Gil faced Maria. "They've noticed us, Maria. Shall we begin?"
"Yes. The look on that King's face is suggestive of our guaranteed victory. Besides, there are more urgent issues than this we need to attend to. According to Lord Sun, the Templars are involved in another conflict with small nations. Apparently, Vasea sought to colonize them, and they fought back. While they're distracted, we can evolve ourselves and our allies. After all, we will surely face those holy knights shortly. We did kill their leader. Even more importantly, Karem may be up to something again, and Lyra has declared war on Tiger. The latter is of immediate concern, as refugees are still coming to Tempestas, and Lyra may attack us next. Hopefully, she'll be willing to talk it out rather than simply blow Tempestas up. Karem, on the other hand, can take a backseat. If he's after the spoils of this war like you said, then we can just take all the souls before he does. That should give us the power to defeat him in battle, but Karem is a wily one. But we'll at the very least gain the strength to defeat him. As such, he'll try to avoid direct confrontations with us - not like he doesn't do that already. Still, it's a decent first step since we lack info on him. I have sent Jaco multiple times to Gustave, Karem's nation, to see if anything was happening, but so far, nothing. Anyways, those are future concerns. For now, let's worry about extracting all the souls in this area."
"Very well. How do you want to do it? Should we attack together?"
"No. I can't absorb quanta from the environment like you can, Gil. It will be a hassle to use a spell to do the job, and it will cost a lot of quanta in this case. As such, I'll be the one attacking, while the only thing you'll do is absorb the thousands of souls among us. It's much more efficient that way, as it would be a bother for you to do both tasks at once."
"That's true. Well, then, I suppose it's time to commence the slaughter. The army down below has already started to attack, either with spells or weapons."
"Indeed." Maria bit her lip and repeatedly spat out blood. The red liquid swirled around her and divided into tiny molecules. Infused with quanta, they were sharp enough to slice some things into pieces. The small blood particles fused to form a multitude of bloodred spears. There were so many of them that one soldier remarked that he had difficulty seeing the light of the sun.
Maria waved her hand, and the spears smashed down on her foes. Craters formed in the ground, deriving from the power of the impact. This was met with resistance, but it proved futile. The army was quickly being depleted of men. With each passing moment, hundreds of soldiers fell. They died either directly because of the spear or were caught up in the aftermath, a vibrant explosion that spared none. The soldiers gripped their blades, but their hands quivered. They were victims of the fear that resulted from sheer hopelessness, which tingled throughout their bodies. It broke them down until all that remained was a desire to preserve one's life. Desperate, they tried to run but instead found their life had been taken in the blink of an eye. The battalion of spears never seemed to end.
Gil had linked hands with Maria. While she focused on the killing itself, Gil absorbed all the quanta in the area. He was feeding her body and his with the power of the souls he was gradually accumulating. Their bodies radiated with the light of a bright star as they became more and more powerful.
Soon, save five individuals, the army had been massacred. Piles of lifeless bodies lay on the ground, all with an incredulous look of fear on their faces. Such a scene would invoke fear in many, for it reeked of despair, agony, and the might of unrelenting power. It was a stark reminder of the horrors of war, of what can happen when facing unimaginable power.
Gil was subjected to even more visions of the past. The lives of the hundreds of thousands of Vasea soldiers he killed filled his head. Had he been alone, without the comfort of Maria's soft but firm hand, he might have lost his sanity. The two of them had taken so many lives, the lives of those that had been deceived. Never again would the dead return to their loved ones, hug them, kiss them, goof off with them, or enjoy life with them. The hopelessness they had felt before they perished seeped into Gil's heart. He struggled to bear the misery he had caused and the combined anguish that had now penetrated his being. It threatened to overwhelm him, but it didn't.
What empowered him was his unyielding love for Maria and his promise to her. For her sake, he must move on. For her sake, he must mold the world into what she desired. He had sworn to her out of the love of his heart that he would end the great war between demons and sentinels or die trying. And so he regained his senses and fought back against his own regrets, his own doubts.
Gil's head throbbed with pain. It was so intense that he began to lose consciousness. After some time, he could not keep himself hovering in the sky. Before he plunged down, Maria caught him, caressing his hair with one hand. However, there was something peculiar about her. Were those curved horns on her head?
Maria also grew in height and, to Gil, stood at around five foot ten. Then, there was the most conspicuous change. Maria was no longer a girl. She had become a woman of otherworldly beauty. Her white hair reached past her collarbone, and her red eyes were like rubies, gleaming in the light. Her body had developed into adulthood, and her face lost the innocent youth it once had - replaced with pure serenity. Her lips were fuller, her eyes wider, ad her cheekbones narrower. Her looks were akin to that of a true goddess.
Maria kindly smiled at Gil. "I've seen you've noticed. I've become a Dracul, Gil. And it won't be long before you too evolve and become a magnetar. Your body and soul are strained from all the power you've just absorbed. The pain you're feeling is a result of the physical changes that are taking root. It was just like the last time we evolved, except this one is more painful, and yours will take some time."
Maria cradled Gil. "Relax, Gil. Our plan will be a success, and we'll be reunited with Alyyiah and the others that died. This war is over, and it was a resounding victory for us." Maria brought her lips to Gil's. "I caught a glimpse of what you saw, of the lives of those we killed. I saw your reaction to it, and it's going to be ok. We're going to change this world for the better, Gil. I swear to you that nobody will have died in vain. The ones we killed have lent their powers to us unwittingly, and we're going to use it wisely, for their sakes." As Gil lost consciousness, Maria closed his eyes and kissed his forehead. She descended to the ground and gave Gil over to Volpes, Euryale, and Nova. They were to protect Gil at all costs as they took his body back to Tempestas. Maria would handle the rest on her own.
Before the ensuing chaos, Edward III and Dwight had been escorted back into his tent by Todo and Faris. The Kings of Vargrave, Hyria, Roma, and Meron lay dead among their soldiers. Todo, Ramen, and Faris were shocked by the bloodbath they witnessed but remained calm, while Edward III and Dwight were on the verge of losing it.
"My goodness! What on earth have we just witnessed?" Edward III was heavily breathing, clinging tightly to Dwight. "How could two children have such horrifying power?"
Ramen knelt before his King. "My Lord, there is still hope yet. We may have lost the battle, but we will still win the war if we can safely escort you to Vasea."
"How on earth will we get to Vasea? Do you seriously think those monsters will allow it?"
"No, which is why we will have Faris and Todo fend them off. At the very least, they should buy us a minute, enough for me to use a teleportation spell to bring us back to Vasea. Once there, you can mobilize another force, this time granted to you by the Holy Sentinel Church, who will undoubtedly see Tempestas as an existential threat after this." This was enough to bring Edward III some solace, but he still had doubts. He had severely underestimated his foes, and it would not do to make the same blunder twice. Regardless, Ramen's plan was all he had to work with. It was all he could do if he wanted to get his vengeance. If Tempestas wiped out his military, then it would be reasonable to do the same to them.
"Very well, Ramen. We have no time to waste. Faris, Todo, keep those two occupied!" The two soldiers bowed their heads and ran out of the tent.
They found a sumptuous woman waiting for them. It had seemed that the boy had run away, which was a boon for them. It made their lives easier. Faris grinned, unsheathing his sword. He had been itching for a fight, and now he was about to clash with Tempestas's Queen. However, that excitement faded as soon as Maria unleashed her aura.
Faris was agape. He had never felt such a tremendous aura before, one that made his knees soft. The power that the vampire before him possessed was jaw-dropping. It could only be surpassed by "The Sacred Blade," who was not here. Todo gulped, taking a step back. "One minute was a luxury," he thought. "It would be a miracle if we occupied her for more than ten seconds."
"This is your only chance. Surrender, or face extermination just like the rest of your army," Maria barked. "I do hope you have enough reason to make the sensible choice."
"As if!" Faris roared. "You think I'll bow to a shitty, repugnant demon like you? Die!" To this, Maria merely smiled. Faris swung his blade with a wild grin. "We sentinels are the superior race! Don't you dare look down on us, you fucking vampire!"
Maria blocked Faris with her fingernail. She flicked her fingers, and the force was such that Faris's arm almost disconnected from his body. "For the superior race, you're very weak," Maria coldly sniggered. "Is that all you could do?"
"Of course not!" Faris pulled out another sword and injected quanta into it. As such, Maria knew it was an apparition item. Faris also augmented his body with quanta and created an array of golden spears, shooting them at Maria. They did Maria no damage, and she yanked Faris's sword from his hands and tossed it aside. Then, she decapitated him with her bare hands, licking the blood that splattered on her face.
Todo tried to move away from Edward III's camp, but Maria pinned him to the ground, deforming the earth beneath her. "I've been looking forward to meeting you, Todo. They say you're the one who barged uninvited into Tempestas and led a group of two hundred men to sack the capital. Did you know that it was named after me? Naturally, pillaging Maria city was a foolish thing to do. You're going to regret offending me, Todo."
Todo laughed. "As if the lives of demons even matter! Tenebris was given to us by God himself! Your kind is in the way. Kill me, but my majesty will still escape. Next time, you'll be at our mercy!"
Maria's lips formed a twisted grin. "Oh, don't you worry about me. Everything is going perfectly. I want to torture you relentlessly and revel in your suffering, but I can save that for later. For now..." Maria drove her fangs into Todo's neck. He squirmed as he felt his blood being manipulated, losing control of his body and his mind.
Ramen looked behind him. Ten seconds left until the spell initiated, and then they would be triumphant. However, that would not be. A negation spell overlapped with the teleportation spell and negated it. The tent was ripped open, and behind Ramen stood Todo, blade in hand.
"What are you doing?" Ramen yelled. "Have you turned traitor on us?" Then, he recalled that vampires had the power to manipulate blood. Todo was being used as a pawn. "You damm demon! I'll fucking murder you next time we meet!" Todo and Ramen faced off, and Ramen decisively won, giving Todo multiple chest wounds. He gripped his staff as he glared at the vampire before him. "So, you managed to disrupt my plan. But can you defeat me?"
"Easily," Maria chuckled. Todo took in her aura and almost collapsed. He stood no chance. But even still...
"My King!" Ramen threw him a stone. "It's a warp gem! I've inputted the coordinates to your castle! Eat it, and you'll be able to return to Vasea!"
Before the King could even put the gem in his mouth, Maria slapped him in the face and lifted the crystal. "Ah, so this is a warp gem. These are valuable treasures, and Klain has failed repeatedly to make one from scratch. Perhaps having the real thing by his side would help. But before that..." Maria lunged at Ramen, piercing his chest with her hand and removing his heart. After bursting his head with a single stomp, Maria turned her attention to the King. The Archbishop quailed behind him, completely insane.
Maria lifted the King's chin. "So you're Edward III, the current ruler of the Vasea Empire. You're comically pale. Have you realized your folly?"
The King avoided Maria's eyes. This cursed vampire had made a mockery of both him and the army he raised! To hell with her! He still had one last card up her sleeve, and images of the Stellan army razing Tempestas caused him to laugh uncontrollably. He'll have this pretty vampire chained in his castle and defile her for smacking him!
Edward III spat in Maria's face, laughing triumphantly. "I'm betting you'd love to kill me, but you know you can't. If Stella or the Holy Sentinel Church learn of it or see that I'm missing, they'll send their strongest troops to Tempestas. You don't want that scenario, do you, you bitch? I know you don't, so your only choice is to negotiate with me. You can't make a hostage either, for Stella and the Holy Sentinel Church will still send their militaries to Tempestas. How does it feel being unable to kill me, the source of your hate? The reason your people died? It feels great, doesn't it?"
Maria cackled, wiping the spit off her face. "You're right that I can't kill you. But have you forgotten that as a vampire, I can make anyone weaker than me a pawn?"
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, don't play dumb. Did you actually think that Todo had betrayed you?"
"What are you..." Pure fear opened the King's eyes. "Oh, God! God, help me!' Maria watched, captivated by Edward III's fright. She bit into his neck. Edward III tried to resist, but soon, he stopped fighting. He had become Maria's servant.
Dwight knew from Maria's eyes that he would be next. He turned around and ran, but it was futile. Maria had already sunk her fangs into him, and now he joined the ranks of his King.
With her goal accomplished, Maria draped her arms around the King, Todo, and the Archbishop and flew into the air, bustling back to Tempestas. Gil would be waiting for her, and once she arrived, the revival of the dead could begin.