Chapter 79

Eirisse sensed her little brother's presence as the shadow tree erupted, and her undead heart stirred at the sight of him mostly healed. Lennix, however, still bore visible wounds, his body marred by burns, and his leg reduced to bone, with muscle tissue slowly regenerating. Yet, Eirisse couldn't fully savor the moment, as the black knight wasted no time. Charging at her with a greatsword made of shadows, he swung at Eirisse, who effortlessly vanished, now considerably faster than their previous encounter down in the ritual site. The black knight's swing shattered a portion of the cobbled road as it missed its mark.

"Can you not let me appreciate my little brother, you mongrel!" Eirisse spat, her tone dripping with disdain. The black knight retorted, "Don't act like you care for him, monster," as he unleashed another horizontal swing with his shadowy greatsword. Eirisse gracefully backstepped, effortlessly evading the attack.

Meanwhile, Xain struggled to hold back his revulsion as he witnessed the grotesque aftermath of Eirisse's brutality upon the militia members. The torn and mangled bodies tested his stomach's fortitude, and he clamped a hand over his mouth to stave off the urge to vomit. While familiar with death, he had never before confronted such grisly scenes.

Mari, too, fought against waves of nausea from the graphic display of violence before her. Desiring nothing more than the comfort of her mother's embrace, Mari found herself restrained by Lennix, denying her the solace she sought. Lennix's cold hands kept her in check, withholding the warmth of her mother's love.

Ercale, unfazed by the carnage, surveyed the scene, extending his hand towards Eirisse. With a calculated move, he unleashed a bolt of lightning, fully aware that Eirisse possessed the agility to dodge it effortlessly. Karin, eyes filled with fear, watched the battle unfold, knowing that if Eirisse fed on Almer, there would be nothing preventing her from turning her attention to Karin if she emerged victorious.

Zee, indifferent to the unfamiliar bodies strewn about, was relieved that Larkin was unharmed, especially after Xain had informed her about using him as a distraction. Clarissa, wanted to join the battle, but recognized the pointlessness of engaging Eirisse in her current state. The vampire's strength was not to be underestimated, and facing her now would be tantamount to suicide.

As the lightning bolt streaked toward Eirisse, she effortlessly sidestepped it, regarding Ercale with a piercing glare. "You certainly look better now, no longer broken," Ercale remarked, earning him an irritated stare from Eirisse. "Do you still think I'm too pathetic to use the artifact, thief?" she challenged, dodging another swing from the black knight.

"Yes, Violet would never waste her time with someone like you. She'd probably push it onto Deldrach now that I think about it," Ercale continued, his words seemingly lost on Eirisse, who cared little for the details. Her focus was solely on reclaiming the artifact and not disappointing her master.

Eirisse charged at Ercale, her intent clear, but Ercale, unmoved, raised his hands and conjured a protective barrier of crackling lightning. Eirisse halted just before colliding with the barrier. "You're going to be as annoying as her, aren't you?" she sneered. Meanwhile, Amara seized the opportunity and unleashed torrents of flame toward Eirisse, who skillfully evaded the fiery assault.

"Don't forget about me, vampire," Amara taunted. Eirisse scoffed, "How could I forget you?" as the black knight swung his greatsword once again, renewing the relentless assault.

Victoria, though momentarily distracted by the colossal shadow tree dominating her town, quickly snapped back to the battle. Despite the odds stacked against her, Eirisse held her ground. Victoria was about to join the fray when she remembered Kaden.

"Kaden!" she exclaimed, rushing towards the building he had collided with. There, she found him slumped over in pain but still clinging to consciousness. "Kaden! Can you hear me?" Victoria asked urgently. In response, Kaden slowly looked up at her and mumbled, "I... can... Mayor Victoria."

Without wasting a moment, Victoria delved into her bag, retrieving two glass bottles resembling elixirs or potions—one green and the other red. "Here, drink the red one first," Victoria instructed, gently opening his mouth and carefully pouring the contents of the red potion. Gradually, Kaden's breathing became less ragged, and the pain that gripped his body and bones began to numb.

"Does that feel better?" Victoria inquired, concern etched across her face, as Kaden nodded in response.

Victoria sighed in relief, saying, "Okay, now drink the green one." Once again, she gently opened Kaden's mouth and poured in the contents of the green potion. As the green elixir took effect, Kaden's complexion improved, and he felt a surge of strength and energy returning. The mana inside his body sped up, replenishing at a faster rate, allowing him to stand up.

"Looks like it worked," Victoria remarked, and Kaden, now revitalized, responded, "Thank you, Mayor Victoria. Now it's time to put that piece of scum into the ground." He was ready to charge into the fight against Eirisse, but Victoria halted him by placing her arm on his stomach.

"Don't. I need you to do something else rather than just attack her," Victoria instructed. Kaden inquired, "What do you require me to do, Mayor Victoria?" Victoria looked at her staff, contemplating her strategy.

"Do everything in your power to hold her still. Don't allow her to move. I'm going to use something I can only do once," she explained, outlining her plan to confront Eirisse with a unique and decisive move.

Ercale unleashed another lightning bolt, accompanied by a surge of electricity from the ground beneath Eirisse. With nimble movements, she evaded both attacks. Simultaneously, Amara hurled two fireballs at her, but Eirisse deftly avoided both the projectiles and the ensuing explosions after they impacted the cobbled road.

Undeterred by Eirisse's evasiveness, the black knight intensified the assault. His greatsword cleaved through the air with a horizontal slash, a diagonal follow-up, and a vertical finisher. Yet, Eirisse, seemingly anticipating each move, elegantly sidestepped, ducked, and twirled to avoid the razor-sharp strikes.

In response, Eirisse seized the opportunity after dodging the vertical swing, swiftly countering with an upward slash using her razor-sharp claws on her left hand. The black knight, armed with his massive greatsword, blocked the attack, but the sheer force of the clash forced him to slide backward, leaving faint trails on the cobbled ground.

"All of you sure are relentless, though it's not like this is the first time I'm surrounded by people while mostly naked," Eirisse provocatively taunted, her words laced with a blend of mockery and confidence.

Eirisse, in a swift and strategic move, drew a bit of her own blood and scattered it around the area. The blood burst into red-hot flames, forcing the black knight to step back, Ercale to reinforce his lightning barrier, and Amara to fortify her fire shield. Seizing this distraction, Eirisse leaped out from the midst of her opponents to create some space for herself, her eyes fixated on Xain.

*Could use a refill,* she thought, focusing on her impending target. *You'll certainly do,* she pondered, eyeing Xain, who seemed vulnerable amidst the group of adversaries. As the people surrounding him were the weakest of the bunch, including her little brother, reaching Xain wouldn't be too challenging. Eirisse launched herself toward Xain, intending to capitalize on the perceived vulnerability, but suddenly felt an immense force and crashed to the ground, as if several dozen tons were pressing down on her. She turned to see Kaden, both hands extended towards her, employing his gravity magic to hold her in place.

"You insufferable little..." Eirisse muttered with annoyance as she attempted to shift, managing a slight movement. However, Kaden responded by exerting even more force, unyielding to the potential consequences of Mana Exhaustion; his focus remained steadfast on making his plan as the mayor succeed. As Kaden continued to press her down, Eirisse's movements were severely restricted.

Observing this opportunity, Victoria swiftly approached Eirisse, her mind invoking *DS Module 6 Dragon's Requiem!* The symbol on the very top of her staff vanished, and from its apex emerged a radiant and translucent giant dragon. This ethereal creature, crafted from ethereal blue flames, manifested in a regal form. Its scales, translucent and defined, covered its body in an intricate pattern, gleaming like pure sapphire. The expansive wings, adorned with delicate latticework, extended with formidable grace. The head, crowned with curved horns, featured radiant eyes burning with an intense, otherworldly brilliance. The tail, sinuous and luminescent, left trails of ethereal flames in its wake. As it glared down at Eirisse.