Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 262 Eight Swords Chain

He swung his sword in an overhead chop, where the blood-colored twilight and the snowy night converged, clashing the Blood-Colored Greatsword with the Silver Two-Handed Greatsword in the air, splattering blood and silver light as time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The [Maze Candle] burnt out in an instant, the second relic of the night destroyed by Shard's hand. Simultaneously, the profound night sky faded away, the monster howled skyward, and as the blood-colored dusk gradually disappeared, its form shrank but it was not yet dead.

Retreating two steps back, he used the Blood-Colored Greatsword to support his body, and the look of wisdom in his eyes unexpectedly surged up again:

"Impossible, who exactly are you? The moon, oh, the moon! Such pure moonlight..."

In the instant the two greatswords collided, although it seemed like mutual destruction, Shard actually sustained more damage. If it weren't for the two ladies supporting him from behind, as Maze Lock and Sublimation Incantation ended, he wouldn't even be able to stand straight. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

"Shard."

Miss Beyas clutched tightly at Shard's arm; among the three of them, she was the least injured:

"No, you are only a First Ring, even if that Arcane Technique is powerful... Oh no!"

Miss Beyas pointed toward the vampire who was raising his sword again, the young Female Sorcerer wanted to stand in front of her companions, but Shard was quicker. He knew he had won this battle:

"I've pursued this Arcane Technique not just for its offensive power."

The leaves in his mouth kept him alive, and Shard, holding the sanctified Silver Greatsword, rushed toward the howling vampire enveloped in the blood mist:

"After I win, immediately leave this place and go find the Silver-Eyed One, and no one gets close to me."

He instructed them, then without waiting for their response, he advanced towards the enemy with his sword raised.

Holding the sword with both hands, the Silver Greatsword and the Blood-Colored Greatsword collided once more in mid-air. Shard grunted, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and then suddenly, his figure disappeared from in front of the vampire.

He appeared behind the vampire, and as he delivered the second strike, the vampire, still towering in stature, faced a blade that struck from the void in front of it, held by no one.

"Blade of Chaotic Time!"

The two Silver Greatswords, one in front and one behind, struck down simultaneously, and the vampire, entwined in vines, swung to cut down the Moonlight Greatsword before him, taking the hit from the sword behind with its back.

The sword carved a massive wound on its back, and the injured, enraged creature swung its sword around to slash back, but Shard vanished a second time and reappeared to his left. Another strike was delivered, and before the enemy could turn, he disappeared again and reemerged to the right:

"I can't worry about that now!"

Each movement of his feet represented a sword strike combined with Spatial Movement.

In just three seconds, he had moved seven times, the clanging sounds of collision indicating that every one of his strikes was blocked.

When the three seconds were finally up, seven Moonlight Greatswords struck from various angles in the void. And there was Shard, standing behind the vampire, his hands thrusting the sword towards its heart.

Surrounded by eight great swords, illuminated by the light of Silvermoon, amid the sharp sound of tearing space, the Blood-Colored Greatsword cut through the sword in front, but more blades penetrated the monster's body from various directions.

Moonlight Greatsword, Blade of Chaotic Time, and Lagre's Leap—under the combined forces of Silvermoon, time, and space, Shard had a slight edge.

The blood-red dusk above finally faded away, and Sublimation Incantation was over.

And the nearly drained Shard was dizzy, the leaf in his mouth enabling him to stay on his feet.

The Moonlight Greatsword held aloft by the struggling Shard pierced the monster, now rapidly shrinking back to the image of a man in tattered black formal attire. Wooden vines spilled out from the wounds, trying to devour him.

His head rotated a hundred and eighty degrees backward, the vertical pupils showing complete intelligence, reflecting the young detective's figure. But this was also his last moment of clarity as his lips moved slightly:

"What exactly are you? What is your relation with the moon?"

"That's hard to answer."

His eyes, gradually losing their radiance, stared at Shard as the vampire uttered his last words:

"The Blood Spirit School will eventually... complete the ultimate sublimation, Apocalypse... the blood of the ancestors... Praise the blood, praise... the moon."

In his final moment, he seemed to see the transparent illusion of a silver-haired woman, her arms encircling Shard's neck. But none of that mattered anymore, his pupils fixed, he died under Shard's blade.

The Moonlight Greatsword in Shard's hand disappeared as the vampire's body fell to the ground, soon entwined by the vines descending from the sky and dragged up into the dense treetops.

The battle was over, and all three survivors were severely injured. The Silver-Eyed One, who had been crouching beneath the tree until now, suddenly burst out laughing:

"You're all finished, you're all finished."

The canopy of the Corpse Tree shuddered violently, rustling ominously. It wanted to...

"Nobody come near me!"

Shard, supporting himself off the ground, gasped for breath, almost yelling at Miss Beyas and Miss Annette. The battle was over, but he was about to pay the price for using the Arcane Technique without permission.

The shuddering canopy and the vines reaching for the three of them suddenly halted. The Silver-Eyed One's voice also came to an abrupt stop, and then the tree returned to complete calmness, sensing something far more terrifying.

The sound of shattering glass, one after another, echoed around Shard within the vast underground cavern. Visible to the naked eye were dozens of black cracks fracturing the air, portending the arrival of something far more dreadful than anything seen that night.

Shard, in just the past few seconds, had used "Lalleg's Leap" eight times. Professor Garcia didn't lie; indeed, something had been summoned.

"Shard!"

Miss Beyas called out, but Miss Annette stopped her. Shard no longer spoke but got up and rushed into the depths of a dimly lit room. Now that the Corpse Tree was frightened, it was no longer dangerous below it.

The black cracks followed him as he left, leaving only under the dim glow of the vines where Miss Beyas and Miss Annette supported each other:

"Iluna, believe in him."

But worry still filled her purple eyes.

Miss Beyas bit her lip and nodded, then turned her gaze toward the Silver-Eyed One, barely able to contain the fury in her eyes:

"All of this, it's because of you."

Tasting the flavor of complete leaves in his mouth, Shard ran, his eyes sweeping over the encroaching pitch-black cracks. The deepest black, just a glance was enough to give his soul the illusion of being sucked in.

Disorder and chaos emanated from the depths of the cracks. He knew something was peering at him from behind them, but he couldn't imagine what lay beyond.

No matter how fast he ran, those cracks came closer. He could now hear overlapping whispers, the nearly head-splitting language roaring from beyond the cracks. He even heard the vague sound of a dog barking but couldn't be sure if it was just an illusion.

If he kept running, he was surely doomed.