Chapter 436: The Hunter And Hunted

Madoka watched from the overhead stands with both hands clawing the metal bars.

She wore a thick cloak that masked her scent, and a leather mask filtered the air. Unable to look away, she watched the fight with gleaming eyes. Each time Nikolai made a move, her hips tightened, unable to stop her body reacting.

What is this little bastard’s power!?

Why… do I feel so strange?

A throbbing sensation spread through her abdomen, each time he punched or dodged, and the subtle scent of her body leaked through the mask. Madoka sank her fangs into her lips, as if to quell the heat burning her from the inside.

From the moment she joined the SSS, she escaped her fate of being sold to an arranged marriage. Madoka accepted any condition they requested.

“He’s still a little rough around the edges and needs training. But…” Her voice trailed off as the crowd began to scream and cheer.

Nikolai, in the ring, tossed an unconscious monster to the ground.

Despite the mask that blocked all sense of smell.

Madoka could smell him.

The musky and thick scent that oozed from his every pore, with each droplet of sweat.

It didn’t make sense, the enemy of her mother and family, even after being threatened by her father to marry a man thirty years older. Her mother suffered to create the chance for her to join the SSS and gain freedom.

Yet when I tried to bring my mother to safety…

Those werewolf bastards killed everyone and burned down our mansion!

She still remembered her mother’s cries as they tore at her body.

And this kid…

A bastard who must have killed many women to grow this strong, her throat trembled… barely able to hold back her growl… a tiger’s roar would reveal her true self.

Madoka wanted to pounce on him, rip off his arms and legs.

At the same time, she hesitated… that scene from the night before and her strange emotional change, the hormones and desires opposite that… still violent, but this craving was sexual.

This bastard… he must have done something.

With a disgruntled huff, she left the spot… a deformed steel beam with thick claw marks left in her wake.

***

Nikolai POV

***

After the fight, Nikolai returned to the VIP box with a strange sense of elation.

Nikolai didn’t expect his power to be so effective…

Especially after practising it for the first time.

He could sense Lunaria and Selene’s presence each time he used their blood arts, and the most significant change was in his mind. When fighting with their blood arts, he felt calmer and less violent. The mist of rage that normally overtook him vanished.

It seems I should also practise the other abilities I’ve gained from them.

Risa’s abilities now became second nature to Nikolai; his feet crackling with lightning and wind energy came from her, and each time he pumped his Celestial aura. He could feel Nikita… a strange sensation, as if their scent, heat, and hands stroked and caressed his body, bringing him under control.

I couldn’t do this before they became my Luna… has something changed?

He grasped the door to the VIP room, taking a deep breath and trying to cool the searing heat that coursed through his veins.

Was it because of Selene’s blood art? Or just the blood lust and lingering adrenaline after fighting… Nikolai’s crotch became swollen with blood, causing him to walk with a slight limp as it slipped under his waistband.

Ever since he stopped relying on the pendant, Nikolai struggled, but he could now assess a monster’s or a person’s strength after seeing them fight.

“The Stray’s power was close to 650… but his speed and endurance didn’t come close.”

In his mind, the visual panel appeared—a faint manifestation of soul power that estimated his current attributes with high accuracy.

────────────[Status Interface]────────────

Name: Nikolai Báthory Volkov

Bloodline: Royal Vampire, Imperial Werewolf, Lupus Diabolus

State: Mature

Stat Points:

• Strength: 950

• Endurance: 1100

• Dexterity: 635

• Agility: 720

• Mental: 610

• Intellect: 450

• Wisdom: 480

• Charisma: 320

────────────[Interface Active]────────────

Thanks to his constant battles in both bed and outside.

Nikolai grew rapidly—his physical attributes skyrocketed beyond the level he had before.

“Phew… shall we enjoy a drink, Ryan?” He leaned back onto the sofa, his back steaming with sweat and heat. Despite having taken a quick shower, he couldn’t dispel the heat that lingered from the battle.

“Oh, are you finally in the mood?”

Ryan’s fingers danced along the crystal glass bottle, and after Nikolai nodded with a faint chuckle, Ryan poured him a glass of fine liquor.

The battle wasn’t nearly as difficult as he thought, and even without using his Obsidian Tide or transforming, he learned his current limits.

“What about Clara?”

“She’s not allowed to drink with you!”

“Tsk, cheapskate… look at her eyes.

Clara’s eyes fluttered at the crystal bottle in Ryan’s hand, the violet and blue liquid inside swirled like a storm. Her tiny hands reaching out as if begging for a taste…

“No! You aren’t drinking with him, I’ll pour your glass.”

Honestly, this kind of calm moment helped Nikolai dissipate the heat gathering in his abdomen; it always grew stronger and more violent after he fought. A faint whisper that called to be let loose… but he wasn’t sure what exactly would happen.

It was thanks to the lovely women at home that he was able to calm himself.

POP!

The moment Ryan popped the cork, a sweet, pungent scent of fruit spread across the room, along with some mint and vanilla.

“Wow…” Ryan sighed, his eyes sparkling as he took in the aroma. “It’s nothing like I expected…”

The bubbles spurted from the top, but the huge litre bottle of alcohol spilt into the cup, filling it with a violet hue and small silver sparkles that shone inside the glass.

“So pretty…”

Miao~

Aru brushed against Nikolai’s leg while purring, her eyes focused on the drink.

“Are you a cat or an alcoholic?”

Nikolai chuckled at Aru’s antics, then raised his arm to allow her to jump up onto him. She didn’t answer, but her pupils lingered for a moment as if to say both.

Although the fight was over, Nikolai’s eyes occasionally gazed towards the crowd. During his battle, he could feel something. A lingering danger, maybe something else… but someone watched him with intense eyes and he couldn’t tell who.

Was it another wolf?

Or a monster?

Maybe people followed him from Nosferatu…

“Brother Nikolai, here~ it’s really delicious.” Clara managed to snatch a second glass from the table and handed it over to him.

Ryan looked focused on the Arena where a female fight was taking place… a Lamia woman with her body exposed, covered in scars and a beast-like woman.

Oh?

Nikolai knew Ryan well; he used to hate non-humans, especially those that lacked a humanoid figure… yet his eyes didn’t leave the Lamia for a moment.

Does he like her?

Well… it wasn’t a surprise; after all, they used to be brothers in arms.

Before Nikolai became this monster, the two were close and often went out together, and because of that, he knew Ryan’s type. The sharp red scales, glistening like lip gloss, her fiery hair and sharp eyes, even though her tail slammed the other woman into the cage violently, Ryan remained gripped to his seat.

“Is she your type, Ryan?” I chuckled, sipping the drink Clara gave me. “Oh? This is good. Thanks Clara.”

She blushed at my words, while Aru huffed, jumping off me and onto Clara’s lap.

“It’s not weird…right? And she seems really strong.”

“Eh?”

Ryan turned back and glared at Nikolai. “What’s that sound for?”

“N-No… I just thought you would deny it. I mean she’s not human and you…”

He turned back to her, his face looked different from the past, more peaceful, and his eyes full of life. “I don’t hate them anymore, it was a mistake…” Ryan turned to me with a bitter smile. “After meeting your wives and family. How could I make that mistake, even though Clara wasn’t human?”

He pulled back while placing the glass to his lips and sighed.

“I acted that way because I worried they would hurt Clara if they found out.”

“Ryan…”

He looked at Nikolai with sincere eyes, as if pleading with him to understand.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I know that a beautiful woman like her… would never look at a human like me.” He chuckled, sipping the expensive wine, but somehow Nikolai wanted to do something for his brother.

Luckily… the VIP room came with a special feature.

“You know that a Lamia mates for over 20 hours at a time right… and you’re likely to suffer broken bones each time?” Nikolai added, just testing the waters.

“So she’s a pure-blood Lamia…” He muttered with a strange tone, which sounded somewhat… excited? “Shouldn’t that mean I need to train more to keep up?”

Well, I’ll invite her here after her fight, then.

And as if on time, the Lamia’s tail curled tight, before expanding rapidly and stabbing the opponent through her abdomen with a lightning-fast motion.

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