"Silver … Strike!"
BANG! BANG!
"This is fun, Sable! We make a good team," Elsa exclaims, her lips curling into a wide grin as her rifle rests confidently on her shoulder. The vampires ahead didn't stand a chance—as their heads exploded, torsos bisected, and bodies turned to dust by the silver strikes.
Sable couldn't deny the truth in Elsa's words. Their dynamic worked flawlessly: Elsa charged forward, drawing the enemies' attention, while Sable strategically took them down with her precise silver strikes. In the tight, winding passageways leading to the basement, this tactic was practically unbeatable.
Sable has also come to realize that Elsa is far from ordinary, especially after witnessing her recover from multiple gunshot wounds.
"If it weren't for that nagging old man in my head, this would be so much more fun," Sable grumbles, frustrated as she swings the sword.
Elsa chuckles knowingly. "I hear you … My father's the same way. Always nagging, always pointing out every little mistake—even in the middle of a hunt." Her wry smile softens at the end.
An awkward silence settles between them as they move forward, each lost in thoughts about their fathers, unaware of each others similar predicaments.
When they reached the basement, the attacks intensified. Vampires came in waves, often trying to sneak up on them. But Elsa's heightened senses acted like a radar—nothing escaped her notice. Every ambush ended in failure for the bloodsuckers. However, as they delved deeper, the attacks gradually subsided, replaced by an ominous quiet.
Sable had a gnawing feeling that they were nearing their destination. That suspicion was confirmed when a massive metal door loomed ahead.
Elsa wastes no time, kicking it open and aiming her rifle.
But what greets her wasn't an ambush—it was a vast empty space.
"What the—how big is this basement?!" Sable exclaims, stepping in behind Elsa. Her voice echoing in the vastness.
Elsa scans the room, her narrowed eyes sharp and calculating. The crimson gem on her necklace hummed, reacting to the unseen danger nearby. To the right, in the middle of the hall—which was easily the size of a stadium—an area was cloaked in a sinister, swirling darkness. To the left, a group of vampires knelt on the ground, bound by gleaming silver chains.
But what caught Elsa's attention was the man chained to a stone apparatus just ahead.
"Found him," she announces, sprinting towards the restrained figure. Sable follows close behind, her gaze darting warily around the room.
"The Bloodstone girl... What are you doing here?" Blade asks, his eyes snapping open as Elsa approaches.
"What else?" Elsa replies with a chuckle, grabbing the silver chain binding his right hand and snapping it with ease. "Rescuing the helpless Daywalker, it seems."
Blade scowls, flexing his newly freed hand. "I didn't need rescuing," he grumbles. Using his freed hand, he breaks the chain on his left. "I just needed five more minutes to regain my strength. and I would have broken these chains myself," he mutters, frustration evident on his face as he shatters the chains around his legs.
"Wow, your friend is so thankful," Sable says, rolling her eyes.
Elsa shrugs nonchalantly. "He is more Apex's mate than mine."
Blade ignores them, twisting his wrists and flexes his muscles, the lingering weakness from the garlic essence finally beginning to fade. The blood the witch drained from him helped, but it's the anger coursing through him that truly revives his strength. And the fury in his blood truly flared when his gaze fell on the shadowy shroud in the center of the room.
"Fucking witch," he snarls, his canines extending as his eyes turned a menacing shade of red.
"Hey you bloodbags … come here and release us too"
Both Elsa and Sable glance toward the raven-haired woman, chained and positioned at the front of the group of vampires.
"Did she just call us bloodbags?" Sable asks, arching an eyebrow.
"She sure did," Elsa replies with a toothy grin. "I think she needs an intimate introduction to my guns."
"Ugh, stop wasting time!" Nyssa starts urgently. "Release us before that witch retu—"
A chilling laugh echoes through the room, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"Hihihihi... Oh, what do we have here? Two little rabbits trying to steal my goose?"
The eerie voice drew their attention to the swirling darkness. Blade snarls in anger, as from its depths emerges a blonde woman, her hooded form radiating an unsettling aura as she floats above the ground, clutching a sinister-looking book.
"Where did you come from?" Sable demands, aiming her gun at the new arrival.
"That witch is evil! Shoot her!" Blade roars, his voice tinged with urgency and regret over his lack of weapons.
"Gladly!" Elsa declares with a grin, as she points her rifles at the woman and shoots without hesitation.
BANG! BANG!
The bullets don't even graze the woman. They stop midair and fall harmlessly to the ground.
"Now, now," the witch taunts, wagging her finger. "That's not very polite."
Elsa smirks, flipping her rifle to use its butt as a club. "Guess I will bash your shield down, then!" She charges forward, fearlessly.
"Tsk tsk... how barbaric." With a casual wave of her hand, the witch sends Elsa hurtling back and slamming straight into the wall of the hall.
Thud!
Sable grits her teeth, raising her sword as a silvery glow envelopes its blade. "Silver—!"
"Oh, a broken magic artifact, how cute!" The floating woman says, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she waves her hand dismissively.
Before Sable can complete her sword strike, she sees it—a shadowy, claw-like appendage materializing in front of her. It swipes at her with blinding speed, leaving her no time to react!
"ARGHH!" she grunts in pain as she is sent flying, her head slamming hard into the wall, the impact reverberating through her body.
"Hihihihi... You girls need a lesson in manners," the witch says, her laughter echoing eerily as she floats closer.
"You fucking witch!" Blade roars, his red eyes glowing with fury as his fangs snap into place. He rushes toward her in a blur of motion.
"Ha… you all need to settle down and stop making a ruckus," she retorts coolly, raising her hand with an air of finality. "Dominus Vinctus," she mutters, and the book in her other hand pulses with a dark, ominous glow. The surrounding darkness shifts, writhing as if alive, responding to her command.
"UGH!" Blade grunts, abruptly crashing to the ground as an invisible weight presses down on him, crushing his body beneath its relentless force.
It is not just him. Behind him, Nessa and the other vampires groan in agony, their faces slammed into the ground as the same pressure overwhelms them.
Sable, still dazed from the blow to her head, hears Old Man Silver's voice in her mind, helping her regain her bearings. But before she can react, the same invisible force strikes her, pinning her to the ground, leaving her unable to rise.
Elsa, who remains unfazed from the initial fall, instinctively prepares to rush toward the witch. But the sudden surge of pressure hits her too, forcing her to her knees with a growl of frustration.
"Hihihihi, you are just out of luck today," the woman cackles, her voice dripping with malice. "I have just completed a powerful ritual right here, and with the residual mana in the air and this Book in my possession, I could open even a Hellgate portal, bringing all sorts of chaos straight to this place!" She spreads her arms wide, the single candle floating eerily behind her. "Or, I could take a simpler route and drain all of your life forces, turning you young, beautiful girls into mummified corpses..." Her grin widens as she touches her smooth, fair face. "Mmm, that sounds quite delightful!"
She laughs again, a high, mocking sound, before tilting her head slightly in mock consideration. "But today, I am feeling generous. So, instead, I used a spell of Sovereign Submission." She turns her back to them, her attention shifting to the shadowed space once more. "Now, you rabbits, my goose, and all you riff-raffs will just sit here patiently while my experiment completes."
"ARGHHHAA!" Blade yells, his muscles and bones straining as he forces himself to lift his body against the crushing pressure.
"UGH! ...This is nothing!!" Elsa grunts, pushing against the ground, her red gem glowing fiercely around her neck as she struggles to rise.
"… I am trying, old man!" Sable mutters under her breath, her grip tightening around the sword hilt. Silver light begins to swirl around her, attempting to alleviate the immense pressure on her body.
The floating woman turns back toward them, her voice laced with amusement. "Your struggles are meaningless. My spell encompasses this entire ritual hall, and it demands complete submission—alive or dead. Your only option is to kneel, paralyzed, until I deem otherwise!" She lets out a mocking laugh.
CREAK!
Her laughter falters as she watches a black-haired man calmly step through the metal door. And to her shock, he strides inside the hall completely unaffected by her spell.
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