Aubert slapped both of his cheeks, snapping himself back to focus.
"Sorry for losing my composure," he muttered, "But I'm going to kill that thing, no matter what, Even if it costs me my life, I'll see this through. Aubert said."
"Yes, we do," Souka replied firmly.
Souka, Mino backed me Aubert said.
Souka's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you're planning to face him hand-to-sword?"
"Don't worry," Aubert replied in a serious tone, tightening the grip on his sword. "I have a plan."
"Understood. Just… don't die," Souka said quietly.
Aubert nodded silently. He took a stance and raised his sword. With a sharp breath, he lunged forward with incredible speed.
At the same time, Shidaken clenched his hands, releases his ominous and heavy aura, His very presence made the air thick, the earth itself trembling ever so slightly beneath his feet, like nature responding to a predator, It was raw power, alive and chaotic, distorting the air like a furnace burning in rage.
"Invisible!" Aubert chanted.
Aubert turn invisible, shidaken eyes widened, "sigh, It's a painful ability to deal with, If I had known you possessed this kind of ability, you'd have been the first to die by my hands".
He scanned the battlefield frantically—left, right, up, down—his gaze darting like lightning. Thin slashes cut across his skin as invisible strikes landed—scratches forming on his arms, legs, and abdomen.
"He can't see me," Aubert thought, "No one's ever been able to see through this spell."
High above, Aubert leaped into the sky, raising his sword overhead, ready to cleave Shidaken in half. But just as he descended, Shidaken looked up, right at him.
Aubert's heart sank.
"Did he see me? No… no, it can't be. It must be a coincidence," he reassured himself mid-air.
But it wasn't.
Shidaken raised a hand toward the falling warrior.
"Blood Rod," he chanted.
A sphere of blood formed in his palm, and from its center, a sharp, hardened tip burst forth. leaving behind, a serpentine trail of blood twisted through the air like a snake.
With surgical speed, the blood spear shot upward, piercing Aubert clean through the abdomen.
"Agh!" Aubert spits blood, blood splashing from the wound as he crashed to the ground.
"Aubert!" Souka shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. Without hesitation, she readied her bow and loosed several arrows toward Shidaken.
But he barely moved. With eerie calm, he sliced every arrow midair using razor-thin strings of blood that whipped around him at blinding speed.
"Mino, run! I'll buy you some time!" Souka shouted.
"But--" Mino hesitated.
"Quickly!" Souka barked again.
Mino turned and fled, running as fast as she could, breathing heavily, tears spilling down her cheeks, Her heart pounded against her ribs like a drum of war, and every breath felt like it could be her last.
Then, without warning, The hardened blood wimp flashed passed souka, she immediately turn her head and what she saw horrified her.
Mino eyes widened as she felt a sharp pain through her abdoman. Looking down, she saw the blood wimp had pierced through her, blood dripping from the sharp tip of blood wimp, as the wimp exits her. She collapsed, coloring the ground in crimson red.
"You bastard," Souka growled weakly. "Unforgivable… No matter what… I'm going to kill you."
Shaking, she fired a barrage of arrows with trembling hands. But again, Shidaken danced among the blood, shredding every arrow midair with cruel elegance.
The moment, she fired her last arrow, she threw the bow aside and drew the daggers from the sheaths strapped to her hips. Leaning back, she launched herself toward Shidaken at incredible speed, unleashing a furious barrage of attacks. But Shidaken effortlessly dodged every single one.
Suddenly, a blood-like whip surged from the sphere, piercing through Souka's back and bursting out of her abdomen. Her assault halted instantly. She coughed up blood and slowly turned her gaze down to the sharp, crimson tip protruding from her stomach. Her blood dripped steadily from it, and wrinkles began to show beneath her eyes.
She struggles to stay on her feet, suddenly she fell to her one knee and put a hand on another knee to support her, The pain was unbearable, but more crushing than the pain was the realization that her strength had reached its limit.
But then, something strange stirred within him.
"Ugh… my head," he muttered, clutching his skull. Drool dripped from his mouth as his eyes turned a deep, blood-red crimson.
Souka's breath caught in her throat. For the first time, she saw him—not as an opponent, but as a monster.
"What… are you?" she whispered.
Shidaken's vision was now completely red. As he looked at her kneeling figure, instincts surged inside him vicious, primal, insatiable.
"I see… It's time for my meal," he said in a cold tone.
He walked forward and kicked her hard. Her body flew several feet before crashing into the ground, motionless, Her body twitched faintly, she had no strength left. Her limbs refused to answer her will.
"Sorry, everyone," Souka whispered through cracked lips. "I couldn't avenge you… I'm too weak. I'm sorry, Albis…" Tears slid from her eyes.
Shidaken stepped over her, straddling her stomach. He sank his fangs into her neck. Souka didn't fight back. She had no strength left. Her mind faded as she whispered her final words:
"If I had another chance… I'd want to be strong. I'm sorry, Albis… take care, Memories flashed behind her eyes of her young sister albis laughter, promises, and dreams that never fulfilled."
Shidaken stood, wiping blood from his lips, releasing a powerful purple aura that rippled across the battlefield. At his feet lay the lifeless body of Souka.
"Not bad," he muttered. "My EP has increased significantly."
[Name: Shidaken
Species: Human Vampire
Skills: Five Types of Dark Element | Blood Manipulation | Crown | Ring | Throne
Status: Vampire Lord
EP: 35,000]
"Interesting, I have to master this power as soon as possible before it consume me, he said, a curl forming on his lips"