Chapter 61: Chapter 61- Despair (Part 3)
Chapter 61- Despair (Part 3)
Fiona was the first to react, turning around as she pulled her sword out, ready to defend herself and Elio from any incoming attack. She didn’t even think; this was an instinctive reaction to any sense of threat she felt.
However, the threat she felt at that moment was unlike anything she ever experienced before. It only dawned on her when she finally felt the presence. Her body froze as if she was dipped in an icy cold bath.
Her senses went off, telling her to run away immediately. A feeling that only a select few things in this world could make her feel. Her face paled, and her eyes turned colder.
’This is bad... This is very bad. He completely avoided my senses. He’s way higher level than me.’ She clenched her teeth as she eyed Elio behind her. The boy seemed confused as he was unable to even sense this looming threat.
Fiona stepped in front of him to make sure he was within her range to protect him and then stared ahead.
"Show yourself." She said coldly, her eyes wandering around.
’What is even going on? Where did that voice come from?’ Elio blinked. A bit confused, he looked around him too to see if he could find where the voice came from.
Oddly enough, his instincts led his eyes to a particular tree. He felt a bit weird about it so he touched Fiona’s shoulder and pointed at it.
"There... I sense something off there." He said.
"What?"
"Oh my~ You can already sense me, kid?" The playful voice returned as a silhouette finally appeared out of thin air.
Fiona’s eyes widened as she stared at the man and then at Elio. ’How did he...?’
"*Clap* *Clap* *Clap* Bravo! As expected of you, Elio." The man said as he stepped out of the shadow. Shockingly, he had no features... No face, no eyes, no ears, nothing... Just a human shape completely covered in oozing darkness that seemed to spill down at his feet.
"How do you know my name?" Elio muttered, still in a daze. For some reason, he didn’t feel afraid whatsoever of this entity. All he felt was a rather odd sensation... As if that creature was something he was familiar with.
Meanwhile, Fiona was facing a crisis. She didn’t even need to measure this entity’s power to know that the two would be dead if that thing wished for it. They were in very deep trouble, and she was trying to think of a way to escape before things became a disaster.
"How could I not know your name? I would be damned. I had to personally come and greet you." The voice said in the same exact irritating tone. He talked to them as if they were his friends or acquaintances.
"To think I would find two of the most brilliant talents in the human world together in this forest... What a glorious day! Fiona Vaylor and Elio Ashenblood. It’s my pleasure finally meet you."
"Who the hell are you? And why did you descend here?" Fiona asked as she pointed her sword at him.
"Wait, what? Descend?" Elio blinked as he looked at Fiona. However, the girl didn’t reply as she kept her eyes on the enemy.
"As expected of the girl nicknamed the Hope of Vaylor. You figured me out quite quickly."
"This bastard is a Vampire... A very high-ranked one." She said. "What made you come down here? You arrogant monsters think of our world as an inferior one for your ’esteemed self’, no?"
Her voice was filled with disdain and sarcasm as she spoke.
"Hahaha, good one. Ehem, but you know what makes you wrong? It’s to assume all of us are ’arrogant bastards’. Look at me, for example? I’m a very humble man. This world is fun to come down to every now and then. I like to see you, humans, live so carefreely."
’A high-ranked vampire? Wow, so that’s someone who is probably close to Melissa? Maybe? Or maybe one of the vampires who tried to kill her...’
Either way, Elio was curious about this black entity. This feeling he was experiencing was just so odd. Something wasn’t right.
"Now, if you would min-" The vampire tried to take a step forward, only for Fiona’s aura to flare violently.
"Don’t you dare take another step forward." She said coldly as she put her hand in front of Elio. "If he is what you want, then you’d better back away. You know very well the consequences of what you would do. Neither of us will like it."
"Oh my, my apologies, Miss. I didn’t come here to take Elio. He’s in good hands~ I just came to check on him, like a good old friend."
"Good old friend? What?"
"Hahahaha. But... Now that I’m here, I did get an idea. One that sounds really fun and would give me quite the entertaining show." He said as a wide, menacing grin appeared on his face. The smile sent chills down Fiona’s spine.
"... What is that idea?" Elio asked.
"Elio, don’t talk to him," Fiona said. "We need to get out of here."
As she turned her head around to talk to Elio for a split second... The silhouette suddenly disappeared out of sight. Almost instantly, it appeared again right in front of Fiona.
The girl’s body almost immediately reacts, trying to create a defensive barrier around them. However, she was one split second too late as...
*Swish* *Splurt*
Elio’s vision... was coated in red. His eyes were wide open, still calm and unaware. Then, he felt a warm liquid splash against his face and body, covering him from head to toe.
"H...uh?" It took a second for him to blink before looking down. All he saw was a black sword penetrating Fiona... From the other side.
The girl didn’t move for a second before her teeth clenched and she tried to swing her sword. However, before that could happen, the man disappeared again and reappeared where he was earlier.
Everything happened in a split second. No, way less than that.
*Blurgh* *Cough* *Cough*
Blood splurted out of Fiona’s stomach in large quantities as she dropped her sword and fell to the ground, her eyes wide with shock.
"You... bastard..." She muttered painfully as she glared at him.
"No hard feelings, Fiona~ You’re a very talented human. But I’m a man who enjoys suspense and thrill. I love seeing danger be the only constant."
"Fiona!!!!!" Elio quickly rushed toward her as he dropped down to his knees. "Oh my god!!! Oh my god!! You’re bleeding so much!" His face paled in terror. The amount of blood seeping out of her stomach was disastrous. It had already created a pool underneath her knees at that moment.
"Let our shining star shine, Fiona. Doesn’t he deserve a chance too?" As he said those words, the man started disappearing slowly. "Let him be your twin star~"
Then, he was nowhere to be seen.
"*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*" Fiona coughed a mouthful of blood as she dropped on her side.
"Oh no... no, no, no!!!" Elio panicked as he tried to put his hand on the bleeding spot. "Hold on, Fiona! Please! I will stop the bleeding! I will stop it!"
But his hands weren’t enough, and they immediately drowned in the red liquid. Meanwhile, the girl’s breath started weakening, and her eyes started closing.
"R... un.... E... lio..." She muttered before everything went completely black.