I Became the Younger Brother of the Villainess

Just as Leticia’s spear was about to make contact, a formless shockwave exploded around Scarlett.

There was no sound, no warning. Leticia only realized what had happened when her body was violently repelled by an unseen force.

“Ugh…!”

“Point”

“Imbue” – “Impact”

“Point”

“Imbue” – “Illusion”

Scarlett’s gambit had worked perfectly. Knowing Leticia’s headstrong nature, he had anticipated her relentless charge and embedded an illusion within the storm of lightning.

Still inexperienced, Scarlett couldn’t imbue two attributes into a single point. Instead, he created two separate points, each imbued with a different property. While he lacked the skill to manipulate illusions actively, he had mastered setting preconditions into the spell before activation.

“I can’t control the illusion once it’s set, but I can define its trigger conditions.”

The illusion he crafted carried one critical stipulation: Leticia would be unable to perceive Scarlett’s points and lines. This condition rendered her momentarily vulnerable, delivering the result he needed.

The strategy had already paid off. Leticia had been forced to endure the storm of lightning, damaging her sturdy blood armor. Her reckless insistence on breaking through only compounded the injuries she sustained from the shockwave.

If Scarlett had been even a moment slower, her blood armor might have regenerated, leaving her nearly unscathed.

“Looks like you got me…” Leticia muttered with a strained laugh.

She seemed to recognize the trap for what it was. Her shadow wings, torn apart by the impact, reformed as she let out a wry chuckle.

As the illusion shattered, the intricate web of lines Scarlett had placed around him became visible once again.

“You’ve added a lot more lines. You could barely handle a few the last time.”

“It’s thanks to the sparring practice,” Scarlett replied with a small smile.

“Still… you’ve got a long way to go. Back then, you were so far behind that I didn’t even take you seriously.”

Now, it’s different.

Leticia spoke calmly, her confidence unwavering as she steadied her breathing. Scarlett grew quiet as well, matching her serious tone.

Leticia couldn’t ignore the creeping unease that came with sparring against a sibling who had grown this much in just one month. Scarlett, meanwhile, felt a pang of sadness at the way his sister seemed to recall the weaker version of himself from the past.

But neither let their thoughts linger. The battle resumed.

Close combat was Leticia’s domain. Her explosive bursts of speed, sharp reflexes, and superior weapon skills allowed her to close the distance with relentless precision. She advanced methodically, her crimson spear seeking even the smallest opening in Scarlett’s defenses.

On the other hand, long-range combat was Scarlett’s forte. By now, he had become proficient in manipulating blood and shadow, blending offense and defense seamlessly. He no longer faltered when Leticia countered his moves. With careful control, he wielded shadow blades, blood ravens, and his web of lines, dividing his strategies to steadily wear her down while keeping her at bay.

“Line”

“Imbue” – “Autonomous Defense”

“Line”

“Imbue” – “Reflection”

“Line”

“Imbue” – “Piercing”

“Line”

“Imbue” – “Paralysis”

“Line”

“Imbue” – “Sensory Deprivation”

Scarlett had chosen the most efficient strategy within his limitations, imbuing each line with a single attribute.

For attacks, he relied on lines imbued with “Piercing” and “Paralysis”, taking full advantage of their versatility. His lines could move freely—fired like arrows, lashed like whips, or launched like magical projectiles from multiple angles. Even a glancing blow could have devastating effects.

For defense, he employed “Autonomous Defense”, which allowed the lines to react to incoming threats on their own, and “Reflection” to counter any strikes that broke through.

If Scarlett ever developed the ability to imbue multiple attributes into a single line, his strategic options would expand dramatically. Even now, he could recalibrate his composition mid-battle, adapting to Leticia’s moves with ease.

The battle unfolded as a complex dance of skill and tactics, a testament to their growth. Neither sibling showed any signs of backing down, their clash resonating with sheer determination.

Leticia’s response was deliberate and unyielding. As a Weapon Master, she wielded a wide array of weapons with unparalleled skill, though her adaptability couldn’t quite match Scarlett’s unpredictable ingenuity.

Her strength, however, lay in the mastery of each weapon. Where Scarlett favored versatility, she possessed depth.

A sword slices, cuts, and sometimes tears.

A spear thrusts, sweeps, parries, and pierces.

An axe crashes down with overwhelming force, while a mace pulverizes anything in its path.

Her weapon, Blood Tear, was her personal creation—a weapon forged from her own soul and blood. It shifted seamlessly to match her intent, assuming the perfect form for any situation.

Complementing this was her armor, Blood Scale, a twin to Blood Tear. Together, they elevated her already near-immortal vampire body to something bordering on invincibility.

Blades clashed. Crimson swords met black thorns.

A crimson spear was stopped by a black shield.

A black whip was shredded by a crimson axe.

This sparring match was closer to a full-fledged battle—something only vampires with near-immortal endurance could endure.

Amid the clash, Leticia’s sharp eyes flickered with realization.

He’s growing…

Even as they fought, she could see Scarlett improving. The awkwardness that had once plagued his manipulation of dark energy was gone. Now, he controlled nearly ten lines at once as if they were extensions of his own body, flowing with fluid precision.

“…Ugh.”

Her grip tightened. She couldn’t let herself lose—not yet. She knew it was selfish, an unreasonable desire, but she wanted Scarlett to rely on her just a little longer.

Even if losing wouldn’t change his attitude toward her, Leticia understood that much.

But still…

If she lost here, what would she have left? What could she claim as hers alone? What would separate her from the Scarlett of today? If even this were taken from her, how would she be any different from the girl who once stood in awe of him, admiring from afar?

She didn’t want to go back to that.

And so—

Leticia unleashed her ultimate move.

“Oh,” Scarlett muttered, his eyes widening in shock.

The Blood Scale peeled away from her body. The Blood Tear dissolved in her hands. Both began to orbit her, swirling in a crimson dance.

Shadows writhed around her, and from them emerged a massive form—a skeletal dragon’s skull, its gaping maw open as if resurrected from death itself.

Bone Dragon.

The armor and weapon that had once protected Leticia merged with the dragon’s skull, transforming it. The skeletal head became crimson, soaked in blood, radiating a menacing glow.

The sheer presence of it was overwhelming. The massive energy pulsed, filling the underground space and making it feel suffocatingly small. Scarlett tilted his head back to take it all in.

“It’s massive.”

There was something primal about it, something that stirred the heart. Perhaps it was no wonder dragons had captured the imagination of humanity for so long.

But Scarlett couldn’t let himself be awed. From the moment he proposed this sparring match, he had resolved to win.

This wasn’t just a casual duel. Scarlett hadn’t entered this fight on a whim. He needed to win—to free himself from his dependence on Leticia.

Only then could he stop clinging to her, stop being so pitiful, and muster the courage to move forward.

The truth was, the one who needed a turning point wasn’t Leticia. It was him.

This wasn’t about breaking barriers or changing her perception of him. Scarlett needed to admit the truth to himself—that he genuinely loved her.

He needed the courage to embrace who he was: Scarlett Tepes.

Scarlett clenched his fists, channeling every ounce of magical energy he possessed. Exhaustion clawed at him, but he bit his lip and forced it down.

A single black point began to form in the air before him, impossibly dense and small. It grew slowly, steadily, like an inkblot spreading across a canvas. The blackness didn’t just contrast with its surroundings—it warped them, bending space itself.

Scarlett knew his lines wouldn’t suffice here. They weren’t strong enough.

Imbuing multiple attributes? Impossible for him.

Instead, he returned to the most primal form of his power. By shedding complexity, he could create something overwhelmingly potent.

The Void property, usually a container for other attributes, stood alone this time—raw and unfiltered.

The black point expanded, distorting reality around it. It looked like a sphere, but this was an illusion created by its sheer gravitational pull. It was a phenomenon not unlike the destructive techniques favored by ancient demon kings.

The dragon opened its massive jaws.

The black sphere floated upward, slow and deliberate, like a balloon rising.

And then—

The two forces collided.