CHAPTER 179: KING VS KING!

King Zalmic rose from his seat, the heavy steps echoing across the hall like distant thunder. His crimson eyes glinted—not with malice, but with a warrior’s hunger.

"Well," he said with a faint smirk, "now you’ve made me all worked up. I want to spar with you too."

Aamir’s lips curved into a faint grin. "Really now? Then let’s do it. But don’t hold back... it’s been quite some time since I fought a truly strong foe."

The air between them thickened, a silent current of anticipation flowing like static. Vampire Lords exchanged wary glances—none of them had ever seen their king take a personal interest in testing someone’s strength.

Zalmic stepped forward, removing the heavy royal cape from his shoulders and tossing it to the side. "Good. Then let’s fight as warriors, not as king and guest."

Aamir cracked his neck. "Sounds perfect."

The Hall of Blood Echoes, the training arena beneath the castle, was soon filled with the heavy sound of boots. Zalmic’s nine lords stood around the perimeter, some still bruised from their earlier clash with Aamir. They looked on intently—half in curiosity, half in disbelief.

Zalmic raised his hand, and the hall’s sealing enchantments flared to life. The walls shimmered, locking the space from inside or outside interference.

"No limits," Zalmic declared.

"No limits," Aamir agreed.

In the next second, Zalmic vanished.

A faint shimmer appeared behind Aamir’s right side. Without even turning, Aamir brought his forearm up just in time to block a strike so powerful that the floor beneath them cracked like shattered glass.

"Fast," Aamir muttered.

"You’ve seen nothing yet," Zalmic replied, twisting his wrist and sending a shockwave through the block.

Aamir skidded back, boots digging into the marble, but he didn’t fall. His eyes lit up with excitement. "Good. I’ll hit back now."

He stepped forward once—and the ground exploded under the sheer force of his movement. In a blink, Aamir appeared in front of Zalmic, his fist arcing toward the vampire king’s jaw.

Zalmic caught the punch with one hand, but the impact sent a deep tremor through the entire arena.

The lords watching had their eyes wide. "The king... actually got pushed back a step," Clicy whispered.

Zalmic grinned. "Stronger than I thought."

Aamir leaned in. "Told you."

What followed was a blur of rapid exchanges—Aamir’s relentless close-range assaults against Zalmic’s fluid counterstrikes. Every punch, every kick, every block sent shockwaves that cracked the arena floor, chunks of marble flying into the air.

Zalmic’s movements were precise, refined by centuries of combat. Aamir’s, however, were instinctive yet calculated—his every strike carried raw, overwhelming force.

Aamir ducked under a sweeping kick, his palm shooting upward and grazing Zalmic’s chin. The king staggered back a step, wiping a thin line of blood from his lip.

"You drew blood," Zalmic said, amused. "That hasn’t happened in a long time."

"Guess I’m special," Aamir replied.

Zalmic’s aura suddenly erupted—crimson energy swirling around him like a raging storm. The temperature in the hall dropped, frost creeping along the shattered floor.

"Let’s turn it up a notch," Zalmic growled.

Aamir smirked. "I was hoping you’d say that."

The Vampire Court fell silent.

Even the Lords who had roared and mocked earlier now stood frozen, their crimson eyes locked on the two figures in the center. The marble floor beneath their feet seemed to hum under the pressure of the auras clashing in the air.

Zalmic, King of Vampires, had drawn his blade — a black and red monstrosity that drank the light around it. His fangs glinted as he grinned.

"I’ll come at you with everything I have, human."

Aamir tightened his gloves, his expression calm, but his eyes burned with focus.

"Good. But you’re only getting seventy percent of me. Let’s see if you can survive that."

A faint shimmer ignited around him — blue flames

, not ordinary fire, but a living, breathing aura of protection. The air warped in the heat, yet there was no pain — instead, an almost divine comfort radiated from it.

The Lords felt it in their bones — those flames could heal wounds, burn flesh, and shield against any strike.

Zalmic vanished.

One heartbeat later — BOOM! — he reappeared, his sword already crashing down.

The impact shook the courtyard like an earthquake.

But instead of blood, there was only a flare of blue. The flames around Aamir expanded, catching the blow like an invisible wall. In that instant, they twisted, leaping forward — and Zalmic’s armoured shoulder sizzled as the heat bit into him.

Zalmic’s grin widened. "Good... good! I’ll tear through it!"

Aamir’s body shifted — his Crimson Titan Form awakening.

His height seemed to increase, his muscles dense with power, his aura crimson and gold swirling violently around the blue flames. The stone under his feet cracked as he took a single step.

Then it hit — Prān flowed through him, meeting the surge of pure adrenaline that roared in his veins. His heartbeat became a war drum, every muscle in his body coiled like steel cables.

"Your speed is good..." Aamir’s voice was calm but carried like thunder.

"...but mine is better."

In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance.

His fist, wreathed in blue fire and crimson aura, slammed into Zalmic’s blade. The shockwave tore through the courtyard, flinging Lords to the sides.

Zalmic tried to counter with a Blood Mirage, splitting into four. All four attacked simultaneously — but the flames surged around Aamir like living serpents, blocking three while his real target — the true Zalmic — found himself face-to-face with a fiery elbow strike.

BANG!

The King skidded back, his armour scorched, his lips bleeding.

Aamir didn’t press for the kill — instead, the flames flowed inward, instantly healing the minor cut on his own cheek.

"I told you..." Aamir’s eyes glowed with both crimson and azure light. "...seventy percent is all you’re getting."

The sky above the royal city darkened, not from clouds, but from the sheer density of the powers colliding below. Every strike between Aamir and Zalmic sounded like a thunderclap, each shockwave rattling the bones of anyone within a mile.

Outside the palace walls, the streets grew restless.

Market stalls trembled. Children stopped their games, staring wide-eyed at the crimson flashes and blue fire illuminating the horizon. Even hardened vampire soldiers felt a primal chill run down their spines.

The people knew what it meant when two true titans fought — devastation.

Zalmic noticed it too. His sharpened senses picked up the growing panic, the accelerating heartbeats of his citizens. His eyes narrowed, and between blows, he spoke.

"If we continue like this... the city will crumble."

In the next heartbeat, he leapt back, his sword spinning in his hand. With a sharp slash through the air, crimson energy erupted from the blade, spiraling upward like a vortex of liquid light.

"Blood Domain — Sovereign Barrier!"

The ground itself seemed to drink the blood-red glow, feeding it until a massive dome of shimmering scarlet enveloped the entire training courtyard. The dome pulsed once, then solidified, muting the sounds of the battle from the outside world.

Beyond it, the city fell silent. The people, no longer crushed under the weight of the auras, could breathe again — though they still whispered nervously about the war raging inside the barrier.

Inside, the air grew heavier, more concentrated. Every particle seemed infused with the Vampire King’s energy.

Aamir tilted his head, his blue flames reflecting off the blood-colored walls. "Nice trick... contains the damage and keeps your people safe. Smart."

Zalmic smirked, stepping forward. "It also means I don’t have to hold back anymore."

The King blurred forward, faster than before. His blade was no longer just a weapon — it was an extension of his aura, each swing compressing the air so tightly that the sound of the slash came after the impact.

Aamir’s blue flames coiled tighter, merging offense and defense. Sparks of crimson adrenaline danced along their edges as he caught a downward slash with one flaming palm, then instantly countered with a Titan-powered punch to the ribs.

BOOM!

The impact reverberated through the dome, making the barrier’s surface ripple like disturbed water.

The fight intensified — now no longer restrained, every move was meant to break the other’s guard. Zalmic’s blood constructs rose from the ground, lashing at Aamir in dozens of razor-thin whips, but each was burned to ash before they could touch him.

The Vampire King vanished and reappeared behind Aamir, blade aiming for his spine — but the blue flames exploded outward like a starburst, forcing Zalmic to cross his arms to shield himself from the sudden burst of heat.

When the flames cleared, Aamir was already moving, his aura burning brighter than before.

"Barrier or no barrier..." he said, voice low,

"I’m still not going past seventy."

And then, with a sound like the sky itself tearing open, he launched forward for their next clash.

The two clashed again, barrier trembling, heat and crimson energy colliding in waves.

Zalmic skidded back, lowering his blade, a faint chuckle escaping.

"I don’t think this is the right time to continue... and I doubt I can push you past seventy percent."

Aamir’s flames eased. "Then we stop here."