“Hmph, no choice then…”
As she spoke, Iyefut Cape’s amber eyes quietly turned red. She straightened her body and wrapped her arms around the young man from behind. Normally, the blood drain process would start with a lick, but the situation was too dire for such formalities. She bared her fangs and sank them deeply into his neck.
The sensation for Sang was the same as last time at the Montgomery Family Estate—a mild sting at first, followed by his heart racing from the accelerated blood flow.
Despite the strange thrill and secret pleasure stirring within him, and the growing desire to take more, it still wasn’t right.
It really wasn’t…
This wasn’t the feeling of entering someone else’s 【Channel】.
It was just a sensual rush, nothing like activating a superpower!
“Compared to that time in the Northern Region, what’s missing!?” Sang muttered to himself over and over.
Meanwhile…
Morton Montgomery had likely caught the scent of 【Abandoned Child】 blood, sending his berserk transformation into overdrive. He charged toward them at an astonishing speed, the shockwaves from his approach warping the surrounding space, as if poised to destroy everything in his path.
Sang was fresh out of options, completely at a loss. As Morton closed in bit by bit, something suddenly clicked in his mind. Could that be it!?
The next instant, Sang whipped around, breaking free from Iyefut’s blood drain. She let out a startled cry. “Mad Rogue, what… what are you doing?”
The situation was too urgent for explanations. Ignoring her panic and confusion, Sang’s eyes darted over her arm and spotted a wound. He grabbed it without hesitation, like snatching a drumstick, and pressed it to his mouth, sucking hard.
Mmm.
Yes!
The key to activating 【Layer of Power】 wasn’t letting her drain his blood—it was exchanging blood!
In that moment, Iyefut Cape was utterly dumbfounded. She, a noble of the Blood Race and daughter of the Cape Family, was being drained by a mere human? How could this happen? And yet… her heart pounded wildly. Her whole body tingled like she’d been shocked, a strange numbness spreading through her.
Just as Iyefut Cape was lost in that indescribable sensation…
Sang’s eyes opened and closed. He had truly entered Iyefut Cape’s 【Channel】.
Last time, in Snow Hill’s 【Channel】, he’d seen a vast, straight boulevard of icy blue starlight—like the sky and sea flipped upside down. The ground was sky blue, dotted with stars and moons, while the sky was a deep, icy blue ocean. It was breathtaking, wondrous beyond words.
This time, in Iyefut Cape’s 【Channel】, it wasn’t as grand or infinite as Snow Hill’s, but it held a serene, winding tranquility that put the mind at ease.
Sang found himself on a shaded forest path deep in the woods. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, trees arched overhead, birds sang amid blooming flowers. It was so peaceful that drowsiness crept in unbidden.
“This… this is Iyefut’s 【Channel】?”
After two experiences with 【Layer of Power】, Sang had gained some understanding of the ability.
A 【Channel】 reflected a person’s inner world. Someone like Snow Hill, the aloof knight, possessed a powerful will to protect everything behind her. Someone like Iyefut Cape, the little princess, had a smaller scope but was still bright and pure. Moreover, the host’s will influenced the visitor—Sang had felt calm last time, and now he simply felt happy.
Maybe that was the will of a sweet, airheaded girl.
Then, Sang truly felt it—the influx of 【Mana】.
Powerful 【Mana】 poured into his body, an experience unlike any before.
Evidently, 【Layer of Power】 had activated successfully.
He was an Abandoned Child without a 【Channel】. By all rights, he shouldn’t sense or use 【Mana】 at all. Yet in this moment, the sensation was overwhelmingly clear.
…
The scene shifted back to reality.
Facing the oncoming Morton Montgomery, Iyefut Cape noticed Sang standing motionless in a daze. Naturally, she was terrified, her face paling as she cried out, “Mad Rogue, why aren’t you reacting?”
“Ah!!!”
Even as Iyefut spoke, the out-of-control Morton Montgomery was upon them. He drew back his fist, his arm twisting through his spine in a horrifying display—his entire upper body contorting, spinning four or five full rotations.
That wind-up… was insane?
All the while, the immense 【Mana】 warped the space around them.
A punch like that wouldn’t just hurt. For someone as delicate as Iyefut, it would mean death.
“Hey, Mad Rogue… Mad Rogue…”
Iyefut knew she couldn’t withstand it. Like a helpless lamb, she tugged lightly at Sang’s clothes, but he showed no response.
Morton Montgomery had no reason left, no mercy at all—only the primal urge to kill.
The next second.
The fist blasted out!
The speed was so blinding that Iyefut had no chance to flee. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Its power was less like a fist and more like a pressure cannon, compressing the air into a massive cylindrical shockwave several meters wide. It obliterated everything in its path, shattering buildings along the way and kicking up thick, rolling smoke.
In the midst of the choking smoke, Iyefut—who had closed her eyes long ago—braced for the impact that would send her flying. But after what felt like an eternity… there was no pain at all. She cracked her eyes open and found her spot untouched, while everything around her lay in ruins.
Then she saw a blue-haired youth standing before her.
It was Sang.
He had caught Morton Montgomery’s attack with one hand. His expression wasn’t entirely relaxed, but it wasn’t tense either.
He muttered to himself, “【Layer of Power】… activated successfully.”
“Mad Rogue…”
As Iyefut Cape called his name, she noticed something off. A powerful, familiar wind power swirled around him.
This… this was her superpower!
“What in the world is going on?”
Sang turned back to her, his face expressionless. A glowing pale-green leaf pattern shimmered on one cheek—the mark of 【Layer of Power】. He seemed cloaked in a Wind Mantle. He glanced at Iyefut Cape, who stared at his face with wide eyes, suddenly understanding.
Sang assumed she knew about the ability.
But her next words nearly made him faceplant.
“It’s so pretty…”
Sang: “…”
After a moment, he couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. “Iyefut, you really are an idiot.”
“I’m not an idiot!”
“Hmph, enough chit-chat. Step back a bit—I’ll handle him.”
“But… didn’t you say you couldn’t beat him? And what’s with this form of yours?”
In response to her barrage of questions, Sang flashed a reassuring smile that eased her heart. He turned back to face Morton Montgomery squarely and said, “It’s okay now. This will be over soon…”
