Vampire's Veil Of Obsession-Chapter 176: Win..

William lunged forward, but Zethan dodged swiftly—his sword not even shifting an inch. The crowd gasped as William’s eyes widened in disbelief. The speed he had used... it was undeniably fast. So how had Zethan dodged it?

His hand tightened slightly around his sword, his expression turning serious. Raising his blade, he charged toward Zethan, slashing through the air. But Zethan curved to the side, making William’s body overextend. He nearly lost his balance, almost crashing to the floor—saved only by his stamina.

Another gasp rippled through the crowd.

Zethan let out a soft chuckle.

"Let’s not bore your people, you know," he said calmly, finally raising his sword. Then he turned his face slightly, a slow smirk crawling to his lips. His eyes locked onto Lilia.

Lilia’s eyes flew wide. Why was Zethan looking at her—now, of all times? This was bad. He was in a serious fight, and yet... yet—

"Please, Zethan... focus. I—I beg you," she whispered, her heart thudding. Her body stilled as William moved again.

CLANG!

The swords clashed as Zethan intercepted the strike, his lips twitching into a smirk.

"How naïve... to think you’ve finally found a way to win," he chuckled deeply, his eyes flashing an eerie red.

William’s body froze for a heartbeat, the sudden shift in Zethan’s aura unsettling—but he forced himself to hold his stance.

Zethan pressed forward, his strength overwhelming. William’s feet slid back across the ground, dragged by sheer force. He bent low, planting one hand on the floor to steady himself, breathing hard.

"Oh, you’re a man of stature now—then be a responsible one and cut this off, Prince. I could kill you in a second, but I won’t. I wouldn’t want my wife witnessing something like that," Zethan said, his voice suddenly serious.

The shift in his tone caught William off guard. The playful, calm expression he wore before was nowhere to be found. In its place was something colder. Sharper.

William moved—Zethan’s lips curled up as William began to strike. His movements were fast; he did not stop or hesitate. Breathless gasps echoed as they watched the fight. All eyes remained locked on them as Zethan kept dodging, lips parted in shock. The speed at which he moved was almost inhuman. It was as if he was five steps ahead, already knowing William’s next move before he struck.

SLANG!

William’s body jolted backward from the force, his legs sliding as he struggled to keep balance. Shock rippled through the crowd as they realized—it was Zethan who had actually used his sword. William’s expression turned even more serious. He moved again, and this time, Zethan finally decided to use his sword too. This guy was stubborn.

For some unknown reason, Lilia’s heart began to thud. She pressed her hands to her chest, hoping the pressure would calm its wild beating. But it only grew louder, pounding as she watched from the corner. Deep down, she just wished all of this would stop. So she and Zethan could be together, just like always.

But she knew—this was the only way things could be resolved. The best way.

And if Zethan truly wanted to, he could start a war. She knew that. What scared her more was that he was already this skilled without even trying. Just imagine how terrifying he’d be if he was serious.

Suddenly, her body jolted slightly as Zethan moved. The sheer force made her flinch, her body lifting a little off the chair as he landed smoothly on his feet.

A faint smile touched Zethan’s lips as he spoke.

"Already showing your inhuman abilities? Don’t you think the crowd will start wondering if their prince is really human?"

His voice was low, but it struck hard. William’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard.

"You know something," he whispered.

Zethan’s lips stretched into a wider smile.

"I know a lot."

"Let’s get this over with," he said quietly.

And then they clashed.

The sharp clang of swords echoed through the silent arena. Every eye was locked on them, waiting to see what would happen next.

Lilia straightened on her chair, unable to sit still any longer.

Zethan brought down his sword, now fully dodging as William lunged again, his eyes blazing with fiery determination. With a sharp shriek, William’s blade grazed Zethan’s cheek, leaving a thin red line as blood trickled down.

Zethan swiftly stepped back, and a single drop of blood flew through the air, landing on the grassy ground with a soft thud.

Then, in one fluid motion, Zethan switched his stance and swung his sword downward—sling!

Gasps echoed through the crowd.

Whose sword was that?

Was it Zethan’s?

No... It was William’s sword.

William’s eyes flew wide as Zethan lunged slightly, his sword now resting against William’s throat.

The arena fell into stunned silence.

No one had expected that—not even William.

Zethan spoke quietly, his voice carrying through the expansive hall.

"Kill him... or take her."

Everyone stood frozen, breath held, waiting for a response. Then, a small voice broke through the silence—a little boy cried out, "Take her! Take her!"

Zethan’s lips twitched upward in amusement as the crowd joined in, their voices rising.

"Take her! Take her!"

William’s eyes widened further. He hadn’t expected this. How had the sword slipped from his hands? His grip had been tight—too tight to just let go. So how?

Zethan finally spoke again, calmly and coolly, as the voices echoed around them.

"They’ve spoken."

With that, he tossed his sword aside.

He reached up, wiping the blood trickling from his cheek with the back of his hand, smearing it onto his garment without a second thought.

Then he turned and walked toward the exit.

But just before stepping out, he paused—his gaze shifting to Lilia. A soft smile played on his lips.

"I told you, sweetheart... I would win."

She didn’t know how, but she heard those words clearly—as if they were spoken right into her soul. Her heart stuttered, and a tear rolled down her cheek. For the first time in a long while... she felt peace.

Without hesitation, she rose and rushed out of the arena, her steps quick, her heart desperate. She needed to see him—she needed to hug him.

Down the stairs she ran, past startled guards who instantly recognized her and opened the doors without question.

And there he was.

Zethan stood just outside, that same quiet smile tugging at his lips.

"As expected of my wife. She’ll always come find me... just like I’ll always find you. Not even death could keep us apart, Lilia."

Overcome with emotion, she ran to him and leapt into his arms, wrapping her hands tightly around his neck, hugging him as though she’d never let go again.

To his surprise, he felt something wet touch his neck.

His body stiffened.

Then, she tightened her arms around his waist, still holding him close. Without letting go, she punched his shoulder lightly.

"Oh, you... you were so annoying," she muttered, her voice trembling. "You scared me so much."

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him. "Why were you so calm and playful back there? Huh?"

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. She sniffed, turning her face to the side, cheeks flushed with lingering fear.

"Do you even know what I would have done if..."

Her voice trailed off as she gave him a sharp glare.

But Zethan only chuckled gently and pulled her back into his arms, holding her tighter than before.

"I know you trust me. You know very well that I’m Zethan Lyall."

Lilia rolled her eyes, a soft giggle escaping her lips at his confident words.

Zethan gently wrapped his arm around Lilia’s waist, pulling her closer. She leaned into him, her voice soft as she spoke.

"Now, I could ask you all the questions I want... but first, you need to take care of your wound."

Zethan chuckled quietly, brushing it off.

"No worries. It’ll heal in no time."

Lilia pouted slightly, her gaze filled with concern.

"You don’t know how scared I was when I realized you were hurt."

Zethan shifted, his tone slightly tense. He knew how serious it had been. From the speed they were moving, it was hard for anyone to catch, but yes—he had been sliced. He had no doubt about it.

"You saw that" he asked curiously.

Lilia gave a soft nod, her fingers brushing gently near the spot.

Then, without another word, Zethan leaned in and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

Just as Lilia moved to deepen it, he pulled back slightly, placing a soft peck on her lips... then another... and another.

"I’ve missed you, sweetheart," he whispered between kisses. "Once we return to the land of the living, I’ll make sure you’re mine. All mine."

Lilia froze, her eyes widening.

"Zethan... you mean we can still go back? To the land of the living?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Zethan nodded, his voice firm but gentle.

"Yes, my wife." he whispered with a possessive grin.