Chapter 422: Blood For Blood (2nd Bonus)
Two different sedans drove into the area before coming to a stop directly in front of the guild.
Both Wilson and Maya narrow their eyes at them as the doors opened.
Beatrice stepped out, dressed in an elegant black gown, with additional black gloves covering her hands.
Six other men exited the vehicles alongside her.
And that was when Wilson’s expression immediately changed, because the most shocking thing wasn’t Beatrice’s sudden appearance, but the mana radiating from them all.
They all had this overwhelming presence that made it immediately obvious they weren’t normal Awakened.
Wilson couldn’t quite explain it, but the difference was significant enough to leave him staring.
The reaction was the same for Maya who looked equally stunned.
Then Wilson suddenly remembered Ethan’s phone call which asked them to go home immediately, stating that the attack is over.
Almost at the same time, Maya’s eyes turned toward his as he looked back at her.
They had no need to say a word between themselves as the same thought had already crossed both their mind.
Something was wrong, very very wrong. The situation didn’t seem to feel like a coincidence at all.
Instincts immediately took over, and in the next second, their figures blurred as they attempted to flee in opposite directions.
But they never made it very far.
Four of the men accompanying Beatrice suddenly disappeared and then reappeared directly in front of them, with amused grins on their faces.
They Heydrich siblings were currently faced by two men, each.
Beatrice laughed softly, then said in a playful tone. "Where are you two going?"
She slowly began walking towards them. "I think that’s a little rude, don’t you?...I haven’t even told you why I’m here yet."
"Beatrice, what the hell are you doing?" Wilson asked as his eyes kept moving between the two men who had suddenly appeared in front of him.
Maya looked a lot more apprehensive. Unlike her brother, she was only an S-tier Awakened. And judging from the overwhelming mana radiating from the people surrounding Beatrice, most of them possessed strength that was either comparable to an S-tier or perhaps even beyond one.
Also, these weren’t ordinary Awakened.
These were some of the Blessed who had traveled from different parts of the continent in support Beatrice’s mission to eliminate the evil being harbored within the Stark family.
Unfortunately for Wilson and Maya, they seemed to have taken a slight detour from that original purpose.
Factually, being one of the Blessed did not automatically place someone on the side of justice as the gods did not distribute their blessings based on human ideas of morality, nor did they reserve their favor exclusively for the virtuous.
Even the most wicked individuals could still be acknowledged and chosen by a deity.
In light of that, the current people standing beside Beatrice right now had deviated from their original purpose because they had been offered something else.
Money.
And she had offered enough of it to convince them to help her accomplish a second goal.
Of course, none of them felt particularly guilty about it. After all, the people Beatrice had set her sights on were closely connected to the very evil they had all been summoned to destroy.
"I was hoping I’d catch more of you here, especially that mutt, Percival..but this seems like a more delightful situation" Beatrice began, still smiling.
"You see, Wilson, what I’m doing here today is called payback... And how exactly am I planning to pay you back?"
Her smile widened as she pointed toward Maya. "I’m going to take away the one person in this world you truly cherish...She’s going to die here today."
Her timing had also been intentional. She knew Ethan wasn’t here, and in fact that wasn’t her target today.
Beatrice came specifically for members of his guild, who were all named culprits in Dark Nova’s broadcast.
Wilson’s eyes widened in disbelief at what he had just heard, so did Maya’s.
Right then, Wilson’s body immediately began to change. His skin gradually reddened as his fangs extended. A pair of vampiric wings burst from his back as he tapped into the enhanced abilities he had gained after ingesting the serum Ethan had developed for him.
He raised both hands, and the blood flowing through the bodies of the men before him instantly reacted to Wilson’s blood manipulation.
The red liquid beneath their skin suddenly began resisting their movements as he attempted to restrain them.
At the same time, an orange aura ignited around Maya’s hands as she entered combat with the two men who had moved to intercept her.
Unfortunately, the battle didn’t last very long as they were completely outnumbered.
Just as Wilson attempted to tighten his control over the blood within their bodies, another one of the Blessed suddenly blurred forward and struck him with a heavy impact blow which sent his body crashing through the fence.
And as for Maya...There was very little she could do.
The two opponents facing her had both reached the Harmonic State of Resonance with their gods, so her defeat happened pretty quickly.
One of them seized her by the neck and slammed her against the wall.
Her eyes stared into his as she made to attempt to compel him, but before she could do anything, the man drove two fingers directly into her eyes.
Maya screamed in agony as she remained pinned against the wall.
Unfortunately for the Heydrich, Beatrice had already warned the Blessed accompanying her that members of the Heydrich family possessed the ability to compel others.
Wilson tried to force himself back to his feet after being blasted away, but three different men had already closed in around him, restraining him from every direction and dragging him forward.
Each of them possessed mana that rivaled his own, if not surpassing it entirely.
He struggled against their grip, but it was useless. And while he was being held down, he watched Beatrice slowly walk toward Maya who had blood streaming down her face as she fought to free herself.
Beatrice stopped a few feet away before turning her attention back to Wilson. "You people took my father...the only man in this world who truly loved me."
Wilson froze, now understanding that this was all revenge; blood for blood.
"I want you to tell the rest of friends something for me." she continued. "Tell them that I’m going to take away the people they cherish the most, just as all of you came together and took away my father and those other family heads."
"I’m going to make all of you understand exactly what that feels like."
Wilson’s breathing became uneven. "No..."
"And when I’m finished..." Beatrice continued, her eyes darkening, "tell Ethan that I’ll come for his bitch wife next."
"Beatrice—"
A glowing magic circle of red light suddenly appeared in front of her outstretched hand as mana began gathering around it.
Wilson’s entire body stiffened. "No."
"No, no, no..."
He began struggling violently against the people holding him. "Beatrice, don’t!"
"Please!" He fought harder. "Don’t do this!"
His voice cracked. "Take me instead!. she didn’t do anything!"
He pulled against the men restraining him so hard that his muscles trembled.
"Take me instead!"
But it was already too late; The man holding Maya released her and stepped aside. And at that exact moment, Beatrice released the spell.
The crimson blast exploded forward.
"MAYA!"
The eruption of mana swallowed everything, including that part of the building, leading to a large explosion.
And then, there was silence as Wilson’s stared in great shock. He could sense his sister’s presence anymore.
The daughter of the Heydrich family...Was dead.
_
If the Resonance Factor determined the level of compatibility between a deity and their Blessed, and how much of a god’s blessing could safely be drawn upon, then the Resonant States were what determined the maturity of that relationship.
In essence, the strength of a Blessed was measured by the state of Resonance they had attained with their deity.
There were four stages.
The first was the Dormant State. A connection between the deity and the Blessed already existed at this point, but it was immature and required further growth. The bond itself had yet to fully stabilize, leaving much of the blessing inaccessible. Even so, those who existed within this stage naturally possessed power comparable to that of an S-Ranked Awakened.
The second stage was known as the Harmonized State. By this point, the deity and their Blessed were no longer resisting one another. Their natures had begun moving together, allowing significantly more of the blessing to be drawn upon. Individuals who reached this level were often comparable to those who had surpassed the S-Rank; which were the SS-Tier Awakened and lower-tier Grand Class.
After that, was the Unified State. It was a much deeper relationship than harmony. The connection between the god and the Blessed became more profound, granting access to a greater portion of the deity’s authority. Those who reached this stage were often comparable to second-tier Grand Class powerhouses whose talents could be classified as SSS-Tier.
This was Beatrice’s current state.
And finally, there was the Complete State of Resonance. And individuals who reached that level could only be described as Extraordinary.