"Mistress, look out!"
Carmilla moved swiftly, using her enhanced speed to shove Nisha out of harm's way. The beam sliced through the air where Nisha had been standing, missing her but catching Carmilla instead.
The blast struck her right shoulder, obliterating it entirely and severing her right arm from her body.
Though startled by the attack, Nisha quickly confirmed that Carmilla was still alive. Without hesitation, she refocused on her spell, sending her blood lances hurtling toward Commander Zaman. But in the brief moment she'd taken to ensure Carmilla's safety, Zaman had freed himself from Carmilla's whip and evaded the spell's impact.
Nisha clicked her tongue in irritation and cast another healing spell. "[Transfusion]."
As Carmilla's severed arm reattached seamlessly, Nisha shifted her attention to the origin of the attack.
A young man came sprinting up from the street below and leapt onto the palace wall, a massive Tynamo Cannon in his hands.
Commander Zaman didn't take his eyes off the vampires but addressed the newcomer in a stern tone. "You're late. This is why I told you to stay inside the palace."
"Sorry about that, but I'm here now." Sol replied, flashing an apologetic smile. He could tell Zaman was annoyed, after all, he'd explicitly been ordered not to leave the palace, but he had disregarded those instructions following his meeting with the Saintess.
Meanwhile, Amber, who had accompanied Sol, remained below. She moved silently through the shadows, taking down vampires one by one with her pseudo law technique. Their enhanced senses and abilities meant nothing if they couldn't see her attacks coming.
Carmilla eyed Sol warily. "We accounted for all the A-Rankers in the city, including the five in the Royal Shadows. Did you ascend recently?"
Sol didn't answer. Instead, he aimed the Tynamo Cannon at her and fired again. The void beam streaked toward her, but Carmilla blurred as she sidestepped with ease. Alarm flickered across Sol's face; her speed was incredible, almost beyond his ability to track.
"The blood moon is enhancing all their attributes." Zaman warned. "Brute force alone won't work here."
Sol tilted his head up, studying the crimson moon. "So that's why they're this strong?"
Until now, he'd assumed the blood moon merely shielded the vampires from the sun. Its amplifying effects hadn't been apparent to him because most vampires he encountered were far too weak for him to notice the difference.
'If the moon is the problem, then maybe…'
An idea sparked in Sol's mind. He raised his hand, and shadows surged upwards, swirling into a storm as he activated the special ability of [Umbral Domain]: Symphony of the Night.
Carmilla narrowed her eyes at the shift in the atmosphere. "What's he doing?"
Nisha's attention snapped to the growing phenomenon above them. The Blood Reign pulsed ominously in her hand, reacting to the interference. "He's trying to tamper with the blood moon!"
Above, a second moon began to form, this one entirely composed of shadows. The battlefield darkened further as the eerie glow of the blood moon was consumed by this new presence. The vampires felt the shift immediately; their enhanced strength and speed began to wane.
"Oh no, you don't!" Nisha shouted, channeling more power into the Blood Reign. The artifact glowed fiercely as a red beam shot forth, colliding with the shadow moon and dispersing it.
Sol frowned. His attempt had been countered. 'I need something stronger than [Umbral Domain]. I didn't want to burn skill levels, but if that's the only way to even the playing field…'
"Commander, can you hold them off? I need more time to try again."
"Easier said than done, but I'll do what I can." Zaman replied, stepping in front of Sol. He knew the risk; one mistake could cost him his life. But if Sol could neutralize the blood moon, their chances of victory would soar.
"You think we'll let you?" Carmilla sneered, lashing her whip toward Sol.
Before the whip could strike, a figure leapt onto the wall, a woman with sharp brown hair tied in a ponytail, her royal knight armor gleaming under the distorted moonlight. She wielded a spear with an air of mastery that rivaled even Zaman's halberd.
"Itaya." Zaman said, surprise coloring his voice. "You're here."
Itaya, who had placed second in the Knight Selection and was also an A-Ranker, landed gracefully beside them. She assessed the situation with calm precision. "I've finished on my end. I'm here to help."
"Good." Zaman replied curtly. "Stay sharp. These two aren't ordinary vampires."
Carmilla grinned wickedly. "Good! This will be fun to watch!"
As Zaman and Itaya charged the vampires, Sol expanded [Umbral Domain], pushing the limits of [Lesser Channel Control]. The technique burned through his skill levels, but he managed to perform it faster than before.
The battlefield erupted in chaos as the four clashed. Zaman intercepted countless attacks aimed at Sol, skillfully protecting him. Itaya, meanwhile, went on the offensive, targeting Nisha to disrupt her spellcasting. Though Nisha managed to cast some spells, Itaya prevented at least half from being completed.
"Don't let him stop me!" Nisha growled, her anger clearly showing. She raised the Blood Reign, readying another counter to the shadow moon's resurgence. But just as Zaman and Itaya pressed their attack, a shocking twist unfolded.
Itaya's spear, mid thrust, suddenly turned, not toward Nisha, but toward Zaman.
Caught off guard, Zaman couldn't react in time. The spear pierced through his stomach, the force driving blood from his mouth. He staggered back, looking at her in stunned disbelief.
"Itaya… why?" he choked out.
Retrieving her spear, Itaya let him collapse to the ground. Her gaze was cold, unfeeling.
"I obey my Mistress's will."
Zaman's eyes widened as he pieced everything together. Not only had she been a thrall the entire time, but she had also been secretly sabotaging them from the very beginning. From leaking information to planting fake evidence and even destroying the nullification array that allowed magic to be cast within the palace walls, it was her all along.
He had tried to investigate her before, but with the Royal Shadows refusing to cooperate, his inquiries had led nowhere. Now, he was paying the ultimate price for failing to keep a closer eye on her.
Carmilla laughed as she lashed her whip toward Sol, who was still focused on ascending the skill. Nisha followed up as well with her own blood magic, creating a blood skewer and launching it his way.
'No! I'm so close!' Sol's face paled as he spotted the incoming whip. He realized that evading it would mean losing all his progress in expanding the tether. But just as he prepared to dodge, Zaman hurled his halberd with the last of his strength. The weapon collided with Carmilla's whip mid air, entangling it and causing its trajectory to change, colliding straight into the blood skewer. Even in his heavily wounded state, he managed to perfectly throw his halberd in a way that it blocked both their attacks.
Itaya frowned at Zaman's interference and lunged at him with her spear to finish him off. However, the resourceful Commander caught the spear with his bare hand, forcing it slightly off its trajectory. The action utterly destroyed his right hand, but it bought him a few more precious moments of life.
"[Blood Skewer]!" Nisha incanted, launching a deadly spell toward Sol.
But it was already too late.
[Comprehended law technique [World of Shadows] Lv 1!]