As the blows from Cassiel and Falvi echo across the field of battle, the cries of dying soldiers can also be heard.
.....
The sounds of blood being splashed around as it's stepped on, the wet squelching sounds of vampires feeding on humans, and the metal clashing of humans cutting down vampires are all worked in together to drown out the sound of Cassiel and Falvi's strikes as they singlehandedly begin drawing out a hole in the mist from the shockwaves.
As kicks and punches are blocked and dodged, even more are thrown out from each of them, only allowing a couple strikes to hit when forced.
With Falvi's rage and Cassiel's lust for war, the both of them continue to push through each other's blows, even as their bodies break down and bones begin to crack.
"FOR BATHALL!" Falvi roars, finally breaking the silence of words as he crashes his hands and arms down onto the ground below the two, causing it to explode, leaving a cloud of dirt and small stones as Falvi dashes backwards.
"How stupid could I have been... even if I kill him here, wounds like these won't allow me to last against the city lord..." Falvi mutters to himself, as he then turns to look back at his army.
As his eyes gaze upon the war happening away from him, he realizes after glossing over the area that the human side is losing.
He needs to run. It's the only thought that courses through his body and mind as he darts his eyes back towards Cassiel, who is now walking towards him slowly.
"You see it now, don't you Falvi." Cassiel says, in a low and noble tone.
"The difference between us, the difference that is allowing us to win is simple. You humans fight with rage, rage and adrenaline that can only last so long. However, vampires... we fight for the taste of war. It is buried deep within us all, even the ones that decide to hide away and run."
"You were never sent here to win." Cassiel finally says, standing now only a couple feet from Falvi.
Falvi looks down at himself, and then back up towards Cassiel, finally noticing that his own injuries were far more severe than Cassiel's.
"You lie. You lie, you lie, YOU LIE!" Falvi yells out, throwing a punch at Cassiel, only to be stopped as he grabs his fist.
"Then run, boy." Cassiel says, still staring at Falvi.
"Run away, and come back to fight me when you're stronger. I want to make sure your blood is more pure when I drain it from your very body."
Cassiel lets go of Falvi's hand.
"You have mere seconds to decide. If you continue to stand in front of me I will bash your skull in now and finish you." Cassiel would say, forming a sword in his hand.
Falvi, without hesitation, turns around, turning his back on the very army that trusted him to their cores, trusted him with their lives, their families, their all.
As he walks away, beginning to pick up pace, the only thing running through his head is his feeling of sorriness.
Cassiel then turns around, shaking his head as he walks down towards the remaining humans, ready to finish the battle, ready to finally deem Ananchel safe.
.....
As Cassiel walks down towards the army from behind, the humans slowly, one by one, begin turning around, feeling the mana protruding off from Cassiel as it creeps over them, consuming them with fear.
Staring them down, standing there with his sword planted in the ground, Cassiel raises his hand into the sky having his palm face the mist that is blotting out the sun.
"Fourth tier magic, Sanguine Spears." Cassiel says, staring at the humans as they're all impaled by blood red spears that came out from beneath.
Cassiel sighs to himself, palming his face as he wonders why the vampires are so weak now compared to back then.
"Whatever, it matters not." Cassiel says, pointing his arm out towards the now dead humans as his hand begins to glow a faint red which grows brighter by every passing second.
"Third tier magic, Consume."
As the words leave his mouth and he casts his spell, the collective blood from all the humans that had just died begin to drain out of the humans as they all fly out towards Cassiel's glowing hand, stopping a foot from it as it forms into a sphere of blood, growing ever more as the blood from other humans continues to mix in.
Once all the blood has been drained and mixed into the sphere of blood, Cassiel, still keeping his arm pointed towards the ball, begins to step closer and closer, until he's completely submerged himself into the sphere.
The blood begins to spin and float into the sky, going several feet into the air as it slowly but surely shrinks, entering Cassiel's body completely until it's all gone and Cassiel floats back down to touch the ground.
"That was... disappointing..." Cassiel frowns.
Before the battle started, before Cassiel had consumed any blood, he was at only twenty percent of his old power. After consuming Bathall, he went up to twenty three percent, and after consuming almost a hundred soldiers, he only went up to twenty five percent after expelling all the impurities in their blood.
As Cassiel looks around, he gets even more disappointed, as he sees only one of the vampires he trained has survived.
It was Albus, covered in wounds.
Jogging up to Cassiel, Albus greets him as his king and compliments his ever growing power, as the two of them walk to find Daein.
.....
.....
After the battle's end, Cassiel enters the castle with Albus as the two head off in different directions, Albus to his quarters for slumber, and Cassiel to speak with Daein once more.
Upon entering the room, Cassiel is greeted by the face of two others whom he had not seen before.
"State your name, boy, why do you have to come in here without knocking?" One of the men says, still sitting.
Daein's face goes pale as he stares at the man in shock.
Cassiel, without hesitation, cuts the man's head off.
"How dare you have the gall to speak to your king that way." He says, pushing the body out of the seat as he takes it for himself.
As Cassiel sits down, the other man beside him gives his greeting, introducing himself as one of the... used to be two elders of Ananchel.
"I see, and your name?" Cassiel says.
"It isn't of importance for someone of your status, my king, however, the name is Afriel, Afriel Aliatroc." The man says in response.
"And why are you here, Afriel?" Cassiel questions.
"He's here to take over as the temporary lord of Ananchel." Daein butts in.
"I see... say what?" Cassiel looks at Daein confused, as if he misheard.
"Afriel is one of the... is the person I trust most to hold my position as the city lord, my king." Daein says, repeating himself.
"Yes, I understand that, but why? And please, just call me by my name, I'm tired of this kind of stuff coming out from your mouth." Cassiel says with a prideful, yet confused look. "We are close confidants, there is no need for such formality when addressing me." Cassiel adds on.
"He's here to take over for me, so I can take over as your adviser." Daein says with a straight face.
Cassiel stares at Daein for a second, more confused as ever, causing Daein to sigh.
"Cassiel, you're the only one that can purge the humans from this continent. Falvi isn't the strongest human on this island." Daein states.
"I see, and I understand that. After the awful display of what I've seen from the current generation of vampires, it seems everyone has grown weaker. I still don't understand why you would need to be my adviser though." Cassiel says with the same confused face as before.
"If you are out and about slaying, torturing, killing, murdering, whatever you may call it, who will be at the castle to deal with the other ordeals of being king?" Daein says as he sighs once more.
"Oh~ I see, then let us be off first thing tomorrow morning, Daein." Cassiel says, with an understanding tone.
"I'll be off to my room then, do not disturb me by any means. We will all leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow." Cassiel says, leaving Daein's room as he heads to his own to finish the day.
.....
Upon entering his room, Cassiel goes to the center as he sits down, taking up a lotus meditation pose.
Cassiel releases one last sigh before shutting his eyes to meditate till tomorrow's sun shows.