My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System-Chapter 59: Blood Unveiled

Shelby lounged atop the tavern rooftop, lazily munching on an apple, the moonlight glinting off his relaxed form.

The old man narrowed his eyes, wary.

"Don’t worry," Shelby said between bites. "This isn’t my fight." He smiled. "But the real question is—can you handle him?"

The old man snapped his gaze toward Zane, who was still effortlessly dodging the dual assault from the masked duo. When he looked back—Shelby was gone.

Not even a whisper of movement. No sound. No shadow.

His brows furrowed. He tapped his walking cane on the dusty ground and muttered a spell under his breath, casting a wide-area detection field. The spell spread out in invisible waves, probing every corner for Shelby’s presence.

Nothing.

He was gone without a trace.

Meanwhile, the clash between Erlin and the seductress had grown fierce and fast. What had started as graceful exchanges of daggers and agile maneuvers had now evolved into a deadly magic duel.

The seductress weaved intricate hand seals and hissed, "Enchant!"

Ribbons of enchantment magic flew toward Erlin, glowing in the dim light.

But Erlin danced between the streams of mana with swift, zigzagging steps, her cloak fluttering behind her like a phantom. Not a single strand of enchantment magic touched her.

On the other side, Zane remained calm amidst chaos.

The two masked men attacked in perfect unison, their katanas slicing through the air in synchronized, flowing patterns. Each strike was precise, each feint cunning. But Zane always found the flaw—a half-step here, a shoulder drop there—he weaved through them like water.

The masked men exchanged a quick signal—then whistled sharply. A moment later, Zane felt the shift.

They’re trying to cast something big.

He smirked. "You think I’ll let you finish that?"

In a heartbeat, Zane charged straight at one of them. He didn’t dodge. He didn’t block.

The masked man grinned, seeing what looked like a hundred openings. He swung with all his might.

But Zane’s hand moved first.

With a quick flick of his middle finger, he struck the flat of the blade.

CRACK!

The katana exploded into shards, the shockwave propelling the razor-edged fragments directly into the attacker’s body like shotgun fire.

The masked man gasped and collapsed, riddled with metal.

The second assassin was already moving in for the kill, his blade targeting Zane’s throat.

Zane didn’t even look. He simply repeated the motion.

CRACK!

Another blade shattered—another masked figure fell to the ground, lifeless, pierced by his own weapon.

At that same moment, the fight between the two women reached its climax.

The seductress, eyes glowing, cast her ultimate technique.

"Blossom Storm: Crimson Bloom!"

Hundreds of glowing rose petals burst from her hands, swirling in a deadly spiral toward Erlin. Each petal shimmered with razor-thin magic and deadly enchantments.

But Erlin stood perfectly still.

She raised her pinky finger to her lips—and bit.

A single drop of her blood formed at the tip. Then, it lifted into the air.

Mana trembled.

The swirling rose petals faltered in mid-air. Their glow dimmed—then died, crumbling into nothing.

The entire tavern went silent.

Even the old man flinched.

"No..." the seductress whispered, stepping back in horror. "That spell... it’s..."

She pointed with a trembling hand. "Y-You... who are you? That’s the Royal Blood Art... the forbidden magic of the throne!"

The old man’s eyes widened. "You’re the—"

"The missing princess..." the seductress gasped. Her knees buckled, dread overtaking her.

Erlin’s gaze turned glacial. "Good thing you’re informative." She raised her pinky finger, the single drop of levitating blood glinting like a ruby under moonlight. "Now... die for me."

The blood shot forward at blistering speed, piercing the center of the seductress’s forehead with surgical precision.

"Aaaghhhh!" she screamed, clutching her head. "P-please! Spare me, Your Highness!"

Zane stood motionless, watching. For the first time, he was witnessing another side of his wife—not the playful, defiant princess—but a terrifying, merciless monarch wielding her blood magic like a scalpel.

The seductress writhed and shrieked, her pleas devolving from desperate sobs to tortured madness. "T-this is too much... Please, kill me! I deserve death for offending you!"

Zane understood now—Erlin’s magic wasn’t just deadly—it was psychological torment. A slow, irreversible descent into agony.

"You’re right," Erlin whispered coldly. "You deserve death."

A silent pulse of magic triggered the final blow. The woman collapsed to the dusty ground, her eyes wide open, lifeless.

The old man, eyes wide with horror, dropped to his knees. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I-I didn’t know—"

"I’m her," Erlin said, sneering. A second drop of blood floated up from her fingertip, glowing ominously.

But before she could release it, Zane gently caught her wrist.

"Let me finish this one," he said calmly. "He’s the leader, isn’t he?"

Erlin gave a slight nod and stepped back.

The old man, still kneeling, tried to bargain. "Human... we don’t need to do this. Let me compensate you."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "Compensate, huh?"

He glanced at his wristwatch.

"I was just about to take a peaceful nap when you bastards barged in. And now,"—he flicked the screen—"it’s been 15 minutes and 45 seconds of wasted time."

He crouched, eyes level with the old man. "So? Can you rewind time? Send me back to the moment right before you ruined my rest?"

"I-I can’t. My element is water, not time. And... there’s no such thing as time magic."

Zane straightened. "Exactly. You can’t pay for the most valuable thing I’ve lost."

His eyes narrowed. "So you’ll pay for it with your life."

The old man gritted his teeth. "Young man, don’t force my hand."

"I think you already did that the moment you walked through that door."

Zane lunged forward, swift and brutal.

The old man tapped his cane. A shimmering water shell rose in front of him, forming a barrier.

Flick.

Zane’s middle finger struck the barrier, shattering it instantly.

Another one appeared. He moved forward again—

"Water Arrow Barrage!" the old man bellowed.

Hundreds of glistening arrows formed from condensed water surged toward Zane. As they flew, a warning notification from the System chimed in Zane’s mind:

ALERT: Magical water detected – Poison-class attribute. Lethal upon direct contact. Evade immediately.

Zane’s body flickered as he leapt away, narrowly dodging the deadly projectiles.

The old man snarled, continuing to summon wave after wave of poisonous arrows.

From somewhere above, Shelby’s voice echoed like thunder:

"Tch. This is getting boring. You’ve got a guy with a mana pool the size of a whale, and you? You’re fighting with flicks."

He chuckled.

"Zane, just for tonight—exception granted. Use anything you’ve got. End this weakling."

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