Both Charlotte and I were completely and utterly exhausted. My wounds, while not the worst, had been seriously nagging at me for the duration of the trip. As a stay-at-home nerd, the most pain I was used to was stubbing my toe, this was on a different level. It was taking its toll on my mental and physical state.
Charlotte looked equally worse for wear. Having to run over a mile while carrying someone isn't an easy task. In full transparency, I'm shocked that she managed to follow through with it all the way.
In stark contrast to the two of us, Cacophony seemed to be in high spirits.
"Is he strong?"
"Well... our definitions of 'strong' might differ quite a bit..." I replied, panting between words.
"Guess you're right. I'll have to judge for myself. You and your friend should rest and get comfortable. This is my first battle in over five centuries, and I promise to make it a spectacle worth watching."
Though collapsed on the floor, Charlotte looked up at me with a certain look on her face. Uncertainty, confusion, dread, all of those sound just about right. Still, I couldn't help but think that Cacophony's words were those befitting of a glorious empress. They expressed not even a hint of worry or fear, only a radiant confidence capable of reassuring any ally.
Given that we had some time before our blue-haired friend kicked down the door, it seemed that Cacophony intended to make preparations.
As Cacophony headed into the kitchen, presumably to prepare for the impending confrontation, Charlotte finally managed to catch her breath.
"So... you wanna explain anything to me."
I can't blame Charlotte for being curious about the situation. It was my negligence that dragged her into this mess after all. My first instinct was to lie to her. It's not the most flattering option, but I also don't want knowledge of Cacophony's existence to spread. I wanted to protect the quietness that we'd experienced so far, and the newfound excitement I'd been feeling as well.
That's why it's a shame.
It's a shame that I couldn't bring myself to act so selfishly as I looked into Charlotte's eyes.
"Ah, well... As you know, I hail from the age of gods. It's only natural that I'd be acquainted with at least a few supernatural and all-powerful beings. This is one of them, Cacophony, the Vampire Empress. I would have preferred the two of you to meet under better circumstances, but there's little that I can do. And it's the natural order of things for mages and vampires to be in constant conflict, once he saw the bite marks on my neck, I should've expected that he'd attack."
Despite my honesty, Charlotte's look devolved into one of complete annoyance. Being honest wasn't exactly my strong suit, so without needing to give it a second thought, I weaved the truth within my nontruth. Back when we'd just left the school building, I managed to do without it, but that must've been due to the stress of the situation.
Coming out of the kitchen, Cacophony had a slim kitchen knife in hand. "He's not lying to you, but you can ignore all that filler that he said. I'm the Vampire Empress, Cacophony, and as such, mages from all over are going to be gunning for my head. It was only a matter of time."
Woopling from side to side, Charlotte stood up. "Hold on, all this vampire larping stuff is whatever, but do you have a plan for how to fight that guy? That knife isn't going to be enough."
Charlotte's gaze was straightforward and direct. "We should either run away or think of a plan. If anything, I can help you fight him when he gets here!"
It was clear that Charlotte was in no condition to fight. She could barely stand up straight, much less throw a punch. I also took note that while she gladly offered to put her own body on the line, she didn't seem to be entertaining the idea of me fighting alongside them.
Cacophony took a moment to think before completely shutting down her proposal. "You've got a good attitude, nice and fierce eyes too. You'd only die in vain though. How about later-"
In the middle of her sentence, Cacophony stopped in her tracks and got an idea. Marching over to me, she bent down and lifted my shirt.
"Listen, this is gonna hurt a lot."
"Huh? Wha-"
Without another word, Cacophony placed her hand on my lower back exactly where my wound was. That in itself hurt, but she wasn't finished. Using that fire spell from when we first met, she burned my flesh.
I let out a scream, the pain searing through my body. My vision blurred, but I could see Charlotte's horrified expression as she watched. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, making me want to gag.
As a child, one learns the pain of being burned, whether from touching a hot stove, an oven-fresh pan, or the bottom of an iron. Yet, in all my life, I'd never been burned—until now. This was my rude initiation.
"There, that should stop the bleeding," Cacophony said, removing her hand. She looked almost proud of her handiwork. "Now, you should be able to move a bit better."
'You should be able to move a bit better.'
How could she say something like that so nonchalantly as I lay on the verge of tears on the ground?!
I couldn't show my pain in front of Charlotte or Cacophony, so I kept my head low, gritting my teeth until the blaring pain subsided. And to be clear, it wasn't going away anytime soon.
Charlotte stood in place, awestruck and unsure of what to do. As she was about to take a step forward, she saw movement in the corner of her eye. She quickly turned her head to the front door.
Slowly, the door swung open, revealing Fang to be on the other side.
He closed the door behind him, but after walking into the house, he stopped in his tracks and covered his nose with his left hand. "What a horrible stench. It's like burning flesh."
In my drowsiness and fatigue, when my eyes weakly glanced up at his expression. I saw something that I hadn't before. Unlike his hardened and cold demeanor from before, he now looked far more docile. His cold features had eased and his aura was far more somber. Then I blinked, all at once his coldness and determination returned and the distance between us became infinite once more.
Cacophony smiled, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light. She began playing with the knife in her hand; throwing it in the air, swinging it around, and tossing it from hand to hand. All to get a solid feel for her new weapon.
Fang seemed far more tense, he didn't attack or make any sudden moves. He merely watched, just as he did back in the hallway. This time though, I could see a bead of sweat form on his forehead.
"Are you-", Before he was allowed to finish his question, Cacophony gave him the answer.
Pulling up on her top lip, she revealed her fangs. "Yup, it's exactly as you suspected. Bad luck for you, huh?"
"None in the slightest, this makes things simpler. After I beat you, I can figure out a way to deal with those two, then I'll have a perfect victory.", Fang spoke confidently as he raised his fists and got into a fighting stance. It was one that I wasn't familiar with, but I guess that fact wasn't too surprising since he's originally from China.
"I see", the brilliant shine of joy coming from Cacophony was unusual for someone about to enter a fight for their life. She raised her knife with a reversed grip and prepared to do battle. "Even back in my era, it was rare to find a mage willing to go against a vampire in one-on-one combat. I'm glad to see the youth now is more daring."
Fang's body seemed to glow in a faint blue light, he looked to be taking this more far seriously than his scuffle with me and Charlotte.
A quiet, eerie tension cloaked the room. Not a single person moved an inch.
In a blur of motion, Fang launched himself at Cacophony, his hands glowing with a fierce light. He fired off a powerful jab on Cacophony's right side. She dodged gracefully, her movements fluid and precise. She prepared her hand to swipe at Fang with her knife, but she quickly realized her mistake and corrected it by blocking.
What had she blocked? At first, I couldn't see it, but it was one of the small dragons from earlier. To my untrained eye, those small dragons moved as fast as a bullet.
Fang attempted to sneak in a strike to Cacophony's side, but she easily avoided it and moved backward, creating space between the two.
"Have come on, what are you doing? Just now, you hesitated to hit my chest and changed your trajectory to hit my side instead. What are you some prepubescent brat?"
Instead of answering her taunts, Fang's eyes darted to the ground briefly before refocusing.
Taking a deep breath, as he exhaled, Fang moved back into close-quarters combat. His movements were swift and fluid, it was to the point that whenever Cacophony would dodge an attack, another was already on the way. His speed made it so Cacophony was unable to land any solid blows with her knife, though it didn't seem like she was too worried about it.
Instead, Cacophony looked to be keenly riding the flow of the battle, not making any sudden movements to divert or change it, merely enjoying and analyzing the current state of things.
Mixed into his flurry of strikes, Fang's two small dragons would occasionally shoot at Cacophony's chest. Yes, after the third time, I was certain, they all darted toward the middle of her chest. Each time Cacophony would use the knife to block and each time it was blocked, Fang's expression looked to be strained.
The importance being placed on Cacopony's chest... If I was more calm, I might've been able to form some sort of hypothesis on the matter.
Clearly not getting anywhere, Fang jumped back and took a moment to pause. His breathing was heavy, he'd been giving this fight every ounce of effort that his body could muster. As I watched the sweat drip from his face, I saw it once again.
He didn't have the eyes of a cold monster. No, he just looked like some boy. While he had an air of maturity about him, his features were soft. He didn't look like an executioner and before when he shot his dragon at the bike, he actively chose not to attack Charlotte herself.
'I want to protect my life here'
He'd said something along those lines earlier. This isn't just about Cacophony being a vampire. He's-
Derailing my thoughts, Cacophony excitedly began monologuing.
"I've got an idea of how you operate. At first, I assumed that those two dragons were formed from some sort of spell, but they're familiars. It's a better explanation for how they phase in and out of existence. Quite the rare type of familiar, a ghost with two separate physical forms! Amazing! Where'd you find something like that?"
Wiping the sweat from his face, Fang calmed himself. "None of your business you monster."
"Not wrong there, but I've got a different question for you. This entire time, you haven't used a single spell. What, you low on power or something?"
To that question, Fang didn't answer. His two dragons swirled behind before coiled in a helix in front of his hands.
"Shaking the foundation of the world with golden gales and golden dawns, the bell of the skyward kings begs the people of the world for reverence without dues."
Oh, a chant, a classic type of preparation for a spell! For some reason, despite giving her exactly what she asked for, Cacophony looked disinterested.
She dropped the knife from her hand as she blankly gazed at Fang. "Come now, we both know that this isn't what I meant."
"-Swirling Gale."
An abundance of wind gathered at Fang's palms before firing off at incredible speeds. Propelled forward by the wind, his two dragons blasted off toward Cacophony.
Cacophony put both her arms up as a defense, but in the blink of an eye, the attack had drilled a sizeable hole through both of them.
I didn't know what happened, I only watched as blood spilled onto the floor.
How far had the attack reached? Did it pierce her chest? Could Cacophony even still fight with her arms like that? Why did it even have to go this far in the first place?
"You'll die you know. If you don't use it."
Like a booming trumpet, Cacophony's voice resounded through the room. The attack had struck her chest, but it didn't manage to make a deep wound. Even with the damage taken to her arms, Cacophony didn't make a big deal about it. The intense pain she must've been feeling didn't even manage to make her flinch for a moment.
Whenever she moved her arms, blood senselessly splatted onto the floor, yet, she still spoke calmly. "What I want to see is the technique placed on you at birth. Sorry, I don't have a clue what mages call it now."
"An inscribed spell?"
"Sounds about right. You've got one right? I mean, you're from some kind of big-shot mage family, aren't you? Use your family's secret technique or whatever, if you don't, I'll kill you without a doubt."
"You're acting real cocky for someone with a hole through both her arms."
Cacophony sighed, it seemed as though she pitied the boy in front of her. Raising her right arm, she extended her hand toward him. A deep-seated feeling of dread bombarded every cell in my body. It was a familiar, primal sensation. I'd felt it before when Cacophony and I first met.
First, it was a small red spark, but soon a evolved and grew. Crimson energy spun and swirled at her palm, masterfully weaving into something unimaginably dangerous. At her fingertips, a raging ball of searing flames readied itself.
Fang froze in place. Muttering things to himself. "That spell... it's... how do you... a woman with red hair and wielding that spell... The Vampire Empress from the stories!"
A devilish grin stretched across Cacophony's face. "So you do get it! Now, show me what you've been holding out on me!"
Even as life-threatening danger loomed in front of his eyes, Fang still looked to be apprehensive. He hung his head low, not looking at anything in particular. After a few seconds, his answer became clear. He raised his head and flared his energy.
He planned to block the attack.
Responding to his answer, Cacophony was visibly disappointed.
"It's a shame. I truly was interested in seeing what you could do."
There was still a sinking feeling in my gut, one that I couldn't shake. Even without seeing it, I felt as though I already knew what would happen if Fang took Cacophony's attack head-on. He'd be killed.
Before, I said that he was my foe, an enemy to be dealt with. I'd always barked about how as the Dark King I'd defeated countless enemies and outwitted countless more. Now, to be placed in this situation, I...
"Veri, what exactly is it that you're doing?" Cacophony's voice cut through the tension like a knife. Her crimson flames flickered in her palm, casting a deathly eerie glow in the room.
That's an amazing question. Honestly. it's one that I'd like to ask myself. I've never been the type of person to want for sappy, good endings and yet, here I stand. I'd placed myself between Cacophony and Fang. My body was shaking fiercely, I felt like at any moment I'd collapse. That day, there must have been something maddening in the air.
At that moment, I'd found myself clinging to that madness.
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of both her and Fang's gaze on me. When I looked off to the side, even Charlotte's jaw was on the floor. My mind raced, scrambling for a solution that wouldn't end in bloodshed.
"I can't let you kill him," I said, my voice trembling but resolute. "There has to be another way."
Cacophony narrowed her eyes, the flames in her hand dancing with her annoyance. "This boy attacked us, Veri. He's a threat. If we let him go, it'll cause more mages to gather in this city. Before long it'll be an all-out war. Considering that, do you think sparing him is wise?"
Fang, who had been silent, finally spoke up, "Don't think we're gonna talk our way out of this. I'm not here to negotiate with a monster!"
This guy really needs to learn when to shut up!
Ignoring Fang, I turned fully to Cacophony. I racked my brain over what my next words would be. Now, it wasn't only for Fang's sake. Now that I've overstepped my bounds, the next words out of my mouth had the potential to completely alter my relationship with Cacophony.
"That... won't happen."
"And what could possibly make you say that? He's already shown himself to harbor nothing but hostile intentions not only toward me but to anyone who associates with me. Would you like to put your friend over there in more danger? How about Jean?"
That's a solid point, what do I use as a rebuttal? Damn it, nothing's coming to mind! My mind is too messed up to come up with anything. But, I've got to say something! Talk, talk, say something, anything!
"They'll be fine. No one is gonna hurt them, I'll make sure of it."
"How so?"
"I'll... I'll convince Fang! Before he leaves this house, I'll convince him not to rat on us! And, I'll make him an ally to boot!"
Silence followed my declaration. Cacophony stared at me, her crimson flames still flickering in her hand, her expression a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. Fang, meanwhile, looked as if he had been slapped in the face with a wet fish. Charlotte seemed caught between wanting to intervene and remaining out of this dangerous exchange.
"Convince him?" Cacophony's voice dripped with incredulity. "And how, pray tell, do you plan on doing that?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Look, let me worry about all the little details. Tru-yeah, trust in me for this one."
I stuttered over the word 'trust', I mean, I didn't even trust myself.
There was another silence. The cold bloodedness in Cacophony's eyes flickered. Then, Cacophony sighed, the flames in her hand finally extinguishing. "One hour, that's all the time I'm willing to give you."
Raising his voice in protest, Fang attempted to say something. Cacophony, with her overwhelming swiftness, vanished from my sight.
"Arg!"
When I turned around in the direction of the grunt, I saw Cacophony once more. Fang's passed-out body was in her arms.
"Your hour will start the moment that he wakes up. If this is really what you want, you'd better try your very best."