The Extra's Rise-Chapter 470: Vampire Elder (3)

How to beat an Ascendant-ranker?

That question had been answered by original Arthur.

In a battle of attrition against an Ascendant-ranker like Elder Lazarus, defeat was inevitable. Their mana pools were vast oceans compared to his deepest well. They could outlast any prolonged engagement, weathering attacks until their opponent faltered from exhaustion.

So Arthur had developed a different approach. Don’t give them time to breathe. Chain attacks in relentless sequence. Strike with such speed and precision that even their superior power couldn’t find an opening to counterattack. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Time slowed in Arthur’s perception as he faced Elder Lazarus across the ancient chamber. The vampire’s pale features held the casual confidence of a predator who had never known true challenge—a confidence Arthur intended to shatter.

Lucifer was engaged with Bishop Vale on the far side of the chamber, golden light flashing against miasmic darkness. But Arthur couldn’t spare attention for their battle. Every fragment of his focus locked onto the vampire elder before him.

First movement of his Grade 6 art: God Flash: Absolute.

The technique he’d adapted from Lucifer’s original creation from the Saga of the Divine Swordsman wasn’t meant to be seen—only felt. Arthur’s form blurred as he crossed the space between them, his sword aimed for Lazarus’s heart with perfect precision.

The vampire’s eyes widened fractionally—the only indication he was surprised by the speed. His spear intercepted the strike at the last possible moment, night astral energy clashing against Arthur’s enhanced aura in a shower of dark sparks.

In that infinitesimal moment of contact, most fighters would retreat, reset their stance, and prepare another approach. That was the expected rhythm of high-level combat—strike, retreat, reconsider.

Arthur did the opposite.

Instead of pulling back, he pressed forward, maintaining contact between his blade and Lazarus’s spear. The move was counterintuitive, dangerous—and exactly what the vampire didn’t expect.

Arthur transitioned seamlessly into his Grade 5 art CQC—Close Quarters Combat—a fighting style he’d personally developed for situations precisely like this. Against enemies with overwhelming power, conventional sword techniques weren’t enough. You needed to get inside their guard, attack from angles they couldn’t defend.

Fifth movement of the Grade 5 art CQC: One-Inch Punch.

His left hand, previously held in reserve, shot forward with devastating precision. The movement was minimal—barely an inch of visible travel—but the power behind it was magnificent. Arthur had spent months perfecting the technique, learning to channel maximum force through minimal motion.

His knuckles connected with Lazarus’s chest. The impact transmitted through the vampire’s body like a seismic wave, shattering defenses and crushing ribs beneath the immaculate clothing. Air expelled from the elder’s lungs in a surprised gasp as he staggered backward.

Most opponents would have been incapacitated. Lazarus merely grimaced.

Not yet. Not even close.

The vampire recovered with inhuman resilience, pivoting to bring his spear into play despite his damaged ribcage. The weapon’s trajectory shifted mid-thrust, night astral energy elongating its reach as it headed directly for Arthur’s throat.

Fourth movement of the Grade 5 art CQC: Flicker Palm.

Arthur’s right hand moved in a precise arc, the palm tilted at exactly thirty-seven degrees—the optimal angle he’d determined through hundreds of trials. His fingers splayed in the specific pattern that created maximum disruption against astral energy.

The parry redirected the spear’s path by mere centimeters—enough for the deadly tip to miss his throat, though not enough to avoid all damage. The weapon’s astral aura sliced a thin line across his palm, cutting through his enhanced aura and testing the limits of his Bone Armour.

Blood welled from the shallow wound, but Arthur didn’t flinch. Pain was merely information, and right now, that information wasn’t critical.

’Erebus,’ Arthur commanded internally, maintaining his relentless pressure against the vampire elder.

His Lich responded instantly. The shadowy entity that had bonded with Arthur years ago manifested its power, unfurling a Domain that enveloped both combatants in its embrace.

The effect was immediate. Within Erebus’s Domain, perception altered. For Arthur, the world crystallized into perfect clarity—every movement, every slight shift in air pressure, every subtle tensing of his opponent’s muscles became exquisitely apparent. For Lazarus, the opposite occurred—his senses dulled, reactions delayed by crucial microseconds.

Arthur didn’t waste energy replying. Instead, he launched into a barrage of strikes that defied conventional classification. This wasn’t just swordsmanship—it was a comprehensive assault using every weapon at his disposal.

His elbow crashed into Lazarus’s jaw. His knee drove upward into the vampire’s already damaged ribs. His sword weaved patterns too complex to follow, each cut precisely calibrated to force specific defensive responses that opened new vulnerabilities.

Blood—unnaturally dark and viscous—flowed from multiple wounds on the vampire elder’s form. His expression had transformed from amusement to focused concentration, then to grudging respect, and now to something approaching concern.

"Enough games," Lazarus growled, his astral energy surging outward in a explosive wave.

The night energy carved through Arthur’s defenses with terrifying efficiency. His Bone Armour—a technique he’d learned from the Eastern martial traditions—cracked under the onslaught. The Divine Miracle he’d been maintaining—a protective blessing granted through rigorous prayer and meditation—shattered entirely.

Lazarus’s spear, wreathed in dense astral energy, drove forward with renewed purpose. The weapon halted mere inches from Arthur’s chest, stopped only by the desperate interposition of his sword.

For a moment, they were locked in stasis—Arthur’s strength against the vampire’s, mortal determination against immortal power.

The elder’s lips curled into a victorious smile. This was the moment he’d been waiting for—the young fighter exhausted, his techniques expended, his defenses compromised.

"Impressive effort," Lazarus said, applying more pressure to his spear. "But ultimately futile."

Anyone observing might have thought Arthur cornered, his options exhausted. They would have been wrong.

First movement of the Grade 5 art CQC: Arc Hook Spiral.

Lazarus had committed fully to his forward thrust—a powerful but ultimately predictable action. Arthur used that commitment against him, his body suddenly twisting along an arc that science claimed should be impossible for human anatomy.

The movement carried him around the spear’s path while maintaining his defensive sword position. As he completed the spiral, his right elbow—reinforced with the last remnants of his enhanced aura—crashed into Lazarus’s temple with devastating precision.

The vampire elder roared in pain and fury, momentarily disoriented by the unexpected strike. But rather than retreat, he gathered his astral energy for a decisive attack. Night energy coalesced around his spear in such density that the air itself seemed to bend around the weapon.

Arthur recognized the preparation for what it was—a killing strike, the vampire’s full power channeled into a single, devastating blow.

So be it. He would answer in kind.

Second movement of his Grade 6 art: Hollow Eclipse.

This technique was still experimental, not fully mastered. Under normal circumstances, Arthur would never attempt it against an Ascendant-ranker. But these weren’t normal circumstances.

His sword—Evolvis—resonated as he channeled not one, but all nine elemental affinities simultaneously into the blade. Fire, water, earth, air, lightning, ice, metal, wood, and ether—each element precisely balanced against the others, creating a harmony that should have been impossible.

Then he added the Deepdark, a primordial energy he’d discovered during his trials in the Well of Miasma. The blade turned momentarily translucent, as if existing in multiple dimensions at once.

Finally, he wrapped the entire construction in his enhanced aura, creating a multilayered attack that represented everything he had learned, everything he had become.

Across the chamber, he caught a glimpse of Lucifer driving Bishop Vale backward with a series of precise strikes. The crimson symbols surrounding Vale were flickering, suggesting his defenses were faltering.

No time to appreciate his friend’s skill. Lazarus was moving.

The vampire elder thrust his spear forward, night astral energy extending its reach and lethality. Arthur swung Evolvis in a perfect arc, the Hollow Eclipse technique manifesting as a crescent of multilayered energy.

They met in the center of the ancient chamber.

BOOM!

The collision generated a shockwave that cracked the remaining stone pillars and sent dust cascading from the ceiling. For a moment, both combatants disappeared within a sphere of competing energies—night astral against Arthur’s impossible construction.

Then the sphere collapsed, and both figures were hurled in opposite directions by the backlash. Arthur crashed against the far wall, his remaining defenses shattering on impact. Evolvis clattered to the ground beside him, its blade temporarily dimmed from the massive energy expenditure.

Pain lanced through Arthur’s body as he forced himself to stand. His Bone Armour was gone. His enhanced aura had faded to nearly nothing. Even Erebus had retreated, the Lich conserving what little energy remained for healing rather than offense.

But Arthur rose nonetheless, retrieving his sword with hands that refused to tremble despite their exhaustion.

Across the chamber, Elder Lazarus lay motionless.