Ambush (Part I)

"BOOM!"

"BOOM!"

"BOOM!"

"Commander! All of our ship had sunken!" The abrupt explosions jolted us from our trance, shattering the calm of the night. Panic gripped the soldiers as news of the ship's demise spread like wildfire.

Sharing the same space, Janis and I rushed out onto the deck, our senses assaulted by the sight of billowing smoke and chaos unfolding around us. The situation was dire, and an unsettling feeling of impending danger gnawed at my senses, urging me to confront the looming threat head-on.

"Hello there." A calculating, soft woman's voice resonated, audible to everyone.

As my gaze fixed on her, an inexplicable tension gripped my body. Janis mirrored my unease, and we found ourselves instinctively recoiling in fear. But why? Aside from the eerie atmosphere surrounding her, nothing was inherently threatening about the woman floating before us.

Her piercing red eyes, framed by long, jet-black hair, and her peculiarly adorned coat made her presence unmistakable.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Demanded the commander, emerging from the navigation room with hostility lacing his tone. She was fully aware that this woman was responsible for the attack.

"I want the hero and her toy." Gazing at us, she told the commander what she wanted. Being called a toy sounded strange. Did she spy on us? The only reason she would call me that is if she had spied on us when we were doing the deed.

"You destroyed the empire's ship, killed my allies, and are now demanding the hero. The audacity!" The commander's voice echoed with righteous anger, reflecting the outrage anyone would feel in such a situation.

As her mana flared up, its oppressive force suffocated those nearby. It demonstrated the commander's formidable power, warning the woman that she was not to be trifled with.

Yet, despite the commander's strength, the woman remained unruffled. Our earlier fear of her hinted at the true extent of her danger, leaving us all on edge in her presence.

The commander knew that the woman's powers wouldn't easily intimidate her and observed her with keen judgment. Despite her anger and the tension thickening in the air, she remained composed, her demeanor unwavering. It was evident that she was no ordinary adversary. Someone of her level must surely possess considerable power.

As the standoff continued, it became increasingly apparent that a confrontation was inevitable. However, the realization that none of us aboard the ship could intervene weighed heavier on our hearts. Though the urge to assist the commander surged within us, Janis and I knew that our involvement would likely only hinder the situation or result in mistakes.

We could only watch and brace ourselves for the impending clash between two formidable forces.

"Whether you agree or not doesn't matter. If I want something, it becomes mine." The woman's words dripped with arrogance as she dismissed the commander's defiance, her attention shifting to Janis and me with chilling indifference. With a flick of her wrist, she wove a binding spell out of blood, ensnaring us in crimson tendrils.

As the dark magic coiled around us, we realized it was blood magic, an arcane art exclusive to vampires, signifying the caster's allegiance to the demon lord army.

"Elisa the Betrayer! Free them or else!" The commander's voice thundered with fury as she recognized the identity of our attacker, her words ringing with a mixture of anger and desperation.

Caught in the unforgiving grip of the blood bind, I couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness wash over me. It was a stark reminder of our vulnerability when facing such formidable adversaries. I couldn't shake the feeling that luck had dealt us a particularly bad hand at this moment.

"Elisa the Betrayer?" Janis muttered, her voice tinged with recognition and concern. Her familiarity with the name suggested our situation was even more dire than I had initially realized.

"Who is she?" I inquired, and my curiosity was piqued despite the gravity of our predicament.

"She... she was part of the demon lord's general two generations ago. For some reason, she betrayed the demon lord and has been in hiding ever since," Janis explained, her voice hinting at nervousness.

Despite the commander's genuine demands, the vampire known as Elisa remained unperturbed, unleashing her magic upon the ship with reckless lightheartedness. We were caught in her merciless assault, and hope felt like a distant flicker in the encroaching darkness.

"I should have done this earlier..." The commander's voice cut through the chaos, devoid of hesitation, as she produced her artifact, a spear forged of radiant light.

In the shroud of darkness, the brilliance of the spear illuminated the ship, casting aside the shadows and revealing the true extent of its power. Undeterred by the vampire's onslaught, the commander focused on protecting the ship and thwarting the attacker's advance.

As the vampire persisted in her relentless assault, the commander's spear deflected the blood magic precisely. However, the collateral damage inflicted upon the ship by the deflected attacks only exacerbated the dire situation, further compromising our safety.

With unwavering resolve, the commander leaped into action, launching herself at the vampire in a valiant attempt to stem the tide of destruction and end the chaos consuming us.

As the clash between the commander and the vampire intensified, the force of their confrontation sent shockwaves rippling across the ship, shaking its very foundation. Despite the commander's valiant efforts, the vampire remained unscathed. Her formidable resilience was another part of her power.

"Janis, it has been nice knowing you," I said resignedly, a sense of inevitability weighing heavily on me as I watched the ship teeter on the brink of destruction.

"Don't say that. No matter what happens, we will make it through," Janis insisted, her determination unwavering in the face of an impending disaster. She refused to entertain the possibility of defeat, clinging to hope against all odds.

But as the relentless clash continued, the ship's structure reached its breaking point. With a large crack splitting its hull, the commander decided to end the battle swiftly, knowing that time was running out.