– Rumble…
The wilderness night is deep, long, and dark. Especially on days like this with heavy clouds. The locals around here call such days “bat clouds,” a rather dull but accurate description.
A campfire is burning. A stranger wrapped in a thick cloak warms their hands by the fire, gazing at the horizon. They think the vampires are particularly active today. But it’s not their concern.
Their mission isn’t recording or reconnaissance. Not yet.
– Rumble!!
That was until a massive light erupted in the distance. A light so vivid it caused a whiteout, illuminating the horizon. The thick black clouds and the town below left an afterimage on their retinas.
“Meli… Silduur’s dawn…?”
Before they knew it, they stood up abruptly, staring at the horizon. The three longswords on their belt clinked against each other with their movement. Their soft, silvery hair, shining like gold dust, brushed against their ears and scattered.
Pointed white ears, a sharp jawline, and piercing eyes. Their topaz-like eyes, resembling the blue ocean, wavered. They bit their lip slightly and hastily threw dirt on the campfire to extinguish it.
Wrapping the cloak around themselves, they quickly mounted their horse. The horse snorted in surprise. They patted its back and spurred it.
– Neigh!
“Let’s go, Imelda. Let’s check it out.”
Her mission, Leia Pin Guimerin, was to secure the rendezvous area, contact key figures, and provide escort. Having camped out for five days already, she wanted to return home immediately.
But if it was indeed Melisilduur’s dawn, she had a duty to investigate the incident in that area. It was the duty of all sea elves. Even for a half-elf.
*
“Gaaaaah! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! You priest!!!!”
Amelia clutched her half-melted face, gasping for breath. Hit directly by the light of the World Tree, her body and mind were slowly disintegrating. The high vampire’s regenerative ability barely kept a thread of sanity intact.
“Will you repent, vampire?”
“Eeeeek! You damn priest! I’ll kill you!!”
Fernandez slowly raised his sword at Amelia, who was drooling blood and saliva. Having completely exhausted his mental and magical energy, Fernandez didn’t even have the strength to swing his sword.
‘Damn it, as expected… The Verelide school of magic is too much.’
– I didn’t think you’d actually use it.
‘I knew the formulas and mechanisms… Ugh, I overdid it.’
Among the lost schools of ancient magic, he had obtained a secret manual from a sage he had captured and tortured in his previous life.
Fernandez had once studied the ancient magic known as the [Verelide School] as a hobby.
A magic from the era of the ancient Elf Five Kingdoms, different from dark magic… Undeniably powerful, but the side effects were horrifying for a dark mage to handle.
Back then, he couldn’t handle it, and even now, before using hellish magic, he could only roughly mimic it.
And this is the result. Fernandez staggered from overwhelming exhaustion.
But if the vampire regained even a bit more strength, he’d stand no chance. In fact, fighting a high vampire like this was already a huge gamble. It was time to end the gamble.
– Clang!
“Ugh?!”
Amelia’s sword deflected Fernandez’s. Despite clutching her face and writhing in pain, she had sensed his attack.
Keeping this vampire alive was dangerous! Fernandez began to grow anxious.
Few things are as terrifying as a vengeful vampire, except perhaps a vengeful lich or dragon. That’s how dangerous she was. He quickly checked Kirhas’s condition.
– Bang! Crash!
“Tsk!!”
Kirhas was also continuing her assault, but perhaps due to the distance or her mage abilities, she managed to evade.
Everett was easily blocking Kirhas’s attacks. Time was not on their side.
Fernandez forced his numb arm to move, aiming for Amelia’s neck. At that moment, Amelia’s remaining eye flashed.
– Crunch!
“Ugh!”
“Got you, you vermin…”
Amelia, with her hand now somewhat reformed, grabbed Fernandez’s sword.
Her flesh sizzled against the blade, turning black. The sword, made of full Saint Metal, was a countermeasure against evil beings…
“Kuuuuh… Tickles!”
– Sizzle…
As her hand crumbled, Amelia steadily reformed it, gripping the sword and pulling. Like a castle gate’s pulley, an immense force began to drag the sword.
“I won’t kill you right away, Inquisition Officer! I’ll peel your bones, drain your blood, and tear your soul apart. Just wait. You won’t die as you wish, not in any of those moments!”
Amelia’s sharp fangs now gleamed under Fernandez’s chin. All he could do was resist being pulled in.
“Your Excellency!! Your Excellency!!!”
Kirhas screamed upon seeing Fernandez’s peril. It looked like he was about to be bitten any second. Kirhas gritted her teeth and swung her sword.
– Crash!
“I’ll kill you too!”
Everett roughly swung his staff, deflecting Kirhas’s sword and gathering strength. Magic was out of the question now due to interference, but he couldn’t lose to this young catgirl.
“Now die!!”
– Whoosh.
Before Kirhas could steady her stance, Everett’s staff came down toward her head.
Kirhas’s eyes gleamed. She had been waiting for this moment. Her body seemed to collapse and disappear in an instant.
“?!”
As Everett stepped back in shock, a blade was already embedded in his heart. Kirhas swiftly moved to his side, driving the blade deeper into his heart.
