Chapter 28

Xain didn't care how strong a vampire was or how little chance he had. Consumed by rage, he swung the tray at Lennix's head, but his attack was swiftly intercepted by the vampire. Lennix, with a chuckle, grabbed onto Xain's wrist and began to rise to his feet. "Did you genuinely believe you stood a chance?" he taunted, his amusement evident. Xain struggled to free his hand, but no matter how hard he pulled, the vampire's grip remained unwavering.

Xain pulled back his left hand and unleashed a powerful punch aimed at Lennix's jaw, a resounding thud echoed through the room upon impact. The sound was a mix of bone meeting bone and flesh being struck with considerable force. Yet, to Xain's astonishment, Lennix barely flinched. The vampire's head shifted only slightly from the force of the blow.

"Hmm, not bad," he remarked, his tone almost casual, as if he were critiquing a performance. "You're stronger than most."

"I did mention that you would die if you fought me," Lennix quipped, his tone laced with amusement. With an effortless motion, he lifted Xain by the wrist and flung him towards the door, sending it shattering into pieces as Xain crashed through it.

Strolling through the wreckage of the doorway, Lennix continued his commentary, musing aloud, "But then again, considering your missing shadow, this might not be your true self, hmm?"

Xain lay on the carpet, face down, his body wracked with pain. But he knew the fight was far from over. Gritting his teeth against the agony coursing through him, he fumbled around with his right hand, searching for something, anything he could use against the vampire. Then, his fingers brushed against it—an angular shard of wood from the shattered door.

As Lennix drew nearer, Xain's anger fueled his will. He spun around, attempting to drive the makeshift stake into the vampire's heart. Yet, Lennix's vampiric reflexes outmatched him. In a blur, a powerful kick from Lennix met Xain's chest square on. The force of the blow sent Xain hurtling backward, crashing into the wall. Pain shot through his chest as he could feel one of his ribs protesting against the brutal impact.

Amidst the agony, Lennix retrieved the piece of wood that Xain had tried to use as a weapon. He held it up, seemingly amused. "Ah, the good old stake to the heart trick. Gotta love the classics," Lennix remarked with a sardonic grin.

Lennix nonchalantly discarded the improvised stake, his amusement evident in his actions. "You know," he mused, "this is the most fun I've had in years." Xain, breathing shallowly and battered but not broken, strained to formulate a plan. He listened as Lennix continued, recounting past encounters, "Most of the others I've fought were either hunters who I had to be careful against or mortals who died with a single strike."

As Xain, struggling to stay upright, leaned against the wall for support, Lennix's voice dripped with sardonic appreciation, "But you? You're strong enough to endure a few of my blows, yet powerless to truly end me. So, I must express my gratitude for your delightful existence." Lennix's words hung in the air as Xain, despite his battered state, finally managed to rise to his feet.

"You think I care?" Xain declared as he got into his fighting stance, struggling to catch his breath.

Lennix maintained his smirk, seemingly unperturbed by Xain's defiance. "No, I don't expect you to," he responded, mocking Xain by mimicking his fighting stance.

Xain, summoning every ounce of strength he had left, surged forward, his right fist poised for an attack. As he closed in on Lennix, he skillfully disguised his true intent, leading with what appeared to be a powerful kick. Lennix, however, keenly anticipated this move, positioning himself to deflect the expected strike.

But Xain's true plan was unfolding differently. In a remarkable display of agility, he employed his deceptive kick to send a shower of wooden splinters hurtling towards Lennix. The vampire, caught off guard, swiftly raised his arms to shield himself from the onslaught of debris.

This diversion was a crucial component of Xain's strategy. In a seamless motion, he seized another shard of sharpened wood and executed a daring thrust aimed at Lennix's heart. The vampire's lightning-fast reflexes allowed him to narrowly evade the potentially lethal strike. Responding swiftly, Lennix swung his left fist at Xain, yet it sailed through empty air as Xain, executing another clever feint, swiftly dropped to the ground, where he plunged the stake into Lennix's right foot.

Lennix's reaction was a sharp hiss of pain, his face contorted with irritation. He had been stabbed in the foot by Xain's improvised weapon.

Lennix extended his hands, and black claws emerged from his fingertips, slashing toward Xain. Xain narrowly evaded the deadly attack, his instincts kicking in just in time. However, before Xain could regain his footing, Lennix's boot struck his chest, sending him hurtling down the hallway.

"Clever move, quite clever," Lennix chuckled as he removed the stake from his foot. He strolled casually toward the fallen Xain, who was trying to shake off the pain. "You know, I initially thought I'd dispatch you swiftly, but now I'm inclined to make it a bit more... artistic. Oh, what's this?" Lennix paused as he felt something hard and metallic under his foot. He bent down and retrieved an exquisite pocket watch. "Hmm, this wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?" Lennix inquired with a wicked grin.

Xain's eyes locked onto the chronoscope in Lennix's hand. It must have fallen out of his pocket after the second kick.

"Don't you dare do anything to it," Xain warned, his voice filled with anger.

Lennix's smug grin widened as he taunted, "Oh really? And what if I just gave it a little squeeze?" He started applying pressure to the fragile device, and upon hearing a little crack of glass, something inside Xain snapped.

Without warning, Xain charged at Lennix with an unnatural swiftness, moving faster than any normal human should, his fist a blur. Lennix's attempt to block was futile as Xain's punch connected squarely with his face. The vampire was sent hurtling down the hallway, crashing into the end wall with a resounding impact. The chronoscope clattered to the ground, safe from harm.

Xain swiftly picked up the chronoscope, carefully placing it inside his thieves' garb pocket. He then trudged over to the vampire, who had crashed through the wall and into what appeared to be a bathroom. Lennix was sprawled on the ground, clearly in pain.

"Damn, what was that?" Lennix groaned, struggling to sit up. His slicked-back hair was a mess. As the dust from the broken wall settled, he saw Xain standing over him, a raised fist and the same look of profound and unadulterated Hatred in his eyes.

This time however, there was no smug smile on Lennix's face. All he could muster was a feeble, "Oh bugger," as Xain's fist descended toward his face.