To Lily, it seemed like an unnecessary sacrifice—a desperate gamble she wasn't ready to accept. She looked over to see Kiego still lying unconscious on the dirt and rushed to his side, her heart heavy with the weight of the his sacrifice behind her.
(WITHIN THE GREAT WALL)
The vampire paced like a caged predator, a dark amusement dancing in his eyes. "Trying to keep me from the villagers, hmm?" he mused. "I expected you to attempt something like this, given your power. But protecting the weak is a waste of breath. The weak must die so the strong can survive and fight for more."
A low, guttural chuckle rumbled in his chest until it broke into a full, jagged laugh. "HAHAHAHAHA! You think you've trapped me in here? No, boy. You should be worried about your own life instead." He leaned in, his voice a lethal whisper.
"YOU'RE TRAPPED IN HERE WITH ME."
The ground began to tremble as if the earth itself was terrified. The pressure in the air intensified, thickening until every breath felt like inhaling lead. Namizo watched as black fire erupted around the vampire, burning with a cold, terrifying intensity. This was an opponent he couldn't even fathom beating—a monster beyond his limits.
"PLAYTIME IS OVER!" the vampire roared.
He vanished. With an explosive burst of speed, he covered the distance in a mere three seconds. He reappeared directly in Namizo's personal space, his fist pulled back and wreathed in dark energy.
"MASS IMPACT!"
"FORTIFIED DOME!" Namizo screamed in response.
BAM!
A violent shockwave of air and raw pressure exploded from the point of contact. The force of the blow was cataclysmic; hairline fractures immediately began to spiderweb across Namizo's magical shield. His boots ground into the earth, carving deep furrows as he was slowly forced backward by the sheer, overwhelming weight of the vampire's assault.
BOOM!
The fortified dome didn't just break; it shattered into a thousand emerald shards. The concussive force hurled Namizo backward, his body slamming against the impenetrable Great Wall with a sickening thud. A hot, metallic tang filled his mouth, and a steady stream of blood began to drip from his nose. He had no time to recover. The vampire lunged, his fist whistling through the air. Namizo threw himself to the side, feeling the wind of the strike brush his cheek as the vampire's fist sank deep into the jade-colored stone where his head had been a second before.
"Seems to me your wall isn't that 'great' after all," the vampire mocked, his grin widening as he pulled his arm from the debris. Namizo didn't answer. He wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve, his eyes fixed on his opponent with a cold, simmering fury.
"BARRIER PUSH!" he roared.
A massive, rectangular slab of energy manifested, hurtling toward the vampire like a runaway train. The vampire didn't even flinch. With a bored expression, he simply flicked a finger. A pulse of gravitational force collided with the slab, shattering it instantly and sending the magical backlash rippling toward Namizo. Namizo's heart hammered against his ribs. His best defenses were being treated like glass. Swallowing his disappointment, he sprinted forward and leaped into the air, conjuring a temporary platform of light to kick off of. He summoned his shield, emerald light swirling around it until wicked spikes erupted from its rim. He hurled the spiked disk with everything he had, hoping to slice the monster. The vampire merely waved a hand, as if swatting a fly, and the shield was sent spiraling uselessly into the distance.
"Is that all you've got?" the vampire hissed, his aura flaring. "I will show you TRUE STRENGTH!"
He moved. To Namizo's eyes, the monster didn't just run—he simply ceased to exist, vanishing into a blur of pure, lethal speed.
"What?!" Namizo gasped, his head whipping around. "Where did he—? Shit!"
He looked up just in time to see the vampire hanging suspended in the air, two feet above him. The monster's silhouette was distorted by a localized gravity field that warped the very light around him. His right arm was the epicenter of the pressure; it looked heavy, dense, and shimmering with a terrifying concentration of force. He was bringing the weight of the world down with him.
"EARTH'S FORCE!" the vampire roared.
The punch descended with the speed of a falling star. Namizo's eyes, glowing a desperate emerald green, widened in terror. He was pinned—the gravity from the vampire's aura had locked his joints in place. He couldn't dodge. He couldn't run.
"DIAMOND KNIGHT!" Namizo screamed.
At the final millisecond, a large emerald knight appeared behind Namizo and place his diamond shield infront of infront of them. The vampire's fist met it with a loud—
BOOM!
The impact was cataclysmic. Outside the Great Wall, the sound hit Lily and Kiego like a physical blow. The earth groaned and buckled so violently that a dozen villagers were swept off their feet, tumbling into the dirt. Kiego, still dizzy from his earlier unconsciousness, stumbled and nearly fell, but Lily caught him by the shoulders, steadying him. They stood there for a heartbeat, hands lingering, their faces flushing a deep red before they hurriedly pulled away from one another.
"We need to go back," Kiego said, his voice raspy but firm. Lily had filled him in on Namizo's "Great Wall" and his solo stand against the monster while they retreated. "We have to help Namizo."
Lily looked back at the towering jade barrier, her expression torn. She had insisted they protect the villagers first, but the sheer power of that last explosion told her one thing: Namizo was running out of time.
Lily watched the villagers disappear into the tree line, but Kiego didn't move. He stood his ground, eyes fixed on the towering jade wall.
"You mean the one with the barrier magic?" Kiego asked, his voice steadying. "Namizo?"
Lily nodded solemnly. "I'll go back for him. You need to keep the villagers moving toward the next settlement. You'll be safe there."
"I... I'm going with you," Kiego countered. Silence fell between them as Lily turned, her gaze sharp enough to cut stone. His shirt was covered in blood and the bruises he had on his face and arms cemented the fact that it was a death sentence for him.
"No, you aren't!" she snapped. "What we're dealing with is an A-upper class threat. He's on a level beyond anything I've ever faced. Sending you back there is just a suicide mission. You haven't even awakened your sword yet, Kiego."
Kiego flinched at the truth, his hand tightening around his dormant hilt. "...I know. I haven't awakened it yet. But you just said he's on a different level than you. You can't kill him alone." He looked her dead in the eye, a new fire burning in his pupils. "I get the feeling I need this. I want to awaken my sword. Right now."
Lily stared at him. For a second, she thought he was a total madman—a fool looking for a grave. But beneath the reckless words, she saw a bravery that was hard to ignore. She sighed, a small, weary smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She brought two fingers to her lips and let out a sharp, piercing whistle. Seconds later, a majestic griffen swept down from the clouds, its massive wings kicking up a gale of dust as it landed. Lily vaulted into the saddle, adjusting her gear.
"GET ON!" she barked. "And you better not die on me."
Kiego scrambled up behind her, gripping the saddle for dear life. "Thanks... I won't let you down... ma'am."
Lily pulled the reins, the griffen letting out a defiant screech. "Don't call me that. It's Lily. And for the record? I'm only eighteen."