As Winston stood in front of Arthur and Skarn, his crimson blade dripping with the essence of blood, he sneered and raised the weapon high. Arthur, too weak to defend himself, braced for the final strike.
The blade came down.
But before it could pierce him, a blinding beam of flame cut through the air with the speed of lightning. The blast struck Winston's arm, searing flesh from bone in an instant. The force was so violent that his entire right arm—from shoulder to wrist—was obliterated in a flash of heat.
Winston stumbled back with a roar, the air thick with the acrid smell of burnt flesh. Smoke rose from the blackened stump, and his furious red eyes scanned the forest.
From between the broken trees, a lone figure emerged.
Eamon.
He was limping, his body torn and bleeding, clothes ripped and stained crimson. Yet his eyes… his eyes burned brighter than ever before. They were filled not with despair but with defiance, fire itself flickering within them.
Winston growled, clutching his ruined shoulder. Already, sinew began writhing beneath the charred skin, fighting to regenerate. But the burns slowed his recovery. His face twisted in rage.
"You…" Winston snarled.
Eamon didn't answer. He simply lifted his hand and conjured another volley of fire, his magic unstable but burning hot with raw willpower.
With a flick of his wrist, flaming arrows burst from his palm and shot toward Winston.
The vampire raised his remaining arm and tried to block them with his blood-forged shield. Sparks and embers showered the battlefield as arrow after arrow clashed against it. Winston barely managed to fend them off, his teeth gritting in frustration.
But as he swung to deflect the last of them—Eamon vanished.
"What—?" Winston hissed, scanning the smoke-filled battlefield.
His crimson eyes darted from tree to tree, searching for movement. His instincts screamed danger. He barely had time to register the faint flicker of flames behind him before—
Eamon struck.
His fist, wrapped in swirling fire, crashed into Winston's back. The punch was like a blazing meteor, a searing explosion of flame and force.
"Arcana Fire Fist!"
The impact hurled Winston through the air. He smashed into tree after tree, the explosions of bark and splinters echoing like cannonfire. Finally, his body slammed into the ground nearly fifty trees away, carving a trench into the earth. His back was scorched, raw flesh exposed, the smell of charred skin choking the air.
Arthur flinched at the noise, his fading consciousness dragging him back as he felt a stinging slap against his cheek.
Eamon crouched before him, panting heavily, his one good hand on Arthur's face. "Hey, princess," Eamon said, his voice hoarse but edged with that familiar sarcasm, "you're not dead, are you?"
Arthur's lips twitched in a broken smile. "Barely… hanging…"
Eamon's relief was brief. He quickly turned to Skarn, checking the wolf's shallow breaths. Skarn whimpered faintly but was alive.
"Good boy," Eamon muttered. Then he pulled a small vial of blood from his pocket ring and pressed it into Arthur's hand.
Arthur blinked in surprise. "Where… where did you get this?" His voice cracked, weak.
Eamon smirked. "Brought it with me. Kept it stored. Thought you might need it."
Arthur's throat tightened. His pride wanted him to reject it, but survival clawed louder. He lifted the vial with trembling hands. "Thanks… Eamon. Truly."
Eamon waved him off, uncomfortable. "Don't get sappy on me now."
Digging deeper into his pocket ring, Eamon pulled out two small gummies. Their scent was faintly sweet, a stark contrast to the iron stench of blood around them.
Arthur's eyes widened. "Are those…?"
"Yeah," Eamon said, popping one into his mouth. "The same energy gummies Arvin used to hand out in Verdelane forest. He said they were disgusting, but they work."
He chewed with a grimace, then shoved the other gummy gently between Skarn's teeth. "Eat, furball. We need you."
The magic-laced treats spread warmth through their bodies. Not enough to heal the wounds, but enough to give them a flicker of strength. Enough to stand again.
The three of them—broken, bloodied, yet unyielding—rose to their feet and turned their eyes toward Winston.
The vampire was dragging himself up from the scorched earth, his body steaming from burns that refused to heal quickly. His skin blistered, blackened patches still smoking. The regeneration that once marked him as unstoppable had slowed.
He tried to rise, and that's when he saw them—Eamon, Arthur, and Skarn—walking toward him. Together. Step by step, like shadows of judgment.
His lip curled. "You… how are you standing again, vampire?" Winston hissed at Arthur, his voice dripping venom. "I made sure the injuries I gave you would keep you down."
Arthur straightened, swaying slightly, his hand clutching the vial Eamon had given him. His voice, though hoarse, carried a newfound strength. "If this was a few days ago," he said, his eyes burning with quiet defiance, "I would've been dead already. But now… now I have something I didn't have before."
Winston narrowed his gaze. "And what is that?"
Arthur's lips curled into a faint smile. "Friends. Friends who lend me their hands when I fall. Friends who fight by my side. Something you will never understand."
The vampire's expression twisted in disgust. "Friendship? Weakness. Pathetic human weakness. I am not human—I am superior. I am Obsidian Seraph, a celestial being. Beyond weakness. Beyond emotion."
Eamon stepped forward, his eyes glowing like embers. "That arrogance. That pride. That's what will kill you today."
Winston sneered. "We'll see."
He thrust his hand forward and roared, "Noctis Ebon Spiral!"
The air howled as a black tornado erupted from his palm, its spiraling vortex filled with blades of blood sharper than steel. It surged forward, growing larger and larger as it devoured the ground before it.
Arthur's eyes widened. He slammed his hands together and shouted, "Arcana Pyre Wall!"
Flames erupted before them, a towering wall of fire standing in defiance against the storm of darkness. The two forces collided, fire clashing with shadow. The impact shook the forest, the sound deafening like thunder. Sparks, ash, and embers filled the air.
When the flames finally thinned, Winston was gone.
Arthur's instincts screamed. "Behind!"
Winston emerged from the shadows, a blood dagger forming in his hand. With a savage snarl, he lunged for Arthur.
Eamon reacted instantly. He grabbed Skarn and rolled across the ground, the dagger slicing into the soil where they had been moments before. Arthur threw himself to the side, barely escaping.
Winston laughed, his voice dark and mocking. "What's the matter, boys? Hiding already?"
Daggers of blood materialized around him and rained down in a volley. Each blade sliced through trees, stone, and earth alike.
Eamon cursed under his breath, ducking behind a half-burnt tree. He turned to Skarn, who panted heavily. "Stay here. Don't move unless you have to."
Then he leapt forward, fire swirling in his palms. "Arcana Flame Cannon!"
A massive cannon of fire manifested in front of him, glowing red-hot with power. With a roar, it fired, unleashing enormous fireballs that tore across the battlefield like meteors.
Winston's eyes widened, and for the first time, he was forced to dodge. He snarled as he leapt aside, the fireballs exploding behind him, shaking the ground.
Eamon smirked. "What happened, Obsidian Seraph? Are we hiding now?"
The words cut deep. To hide from a human's attack was shameful. It clawed at Winston's pride like talons. Rage twisted his face.
And then—he saw his chance.
Arthur, weakened but standing, was moving to reach Skarn.
Winston vanished in a blur of speed. Before Eamon could react, the vampire's clawed hand tore through Arthur's back.
The claws erupted from Arthur's chest, crimson blood splattering across the ground.
Arthur screamed, the sound raw and piercing.
Eamon's eyes widened in horror. "Arthur!"
Rage flooded him, hot and violent. His vision tinged red, his heartbeat thundering in his ears.
Winston smirked cruelly, pulling his blood-soaked hand free. Then he kicked Arthur savagely, sending him sprawling across the dirt.
Skarn, seeing his master fall, roared and lunged. His jaws snapped toward Winston's arm. But the vampire, faster still, backhanded him with a brutal punch. Skarn's body hit the ground hard, his head striking a stone with a sickening crack. The wolf went limp, unconscious.
"Skarn!" Eamon's voice shook with fury.
Winston turned to face him, sneering. Eamon's body trembled, every muscle burning with rage.
He charged. Winston charged back.
Their fists met in mid-air.
The collision was apocalyptic. A deafening crack split the sky, the shockwave ripping through the clearing. The ground itself trembled violently, dust exploding outward in a storm as if the very earth recoiled from the impact.