Vampire's Slice Of Life Chapter 1191: Pawn Play
Previously on Vampire's Slice Of Life...
The Asura Royal Court.
Boom!
The Crown Prince let out a snarl, his teeth clenched in fury as he smashed a nearby pillar. His gaze was fixed on a mirror-like artifact displaying the ongoing slaughter in Octavia.
"How is this possible? Our intelligence suggested the EGC lacked spatial abilities of this caliber!" the man barked.
Beside the sand table, the Queen sat with a grim expression.
She watched in silence as Asura banners were toppled one by one, replaced by the rising tide of EGC flags.
A third color, gray, also dotted the map, representing the interference of outside forces.
"Losing your temper only wastes precious time. We must commit every resource we have. Draft a message to your sister; her intervention is now required." As she spoke, the Asura Queen placed a purple marker near the gray clusters.
With a final frustrated gnash of his teeth, the Crown Prince turned and stormed out.
The Asura Queen leaned back, her eyes sliding shut.
"The situation is dire. Your Majesty, I fear my endurance is reaching its limit..."
…
The Vampires of the EGC swarmed Octavia like a flood.
In just a few days, the locations of gates four, five, and six were uncovered.
Only two gates remained hidden from their sight.
However, discovery did not equate to conquest. The Asuras offered a savage resistance, allowing the EGC to seize only two gates thus far.
Deep beneath the volcano, the conflict showed no signs of stopping, as the Smoldering Maw remained firmly contested.
"Ptoo!" Roy spat a glob of blood-streaked saliva onto the ground. He wiped his grime-covered face, staring down the four Asura generals blocking his path as a spear of lightning surged into existence in his grip. "Step forward, you bastards. I don't need anyone else to wipe you out."
Of the four, a massive, burly general was the most conspicuous, his form drenched in gore.
Having just traded blows with Roy, he understood the man's power better than anyone else.
Gripping his club, the burly general spoke with heavy gravity, "Such arrogance is beyond comprehension. You couldn't even best one of us, yet you claim you can handle four?"
"You’re nothing but a beaten dog. A single strike more and you'll be cast into the afterlife."
Roy was merely trading insults to buy himself a moment. He sensed something unnatural about the volcano ahead; its lava flow had ceased abruptly, falling into an eerie stillness.
It was quiet, yet a deep gurgling echoed from within, making Roy fear it might detonate like a massive bomb. Volcanoes usually didn't behave that way, but there was no telling what these demonic Asuras were capable of.
Beside the hulking brute stood a slender general with sharp, refined features. He wore pristine daoist robes, looking more like a guest at a high-end gala than a warrior on a battlefield.
"Stalling is a futile effort, Roy. You are already too late," the Asura remarked, a faint smirk touching his lips.
"If that's the case, stop wasting my time and attack all at once. I have gates to seize," Roy taunted.
The elegant general sighed, shaking his head. "Why are you Evures always so stubborn? Had you simply listened, this conflict could have been avoided. Fine, let it be. Menikel, go. Finish what you started."
The burly warrior rested his heavy club on his shoulder and made a slow, chilling throat-cutting gesture. "This is the end for you, Roy."
Roy kicked off the earth, lunging forward with explosive speed as his lightning spear sought its mark.
With a thunderous crash, Menikel’s club collided with the spear, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
An instant later, a fresh spear materialized in Roy’s hand, poised to run the general through.
From a distance, Lith observed the unfolding chaos with a detached, neutral gaze.
The Asura forces had deployed numerous units, while on their side, only the queen and the bishop were making calculated moves.
Looking at the tactical chessboard, Lith spotted an anomaly.
Despite the heavy casualties on both sides, a single enemy pawn continued to advance toward the far edge, threatening to become a piece that could shift the entire game.
He frowned and attempted several counter-strategies, but the pawn remained unstoppable. Other units threw themselves into the line of fire just to shield it, dying in its place.
"What is going on..." Lith muttered, his eyes returning to the actual field of battle.
"Royyyyyyyyy—!" Menikel bellowed, leaping from the heavens to bring his club down on Roy’s skull.
Roy’s wings snapped open, his silhouette vanishing in a blur of motion.
Following a deafening explosion, Menikel surged out of the resulting crater to clash with Roy once more.
To Roy in the heat of combat and Lith watching from afar, nothing seemed out of the ordinary—yet.
Lith signaled Lucas to escort Zhao Shi toward Roy’s position.
On the field, Lucas gripped Zhao Shi like a lifeless doll and sprinted toward the confrontation between the generals.
With every stride, thousands perished in a whirlwind of magic, heavy artillery, and raw physical violence, as if neither side valued their own survival anymore.
A legion with a suicidal resolve was the most terrifying force of all.
As Zhao Shi drew closer to Roy, Lith noticed a subtle shift—not in the duel itself, but in the expressions of the opposing generals.
The slender general smiled, his fingers weaving a cryptic hand seal that was almost invisible to the naked eye.
Just as Lith began to decode the gesture, the fight between Menikel and Roy reached its breaking point.
Menikel gave a primal roar, swinging his club with all his might as Roy launched his spear one final time.
Menikel deflected the projectile once more and charged Roy with reckless abandon.
Roy tensed, his eyes locked onto the massive man hurtling toward him.
Four paces... Three paces... Two paces...
Just as the general closed the final gap...
He froze mid-motion, his eyes bulging in shock and disbelief.
Roy’s brow furrowed in confusion.
"What..." Menikel looked down to see a sword blade protruding from his chest, his still-beating heart miraculously untouched by the initial thrust.
A mocking laugh drifted from behind him. "My apologies, General, but your death is a necessary sacrifice. The rites are finally complete. You will be remembered."
The slender general appeared at his side, his tongue flicking over his lips with maniacal glee.
He gave the hilt a sharp twist, shredding the beating heart into ribbons.
Menikel could not fathom the betrayal, facing his end in a way he felt was a cruel insult to his centuries of service to the Asuras.
Roy remained silent, stunned by the display. He knew the Asuras were ruthless, but to murder one of their own high-ranking officials so casually... what were they planning?
Lith shared the same concern, but then he saw the pawn on the tactical board reach the final row and undergo a transformation.
In the physical world, the gurgling volcano finally reached its breaking point and erupted.