Chapter 17

We all stood still in a standoff for few brief moments, time to recuperate my breath, and time to reconsider whether I wanted to use the strongest ability of the God of Death, however, I didn't know if I could fully trust this group I had just met, and I wasn't sure if it was even needed.

This vampire seemed extremely inexperienced, even more so than me, she must have been turned quite recently. I let a small shiver of fear go down my spine, imagining the monster that could have created a being of such power.

Our leader and me tensed, ready for any movement from the creature of darkness, for anything, behind me I could hear the sound of a bowstring being strained, and the soft murmuring of Verica slowly chanting a spell.

I took a deep breath, and let it out, and in that moment, her barefoot barely had time to inch forward before we all blurred into movement.

My blade clashed against her claws, while blue eyes spun her around creating dozens of small lacerations upon her seemingly delicate frame. We both exchange blows between the three of us, her getting a hold of my weapon, before I used an art to tear her fingers apart.

All the while arrows rained down, inserting themselves between the small gaps of our clashes, cutting into her, and completely avoiding the both of us. Verica continued buffing us, occasionally lightning flashed for a brief instant, paralyzing our enemy of a split second at a time, each time allowing for us to dig our blades into, within a minute, a flood of blood already soaked the ground once more.

I dodged under one of her swings, while crimson fluid dripped down from my nose, having been using Flow Acceleration the entire time, I crouched on the floor, slashing upward, dragging dirt along the tip of my blade. Sparks flew across the ground, as she leaned back unnaturally, dodging the blow then caught the downward of the silver blade between her teeth.

Reversal Strike!

Instantaneously reversing my momentum, my sword sped up even further, completely breaking my limits, as I felt a level up in real time, my weapon went down, crashing into her with the fury of a meteor.

Her leg fell to the ground with a thud, having moved at last moment, as she let go of the weapon she had gripped with her teeth, as she leaped into the air. She let out a frenzied scream, spinning above us, as she glared at us with all the savagery of a demon god.

Suddenly, I felt the liquid beneath me shift.

"Move!" I heard Dalawraith shout out hurriedly, I complied without a second thought, jumping backwards with all of my strength, but I just wasn't quick enough.

Lances of blood shot forth from the ground, skewering my lower body, I could feel unimaginable pain shoot through me as I let a guttural scream of agony, then nothing, I couldn't feel anything at all, as if all sensation was severed from my lower extremities.

"Fay!" My leader shouted out in concern, but right after I could hear the continuation of the sounds of battle, as I laid on my back, trying to muster to the energy to cast a healing spell, yet I was absolutely out of mana.

Coldness spread out from across my body, numbing everything, as I felt the frosty hand of Death grip my heart.

But I refused. I couldn't die. I wouldn't die, 

Not until…

"Hey! Don't pass out, just hang on for a bit!" Oh, it was the moody wizard. I could see her bring out a glass flask that contained blue elixir, she held my head in one hand while pouring the healing liquid down my throat. A few seconds later, I could feel that my wounds were slowly recovering.

The battle hadn't slowed down whatsoever, the symphony of nail biting combat pounded in my eardrums, the sound vibrating through the ground.

I had to get into the fray. 

I slowly sat up, Verica having long since returned to the fight, then stood on my feet, picking up the sword I had dropped upon my painful fall. Though I might not be in the greatest of shapes, I have other ways I can contribute.

Pulling out the ebony lance I had stowed away, I activated the spell engraved upon the pike.

"Devestate Wound." I didn't use the Goal of All Life is Death, to pair along with it, but just this was enough.

The horrific vampire paused, an injury on the left side of her stomach glowing an ominous black, then, exploded.

It created a gap in her side, and more importantly, an opening, not having expected an attack that came from within. And, from the brief time I knew them, I knew they wouldn't let go of this opportunity.

A supersonic arrow traveled through the air, cutting through it as it shined a white light.

An enormous sphere of fiery energy shot forth from a black scepter.

And four brilliant slashes of destructive light burst out from a silver sword.

"Last Hunt!"

"Maximize Magic: Grand Fireball!"

"Fourfold Slash of Light!"

Every single one of them found their target, landing in a cacophony of ruin.

And once the smoke cleared, there wasn't much left.

She was still standing, on one leg, the only limb she had left, and missing most of her torso, and half of her head.

She was charred beyond belief, black as ash, as if she would crumble at the slightest touch, and with her closing her one remaining eye, with a small sad smile, devoid of the madness that had plagued her, she spoke.

"Thank you."

And disintegrated into dust.

Dead