[Asher's Perspective]
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The terrified screams of my comrades echoed in the chaos as the Ghouls of Achiron swarmed upon us. Their monstrous forms soared through the darkness, jaws gaping wide in an eternal scream, their deformed bodies casting nightmares upon the scene. Some had multiple heads, others none at all, yet all hungered for our flesh. We pressed on, guns drawn, lamps piercing the darkness, our desperate journey leading us toward the colossal, chained form of Alessia.
"RAHH!" Fierce's mighty roar cut through the clamor as his blade cleaved through a horde of Ghouls. Paige and I sprinted alongside him, two-headed monstrosities diving toward us, shrieking their intentions.
With practiced skill, I unleashed shadowy tendrils, ensnaring one Ghoul and crushing it. Paige, cool under pressure, tossed a grenade into the gaping maw of another two-headed horror, erasing it in a burst of blackened gore.
Amidst the chaos, I glimpsed a gruesome tableau: Ghouls snatching Necessaries out of the sky, biting heads clean off.
'Keep moving,' I thought, but my gaze was drawn to an enormous creature in the sky, a Black Reaper speeding toward us. It had two large horns, a closed mouth, and a body covered in menacing spikes.
"Shit, a Monster!" I shouted. "That's a Black Reaper! I remember from class!"
Leaping into the air, propelled by shadow tendrils, I met the Reaper head-on, unleashing tendrils with force. The Reaper hurtled to the ground, crashing onto the rocky surface.
I summoned shadow wings, suspended in the air as I surveyed the Black Reaper below. The realization hit me: I'm powerful.
The Reaper, relentless, darted towards Paige and Fierce, its roar echoing. Unfazed, Paige calmly aimed her Blood Tech assault rifle, unleashing a barrage that vanquished the Monster. They continued running, casting bewildered glances at me.
Smirking, I contemplated being the first Ascended Vampire to wield shadow wings. With no tutorial on Ascended Vampire abilities, it was trial and error.
"Holy SHIT!" I exclaimed. "I'm flying!"
Gleefully, I soared toward the towering Scorpion, my wings propelling me like a rocket.
"WOOOOOOOH!"
Six ghouls descended upon me, but I powered through, eliminating them on impact. In moments, I reached The Scorpion's colossal heel, resembling a mere flea. Gulp. I retrieved the Extractor from my hip.
The Extractor, a sizable Blood-Tech device, featured a sharp, retractable needle at its tip.
Flapping my shadow wings, I ascended, scaling The Scorpion's body past its knees and waist. At its hand, I halted.
Cautiously approaching, Extractor in hand, I pressed the device against her skin. The Extractor vibrated gently, extracting her blood into the Vessel on my hip. The Scorpion, oddly calm, fixed her eyes on the process. For a moment, our gazes seemed to lock.
"Oh shit..." I muttered, glancing at my Vessel's meter—it wasn't even halfway.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, come on..." I cursed, keeping the Extractor steady.
"What do you think you're doing?"
An impact on my shoulder sent me crashing into a boulder, and the Extractor landed beside me, its cord strung out like a serpent.
"Time to meet your end, little Vampire."
The collision with the boulder sent a shockwave of agony through my body. Groaning, I opened my eyes to a nightmarish sight – a Cursed Spirit towering over me. Sinister, pitch-black eyes glared, red horns protruded menacingly, and its jet-black skin exuded terror. A shock of white hair framed its ominous face. Instincts screamed to rise, yet the eerie gaze held me frozen for a heart-pounding moment.
It lunged forward, clawed hands extended, and I braced for the impending demise.
"RRRAGH!"
Fierce stood over me, Blood-Tech sword drawn, sweat cascading, breath heavy, his gaze fixed on the Cursed Spirit he'd beheaded.
The Spirit grew another head, laughing. "That tickled!" It tossed Fierce aside like a ragdoll, disappearing into the darkness. Fierce's scream echoed, and my heart nearly fled my chest.
Scrambling for my assault rifle, I aimed at the Cursed Spirit. It turned, black eyes locking onto me. Shots fired, but it vanished, reappearing beside me.
"You missed me!" It cackled, delivering a flying kick to my head. Again, I soared, catching myself mid-air with shadow wings.
"Whew," I exhaled. My aching shoulder suggested a break or dislocation, and pain burned at the back of my skull.
Grabbing the Extractor's flailing cord, I ascended to The Scorpion's hand. A Black Reaper ambushed me, slicing my side. Responding with a swift 360-degree swing, my Blood-Tech sword slashed its wings. It roared and plummeted.
"Can I get one second!?" I growled, stabbing the Extractor into The Scorpion's hand. Blood flowed. I huffed, ignoring my injuries.
Gazing below, I witnessed the gory chaos – Necessaries and Ascended Vampires devoured. No sight of Fierce or Paige amid the carnage. Frustration escaped in a grunt.
"I wasn't done with you!" A familiar voice emerged. The white-haired Cursed Spirit shot toward me, wings flapping.
"Again!?" I exclaimed, eyeing my filling Vessel. Above halfway now. I focused on the incoming assailant. "Fine, have it your way."
Retracting the Extractor's needle, I drew my sword, free-falling like a straight arrow. Clash ensued – sword against claws. A battle commenced, both of us pushing against each other's force, eyes locking in determination.
"That's more like it, Vampire!" The Cursed Spirit laughed. "Let's fight!"