Beyond the royal city walls, the vampire army pressed against the border. The Shadow Lord's banner fluttered menacingly in the night wind, while a幽紫色 energy aura enveloped the entire force, standing in stark opposition to the dark gold runes flickering upon the wolf tribe's ramparts. The air thickened with a palpable, suffocating aura of impending doom.
Lucifer stood atop the highest battlements, his black cloak whipping in the gale. His crimson eyes swept over the Wolf Clan's battle-ready ranks, finally settling on Lin Xi, who had been forcibly brought to his side.
"Look closely," his voice was bone-chillingly cold, carrying an authority that brooked no argument, "This is the calamity you have brought upon us."
Lin Xi stood forced beside him, two conflicting forces still battling fiercely within her. Lucifer's mark seared every inch of her skin, while the Blood Clan's summons hissed like a venomous serpent in her mind. She gripped the dagger "Bone-Eater" hidden in her sleeve so tightly her knuckles turned white.
The Shadow Lord hovered before the vampire army, his black robes billowing in the energy fluctuations. He raised his hand, a ghostly light piercing toward Lin Xi:
"'Vessel,' return."
With his words, the chaotic power within her surged violently, nearly shattering the bonds of Lucifer's mark. She staggered, forced to brace herself against the city wall to steady her.
Lucifer seized her wrist with a force that nearly crushed her bones. "Choose," his voice was low and dangerous, "now."
Countless eyes focused on her from every part of the wall. Wolf warriors stood tense, the vampire army poised for action. The entire battlefield felt like a powder keg ready to explode, and she was the fuse.
Lin Xi lifted her head, meeting Lucifer's crimson eyes. In that bottomless scarlet, she saw savagery, possessiveness, and a hint of something even he hadn't noticed... anticipation.
"I..." Her voice trembled as the power surging within her collided.
The voice of the Shadow Lord echoed again, its seductive power resonating: "Return to the Blood Clan, and you shall gain freedom."
Lucifer's fangs glinted faintly as dark-gold energy boiled around him: "Submit to me, and you shall gain power."
Two formidable wills clashed violently within her mind. The system's warning screeched shrilly as her cognitive barriers teetered on collapse.
In that instant, Lin Xi made her choice.
She yanked the dagger "Bone-Eater" from her sleeve and, under the stunned gazes of all present, plunged it deep into her left shoulder—the spot marked most profoundly by Lucifer.
Blood gushed forth, staining her black robe crimson. Agonizing pain nearly forced her to her knees, yet her gaze remained unnaturally clear.
"I," she raised her head, her voice trembling with pain yet carrying unprecedented resolve, "belong to no one."
This strike tore not only flesh but severed the bloodline's summoning. Chaos energy and Alpha power reached an unnatural equilibrium within her, temporarily halting the slaughter.
Lucifer's pupils contracted sharply as he seized her bleeding shoulder. Dark-gold energy surged frantically, attempting to heal the wound, only to be blocked by the newly born balancing force within her.
"You..." His voice carried disbelieving fury, tinged with a hint of... admiration he hadn't even registered himself.
The Shadow Lord roared in rage, and dark purple energy surged toward the city walls like a tidal wave.
War erupted completely in that instant.