Chapter 19: Despair

The Noble vampire flapped his wings and took flight. Heading straight for the duchess.

"Shelley quickly!" she screamed while stretching her hand out to her. Shelley quickly threw an MP recovery potion to her.

She drank the potion as quickly as she could before facing the oncoming vampire.

water dragon will be useless against someone with that speed. In that case...

<ice spikes>

She summoned more than 1000 ice spikes, a feat that only a powerful merfolk could achieve.

"Go!!!"

The ice spike flew straight and true towards the vampire.

"Hump...no your place," the vampire uttered before dogging the spikes with relative ease.

"I am not done yet," she replied.

The spikes the noble vampire had dogged changed directions and chased after him with even more speed.

The spikes followed the vampire as he zig-zagged across the sky.

"Enough of this childish game," The vampire uttered before turning his direction to the spikes that were following him.

<Dark Lighting>

Pitch black lighting with a hint of bluish color extended from his palm and destroyed the ice spikes.

Duchess Rania, was left pale-faced at the sight of her 1000 ice spikes being destroyed.

The noble vampire wasn't done yet, he directed his gaze at the duchess and stretched out his hand.

<Dark Lighting>

He cast the spell once more and sent it flying at the duchess.

Believing she would be unable to cancel the attack, she opted for protection magic.

<Ice Dome>

A thick large ice dome covered her and those around her. It was chilly inside, but nothing merfolk couldn't handle.

The black light struck with a heavy thud. She ice creaked at the onslaught before finally cracking.

"Duchess!" Shelley screamed as the lighting broke through

<Water fall>

The duchess tried to put up another defensive spell but the lighting passed through it too.

An explosion rocketed the balcony.

Shelley was the first to get up. She coughed as she tried to catch her breath. She looked around, trying to figure out what was happening, and then she saw at the edge of the destroyed balcony the duchess laying on the floor in agony as the noble vampire had his foot firmly pressed on her head.

"Get away from her!" she roared as she rushed with daggers in hand.

"Stay back," the duchess could only manage to mutter such words.

"Foolish" the vampire uttered before,

<Stab curse>

Stab wounds appeared on Shelley. She fell to the ground while screaming in pain.

"That is a special curse spell I developed a long time ago. Your death will be slow and painful. Your screams will be music to my ears." He uttered with a truly disgusting expression of enjoyment

<Heal>

A soft voice spoke a spell. The wounds on Shelley healed, but only to open once again.

"So you still have a fight left in you." He taunted, "I like that"

He pressed harder on her head before stomping on her back.

"This is the stuff. I like it when I do this," he screamed with joy.

"You must be the ruler of this place. If I remember correctly, you are one of the heavily beauties right? Duchess Rania Teresa Alumet Vidfamne."

"You certainly looked the part a moment ago, but now your nothing."

He stomped on her some more. She gave small cries with each stomp.

"Today is a glorious day to despair. Tell me something, have you ever felt despair before?"

She didn't reply but for some reason, the noble vampire could tell.

"You have, haven't you?"

He smiled while looking down at her.

"Was it the death of a family? No that's not it. A lover then? No? A friend?"

She twitched when he said the last word.

"A friend? How unusual. I have never encountered such a thing before. Hahahahha. This is truly a wonderful turn of events. Is it her?" he asked while staring at the scramming Shelley.

"It's not? What a shame. I was already thinking of various ways I could enjoy playing with the two of you."

He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the edge of the balcony.

"Take a look duchess as your city as it burns,"

He yanked on her hair to force her to open her eyes. She saw as the demons run amok in her city. They were throwing male magicians off the city walls, killing the male knights before eating them, burning them, or dragging their corpses through the city.

The goblins were laying claim to any female they found. They tore their magic robs or armor off and had their way with them. The women screamed as they licked their bodies and spread their legs open.

The duchess had spent her whole life trying to prevent such a thing from ever happening to her city. To see it happen anyway made her think of the one friend she betrayed.

She remembered the promise she failed to keep.

She remembered the consequences of her deed.

"There it is. This is what I have been waiting for. Pure despair. It's wonderful, truly wonderful."

The noble vampire scrammed and sang with joy. Before yanking on her hair until she stood up.

He sniffed her neck before licking it.

"You smile divine duchess. I am sure this despair will taste amazing" he uttered before baring his fangs.

"Thanks for the meal" he uttered as he reached to suck on her blood.

"You talk too much" a voice spoke, but the noble vampire didn't have any chance of finding out who had spoken.

All the noble vampire knew was that he had just been beheaded.

But how? I sensed nothing, saw nothing but yet I am dead. Me? This Noble vampire? Who was the bastard that did this to me? Who ended the great me?

Those were the last thoughts of the noble vampire as his body began to turn to ash.

Duchess Rania turned around. She saw the dying vampire as it turned to ash. Beyond that, she saw a young man casting healing magic on Shelley who was passed out on the floor.

She slowly approached the two. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were a mess, but she still acted with the dignity of a leader.

"You have my thanks." She spoke as she lifted her dress and curtsied to the young man

"There is no need for such Duchess Rania Teresa Alumet Vidfamne. After all, I am here to fulfill my kingdom's obligation to the duchy of Vidfamne."

"Obligation? Fulfill" she asked with a puzzled look

Had she been in tip-top condition perhaps she wouldn't have made such a puzzled look. With a simple process of elimination, she would have come to a logical conclusion.

"This is the first time we are meeting." The young man uttered before facing her in his golden armor and red cape.

"I am King Edwin Von William Highland."