Chapter 41

Ercale continued to maintain his barrage of lightning, forcing the shifting eye artifact to remain preoccupied with him. Amidst the chaos, he issued clear commands to Xain's companions, determined to gain the upper hand.

"Elf," Ercale directed, "I want you to charge at it with all your speed when I give the word!" Zee, fully aware of the pivotal role Ercale played in their current survival, nodded in agreement.

Ercale's piercing gaze then shifted to Clarissa, the emotionless maid who had displayed surprising combat prowess. "Maid," he commanded, "I want you to replicate your previous actions when she makes her move!" Clarissa acknowledged the order with a subtle nod, her focus undeterred.

Ercale's calculated plan unfolded with precision as he unleashed another bolt of lightning at the eye, eliciting its predictable countermeasures. With a shout, he commanded, "Now!"

Zee, launched herself towards the artifact with her dagger poised for action. As the eye shifted to a shade of orange, signaling its intent to crush Zee, Clarissa sprang into action. Another one of her knives sliced through the air, striking the artifact and sending it careening off its intended course. As it fell to the floor, Zee delivered a powerful kick, propelling the eye into a nearby wall.

Amidst the settling dust and debris, Zee cautiously asked, "That must have done something, right?" However, Ercale's inner thoughts painted a different picture, *No, I know it did nothing. We lack the means to inflict any real damage, we just have to make it so that it can't help the tick in combat.* Their only recourse was to cripple the artifact's effectiveness in battle. Despite their efforts, the shifting eye remained intact and operational, ready to unleash its powers once more.

Meanwhile, Amara's relentless barrage of flames continued, casting a fiery glow within the office. She had blasted the black knight with a burst of flames, but he reacted with remarkable speed, conjuring a shadowy shield much like his sword, effectively blocking the intense blaze.

"You absolute waste of space!" Amara exclaimed as she launched a fireball at her adversary. However, she diverted the trajectory, sending it behind him. The black knight pivoted with astonishing agility, shielding himself from the ensuing small explosion. As he shielded himself, Amara's relentless assault continued. A second burst of flame erupted behind him, searing through his armor and causing him intense discomfort.

"Amara, I'm not sure what your agenda is here, but right now, that vampire is the greater threat," the black knight remarked, his voice tense, while he remained focused on blocking Amara's fiery attacks.

"Shut up!" Amara's voice thundered with anger as she snapped her fingers, conjuring four fiery beams that streaked towards the black knight. He displayed impressive reflexes, barely managing to block each beam by the narrowest of margins.

"You tricked me!" Amara's frustration was evident as she prepared another fiery spell.

"I didn't trick you, I merely revealed my honest intentions," the black knight retorted, realizing that they should have been less vague in their communication.

As Amara redirected her fiery phoenixes to target the black knight, Eirisse found herself on the brink of a fiery assault. However, the phoenixes abruptly changed course, hurtling towards the knight instead. Eirisse breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile gracing her lips. "Note to self: never face her without the artifact," she muttered, fully acknowledging Amara's power.

"Now, where is that boy?" Eirisse purred with anticipation, scanning her office for any sign of Xain. She couldn't spot Xain anywhere amidst the chaos. She noted the ongoing struggle of the others against her impervious artifact but chose not to intervene, fully aware that they couldn't harm it.

There's one place the boy could be hiding, she thought with a sly grin, her eyes gleaming. She approached the broken wall leading to the storage room, a wicked smile on her lips. Stepping into the dimly lit space, she initially didn't see Xain. However, she took a slow, she took a deep breath and then turned slowly, a confident smile on her lips.

"There you are," Eirisse declared, her voice a sultry whisper as she turned to face Xain. In a daring move, he leaped out from behind a barrel, armed with a plank. With a shout, he struck her squarely on the head, shattering the makeshift weapon against it. Eirisse, however, remained unmoved, her grin undeterred.

She seized Xain by the collar of his thieves' garb. He struggled and attempted to punch her, yelling, "Let go!" But his efforts were futile. Eirisse pushed him against a wall, her captivating smile never faltering. "Shh, don't fight it. Trust me, it's lovely," she whispered seductively, her fangs gleaming as she moved closer, aiming for Xain's neck.

As Eirisse closed in on Xain's neck, his heart raced, and his mind raced with thoughts of impending doom. Desperately, he scanned the room, hoping to find something, anything, he could use to defend himself. *Is this the end?* he thought, resigned to his fate.

Just when it seemed like there was no hope, an unexpected savior arrived. In a burst of speed faster than lightning, Eirisse was kicked forcefully in the head, sending her hurtling into the storage room's wall with a loud crack. Xain let out a relieved breath as he looked up to see Lennix, still healing his injuries.

"Damn, that kick felt like it hurt me more than it did her," Lennix quipped, wincing as he held his right foot.

"That's the first time I've seen you actually land a hit on her," Xain remarked, accepting Lennix's assistance in getting back on his feet.

Lennix scratched his head, momentarily puzzled. "Wait, didn't we just go through this situation in reverse?"

"Yep, I think this is one of those moments you say something like 'now we're even,'" Xain replied with a wry smile, trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

"Well, I guess we're even?" Lennix said, unsure, as they both heard Eirisse's voice from where she had recovered.

"You two are having such a nice moment, but you do realize that did nothing, right?" Eirisse purred, rubbing the side of her head where Lennix's kick had struck her.

Lennix couldn't help but remark with a wince, "That kick definitely hurt me more than it hurt her." Despite the pain throbbing through his body, he prepared himself for another round of combat.

Xain, still trying to regain his composure after the near encounter with Eirisse's fangs, couldn't help but acknowledge her overwhelming strength. "She really is stronger than you, isn't she?" he observed as he settled into his fighting stance.

Eirisse, her wicked smile unwavering, seemed to take pleasure their futile efforts. "You both realize that there's nothing either of you can do to stop me, don't you?" Her tone oozed seduction, her confidence unshakable.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding us, sister. We suck... heh," Lennix quipped and let out a small chuckle at the unintended pun he made.

Xain chimed in, "Well, we did suck individually. Now we get to see how bad we do together.... also, that was a bad pun, man," Xain replied, cringing at the pun even as he and Lennix prepared to launch another assault on Eirisse, together this time.