The Villains Must Win-Chapter 116: Valerian Cross 36

Then, with inhuman speed, Lucien struck back.

Valerian barely managed to parry as the vampire’s claws slashed toward him, his sword vibrating under the impact. The sheer force sent him skidding backward, boots screeching against the marble floor. His heart pounded, adrenaline surging through his veins.

Stephany gasped, her hands trembling. "Stop it! Stop fighting!"

Neither of them listened.

Lucien lunged again, but this time, Valerian anticipated it. He sidestepped, twisted his sword, and brought it up in a deadly arc. The blade nicked Lucien’s arm, drawing blood, but the vampire only laughed.

"You’re putting up a fight." Lucien licked the crimson off his skin, his tongue gliding over the wound before it vanished entirely. His smirk deepened, fangs glinting. "But tell me, Valerian—what’s your endgame here? Do you truly believe you can win?"

Valerian’s chest heaved, his grip tightening around his sword. His voice was low, filled with quiet fury.

"I don’t need to win." His eyes flickered to Stephany, desperate, pleading. "I just need to take my sister home."

Lucien chuckled darkly. "Oh, Valerian," he murmured, shaking his head. "You still don’t understand, do you?"

He turned to Stephany, reaching for her.

"She is home."

Valerian was in rage. With a flick of his wrist, Valerian lunged, his sword arcing in a silver blur through the dimly lit chamber. Lucien barely had time to react. He dodged, twisting his body, but not fast enough—Valerian’s blade sliced through his side, tearing through his elegant black coat and sinking into flesh.

A sharp hiss escaped Lucien’s lips as he staggered back, his crimson eyes flaring with something that hadn’t touched them in centuries—surprise.

He touched his wound, watching dark blood seep between his fingers. Then, he looked at Valerian, an incredulous smirk curving his lips. "You . . ." He let out a soft chuckle. "You actually wounded me?"

Valerian raised his blade, blood glistening on the edge. "What? You thought I’d be some helpless little human?"

He scoffed, rolling his shoulders, his voice cutting through the thick air. "I’ve killed vampires with noble blood before, Lucien. You wouldn’t be the first."

Lucien’s smirk wavered for the briefest moment before twisting into something darker—something dangerous. His amusement vanished, his eyes narrowing. "You think that makes you special?" His voice was low, deadly. "It just means you’ve angered the wrong people." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Then he struck.

Faster than a shadow, Lucien lunged, his hand shooting out like a viper. Valerian barely managed to react, jerking to the side just as razor-sharp claws tore through the air where his throat had been.

Lucien didn’t stop. He moved with the speed and precision of a predator, relentless, and fast. Valerian ducked under another strike, then spun, bringing his sword up in a powerful upward slash.

The blade met Lucien’s chest, slicing cleanly across.

For a moment, silence hung between them.

Then Lucien staggered, his breath coming out in a slow exhale as blood dripped from the wound. He looked down at his torn shirt, at the gash seared across his perfect skin.

And he laughed.

Low, eerie, filled with something other—something ancient.

"You are interesting," Lucien murmured, lifting his gaze, his pupils narrowing into slits. His lips pulled back, revealing sharp fangs. "But you should have aimed for my heart."

Before Valerian could react, Lucien moved.

A blur. A gust of wind. And then—pain.

Valerian barely registered the clawed hand that slammed into his stomach before he was sent flying back, crashing into the stone wall with a sickening crack. The force rattled his bones, and for a moment, he struggled to breathe.

Lucien stalked toward him, his movements slow. "Humans," he murmured. "So arrogant. So fragile. You think just because you’ve killed a few of my kind, you can stand against me?" His voice turned to a whisper, his breath chilling Valerian’s skin. "You can’t."

His claws gleamed, dripping with his own blood. "Now, let me show you why."

He raised his hand—aiming straight for Valerian’s throat.

And then—

A blur of movement. A flash of silver.

The moment Lucien turned his back, Evelyn struck.

She moved like a whisper through the dark, her dagger glinting in the cold moonlight. A swift, fluid motion—sharp, precise, aimed straight for his chest.

Lucien barely had time to react.

The blade sank deep into his back, piercing through flesh and muscle with a sickening shlick.

A sharp gasp left his lips, his body jerking forward. His crimson eyes widened in shock, and for the first time in centuries, a vampire of his caliber felt the sting of cold steel against his undead heart.

Evelyn twisted the dagger, her lips curling into a triumphant smirk. "Not so untouchable now, are you?" she whispered into his ear.

Lucien staggered, his breath coming out in short, ragged exhales. His hands trembled as they reached for the hilt, but before he could wrench the blade out—

"NO!"

A piercing scream rang through the chamber.

Stephany.

In a blur of movement, she lunged—her claws extended, her fangs bared.

Evelyn barely turned before searing pain tore through her chest.

A guttural cry escaped her lips as Stephany’s claws ripped through skin and muscle, carving deep gashes across her torso. Blood sprayed into the air, hot and thick, staining Stephany’s pale hands.

Evelyn choked, her vision swimming. The world spun, her strength draining in rapid, painful pulses.

Stephany’s breath came in ragged bursts, her crimson eyes wild. She stood protectively in front of Lucien, her lips pulled back in a feral snarl. "Don’t touch him!" she screamed.

Lucien’s lips curled into a slow, victorious smirk.

Evelyn staggered back, her legs barely holding her weight. Every breath burned. Every movement sent fresh agony ripping through her body. She pressed a trembling hand against her chest, feeling the warm, sticky blood spilling through her fingers.

This was bad.

She turned, her gaze locking onto Valerian.

He was barely conscious, his own wounds still fresh, his breathing uneven.

They couldn’t stay here.

The air shifted.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridors.

More vampires.

They were coming.

Evelyn gritted her teeth.

No time.

With the last of her strength, she stumbled toward Valerian, grabbing his arm. "We’re leaving," she whispered, her voice strained.

Valerian’s dazed eyes barely registered her words before the air around them shimmered—

And in the blink of an eye, they vanished.