Chapter 38: Blood Servants

Marquis Raynes stood amidst the swirling chaos, his laughter echoing through the chamber like a chilling wind. The three students, Ruchir, Alice, Garret, and Scholar Dwayne, watched him with a mixture of determination and dread as he unveiled his final, devastating challenge.

"Now, shall we begin the final game?" Raynes' voice carried an eerie calmness, belying the terror of his words. "You have one hour. If you cannot defeat my vessel in that time, the entire city will witness the consequences of failure."

A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers as Raynes performed intricate hand seals, invoking his Blood Realm Magic. "Blood Realm Magic: Full Blood Plethora!" he intoned. Above them, the sky darkened as a massive sphere of pulsating blood rose, casting a crimson shadow over the city. The sphere began to pulse and transform, morphing into countless blood spikes that hovered ominously in the air, each spike connected to the life force of someone in the city.

The citizens below looked up in horror, realizing their lives were now entwined with the whims of Marquis Raynes. Fear gripped the hearts of the onlookers as they understood the gravity of the situation.

Raynes turned his attention back to the students, his eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and malice. "You three little students," he sneered, gesturing dismissively, "cannot possibly exert enough pressure on my vessel. You should stay out of this."

Garret's anger flared at the condescending remark. "How dare you!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fury. "You think you can threaten an entire city and expect us to stand idly by?"

Raynes merely smiled, seemingly unfazed by Garret's outburst. With another swift series of hand seals, he enacted his next incantation. "Blood Realm Magic: Summoning Blood Servants!"

From the depths of the chamber, shadows stirred and coalesced into grotesque forms. A horde of blood-soaked figures emerged, their eyes vacant and their movements eerily synchronized. The Blood Servants stood silently, awaiting their master's command, their presence adding to the oppressive atmosphere of impending doom.

Ruchir clenched his fists, his mind racing with strategies. "We have to stop him," he muttered, his voice tinged with determination. "If we don't, countless lives will be lost."

Alice nodded grimly, her gaze fixed on Raynes. "We can't let fear paralyze us," she said, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. "We have to find a way to break through."

Scholar Dwayne, his injuries from the previous battle still throbbing, squared his shoulders. "He's using the city's inhabitants against us," he observed, his eyes narrowing in calculation. "We need a plan."

Ruchir unleashed his Calligraphy Techniques, inscribing Binding Sigils on the ground beneath the Blood Servants. The sigils glowed with a faint blue light, restraining the movements of the creatures and buying precious moments for his comrades.

Alice darted among the Blood Servants with unparalleled agility, her Wind Escape Technique allowing her to evade their attacks effortlessly. She unleashed a barrage of dagger throws, each blade finding its mark with deadly accuracy. Poison shards followed, incapacitating several servants with lethal efficiency.

Garret, fueled by righteous anger, channeled his Rock Techniques with renewed intensity. He summoned Rock Throwers to hurl massive boulders at the advancing horde, crushing several Blood Servants under their weight. Rock Shields protected him from retaliatory strikes, while Rock Spikes erupted from the ground, skewering more of the grotesque creatures.

Together, the three students fought with unwavering determination, pushing back against the tide of Marquis Raynes' malevolent magic. Each tactic, each maneuver was executed with precision born of desperation and a fierce desire to protect the innocent lives hanging in the balance.

Yet, with every Blood Servant they defeated, more seemed to emerge from the shadows, replenishing the ranks of their adversaries. The hour ticked by ominously, the pressure mounting as the city trembled under the threat of the blood spikes hovering overhead.

Raynes watched from his vantage point, his amusement growing as he observed the students' efforts. "Struggle all you want," he taunted, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "You cannot possibly save them all. Your time is running out."

But the students refused to yield to despair. With gritted teeth and unwavering resolve, they pressed onward, their determination a beacon of hope amid the encroaching darkness.

Marquis Raynes's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on Scholar Dwayne, a wicked smile playing across his lips. "Shall we begin our own little battle, Scholar?" he taunted, his voice dripping with malice.

Scholar Dwayne met Raynes's gaze with steely resolve, his injuries throbbing with each heartbeat. Despite the pain, his mind raced with strategies honed through years of training and experience. "If that's what you want," he replied evenly, his voice laced with determination.

Without another word, Raynes lunged forward with unnatural speed, his movements fluid and precise. He wielded his sword with deadly grace, each strike calculated to exploit any weakness in Scholar Dwayne's defenses.

Scholar Dwayne reacted swiftly, parrying the first blow with a resounding clash of steel. Despite the pain searing through his body, he countered with a series of swift, precise strikes of his own, aiming for Raynes's exposed flank.

The Marquis laughed, a chilling sound that echoed through the chamber. "You're stronger than you look, Scholar," he remarked, his voice a blend of amusement and disdain. "But you'll find that I am no ordinary opponent."

Their swords clashed again and again, the sound of steel ringing through the air. Scholar Dwayne's movements were deliberate and calculated, his Heavy Battle Forms infused with the determination to protect those he cared about.

Raynes, however, fought with a supernatural grace, his attacks flowing seamlessly from one form to the next. Each strike seemed designed not just to wound, but to unnerve and demoralize his opponent.

As the battle raged on, Scholar Dwayne's injuries began to take their toll. He gritted his teeth against the pain, his focus unwavering despite the odds stacked against him. Every move he made was a testament to his skill and resilience, a testament to his refusal to give in to despair.

Raynes pressed his advantage, his attacks growing more relentless with each passing moment. He aimed for Scholar Dwayne's weaknesses, exploiting every opportunity to gain the upper hand in their deadly dance.

But Scholar Dwayne, fueled by determination and a sense of duty, refused to falter. With each clash of their swords, he drew strength from his resolve to protect not just himself, but all those who depended on him.

The chamber echoed with the sound of their battle, a testament to the clash of wills and the struggle for supremacy. Scholar Dwayne knew that he had to find a way to overcome Raynes, to turn the tide of battle in their favor before it was too late.

As they circled each other, swords poised for the next exchange, Scholar Dwayne's mind raced. He knew that victory would not come easily, but he was prepared to fight with every ounce of strength he possessed.

Raynes smirked, his eyes glittering with dark amusement. "Come now, Scholar," he goaded, his voice low and taunting. "Show me what you're truly capable of."

With a silent nod, Scholar Dwayne launched himself into the fray once more, his determination burning brighter than ever.

Garret paced back and forth, frustration etched on his face as he watched the blood servants regenerate almost instantly from the wounds he and Alice inflicted. "These things just don't stay down!" he growled, kicking a loose stone across the blood-soaked ground.

Alice, her eyes narrowed in concentration, darted between strikes against the relentless blood servants. "They're resilient, all right," she agreed, her voice laced with determination. "But we can't let that stop us."

Garret shot her a sidelong glance, exasperation evident in his voice. "Easy for you to say," he retorted, wiping sweat from his brow. "You're not the one trying to smash through solid blood."

Alice smirked, a hint of challenge in her eyes. "Maybe not, but I'm certainly better at slicing through it," she quipped, her daggers flashing as she executed precise strikes.

"Ha! You think you're so clever," Garret shot back, a touch of admiration underlying his frustration. "But let's see how you handle when they're swarming all over you."

Alice rolled her eyes, her focus never wavering. "I've handled worse," she retorted, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Besides, this is just another day in the life of battling blood creatures."

Garret chuckled despite himself, the tension momentarily easing. "Yeah, just another day in paradise," he muttered, summoning another rock spike to fend off an approaching blood servant.

Ruchir furrowed his brow as he swiftly traced intricate calligraphy scripts in the air, unleashing Binding Sigils and Flame Scripts against the relentless tide of blood servants. Each stroke was precise, each script imbued with power, but still, the servants surged forward with unnatural resilience.

"We need to wrap this up fast!" Ruchir shouted over the din of battle, his voice strained with urgency. "Scholar Dwayne won't last long against Raynes alone!"

Alice, her movements fluid and precise, nodded in agreement as she expertly dodged and countered with Wind Scripts and Hidden Weapons. "He's right," she acknowledged, a flicker of concern crossing her features. "We can't afford to let this drag on."

Garret, his frustration evident, gritted his teeth as he summoned Rock Spikes and Rock Sword techniques. "Let's bring these things down!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing with determination. "We need to clear a path for Scholar Dwayne!"

As Garret's voice echoed with determination, he lunged forward with a ferocious attack, aiming to clear a path through the swarm of blood servants. His hands moved with practiced precision, conjuring Rock Spikes from the ground and wielding his Rock Sword with focused intensity.

However, in the midst of his assault, a sudden blur of movement caught him off guard. Before he could react, a massive fist slammed into his side with bone-crushing force. The impact sent Garret hurtling through the air, crashing hard into the nearby walls of the chamber.

Blood trickled from his nose and ears, mingling with the crimson stains on his clothes. Coughing violently, he struggled to rise, his body protesting the brutal blow. Pain seared through him, but he clenched his teeth, refusing to yield.

Ruchir and Alice, witnessing the unexpected turn of events, turned their attention to the blood servant responsible.

Unlike its brethren, this one stood out with more defined features and a daunting aura of strength. Alice's disbelief was palpable as she muttered, "This one's strength... it's at least Mortal Realm peak, breaking its limits thrice."

Ruchir gasped, his mind racing to assess the situation. The revelation added a new layer of urgency to their battle. They now faced not only a swarm of resilient enemies but also an elite adversary capable of feats beyond the norm.