The crowd at the hall had already left before the building collapsed from the battle. They watched from a distance as all eight figures soared into the sky, leaving Bestial Town behind, heading toward a place where their clash wouldn’t bring destruction—the edge of the Bestial Forest.
At the same time, the battle had also attracted many in the town. Curious and wary, they followed from afar, drawn by the undeniable presence of Young Master Leo of the Ignis Clan. They wondered who dared to stand against the Ignis Clan, provoking their wrath so openly.
As they followed and caught a glimpse of Leo’s opponents, they saw masked figures, their identities shrouded in secrecy. Murmurs rose among the crowd, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Wind Art: Wind Whirlpool!"
The black-haired maid battling Lizzy cried out, summoning a furious whirlwind that spun into a whirlpool, sucking everything into its spiraling center as it surged toward Lizzy.
"Blood Art: Blood Shield!"
Blood surged from Lizzy’s body, condensing into a massive crimson shield that loomed before her.
The Wind Whirlpool slammed into the Blood Shield. Originat energy fueled its force, pressing harder and harder. Cracks spread across the shield’s surface until, with a thunderous roar, the whirlpool burst through, swallowing Lizzy’s figure whole.
Seeing this, the maid snorted in arrogance.
"So, this is all you amount to."
"Oh? What are you talking about?"
A voice echoed behind her, sending chills down her spine. She whirled around, only to see Lizzy’s unharmed figure standing tall, her blood-red mask glinting ominously. Lizzy laughed loudly, her voice carrying through the tense air. Before the whirlpool had consumed her, she had used her Blood Step Art to escape unscathed.
"I didn’t expect you to have two affinities—fire and wind," Lizzy said, her grin widening. "Seems I don’t have to hold back anymore."
"Blood Art: Blood Step!"
In the maid’s eyes, Lizzy’s figure blurred, moving like a surge of blood straight toward her.
"Wind Art: Wind Step!"
The maid refused to be outdone, moving with the swiftness of a roaring gust as she counterattacked.
"Wind Art: Wind Blade Slash!"
Wind Originat gathered at the maid’s fingertips, forming a fierce blade of compressed air.
Seeing this, Lizzy murmured,
"Blood Art: Blood Strike."
Blood surged once more, forming a sinister crimson sword in her hand. She swung it without hesitation toward the Wind Blade.
It should be noted that their battle raged across the forest floor, not in the skies above—their cultivation levels were too low to sustain true flight.
Their attacks collided, sparking ferocious gusts. Trees around them shuddered violently, their leaves stripped and scattered by the shockwaves.
Neither gave an inch. Their strikes continued to rain down, relentless, merciless.
Suddenly, the maid spotted an opening in Lizzy’s movements. Without hesitation, she seized the chance, concentrating her Originat into a devastating Wind Blade Slash, striking toward the gap.
But just as she lunged, she realized the thread of opportunity connecting her to the opening had been severed. Her instincts screamed too late—it was a trap.
"Blood Art: Blood Thorn," Lizzy whispered.
Without warning, a swarm of blood thorns erupted around the maid. Though she sensed the danger, she reacted swiftly.
"Fire Art: Fire Shield!"
Twin layers of flaming shields blazed into existence around her.
The blood thorns struck with brutal speed. Each collision shook the shields, rapidly whittling away at the first layer. It crumbled under the relentless assault.
When the second layer stood exposed, it held firm—but only barely. It resisted the barrage of blood thorns, but...
"Blood Art: Blood Step."
"Blood Art: Blood Strike."
Before the black-haired maid could comprehend what was happening, she was shocked to feel Lizzy’s bloody aura behind her. She tried to move, but alas, it was a sudden and well-calculated attack.
Lizzy appeared behind the maid, wielding a blood sword formed through the Blood Strike skill, and slashed towards her.
The maid sensed the danger and desperately tried to dodge,
"Wind Art: Wind Step!"
Even though she managed to preserve her life, her left arm was left behind. Her face turned pale white as blood gushed from the severed limb. Without hesitation, she waved her hand, and a small bottle appeared. She quickly opened it, letting two pills drop into her mouth.
Almost immediately, her bleeding stopped—but her flesh could not be restored. Lizzy watched the scene unfold with a smirk etched onto her masked face.
As the blood ceased to flow, the black-haired maid looked at Lizzy, her expression filled with dismay and shock. Every step of Lizzy’s plan had been executed flawlessly.
At first, Lizzy had purposely left an opening to bait her opponent, and the maid had fallen for it. It seemed Lizzy had anticipated that she would still defend herself, so she used the blood thorns to distract her, setting up the finishing blow from behind.
One might wonder how Lizzy had managed to execute such a calculated plan, especially considering that merely two or three days ago, she had been just a mortal receptionist with no battle experience. This transformation was due to her being transmuted into a dragon.
When one transmutes into a dragon, they inherit the knowledge and heritage of the dragon itself, embedding battle instincts deep within their soul. Furthermore, Lizzy had undergone training within the Dragon Tower and had received guidance from Kaidros, even if only for a brief session.
The black-haired maid kept her gaze fixed on Lizzy, refusing to look away. Now, with one arm severed, she was at a tremendous disadvantage. She knew she had to strike while the iron was hot.
"Wind Art: Wind Step!"
Her figure blurred like a wisp of wind as she appeared in front of Lizzy, who raised her hand, blood sword gleaming ominously.
"Fire Wind Art: Fire Tornado!"
The maid shouted as she closed the distance. Lizzy hadn’t expected such an enormous attack.
Wind and Fire Originat surged from the maid’s hands, fusing together. A chorus of flaming tornadoes, sharpened by the cutting edge of wind, roared forward, devouring Lizzy’s figure in a hellish blaze.
The surrounding trees stood no chance. Their branches were sliced apart and burned to ash, while even their sturdy trunks succumbed to the catastrophe.
The maid watched, her eyes narrowed, as the fire tornado consumed Lizzy. Yet suddenly, from within the swirling inferno, a black figure began to emerge—step by step, Lizzy’s form grew clearer.
Though her body bore cuts and the scent of burnt flesh clung to her, within a few seconds, her skin regenerated, smooth and flawless like a newborn’s.
"What fearsome healing ability," the maid muttered in shock.
"That was a strong skill," Lizzy’s voice rang out, calm and chilling, her ruby-red eyes gleaming in the night, "but it all ends now."
"Blood Art: Blood Manipulation."
The maid’s gaze dropped in horror as blood flowed from her severed arm, forming countless hidden blood weapons—thorns, needles, and more—all poised to strike her down.
Panicking, she tried to deploy multiple shields, but her body staggered. A wave of dizziness swept over her—just for a brief moment—but it was enough. In that instant, the swarm of blood weapons overwhelmed her defenses.
"Remember," Lizzy’s cold voice echoed through the air, "when fighting someone like me, never let your blood splatter so easily."
That was the last thing the black-haired maid heard before darkness consumed her.
"I hope Master won’t blame me," Lizzy muttered quietly to herself. She had used a dragon skill:
"Blood Dragon Art: Mind Control."
The black-haired young woman now lay sprawled on the ground, her once-vibrant eyes void of life, her body pierced through by countless hidden blood weapons.