I don't want to be an elf!

"as you wish."

A fierce glint flashed in the lean man's eyes.

A burst of bright blue starlight erupted instantly, and two short swords, like venomous snakes, pierced towards Irene's neck.

His first move was aimed straight at the vital point!

Irene's smile grew wider, revealing her pair of sharp, vampire-like fangs.

Unfazed by her opponent's fierce attacks and agile movements, she wielded the Executioner's Blade, roared, and clashed with her opponent.

"A reckless woman!"

Seeing that Irene dared to engage in close combat with him, the lean man revealed a look of delight.

Without warning, the movement of his hand suddenly changed; one short knife deflected the force of the slash, while the other slashed towards her cheek.

Irene immediately leaned slightly to lower her center of gravity.

Using the attack as a feint, he punched the lean man directly in the stomach.

"what----!"

The dagger left a shallow wound on Irene's face, but the lean man was sent flying by the blow.

"If you're not tough on yourself, how can you possibly become one of the twelve on the first page?"

With a flick of her thumb, she wiped the blood from the wounds on her face, then smiled coldly and pointed the tip of her sword at the crowd once more.

"next."

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Bloodbath

Inside the confinement chamber, the bloody and savage duel continued.

Beneath the flashing red light, besides the piercing alarm, all that could be heard were the clash of swords, roars, and cries of pain.

This is no longer a duel.

It was a life-or-death struggle.

Blood stained the floor, and also stained Irene's clothes and skin, covering her numerous wounds. But she could no longer distinguish which wounds belonged to her and which belonged to her opponent.

"The thirty-fourth..."

With her canine tooth pulled from her opponent's neck, Irene tossed the unconscious challenger aside and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

Under the relentless barrage of attacks, her wounds multiplied, and she was already dizzy from blood loss.

If her body hadn't been modified by the Bloodthirsty Scythe she had used for a long time, giving her the ability to absorb the blood of others, she probably wouldn't have been able to withstand even twenty challengers.

However, even with the ability to suck blood, she was already exhausted.

In just one hour, she defeated thirty-four challengers, a feat befitting her third-place ranking among the twelve on the first page.

Although the Executioner played a significant role, this was Irene's first time using it, and her proficiency was practically zero. The actual power she displayed was less than half of what it should have been.

It's already an incredible feat that they've managed to hold on until now.

"This thing is pretty useful, but it consumes too much star power."

Exhausted, Irene planted the Aosha Gong in the ground, barely managing to steady herself.

But his fierce, trapped gaze did not weaken at all; in fact, it was even more terrifying than before.

The wounded beast licked its wounds, revealing its sharp fangs; even though it was exhausted, it was still terrifying.

At this moment, the students present finally understood why this monster, known as the "Vampire Tyrant," was feared by people.

"Give up, you can no longer fight."

Looking at the pawn that had once served him, she suddenly shone with a light brighter than ever before, and even someone like Diluc felt a little sorry for her future fate.

However, the talent he personally discovered chose to stand on the opposite side.

Clinging to a last glimmer of hope, Diluc earnestly said, "If you are willing to surrender and choose to continue working under me, I can forgive your rudeness until now and even erase half of your debts."

"I've already come this far, isn't it a bit late to say this now?"

Irene spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm and defiantly raised her middle finger: "Go eat shit, fat pig."

"Why would you risk your life for a stranger?" Diluc asked, puzzled. "It seems like this is the first time you've met, right? You don't even know if she's trustworthy."

Faced with this soul-searching question, Irene was unable to answer for a moment.

Looking back now, she truly never doubted a single word that Izayoi Miku said from beginning to end.

Whether the purpose of coming to see her was to participate in the Star Dance Festival, or to help her pay off her debts, she had no doubts and believed every word without question.

It was as if I were bewitched.

Irene covered her face and couldn't help but laugh.

Perhaps, she really is bewitched.

When she and Priscilla sat in front of the television and saw that figure shining like the sun on stage, she, living in darkness, subconsciously attributed all the beauty of the world to that figure.

Although she actually met her and found that Miku Izayoi's true nature was far worse than she appeared, her initial impression of her was still hard to change.

Irene chuckled and said, "Well, there's no special reason. I just find her pleasing to the eye, twice as pleasing as you."

"Is that all?"

"That's all."

"It seems impossible to change your mind."

Diluc sighed regretfully, "Then, now pay the price for your irresponsible choice."

Thus, the brutal war of attrition began once again.

The thirty-fifth, the thirty-sixth, the thirty-seventh...

The blood-soaked berserker wielded a greatsword of silver, defeating one daring enemy after another with his battered body.

Even though they were already at their last gasp, looking like a candle flickering in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment, they did not breathe their last and stood upright on the battlefield.

Then came the thirty-eighth, the thirty-ninth, the fortieth...

"That's it."

The forty-first challenger, one of the twelve founders of Rewolf Black Academy, ranked eleventh, grasped the powerless blade.

He swung the giant hammer in his hand and smashed it down toward Irene's forehead.

A dull thud rang out, and the exhausted Irene was no longer able to defend herself against the attack. Before she could even react, she was violently sent flying.

It was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The physical pain, muscle weakness, mental exhaustion, and the accumulated fatigue of forty people made her feel as if her body no longer existed.

Her vision was obscured by blood, and everything before her eyes became blurry. Irene lay on the ground, the halberd in her hand falling limply to the ground.

"She lost! The Vampire Tyrant lost!"

"As expected, even she could only be defeated when faced with an overwhelming number of people."

"If I had known, I should have gone in. I'm sure I could have won against the Vampire Tyrant in this state."

It wasn't until the cheers around her reached her that Irene gradually understood what had just happened.

"Did I...lose?"

With this realization, a flame of resentment slowly rose within her.

However, her physical weakness left her powerless.

"what are you doing?"

Just as she was about to close her eyes, a detached voice rang clearly in her ears: "Get up and keep fighting. Don't tell me this is all the strength you have."

"I...I've already lost."

"You haven't lost, you've just fallen. All you need to do is get back up."

"I'm so tired......"

"But the enemy is still in front of you, Irene," the indifferent voice said. "Don't you still have things you should protect? Stand up and continue fighting."

"Things that should be protected..."

Half-asleep, Irene seemed to see something and her eyes widened slightly.

Yes, she still has things she must protect.

Therefore, we must not fall here.

"For my sake, and for your sister's sake." There was a hint of expectation in the voice. "Push beyond your limits, Elena."

Those eyes, which were about to close, suddenly opened, revealing eyes completely stained red with blood.

Under the many gazes, some filled with fear and others with shock, Irene picked up the slayer's weapon beside her and slowly stood up, her body trembling.

This signals to the challengers that the duel will continue.

She hasn't lost yet.

This duel is not over yet.

Chapter Thirty: STYX HELIX

Seeing Irene, who had already fallen, stand up again, this tragic scene made many people present feel uneasy.

Diluc's slightly mocking smile froze abruptly. He thought he was about to achieve his goal, but he didn't expect her to be so tenacious.

"Even if you get up, you'll only be knocked down again."

Looking at Irene, who was on the verge of her limit but still managed to stand up, Diluc shook his head slightly: "To be honest, I don't even know if your new master wants to take you away or wants you to die here."

"It's rare that we share the same thoughts."

Irene's lips twitched a few times, as if she were laughing: "But I'm already on this sinking ship, so now I can only grit my teeth and bear it."

"How rude of you! Who are you calling a thief?" Miku Izayoi said, standing behind. "I don't like that. Take it back."