The vampire leader smirked, vanishing in air. In the next instant, he reappeared midair before Nivaan, claws stretching and glowing with venomous crimson light.
"Quite an interesting one, aren't you?" the vampire sneered, lunging forward.
"The doormat says what?" Arthur (Nivaan) said flatly, hands still tucked in his pockets.
"What-?"
Before the vampire could finish, Nivaan's foot whipped upward, connecting squarely with his jaw. The impact cracked bone with a satisfying crunch, launching the creature skyward.
As the vampire tumbled helplessly, Nivaan appeared above him. He pressed his boot down on the vampire's chest, riding him like falling debris until the body slammed into the marble floor below.
"Thanks for your service," Nivaan murmured, grinding his heel into the vampire's ribs with casual disdain.
Then, straightening, he called out to the air. "Why don't you show yourself now?"
A chill rippled through the hall. Violet smoke bled from every shadow, swirling upward like a living curse. The oppressive aura struck everyone below High Magician stage, one by one, they collapsed to the floor.
Lyra collapsed on ground, her breath faint. Arthur's (Nivaan's) expression tightened, with a flick of his wrist, one of his mysterious spheres darted toward her, enveloping her in a protective glow. Another sphere rippled through the hall, gathering the unconscious and teleporting them beyond the palace walls.
Triston's eyes widened. "Those spheres again! It's the same as before!"
The few remaining High Magicians prepared to join the fight, but Nivaan didn't give them a chance. His voice carried through the hall, sharp and cold.
"Shut up and stay outside. Protect the unconscious."
The tone left no room for argument. They vanished a moment later, transported by Nivaan's spheres.
Inside the ruined ballroom, only a handful remained. General Veldora stood near the shattered staircase, his blade soaked in vampire blood. The king and queen had been escorted away, but Elara and Triston refused to retreat.
Elara's eyes darted toward her brother, pale and breathing heavily. "Brother, you're injured. You can't keep fighting like this."
Triston's hand trembled as he reached into his sleeve, pulling out a small, rune-covered box. "Don't worry, Elara… I have a way."
Nivaan's gaze sharpened the moment he saw it. "Don't take it out!"
But the warning came too late.
A shadow slithered across the floor and rose behind Triston, humanoid, with eyes like molten gold.
"Zazaza… what a foolish little prince," the voice rasped. The vampire materialized from Triston's own shadow, snatching the box and driving a claw straight through Triston's chest.
"Triston!" Elara screamed as her brother collapsed, blood spreading across the floor. His heart still beat faintly, but his consciousness slipped away.
Arthur's (Nivaan's) jaw clenched. He couldn't reveal too much of his true strength, not here, not with so many eyes watching. The real Arthur's identity had to remain safe. He let out a low sigh, limiting his power to that of an advanced-level magician. It wouldn't be enough to crush this enemy, but it would have to do.
Veldora stepped forward, rage lighting his eyes. "You're not getting out of here alive!"
"Zazaza… you're slow," the vampire mocked, intercepting his strike. The two clashed, shockwaves rattling the walls.
While they fought, Nivaan knelt beside Triston and uncorked a vial, pouring its glowing contents over the prince's wound.
"Wake up, you trash," he muttered.
Triston didn't stir. Nivaan's patience snapped, he kicked him sharply in the ribs. Triston's body spun twice before he jolted awake, gasping.
Elara's voice trembled in outrage. "Young Master Arthur! How could you kick the prince like that?"
Nivaan didn't even glance at her. "Why did you bring that sphere here?"
Triston coughed weakly, clutching his chest. "I… I found a way to use it. When I channel my magic, it turns into a sword, but only half of one. A chain is still attached, like it's missing its twin. I thought it could help."
"Zazaza… the half-dead boy is correct," came a voice from the smoke.
The mysterious vampire stepped into view, his crimson cloak torn but his grin wider than ever. Veldora staggered behind him, blood dripping from his wounded arm.
"Run… away…" the general rasped, struggling to remain standing.
"I suppose I should introduce myself properly," the vampire said with a mocking bow. "I am Duke Hades. One of the few survivors of the Great Massacre. Zazaza… and soon, I will reign again as a chosen of Solvaar."
Nivaan's eyes narrowed. So that's why Veldora couldn't keep up with him.
"This relic of Vahrion was meant for another candidate," Hades continued. "But luck favored me. The fool didn't arrive in time and this dying boy found it first."
Unaware of what truly happened on the mountain, Hades extended his hands. The pieces of the divine artifact responded to his call, fusing together in midair. A radiant armor engulfed his body, runes pulsing along its surface.
The twin blades of Vahrion materialized, their chained edges glowing.
"Zazaza… what a mysterious power," Hades laughed, activating his Solvaar ability. His armor shifted and transformed, golden runes forming in the shape of the sun. The sword in his hands began to radiate the blazing power of the sun itself.
His laughter deepened as golden light flooded his armor, runes shifting into the mark of the sun. "Now, behold the power of Solvaar!"
The sword blazed brighter than the hall's chandeliers. In one motion, Hades unleashed a slash that tore through the air and struck Nivaan's group.
The explosion swallowed the palace whole.
Stone cracked. Flames roared. The floor split apart.
"Prince! Princess!" Veldora shouted as a blinding flash consumed them. But before he could reach them, a familiar sphere encased his body. One by one, the survivors were pulled into glowing orbs and vanished from the collapsing palace.
Outside, medics rushed to treat the wounded general. His vision blurred; nausea churned in his gut. "I have to… go back…" he murmured weakly.
Back in the ruins, smoke curled upward from the shattered marble. Duke Hades stood amidst the devastation, his grin faltering as the haze cleared.
Just as he turned his back on the ones he'd struck down, a voice came from behind him.