Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Chapter 664 664: Aftermath

Although the battle ended, the damage couldn't be ignored.

Nikolai leaned against a half-destroyed wall and endured the lingering effects of the silver poison. He observed the once-beautiful royal district, now filled with craters, damaged buildings, and burnt gardens.

Though he couldn't have stopped it, the result still frustrated him.

"What's the matter? Why so glum?" A voice suddenly called out from behind him, almost shocking him half to death.

He jumped up, rushing over to her and threw her in the air despite the sharp ache in his abdomen.

All he cared about was her well-being.

"Sarah!? How are you? Is everything alright?"

Sarah sank into his embrace, quickly curling, hooking his chest with her arms and legs. She pressed her face against his neck and sniffed repeatedly. "I was so.... worried." The warmth of her breath and subtle cold when she inhaled sent tingles down his spine.

"What? You know, I can't die like this."

"From where I stood, it was! I watched that bastard's blade sink into your flesh far too many times for it to be an easy or simple fight!" Sarah raised her voice as she glared into Nikolai's eyes from below, her lips slightly puffy and swollen from kissing his neck.

"Sarah..."

"Don't lie to me, I know that you're in pain!"

'When did she become like this?'

Nikolai quite enjoyed her affectionate side, but he tried his best to hide his injuries after most fights. He couldn't help but sigh. Normally, it was Kumiko and Leona who came to see him after a fight and helped bandage and treat his bruises.

"Yeah, I am. It hurts like hell, but no matter how much it hurts..." He lifted her chin and squished her plump lips under his thumb. "But if they damaged a single hair on your head, I might just lose my mind."

"Eh!?"

Sarah's eyes widened, and her pupils dilated.

It was like she never expected him to say something like that to her.

"Don't put yourself in danger anymore, Sarah... you're too precious, and I cannot stand seeing my women get hurt." Her eyes shimmered under the Al'Qutari skyline, staring at Nikolai's face in complete shock.

"M...mean...it..."

"What?"

"Do you mean that...?" Her voice sounded strange, almost as if seeking something.

Nikolai wrapped her waist with one arm, then shifted her onto the broken wall, and glanced up at her rosy face. "Of course, I mean it, the moment we crossed the line, I had already sworn to treat you no differently from my wives."

"Ah..."

She gasped as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Although he'd already told her several times, her reactions appeared genuine.

"I'm so happy right now, even though I shouldn't be... Haha... sorry, Nikolai."

"What're you apologising for?"

He leaned closer and hugged her body tightly, hiding her face from the surroundings. "If you want to cry, shout or react, I will let you keep it hidden."

She sank her nails into his arms, sobbing against his chest. Though when he felt the slight dampness of his shirt, he felt a smidge of regret. Her hot breath warmed his chest as she clung to his back tightly.

"I don't know if Al'Qutar can recover anytime soon..." Nikolai glanced over Sarah's shoulder, seeing the wounded Maids limping towards them. At the front, Brunhilde helped carry a charming yet familiar woman with pure white hair.

'So she ended up coming to help those girls... what a great wife.'

Lunaria gave him a weak smile, but immediately closed her eyes and returned to her light sleep.

'I guess she worked too hard.'

Nikolai peeked at the other woman in his arms, still sniffling against his shirt. 'Well, they both did, I should probably reward them.'

He couldn't quite understand why he hadn't seen any of the Royal Guard since arriving at the battlefield. Though he tried to sense them when in his werewolf form, the only odours were those of the undead and his people.

Yet... it wasn't until after all the work ended that he finally saw them leaving the ruined palace. Their faces pale with blood staining their armour, clearly, the royal guards also suffered a harsh battle inside.

'Where is Verda?'

He half expected her to be on the frontlines fighting off Marduke, since Marduke was their commander and the most serious threat...

Suddenly, Nikolai paused.

He remembered one other existence that could trump the Djinn.

The existence of Doctor Franz, the ancestor-level vampire, who could definitely defeat Verda if he wanted to. What Nikolai couldn't understand about Doctor Franz was that he'd tempered his body to such a level that even his father hadn't.

'My father has spent almost a century using most of his energy and blood to reinforce and temper his bones, flesh and muscle to surpass his lack of explosive blood arts...'

Yet Doctor Franz's flesh could resist Nikolai's Ancestral force.

Although Nikolai lacked depth as an ancestor, he couldn't be called weak when it came to fighting power. Thanks to his three bloodlines, he held an unfair advantage over those who only had a single bloodline.

'But even that failed me...'

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time, with the heat from Sarah's crying slowly fading, she seemed to have calmed herself down. "You alright, Sarah?"

"Mhm~ thank you." She pulled back, her face a mess from the tears, snot and her smudged makeup; it was a sight to see.

His stomach fluttered as he broke into laughter.

"Hahhahaha....what is that...."

Sarah's face dropped, and she quickly took out a mirror and saw her reflection. "Oh my god! Nikolai, why didn't you say anything about this!?"

He couldn't speak.

The sudden relaxation overwhelmed him, and he fell to the ground.

Thud!

Everything suddenly felt so annoying; he just wanted to curl up and sleep, but there wasn't a chance to do that. The incoming warriors from the palace headed straight for them, and so did his other beloved allies.

"E-Eh?! Are you alright, Nikolai?" Sarah called out from above.

"Yeah... just a little tired."

"Mhm, well, you rest down there, I won't complain."

When he glanced up, he caught sight of her soft thighs and the faintest shimmer of pure golden hair poking through her thin black lace. He swallowed, unable to stop the sudden rush of hormones flooding his brain.

Werewolves were a simple, instinctive race.

Once the battle ended, hunger and sex came.

However, the time and place wouldn't allow him to do such things. He could only daydream about them while feeling the subtle vibrations from the approaching footsteps in the mixture of sand and concrete.

"Master~ are you there, Master?" Brunhilde called out to him with loud, ear-grating shouts the moment he managed to close his eyes to relax.

"I'm here, shut up."

It might've been the first time he spoke so rudely to his maids.

At first, he felt the need to apologise, or explain, but Brunhilde... Brunhilde wasn't normal.

"Your wish is my command, dear Master~" This time, she whispered just loud enough for his wolf senses to pick it up.

'Cheeky woman...'

Nikolai knew her feelings; the constant scent of heat oozing from her whenever they met in the gym gave her away. But he didn't know she could be this brazen when dealing with him. He enjoyed the fresh feeling.

"Don't be so smart, come here and take a rest. The royal guards from the palace will be here in a minute, and I have no energy to deal with you."

"Ehehe~ I brought you a big, juicy gift, master."

She brushed aside his comments and lay Lunaria beside him on the floor, using her own coat as a quilt to keep her clean. "Do you want me to deal with them?" She asked, pulling away, her nostrils flaring as she took extra sniffs of the air around Nikolai.

"No, I don't, stop sniffing my scent, you perverted wolf."

"Wan Waaan!"

Nikolai's chest fluttered when she barked, his imagination picturing Brunhilde wearing a tight leather bodysuit, with her tail sticking out the back hole. He was in no state to enjoy this sight, which was far too stimulating.

"Okay, okay, I know you're cute and helped. Go make sure everyone is doing alright, take care of the wounded first."

Brunhilde frowned, but she followed his request and quickly left the small area.

"Tanya, are you there?" He called out to the Thralls leader.

"Y-Yesh My Lord!"

She bit her tongue, but her atmosphere lacked the same playful nature that Brunhilde carried; she was serious to a tee and stood in silence.

"I want you to be the one who speaks with the Al'Qutari warriors, see what happened to Verda and find any information you can. Don't tell them too much if they seem suspicious, and keep yourself safe; take five guards."

"Y-Yes, My Lord!" Her voice rose an octave as she quickly left.

"You seem to be quite trusting recently. Are you really not going to meet those royal warriors?" Lunaria's gruff voice caught him off guard.

"Luna, is your throat okay? It sounds like you need a drink." He leaned closer, taking his flask from his ring and holding the tip to her lips.

"Waaa... Nn.... Mmmmgh....!"

She struggled for a moment before greedily guzzling the chilled bloodwine made with his blood.

"Paaaah~ that's so good!"

Lunaria wiped her mouth and burped.

"You... why do you keep a flask of your own blood with you?"

He looked at her with a half-smile and shrugged.

"Why do you think?"

"Hmph..." Lunaira turned away, pretending to be angry, but she held onto the flask of his blood tightly, like a beast protecting her kill. "Well, I am not giving it back then...!"

"Sure, I brought them here for you girls anyway."

"Tsk... dunce."

Although he would love nothing more than to keep joking around with his wife, his eyes narrowed, and he sat up, gazing in the direction where Tanya vanished.

"Shhh, let's keep an eye on them."

"W-Why so on guard?"

Nikolai didn't remove his gaze from the warriors but responded. "Why didn't the knights appear to fight the enemy sooner. If they could amass such a number, they should never have lost or waited for me to kill Marduke."

He couldn't help but doubt them, worried about the worst situation.