Elsewhere—
far above the burning battlefield—
Aldric streaked through the night sky.
Massive black wings spread behind him, slicing through the air as he moved.
WHOOOOOSH!!
A torrent of holy flames tore through the space he had occupied only a heartbeat earlier.
The blazing fire illuminated the clouds overhead, turning half the sky into a sea of brilliant gold.
Aldric twisted effortlessly in midair.
The attack missed him by mere meters.
Yet despite his evasive maneuver, his expression was noticeably less amused than before.
"...I really don't like the Holy Empire."
His crimson eyes drifted toward the shattered remains of the weapon still clutched in his hand.
Or rather—
what was left of it.
The blade was gone.
Completely destroyed.
Only fragments of the hilt remained.
Aldric stared at it for a moment.
Then sighed heavily.
"...And that damn brat broke my sword."
A brief pause followed.
"...I was going to sell that for money."
Another wave of holy fire erupted toward him.
Aldric immediately banked sideways.
WHOOOOOSH!!
The flames roared past.
Missing him by only a few meters.
His gaze briefly shifted toward another section of the battlefield.
Toward Draven.
Toward the chaos unfolding around him.
Toward the endless tide of bounty hunters, mercenaries, adventurers, and soldiers throwing themselves into the vampire's path.
"...Looks like he's having a little trouble."
There was no concern in his voice.
No worry.
Only simple observation.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Holy fire exploded behind him once again.
Aldric clicked his tongue.
Annoyance flashed across his face as he glanced back.
Lucan was already there.
The young holy knight surged through the sky wrapped in blazing golden-white flames.
Every step launched him forward like a cannon shell.
The air itself seemed to ignite around him.
His blue eyes remained fixed on Aldric.
Unblinking.
Unwavering.
Never looking away.
Pure hatred.
Pure determination.
Pure focus.
Aldric grinned.
"Oh?"
His wings beat once.
Sending him higher into the night sky.
"Still chasing me, Fire Boy?"
Lucan answered with action.
Holy mana erupted violently around him.
A massive arc of blazing fire carved through the heavens.
SHHHHHHHHH!!
The attack stretched hundreds of meters across the sky.
Aldric casually raised a hand.
Dozens of blood spears materialized behind him before launching forward.
The crimson constructs collided with the incoming flames.
And vanished.
Consumed instantly.
The grin on Aldric's face faded slightly.
"...Right."
A brief pause.
"That's annoying."
The holy fire continued advancing.
Without hesitation, Aldric raised a blood barrier.
Layer upon layer of crimson mana stacked together before him.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The flames crashed into the shield.
The barrier held.
For a moment.
Then it began to melt.
Not crack.
Not shatter.
Melt.
His mana was being consumed directly.
Aldric's eyes narrowed.
Then he immediately retreated.
WHOOOOOSH!!
His wings carried him away at tremendous speed.
Lucan followed without the slightest hesitation.
The chase continued across the skyline.
One a demon.
One a holy knight.
Their battle illuminated half the city.
Then—
Aldric suddenly dropped.
Diving toward a nearby industrial platform crowded with bounty hunters and mercenaries.
The group looked up.
Confused.
Then alarmed.
Because Aldric landed directly in the middle of them.
BOOOOOOM!!
The platform shook violently.
Everyone immediately jumped backward.
Weapons were drawn.
Mana surged.
Nobody wanted to be anywhere near him.
Aldric ignored them entirely.
Instead—
he reached out.
And grabbed a young woman standing nearby.
The woman froze instantly.
Her face turned deathly pale.
"W-Wait—"
Aldric sighed.
"...I don't like doing this."
His grip tightened slightly.
The woman couldn't move.
Couldn't resist.
Couldn't even look away.
Because Aldric's crimson eyes were staring directly into hers.
Bright.
Hypnotic.
Terrifying.
The crimson glow deepened.
The woman's pupils dilated.
Then her gaze became completely unfocused.
Aldric's expression remained unchanged.
"...Using something like this is beneath me."
Nearby hunters suddenly froze.
One after another.
The same crimson glow appeared within their eyes.
One.
Then another.
Then another.
Their bodies stiffened.
Their wills vanished.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Lucan arrived.
Holy flames exploded across the platform.
The steel structure groaned beneath the impact.
His sword was already raised.
His gaze locked onto Aldric.
Killing intent surged.
But before he could move—
the controlled hunters attacked.
Their eyes glowed crimson.
Weapons swung.
Spells erupted.
Bodies threw themselves directly into his path.
Lucan's expression changed instantly.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Then fury.
Because they weren't attacking willingly.
They were being controlled.
Used.
Manipulated.
Aldric slowly stepped backward.
His black wings spread once more.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Let's see."
His crimson gaze remained fixed on Lucan.
"If a holy knight will cut through the defenseless."
A pause.
Then his smile widened.
"Though I wouldn't be surprised if you do."
The controlled bounty hunters continued charging.
Lucan's jaw tightened.
His sword trembled.
Not from fear.
From restraint.
From rage.
And in that brief moment of hesitation—
Aldric moved.
WHOOOOOSH!!
His wings beat once.
The platform exploded beneath the force.
Then he shot back into the night sky.
Leaving Lucan behind.
Surrounded by innocent people being used as shields.
And for the first time since their battle had begun—
the demon was smiling again.
---
Aurelia gave Draven no room to breathe.
Golden lightning erupted around her as she pressed forward relentlessly.
SHIIIIING!!
Her blade carved through the battlefield.
Holy flames exploded outward with every strike.
Draven met her head-on.
CLANG!!
Sword collided with sword.
A devastating shockwave ripped across the shattered platform.
Around them—
the battlefield had descended into complete chaos.
Bounty hunters.
Mercenaries.
Imperial soldiers.
Holy knights.
Everyone was fighting.
Everyone was dying.
Yet despite the hundreds of combatants surrounding him—
Draven's focus never wavered.
Not even for an instant.
His attention remained fixed entirely upon Aurelia.
Far above—
Aldric arrived.
His massive black wings spread across the burning sky.
A grin stretched across his face.
Then he raised a hand.
Crimson mana surged.
Hundreds of blood constructs formed behind him.
Spears.
Blades.
Spikes.
The sky itself seemed to turn red.
"Catch."
His hand dropped.
SHHHHHHHHHHH!!
The constructs descended like a crimson meteor shower.
Aurelia's eyes flashed.
Holy mana erupted around her.
She pivoted instantly.
Her sword swept upward.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
A colossal wave of golden-white flames surged into the heavens.
The sky exploded.
Blood constructs vaporized by the dozens.
Yet there were simply too many.
Some shattered.
Others disintegrated.
But several pierced through the sea of holy fire and continued descending.
CRASH!!
CRASH!!
CRASH!!
Explosions erupted throughout the battlefield.
Soldiers screamed.
Platforms collapsed.
The entire battlefield trembled violently.
And at that exact moment—
Draven moved.
BOOM!!
He appeared directly before Aurelia.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
Aurelia's instincts screamed.
Her sword immediately reversed direction.
CLANG!!
The two weapons collided once more.
The impact detonated across the platform.
Before either could continue—
other attackers arrived.
A mercenary lunged from the side.
A guild warrior attacked from behind.
Howard charged directly through the destruction.
Earth mana erupted around his massive frame.
His axe glowed with brown-gold light.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The axe slammed downward.
A mountain of earth erupted from the platform.
Steel and stone surged toward Draven like a tidal wave.
Draven didn't even look.
His sword flashed.
SHHHHK!!
The entire attack split apart.
The towering wall separated cleanly down the middle.
Howard's eyes widened.
Then Draven was already there.
Standing directly in front of him.
A fist shot forward.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Howard barely managed to raise his axe.
The punch landed.
The impact shook the battlefield.
His arms instantly went numb.
His feet left the ground.
He skidded backward across the steel deck.
One step.
Two.
Ten.
Twenty.
The reinforced platform cracked beneath every footfall.
Howard gritted his teeth.
Every muscle in his body screamed in protest.
Even with both hands gripping his axe—
he struggled to remain standing.
His eyes widened further.
Because Draven wasn't following up.
Wasn't trying to kill him.
The vampire simply moved past him.
As though Howard wasn't important enough to finish.
As though he were nothing more than an obstacle blocking his path.
Howard turned.
Just in time to see Draven rushing toward Aurelia once more.
Rage exploded inside him.
Yet an even colder feeling followed immediately afterward.
Fear.
Because for the first time—
he realized something truly terrifying.
Draven wasn't fighting everyone.
He wasn't battling the army.
He wasn't struggling against the countless enemies surrounding him.
He was fighting Aurelia.
Everyone else was merely in the way.
Ahead—
Aurelia turned.
Golden lightning exploded around her.
Draven's crimson eyes gleamed.
The distance between them vanished.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The two collided once more.
Crimson and gold erupted across the battlefield.
The resulting shockwave tore through burning wreckage.
Nearby combatants were thrown from their feet.
Steel platforms shattered.
Flames spiraled into the night sky.
The battlefield trembled beneath their clash.
And at the center of the chaos—
the vampire and the Saint Princess met once again.
Neither willing to yield.
Neither willing to retreat.
Neither willing to fall.
Only one of them would remain standing.