Goddamn vampire… Where the hell did this bastard come from, plaguing my life?
Ugh… my back hurts like hell.
No, this won't do. I need to find a way out of this mess, and fast. Right now, running might be the safest option. While the vampire was distracted with Rebecca, I had a chance to escape… Damn it, I can't do that. Since when did I start caring about this world and the people in it? I don't even know.
In my previous life, I didn't even care about my own family. No, I wasn't one of these wannabe edgy teens either. I just had… issues connecting with people, I guess. And now, here I am, thinking it's not such a bad idea to risk my life for a woman who doesn't even know the real me.
Snap out of it, Leo. Snap out of-
Great, I'm already using the name of this body I'm stuck in instead of my real one, even in my own head. Whatever. There's a damn high vampire I need to kill.
As I brushed the dust off my clothes, the pain in my back stabbed like a knife, but my anger drowned it out. I drove my sword into the ground for support and hauled myself to my feet. The heavy steps of the Blood Knights still shook the square, but my eyes were locked on the high vampire. That disgusting smirk of his treating everything like a game… It was breaking something inside me.
"Rebecca!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the chaos of the square. "I've got a plan. Just follow my lead!"
Rebecca, dodging the Blood Knights' attacks, glanced at me for a moment, her eyes filled with both exhaustion and determination.
"What plan, Leo?" she yelled back, gripping her staff tightly.
From what I'd gathered so far, this vampire was a mage-vampire. I'm not dumb enough to underestimate a vampire's physical strength, but based on what I'd seen, this one's greatest asset was his magic.
As I mentioned before, every species has its weaknesses and strengths. For vampires, aside from obvious vulnerabilities like sunlight or steel, the elements they can wield are also a limitation. Vampires can only use Blood and Darkness elements. Across all species, only humans and dragons can wield all elements.
For example, I tie my sword technique to the extremely rare Space element, whereas the technique I inherited from the Demon God aligns with Darkness.
To get back to the point, this vampire is limited to just two elements. Why does that matter? Well, as the saying goes, every piece of information about your enemy is a treasure, right?
The key here is that every mage has a limit to their spell-casting mana. If we can deplete this vampire's mana, we can beat him. As I ran toward Rebecca, I didn't forget to parry an attack from a Blood Knight charging at me.
"Here's the plan, Reb!" I said, gripping my sword tightly, my eyes locked on the high vampire. "His power comes from his spells, but every mage has a limit. If we burn through his mana, the Knights and he are done for. We'll force him to spam his magic until he's got nothing left. Oh, and enlighten me, as a mage, does this bastard keep burning mana to keep these Knights moving?"
Rebecca dodged a Blood Knight's sword and raised her staff to the sky. "Yes, he's using mana to keep the Knights active. But draining his mana pool? Leo, you've seen how powerful he is! We don't know how many spells he can handle!"
"I know," I said, gritting my teeth. "But we'll play on his arrogance. We'll piss him off, make him waste his power. You just keep your flames ready. I'll bait him."
I gripped my sword tightly, my eyes locked on the vampire's vile smirk. The square had turned into a hellscape of blood and ash; the Blood Knights' heavy steps shook the stone ground, and the flickering torchlight dragged shadows into a dance of death.
"Leo, be careful!" Rebecca shouted, deflecting a knight's sword with a fire "They may be slow, but their strength is unreal!"
"I know!" I replied.
I yanked my sword from the ground, feeling the cold weight of Asurdan steel in my palm. The high vampire's disgusting smirk stood out even in the chaos of the square. This guy thought he was invincible; his arrogance would be his downfall. My plan was simple but risky: enrage him and make him waste his mana. With Rebecca's magic and my sword technique, we could bring this bastard to his knees, but everything had to go perfectly.
"Rebecca, keep your magic ready!" I called, my voice cutting through the clash of steel and explosions. "Bind the Knights, but don't target the vampire. We'll distract him."
Rebecca nodded slightly, gripping her staff and stepping back. Her eyes held determination, though fatigue was creeping in. "Got it, Leo."
"Instead of destroying them, we'll force the vampire to burn his mana. Ready?" I said, scanning the vampire's movements.
A reddish-orange light rose from Rebecca's staff, the first signs of Execution Spark. "Ready," she said, her voice steady despite a slight tremble. "But Leo, if his mana doesn't run out… what then?"
"Trust me," I said, raising my sword and preparing to activate Star Slash. "Everyone's got a limit."
The high vampire stood at the far end of the square, cloaked in the shadows of his blood-red cape. His hands were raised, dark threads leaking from his fingers to control the Blood Knights. "Pathetic humans," he said, his voice silky but venomous. "You think you can defeat me so easily? I am the Lord of Eternal Night!"
"Rebecca, now!" I shouted, activating Slip Point. I slid through space and time, one moment at the edge of the square, the next right in front of the vampire. My sword, gleaming with Asurdan steel, sliced through the air, but I didn't strike directly.
I used Double Slash; a single swing of my blade created an illusory second strike. The vampire blocked it with a dark shield at the last second, but for a moment, his smirk faltered.
"How… interesting," he said, clenching his teeth. "But these little tricks won't defeat me, human!"
"Tricks?" I said, grinning. "We're just getting started." I stepped back deliberately, taunting him to stoke his anger. "Lord of Eternal Night, huh? Let's see how long you last without your precious Knights."
The vampire's eyes blazed with fury. "Insolent!" he roared, raising his hands to unleash another wave of magic. The Blood Knights began moving faster, but I knew it came at a cost: more mana.
That's when Rebecca stepped in. She unleashed Flame Chain, fiery red chains binding the Blood Knights one by one and slamming them to the ground with explosive force. As the Knights crumbled in their blood-red armor, a shadow crossed the vampire's face. His mana was starting to dwindle.
"Leo, it's working!" Rebecca shouted, though her voice carried a hint of worry. "But he's still too strong!"
"I know," I said, gripping my sword again. "My turn." I activated Intersection Edge, my sword unleashing a metaphysical wave aimed at disrupting the vampire's energy flow. It wasn't about physical damage. It was about shaking his mana reserves. The vampire felt it; his face twisted for a moment, though he quickly recovered.
"Is that all?" he mocked, but his confidence was wavering. He raised his arms, and a dark mist enveloped the square, narrowing my field of vision. But I could still make out enough to see what he was planning. He wasn't targeting me, he was going for Rebecca.
"Rebecca, Breaking Point" I shouted, leaping to her side with Slip Point. Just as the vampire's dark spear was about to hit her, time cracked. Rebecca's Time Fracture kicked in, shattering the moment and rewinding us a second. The spear vanished into thin air.
"What?!" the vampire roared in disbelief. "What kind of magic is this?!"
Rebecca, panting, said, "Leo, this is too risky! I can't keep using Breaking Point. My body can't handle it!"
"One more time," I said, gritting my teeth. "We've got him pissed off. Now let's drain his mana completely!"
The vampire, now enraged, unleashed another wave of magic. The Blood Knights rose again, but their movements were slower. His mana pool was running dry. Rebecca used Temporal Echo to sense his next move. "Leo, he's going to dodge left, then unleash a dark explosion!" she shouted.
I reacted instantly, using Slip Point to jump to his left and striking with Twin Slash again. This time, the vampire couldn't fully block; the illusory blade sliced a deep gash in his shoulder. Instead of blood, dark energy seeped out.
"Leo, now!" Rebecca said, raising her staff to prepare Execution Spark. The fire targeted the vampire with mathematical precision, but at the last moment, he conjured a dark shield. The spell pierced it, but only staggered him.
"Resilient bastard," I said, gripping my sword tightly. "But your end is near."
The square had become an arena of blood and fire. The vampire's mana was nearly depleted, but he was still dangerous. Then I saw it. A pair of long swords emerging from a dark, liquid-like circle hovering in the air... I didn't say anything.
Maybe fighting a giant vampire who could wield both magic and swords wasn't such a great idea after all.