Arc 3 Chapter 36 : Wing of Icarus

[Raul POV]

A Noble Vampire...

They were the strongest Vampires that could be sent from the Demon World into this world.

In terms of overall strength, Noble Vampires ranked third among the six known types of Vampires.

There were six types of Vampires, beginning with the weakest: Lesser Vampires.

Lesser Vampires were created through the bite of a True Vampire. Their strength was roughly equivalent to that of an ordinary human.

Next came ordinary Vampires.

A Lesser Vampire could evolve into an ordinary Vampire after receiving a sufficient amount of blood. Their physical abilities were powerful enough to rival those of a Senior Knight.

Above them were True Vampires.

A Lesser Vampire could evolve no further than this stage. True Vampires possessed tremendous physical strength. If one wasn't careful, even a Elite Knight or Senior Inquisitor could be killed while fighting one.

Next came Noble Vampires.

From this rank onward, all the way up to Elder Vampires, they no longer required blood to survive. However, Noble Vampires still couldn't venture outside while the sun was shining.

Unlike the Vampires of the lower ranks, they possessed powerful magical abilities. If one wasn't careful, even a Grand Espada or Holy Knight could be killed by a Noble Vampire.

The next rank was the Ancestral Vampire.

They were direct descendants of Elder Vampires. It would take at least three Grand Espadas or Holy Knights working together to kill one.

And finally, the strongest type of Vampire...

The Elder Vampire.

They were the first generation of Vampires to be born into this world.

They were the only Vampires capable of enduring direct sunlight.

Their strength was comparable to that of the Demon King's Princes—the individuals who would eventually become candidates for the position of the next Demon King.

Only a Hero could defeat an Elder Vampire.

To be honest, I could defeat a Noble Vampire if I had enough preparation beforehand.

But this time, I didn't.

The most troublesome aspect of fighting Vampires for me was that they had no shadows.

That meant I couldn't use Shadow Link or Shadow Lock against them.

I glanced at the silver-haired woman standing beside me.

She was looking directly at me as well.

"Ariel, I'll need your help to defeat that Vampire," I told her.

Hearing my words, she gave me a gentle smile.

"Umm... Leave it to me."

I drew my sword and refocused my attention on the Vampire.

After activating Accel, both of my legs began glowing with Mana.

I immediately sprinted toward him.

Yet the winged demon remained completely calm.

He didn't even move.

BAM!

My body was suddenly blasted sideways and slammed into a building.

Something had struck me with tremendous force.

I pushed myself back up and looked toward the Vampire.

He was still standing in the exact same place.

He hadn't moved even an inch.

What the hell did He just do?

I had three theories about his ability, but I needed to observe him more carefully this time.

I dashed toward him again.

But suddenly—

It felt as though I'd been hit head-on by a truck.

My body was thrown backward.

"Ugh! Cough! Cough!"

I spat out the blood that had accumulated in my mouth.

Then, almost immediately, I felt all the injuries I'd sustained disappear.

I turned around.

Ariel was standing behind me with both hands extended toward me.

She had just healed my wounds.

All right.

Now I knew exactly what kind of ability that Vampire possessed.

This was going to be a difficult battle if I couldn't even see his attacks.

"Thank you, Ariel," I said.

"It's no problem."

She smiled at me.

"I think I know how you can fight him more effectively. However, I'll need a little time to adapt to these new powers of mine."

Ah...

Could Ariel be talking about the power of The Truth Seeker?

I started running toward the building where the Vampire was standing.

This time, I moved in a zigzag pattern, making it more difficult for him to predict my movements.

BAM! BAM!

The street in my path suddenly exploded.

So my guess was correct.

He possessed an ability similar to Invisible Hand.

But before I could get any closer, my leg suddenly jerked upward.

Something was pulling it into the air.

"Die, trash!" the Vampire shouted.

BAM! BAM! CRASH!

Pain exploded throughout my entire body.

It felt as though I was being beaten repeatedly from directly in front of me, yet I couldn't see where the attacks were coming from.

His final strike was especially powerful.

I could actually hear the sound of my bones cracking beneath the impact.

My body was sent flying before tumbling across the street.

"Ugh... His ability is seriously troublesome."

But suddenly, the wounds I'd received began healing again.

Ariel had healed me once more.

Can you hear me?

Ariel's voice suddenly echoed inside my head.

"I can hear you clearly, Ariel," I replied. "Are you using your Telepathy?"

That's right. You seem to know quite a lot about the powers of a Saint.

Of course.

I was the one who had programmed and tested this game.

Fortunately, she couldn't read my thoughts.

All right. That Vampire has eight tentacles connected to hisback. Those are what have been attacking you this entire time. I can see them because of my ability, Truth Seeker.

I'll tell you where each tentacle is going to attack.

"All right. I understand."

I rose to my feet again.

I activated Accel and Temper on my sword before charging toward the Vampire.

"Your efforts are futile, Human!" the Vampire shouted.

Be ready. Two are coming from your left. One is heading straight toward the center of your body. The remaining five are attacking from your right.

The moment I heard Ariel's instructions, I swung my sword twice toward my left, each slash cutting diagonally through the air.

I felt something being severed by my blade.

I'd cut two of his tentacles.

Without wasting a second, I jumped toward the left to evade another incoming attack.

A powerful impact erupted behind me.

I'd successfully avoided the remaining six tentacles.

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Taking advantage of the opening, I immediately charged toward the Vampire again.

Be careful. The remaining six tentacles are attacking you again. Three are coming from behind, specifically from above, while the others are approaching from your right.

Ariel continued feeding me instructions.

I immediately lunged to the right and unleashed a Horizontal, Vertical, and Diagonal Slash.

Once again, I felt something being severed by my sword.

Three more tentacles had been cut.

Turn around! Quickly!

Ariel warned me.

I spun around and immediately swung my sword three times toward the front.

The invisible tentacles were severed.

All of them.

"How can you know where my tentacles are going to attack, Human!?" the Vampire screamed in frustration.

He began beating his wings and soared into the sky.

"Magma Rain!"

Several magic circles appeared around him.

A moment later, the circles fired countless projectiles of molten lava toward me.

I activated Acceleration and immediately sprinted away, desperately evading the large-scale magical attack.

The lava rained down upon the streets and buildings, igniting massive fires throughout the area.

"..."

Suddenly, the Vampire appeared directly in front of me.

Before I could react, He punched me in the face.

My body was sent flying into the air.

"Ugh... How did he get here so quickly from up there?" I muttered in disbelief.

But I received my answer almost immediately.

The Vampire suddenly appeared directly above me while I was still airborne.

BAM!

He slammed his foot into my chest.

I didn't even have time to block.

My body crashed into the wall of a nearby building.

Pain surged throughout my body.

His strength was even greater than that of the True Vampire I'd fought before.

This is strange.

Why hadn't Ariel healed me immediately?

I forced myself to stand.

Then I saw it.

The Vampire was firing a stream of flames toward Ariel.

The Saint quickly created a Barrier to protect herself from the intense heat of the Vampire's magic.

I immediately dashed toward the Vampire.

He turned his head, realizing I was coming for her.

SLASH!

I swung horizontally, aiming directly for his neck.

But the Vampire stopped my sword with his left hand.

"Weak attack!" He declared.

However, I released my sword.

I strengthened both of my hands with Temper and launched one of my favorite attack combinations.

"Radical Blow!"

My fist slammed into the Vampire's solar plexus.

He doubled over from the impact, forced to stop the fire magic she had been directing at Ariel.

But I didn't stop there.

I unleashed punch after punch against her body.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Once I'd had enough, I delivered one final punch directly to his face.

The Vampire was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall of a nearby building.

"Are you all right, Ariel?" I asked.

The Saint smiled gently at me.

"Fufufu~ Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

He pointed at my body, which was covered in wounds.

"I'll heal you right away."

But just as Ariel began healing my injuries, the Vampire suddenly appeared directly in front of me.

He kicked me with tremendous force.

My body went flying and crashed onto the city street.

I spat out another mouthful of blood.

I forced myself back up and saw the Vampire flying toward me once again.

"Ugh... His Minor Teleportation magic is incredibly troublesome," I complained as I prepared myself for his next attack.

"Die!"

I dodged his punch and immediately tried to thrust my sword into his heart.

But he twisted her body and caught my blade with his hand.

The Vampire then attempted to kick me in the head with her right leg.

I ducked beneath the attack and swept my leg across hers.

Sweep Kick!

His balance broke, and he crashed toward the ground.

My sword slipped from his grasp.

I immediately grabbed it and thrust it toward his heart again.

But the Vampire rolled away, narrowly avoiding my blade.

He then aimed his palm at me.

"Scorching Blast!"

A massive wave of heat erupted from his hand.

I immediately sprinted away to avoid the attack, but the magic still grazed my right hand and right leg.

My skin began blistering from the heat.

But moments later, Ariel healed my wounds again.

Once more, I was ready to fight.

I'll try to hold his down with my Divine Chain.

"I doubt you can restrain him with Divine Chain, Ariel," I replied. "He has powerful fire magic and heat-based attacks."

The Vampire flew upward and landed atop a building.

It seemed she was preparing to unleash another troublesome spell.

"Serpent of Hell—Hydra!"

The moment she uttered those words, something enormous emerged from his back.

A massive tentacle—

No.

A nine-headed serpent.

The enormous creature crawled along the side of the building, its nine heads hissing menacingly in my direction.

Ugh...

Why am I always fighting reptiles in this arc!?

First, a dragon.

Then, a giant metal serpent.

And now I have to fight a nine-headed snake!?

If I remember correctly, the Hydra's heads would regenerate whenever they were severed.

I had to cut off all nine heads as quickly as possible, before the creature could regenerate them.

The nine heads suddenly opened their mouths.

Particles of fiery Mana began gathering inside each of them.

I activated Accel and sprinted forward, then leaped onto the roof of a nearby building using Axio.

The nine heads fired blazing beams of fire toward me.

I managed to dodge several of the attacks.

But three beams struck my arms and legs.

My body lost its balance and crashed onto the street.

My right leg had been severed.

My left arm was burned like a steak on a grill.

An unbearable pain surged through my body.

"Lamentation!"

Ariel healed me once again.

My severed leg began regenerating, while my burned arm gradually returned to normal.

"Hydra! You take care of the Saint. I'll kill that piece of trash!"

He was probably getting tired of watching me get healed by Ariel over and over again.

This was bad.

Ariel wouldn't be able to heal me if she was attacked by that nine-headed serpent.

The Vampire flew toward me and grabbed me by the collar, carrying me into the air.

"Let's have some fun without that bitch healing you! HAHAHA!"

He laughed loudly.

Then He slammed my body against the walls of several buildings.

Pain erupted throughout my entire body again and again.

After dragging me across the walls of several buildings, He finally threw me into the air.

He pointed her index finger toward me.

"Magma Beam Barrage!"

Nine beams of molten lava shot toward me.

I twisted my body through the air, desperately attempting to evade the attacks.

But two of the beams pierced through my abdomen and left shoulder.

CRASH!

I landed badly on the city street.

I clutched the hole in my abdomen.

My breathing became erratic as I struggled against the unbearable pain caused by the severe wounds I'd just received.

Without Ariel's healing magic, surviving the Vampire's attacks would have been nearly impossible.

And on top of that, He could fly.

That gave his an enormous advantage in maneuverability and allowed his to maintain distance from me, while I could only properly injure him through close-range attacks.

I looked toward Ariel.

The nine-headed serpent was already charging toward her, each of its mouths firing another beam of blazing energy.

Ariel created another Barrier to withstand the assault.

But her Barrier wouldn't last long if it continued to be attacked without pause.

"Ariel, can you hear me?" I asked. "I have a plan."

I can hear you clearly.

Ariel's voice immediately entered my mind through her Telepathy.

What's your plan?

"Stay where you are. Don't run away. When that serpent is about to bite you, use a powerful light spell to blind all nine of its heads."

All right. I trust you.

After hearing Ariel's response, I activated Acceleration.

I ran forward and leaped onto another building using Axio.

The Vampire, still flying through the air, pointed his index finger toward me once again.

It's time to use the new combo I've been training.

This combination focuses entirely on the speed and power of my sword strikes.

I combined Avilar to sharpen my blade with Temper to strengthen the force behind my attacks.

"Die, you damned Human!"

The Vampire fired nine beams of lava toward me again.

But this time, his attacks wouldn't hit me.

"Moonlight Sonata," I muttered, announcing the name of the combo I was about to use.

"Now, Ariel! Use your light magic!"

All right! Eternal Light!

Suddenly, an intense flash of light erupted from where Ariel was standing.

The nine-headed serpent was blinded.

I immediately activated Shadow Link on Ariel's shadow.

In an instant, I appeared directly beside the Saint.

"Dancing in the Night!"

I launched myself toward the serpent's heads while they were still suffering from Blind.

My sword moved like lightning.

Ten consecutive strikes.

Before the monster could regenerate, I severed all nine heads.

When my combination ended, all nine heads fell onto the street.

The Hydra's body then crumbled into ash, scattering into the wind.

"Lamentation!"

Ariel finally healed all the wounds I'd received from the Vampire.

The nocturnal creature was hovering in the air, staring down at us with a furious expression.

"Hey."

Ariel called out to me.

I turned around.

Her violet eyes met mine.

"Let's defeat that demon," she said.

"I have a gift for you—something that will help you defeat that Vampire. Consider it repayment for all the times you've saved me whenever I was in danger."

Huh?

A gift?

What exactly was Ariel going to give me?

"But it'll take some time for me to prepare this gift," Ariel added. "Please hold that Vampire off while I prepare it for you."

"Understood, Ariel."

I took a deep breath.

Then slowly exhaled.

My eyes remained fixed on the Vampire, who had begun flying toward us again.

I reactivated Accel and Temper.

Then I sprinted toward him and leaped into the air, swinging my sword.

But the Vampire was simply too agile in the air.

He easily avoided my attack.

Then, instead of fighting me, he ignored me completely and continued flying toward Ariel, who was concentrating on gathering Mana.

The Vampire's right hand became engulfed in blazing flames.

He was preparing to attack Ariel with something powerful.

I immediately used Shadow Link and appeared directly in front of Ariel.

The Vampire looked surprised.

But I didn't waste the opportunity.

I kicked him squarely in the face.

His body went flying backward and slammed into the wall of a nearby building.

"All right. It's finished," Ariel said.

"Stand straight and don't move."

Ariel placed her palm against my back.

Then she murmured an incantation to activate her magic.

"Gib deinen Flügel, Ikarus!"

The moment she finished chanting, I suddenly felt something moving inside my back.

"AAARGH!"

I screamed in pain and dropped to one knee.

A moment later, a black wing emerged from my back.

I could feel the muscles in my body moving the wing as though it had always belonged to me.

This is...

Ikarus's Wing.

Ariel's Ikarus's Wing...

Did she give it to me?

But shouldn't the wings be white, like an angel's?

Why did they turn black when I used them?

They looked exactly like the wings possessed by the Fallen Angel—Lucifer.

"This is Ikarus's Wing," Ariel explained.

"Normally, I should be the one using it so I can escape whenever I'm cornered."

"But I believe it will be far more useful in your hands."

That wasn't all.

I could also feel an unfamiliar Mana entering my body.

Yet instead of becoming unstable or exploding within me, the foreign Mana merged perfectly with my own.

"I'm giving you Divine Mana so your attacks can inflict far more damage on that Vampire than before," Ariel explained.

"With this, you'll be able to defeat him much more easily."

After hearing Ariel's explanation, I suddenly heard the Vampire roar and take flight once again.

"Arrghhh! Enough! I'll kill both of you myself with a large-scale spell!" the Vampire screamed.

His entire body began becoming engulfed in flames.

He was gathering Mana.

It looked like he was preparing an enormous AoE spell.

"Ariel, can you give me a powerful Barrier?" I asked.

"I understand."

She nodded.

"Just fly toward the Vampire. I'll give you a powerful Barrier so you can withstand his attack."

A blinding light began gathering around the Vampire.

The demon looked like some kind of final villain preparing to destroy an entire city with a single attack.

I had to take him down quickly.

If I failed, tens of thousands of people in this city would die instantly.

I spread my new wings and began flapping them.

Then I flew toward the Vampire, who appeared ready to unleash his spell.

"Death Star Explosion... Supernovaaa!!!"

A massive wave of heat erupted from the Vampire.

It spread in every direction, destroying and melting the surrounding buildings.

My body immediately began feeling an unbearable heat.

But suddenly, a Barrier appeared around me.

It blocked the devastating wave of heat.

"Fly, Ikarus! Defeat that Vampire!" Ariel shouted from below, encouraging me.

I flapped my new wings harder.

I flew faster.

Closer.

And closer.

"Full Power!"

Seeing me approaching, the Vampire increased the power of his heat explosion.

My body was pushed backward.

The heat became even more intense.

The Barrier Ariel had created began cracking under the tremendous force.

"Shield of Anguis... Mirror Force!"

I stretched my right hand forward.

A lotus-shaped shield materialized in my palm, blocking the overwhelming wave of heat crashing against me.

With this shield protecting me, I slowly began moving forward.

Toward the Vampire.

"You'll never reach me, lowly Human!"

Ugh...

The heat he was producing grew even more intense.

The Mirror Force shield began cracking apart.

My new wings started burning.

Blisters formed across my body as the Vampire's attack continued to scorch me.

No...

I have to endure this.

I'm almost there.

Just a little farther.

I will not become Ikarus who falls.

I will become Ikarus who is free to fly through the sky as he pleases!

"ARRRGHHHH!"

I forced myself forward.

The shield shattered into countless fragments.

But I had made it.

I finally reached the Vampire.

"Moonlight Sonata—Dancing in the Night!"

I coated my sword in the Divine Mana Ariel had given me.

Then I unleashed my combination against the Vampire and activated Sterben.

"Arrghhh! Impossible!"

The Vampire attempted to teleport away.

But I was faster.

I thrust my sword directly into his heart.

"Guuughhh! Damn you!"

The Vampire screamed in agony, clutching the sword embedded in his heart.

He grabbed the blade and tried to push it out of his chest.

But it was already too late.

Victory was already in my hands.

"Release..."

The moment I uttered the word, my sword exploded.

The explosion tore through his heart and obliterated his chest.

"No... way..." He whispered.

His body fell from the sky.

He died instantly.

"We... won..."

The wings on my back were already burning away.

Unable to maintain my altitude any longer, I began falling from the sky.

I turned my head toward the Vampire.

His corpse was already beginning to disintegrate into particles of dust, scattering into the wind.

There was no doubt this time.

The Noble Vampire was truly dead.