Ancestral Lineage

Sync was an ability inherent to all humans and those of mixed human bloodlines—a primal resonance between soul and spirit beast. When invoked, it transcended the usual bond of master and beast, fusing them into a single entity. In this state, the master stood at the forefront, wielding full control, yet their body and essence became inseparably intertwined with their beast's nature.

The fusion was not merely physical. The master gained enhanced attributes, instincts, and abilities of their spirit beast, often manifesting in traits such as horns, claws, wings, scales, or even entire transformations of their body. At its peak, Sync created a seamless union where the line between man and beast vanished—granting power far beyond what either could achieve alone.

But, only a few talented individuals could actually comprehend the concept of Sync and in turn, use it. It was very difficult to comprehend it, so Trevor was really surprised as to how Dennise managed to achieve.

Legends whispered of rare cases where Sync could reach perfect harmony, allowing both master and beast to act as one will, one soul, one being. In such moments, they ceased to be two entities bound together—they became a single force of nature.

Thinking about it, it wasn't much surprising considering he was once the second-ranked Zodiac, Taurus.

"Master. Should I stop them?" Apole appeared behind Trevor in his humanoid form and spoke to him. His eyes glowed with a dreadful light, his white smoky hair turning black for a moment.

"No. Allow them. How about you check up on Regi and Jerry? They should be close to breaking through by now," Trevor answered with a smile, prompting Apole to nod in understanding. He understood what Trevor was on about.

With one last look at the duo whose bond was reaching a climax, he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving only Trevor there to spectate.

...

The moment Taurus surged into him through the Sync, Dennise's body convulsed violently, as though his very bones were being reforged in molten iron. His frame swelled upward, stretching and snapping against the limits of flesh until he towered at nearly eight feet in height, casting a domineering shadow that seemed to swallow Trevor whole. The air around him warped with metallic resonance, the ground beneath his feet cracking as though straining under the sheer pressure of his presence.

His once sleek, athletic build exploded into raw power—muscles bulged and rippled, veins gleaming faintly with liquid silver that pulsed like molten steel through his body. His hair elongated into a wild, spiky mane of silver, the tips burning black as if charred in a forge, each strand humming with a faint metallic ring whenever they moved.

Then came the horns. With a sickening crack, four massive black horns erupted from his skull, sweeping backward and outward like a crown of a demonic bull-god. Their obsidian surfaces shimmered with a steel-like luster, faintly reflecting the red glow of Trevor's eyes. From his forehead, raw power radiated, every inch of him exuding an aura of unstoppable, unyielding force.

His eyes morphed next. The whites bled into black, and his irises ignited into a piercing, beastlike glow of dark silver—eyes that no longer belonged to a man, but a predator forged of hunger and fury. When he blinked, sparks scattered like grinding metal.

His arms elongated and twisted, bone and sinew reforged into monstrous weapons. His fingers became razor-sharp claws of black steel, each digit honed to tear through stone and bone alike. His legs thickened, his stance shifting into something primal, predatory—feet splitting and warping into cloven hooves, which struck the ground with thunderous weight, leaving cracks spiderwebbing outward.

And then, finishing the grotesque fusion, a long, sinuous tail lashed free from his spine, ending in a sharp, arrow-shaped tip that gleamed like polished obsidian. It swayed behind him with the rhythm of a beast testing its kill stroke, the tail cutting through the air with a whistling menace.

The air itself seemed to recoil at his presence. A storm of black metallic aura mixed with Taurus's primal energy churned around him, making the battlefield feel like a crucible. Every breath he took sounded like iron grating on iron, and with every exhale came a faint mist of silvery vapor that corroded the ground where it fell.

Dennise was no longer merely human. He was no longer even recognizable.This was the man-beast hybrid of Sync.

"I see that your spirit beast left you," Dennise taunted, his voice guttural and beastlike, vibrating like grinding steel. The air around him rang with the deep resonance of metal, each breath carrying sparks as though the world itself was bending beneath his presence. Just his aura alone slashed and scarred the ground, ripping fissures into the road with every pulse.

Trevor, however, remained calm. Unflinching. A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. His pale skin was now laid bare, etched with glowing red tribal tattoos of his vampiric lineage that pulsed like rivers of molten blood beneath his flesh. His muscles, compact yet corded with power, seemed carved from marble, sculpted for precision and lethality rather than bulk. His fangs lengthened, glinting ominously in the crimson light spilling from his eyes.

"He has another job to do," Trevor said with a chuckle, unshaken by the monstrous hybrid in front of him. "I will be ending everything now."

"Aren't you being cocky?" Dennise rumbled, advancing with heavy, thunderous steps, his hooved feet cracking the asphalt like it was glass beneath him. His aura churned like a steel tempest, and yet…

"You think so?" Trevor's voice dropped, deep and dangerous, carrying a chilling resonance that seemed to crawl into Dennise's chest. "I don't know why you want to destroy the family, but I won't allow it. My little sister is there. I'll stop you here, brother."

His words came with a transformation that froze the world. Trevor's hair began to shift, its strands unraveling into smoky tendrils of shadow and blood, moving like an ethereal veil. His eyes sharpened, glowing like crimson blades cutting through fog. Behind him, the very air warped as a massive sigil of blood and smoke tore open in the void—its form chaotic and incomprehensible, yet radiating an overwhelming presence of dread, suffocation, and death.

The tattoos across Trevor's body lit up, one by one, each glowing rune feeding into the sigil. His aura rippled outward in crashing waves, spreading across all of Anbord like a red tide.

The city itself seemed to shudder.The atmosphere grew heavy.The people gasped as a suffocating force pressed upon their souls.

Bloodlust. Dread. Death.Civilians collapsed, choking on visions of their own grisly ends. Illusions bled into reality—hallucinations of being torn apart by rivers of blood, drowning in crimson seas.

And then came the vampires.Every vampire across Anbord—highborn or low, hidden or open—fell to their knees. Some screamed, others wept, but all bowed in instinctive reverence. Their god had descended. Their Blood Ancestor was no longer just present—he was declaring dominion.

But Dennise… Dennise was different. He saw it. Not an illusion. Not dread. Not hallucination. He saw the monster Trevor truly was. His enormous fused body trembled, his once impenetrable will shattering as cold, primal terror seized him.

"This… this isn't possible!" Dennise gasped, his voice breaking as his aura faltered for the first time. He staggered back, hooves cracking the ground beneath each step, his face pale despite his monstrous form. His silver eyes widened in disbelief. "We're both in the Emperor Realm… we're supposed to be equals! So why—why are you stronger than me?!"

He could feel it. Trevor wasn't just ahead of him. He was leagues beyond, a towering presence that eclipsed him entirely. His aura was heavy like chains, inescapable, undeniable. And the most terrifying part was the realization that Trevor had only recently broken through.

The gap shouldn't exist. And yet here it was.

First he was facing Trevor.

But now, he was facing King Sanguivar. The strongest man in the empire after the Emperor.

The Blood Primogenitor and Ancestor of Blood.