Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-979

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the Awor continent, a sense of foreboding filled the air as a heavy downpour unleashed its fury upon the desolate forest. Deep within the shadows, concealed by the dense canopy, stood a decrepit manor, its eerie presence amplified by the relentless rain. Within the confines of one of the manor's rooms, the scene was one of desolation and destruction. Tattered tapestries adorned the damp walls, and shattered remnants of furniture lay scattered across the floor. The air was thick with the scent of must and decay, adding to the eerie ambiance that pervaded the space.

Amidst the flickering candlelight, Lady Adelia stood, her breaths ragged and labored, her body still trembling from the aftermath of the intense struggle that had taken place. Her once-elegant attire was now torn and dirt-streaked, a testament to the ferocity of the encounter. As rainwater seeped through cracks in the ceiling, casting distorted shadows on the walls, Adelia's skin glimmered with dark scales, hinting at her true naga form.

Within the shadows, another figure lurked, his presence ominous and foreboding. With each step, the figure emerged slowly, his movements purposeful and calculated. It was Ingram, a being of ancient lineage and formidable power. His eyes glowed with a haunting intensity, reflecting centuries of knowledge and darkness. His features concealed by the shroud of mystery, Ingram exuded an aura that spoke of untold secrets and a malevolence that sent shivers down Adelia's spine.

As the tension thickened, Adelia's anger surged, her voice dripping with contempt and hatred. "You cannot enter Gaya's life, Ingram," she hissed, her words laced with venomous defiance. Her unwavering determination radiated through the darkness, fueling her resolve to protect her daughter from the clutches of darkness. Without uttering a word, Ingram dashed at Adelia, continuing their battle.

In a dazzling display of power, Ingram and Adelia clashed within the confined space of the room. The atmosphere crackled with an electric intensity as their respective abilities collided, filling the air with a symphony of sparks and energy. Adelia's dark scales shimmered with an otherworldly sheen, her venomous fangs bared in a snarl of defiance. With lightning speed, she lunged forward, her serpentine form coiling and striking with deadly precision.

Ingram, his features veiled in shadows, moved with an unearthly grace, effortlessly evading Adelia's venomous onslaught. His eyes glowed with an ethereal crimson, reflecting the sinister power that coursed through his veins. As the room trembled beneath their explosive duel, furniture shattered, sending shards and splinters flying through the air. The walls groaned and cracked under the strain of their supernatural might.

Adelia's serpent-like agility was matched only by her venomous wrath. She unleashed a barrage of poison-infused strikes, each aimed with lethal accuracy. Venomous tendrils slithered through the air, leaving a trail of hissing mist in their wake. Ingram countered with swift and calculated maneuvers, his ancient vampire reflexes allowing him to dodge and parry with preternatural grace.

Their conflict intensified, reaching a crescendo of power and destruction. The room became a battlefield of chaos and ruin. The ceiling caved in, showering debris upon them, while the floor quaked under the weight of their ferocity. Arcs of dark energy clashed against swirling mists of venom, illuminating the chamber with a mesmerizing display of light and shadow.

Neither Adelia nor Ingram held back, their shared history momentarily forgotten amidst their primal clash. Ingram, his movements fluid and swift, countered Adelia's venomous strikes with a display of his own formidable power. With a sudden burst of speed, he blurred across the room, leaving a trail of darkness in his wake. His hands became a blur of motion as he unleashed a series of devastating vampiric attacks, each strike infused with dark energy.

Adelia, undeterred by Ingram's onslaught, met each attack with equal ferocity. She twisted and contorted her serpentine body, evading his deadly blows with a grace that matched his own. Her scales shimmered with an ominous glow as she retaliated, her fangs dripping with toxic venom.

Between their clashes, Adelia seized moments to taunt Ingram, her voice dripping with venomous mockery. "Is this the best you can muster, Ingram?" she sneered, her voice laced with confidence. "Or are your once-great abilities waning with age?"

Ingram's eyes blazed with fury, his pride stung by Adelia's biting words. He lunged forward, his movements fueled by a renewed determination. His vampiric attacks intensified, seeking to overwhelm Adelia with their raw power. But she remained elusive, twisting and contorting her body with uncanny agility.

Adelia laughed mockingly as she parried his strikes, her voice echoing through the chaotic room. "Come now, Ingram, show me what an ancient vampire like you is truly capable of. Or have the centuries dulled your edge?" Her words were like a poison, stoking the flames of his rage.

Their battle raged on, a deadly dance of power and skill. The air crackled with energy as their conflicting forces clashed and intermingled. Adelia, refusing to yield, fought back with a tenacity born of hatred and determination. She refused to let Ingram's attempts to diminish her spirit go unanswered.

The room trembled under the weight of their epic struggle, its walls echoing with their resounding blows. Adelia's dark scales glistened with resilience as she countered each of Ingram's attacks with precise strikes of her own. The battle reached a fever pitch, their animosity fueling their every move.

But the outcome of their fierce clash remained uncertain, as neither Adelia nor Ingram showed signs of relenting. They were locked in a deadly dance, each determined to prove their dominance. Their fight was far from over, and the room continued to bear witness to their explosive confrontation.

As the battle escalated, the room became a scene of utter devastation. Furniture lay in ruins, scattered across the floor like broken memories. The walls bore deep gouges and cracks, evidence of the raw power unleashed by Adelia and Ingram. The air crackled with an electric tension, the very atmosphere seeming to vibrate with their animosity.

In a final clash, their combined force shattered the window, sending shards of glass cascading into the night. Like avatars of chaos, they burst through the broken opening, their battle now taking them into the darkened expanse outside the manor. Rain poured down in torrents, drenching them in its icy embrace.

Ingram's fangs elongated, his vampiric nature manifesting in all its primal glory. He landed gracefully on the rain-soaked ground, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light. Adelia, her scaled form coiled and ready, faced him with unyielding determination.

A smirk tugged at the corners of Ingram's lips, his voice dripping with venom as he retorted to Adelia's earlier taunts. "Ah, Adelia, it seems your years in hiding have dulled your once-sharp senses," he mocked, his words laced with condescension. "Dependent on the Dark Lord to fight your battles, are we? How pitiful it is to see you reduced to serving such a foolish cause."

Adelia's eyes blazed with fury, her serpentine body poised to strike. She refused to be swayed by Ingram's words, her resolve unshaken. With a flick of her tail, she lunged forward, venomous fangs glistening in the rain-soaked night.

As the rain poured relentlessly, the clash between Ingram and Adelia intensified in the inky darkness. Ingram's movements were swift and calculated, a blur of ethereal grace. He darted forward, his body contorting with unnatural agility, aiming to strike at Adelia's vulnerable flank.

Adelia, her senses honed by years of survival, anticipated Ingram's assault. With lightning reflexes, she slithered to the side, narrowly evading his lethal swipe. The air crackled with energy as her scales brushed against his outstretched hand, leaving a trail of sparks in their wake.

Not one to relent, Ingram unleashed a barrage of swift strikes, his hands a blur of blinding speed. Each blow was aimed with precision, seeking to exploit any opening in Adelia's defenses. Yet, Adelia's serpentine form proved elusive, her sinuous movements fluid and evasive.

Adelia seized her opportunity and retaliated, her venomous fangs lunging towards Ingram's exposed arm. The sickening sound of flesh meeting fangs echoed through the rain-soaked night. A muffled growl escaped Ingram's lips as Adelia's venom coursed through his veins, momentarily impairing his movements.

Refusing to succumb to pain, Ingram retaliated with a ferocious counterattack. His fists, infused with supernatural strength, collided with Adelia's resilient scales, sending shockwaves through the air. The impact reverberated through Adelia's body, momentarily stunning her, but her resolve remained unyielding.

Adelia swiftly recovered, her eyes burning with an intensity matched only by the storm raging around them. She unleashed a whirlwind of strikes, each one laced with the venomous potency of a predator defending its territory. Ingram, in turn, showcased his vampiric prowess, his movements fluid and unhindered despite the venom coursing through his veins.

Blows exchanged in a macabre dance, the clash of their powers echoing through the night. Rain-slicked skin met venom-laden fangs, and the air became heavy with the scent of blood and rain-soaked earth. Each combatant fought with a fierce determination, neither willing to concede an inch of ground.

The battle continued to escalate, a symphony of raw power and primal fury. The storm raged on, its relentless downpour fueling their relentless struggle. With every strike, they pushed the boundaries of their physical limits, testing the depths of their resilience and endurance.

Amidst the relentless clash of their powers, Adelia's voice rang out, filled with anger and determination. "Stay away from Gaya's life, Ingram!" she hissed through her venomous fangs, her words laced with a warning that cut through the chaos. "If you dare to enter her world, the Dark Lord will kill you."

Ingram, his eyes gleaming with defiance, parried Adelia's attack, his voice cutting through the rain-soaked air. "The Dark Lord's power is nothing compared to the one I serve," he retorted with a hint of superiority. "I have every right to be a part of Gaya's life. I have protected her all these years while you played the charade of death and disappeared from her existence."

Adelia's scaled form coiled with renewed aggression as she launched a furious assault, her voice dripping with fury. "Protected her? You know nothing of protection," she spat, venomous mist trailing behind her words. "You abandoned us. How dare you claim any right to her life?"

Ingram sidestepped her attack with an agility borne of centuries of existence, his voice resolute. "I may have been absent, but my purpose remained steadfast. I watched over Gaya from the shadows, shielding her from threats you couldn't even fathom. I ensured her safety when you chose to disappear."

Adelia's eyes narrowed, a mix of anger and resentment flashing in her gaze. "You speak lies, Ingram. I was protecting her in my own way," she shot back, her venom-infused strikes becoming more relentless. "Your absence was a betrayal, and you have no right to claim a place in her life."

Ingram deflected her onslaught with calculated precision, his voice echoing with a chilling conviction. "Betrayal? No, Adelia. It was a sacrifice. I did what was necessary to keep her safe,"

The relentless clash between Adelia and Ingram had taken its toll on both combatants. Breathing heavily, their bodies strained and battered, they stood locked in a momentary stalemate. Adelia's scaled form began to shimmer and morph, her figure slowly reverting to her human state. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she locked eyes with Ingram, a mixture of exhaustion and fury etched across her face.

In a surge of renewed determination, Adelia launched herself at Ingram, her fist charged with raw power. Ingram, his own weariness hidden beneath a veil of unwavering resolve, met her attack head-on. Their fists collided with an explosive force, the impact reverberating through the surrounding forest. The sheer strength behind their blows sent them hurtling through the air, their bodies propelled in opposite directions.

With a resounding crash, Adelia collided with a massive tree trunk, the wood groaning under the strain. Pain shot through her body, but it only fueled her anger, pushing her to rise once more. Ingram, too, crashed into a nearby tree, the impact causing splinters to rain down around him. Despite the ache that resonated within him, he pushed through the pain, ready to continue the battle.

As Adelia coughed up blood, her voice strained but filled with conviction, she uttered her words through gritted teeth. "Gaya has found someone who can protect her, love her, and cherish her like no one else can," she declared, her voice laced with a mix of pain and determination.

Ingram, his own injuries evident as blood trickled from his lips, met her gaze with unyielding resolve. "No matter who Gaya finds, they cannot fill the roles of parents," he retorted, his words punctuated by a ragged breath. "Our absence has left an irreparable void."

Emotions ran deep within Adelia's eyes as she locked her gaze with Ingram, her voice quivering with intense sincerity. "You had a chance, Ingram. A chance to be Gaya's father, a loving husband. But you chose your lord over family," she uttered, her voice heavy with a mix of anger and sorrow.

The rain continued to pour, the steady rhythm punctuating the weight of their words and the depth of their choices. As they stood there, bruised and battered, the cliffhanger of their unresolved conflict hung in the air, leaving their fates intertwined in a web of regret, longing, and the irreparable consequences of their past decisions.