After being separated for only one small while, Luke realized with absolute clarity how precious the sense of security was when Senior Yize was around.
With his senior by his side, he even dared to joke around when facing the infamous Blood Pillars.
He had felt certain that if the sky fell, that seemingly lazy, black-haired young man would be there to hold it up.
Senior Yize allowed him to trust him with his back—and even his life—without worry.
But now…
His senior was gone, his fate unknown.
As the cold reality and the scent of blood hit him, he suddenly realized that without Yize, and without the help Yize gave him, Luke was nothing but a complete fool.
He missed Senior Yize.
It wasn’t the usual longing born of admiration, but a desperate and deep desire for reliance.
He missed him so much. He missed the senior who could always create unbelievable miracles.
He wished Yize could be there now, saying “I really can’t deal with you” in that slightly helpless tone, before casually taking care of the terrifying monster in front of him.
“Red-haired brat, to be honest, I’m not that interested in your human nonsense.”
Bart’s face, covered in crimson blood-armor, turned toward Li En. A flash of undisguised disgust flickered in his scarlet pupils.
“But… this human you’re talking about, this Li En, is indeed quite revolting. He’s more nauseating than some of the posturing trash in our Blood Race.”
Luke’s dull eyes suddenly lit up. Coughing up blood, he hurriedly shouted, “Right! Right! Great Blood Race—big brother! Why don’t you go deal with him first?”
“I promise I won’t run! I’ll wait right here! Once you’ve finished off that hypocritical bastard, we’ll have a fair and honorable fight!”
He tried to appeal to some sense of martial honor, even if the target was a member of the Blood Race.
“Haha!”
Bart was actually amused. He let out a low, raspy laugh and turned his gaze back to Luke. “From the way that guy is looking at you, I think he wants to kill you even more than I do.”
He was right.
Li En was currently standing on a relatively “safe” patch of ruins a short distance away.
His handsome face was twisted with extreme rage, shame, and jealousy; the grace he had carefully maintained was long gone.
His eyes were fixed on Luke, the resentment within them so thick it was almost tangible—far colder and more piercing than when he looked at the Blood Race.
Because of Luke’s reckless roar, the “hero” mask he had painstakingly crafted was completely shattered, exposing his inner calculations to everyone.
Not only had he failed to receive the gratitude and admiration he expected, but he had become a target of public criticism. Everyone was looking at him with eyes full of contempt, as if he were trash or a clown!
The soldiers’ glares, Sarah’s cold scrutiny, Emma’s confusion followed by her distancing herself, and Laura’s undisguised disgust—all of it hammered at his pride and ambition.
He was supposed to be the center of the world!
He was the hero destined by prophecy to be surrounded by flowers and beauties!
Why did it end up like this?
He had clearly followed the guidance in his mind, approaching those “key” women step by step and displaying his strength at the most appropriate times… why was the result so different from the beautiful future in the prophecy?
It was Yize!
It was all because of that damned Yize!
He had stolen all the attention, trust, and opportunities that should have belonged to him!
And now, even a dog Yize raised dared to jump out and bark, dragging him completely into the mud!
A dark thought grew wildly in Li En’s heart: ‘Since I can’t salvage this, since I’m already disgraced, then I might as well — ‘
A crazed smile curved his lips. The aura of Dragonification around him retracted slightly. He no longer took the initiative to rescue anyone; he simply watched the battlefield with a cold gaze.
He watched the Vampire Army grow even more frenzied under the enhanced Blood Moon as they slaughtered the human soldiers.
He watched the defensive line continue to shrink.
He watched Dio struggle under Chise’s increasingly sharp and strange attacks, and he watched Laura’s sword light gradually be suppressed under No.3’s violent offensive…
‘Die. Let them all die.’
‘These people who have no eyes and don’t know how to appreciate my value.’
‘This battlefield that brought me shame and this damned Betty Territory—let them all fall!’
He still had a way out.
With his Dragonification Power, he could entirely take advantage of the chaos to break through and flee back to the heart of the Aolai Empire, or even leave the territory of the humans’ largest empire altogether.
The “voice” and the prophecy in his mind didn’t end here. He had other “opportunities,” other “key women” he could conquer… This failure was merely to show him which people were unworthy of his protection!
Bart took note of the change in Li En and gave a mocking sneer. He said to Luke, “Look, that kid has completely lost his spine. He doesn’t even have the will to fight anymore.”
“No rush. I’ll crush your noisy big head first, then I’ll go ‘take’ that interesting power from his body and study it properly.”
Bart emphasized the word “power” heavily.
It wasn’t just him; Chise, who was in the middle of a fierce battle, and No.3, who was suppressing Laura, both shifted part of their attention when Li En revealed his Dragonification form.
The Dragonification Power Li En was using clearly had a direct connection to one of the highest goals of their operation—the remnant soul of “Iguneel.”
Could this selfish and despicable human brat be related to Iguneel? Does he even… know something?
This suspicion made the attacks of the three Blood Pillars even more sharp and urgent.
If they could quickly deal with the troublesome enemies in front of them and capture that human named Li En, it might be a greater harvest than even capturing Betty Territory!
The pressure on Laura and Dio suddenly intensified.
……
Right then, Bart’s patience finally ran out.
He let out an ear-splitting roar, no longer caring about Luke’s ridiculous proposal.
The blood-colored wings on his back flapped violently, and the ground beneath his feet exploded into a shallow pit with a bang, sending rubble flying!
He shot toward the slumped Luke like a meteor!
Before the punch even arrived, the violent wind and the blood energy it carried made it difficult for Luke to breathe, and his cheeks stung!
The scene of No.2 being crushed to death by Yize’s absolute strength rang in Bart’s mind like an alarm—when facing any enemy, one must never be the least bit careless or contemptuous.
Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit!
Therefore, even though his target was just this red-haired brat who looked half-dead, he used his Blood Awakening power. He aimed for a one-hit kill to eliminate any possibility of an accident!
The shadow of death instantly swallowed all of Luke’s senses.
His mind went blank. The world seemed to move in slow motion, leaving only that blood-colored fist growing larger in his eyes.
However, over the past few years, the ability to sense and evade danger that Yize had trained him in was starting to show.
Almost the instant Bart started his move, his scarred body reacted before his consciousness did.
He didn’t try to block the punch that was impossible to stop; instead, he threw himself backward and to the side with all his might!
At the same time, his intact right hand moved toward his chest with incredible speed—where the “Desert Throne” Yize had given him was hidden.
Feeling the cold touch of metal, he pulled the trigger without hesitation!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ear-splitting explosions rang out one after another! Six Condensed Flame Blasts, enhanced by the Magic Augmentation Ring, roared out of the barrel like six small suns, shooting toward Bart.
The violent explosions stirred up a searing heatwave and clouds of dust. Although they failed to break Bart’s defense, the impact and the interference from the light and heat caused a momentary stall in Bart’s forward momentum!
The roll Luke completed with his last bit of strength allowed him to narrowly avoid Bart’s direct attack!
But in his Blood Awakening state, Bart’s attack range was massive. The stray blood energy whipped across Luke’s side and back like a steel lash!
Cough!
Luke spat out another mouthful of blood. He felt as if his internal organs had shifted. He crashed heavily into a ruined wall behind him and rolled onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
His entire body felt like it was falling apart. His vision went dark, and a constant ringing filled his ears. Even the blood he coughed up was frothy.
The gap… was too large.
This was the terror of a true Blood Pillar.
If it weren’t for the magic firearm and the augmentation ring Senior Yize had given him, that single punch would have been enough to turn him into a pile of meat.
‘Saved by Senior again.’
Bart shook his fist, which was slightly singed by the explosion. Looking at the dying Luke in the distance, a trace of surprise flickered in his scarlet eyes.
“Oh? You really do have quite a few strange things on you.”
He took heavy steps, slowly approaching again.
“But this is as far as it goes. With the next punch, I’ll turn you, your big head, and your little toys into dust.”
Shadows shrouded Luke once more.
Bart’s demon-like figure loomed before him, and the scent of death seeped into his every pore.
Despair came rushing in like a tide.
But within that despair, Luke’s brain worked at high speed.
The belt!
The strange metal block Senior Yize had strapped onto him before knocking him away!
The thing he said to press the button on and shout “Transform” if he encountered danger!
Driven by the instinct to survive, he suddenly reached for his waist—it was empty!
He froze for a moment, then began frantically searching his body until his hands touched his massive head. Right on his forehead, he felt a cold metal object with strange patterns—the [Kamen Rider Transformation Device]!
It was actually stuck on his enlarged head!
No wonder he hadn’t noticed it!
A wave of panic hit Luke’s heart. He tried desperately to pry it off with his hands, wanting to remove this life-saving device from his head and put it on his waist—his senior had clearly gestured for him to wear it on his waist!
But no matter how hard he pulled, because of his head’s size, the belt buckle was a terrible fit and was stuck firmly between the hair and scalp above his forehead. It wouldn’t budge.
Bart was already right in front of him. That blood-scented fist was slowly rising again. The terrifying pressure made it almost impossible for Luke to breathe.
“There’s no time… forget it!”
A flash of determination exploded in Luke’s eyes.
‘Who cares where I wear it! Senior only said to press the button and shout transform, he didn’t say it had to be on the waist!’
Using his last bit of strength, he tremblingly raised his thumb. Following his memory of where Yize had pointed, he pressed down hard on the protruding, strangely glowing button in the center of his forehead!
At the same time, using the last bit of breath in his lungs, mixed with blood, he let out a hoarse but incredibly clear cry—
“HEN— SHIN— !!!”
A crisp, precise mechanical sound echoed from the metal device on Luke’s forehead.
Time seemed to stretch out at that moment.
First, a cluster of silver light—not blinding, but incredibly dense—exploded, instantly enveloping Luke’s entire body.
From within the light came a series of rapid, rhythmic sounds, like precise gears meshing and metal plates clicking together!
Bart’s descending fist stopped abruptly just half a foot away from the silver light!
A sudden sense of crisis hit him!
The silver light rapidly retracted and took shape.
Under the shocked, horrified, or confused gazes of everyone—including the battling Laura, Dio, Sarah, Swan, Li En, and the three Blood Pillars—the light dissipated, revealing the figure within.
It was no longer the blood-soaked Luke slumped on the ground with a comically large head.
In his place stood a set of silver-gray metal armor with sleek lines and a futuristic, technological feel!
The armor covered his entire body, with sophisticated retractable structures at the joints. There was a glowing core on the chest, a streamlined helmet on the head, and two sharp, blue glowing crystals for eyes.
The originally massive head seemed to have been forced to compress or adapt by some power, fitting perfectly within the helmet.
The surface of the armor wasn’t smooth; instead, fine energy patterns flowed subtly across it.
The most striking feature was on the forehead, where the metal device had transformed and unfolded, merging with the helmet to form a silver protrusion resembling a unicorn’s horn.
“My head… my head is going to explode.”
Having finished the transformation, Luke’s head hurt so much he was gritting his teeth.
‘Maybe this is the price of power…’
The helmeted head turned slightly. The blue light in the eyes swept over the suspicious and uncertain Bart. Luke’s voice, though now carrying a metallic reverb, was still recognizable.
“I feel like my whole body is overflowing with power!”
Before he finished speaking, the silver figure moved!
Fast!
So fast that Bart only had time to see a blurred afterimage!
It wasn’t a teleportation, but pure, extreme explosive speed!
The silver figure shot out, almost hugging the ground. He didn’t rush toward Bart directly, but instead followed a strange arc, circling to Bart’s flank!
At the same time, his metal-clad right fist, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, slammed into Bart’s ribs without any flourish!
Bart was experienced in battle. Although he was startled, he didn’t panic. His reaction speed in the Blood Awakening state was top-tier. He slammed his left arm down to block, and thick blood energy condensed in front of his forearm.
There was a dull thud that made everyone’s hearts skip a beat!
Bart felt an unimaginable force transfer from his arm. That power wasn’t the explosive impact of aura, nor was it the blast of magic—it was pure strength, just like Yize’s!
The left arm he used to block shook violently. The blood-energy plates covering it actually developed fine cracks. His entire body staggered a step to the right, out of control!
As for the silver figure, after the strike, he used the counter-force to leap backward lightly and land steadily.
“You Blood Pillars,” the metallic voice echoed across the battlefield, “don’t seem to be that strong after all?”
The battlefield fell into a deathly silence.
The minds of everyone who saw this scene—whether human or Blood Race—momentarily went blank.
What… exactly was this thing?!