Iris walked toward the living room with a handful of nuts she found stashed in the deserted kitchen, the girl complained to Iris about the numerous undead around her, staring at the mysterious being that their Overtyrant hadn't introduced to the war host yet. She had thought to make the girl a little more comfortable with a simple snack before the battle began.
When Iris entered the living room she saw the girl sitting perfectly still on an armchair staring at the empty space in front of her with a blank expression.
"Kia?" The elf hesitantly approached the mage. "Hello?" She gave Kia a nudge causing the girl to slowly turn her head toward her. "Here, take them." She placed the nuts in the girl's small hands before sitting herself beside the mage.
The necromancer stared at the handful of nuts in her hands with an unknowing look. Kia's soothing cold permeated into Iris's arm causing the thoughts about the forthcoming battle to cease for the moment. Even with this, the elf couldn't stop worrying as the extremely familiar feeling coming from the girl felt odd, lacking something fundamental to it.
"Did something happen, Kia?" Iris asked, wrapping one of her arms around the strange-acting girl.
The unknowing look slowly disappeared as the girl lifted one of the nuts in her hands into her mouth. Iris never knew seeing a person eating in the most mundane way possible could cause her sadness as she desired the girl to make one of her usual overly expressive faces.
The girl sank deeper into Iris as she slowly ate, the missing element gradually returning to her aura.
"Master." Umbria suddenly appeared in the threshold of the room, causing the necromancer to look up. "Akkad is about to arrive." She announced.
She waited for the two adventurers to stand up before walking outside.
In front of the house, roughly 100 vampires assembled all wearing different types of armours ranging from full plate to light outdoor clothes. Some of the faces present Iris recognised from the royal ball or her brief time living with Umbria. Kia found herself walking behind the Overtyrant without her cloak causing quiet whispers to journey through the assembled monsters.
Iris stared at Kia's impossibly straight back as shadows appeared in between the trees cutting the curious whispers for now.
I will have to deal with the undead mage after the battle. Iris thought as she tightened her grip on her weapon.
"Umbria," A bold human stepped out of the shadow in front of the forest edge with a host of human and inhuman-looking monsters behind him. "You finally choose to die with some of your honour intact? I am sad to inform you but your corpse god will not save you from my power." He flashed his yellow teeth at Umbria as he outstretched his muscular arms.
Instead of an answer, the rival vampire received a storm of icicles from the Overtyrant. In an instant, he disappeared, reappearing in a column of black smoke a couple of steps from where he previously stood. Just like that, the night was filled with colourful light as every monster began to cast. A singular dark bolt traversed the battlefield before the centries old monsters could cast their spells.
"?" Iris stared in confusion at every undead present suddenly stopping and turning to look at the girl and kneeled.
"Your daemonic masters can't protect you from your judgment." Umbria screamed at stupified Akkad.
From the opposing side, many vampires stopped and dropped their heads to avoid looking at Kia before a particularly tall Nordling amongst them dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes causing many of Akkad's people to follow suit. The more scarred and animalistic of their enemies began to gnash, bite and snap their sharp teeth toward Kia.
"My wish can f-finally be given to me." The bold vampire visibly resisted biting the air in front of him as he stared at the necromancer.
Absolute chaos broke out as Akkad's war host began to slaughter one another as the kneeling undead were killed by their previous companions at the same time as Umbria's vassals charged forward. The battle rapidly devolved into a series of duels with Umbria and Akkad dominating the center of the battle. Easily killing any creature of the night dumb or berserk enough to approach the two battling vampires engaged in a blurry and brutal dance only they could comprehend the speed off.
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Iris was stormed by one of the bestial creatures resembling a mix between a large bat and a particularly ugly grey troll with needle-like teeth erratically scattered near its maw and shredded pieces of skin between its arms and torso. Its two long front arms propelled its bulky body forward as its short but muscular legs absorbed the impact of its bulk hitting the ground. She ducked under the monster's arm as it swiped at her head, quickly stabbing the beast in its side her spear barely penetrating its hide. Enraged by the elf it started to flay its long arms around itself, furiously pounding at her.
"[Touch of Decay]" The tall hoplite slid under the beast but her spell did barely anything against its thick hide, thinking quickly she slashed the underbelly of the monster doing similarly little damage before rolling out from under the monster as its arm attempted to reach for her.
The degenerated vampire's second hand grabbed the elf's leg and threw her like a doll at the tree. A loud crashing noise rang in Iris's head as she felt her back hitting the thick trunk. A normal human would have perished from shock but Iris was left to feel the aftermath. Remaining perfectly calm and conscious as she flew through the air and crashed into the tree.
The bat horror charged at the elf causing the ground to shake as she tried to stand up, finding her lower body incredibly hard to move.
[You have been assisted with defeating a monster 50 levels above you.]
[Exp gained.]
"To dust with you." A somewhat familiar voice said as Iris's vision was filled with her own reflection in the polished metallic surface in front of her. The head of the monster landed on her lap still trying to bite her as it disintegrated into ash. "Damn these Forsaken." An armour gauntlet she recognized offered to help her stand up. "Didn't notice that, Harbinger. Let me fix it for you." Umbria's bodyguard effortlessly picked up the wounded undead by her collar, his second hand digging into the elven back grabbing the shattered spine. After removing his hand from Iris's body and after watching if the elf could stand properly again he grabbed the hilt of his sword and effortlessly placed it on his shoulder. The sword resembled an oversized chunk of silvery metal in a shape of a sword rather than a proper weapon, adequate for Karol's large yet still human body.
"Thanks." Iris said as she landed on her two feet.
"I would advise you to keep your distance if you struggled with that Forsaken." Karol said, his eyes scanning the chaotic battle around them.
"Did you see Kia?" Iris searched for the necromancer, having lost her during the duel.
"Master? I can feel her noblest of auras there." The tall vampire pointed the elf in the right direction before delving deeper into the bloodless yet brutal battle.
Iris ran back to Kia's side, dodging wild spells which had missed their previous mark all the while the cacophony of sounds assaulted her ears.
Her not existent heart stopped as she saw a vampire holding the girl in the air by her wrists with another feminine vampire standing beside them with her hand piercing one of Umbria's soldiers.
"Are you sure about this? If the Overtyrant finds out we are dead."
"Give me the girl now." The woman said as she reached for the struggling Kia.
"But how will that help me?" The man stepped back from the insistent woman.
"It's now always about you!" The irritated woman screamed at him stomping her foot on the ground.
"But our plan, Lizzy I-"
"This was all my plan, you incompetent pig!" The woman pulled a knife from her side and raised it in the air. Iris was still too far to defend Kia against the raised knife as it dived down.
"My L-Lizzy?" Eastwood's eyes widened as the knife pierced his neck. "Why?" His grip loosed on Kia's wrist and the mange managed to slip one of her hands out, pointing her hand at the woman.
"You're mine, finally I can please Master Akkad." The woman swiftly took Kia from Eastwood's grip. "?" She turned to see a shard of black glass piercing her side, causing her to fall as she was skewered by Iris's weapon.
"Die you bitch!" The woman screamed, clawing at the elf's face as Iris pulled her spear out of her and stabbed again and again. "...no please." A pitiful whimper came from the disfigured vampire before Iris stomped on the woman causing enough damage to cause the monster to turn into a pile of dust.
"Kia!" Iris jogged to the necromancer wearing Umbria's smirk. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Kia responded in a cold voice. "The battle had not yet ended I have to punish those who break my laws." Iris was about to speak again before she heard someone whisper beside her.
"Lizzy, my sweet Lizzy." The undead noble kneeled where Iris slew the female vampire. She let go of Kia and silently approached the foolish human. "You killed her, you monster!" He turned his head in anger as Iris drove her spear into his back, killing him.
"Kia?" The risen turned around and saw her undead companion running away from her toward the beast-like screams.
The elf quickly gave chase, her higher strength and dexterity allowed her to quickly catch up to the necromancer. A thunderous roar sounded from Iris's flank. She turned her head and saw Akkad scorching a great leech-like beast. The large leech with thick black skin covered in some sort of slime opened its circular maw filled with razor-sharp teeth and lunged at the vampire.
"What are you doing." Iris stared in disbelief as Kia casted a spell that arched toward Akkad followed by a long tail of black fog.
The man blinked to the side causing the leech to hit the ground but the spell swiftly turned and impacted him. Iris stared as nothing happened to the high-level monster as he turned away from the motionless bloodsucking beast and towards the necromancer.
"Youuuuu! Gore Father shouldddd be pleaseeed withh mee nowww!" Akkad screamed as he arched his back, a sinister wing bursting out from his shoulder while his skin rapidly turned grey. "Dieeee-!" His battle cry got cut short as he fell backwards on his still steaming back.
A white hair covered Akkad's face as he grabbed his neck, crimson jewels shone from between his fingers. He struggled against Umbria, latched around his back kicking, clawing, screaming and hurling spells at the Overtyrant of Firmusa. Iris stabbed the struggling vampire, her spear instantly stopped his greying skin before being swept off her feet by a singular kick.
Akkad's body became covered in cracks before turning into ash which flaked off from his body as the wind passed over him. Black tears began to form in his eyes as he muttered curses intertwined with pleas of mercy and cries of fear before becoming limp.
From under Akkad's lifeless body, Umbria emerged naked with her white hair covering up her upper body, even with a portion of the body covered, marks of her duels densely covered her pale skin. She spitted out green liquid from her mouth which boiled with contact with the ground.
Everyone stared at Akkad's body which glowed in unnatural red light. His body arched up as if something was pulling on threads attached to the body before the red light burst from the body creating a phantom of the man. The mute apparition seemed to curse at the victorious Overtyrant before cowering in fear from something unseen.
"Serve you right, daemon whore." Umbria cursed as her rival burst into a cloud of grey ash as something devoured his soul before passing out.