Chapter 74

Xain found himself submerged in an endless darkness, devoid of sight or sound. The only sensations he could grasp were the rhythmic beats of his heart and the echo of his inner thoughts. *Where am I?* he questioned, grappling with the disorienting void that surrounded him. *Am I dead?* The looming threat of the fountain's mechanism crushing them all flashed through his mind.

As he floated in this seemingly eternal abyss, a question lingered, *Is this the afterlife? Just a complete void?* Despite the uncertainty, Xain's thoughts roamed in the darkness, unable to discern any visual cues. *I hope the others are still alive,* he pondered, recognizing that his own demise might be more expected than for the others. Xain had always viewed himself as unremarkable—a mere thief with anger issues.

*I guess this is the rest of forever. Stuck in the void,* he mused. Despite the unsettling nature of the situation, Xain's indifference prevailed. The concept of an afterlife had been alien to him until recently, and if this were it, a perpetual void, he seemed oddly accepting of the idea.

**Back to Vitoria**

Victoria, staff aimed at Eirisse, mentally invoked *DS Module 1 Dragon's Bolt*. A symbol near the bottom of her staff vanished, unleashing a searing bolt of fire. It streaked towards Eirisse, but the vampire swiftly disappeared, leaving the fiery projectile to scorch the spot she once occupied. In an instant, Eirisse materialized right in front of Victoria, her claws ready to rip her open.

As Eirisse lunged, Victoria's fluffy hat radiated a protective glow. A translucent pink shield materialized, repelling Eirisse as her claws met the magical barrier. Undeterred, Victoria reset her focus, her staff once again pointed at the vampire. *DS Module 1*, she invoked, and another symbol vanished from her staff. A close-range burst of fire shot forth, yet Eirisse disappeared again. The fiery bolt, struck a random building as Eirisse reappeared behind Victoria's bewildered militia members, claws ready to strike once more. The militia, struggling to comprehend the chaotic spectacle, were unprepared for the impending danger.

Eirisse moved with supernatural speed and grace, slashing through a dozen militia members in the blink of an eye. The unfortunate members were helpless, far too slow to react as she tore through them with ruthless efficiency. Limbs were severed, bodies disemboweled, and heads decapitated in a gruesome display. Blood and body parts sprayed and flew in a chaotic dance of violence.

Larkin, witnessing the carnage, gaped in utter surprise and shock. *What the fuck happened down there!? Did she ascend?* he pondered, realizing that the situation had escalated beyond anything he could fathom. The power Eirisse displayed was leagues above his understanding, leaving him feeling helpless and outmatched. However, amidst the horror, another pressing thought took hold. *What happened to the others? Where are they?* he wondered, his eyes darting towards the sinkhole.

"Maybe if I..." he mumbled, using his remaining mana to enhance his vision. Focusing his energy, Larkin's eyes glowed briefly as he heightened his senses. While his enhanced vision couldn't discern details or penetrate dense objects, it provided a basic outline of shapes. Squinting and peering towards the sinkhole, he hoped to spot any movement or signs of life beneath the rubble.

Meanwhile, amidst the grim spectacle of her fallen men, Victoria succumbed to a maelstrom of rage. She mentally invoked *DS Module 4 Dragon's Might!*—a drastic leap from Module 1 to 4—as another symbol vanished from her staff, this time closer to its top. The staff and Victoria herself ignited with a fiery aura, signifying the unleashed power of the Dragon's Might.

Fueled by this magical strength, Victoria propelled herself towards Eirisse, who nonchalantly discarded a severed head. As Eirisse aimed her deadly claws at Victoria, she evaded the deadly swipe, matching Eirisse's speed. Seizing the moment, Victoria swung her staff in the style of a blunt weapon.

Eirisse, anticipating the attack, gracefully dodged the swing. She retaliated by attempting to dig her lethal claws into Victoria. However, instead of evading the impending assault, Victoria swung her staff once again. The familiar translucent pink shield enveloped her, effectively blocking Eirisse's attack.

As Victoria's attack was about to connect, Eirisse raised her hand to block it. However, despite Eirisse's attempt to ward off the blow, Victoria's swing launched her into a building. A deafening crash ensued as the walls shattered, and the building collapsed on top of Eirisse.

The remaining militia members cheered as their mayor sent the vampire flying. However, Victoria, on the other hand, quickly assessed the situation and exclaimed, "It's not over yet! All of you, get out of here as fast as possible!" Unfortunately, before the militia members could react, pieces of debris came hurtling toward them at supersonic speeds, killing most of them in an instant. The deadly attack originated from the building where Eirisse had been launched into.

Nonchalantly walking out from the wreckage, Eirisse, for the first time since crawling out of the ritual site, locked eyes with Victoria and uttered, "I should have killed you when I took over this town." Victoria's rage-filled gaze met hers as she retorted, "And I should have killed you when I first saw you."

Without wasting a moment, Victoria aimed her staff at Eirisse again and mentally invoked *DS Module 3 Dragon's Breath*. Another symbol vanished from her staff, located in the middle. Blue flames erupted from the top of her staff, resembling the fiery breath of a dragon, and shot toward Eirisse in a cone. Eirisse leaped above the flames, redirecting herself toward Victoria. In response, Victoria adjusted the aim of her staff, but Eirisse, displaying her supernatural agility, twisted her body midair to dodge the assault. Landing gracefully on a building's wall, Eirisse pushed off, destroying the structure in the process, and slashed at Victoria once more.

This time, Victoria's fluffy hat protected her, conjuring the translucent pink shield. However, after blocking Eirisse's attack, the hat ceased glowing, and Victoria realized, *It's out of power.*

Eirisse, noticing the hat stop glowing, slashed her claws toward Victoria's neck, aiming to decapitate her. Victoria, too slow to dodge, closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impending death. In her final thoughts, she apologized, *Sorry, everyone, for failing you.* However, the lethal attack never came. Confused, Victoria opened her eyes to find Eirisse's right claws inches away from her face. Eirisse wore a struggling expression, as if someone were restraining her movements.

Victoria soon realized who was responsible for this intervention, and a voice from behind her confirmed it, "How dare you try to harm our mayor, you pretender scum!" Startled, Victoria turned around to see Kaden in the sinkhole, extending his hand toward Eirisse with an angry look on his bleeding face. Beside him, Larkin stood, huffing in exhaustion.