attacked, prompting me to check the situation. But with someone like you present, there's no need for us to be so aggressive. We are immortal, but other Demons are not."

With that, the Vampire transformed completely into black mist and disappeared, fading into thin air.

Ryu tried searching for him using Divine Sight, but he couldn't sense his presence. Perhaps it was some kind of teleportation magic.

But then, the Lord's voice echoed again. How was this possible?

Lord: "You seem to be taking the humans' side, but you're not human yourself. You'll eventually be betrayed. When that happens, come to us. We'll welcome you as one of our own if you decide to join us."

With those final words, the voice vanished, leaving behind a profound silence.

To be Continued...

Next Time

To uncover the Vampire Lord's weakness, Ryu seeks permission to examine the ancient records in the royal palace.

Will he be able to learn the Lord's weakness and exact his revenge?

Don't miss the next exciting episode!