Demonic Dragon: Harem System

"You three... step back," Strax ordered, his voice firm yet unhurried. He studied the sealed iron door with analytical eyes, the crimson glow in his irises betraying a mix of curiosity and determination. "Can I actually pull this off...?" The question echoed in his mind as his fingers moved slowly, calculating every move.

The door before him wasn't an ordinary barrier. It was wrapped in glowing runes pulsating with intricate magical energy. Strax knew enough about sealing magic to recognize the challenge ahead. He frowned, his lips curling into a wry smile.

"No point in forcing something without understanding the basics," he murmured to himself. His mind was already formulating a plan, something practical and suited to his unique abilities. Breaking the seal head-on would be a waste of time—and energy—without detailed knowledge of sealing magic. "But... who needs to break it when I can go around it?"

"Strax, you're overthinking this," Belatrix commented, crossing her arms as she watched his focused expression. "Why don't we just blow the damn thing up and move on?"

"Because," he replied calmly, without looking away from the door, "that explosion would probably collapse the entire entrance, making our path even harder. And frankly, I'd rather use a little finesse than brute force. Now, give me space."

Taking a step forward, Strax placed his hand on the door, feeling the cold metal and the magical resistance. "The sides. Go around through the sides." The plan began to take shape in his mind. He didn't need to go through the door—he needed to transform.

Taking a deep breath, he concentrated his power. Blood was his essence, his absolute domain, and now he would wield it in ways few could imagine. Starting from his fingertips, his body began to dissolve into a crimson liquid that pulsed with life.

Daniela took an involuntary step back, her eyes wide as she watched the process. "You never get tired of being weird, do you?" she muttered, though her voice carried a hint of fascination.

"It's not weird—it's genius," Cassandra corrected, though her own eyes stayed fixed on the unfolding scene.

Belatrix simply sighed in exasperation, though a proud smile tugged at her lips. "Always the dramatic one..."

Strax's body was now fully liquid, moving fluidly toward the edges of the sealed door. He spread like a pool of living blood, slipping through the minuscule cracks along the door's sides, bypassing the magical barriers concentrated at its center. He felt every crevice around him, every gap that allowed him to advance.

"It's working," he thought as he slipped beneath the bottom edge. "Going around is always more efficient than confronting directly."

On the other side, the blood began to gather again, slowly reforming into a humanoid shape. First the feet, then the legs, until Strax's entire body reappeared. He rolled his shoulders casually, as if he were merely stretching after a nap.

"Well, that was easy," he said with a satisfied grin, cracking his knuckles.

"You just turned into blood and slipped through a sealed door, and that's all you have to say?" Daniela shouted from the other side, a mix of disbelief and frustration in her voice.

"Pretty much," he replied nonchalantly. Glancing around, he found the lever controlling the door's mechanism and pulled it with a firm motion. The sound of grinding gears filled the corridor as the door began to open slowly.

On the other side, the three vampires were waiting, and Belatrix was the first to step through. "So much flair for something so simple," she remarked, though there was a spark of respect in her voice.

"If it's so simple, you should've done it," Strax shot back with a smug smile, earning an annoyed glare in return.

Cassandra stepped in next, glancing around. "Impressive," she admitted, crossing her arms. "But next time, maybe warn us before you turn into a pool of living blood. It's not exactly an everyday sight."

Daniela just smiled. "Still as strange as ever."

Strax chuckled softly, adjusting his stance as he wiped a lingering trail of blood from his hand. "Strange, maybe. But efficient. Now let's go—we've still got work to do."

He turned to move forward but stopped abruptly. Before him stood four hooded figures, each radiating an oppressive aura heavy with murderous intent. Their presence was unmistakable, and the corridor seemed to darken around them.

Strax raised an eyebrow, a lazy smirk curving his lips as his eyes glowed a sharp crimson. "Well, well, look who decided to crash the party." His voice carried an annoyingly calm confidence, as if he were greeting unexpected old friends.

The hooded figures didn't respond immediately, but the tension emanating from them spoke louder than any words could.

Strax's eyes scanned the hooded figures, his grin growing wider and more menacing. "Four cultivators at the King stage..." He let out a short laugh, his tone dripping with amusement and theatrical flair. "Breaking into the mansion of the Vampire King, who, unfortunately for you, has not one, but three cultivators at the Emperor stage."

Crossing his arms, he tilted his head slightly as if assessing the situation. "It almost feels planned." He chuckled again, this time darker, more predatory, like a hunter toying with cornered prey.

One of the hooded figures stepped forward, his deep voice resonating through the corridor. "Step aside, or you'll face consequences even you cannot withstand."

Strax tilted his head back, releasing a genuine laugh that echoed through the confined space. "Consequences?" he repeated, as if savoring the word. "You really think you're in a position to make threats? In the Vampire King's castle, surrounded by enemies on all sides?"

Belatrix, standing just behind him, stepped to the side with her arms crossed and a wicked smirk on her face. "They don't seem to understand what they've gotten themselves into."

Cassandra sighed, her gaze fixed on the hooded figures as if they were lost children. "They've clearly underestimated where they are. This is going to be... educational."

Daniela, on the other hand, simply smiled, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Four against one? This sounds like fun."

Strax raised a hand, signaling the three to stay back. "Hold on, ladies. They're mine." He took a step forward, his grin widening to reveal sharp fangs.

"Now, listen carefully," he continued, gesturing casually toward the hooded figures with a slight nod of his head. "I'll give you a chance to make peace with your gods because, frankly, you have no idea who you're dealing with."

The hooded figures, seemingly unfazed by Strax's words, began to radiate an even more intense energy. The air around them vibrated, as though the very fabric of the space was about to bend under the pressure.

"Oh, so you want to do this the hard way," Strax muttered, the crimson glow in his eyes intensifying. He flexed his fingers, as if tuning the strings of an invisible puppet. "Perfect. The hard way is always more fun."

In an instant, Strax burst into motion. His acceleration was so explosive that the ground beneath him cracked into a small crater. Before anyone could react, he appeared directly in front of what seemed to be the group's leader. His fist, encased in a pulsing crimson aura, surged forward in a devastating attack.

Yet, at the exact moment his strike was about to land, the hooded leader vanished, leaving only a trace of shadow in his place.

Strax halted abruptly, his fist piercing through empty space. His keen eyes tracked the leader's movement as he reappeared several meters away, standing still with the same cold, calculated demeanor, as though he had anticipated the attack.
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"A teleportation ability?" Strax murmured to himself, his gaze alight with both irritation and intrigue. He adjusted his stance, turning to face the leader with a sharp grin. "This could be useful... or annoying. Let's see which one it is."

Belatrix, watching the scene from a distance, crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly. "Teleportation, huh? That could get tricky, depending on how much he can use it."

Cassandra frowned, clearly analyzing the opponent. "It's not just teleportation. He synchronized perfectly with the attack. That requires perception beyond normal limits. He's no amateur."

Daniela smirked, her confidence unwavering. "He can run all he wants, but eventually... they all fall. And Strax will make sure of that."

Meanwhile, the leader of the hooded group remained motionless, his black energy blade still faintly pulsing in his hand. "You're fast," he said, his voice cold with a hint of mockery. "But not fast enough."

Strax let out a short laugh, brushing some dust off his shoulder. "Fast enough to make you run, it seems." He raised a hand, casually gesturing toward the leader. "But that's fine. Go ahead, keep running. It's only a matter of time before you have nowhere left to go."

The hooded man's eyes narrowed from beneath his cloak, clearly realizing that Strax wasn't just any opponent. He raised his black energy blade, which seemed to respond to his command, growing in intensity. The tension in the corridor spiked as the other three hooded figures began to move, encircling Strax with the precision of coordinated predators.

Strax observed their formation, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he cracked his neck, utterly unfazed. "Oh, so the leader doesn't want to play alone. Calls his friends for help? How cute." He scanned each of them, his tone dropping into something darker. "Cut the crap and come at me already."