The attack An Hansas unleashed now, though lacking the full power of his previous assault against an Army-class artifact, was still sharp enough to tear through a formidable vampire. Yet Xiao Qi merely curled her fingers and crushed the solidified black blade into dust... It was nothing short of absurd.

Lin Luo could scarcely comprehend this. The soft-spoken little girl who had been with them mere moments ago—how had she become so terrifyingly powerful?

But An Hansas himself seemed far more shaken than Lin Luo. Staring at the young woman across the ten-meter gap, his face contorted in disbelief. "No... it can't be. You shouldn't have broken free yet! The moon hasn't even risen!"

"Indeed," the girl smiled with a slow tilt of her head. She ran her tongue over her lips where blood gleamed crimson at the tip. "I consumed something delicious, so my seal has lifted earlier than expected."

Blood?

Now standing behind Lin Luo with her head lifted slightly, she exuded an air of closeness. The faint metallic scent reached him as he caught sight of the red hue between her lips... real blood.

Who was this girl?

Before Lin Luo could ponder further, Xiao Qi slipped past his body and began walking forward. With every step, her form changed dramatically - her golden hair darkening from roots upward while her figure stretched into womanhood at an impossible speed.

Lin Luo's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

In under ten seconds the petite blonde had transformed into a striking woman with floor-length raven hair standing 175cm tall. Her curves were perfection itself, and the black gown clinging to her form exuded regal mystery like royalty incarnate.

"You... you're..." Lin Luo's voice caught as he suddenly recognized her features - crimson bloodline, long black locks, overwhelming power, royal bearing, a white dog companion...

"Previously I had my reasons for not revealing it," she turned with a sultry smile. Cupping the hem of her gown in both hands, "My full name is Arlertuzi von Brunstad. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

The Black Blood Princess.

Though he'd suspected as much, Lin Luo still felt his breath taken away. How could this girl - someone he had been protecting - be the legendary black princess?

Yet considering her presence filled with life energy, making him feel closest to nature's essence... and given that Brunstad meant "ancient crimson" in Germanic tongues...

Daughter of the Cursed Moon Princess, vampire-trueblood hybrid, Black Blood Sister to the White Queen. Ruler of blood and contracts, Ninth Patriarch among Twenty-Seven Ancestors.

And yet another revelation struck - she was Gaia's daughter as well.

Though Lin Luo couldn't grasp why such a contradiction existed between the Cursed Moon and Earth's will, reality itself bore testimony to it.

Why hadn't he realized this earlier? The moment Xiao Qi mentioned having a white dog companion should have been enough of a clue...

But then again, who would expect someone with such an imposing title to appear as a pure-hearted child?

Even knowing her guards were always present, how could one imagine the Ninth Patriarch being hunted by mere Church acolytes in her diminutive form?

And dammit! The term "Black Queen" was just a three-dimensional label. Who said she had to have black hair? Those damn mangaka had really done it this time.

Faced with her new form, Lin Luo could only gape speechlessly as Arlertuzi turned toward An Hansas. As the Eighteenth Patriarch and world's strongest vengeful knight, she now regarded him like a peasant.

"So, Eighteenth Seat," she asked airily, "care to play?"

To her, this grandmaster of revenge was barely worth more than a child's toy.

"Black Blood Queen..." An Hansas growled through gritted teeth. Even with his seal broken, being dismissed so casually by another Patriarch felt like an unbearable slight.

Without hesitation he swung his blade again - the crescent-shaped black sword strike identical to before, this time cleaving into reality itself. The pure magic-formed blade capable of matching Army-class artifacts struck toward her -

Only for Arlertuzi to remain entirely unimpressed. Raising a single hand as if brushing aside an insect...

Crack!

The blade shattered under her palm before she vanished in a flash, reappearing inches from An Hansas' chest with claws extended.

A spray of crimson erupted through the air.

Blood dripped down her fingers as she raised her right arm, the wound on his left side gaping with five deep punctures and a jagged gash between them. Though barely alive now, he knew with certainty - fate had abandoned him completely. Had he not dodged at the last moment, his heart would already be in her hand.

He hadn't just lost.

Though he'd anticipated her strength, this disparity was beyond comprehension. Even if this wasn't her peak form... she could still kill him in a single strike.

"This is your power?" An Hansas spat through bloodied teeth as he staggered to his feet. "The Black Blood Queen?"

"There are certainly stronger Patriarchs among Twenty-Seven," Arlertuzi tilted her head down, "but none of them would be you."

At that moment An Hansas knew with absolute certainty - even trading life for victory wouldn't secure him a single chance against this woman.

Not arrogance... but self-awareness tempered by supreme confidence. This was the Black Queen, the trueblood vampire princess Arlertuzi von Brunstad.

Gathering his remaining strength, he launched himself into the distance like smoke on the wind. Running wasn't disgrace - charging blindly toward certain death would be foolish indeed.

While watching him vanish, Arlertuzi showed no interest in pursuit. A half-dead half-vampire was beneath her notice now that her weakness had passed. If he returned for more, she'd deal with him then.

More importantly, while superior in power... his mobility still outmatched hers slightly. Chasing would be pointless at best.

"Um..." Lin Luo shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Wasn't that a bit fast?"

"Certainly," Arlertuzi smiled faintly as she appraised him. "...though you seem afraid of me."

"...Well, no! Just surprised!" He stammered awkwardly.

The Black Blood Queen who could kill vengeful knights with single strikes... how could one not fear her? After all, the truebloods weren't exactly known for their kindness.

"Is that so?" Her gaze lingered a moment longer before she changed the subject abruptly. "By the way, why did you suddenly transform just now?"

"Oh this..." Arlertuzi's eyes glinted excitedly as her smile widened. "Because I drank your blood of course!"

"...".