Dawn- An Age Of Darkness

Ve was hit and I was the one who hit her. 

I caught her before she fell on the ground and slowly lied her down. "Ve…"

Her body was warm but it was going cold. My hands shivered and my breathing got erratic. 

Her blood was on me. The blood I spilled….

Red.

She was conscious but- "Sorry, they can use spatial magic, be careful." She passed out. 

With shaking hands, I pulled out that sword and tried my best to heal her. but I didn't have enough magic. 

The wound wasn't closing. 

My magic was not enough. 'Th-the elixir!'

I had one last small vile of elixir on me and though Ve was unconscious I slid it down her throat. She couldn't swallow and it barely passed her throat. 

Her breathing stabilized but she wasn't out of danger. The wound was still not fully closed and she was in a lot of pain. 

"AHHHA SA HAH AH!" The emperor just laughed: his laughter, ominous. "See, how naïve?"

I shook with rage, but I couldn't move from Ve. The vampire was just in the corner, waiting and the emperor had his sword drawn. 

I had one more high potion but I knew it wasn't going to be enough. Even so-

'What have I done?'

I wanted to feed her the high potion but I knew she wouldn't be able to take it, so I mouth fed her. 

Tears almost welled but- I controlled them. 

"How touching." The vampire almost shed a tear. 

Both of them chuckled. It was frustrating, it really was.

But- her wound was barely holding up now. 

With all that done, I stood up. 

"ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN AFFORD TO FIGHT US BOTH WHILE PROTECTING YOUR FRIEND?" The emperor showed his teeth. "AFTER ALL, ALL WILL BE OVER IF YOU WERE TO HAND OVER THE HALF GOD. I'D EVEN RESTORE YOUR FRIEND HERE. HOW ABOUT THAT?"

"You really think I'd give you anything at this point?"

Most of the mana died out. The stones stopped glowing. My time was up. But I didn't faint and I didn't fly around in rage. 

If I lost my cool now, it'd all be over and Ve's injury would have been for naught. 

I didn't feel weak, and I didn't feel any pain either. I ignored all that. 

I just glowed white. I had three pieces of mystic equipment on me. 

And all three auras covered me and meshed together. I'd gotten a ring from earl of Saram but I never got to test it out. I never needed extra mana. But- I used that too. 

Just mine and Trerortra's mana. 

I glowed. 

I glowed white. 

The mana from me spread and covered this whole area, almost like that grand spell but this one just stayed like that, not vanishing. 

"Ach!" The vampire let out a scream as it slowly started to burn.

It escaped into the emperor's shadow while Ve started being slowly healed. 

It didn't take much focus to maintain this holy field and it didn't take all that mana either. It was a weaker spell than the grand spell but it was definitely powerful. And I was just doing this subconsciously... 

"Impressive. This one indeed seems to be the strongest, my lord." Sorain said from the shadows. 

"YES. SO IT WOULD SEEM. BUT STRENGHT ISN'T EVERYTHING."

"Tell that to the weak." I focused and with a full body Imbuition, charged ahead while maintaining the holy field. 

I didn't need the spear anymore, I only focused on the sword with both my hands. My blood-stained hands.

The moment I was about to strike the emperor he brought Ve's body in front of me: teleportation. "BUT YOU DON'T LEARN"

"You really think so?" But the sword shifted and instead, a cane came out. And on top of that cane, a special holy ball formed. A powerful hot ball that forced the air around it to superheat and form plasma. 

I'd used this magic before and I knew much damage it could produce. 

I shot it- I shot it past Ve, straight at the emperor. 

It took him off guard and it was a full blast. 

Meanwhile, I caught Ve and fell back. The holy field was still active, meaning the vampire was out of the picture. 

Smoke came out from the cloak of the emperor. "IT WOULD SEEM I HAVE UNDERESTIMATED YOU MORE THAN I THOGUHT." The emperor let out a bone chilling laughter as half of his cloak burned. He threw it on the ground. From within that darkness a warrior came to light- a warrior covered in scars, stitches, bruises, and eyes. There were eyes everywhere. His skin was red: Blood red. His stitches had dark hands oozing through- souls. And all of that was on display now that he was half-naked.

"BUT ALAS, YOU SHALL DIE NOW." He laughed again and headed straight for me. He came so fast that even the sound made a boom. 

But I was holding Ve and I had to just rely on the shield. "Damn it." But I wasn't going to drop her or forsake her. It was possible the emperor could easily use her as a shield again. So, I held on to her, tight.

I still had my cane on hand and focused to make another holy ball.

Just before the impact though- something hit the emperor- an icicle. 

The emperor fell back. 

"Sorry it took a while. I got lost with all the people there." 

"Wh-what are you doing here? Run away! NOW!"

Alisa smiled. "But I can't do that. He'll find me even to the ends of hell. After all, I'd made the deal with the devil." Alisa ran my way and stood behind me. "Besides, he'd kill you guys…" She mumbled.

I gritted my teeth. "But-" I took a deep breath. "Hold Ve." And why the hell did she have to bring Biteria of all things here! "AND YOU STAND BACK!"

I didn't need my dead bunny to die again. 

Anyway- I didn't have to worry about that and with the holy field maintained, I could finally focus on just the emperor. 

But- he looked and felt different. He wasn't smiling anymore and he looked serious for once. 

His face wasn't covered and, on that face, there were just two eyes, one nose, and a mouth: awfully human. And yet- it was bone-chilling. He had no skin, no muscles on that face. I could see the bones; I could see the bugs eating his flesh. His eyes were just red balls of light. He was an undead, and the finest kind. So fine, daylight did nothing and even with the holy field activated, nothing happened. 

'Shit…'