Attack on Mage Association

"Help! Help!" The shout was only cut short by the baring fang at his flesh as the man's eyes dimmed rapidly. His bright wheat-colored skin turned pale, then he began to show the rapid transformation as his eyes turned red and he attacked another pedestrian on the street.

It happened everywhere in Jerusalem.

Titus Brunestud had declared his war against the Mage Association and attacked their base with 25 Dead Apostle Ancestors and 2,000 undead armies through teleportation. They destroyed the barrier set by a combination of the Roman Empire and the Mage Association easily enough and invaded the city, turning more and more into undead at rapid speed.

His 2,000 armies instantly spread, growing into 10,000 in a span of minutes.

The dangerous rate of the rapid invasion and spread of undead alarmed Brishisan, the leader of the Mage Association, and forced him to confront Titus Brunestud directly.

He wondered why the True Ancestor was here. Shouldn't he be assembled on the Moon to defend the Millenium Castle? He knew that if this continued, they would suffer heavy casualties.

This was not something he was willing to see, so he could only solve the problem by defeating the leader of the invaders quickly and repelling them. If it didn't work, he could only delay them until reinforcements from Zelretch arrived.

He had contacted his best friend to cancel his war with Crimson Moon and retreat. He needed more manpower to contain the undead. His forces were too few, and it was unrealistic for him to repel them alone. However, until now, he hadn't heard a single response from Zelretch, which made his expression sink.

With an effortless flick, the 50 magi accompanying Brishisan were brought to their knees. Their faces, once flushed with the rosy color of life, turned pale as their blood was drained. In mere moments, their robust bodies withered into frail, skinny forms, their black hair turning white. This display of power from Titus Brunestud was overwhelming, transforming his elite magi into old men with a single gesture.

Brishisan struggled to stand, fighting the draining effect. Titus, not willing to give him a moment to react, hurled countless blood spears from behind, aiming to finish the job.

With great difficulty, Brishisan managed to set up a powerful magical barrier made of ether, drawing strength from the 50 magi who assisted him, their combined power reinforcing the shield.

"Now!" Brishisan commanded, his voice trembling but resolute.

The magi, despite their weakened state, began their counterattack. Drawing intricate runes in the air, they chanted in unison, their voices merging into a single, potent spell. Fiery symbols glowed with intense heat, surrounding Titus in a blazing inferno.

"Fehu, Kenaz, Sowilo!" The runes of fire blazed brightly as the magi chanted, invoking the ancient symbols of flame and destruction.

Brishisan, sweat dripping down his forehead, focused all his remaining strength into maintaining the barrier and directing the fiery assault. The 50 magi, despite their frail forms, poured their remaining life force into the runes, ensuring the flames burned hotter and brighter.

Titus raised an eyebrow at their futile effort and sank into the shadows. A torrent of fire erupted from the runes, converging into a concentrated beam aimed directly at the ground where he had been standing. The air around crackled with intense heat, the ground beneath scorching and melting. The runic firestorm swirled, its flames seeking to consume the area.

All magi present filled with despair at their failed attempt, their heartbeats speeding up rapidly, but it stopped at the moment a shadowy hand grasped their hearts and crushed them. Brishisan, who witnessed with his own eyes that this battle couldn't be fought and won, decided to retreat.

Unlike the others, he had the protection of an intricate defensive rune, a shimmering barrier of ancient symbols etched into his skin and glowing with a soft blue light. These runes, painstakingly inscribed over years of study, pulsed with magical energy, dispelling the shadowy hands as they reached for him.

As he teleported himself to the Mage Association Headquarters, Titus pursued him, his figure dissolving into a shadowy mirage. His speed matched Brishisan's as he materialized behind him, slamming his head into the wall. Blood poured profusely from Brishisan's wounds as Titus repeatedly smashed his head against the wall, finally tossing him to the ground.

"Oh, Mighty Brishisan, is this all you've got?" the vampire mocked, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

"Get up, loser. Fight me." Titus kicked him as he tried to stand, but the vampire continued to toy with him.

He hurled Brishisan against the walls, floated him mid-air, and let him drop from a high rise to the ground, over and over again.

When Brishisan closed his eyes in despair, it wasn't death that greeted him, but the vampire's mocking smile as Titus pressed his toes into Brishisan's head. It was clear: the vampire intended to humiliate him with a slow, torturous death.

"Cough... Cough..." Brishisan coughed violently as he stood up with great difficulty. This time the vampire didn't do anything to him, letting him talk.

"What do you want, Vampire? If you're here to stop Zelretch from attacking your father, it's too late. He isn't coming even if I call him back." He sighed depreciatingly.

"No, I don't. The Crimson Moon War never meant anything to me, magi. I heard someone said the Holy Grail is in Jerusalem. I want the Holy Grail. Get it for me or I will raze this place to the ground." Titus commanded.

"We don't have the Holy Grail! You have been deceived. I've never heard of it, not even from my teacher." Brishisan shouted in despair.

"Wrong answer." Titus yawned in boredom.

With that, a surge of shadow magic burst from Titus, and Brishisan's eyes exploded in a spray of blood. He screamed in agony as his eyeballs were popped out forcefully by the shadowy hands.

"Ah!!! We don't have it! Killing me is useless; it's not here!" Brishisan clutched his bleeding face in pain. Titus frowned in displeasure at the man's stubbornness, then kicked his head to the ground, crushing it like a watermelon underfoot.

Blood splattered everywhere, staining Titus' toes, a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things.

"Since you're useless, then die." Titus spat and vanished into the shadows.

The Mage Association Founder had fallen.

Now, the rest of the magi could only resist desperately against the vampire onslaught while most of them decided to escape.

No one and nothing could stand in Titus Brunestud's way.