Reina who was facing a mage of the Storm Hornets found out that he was not alone. Just as she prepared to launch her attack, a mercenary wielding a claymore sword stepped forward. Kilo had instructed the mages before the battle to always have a swordsman at their side for protection and assistance. As Reina assessed the situation, she understood that this confrontation would be far more complicated than she had hoped; she was now facing two opponents.
"Are you so weak that you need somebody else to protect you?" Reina taunted, her voice dripping with disdain. "Fight me like a man you coward" Her intention was clear: to provoke the mage into a fit of rage, hoping that anger would cloud his judgment and lead him to attack recklessly. She wanted to first attack his mind first before she engaged him physically.
However, the mage remained unfazed, his expression hardening. "Humph, tough talk coming from an old hag," he retorted, a smirk playing on his lips.
Reina smiled while looking at the mage "I am going to take my time killing you human". With that, she cracked her fingers, readying herself to advance. But the swordsman, clearly impatient, didn't wait for her to make the first move. He gripped his claymore tightly with both hands and swung it down vertically with all his might.
Reina, however, was quick on her feet and dodged the attack effortlessly. The swordsman clicked his teeth in frustration, disappointed that this would not be the easy kill he had anticipated. Keeping his focus on Reina, he screamed at the mage beside him, "Are you not going to help me kill the leech?"
The mage then held out his staff and pointed it towards Reina's direction, the orb that was attached to the tip of his staff started to glow "Fool! I was waiting for the right moment to strike" he declared, his voice filled with malice. With a swift incantation, he conjured five sharply pointed rocks that levitated menacingly above his head, poised and ready for his command.
"Well, the fact that she dodged my attack so easily mean that she is no ordinary vampire and I don't want her to tire me out just yet" The swordsman said while feeling the sweat dripping down his back.
Reina was impressed by the swordsman intuition "You are correct I am not an ordinary vampire" With that, she surged forward with blinding speed, her movements a blur.
"Razor Slash!" the swordsman shouted, unleashing an air-cutting attack aimed at Reina. But she vanished from his sight, reappearing at his left side in an instant. She was about to kill the swordsman in one strike but she felt incoming danger at that moment. The five sharp pointed rocks cut through the air, flying towards her direction.
"Shit" she cursed inwardly. She wanted to quickly kill the swordsman but did not expect the mage to act so hastily. As the sharp, pointed rocks sliced through the air toward her, she managed to narrowly dodge four of them, but the last rock pierced her left shoulder, pain shooting through her body.
"Razor Thrust!" the swordsman shouted, seizing the opportunity to follow up while Reina was momentarily distracted. Reina saw the swordsman's attack coming from a mile away and she had a subtle smirk on her face. The swordsman aimed for her heart but she shifted her body just in time, allowing the sword to pierce her chest instead.
"Die!" the swordsman shouted triumphantly, believing victory was finally within his grasp. His weapon drove into her flesh, blood dripping from the tip of the blade.
"Hehehe, you should have aimed for the head," Reina taunted, her grip suddenly tightening around the swordsman's arm.
The swordsman struggled to rip his sword from Reina's chest, but quickly realized it was impossible. He looked down to see her grip tightly around his arm, holding him in place as if he were a fly trapped in the web of a black widow spider.
"So this was your plan all along, huh?" he breathed, a grim acceptance settling in. He had come prepared for death, knowing the risks involved in facing a vampire of her Caliber.
"Unfortunately, I had to let you believe you were going to win," Reina replied, her voice calm and measured. "It was the only way to get you close to me. With your back to your ally, it'll be difficult for him to strike without risking your life in the process."
As she spoke, her nails elongated "Now die human"
To her surprise, the swordsman began to chuckle, a low, sinister laugh that sent chills down her spine. "Hehehehe."
Reina raised an eyebrow, puzzled by his laughter. "Why are you laughing, human?" she questioned, suspicion creeping into her tone.
"Well, you see, old hag," he spat, "this was also part of our plan."
Reina was then startled, she looked behind him and saw that the mage had created a huge sharply pointed rock that was floating in the air. This rock was large enough to pierce through both their bodies.
However, she had a grin on her face "This is no life-threatening matter for me, but I want to look into your eyes as you lose hope. You are probably thinking that your suicide plot will have meaning to this war, but it will just all be in vain."
The swordsman then started to panic "Mage, kill us both quickly, she is up to something"
The mage, concentrating fiercely, poured a significant amount of mana into the rock, imbuing it with both strength and speed. He then pointed the magic staff towards Reina and the swordsman. The orb on the tip of the staff glowed and the rock hurtled towards them, ready to rip both of them apart.
The swordsman quickly looked behind him and saw the rock coming towards them and he turned his head back to look at Reina, desperation creeping into his voice. "Yes, the rock is coming. It's too late for you to escape"
Reina maintained a calm expression, her demeanor unwavering. "I am not planning to," she replied coolly. Sweat began to bead on the swordsman's forehead; he sensed that something was amiss. "What are you planning, leech?" he demanded, anxiety tightening his chest.
He looked behind him again and saw the rock was near them. He then closed his eyes, waiting for the rock to kill them both.
However, instead of the rock hitting their flesh, he heard the rock clashing with steel. He opened his eyes, looking straight at Reina, her face was in ecstasy "What the hell?". He once again looked back over his shoulder and saw somebody block the huge rock with his shield.
"No, it's not possible" the mage could not believe that the vampire manages to block this attack.
To his shock, a figure had stepped in to block the massive rock with a shield. It was the vampire knight Paul, his expression fierce as he prevented the projectile from reaching its intended target. "Mage, you will die for this transgression," Paul declared, his voice resolute. With a swift motion, he swung his sword, shattering the rock into thousands of glittering pieces.
"No, no. This is not real!" The swordsman's face contorted in disbelief. As he turned his head, he was met with the fierce gaze of another woman standing beside Reina. It was Helen, her eyes burning with fury. "You planned to kill my sister," she accused, her voice steady and cold.
He then looked at Reina with fear "This is exactly what I wanted to see. You realise it now that your efforts were in vain"
Helen was getting impatient "Now sister?"
"Go ahead"
"Wait!" Just as the swordsman was about to plead for mercy, Helen's sword thrust straight through his mouth, silencing his cries for help.
The mage, witnessing the swift execution, quickly conjured more sharply pointed rocks, launching them toward Paul. But the knight stood firm, blocking each projectile with his shield as he advanced toward his enemy. "Shit, I'm almost out of mana. I have to find a way to escape," the mage thought desperately.
"Rock Wall!" the mage shouted, creating a huge wall of rock to block the vampire's field of vision. He then used this chance to run away but Paul was already standing in his way "Shit, how did he know". He then tried to turn around but he bumped straight into Reina who was standing behind him.
"Oh my, look how the tables have turned," she said with a mocking smile. "It was two against one, but now it's three against one."
"Please, spare me" The mage begged for his life.
Reina stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck as she leaned in to whisper softly in his ear, "Shhh. You shot me through my shoulder, and it hurts. How are you going to make that up to me?
"I will do anything you want, please do not hurt me" the mage said with a trembling voice.
Suddenly, a loud, booming voice echoed across Crimson land, as if amplified by a microphone. "Crimsons! Hear my voice! I have some grave news that I forgot to tell you all. Leonidas Crimson is dead!! I killed him—more specifically, I poisoned him. Think about it: you all know he traveled with me a few weeks ago, but here I am, the cause of this war, and where is he? Your lord. It's because I sent him to hell. Long live the Flame King! Hahahahaha!"
Decker announced, revelling in the moment as he looked down from the castle. The expressions of shock and despair on the faces of the Crimson family brought him immense joy. This was the culmination of decades of planning, finally coming to fruition.
Reina could hardly fathom the words she had just heard. "Is this true?" she demanded, her voice sharp and filled with urgency.
The mage remained silent, paralyzed by fear. In a swift motion, she grabbed the back of his head, her nails digging in as she tried to pierce his skull. "Is this true?! Is our Lord Leonidas dead?"
"Un… Unfortunately, yes," the mage stammered, his voice trembling.
"How did you kill him? How?!" Her eyes glowed a fierce crimson red, brimming with fury.
"Like Lord Decker said, he poisoned your lord with the venom of a werewolf lord, but… but I wasn't there. Our boss confirmed it all," he explained, desperation creeping into his tone
"I am Sorr…"
Before the mage could finish his sentence, Reina snapped his neck in a fit of rage, the sound echoing in the tense air.
"This is bad," she muttered, her gaze shifting toward the castle, the weight of the news settling heavily upon her.