Guilliman's right hand moved like lightning, accompanied by a low whistle of air being torn, aiming directly for Orianna's slender, elegant neck.
The lady-like smile on Orianna's face instantly froze, replaced by the bloodlust and ferocity of a non-human entity.
She had operated in Beauclair for decades, even establishing an orphanage where she could safely enjoy the blood of human children, investing an untold amount of effort.
But after Guilliman exposed her identity, if she didn't deal with Duchess Anna, her own identity might be revealed.
And the hostess of yesterday's ball was her; if Duchess Anna were kidnapped and killed during her banquet, it would also cause her a great deal of trouble.
This was the reason Orianna followed them.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch her skin, her figure suddenly blurred, as if melting into the surrounding shadows, transforming into a writhing, coalescing mass of dense black shadow with the outline of wings!
Countless wing beats converged into a piercing hum, and a black "torrent" swept over, carrying a putrid stench.
Higher Vampires do not wield magic, but having lived in chaotic magic for nearly a millennium, they seemed to have mastered some unique ways of using it.
"Hmph."
Seeing such a crude spell, Guilliman didn't even bother to move his feet; the hand sign for his left hand was already formed.
Buzz—!
A scorching, solidified fan of flame, like a lava wall, suddenly erupted in front of him.
The wild Igni fire instantly incinerated the incoming swarm torrent into ashes; the high temperature twisted the air, purifying the stench.
Orianna's pale face was a mix of shock and anger in the firelight, horrified by the man's powerful spell. The swarm attack instantly disintegrated, and she stumbled back a step, a few sparks catching on her skirt, quickly burning her dress to tatters, revealing her fair thighs and flat abdomen.
Just as Guilliman was about to wave his hand to disperse the lingering flames and easily capture Orianna.
Boom!
A bone-chilling, powerful pressure from deep within the bloodline, mixed with pure rage and warning, like a materialized giant hammer, suddenly smashed into the area!
Though this aura was clearly directed only at Guilliman, it instantly turned Syanna and Duchess Anna's faces pale, their hearts seemingly frozen, their breathing even ceasing.
The next moment, a lithe figure, dark red like blood, tore through the distant night sky, rushing over at a speed far beyond human perception! The figure's target was clearly Guilliman—or rather, Orianna in front of him!
It was Dettlaff! The Higher Vampire who sensed a powerful kin in danger and rushed to her aid.
His speed was almost instantaneous in the eyes of ordinary people; a dark red afterimage streaked across dozens of meters, his fingernails, sharp as divine weapons, lunging straight for Guilliman's throat, attempting to besiege Wei to rescue Zhao, forcing Guilliman to release his suppression of Orianna!
It seemed this Higher Vampire, who also lived in Beauclair, had also followed due to the commotion tonight.
Guilliman let out a slight hum of surprise, not because of the danger, but a hint of amusement at this unexpected "reinforcement."
Perhaps the Higher Vampires caught today wouldn't be limited to Orianna.
He didn't even turn to dodge Dettlaff's claws.
Facing Dettlaff's charging claw attack, which was strong enough to tear through steel armor, Guilliman raised his right hand, his movement as fluid and natural as brushing away dust.
His palm, with extreme precision, grasped Dettlaff's striking wrist like an iron clamp, bringing the powerful momentum to an abrupt halt!
It was as if a charging behemoth had crashed into an unmovable mountain.
Compared to Guilliman's usual strength, which was twenty times that of an ordinary person, while a Higher Vampire's body was strong, it truly wasn't enough in front of him.
A muffled thud exploded, and a shockwave rippled outwards.
Dettlaff's charge was abruptly stopped, his body momentarily suspended in mid-air due to inertia.
Extreme horror erupted in his lava-like crimson eyes! He felt his immense strength, capable of tearing down city gates, hit the opponent's hand like a mud ox entering the sea, not budging an inch!
The opponent's arm was as steady as a rock, without even the slightest tremor! That inhuman grip and physical strength made his pupils contract sharply.
Orianna, seizing the moment Dettlaff drew Guilliman's attention, broke free from her shock and let out another sharp shriek!
Ignoring her image, her hands transformed into ten poisoned claws, concentrating her last bit of shadow magic, and she herself, like a black poisoned arrow, skimmed across the ground, thrusting directly at Guilliman's blind spot under his ribs!
She intended to form a pincer attack with Dettlaff!
A perfect pincer attack from front and back? At least, that's how it seemed to them.
A hint of amusement flickered in Guilliman's eyes. His right hand, gripping Dettlaff's wrist, remained motionless, as if Dettlaff's immense strength was no more than a child's push to him.
The instant Orianna's poisoned claws were about to strike, his left hand, with a blurred trajectory that the naked eye couldn't possibly track, casually swung outwards, as if flicking away a fallen leaf.
The movement was simple, yet it carried an irresistible, colossal force!
A deeper, more muffled thud sounded!
Guilliman's five fingers did not touch Orianna's claws; merely the violent air currents generated by his palm and that invisible, crushing physical force converged in the air, sweeping everything before them, and fiercely slammed into Orianna's chest and abdomen!
"Ugh ah—!"
Orianna's poisoned claws were still a foot away from their target when her entire body was struck head-on as if by an invisible siege hammer!
Her sharp shriek turned into an agonizing scream, her body spinning and flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing with a loud thud into a tree as thick as a bowl, then rolling to the ground, spitting out a large mouthful of dark red blood.
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