Chapter 96: Wedding Crashers

Descending the amphitheater with his fake aura ignited, Darius harbored an internal smile, 'Let's hope I used enough iron.'

BOOM!

Another shockwave sent the crowd into a frenzy of screams. As eyes were locked towards the sound of the first explosion or darting about in panic, the gift table erupted into a spectacle of soaring yellow flames. This secondary blast, though smaller, destroyed both tables before being deflected by Solomon's flaming barrier, shielding the wedding party.

Around the venue, numerous smaller barriers ignited. Their elemental structures clashed with shrapnel from the detonated gifts, creating a vivid display of protective spells throughout the crowd.

Positioned directly behind Marcus, Darius kept his hand close to his body, his palm flat and forward, 'Echoing Thunder Palm.'

Though his mana remained unseen, the sky unleashed a brilliant palm-strike of blue lightning, targeting Atleman with a cascade of large blue and small purple arcs.

"Atleman!" Sealia's scream cut through the chaos, her hands clutching at her chest as Lady Clarke swiftly wrapped her in a protective yellow aura.

Instantly, Solomon initiated a healing spell, while Crelos deployed a protective barrier over the groom.

Another explosion then thundered from the opposite side of the manor, sending shockwaves through the crowd.

Navigating the frantic chaos, Darius and Marcus expertly feigned concern, calling out for people to make way. Percy lingered behind, organizing the mass and assisting the elderly as needed.

"Clarke, protect Sealia!" Atleman's command cut through the chaos as he burst forth, his surging blue aura streaking into the sky, propelling him over the manor.

Reaching the bottom, Marcus and Darius converged on the bride. Marcus's aura ignited, his leather armor fusing with his manaforged as he joined forces with Lady Clarke, "did anyone see anything?!"

'Say nothing!' Darius's silent command halted Clarke as she began to respond, her steel armor gleaming under her manaforged enhancements.

Darius slid between Clarke and Solomon to shield her momentary lapse, quickly assessing Sealia. "Are you hurt? We need to move you to safety immediately!"

Sealia’s gaze was fixed in the direction of her fiancée, her eyes welling with tears as she struggled to respond. In that moment, Darius caught Lady Clarke’s attention with a sharp look, ‘Don’t reveal what you saw.’

"Lady Hawkberry! Sealia! We must move now!" Darius urged, taking hold of the dazed bride’s shoulders. Clarke’s thoughts resonated in his mind with disbelief, 'Was that you?! That attack nearly decapitated me!'

Over the din, Marcus’s commanding tone rose, "Solomon! Go assist Atleman. Clarke and I will ensure the bride’s safety!"

As another explosion thundered from the opposite side of the manor, Atleman’s furious roar piercing the air, "Cowards!"

With a sneer and a quick twist of his neck, Solomon's aura blazed, his form dissolving into flames as he surged in pursuit of his brother, soaring over the manor.

Exchanging a brief glance with Darius, Crelos’s aura flared intensely as he invoked, "Éirí Lasracha!" His figure trailed flames as he followed his master’s fiery path.

Ushering the bride quickly into the manor, they navigated through the halls to an open study. Once inside, they closed the door with a quick thud behind them.

As Marcus began consoling the visibly shaken bride, Darius communicated silently, his thoughts directed solely at Lady Clarke, 'I'm sorry for not warning you, but the fewer who knew, the better. This was all necessary I assure you. We received word that Solomon was going to poison Sealia with his fertility potion.'

Lady Clarke's aura wavered as confusion turned to anger, her voice low and tense, 'I suspected something off about him, but how are you so certain?'

Darius responded quietly, 'His apprentice Crelos, he's an old acquaintance of mine. That's why we had to orchestrate events precisely this way.'

Regaining composure, Clarke’s aura stabilized, enveloping Sealia protectively, 'So you're also shielding him... What do you need from me?'

"Feng, I need you back out there. My boy is still in the thick of it. I know this is selfish of me to ask, but please get him home safely."

Darius nodded, his mind clear on the plan. 'Just help Marcus and put on a good act of protecting her. I’ll check back once everything settles.' Without hesitation, he adjusted his brooch, swiftly transitioning his attire to his chestplate and black gauntlet. "I'll make sure Percy is safe. Guard her with everything you've got!"

Bursting through the study door, Darius charged outside, scaling the amphitheater in swift bounds to locate Percy, who appeared frantic. "What's going on?! Who's behind this?!"

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"I don't know! How's Lady Hawkberry? She's safe, right?" Percy's voice trembled with urgency.

"She's secure; your father and Lady Clarke have her," Darius reassured as he gripped Percy's arm, pulling him along. "We need to move now!" His voice was stern, his expression briefly revealing irritation, 'you're overdoing it.'

Panting, Percy managed to retort, 'Give me a break; I'm trying here!'

'Just pull it back. Have you seen Atleman or Solomon?' Darius probed as they neared the front gate.

Deciding to bypass the crowded gate, Darius and Percy took a running leap over the hedges. As they landed, Percy continued, "They were searching, but they—"

A sickening crunch cut his words short, slicing through the noise of the chaos. Darius turned just in time to hear a heavy crash; his eyes darted towards the source of the sound. There, in a heap against a wall, lay Percy, crumpled and bleeding.

"This one found you."

Darius's reflexes kicked in; he leaped back, 'how'd he get next to me?' Channeling his lightning mana as he turned sharply towards the source of the voice.

A large, muscular, pale-skinned man stood bare-chested where Darius had just been.

Suddenly, a frieghtened voice from the escaping guests erupted, "Vampyre!!"

Trayton turned, a sinister smile revealing his fanged teeth, which immediately locked Darius's attention. "It took a long time. The master was growing impatient. Now, this one can complete his task and rest. Come Valdene, come and be good."

As he spoke, the crowd on the street erupted into further screams at the sight of a Vampyre. Panic spread rapidly as people scattered in different directions, clearing the street in their frantic bid to escape the menacing figure.

Darius barely had time to brace himself when shadows momentarily blinded him, and hand seized his throat, slamming him back against a stone wall with a sickening crunch.

A choked scream tore from him as his disguise shattered, revealing his true face contorted in pain. 'He's strong!' Clutching at the vampyre's arm, Darius swung a lightning-enshrouded leg at Trayton’s knee.

As his knee buckled, Darius pressed his advantage, digging his thumb into the vampyre's wrist. Twisting until it dislocated, he then kicked off the wall behind him, vaulting over his assailant.

Landing and dashing back to gain some distance, he clutched his neck, a slight blackness to his eyes, "Let me guess," coughing to clear his throat while covertly gathering mana, "Crowley is your master?"

Trayton straightened, shadows hissing from his mouth as he snapped his wrist back into place, "Come with this one, you have nowhere to run, your scent is marked, human."

'I need to escape before the others arrive!' With a surge of mana, Darius watched as his crackling palm strike rained down from the sky, striking its target with a burst of blue lightning. Seizing the moment, he bolted, rounding a corner he shifted to fire mana as he touched his brooch to revert to Feng's disguise. 'He’s after me. Sorry, Marcus, it’s the best I can do for Percy right now.'

In mid-sprint, Darius touched his pouch, pulling out a steel plate. He inserted his signet ring into it, twisted his hand a few times, and then flung the plate ahead of him.

The plate, sailing through the air, was abruptly slashed into pieces, clattering to the ground as Trayton emerged from a swirling cloud of shadows.

"Your life was not asked for. Come and be good. The master does not wait."

Skidding to a halt, Darius's mind raced as he cautiously stepped back, his thoughts a whirlwind: 'Shit! Why'd I only make one?! He's stronger and faster.... think!' In a desperate move, he switched to his wind mana, invoking the 'Blessings of the Zephyr.' Mana swirled and condensed into a cocoon around him.

Trayton responded by drawing in a huge breath, "No wonder the master wants you, this one has smelled fire, lightning, and now wind. Curious human..." Shadows curled around his hulking form as he advanced.

Before Darius could make his escape, a massive explosion erupted behind him, sending debris and dust assaulting his back. Peering through the settling wreckage, Darius’s shoulders slumped, 'Too late.'

From within the dust cloud, a large blue aura burst forth, accompanied by a booming, laughing voice, "Found you! I was starting to worry, a guest shouldn't leave before greeting his host! How kind of you to return!"

Darius's eyes sparked with sudden determination as he canceled his technique, shouting, "Lord Brundy! I found the assassin! Let's join together to bring this fiend down!"

Uttering "Ethereal Steps," Darius surged forward, engaging Trayton in rapid, close-quarters combat. The Vampyre remained nearly immovable, deftly using his shadows to block Darius’s onslaught. Tilting his head with a smirk, Trayton remarked, "He cannot change things, you—"

His taunt was cut short as a large shimmering axe blade crashed down onto his shoulder. Though his shadow initially blocked the blow, the subsequent explosion of ice pierced Trayton’s neck, forcing him to leap back.

Darius, using his gauntlet, narrowly evaded the ice shards. Panting heavily, he mind raged, 'What took so long?!' As he watched the Vampyre's neck swiftly heal, a chilling realization dawned on him: 'He's leagues above me. Even that attack barely fazed him.'

"It's been ages since I've killed one of your kind. Before I finish you, vampyre, who holds your contract? Tell me, and your end will be clean."

Trayton chuckled, a ghastly, gurgling sound. He began to speak, "Y—"

Boom! A sudden eruption of flames enveloped Trayton’s face. As Atleman opened his mouth to speak, Darius quickly interjected, "Don’t let him talk! His words weave some dark enchantment—he nearly ensnared me with them earlier!" Noticing the dissipating smoke, Darius punched forward, blasting Trayton's face with another explosive burst of his Solar Tyrant's Fist.

"Good man!!" Atleman roared with laughter, charging forward. He swung his massive double-sided battleaxe, the blade's blue ore shimmering. It struck the ground, unleashing a torrent of water and ice that surged towards Trayton.

Trayton's pale eyes shimmered as his form merged into shadows, sinking into the cobblestone street just as Atleman’s icy wave swept over him. "Stop hiding, coward!" Atleman roared, stomping his foot down. His manaforged sabatons shined, sending a rippling force through the ground that cleaved the shadow apart. A pained scream echoed from the darkness as Trayton was violently expelled.

Forced back into the open, Trayton raised an arm to block the descending axe, his shadow coiling around the blade. "This has nothi—"

Mid-sentence, another fiery explosion from Darius cut him off, "No talking!"

With a bellowing laugh, Atleman’s aura churned with water and ice as he pounded his axe into Trayton repeatedly. Each blow fell swiftly and heavily, whipping up a maelstrom of mana and echoing the roar of battle.

Hesitating, Darius clenched his jaw, his thoughts racing, 'I can't leave; if Atleman and Solomon find out about me, Marcus will bear the consequences. We must finish this before he reveals anything.'

Amid the chaos, Darius's eyes, aglow with focus, watched the brutal clash. Shadows rose defensively, arcs of blue steel sang through the air, and sinister claws raked viciously. The battle was fierce, blood beginning to stain Trayton’s form while Atleman’s armor showed growing signs of damage.

'Both are formidable, nearly monstrous. Unless catching them off-guard like Clarke, I'd stand no chance.' Spotting an opening, Darius thrust forward, his fist enveloped in flames. His strike twisted Trayton's knee, setting Atleman up to drive his axe deep into the vampyre's waist.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Trayton's scream pierced the air with such ferocity that it sent a shockwave rippling outward, forcing Darius to step back and cover his ears. Seizing the moment when Atleman was momentarily dazed, Trayton lunged, biting fiercely into his armor. With a gruesome crunch, he tore away a large chunk of Atleman's bicep, the sound of rending flesh and bending steel echoing through the chaos.

"Bastard!" Atleman's body erupted in a radiant glow, a wave of water-mana materializing and reinforcing his strength as he shoulder-slammed into Trayton's chest, sending the Vampyre crashing into a nearby building.

Darius, reacting swiftly, produced a vial filled with silvery liquid and began to apply it to Atleman's torn bicep. "Hold still, we need to stop the bleeding."

"STOP!"

Darius's heart skipped as he caught sight of the giant maw snapping shut towards Atleman's head, freezing just in time. Both he and Atleman retreated, their faces draining of color as they stared down the monstrous form of Trayton, now more beast than man.

His form expanded grotesquely, standing at least a meter taller, Trayton's pale skin now appeared cracked, oozing black smoke. As his massive jaw rehinged, retracting as if drawing in the world's air, he bellowed skyward, "Why do you interfere, apprentice? This one has been tasked by the master. Aid or stand aside."

"Apprentice?... Crowley sent you?!" Atleman erupted, disbelief and fury mingling on his face. "Sealia warned me, but this... Brother, your treachery—"

"How dare you!" Solomon's aura flared like a blinding sun, his descent marked by fiery rage. "I am not allied with this creature, nor do I know of his purpose here!"

"I'm not here for—"

Before Trayton could finish, Darius unleashed his Solar Tyrant's Fist. The fiery impact echoed through the air, drawing startled looks from both Atleman and Solomon.

"Remember," Darius said awkwardly, regaining their attention, "his words carry enchantments. Do not let—"

"Valdene. This one seeks Valdene, not Brundy!"

'Shit!'

Solomon's eyes ignited in flames, his aura blazing as he pinned Darius with a look of confusion. Trayton's chilling white stare felt like a vice around his neck, while Atleman’s immense presence loomed suddenly too close as his attention snapped to Darius.

'I'm gonna die.'