A faint noise caught my attention, a soft, shuffling movement.
"How dare you do this to me!" a male voice snarled.
I glanced around and froze. The vampire's head was talking, its eyes burning with anger.
"You're still alive?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"You just wait. I'll regenerate my body again," he hissed, his jaw twitching as he spoke from the ground.
Blood and scattered limbs began to stir, wriggling and slithering toward each other as if drawn together.
"I guess piercing their hearts is the only way to kill them," Luna said.
I spotted a lifeless heart lying on the concrete. That had to be his.
"Chrono Shar—"
I started preparing to cast a shard to pierce it.
Suddenly, Luna's voice cut through.
"Ezekiel!" she shouted, grabbing my arm and bracing herself.
A red mist surged toward us, thick and swirling. We leapt high backward, landing heavily.
Through the mist, a figure emerged. It was the lady vampire. Her long hair flew around her as she advanced gracefully.
"You're so weak, you know," she taunted, crouching near the head on the ground. "How could you let them pulverize you?"
The head's jaw twitched as it replied. "I didn't know his skill would explode like that, and our speed and healing are weakened in the sun."
"Just hurry and regenerate your body to help Adam," she said, finally turning her gaze to us.
She moved closer, eyes fixed on ours.
"Tch… if only those imps had done their job, we wouldn't be here chasing that useless witness," the vampire grumbled, her eyes narrowing.
"You should have attacked last night instead of waiting until today," Luna replied.
"We can't just storm into every building, our actions would be spotted because of your security devices," she continued, crossing her arms. "Enough talk. Shall we get this over with?"
Before I could respond, she pressed a sharp ring against her finger and cut it, letting a drop of blood slide down.
The blood flowed beside her, hovering in the air before twisting into a thick, red mist.
With a sudden surge, she lunged at us, her lips curling into a playful smile, fangs glinting.
"Scarlet Dance!"
She leapt high, landing gracefully between me and Luna, her movements fluid and precise.
"Destiny Reckoning!"
I pressed my hands together, and a medium-sized golden vortex formed, spinning with force. Countless timelines rotated within it, revealing fragments of events in my hands.
I aimed the vortex at her, ready to strike.
But she moved with elegance, her body twisting in graceful motion. The bloody mist trailed her, swirling toward me as she spun effortlessly through it.
In an instant, she appeared in front of me, her body still twisting effortlessly. Guided by the mist, she floated past me to the other side, gliding through the air and flowing like she were underwater.
I turned around, but before I could react and release my skill, she spun again, rotating midair and hovering above me in an instant, her red mist trailing. Fine, crimson, razor-like blades took shape in the mist. Moving carelessly would only get me hit.
I launched my skill at her, but she thrust out her hand, swirling it through my vortex. She took control of it, spinning it behind her, then the vortex shot back at me in an instant.
"Aghh!" I yelled as the vortex slammed into me and blasted me away.
I hit the concrete hard. I groaned as pain spread through my body. Gritting my teeth, I pushed against the ground, trying to steady myself.
Before I could fully rise, the sharp blades she had trailed earlier came rushing at me, along with a wave of bloody mist that struck my body and dragged me backward across the ground.
The red blades scraped against me, tearing at my clothes with sharp edges that stung against my skin.
As the mist stopped, I clenched my fist and slammed it into the concrete, forcing my body to stand.
Breathing heavily, I pushed myself up, a few drops of blood falling to the ground.
I looked up and saw her floating above, surrounded by her mist, watching me with a mocking smile.
[Chrono Heal has been triggered!]
A soft golden light spread across my body, and the smaller wounds began to close, warmth easing the pain.
"Chromatic Oblivion!"
Luna raised her hand, and waves of radiant light burst out in shifting colors, spreading like a rainbow as they struck the vampire, each color hitting her one after another in rapid succession.
The vampire drifted backward in the air, her body pushed by the impact, yet she showed no sign of harm.
"The heck was that?" she scoffed, brushing a strand of hair aside. "You can't even use holy light." A laugh slipped from her lips, sharp and mocking.
After a few seconds, her laughter faded. Her eyebrows slowly furrowed as she glanced around, scanning her surroundings. She lifted her hand and stared at it, turning it slightly, her expression becoming confused.
I watched her carefully, then tightened my grip. This was my chance.
"Hourglass Cascade!"
Three golden hourglasses formed around me, glowing with enchanted light. With a flick of my hand, they shot forward straight at her.
She turned toward my direction, still confused, her eyes went unfocused.
The hourglasses struck her.
"Aghh!" she cried out as the impact hit, the hourglasses bursting into explosions that sent her crashing down.
She fell from the air, her body dropping hard below.
I frowned, watching closely. She could have blocked them with her mist.
But for some reason, she never reacted.
Luna walked toward me, her eyes scanning the battlefield. Her gaze suddenly focused on something.
"Corrosive Bloodburst!"
A voice rang out from nowhere. I followed her gaze and froze. The other vampire, the one we had fought earlier, was now fully regenerated, his body whole once more.
He unleashed a violent wave of thick, acidic blood, splashing outward in a corrosive arc heading straight for us. The mass of blood twisted and surged as it hissed against the ground, burning everything it touched.
Luna's eyes widened for a moment before she twirled her wand.
"Amethyst Ward!"
A translucent violet crystal erupted around us, encasing us in a protective barrier. The crystal shimmered as it absorbed the corrosive blood, shielding us from the deadly splash.
[Amethyst Ward Activated!] – A violet crystal shields you and manifests jagged shards upon nearby enemies.
Tiny cracks appeared on the surface where the acid struck, but the barrier held firm.
A few moments later, it was gone, hissing as it struck the concrete.
The violet crystal remained, faintly glowing, shimmering and hissing slightly as acid splashed against it.
The lady vampire straightened and walked toward her companion.
They spoke briefly, exchanging a few words, but then her gaze shifted toward us.
A slow, playful smile spread across her lips, and she scratched her wrist.
Luna and I exchanged confused glances, unsure of what she intended.
She began reciting an incantation, her voice steady and commanding.
"Ruby Eclipse!"
Blood welled from the scratch on her wrist, streaming outward and forming a vast, crimson mist above us. The mist thickened and spread rapidly, curling across the battlefield.
We tilted our heads, staring in disbelief as the blood mist swirled and rose, staining the sky a deep red and crimson.
Both vampires smirked at us. The other vampire lunged forward, moving with terrifying speed toward where Margaret and Victor stood, leaving the vampire lady behind.