Chapter 40

Before Amara entered the mayor's office, both she and the black knight heard the sounds of a fight inside. Thus, they were both prepared for whatever awaited them upon entry. However, when they crossed the threshold, Amara couldn't have predicted the scene that unfolded before her.

Inside, her target, the she-elf, and someone who resembled Xain at first glance were locked in a frantic dance, attempting to evade a floating orb with a watchful eye inside. The eye shifted through a spectrum of colors, each hue unleashing a different form of assault, keeping the trio on their toes. The room bore the scars of this relentless onslaught.

Amara surveyed the chaos, taking in the damage and the bizarre spectacle, her trained assassin's instincts guiding her. Her attention was drawn to a black-haired woman who was slowly advancing toward the real Xain.

As an experienced killer, Amara's senses heightened, and she detected the unmistakable aura of malice emanating from the approaching woman. A thought flickered through her mind, a mixture of protectiveness and indignation. A thought flashed through her mind, *How dare she!* With a swift, practiced motion, Amara conjured a fireball in her hand, then unleashed it with precision toward the advancing woman. The woman swiftly turned, her agility allowing her to narrowly avoid the searing projectile.

Amara, her eyes locked onto the woman, declaring, "I don't know who you are, but only I get to kill that little brat."

Xain's emotions were a whirlwind as he found himself in the unexpected situation of being saved by the very woman who had previously sought to capture his friends and end his life. He slipped into the storage room, his thoughts racing with a mix of gratitude and suspicion. *Out of the frying pan, right into the fire,* he thought, acknowledging the complexity of his predicament.

Eirisse, for once, displayed a faint hint of concern amid her ever-present smile. She directed her attention to Amara, her voice carrying a curious tone as she asked, "Who might you be, Amara?"

Amara, her annoyance clear as day, didn't miss a beat. She conjured her fire before stating, "Me? It's quite simple, really. I'm the one who's going to kill you and capture Larkin."

Her declaration left the black knight, who had manifested a shadowy sword to join the fray, genuinely perplexed. He turned to Amara, his confusion evident despite the concealing helmet. "Wait, who?" he inquired, his voice laced with bewilderment.

Amara's irritation only intensified in the face of the black knight's casual response. "Must you persist with this charade even now?" she shot back, her impatience evident. "Just do what you're supposed to!"

The black knight, maintaining an air of nonchalance, merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "I don't think this counts as my job, but okay," he remarked, seemingly unfazed. His gaze wandered through the room, uncertainty apparent in his concealed expression. *My primary target isn't here,* he thought,* but the mayor is a crucial link to him.* He resigned himself to the situation, concluding, *I guess I'll engage whoever she does.*

His primary concern was ensuring Amara didn't carry out her intent to kill the mayor, as they needed information about their target.

As this was happening, Ercale and the others were In the midst of their desperate struggle against the artifact, Ercale knew they couldn't maintain their evasive maneuvers indefinitely. Frustration mounting, he decided to take a risk. *Ah, fuck it!* he thought.

With a resolute motion, Ercale extended his hand into the air, akin to the way he had opened the portal. He steeled himself, knowing that what he was about to do would create chaos but was necessary to turn the tide. However, before he could initiate his plan, a surprise interruption unfolded. A knife, propelled at astonishing speed, struck the artifact, sending it careening out of control.

Turning their attention to the source of this unexpected intervention, the trio witnessed Clarissa's return to the fight. Blood trickled from her mouth, yet her face remained as inscrutable as ever. In her characteristically emotionless tone, she announced, "I'm prepared to join the battle once more, esteemed guests."

The artifact started to float again, seemingly undamaged, and its eye shifted to a shade of green, the color signifying its power to cut. Ercale, with his lightning magic at the ready, was somewhat relieved that he might not have to resort to using what he was about to. *With her involved, we might have a chance without me using astral magic*, Ercale thought as he swiftly formulated their next course of action in the midst of the battle.

Before Eirisse could land her potentially devastating kick, Amara swiftly intervened, hurling a burst of flame into her path. Eirisse, twisted mid-air to avoid the fiery attack, landing gracefully on her feet. She couldn't resist a theatrical flourish, bowing as if she were acknowledging an imaginary audience.

"Thank you, thank you," Eirisse quipped with a grin, her confidence unshaken despite the perilous situation. Amara wasted no time, unleashing another fireball at her. Eirisse dodged it with a series of deft maneuvers, though the effort was beginning to take its toll, subtly reflecting in her movements.

Observing the intense clash, the black knight felt compelled to offer an observation. "So that's how you're related," he remarked, punctuating his statement with the resounding thump of his gauntleted fist against his palm.

Amara, clearly annoyed, responded, "What are you talking about?"

The black knight elaborated, "Well, she's a vampire."

Amara rolled her eyes at the apparent revelation. "Yeah, no kidding, genius. So what?" With a flourish of her power, she molded several flames into the shape of a phoenix, then sent them hurtling toward Eirisse. Initially, Eirisse initially dodged the fiery avian onslaught, but to her growing dismay, the flaming birds altered their course, relentlessly homing in on her despite her repeated evasive maneuvers.

The black knight appeared utterly flabbergasted by Amara's response. "What? You're not even surprised or worried?" he uttered, his voice tinged with incredulity.

Amara unfazed, unleashed unleashed another burst of flame to impede Eirisse's movements. Eirisse narrowly dodged beneath the fiery phoenix, barely managing to evade their scorching embrace.

"Why should I be concerned? And why are you?" Amara shot back, her voice laced with disdain. "Our objective is Larkin, not some vampiric slut." Her words were sharp, and she showed no sympathy for the vampire currently locked in battle.

The black knight, still trying to make sense of it all, probed cautiously, "You're not a monster hunter, are you?" Amara halted her attacks on Eirisse, turning her attention to the bewildered knight. Her gaze turned glacial, and her tone matched the frigidity in her eyes as she responded, "You're not one of us."

Amara extended her hand, conjuring another burst of searing flames. The black knight swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of the situation, fear creeping into his armored visage.