Kiss of the vampire
"The Girl with the Sharp sword"
Mission 34: attempt
The battlefield was in chaos, but here, the clash felt isolated and heavy with tension. Kliev's greatsword carved arcs through the air, its weight whistling as he deflected each monstrous strike. Emily moved in perfect harmony with him, her dual pistols flashing like thunder, each bullet imbued with holy energy that left faint trails of light. Alicia, ever the tactician, stayed just behind them, her staff glowing faintly as she layered defensive wards over the team, every shimmer of magic a barrier against Balthazar's crushing blows.
Yumi was already darting around the battlefield, her agility unmatched. She moved like a shadow, leaving afterimages as she unleashed a storm of steel from her twin daggers. The ground seemed to erupt with each step as she twisted around the hulking figure of Balthazar, her blades seeking openings in his armored frame. Andrew stayed rooted, calm amidst the chaos, chanting in a low voice as elemental power gathered around his hands—wind swirling, sparks of lightning forming. Christine, meanwhile, took to the air, her crossbow firing explosive bolts, each one detonating with precision, forcing Balthazar to shift his stance again and again.
And then there was Cymac, silent but lethal. His halberd moved like a serpent, long reach and devastating arcs keeping Balthazar from fully advancing. Each swing was calculated, every strike meant to drive the monster back. Yet, Balthazar seemed almost amused. The towering figure, muscles rippling beneath dark armor, swung his war hammer as if it weighed nothing. Each blow shook the ground, sending cracks through stone and dirt, forcing the team to adjust constantly.
Emily's pistols barked again, the shots ricocheting off Balthazar's gauntlet as he swatted them aside. "It's not working!" she shouted over the din.
"Keep the pressure up!" Alicia snapped, already tracing another arcane sigil in the air. The wards thickened, a translucent dome of energy springing up just in time to intercept a strike that would have flattened Andrew.
Balthazar chuckled, a low rumble that carried across the field. "You gnats think you can cage me?" His hammer came down, striking Alicia's shield with a sound like thunder. The shield splintered but held, light scattering across the field.
Christine dived closer, firing another volley, while Yumi used the distraction to leap onto Balthazar's arm. Her daggers sank into a joint in his armor, sparks flying. "Found a weak spot!" she called out, twisting her blades.
But Balthazar roared, spinning with brutal speed. The motion flung Yumi off like a ragdoll, and only Kliev's quick step saved her from a fatal impact, catching her mid-air. "Stay sharp!" he barked, setting her down.
Cymac advanced again, halberd sweeping in low, forcing Balthazar to pivot. "Andrew, now!"
Lightning answered. Andrew thrust both hands forward, a lance of white-hot energy crackling toward Balthazar. It struck with a blinding flash, the smell of ozone filling the air, driving the monster back a single step.
"Is that all?" Balthazar asked, his grin visible even behind his helm.
The ground trembled suddenly. A low rumble that was not from their fight but from somewhere below. Deep underground, unseen to the rest, Deyviel and Denver paused in the dark, both of them glancing at each other as the vibrations intensified.
"You feel that?" Denver muttered, adjusting his grip on his blade.
Deyviel's expression hardened, a chill passing over his features. "Yeah," he said softly, eyes narrowing. "It's him. Balthazar's here."
Above, the team braced as the behemoth shifted, his full attention now settling on them, his aura thickening like a storm about to break.
Balthazar stood in the center of the ruined plaza, his boots crunching over broken stone, crimson droplets painting the tips of his claws. Seven against one, yet his grin was wide—almost lazy, as if the whole affair bored him.
Kliev came first, twin blades flashing, his movements sharp and disciplined. Balthazar sidestepped, catching one blade between his fingers with casual ease. "Too predictable," he said, twisting, sending Kliev skidding backward.
Yumi followed, her daggers dancing like sparks. She aimed for his ribs, his throat, his heart. But each strike met empty air or the flat of his hand. Balthazar's voice was calm, mocking. "Fast, but you hesitate. Do you fear cutting too deep?" His counter was a backhand—gentle enough not to break bones, but strong enough to send her spinning.
Emily unleashed a volley of ice lances. They shattered against the invisible pressure around him, a ripple of his aura snuffing them out like candle flames. Alicia wove spells behind her, a glowing barrier spreading to shield the group.
"Good teamwork," Balthazar said, pacing like a predator, "but you're all playing defense. You won't last if you keep treating me like a mountain to climb."
Andrew charged, greatsword raised high, Christine and Cymac flanking him. Their combined assault shook the ground, steel screaming against steel. Balthazar let them push, let them believe for a heartbeat that they were gaining ground. Then he shifted his stance, strength coiling, and their momentum collapsed. A flick of his wrist sent Andrew staggering, Cymac's spear torn from his grasp, Christine's blade nearly wrenched free.
Balthazar finally sighed. "Is this all you have? Seven warriors and not one can make me bleed?" He darted forward, too fast to track, a phantom in motion. His claws traced a thin red line across Kliev's shoulder, then a shallow cut across Emily's cheek—not lethal, just enough to sting.
"You're pieces on a board," he murmured, circling them. "And I decide how long this game lasts."
The clash between Kliev's group and Balthazar unfolded like a storm in a sealed arena. The ground quaked beneath their feet as the monstrous figure of Balthazar advanced, each step sending a pulse through the earth. His presence was suffocating—towering, draped in blackened armor that seemed alive, writhing with dark crimson veins. His gauntleted hands curled as though itching to tear something apart, and his gleaming helmet reflected the flickering lights of their weapons.
Kliev stood at the forefront, his great sword—a massive, double-edged blade nearly as tall as he was—resting across his broad shoulder. Its edge was polished steel, etched with faint runes that glowed faintly when exposed to Balthazar's aura. His grip was steady, but his knuckles whitened as he adjusted his stance. Behind him, Emily tightened her grip on her twin pistols, eyes darting for openings. Alicia stood slightly back, staff raised, arcane energy swirling around her fingertips. Yumi crouched low, her daggers gleaming like predators' teeth. Andrew had his rifle at the ready, Christine's healing glyphs forming on the ground beside him, and Cymac's gauntlets hummed with restrained kinetic power.
Balthazar stopped, tilting his head slightly, as though amused. Then, without warning, he lunged.
The ground splintered as Kliev stepped forward, great sword swinging with a force that seemed to split the air. Steel met flesh—or what passed for flesh. The impact rang like a bell, a sound that echoed through the underground hall. Sparks erupted as Balthazar's clawed gauntlet met the blade, the two forces grinding against each other. Kliev gritted his teeth and pushed, muscles bulging under the strain.
"Move!" he barked, and the team scattered.
Emily's guns roared, silver-tipped rounds streaking toward the beast. They pinged harmlessly against his armor but made him stagger. Alicia seized the opening, chanting as a lance of blue fire erupted from her staff. The spell struck true, searing against Balthazar's side and forcing him a step back. Yumi blurred into motion, a shadow streaking along the wall before diving low, daggers slashing at the gaps in his armor. The blades struck something solid but not unyielding—black ichor spilled, steaming as it hit the floor.
The roar that followed shook the cavern. It was less a sound and more an assault on the senses, a raw vibration that rattled bones. Balthazar swung with a backhand, catching Yumi mid-step. She twisted, avoiding the full brunt, but the force sent her skidding across the stone.
"Christine!" Andrew called, his rifle barking. The rounds found their mark, striking weaker points along the beast's shoulders and knees. Balthazar snarled, turning toward him, only to meet Cymac's fist—a gauntleted strike that cracked like thunder. The kinetic energy exploded against the armor, finally denting it.
"Now!" Kliev's voice boomed. He spun his great sword, both hands gripping the hilt as he brought the blade down in a cleaving strike aimed at Balthazar's exposed flank.
The monster moved faster than expected. His claw shot out, catching the blade inches before impact. The steel screeched, runes flickering under the immense pressure. Kliev's boots carved grooves into the stone as he resisted, his teeth bared, sweat cutting down his face.
Balthazar chuckled. "Interesting." His voice was deep, resonant, like a drumbeat in a tomb. "You dare bring that toy against me?"
Before Kliev could respond, Balthazar twisted. The sword was wrenched aside, and the beast's other hand slammed down. Kliev blocked, angling the blade just in time. The impact sent a shockwave through his arms, but he held firm.
"Keep him busy!" Alicia's voice rang out. Magic sigils flared beneath her feet, growing brighter. Christine's glyphs joined hers, layers of protection and enhancement weaving around the group. Cymac and Yumi regrouped, flanking, while Emily's guns laid suppressing fire.
Every move was measured. Kliev became the anchor—his great sword swinging in arcs that demanded Balthazar's attention, each strike heavy enough to shake the ground. His blade rang like a church bell, every hit echoing with defiance. His team became extensions of his will, darting, shooting, healing, striking. Yet Balthazar remained unshaken, as though testing them.
"Stronger than expected," he rumbled, pushing forward, forcing Kliev back step by step. "But still… prey."
The word chilled the air.
As the battle raged, somewhere far below, Denver and Deyviel moved through the underground tunnels, the distant echoes of the fight above filtering down like thunder through stone. Deyviel paused, his hand resting on the damp wall, eyes narrowing.
"Did you feel that?" he murmured.
Denver's brow furrowed. "Yeah. Something's coming."
They both turned their gazes upward, tension threading through them. Whatever was happening above wasn't just a skirmish—it was the prelude to something far worse. Balthazar had noticed them.
Balthazar's grin widened behind his helm as he shifted his stance, as if he could sense the faint vibrations below ground, like a predator sniffing out hidden prey. But his attention snapped back to the group before him. Their formation tightened, Alicia's wards shimmering brighter, Emily's pistols crackling with runes as she reloaded faster than the eye could track. Kliev rolled his shoulders, hefting his greatsword and planting his boots firmly in the cracked stone.
"Stay sharp," Kliev said, his voice steady but edged with strain. "He's playing with us."
"I noticed," Yumi muttered, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, daggers spinning lightly in her fingers. "I hate when they smile like that."
Cymac stepped forward, halberd tip scraping the ground, sparking. "Then let's make him stop smiling."
They didn't wait. They couldn't afford to. Emily fired first, bullets singing across the plaza, each one a silver streak of light. Balthazar moved, almost lazily, letting them ping off his gauntlet and chestplate. He swayed as Alicia's glyphs burst, arcs of flame and ice colliding in a thunderclap that lit the battlefield. For a moment, he vanished behind the blaze.
"Now!" Kliev surged forward, greatsword raised high. The flames parted as the blade came down, heavy and unrelenting. The strike landed clean, biting into the darkened armor and sending sparks flying. For a heartbeat, there was resistance—a hint that maybe, just maybe, he could cleave through.
Then Balthazar caught the blade.
One hand, clawed gauntlet, fingers curled like steel traps. The impact rattled Kliev's arms, and he felt the weight of something unnatural pressing back. "Better," Balthazar said, voice a low growl. "But not enough."
He shoved. The force sent Kliev stumbling backward, boots carving long scars in the stone. Yumi darted in, crossing the distance like lightning, her daggers slashing for exposed joints. She hit something—black ichor sprayed again, and Balthazar's head snapped toward her. His arm lashed out, but Christine's glyph flared, a dome of light intercepting the blow just long enough for Yumi to roll clear.
Andrew took advantage of the moment, his rifle cracking again and again, each round a burst of elementally charged steel. The shots tore through the armor at Balthazar's side, drawing more of that thick, tar-like blood. The creature's growl deepened, not in pain, but in something dangerously close to delight.
"You bleed," Andrew said through gritted teeth.
"I allow it," Balthazar replied. Then he moved.
He became a blur—a streak of black and red cutting through their formation. Emily's guns barked, but he was already past her. Cymac intercepted, halberd swinging, but Balthazar slid under it and slammed a shoulder into him. The impact sent Cymac flying into a shattered wall, stone collapsing in a roar of dust. Christine dropped to one knee, casting, her hands glowing with restorative light toward him, but Balthazar was already on her.
Kliev's roar cut across the plaza. His greatsword whirled like a wall of steel, forcing Balthazar to pivot back. Sparks exploded as steel met claw, and the clash echoed like a drumbeat. Alicia's wards snapped outward, roots of energy crawling across the stone, trying to bind Balthazar's feet. For a second, they held—and that was enough.
"Emily, Andrew, unload!" Alicia shouted.
The world lit up. Bullets, bolts, and magic slammed into Balthazar all at once, the concussive force tearing chunks from his armor and splintering the ground beneath him. The sound was deafening, a storm of steel and fire.
But when the dust cleared, he was still standing. Smoke curled around his frame, armor cracked in several places, ichor running freely now. And yet, his posture was relaxed, head tilted, almost curious. "Ah," he said softly. "You are worth my time."
That was when the ground shook again. A deep, resonating tremor that made dust drift from the shattered ceilings and loose stones tumble across the floor. Everyone froze, even Balthazar, his head tilting slightly as though listening to some distant call.
Far below, Denver and Deyviel felt it too. They stood in a darkened corridor, the glow of their equipment casting harsh shadows on the rough walls. Denver looked up, face tight. "It's getting stronger. Like something waking up."
Deyviel's jaw clenched. His hand flexed once before resting on his weapon. "No," he said. "Not waking. Hunting." He looked in the direction of the fight above them. "He knows we're here."
And somewhere above, Balthazar's grin sharpened, like a wolf scenting prey. "Two more," he murmured to himself. Then his eyes snapped back to the seven before him. "But first… let's finish this dance."
The air tightened, his aura flaring, dark energy rippling across the ruined plaza. The fight wasn't over—it was only beginning.
The battlefield roared like a storm, steel and blood painting the night. Kliev's hands trembled, his ki spiraling out of control as he pushed past his limits. His voice thundered over the chaos, "Kneel before your king!"
For a heartbeat, the air warped. A shimmering dome of authority began to bloom around him, shaking the ground, his aura pressing down on enemies and allies alike. But then—like a mirror snapping—something cracked. The pressure folded in on itself. The sound of tearing energy ripped through the night, and the dome imploded.
A burst of raw ki detonated against Kliev's chest and limbs. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body was hurled backward, crashing through shattered stone. His scream cut short, leaving only the echo of his failure.
Balthazar stood, blood streaking his jaw, a twisted grin spreading across his face. He threw back his head and laughed, the sound carrying like a predator's victory howl. "Forcing a king's authority at that age?" he taunted, walking toward Kliev's broken frame. "Hahaha, no, no, kid. That's a bad idea. Will alone won't activate it. You need battle experience and years of training to command something like that."
The ground shook again, and the battle raged on. Steel clashed, arrows whistled, and screams cut through the air. Deyviel's blade cleaved through another attacker, Maya's movements were a blur of precision and fury, and Catherine's ice erupted like jagged thorns, freezing entire squads mid-step. The night was chaos incarnate.
Yet in the midst of it all, the focus shifted.
The battle raged around them, chaos swallowing the field. Explosions lit the horizon, screams cutting through the air. The earth was painted with the colors of war—ash, blood, and fire. Amid the carnage, Ethan and Mizuno stood locked in their own struggle. Both were shadows of their former selves, their bodies wrecked, blood dripping from cuts too deep to ignore. Their weapons shook in their hands, yet their eyes stayed sharp, refusing to yield.
And then, there was him.
Senator Aldrine.
He stood untouched amid the storm, his robes swaying gently despite the gale of destruction. A grin carved across his face, something inhuman lurking behind it. His eyes glowed a deep, hellish red, cutting through the smoke like twin embers. He tilted his head slightly, as if mocking the ruin around him.
"This," he said, his voice carrying like thunder, "is your reckoning."
To be continued