Sett could feel the gazes of the two ascendants burning into the back of his head. They knew. They knew that he had injected himself into the fight. They knew that something special was going around him. Something that Sett desperately wanted not to happen.

Even when the construct’s golden body began to form cracks and fell on one knee, Crusader Thomas kept staring at Sett. It was almost as if he was considering whether or not he was an enemy.

Elias, the vampire, did not have such considerations in mind. His mighty trump card had just been shattered. His entire hand of cards had been rendered null and void. He had nothing left to protect him. Thus, taking the opportunity when the crusader was occupied with his dilemma with Sett’s affiliation, he prepared to depart.

While the crusader was not looking, the vampire turned into a fine mist and went to the only other vampire who was still yet conscious. It was Lady Elina, the very same vampire that had attempted and failed in sacrificing him.

“Contact Lord Kren, Lady Elina.”

Despite them being far apart and Elias whispering his words, Sett could still easily hear his words as he spoke to Elina. Once again, he had to chalk it down to the nature of the great hall and the essence of darkness that was infused into every surface.

“Have him bring the child of the forefathers with him and escape to the caverns.” Elias then paused for a few moments in thought. “The child mentioned a girlfriend, snatch her away from the crusaders.”

Lady Elina quickly nodded at her master’s words, but her nervous demeanour gave away how scared she was. Still, she lit up a strange piece of paper and then disappeared into a mist of vapours.

Sett’s thoughts slightly stirred. The child of the forefathers? He had heard that phrase before, but he could not quite place its origin.

Only when the construct fell completely did crusader Thomas tear his eyes from Sett. He once again regarded Elias who in turn eyed the crusader with a massive scowl.

“Elias Simonson!” Crusader Thomas yelled with great vigour despite his apparent weakened state. “Your armies have been destroyed and your colossus construct dealt with! Surrender this instant or face me in single combat to the death!”

Sett was rather surprised at the crusader’s boisterous words. Only moments ago, he had been close to death and gasping for breath in the fight against the construct, yet now he was challenging the vampire as if it was only a minor thing.

‘Mine kindred. The difference between the second and third-tier is not a small one to overcome.’

Listening to Selt’s words, Sett still found it hard to believe. Maybe if the difference in tiers had been more than one, but this simply felt unreasonable.

“Hmph. Come then, Grand Crusader!” The fury that the vampire felt was evident. “I will show the power that the ancient ones have granted me! I will make you beg for death!”

With a last screech, the vampire charged forwards while his body morphed into a monster. His appearance became fleshy and mangled, much like his underlings. His nails grew into enormous sharp claws and his teeth grew through his lips. In the end, he looked no better than a monster.

Despite Selt’s words, the vampire was incredibly fast. He lightly cracked the ground beneath his feet and moved as if he was a blur, crossing multiple meters in only a second. He would leave any mortal sprinter to shame.

The crusader simply stood still despite the approaching threat, waiting for his opponent to reach him. The distance closed.

The moment before the vampire reached him, Crusader Thomas brandished his tower shield in front of his body nonchalantly.

Having no other target, the vampire scratched the shield hoping to deal some damage. The screeching sound of nails on metal sounded out, but barely any damage had been done.

Then, without warning, three more figures appeared just behind Crusader Thomas, all of them vampires. The cunning side of the vampires reared its ugly head itself once again. Sett realised that these vampires had not even joined in the skirmish between the two sides. Elias had kept them hidden for this one single strike on the crusader’s person. Elias never had the intention of fighting fair; he would simply distract the crusader for long enough that his subordinates could hurt him.

Three attacks of the ambushing vampires approached the plated but otherwise undefended back of Crusader Thomas. One attack was made with claws and the others with sharp rapiers. Having seen those same claws and weapons tearing through metal as if it were butter in the earlier battle, Sett could almost not stop himself from shouting out in concern for the crusader.

His fear was misplaced, however. Just before the attacks would have found their target, the body of Crusader Thomas lit up in blinding light. Staring at Crusader Thomas was akin to staring at the sun. Every inch of the crusader’s body had lit up in bright golden flames, but it did not seem to hurt him. On the contrary, it seemed as if the flames were of his own creation.

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The attacks that had been centimetres from reaching the crusader’s body were stopped by the flames despite them not being physical. They simply hovered in mid-air, despite the vampires’ obvious attempt at driving them into the flames.

“Elias, it appears that I have been thinking too highly of you. I had given you the rare opportunity of single combat and yet you squander it like this. Very well, I will finish it.”

Finishing his words, Crusader Thomas pushed his shield outwards, sending Elias flying towards the other side of the great hall. At the same time, the flames spiked greatly lighting up the whole great hall and forcing the vampires to retreat.

Sett had to admit that Crusader Thomas was much stronger than the vampire. Even with help and with the crusader in a weakened state, it did not seem as if the vampire’s stood any chance at winning. Tier three was indeed much stronger than tier two.

For the first time since Sett had seen him, Crusader Thomas readied his sword. Up till this point, he had only been using his shield. The intent was clear, the vampires had gained his ire by interfering in his one-on-one combat. The drawn swords meaning was simple, he was ready to kill.

Without the code of honour on the back of his mind, the crusader sprang into action, charging at Elias with his sword raised high its edges burning with bright flames.

Unlike his crazed charge earlier, Elias did not seem too keen on engaging the enraged crusader anymore and instead began to fall back.

To the simple observer, the vampire’s retreat seemed to be made out of fright, but the truth was more intriguing than that.

Once Crusader Thomas passed a specific point, a few runes that could hardly be seen on the black floor lit up and a lightly black tinted transparent screen suddenly appeared in space before the crusader. Unlike the semi-physical phone screens that were all the craze nowadays, Sett could feel that this light screen was made entirely out of darkness essence.

“More tricks!”

Black flames erupted inside the forcefield and seared the crusader, but he did not seem to care too much. With a few heavy swings, the transparent forcefield was brought low with a shattering sound.

The crusader began his pursuit once again.

A few moments later, another set of runes lit up, entrapping the crusader in a new trap. He broke out from it easily, but it stopped his pursuit for a few valuable seconds.

This scene repeated itself many times.

Sett could not help but fall into thought seeing this scene. Why was Elias not fighting him in single combat? Sure, he had absolutely no chance of winning, but he should at least make the attempt. From the looks of it, it seemed as if he was simply buying time and never committing to ever engaging the angry crusader head-on.

But what could he be buying time for?

While the crusader and vampire were fighting in the far end of the great hall, Sett suddenly felt a disturbance nearby. The crusaders had long since arrived and begun to ferry people out of the great hall, but it was a slow process. Yet, it was not their presence that had triggered Sett’s sense, it was something else.

A vampire.

Sett tried to get up, but it was too late. Lady Elaine had appeared in the midst of the crusaders, creating a small shockwave of blood essence that sent those close by her flying. In spite of him being many meters away, Sett was almost sent tumbling off the small stone platform he laid on.

Suddenly, Sett remembered what Elias had told Lady Elaine. She was supposed to snatch away the girlfriend of the child of the forefathers.

Lady Elaine had appeared just by the place where Jess’s body was, and it was not by accident. Having swept the nearby crusaders away, she immediately took hold of Jess.

Sett remembered everything. Jack was the supposed child of the forefathers, or at least Elias had spoken of him as such. Jack had always had a not-so-subtle crush on Jess. Jess was the girlfriend that Elias had mentioned.

Sett gasped. She was going to kidnap Jess once again. But how could they know about Jess and Jack’s non-existent relationship? Even as an ascendant faction composed of vampires, Sett doubted that they would be able to extract the memories of Jack without spending a lot of time on it. It could only mean that Jack had been awake and told them of his longing for her.

Sett felt his heart turn cold. Elias had been talking about Jack joining them as his apprentice and from the few facts that Sett had gathered, it was clear that he had accepted. He had thrown away his humanity to join this group of disgusting vampires.

Sett stumbled up, attempting to stop Lady Elaine’s escape. He was not the only one. The group of crusaders had been quick to react despite detecting her so late. They were already running towards her with weapons drawn clearly intending to strike her down.

Sett, too, ran for her. He would not allow her to take Jess away. Without a weapon, the only thing he could do was to gather as much essence as he could in his hand while reaching for her.

It was not enough.

Just as there was a massive difference between the second and third tier, there was an insurmountable difference between someone that had only just taken a step into the first tier and someone who had been there for years. Sett and the small platoon of crusaders did not stand a chance at catching her.

Lady Elaine did not even bother to look at those that attempted to assault her. She simply took hold of Jess and pulled out a small glowing apparatus, not much different from the one that had knocked Sett, Jack and Jess out before coming here.

The magical apparatus glowed brightly, forcing everyone around her to shut their eyes for a moment. Then she was gone along with Jess. The only evidence they had ever been there being the essence charged particles that floated in space after what Sett could only think of as teleportation.

Sett had failed. He had been so close and done so much and yet he had failed in the final moment. He felt unadulterated hatred for the vampires… and towards Jack.

“HAHAHA…”

Elias laughed maniacally when he saw his subordinate succeed.

“Crusader Thomas, you are but a naïve boy before a mastermind! You might have beaten me here, but I will get my vengeance! You will rue the day you decided to make me your enemy!”

Then, without warning, Elias threw out a single black crystal. It travelled through the great hall at great speed but missed Crusader Thomas entirely. Passing him by many meters, it continued to travel until it suddenly stopped in mid-air. Then, the entire great hall began to shake as if it had been hit by multiple earthquakes.

It felt like the end of the earth.