Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 464 464: You lost the right to choose

As the mask approached him, Revon cast more spells. He had such fine mastery of his mana and his magic that in a split second of the enemy's approach, he had already conjured up six magic circles, all teeming with equally devastating magical might.

He had done all that without the use of an Arcane Tool to mitigate the Mana cost and yet, Revon didn't appear weaker or fatigued. He seemed a man with focus— At least for the first second.

But then, the mask got closer and, for the life of him, Revon couldn't keep up any form of animosity towards it.

"You're— mine," Revon said. It wasn't a question.

He had been feeling a strange wholeness since he got close enough. He had been having thoughts again that he hadn't had in close to two decades. He had been feeling like that because this Malevolent entity was his— It had been born of his emotions.

"Father?" Kaya called out to Revon tentatively.

Kaya had known already that all other kinds of magic could not affect emotion so she hadn't felt relief at her father casting multiple spells, none of which were capable of targeting emotion. Instead, she had felt concern for the state of the Manor if he let those spells loose.

Now though, she watched her father stay frozen in place, the magic that connected him to the spell circles he had conjured was broken so it all faded into nothing. She watched Revon open his mouth to speak to the Mask of Malevolent aura, and her concern grew even greater.

Revon didn't seem to hear Kaya. He was far too engrossed in once again gaining access to emotions and thoughts he had been ashamed to have.

And then the first wave of the Malevolent aura hit his body;

"Ack!"' Revon choked as he was pulled into the air, and tentacles of hazy blue aura began to work their strange feelers all over his body as though seeking access.

"No," Kaya said in a low voice, her eyes were wide with worry and then she yelled in an even louder and urgent voice,

"NO!"

She had felt what it was like to have that Malevolent and negative energy inside herself when it attacked her and she believed if it got its way, it could completely devour whatever positive emotions her father still had and eventually turn him into an empty husk. He might not survive the ordeal.

As she yelled, Kaya's staff was already glowing with Nature Energy as she sent out a scythe formed of it to cut off the hazy blue aura's connection with her father. Kaya's attack cut off multiple tentacles, causing the entity to let out a hissing sound of pain before it simply redoubled its effort in combining with Revon.

Speaking of which, the Count's arms were spread wide, his mouth agape as he let the malevolence of pain, regret, and sadness overtake his body.

It was clear very early on that the emotion wasn't as it had been when it left Revon nearly two decades ago. It had gained life away from Revon since then, gathered strength, and become a powerful force of emotion Kaya's magic seemed too weak to battle at the moment. And now, it was getting a homecoming. A reunion.

Revon had become empty after the emotion became separate from him and he had never filled that absence with anything else. Not by negligence but by choice. Revon chose not to feel any closeness with his daughter. He chose to have his relationship with his wife sour even more over the years. He chose to never truly acknowledge what he had done.

And so, as strong and denser as the Emotions had become away from him, it had enough room within Revon to stuff itself back into.

Kaya scrambled, creating spell circles she had been keeping for a later time when she had truly gained her bearings on the enemy. But she worried that if she let the phenomenon happening above get completed, she might not get the chance anymore.

Alas, before the spell was even complete, the last of the hazy blue aura was gone from the air. The oppressive air that shrouded this entire section of the Grand Manor and kept people out of the Hall was gone as well. Or more accurately, it was now inside Revon, creating a haze around him that caused the very air to shimmer like heat.

Revon didn't fall to the ground. He was a mage capable of flight and simply floated back to the ground calmly, his eyes closed as he took a deep breath. His hands were behind his back. There was a strange calm about him. A malevolent calm that caused goosebumps to rise on Kaya's skin as her perception was going haywire.

Kaya could tell immediately that her father's emotions hadn't been consumed. The Malevolent Aura had found a host in him, and combined with him.

Why? Because they were always one.

"Father?" Kaya called tentatively, her grip on her staff still tight but looking more like she was holding on to it for support rather than preparation to fight.

"Oh, don't call me that, you filthy half-breed," Revon said, his voice cold, "Don't you ever think you have that right."

The words came slowly and clearly, backed by a force that didn't seek to attack Kaya's physical body but her mental state. It struck her before she could mount a defense, turning her emotions into a mess.

How many times had she had nightmares of her father telling her exactly this, only for it to happen in reality?

"What—?" She started but couldn't even complete the question due to being stunned.

"Do my words surprise you? Do they hurt you?" Revon asked with a smirk,

"Good. The truth can be surprising. And the truth definitely hurts."

"It's not the truth," Kaya shook her head, "Whether you like it or not, I am your daughter."

Revon cocked his head to the side.

"Do you truly believe that?" He asked and grinned showing off his nice teeth,

"You may have my blood but that doesn't make you mine. It doesn't work that way."

Another wave of malevolent force struck Kaya and forced her to recoil. Still, her voice remained clear.

"It works exactly that way," Kaya retorted, a little beat of Nature energy thrummed in reaction to her words and created a layer around her,

"I'm afraid you lost the right to choose when you sired me."

The sound of footsteps came then as the duo of Kyrus and Kaide walked in, looking around for any signs of the source of the oppressive air. It was gone now but they still felt a chill that the matter wasn't yet resolved.

"Ah, there they are," Revon said, sounding proud as he gestured at Kyrus and Kaide,

"My sons!"

The brothers shared looks, knowing they had walked into the middle of a conversation, and yet, even though they had been right outside the Hall, they seemed unaware of what Revon and Kaya had said to each other thus far judging by their looks of confusion.

"Look at them, half-breed," Revon sneered, "Look at sons I sired legitimately. Look at sons who may carry on my name because I, adhering to years of tradition engaged their mother in the rightful ceremony.

Look at my offsprings who I chose to have. And see how much better off they are than you."

The faces of Kyrus and Kaide looked stunned and then they became awkward and annoyed.

"Father, please mind your words," Kaide said.

"I speak only the truth," Revon said, "It's about time you heard it."

Every word Revon spoke released a thrum of malevolent force that shook the little aura of Nature energy Kaya was defending herself with, until it shattered, and she was struck again, her emotions tossed into disarray.

But she pulled herself back together quickly. A picture of strong mental fortitude.

"All you've said," Kaya said slowly, "Are you trying to convince me of their truth or convince yourself?

Because to me, it appears to be the latter."