Using his spell Claude could see what was happening in great detail, perhaps too much detail.
He could see the crimson flesh of the bloodborne, the saliva seeping out of their jagged jaws, their rough attire and the bloodthirsty excitement in their eyes. However, that wasn't what caught his attention.
The previous barrage from the city guards failed to fall any of the incoming foes, but it did riddle their forms with several holes.
Yet, something that should be celebrated didn't arouse anything other than shock for Claude. Blood seeped out of the wounds of the bloodborne for a mere moment before the blood drifted into their hands.
Half of the blood flooded back towards their wound, entering their body, and healing the injury rapidly. The other half sitting in their hands soon began to morph.
Similar to Claude's own spells, the blood was swiftly given form.
This time, the form of a weapon.
Weapons of blood soon found themselves in the hand of the bloodborne, their wounds also rapidly closing in the meantime.
Axes, hammers, swords and maces glimmered with a sanguineous glow in the hands of the Bloodborne.
It wasn't just Claude who noticed what was happening, the guards at the front also witnessed this.
Their teeth clattered as they saw the bloodborne heal of their wounds and create crimson weapons from nothing.
They had only ever seen such a thing from Claude, their emissary. And even then, he had only been shown to manipulate water, not something like blood.
A rapid patter of footsteps interrupted their thoughts as everyone soon focused on a familiar figure charging towards Bloodborne.
"Captain?!" The village guard collectively cried out in shock as they saw Peter charge at the Bloodborne.
"Don't stand there gawking!" Beside them, they heard the voice of their chief, Karl. "Throw those away for now... As useful as those weapons are, they can't deal with the bloodborne. Just use the spears those who have it, like what we used to do!"
Yet he wasn't finished with his words. "Seems that only the spears can do enough damage to harm these things..."
Gone were the fear and hesitation as the guards heard his words. They soon threw their rifles away and picked up their spears as they followed behind their Captain and Chief.
Agnes stood at the rear as she used the medicine she brought with her, ready to treat the injured. At the heart of the brawl, Peter took advantage of his foe stumbling and swung his spear at him.
Clang!
The collision caused a sound similar to metal clashing to ring out, the weapon of blood wielded by the Bloodborne was much stronger than anyone had initially expected.
Peter stumbled back feeling the aching in his wrist. Clicking his tongue, he shifted his wrist around slightly and threw himself back at his foe.
He had thought that the rotating spearhead would be sufficient to mitigate the force of the blow, but he had proven wrong. Continuing fighting like that would be a death sentence.
Throwing himself back into the fray of battle, he continued to harass his crimson adversary with a flurry of thrusts, making sure this time to not directly match it in combat.
Claude looked at the incoming battle, he recalled that Agnes and Karl had told him to stand aside for now.
They didn't want to completely rely on him to win this, they understood that the city guard still needed combat experience. And, this was a prime opportunity for that.
Nevertheless, time soon passed as Claude watched everyone continuously battle. He noticed their fatigue, a situation eerily similar to his battle in the cathedral. Yet, unlike in the past he now had the power to prevent any deaths from his side.
However, he couldn't go using his typical way of casting his water orb spell. If he fired a single orb, the blunt damage it would induce would only be enough to injure one of the enemies.
Using several smaller orbs would also prove useless as the wounds they would induce are similar to the bullets used by the guards. Therefore, they wouldn't achieve any considerable damage.
He needed to find a way to deal with all of the enemies at once without directly causing them to bleed, which would only serve to help them.
Thankfully, for Claude, these years of studying hadn't gone to waste.
Using his mental power, Claude began to manipulate the mist around him. He focused intently, feeling the energy flow through his mind and into the surrounding air.
The mist responded to his will, swirling and coalescing into a massive sphere of dense vapour.
Hiss!
A soft hiss escaped from the sphere as it gradually increased in temperature. The mist began to shimmer, the heat within it intensifying.
Claude's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Get back!" He shouted, making everyone disengage from their foes and retreat steadily.
Woosh!
With a swift motion, Claude directed the ball of scalding mist towards the group of enemies. The sphere shot forward with blinding speed, leaving a trail of steam in its wake.
Boom!
An explosion ensued as the sphere made contact with the bloodborne. The mist erupted, releasing a wave of scalding heat that enveloped the enemies. Their crimson skin began to glow as the intense heat seared their flesh.
The weapons in their hands, forged from their blood, evaporated in the blistering heat. The bloodborne screamed in agony, their bodies writhing as the mist continued to burn them.
The city guard, who had been watching in tense anticipation, relaxed and cheered as they saw the devastating effect of Claude's attack. The threat that had loomed over their city was being destroyed before their eyes.
"What was all that?!" Peter who now stood beside Claude, had his eyes wide with awe. He could hardly believe the power his friend had just displayed.
"Just consider it a gift from the Gods." Claude waved his hand dismissively, though there was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. Peter, however, took his words seriously, and his respect for Claude grew even more.
"Oh? One survived?" Claude's gaze shifted to a figure that was slowly rising from the pile of fallen bloodborne. This one had eyes reddened with rage, matching the colour of its skin.
"Sorry about this." With those words, Claude created a plume of boiling steam. This time, he didn't simply fire it at his foe. Instead, he forced the scalding steam into the bloodborne's roaring maw.
The creature's eyes widened in horror as the steam seared through its respiratory system. It clawed frantically at its throat, trying to expel the burning vapour.
Thud!
With a resounding thud, the creature tumbled to the ground. The soft hissing of steam escaped its lifeless form, signalling the end of its suffering.
'Interesting... This one died much faster than the others, is it due to it already being injured? Or are these creatures' internal organs more vulnerable than I initially thought...?'
"Peter! Claude!"
A shout echoed from behind him. Turning his head, he saw Agnes and Karl jogging over, their faces a mix of relief and concern.
"These weapons still weren't enough?" Karl's face was etched with frustration as he recalled the new weapons they had uncovered in the ruins. They had hoped these would be their salvation against the bloodborne, but they had proven ineffective.
"I'll try to think of a way to modify the weapons to better deal with the bloodborne." Seeing Karl's anxiety, Claude offered a comforting smile. However, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
'Why do these weapons seem tailor-made to deal with humans…?' He shook his head, trying to dispel the troubling notion.
"Thank you." Karl scratched the back of his head, his expression softening. "Honestly, Claude… We wouldn't know what to do without you."
A heavy silence hung in the air after he finished speaking. His words prompted all of them to remember what Claude had told them mere moments ago.
That… he would be leaving.