[Siena's POV]
We were deceived...
For these past few days, it turns out the Empire wasn't just launching constant frontal attacks; they were also constructing an underground tunnel to emerge in the heart of this city while their other forces breached the front gates.
At this moment, tens of thousands of Imperial troops have appeared at several points within the Inner City, forcing our forces to fight off enemy attacks from both outside and within the city limits.
Furthermore, where has that Foolish Prince gone!? Didn't I order him to wait in the Inner City so he would have protection while being targeted by the enemy? He is the key to countering Princess Elena's ability.
"Report, Major Siena! Our forces are starting to be overwhelmed by the enemies appearing in the Inner City! The Imperial army is currently establishing defensive perimeters at four of their emergence points!"
"Report! Enemy forces are beginning to seize the southern area of the Outer City! Prince Vlad was also seen fighting there!"
Several Heralds approached me, delivering their reports on the battle conditions.
It turns out that Fool could not control his lust for battle and headed to the front lines. Even so, I suppose he can temporarily halt the momentum of the Imperial forces attacking the Outer City.
Currently, we have stationed 30,000 troops in the Outer City and 60,000 in the Inner City. On the other hand, we received reports that the Imperial forces attacking the Outer City number no less than 30,000.
There are four emergence points for the Imperial forces in the Inner City thanks to the tunnels they built. I assume they sent 20,000 troops into each tunnel, which means 80,000 Imperial soldiers will appear within the Inner City.
"Major Siena, what response shall we take regarding the current developments of the battle?" one of the Heralds asked me.
Because the Empire's maneuver—which I must admit was excellent—has caught us off guard, the Alliance forces have no choice but to focus on defending the Inner City. If we force a troop relocation to assist the battle in the Outer City, we risk being encircled.
Moreover, they appeared at four different locations, making it impossible for us to focus our offensive to drive them back quickly.
"We will deal with the enemy forces appearing in the Inner City first," I commanded the two Heralds. "Once the issue here is resolved, only then can we assist the troops fighting in the Outer City!"
"Yes, Major!"
"Understood, Major!"
The two of them left to relay the orders I had given.
I then walked to the window of the building used as the Alliance command center. From a distance, the entire city appeared to be burning; the atmosphere of battle was everywhere.
To be honest, I want to dive in and help everyone. However, I must remain here with the other military officials to oversee the course of the battle and issue orders according to current developments.
But, if a good opportunity arises or if circumstances force my hand, I will move as quickly as possible to join the fight against the enemy.
***
[Vlad's POV]
Our fight has only just begun.
Right now, this blonde woman is attacking me incessantly. Furthermore, her sword swings are incredibly fast—far faster than any enemy I have ever fought, including that bastard named Raul.
— Clang! Clang! Clang!
I parried several of Elena's slashes directed at me—perfectly this time—and immediately launched a counterattack with the blood sword I held in my hand.
— Slash!
However, her figure suddenly vanished; my sword cut only through empty air. Traces of yellow lightning flickers were visible where Elena had stood just a moment ago.
"Thunder Kick!"
— BAAAMMM!!!
Suddenly, something slammed into my right ribs. My body was sent flying, crashing into a city lamp post.
"Ughhhh..." I groaned in pain while clutching the part of my body aching from that attack.
Struggling to stand, I saw Elena walking slowly toward me. Her expression was serious, not cheerful like when she spoke with me back at the academy.
Even though I knew she was fast, fighting and experiencing it firsthand in battle made me realize what a monster this woman truly is.
Then, how was that damn man able to keep up with this monster woman during the tournament? Watching his fight with her back then, Elena didn't seem this strong or this fast.
Damn it...
I have to get serious now if I don't want to keep being cornered.
"Blood Form..."
My blood began to hover around my body. It then started to solidify, forming six four-way blades that began spinning like propellers.
Blood Form is one of my Profound Codices, capable of solidifying my blood and shaping it at will into anything.
If I can get even a single drop of her blood, then this fight will be won by me!
I then extended my hand toward Elena. The six blood blades I had just created shot toward the blonde woman.
Seeing my attack, Elena's body appeared to be enveloped in yellow lightning. She then deflected all six of my blood blades and dashed toward me with incredible speed.
"Tch! You damn woman!" I cursed as I activated Acceleration magic to distance myself from Elena's pursuit.
Glancing back, I saw her closing in. I am completely outmatched in speed; even the blood blades that were supposed to follow Elena were left far behind.
"Lightning Blade!"
Elena's sword was now enveloped in rumbling yellow lightning that roared loudly.
She reached me and unleashed a diagonal slash.
— Crack!
I blocked it with the blood sword I was holding. However, Elena's sword attack, coated in lightning, shattered my weapon instantly.
"Haaaaa!"
Seeing my defense wide open, the woman launched another attack with her lightning sword. I hurried to activate Unreality Field and Repel magic to minimize the impact of the attack I was about to receive.
— SLAASSSHHH!!!
My body was once again sent flying, taking the hit point-blank. This time, I even smashed through several buildings due to the sheer force of the slash I received from Elena.
My body tumbled across the ground before finally coming to a stop.
"Cough! Cough!" Blood spilled from my mouth.
Even though I managed to avoid death by activating my defensive mechanisms just in time, her attack still left me with significant injuries.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" I stood up while clutching my stomach with one hand.
Shifting my gaze to the sky, I saw a large, round mass of blood still siphoning blood from the people around here. That was the result of one of the Profound Codices I activated earlier to counter Elena's Profound Codex that makes her soldiers stronger.
I then extended my hand toward the blood mass. Not long after, I absorbed some of the gathered blood. The wounds on my body began to disappear, and my Mana felt as if it had returned to its original state before the fight.
"Hahaha! This is why our family is so special!" I shouted in delight, receiving a boost of strength from the blood I had collected.
"Hm? It turns out you have a troublesome ability as well."
Suddenly, I heard a woman's voice.
Emerging from the front, Elena stepped out from the cloud of dust caused by the ruins of the buildings I had crashed into after being thrown by her attack.
"You won't win against me as long as this ability of mine is active, Elena!" I told her confidently. "I will defeat you, make you my slave, and force you to watch the destruction of your country at my hands!"
Hearing my threat, she slowly walked closer. Her body and sword were once again enveloped in yellow lightning. Her hair rose upward, carried by the wind generated by her powerful Mana aura.
"I will not let that happen!"
Elena shot toward me with incredible speed. In an instant, she was right in front of me, launching a horizontal slash toward my right abdomen.
However...
— Clang!
Her sword struck something protecting my body instead.
"Blood Form: Bloody Armor!"
A blood shield enveloping my body blocked Elena's sword. She looked surprised, and I gave her a smirk.
"HAHAHAHA! THE REAL FIGHT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN, ELENA DE ARAGOOONNN!!!"
I created four blood tentacles from my back and used them to attack Elena.
"Aaahhhh!"
The woman's body was sent flying, taking a direct hit from my attack. She tumbled across the ground before raising her head to look at me.
Blood leaked from her mouth; her eyes stared at me with intense seriousness.
"This is going to get even more fun..." I licked my lips as I murmured that.
Elena then stood up and once again enveloped her body in yellow lightning.
The two of us then lunged toward each other and exchanged attacks to continue this battle.
***
[Raul's POV]
The battle has reached its climax. Both armies are starting to show signs of exhaustion.
On the other hand, my body and the soldiers from both sides are beginning to wither and weaken. This is because our blood is slowly being drawn out and sucked away by Vlad using his ability, Blood Frenzy.
"Die, you bastard!"
Three enemy soldiers ran toward me and began attacking with their swords. However, I managed to dodge them easily and defeated them in an instant.
"The strength of their slashes was incredibly weak."
This was only natural.
If left for too long, we will all die of exhaustion from losing too much blood thanks to that Psychopath Prince's magic.
The Grand Espadas are currently fighting the strongest Knights of the Alliance forces, while many of our knights have been deployed to the Outer City. That means we can only rely on Elena to stop Vlad.
"Can't anyone do something about this magic!?"
"I can't move anymore; my body is too weak because blood keeps leaking from me!"
Our soldiers are almost at their limit. I estimate that if this magic isn't stopped within five minutes, massive casualties will start falling on both sides.
— CRACKLE! CRACKLE! BOOMMMBBB!!
Suddenly, I heard the sound of thunder and explosions from the west. It seems that is where the Princess and the Prince are currently fighting.
Activating Acceleration magic, I hurried to check on Elena's condition. If she is unable to defeat Vlad, then I will have no choice but to eliminate that psychopath myself.
I climbed onto the buildings and leaped across roofs to avoid the enemies who were now everywhere, aiming to reach the destination quickly.
"Die, you Imperial dogs!"
"You're the ones who will die, you weak Venetians!"
The battle has been going on for two hours. However, the situation is still a stalemate. Neither side seems willing to back down, as every soldier wants to return home safely to see their loved ones.
Upon arriving at the location, I saw the two of them fighting.
Vlad appeared to be using one of his Profound Codices, Blood Form. His body was covered in blood armor, and four red tentacles emerged from his back.
"Hahaha! With this armor of mine, none of your attacks will work on me, Elena!" Vlad laughed as Elena's lightning sword was only able to scratch the armor he wore.
The psychopath prince then attacked Elena with his four tentacles, but fortunately, Elena was able to block them with the sword she held. However, due to the strength of Vlad's attack, Elena was sent flying back quite a distance.
The lightning enveloping her body and sword vanished. The Princess was seen panting, indicating she was extremely exhausted and her Mana was nearly depleted.
"Do you see, Elena? Your efforts to fight me are futile!" Vlad said, appearing delighted. "While your Mana is slowly running out, I, on the other hand, can replenish mine quickly and heal the wounds I've received from our fight! It's only a matter of time before your defeat arrives!"
Vlad said all that as if he were invincible. However, of course, that was far from the truth. Although he can replenish Mana at will and heal his wounds from the blood he collects, this does not make him unbeatable.
I believe there are two ways Elena can defeat Vlad: the first is by using the second stage of the Thunder Emperor Profound Codex and combining it with the Lightning Blade technique.
That is, if she has unlocked it.
The second is by winning a Spell Clashing against Vlad's magic. However, I am not 100 percent sure this would kill Vlad instantly.
If Elena's attack cannot kill Vlad immediately, he will simply go back to siphoning the collected blood to restore his body from any wounds received.
Even so, I must be ready if Elena truly loses this fight.
***
[Elena's POV]
The attacks from my Lightning Blade magic cannot penetrate the blood armor attached to Vlad's body.
Think carefully—at that time, Raul was able to penetrate it and defeat Vlad in the tournament. Why was he able to destroy the armor then while my attacks can't penetrate it now?
Is it because back then his Mana was low and he couldn't maximize his magic properly? I think the blood armor he is wearing also appears stronger than when he fought Raul at the tournament.
With my remaining Mana, there is only one Profound Codex left that I can use. To be honest, I could use two more, but doing so would cause me to suffer Mana Exhaustion.
However, I cannot continue analyzing because Vlad is currently extending both hands toward me.
"Bloody Burst!"
From both his palms, blood surged out and shot toward me.
Activating Accel magic, I was able to dodge his attack by a hair's breadth.
— Grrruhhhh!!!
Those two attacks of his pierced through several buildings, causing them to shatter and collapse to the ground.
"It's not over yet! Haaaa!!"
Vlad shifted his hands, causing his blood magic to slowly close in on me.
Without using Almario del Relampago, I won't be able to outmanuver him with speed. Therefore, I continued to run in a circle around Vlad, who was also rotating so his magic could hit me.
It seems to require strong control to master the magic he is using. His hands were seen trembling from incessantly using this spell.
As the distance of my rotation near his body closed, I used a Charging technique, dashed forward, and launched a thrust toward the man's neck.
However, he only gave a sadistic smile and directed his four blood tentacles at me.
— Clang!
I tried to cut the tentacles. However, even though I had used Avilar magic to sharpen my sword, not a single scratch appeared on those blood tentacles.
"Eat this!"
Vlad attacked me again with his tentacles, sending my body flying high into the air and landing on the roof of a tall building.
"Cough! Cough!" I coughed up blood.
His attack against my chest earlier felt incredibly painful.
I stood up again and walked to the edge of this building's roof. Far below, Vlad was seen laughing and clutching his head.
"Hahahaha! You know, Elena, the longer I use the power of Blood Frenzy, the more everyone here will die of blood loss!" Vlad shouted, then looked at me up here. "Let us end this fight! I don't want them to die in an easy way like bleeding out! I want to torture your troops and make myself far stronger than I am now!"
Is that the theme of the Codex he possesses? Torturing or making someone suffer? Is that what makes his personality so rotten?
However, what he said is true. If I don't stop Vlad's magic immediately, many lives will be lost in this battle.
I will use it now.
"Lightning My Might... Bring Thunder Cloud Close to Me..."
I raised my sword with both hands. The roar of thunder began to echo above where I stood. The sky turned pitch black as it was covered by dark clouds capable of producing lightning.
"Hahaha! You finally brought out your trump card magic! Let's end this with a bang!"
Vlad extended one hand toward me. Blood began to gather in front of his palm and started spinning uncontrollably in various directions.
"Shines Through The Dark... Bring Hope to The World!"
The lightning bolts thundering within those black clouds now struck my sword. Next, I attempted to control these lightning bolts so they would not scatter and remain concentrated.
My sword and both my hands vibrated violently because they could barely contain this much energy.
This is my last Mana...
After this, if I force myself to use magic, I won't be able to move my body at all.
"Bloody Burst: Death Sentence!"
Prince Vlad fired a massive surge of blood, enveloped this time by a deep black magical aura, toward me.
"Thunder Emperor... Dragon Thunder Damnation!"
Slashing my sword forward, the collection of yellow lightning gathered on my blade formed a golden lightning dragon and shot toward Vlad's position.
— DUUUAARRRR!!! BOOOMMM!!! BOOMMMM!!!
Our magic clashed—my lightning dragon against Vlad's blood surge. Both were held at a stalemate; my Lightning Dragon moved back and forth. I did not stand idly by and raised my sword again with both hands.
"Come Again... My Thunder!"
— DUUAAARRR!!!
Lightning struck my sword once more.
My body can't take much more... This attack won't be as strong as the first. However, it will surely be enough to win this Spell Clashing!
"Roaring Lion Blast!"
I slashed my sword once again. The gathered lightning shot toward the two clashing spells, allowing my Lightning Dragon to push through the blood surge fired by Vlad and strike him directly.
— DUUUAARRRR!!!!
An incredible lightning explosion occurred as my magic hit the man. Yellow lightning spread in all directions, destroying everything in its path.
Dust flew everywhere, obscuring my vision and making it impossible to confirm Vlad's condition after being hit by my ultimate magic.
I hope he goes down this time...
I have expended all my Mana...
If I go any further than this, then...
I knelt on one knee; my breathing was heavy and my vision had begun to blur. Other than fighting Raul back then, this is the first time I have been this exhausted.
Raising my head, I focused my gaze toward where Vlad had been. The dust had begun to clear, but...
"Impossible..."
The man I was fighting was still standing on the ground. His left hand and parts of his face and body were covered in burns. Smoke rose from Vlad's body like meat that had just been grilled.
"HAHAHA!!! You almost killed me, you bastard!" Vlad shouted.
He then extended his right hand toward the blood mass above the city. The blood mass was then absorbed by Vlad. His body began to slowly regenerate.
Not long after, Vlad's body returned to its original state as if he hadn't been in a fight at all.
"That was close; if I had lost consciousness just now, I would have lost," said Vlad, who then reactivated his magic.
His body was again enveloped in blood armor, and four red tentacles emerged from his back.
This is very bad...
I have no more Mana to fight him. If I force it, then I will experience mana exhaustion.
"This time, I'm going to play with you, Elena~" Vlad licked his lips. The blood tentacles he had just created now transformed into a pair of red wings. "I'm coming for you!"
The man flew up toward me quickly, like a vampire.
"Arrrghhh!"
He grabbed my throat and lifted me into the air.
"Time to have some fun," Vlad said, smirking crazily at me.
I tried to struggle to free myself. However, my body was too weak and exhausted now.
"Don't worry, I won't use Assimilate on you," he added, tightening his grip on my throat. "I enjoy your body squirming in my hands and trying to break free, even though it's a futile effort!"
— BAAAMM!!! BAAMMM!!! BAMMM!!!
He punched my abdomen and chest, then kicked my head hard, sending my body flying far away. My mouth spat out fresh blood due to Vlad's actions.
Am I going to lose and die here?
But just as my body was about to crash into the ground, Vlad caught and choked me again.
I... find it very difficult to breathe...
"Right... exactly... I love that pained expression of yours! Show it to me again! Show me that provocative face of yours, Elena!"
— BAAAMM!!! BAMM!!! BAMMM!!!
Vlad beat me repeatedly.
My body was sent flying again with great force, crashing through several buildings before finally hitting the ground.
Some of my bones seem to be broken...
I can't move my body anymore...
Furthermore, my internal organs seem to be hemorrhaging...
I have lost this fight.
"Attack them!"
"Hold on! We will surely win!"
I heard the voices of many people fighting.
Opening my eyes, I saw myself in the middle of a group of Imperial and Alliance troops fighting.
"Isn't that Princess Elena!?"
"Princess Elena! Are you alright? Why is your body covered in so many wounds!"
Two Imperial soldiers appeared to be coming to help me.
— CRASSHHH!!!
However, suddenly their bodies were crushed by someone landing on top of them.
"Hahaha! Look at their bodies, crushed as easily as stepping on ants!" Vlad laughed with delight.
"Curse you! Get away from our Princess Elena!"
"Everyone, protect Princess Elena and attack that Mad Monster!"
The Imperial troops around me began attacking Vlad. However, the scene that followed made my heart very somber. That madman easily slaughtered and butchered the bodies of my soldiers.
Stop it...
Get away from here! Don't approach him! He is not an opponent you can match!
I wanted to shout orders for my soldiers to retreat. However, my body could not move at all because of the injuries I sustained.
All I could do was watch silently as Vlad slaughtered the Imperial soldiers.
"HAHAHAHA!!! LOOK, ELENA! WATCH ME SLAUGHTER YOUR WEAK SUBJECTS LIKE INSECTS! HAHAHAHA!!"
"Protect the Princess!"
"We will stake our lives for Princess Elena!"
Not long after those words were spoken, the screams of death were heard. Blood spilled everywhere. As their mistress, this sight was heart-wrenching for me.
I must get up...
Everyone is risking their lives for me...
I also must not give up and must sacrifice my entire soul and body for them!
"Well, well, well... you can still stand up after all, Elena," said Vlad, whose focus this time shifted to me.
To be honest, just to stand up, I had to struggle desperately. My legs trembled, but I had to remain strong and endure. I only need one chance in this life-or-death attack.
If I die, the morale of our soldiers will be destroyed seeing their Princess die at the hands of the enemy. After that, our forces here will surely lose, and the impact will be very significant for this war.
I gripped the sword tightly with both hands and tried once more to recite my magic incantation.
"Come... My Thunder!"
My sword was again enveloped in yellow lightning.
I will use this technique that I haven't fully perfected yet. It requires high Mana control to do so, but I have grown accustomed to it, and this is the first time I've used it in a real fight.
After the draw during the fight with Raul, I practiced with Uncle Raymond every day to perfect this technique.
A combination of Lightning Blade and Thunder Emperor...
"My fun with you is over, Elena," said Vlad, changing his blood wings back into four tentacles. "I will kill you in front of your soldiers! My name will be famous throughout the world for killing an Imperial Princess in battle!"
Vlad then attacked me with his four tentacles.
My hands shook violently, containing the lightning energy gathered in the sword I held. However, I would not stop before giving everything I had.
I then forced my legs to run toward where Vlad stood.
The four tentacles were right in front of me now.
— Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
This time, my sword was able to cut through those incredibly strong blood tentacles.
Seeing this, Prince Vlad looked shocked, but I wouldn't stop here and dashed back toward the man.
"Where did you get this kind of power!?" Vlad was stunned. He then created a blood sword.
"Lightning Blade... Lion Song of Death!"
I launched a horizontal attack toward Vlad.
He tried to block my attack with his blood sword, but his weapon shattered instantly upon contact with my new Lightning Sword.
My attack didn't stop; this time, my sword also began to penetrate his armor.
"Impossible! Get away!" Vlad shouted in panic, trying to crush my head with his hand.
However, I will not stop; I will keep fighting, I will keep resisting until this enemy in front of me is defeated!
"I will win and lead everyone to glory!" I shouted and exerted all my remaining strength.
— Crack!
Vlad's armor was pierced; my sword then split his body into two parts.
"AARRRGGHHHHHHH!" Vlad's death scream reached my ears.
His upper body was then sent flying far away.
In front of me, only Vlad's lower body remained standing. Blood began to pour and splatter everywhere, staining my armor with the blood of the enemy I had just slaughtered.
Looking around, the place suddenly became silent.
The battle that had just been occurring now came to a halt. All the forces, both Imperial and Alliance soldiers, stood still, staring at me in disbelief.
"PRINCESS ELENA HAS KILLED THE ENEMY LEADER!!!"
One of the Imperial soldiers shouted.
The fight resumed. After Vlad died, our soldiers' morale surged again; Vlad's blood-absorbing magic had also vanished, and we could return to attacking without fear of dying of exhaustion in minutes.
I then raised my sword to draw the attention of the troops.
"SOLDIERS OF ARAGON, FIGHT!!! AS LONG AS I LEAD YOU, OUR NATION WILL CONTINUE TO WIN. THEREFORE, KEEP ADVANCING! DO NOT FALTER AND BRING GLORY TO OUR COUNTRY!!!"
"GLORY TO THE EMPIREEEE!"
Hearing my words, everyone shouted along. Their fighting spirit had increased manifold, while the enemy forces' morale began to crumble after losing one of their leaders.
However...
My body is so very tired...
I began to walk unsteadily, and my vision started to blur again.
Earlier, I forced myself to use a Profound Codex even though my Mana was already depleted.
My body then fell forward. However, what I felt was not the cold ground, but a familiar warmth.
"Good job, Elena."
I heard someone's voice. Vaguely, I saw a black-haired man holding my body.
"Raul, is it...?" I murmured. "I succeeded, Raul... I won." I leaned my head on his shoulder.
As usual, it felt so comfortable being near him...
My consciousness began to fade, feeling this comfort.
"You were amazing, Elena." I could vaguely hear his words.
"Just as expected from the Princess I am so proud of..."
I was so happy to hear his sincere praise. Everything was worth it—the wounds I received and all the obstacles I faced...
It was all worth it knowing I could meet the expectations he had for me.
"Yes... I will never give up and will continue to fight for my country..."