'Victory is inevitable!'
In a world where magic exists, it was only a matter of time before I was faced with a threat I couldn't overcome with brute strength alone. In that case, I'll thank the all-mighty that isn't the full scope of my abilities. I am a Kitsune! A creature of magical prowess on par with physical prowess. I knew that, but I failed to consider it when it mattered.
'No Problem! It's never too late!'
Drajkovane's magical power had been siphoned, and with the assistance of Mother Nature's mana, I redirected the course of this battle. My body tensed, but it was no match for the tightness of my focus. It is too risky for both Mikangleo and me to continue engaging with this man as we are now. He was too powerful despite his own dwindling mana reserves, but it was not his power that I inherently feared. In his palm sat a blood-red crystal which pulsed with an ever-increasing flow of miasma. It distorted the air, and even the replenishing grass my newfound emerald flames produced struggled to survive. Our opponent was sacrificing himself to defeat us, but I could tell his actions were not out of pride.
'He's driven himself mad from the miasma!'
Being naturally resistant to miasma, vampires have used it to wither and weaken their prey in Infinity Unleashed, and in this world, that did not change. However, being resistant and immune are two different cases. I am resistant to pain, and Drajkovaner is resistant to miasma, but we aren't immune to either. Pain cripples and slows me down, allowing my inherent Kitsune healing to carry the burden. In Drajkovane's case, pumping out as much miasma as he's done in his goal to rid me of this realm, he'd forced himself into a bad state.
"Snap his neck like a toothpick, and then gut Mikangleo for-"
I forced the voices in my mind to shut the fuck up. The madness has encroached into my mind, festering within my mana space. The Miasma Kroc likely enhanced would overrun my son since I had been forced into reality.
'The barrier will hold! Focus! Activate the damned spell!'
I had ordered the spell to activate, but despite calling upon it, the miasma blasting from his crystal nullified its activation. My flames flickered, but I willed them to remain strong.
"Deceit Realm! Deciet Realm!" I chanted, but the flames encroaching toward my opponent were snuffed before reaching him.
My gaze went to Mikangleo, who was struggling to stand from the immense magical density in the area. I needed another opening, but he was too weak in this situation. I needed those flames to reach him, but that crystal rejected them. I didn't have enough mana in the area, since it was being redirected into the crystal.
'It's being redirected into the crystal? Mana into Miasma? Oh my god!'
A single thought emerged in my mind.
"Sine?! Can't you hear me?!" I shouted.
"Silence!" Drajkovane roared as a gust of miasma wind blasted me back a few steps.
The grass my flames produced was torn to shreds as a hurricane of miasma formed a barrier between us. My attempt to end this fight had failed, and now a piper had appeared to collect.
"You have brought me low, Fox Man, and for that I offer you a condolence!"
Drajkovane's body began to hover, whether the winds carried him or he suddenly could so was foreign to me. What mattered was the hate-filled glare glowering down at me, and the crystal pointed in my direction. The crystal began to sparkle as if electricity had begun manifesting from it. The bruises on the vampire's face began to shift, moving down his neck as if it were transferring power. His fangs shortened, and then an unmistakable smirk appeared on his pale face. His crystal had begun to swirl the miasma and collect it into a single point.
'He isn't mad...This fucker is fighting out of pride!'
My chocolate face went pale out of shock. He was going to blast me with that focused blast of miamsa, and then it would be game over. My dreams, my ambitions, all of it will remain in the world of what-ifs. What if I fought alongside my friends? What if we helped Claire discover the truth behind her family? What if I helped Mikangleo become stronger and face down his past? What if I changed the world under Sine's powerful gaze?!
"You have a great look on your face! You're about to wet yourself like a newborn rodent! Good! Allow me to grant you the honor of-"
Drajkovane's smirk vanished.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Vampire, but pride comes before a fall!"
My smirk appeared.
"I recommend not looking down. You've already made that mistake before!"
It took a moment to realize what was happening, but I was glad Sine rejected my call. I didn't need to borrow power from her anyway. My opponent was collecting it for me this entire time, and neither of us realized it. Miasma was nothing more than a different state of mana, one that his crystal was no doubt created to filter. It was powerful because it beat me to the punch in controlling the mana around us. Its suction was more powerful than mine, but it had a flaw. A flaw my silly ass didn't realize until I focused on the mana within it.
Emerald flames erupted from the crystal to the absolute horror of my opponent. The miasmic winds sputtered into my flames before burning out their energy. His gaze bounced all around him as the power he had cultivated over this time had begun to be consumed, and ultimately, he had that fall. His boots shifted dirt when he fell, and the vampire desperately tossed the crystal aside.
"W-What is this?!" He shrieked, jumping to face me.
His eyes were bloodshot, not from the miasma, but from pure rage. If he didn't want to kill me before, the glare he gave me told me that he would.
"I call that... Fox Hunt!"
"You called out another spell beforehand, so how could you..." Drajkovane's fangs tore into his lips as realization struck him.
The devil was in the details. I had deceived him with the spell I had used on him. At least, that is how he saw it. In reality, Deciet Realm had failed to activate, as it was far too taxing to do so again. My body, no, my mind would not be able to split my consciousness in that fashion again, so I went for the next best option. I relied on Ole' Reliable!
Without how flagrant Drajkovane flaunted his ancestral skill, it reminded me that I possessed some of my own. My Astral Art was beautiful, but I had not yet mastered it. There is still much for me to learn, so I decided to look to my past for guidance. According to Fawkes, I gained Deceit Realm by using Fox Hunt within her spell, so I decided to make a wager.
What would happen if I used Fox Hunt not on a person's core, but on the crystal that produces the miasma?
Drajkovane won't like the answer. I clenched my fists, and with a wiggle of my tail, I leapt into the air.
"This is not my end!" Drajkovane roared as he prepared himself for my descent.
"Artic- No Blazin'!"
Emerald flames sputtered to life around my palms and ensnared my wrist like a glove. It latched onto the rest of my hand before spreading like an unchecked wildfire onto my forearm. My descent was swift, but I was not fast enough. Drajkovane brought his forearms up to defend himself, and my flaming fist struck his limb with a stifled impact. I gritted my teeth as my feet landed on the budding grass. With my momentum halted, I transitioned from a punch to another grab. His forearm would make for perfect kindling for my emerald flames.
However, Drajkovane saw that attempting to come a mile away was futile. He bared his sharp nail before swiping horizontally across my chest. I was sure he was aiming for my neck, but his aim was off due to this bruised arm. Blood spilled from my wound, yet I remained firm in his face. This was the fourth quarter. I had to end him within the next few minutes because...
Ba Bump!
My heart tightened, and the punch I was beginning to throw wavered. My eyes started to become heavy, and for a moment, I began seeing stars. I could hear the flames waver on my forearm. Sensing my distress, Drajkovane reached forward and attempted to pierce my chest for the final time.
"Just concede! It is pointless to resist!"
His attack was stopped cold turkey by the remaining strength I had in my uncovered left arm. Those deadly nails inched closer, my faltering strength. I matched gazes with the man and shook my head defiantly. I will never surrender my life, and I wanted to tell him that. My words were caught in my throat, producing little more than bloodied spit.
Ba Bump!
The nails pierced my skin, tearing open the horizontal gash further. My flesh burned from the aggregation, and my heart jumped to avoid his prying claws. He was insistent, but he also let himself wide open. The eyes of Drajkovane widened, and a croak of pain escaped from his mouth. He slumped briefly, but a knee to the testicles could drop any man, no matter how bloodthirsty they appear to be. The way he looked at me was as if I had done the most dishonorable act possible to him, but what did he expect? No man in their right mind would fight fair with a man who's actively trying to rip their heart out!
Mustering the remains of my sputtering flames, I grabbed onto Drajkovane's with my left hand. There was nothing special about this attack. No cool name or snappy delivery like I would have preferred, but a knuckle between the vampire's eyes had them rolling backwards.
Thud!
I was at a loss for words. After a long, grueling battle to the death, it appears I remain the top Apex predator in this domain. His body stiffened, and the flames around my forearm lost their life following the impact against the vampire's face. There was no movement from his body other than his shallow breathing. There was no last-minute jump scare followed up by a 'I was merely resting and here's my full power.' As far as I can tell, our opponent was legitimately KOed in the final round.
"Finally... We have won..."
Dizziness hijacked my focus, and before I realized it, the ground was racing to catch me. The air was still, and the budding grass tickled my nostrils. Despite my willingness to partake, oxygen decided to take a vacation at that very moment. It was peculiar...but familiar nonetheless. I really overextended myself in this fight, and now I was paying the price. Not even my tail had the strength necessary to frolick.
Ba Bump! Baa Bump! Baaa Bump!
Even without enhanced superhuman hearing, it wouldn't be difficult to hear how slow my heart was pulsing. It was working overtime, but its payment was far and few in between. I wanted to flick my ears, desperately trying to locate Mikangleo, but it was to no avail.
Knock! Knock!
Was that a knock on a door? The sound repeated, and I realized as I lay there that my mind was playing tricks on me. There was no knocking I was sure, but... it happened again. I heard it in my ears, but I didn't see anything. Why can't I see anything? Oh. Hello darkness, my old friend. It was a wait for me behind my fluttering. My body was shutting down on me, and I could no longer fight it.
"Mikangleo... find... Claire..."
Whether or not he heard my request, I did not know. What I did know was the single thought that crossed my mind before everything faded away.
'On behalf of Fox people of all species everywhere. You can suck on that, vambitch!'