The night knelt.

  Shadows boiled off Alistair’s skin in writhing ribbons as his Trueform took him, fangs long, eyes filled with abyssal light, Ashen Wyrdsilk unfurling into living smoke that haloed him like a storm. The ember-crown ignited above his brow, cracked sigils of fire orbiting his head, a broken diadem of light and ash.

  [Trueform: Nightbound Majesty — Active]

  +15 to All Attributes | Immune to Status Effects

  Basic Attacks apply [Bleed] + [Weakness]

  Unlocked: [Midnight Rend]

  Duration: 1:59

  The shades faltered, their broken eyes flickering with animal terror. Even the dead knew predator when they saw it. They stumbled back as Alistair blurred past, blades whispering crimson-black arcs. Each strike left trails of bleeding shadow, and every phantom he touched unraveled into ash.

  He didn’t slow. Couldn’t. The bloodsong screamed in his skull, pounding against the walls of his mind. Kill. Cut. Tear. His fangs ground together in fury, his voice guttural as he spat into the void:

  “Run, Vardis. Run faster. Because I’ve just stopped pretending.”

  Ahead, the feral vampire bounded on all fours, claws raking stone, fangs jutting obscenely. The Founding Crystal’s light burned across his wild face, painting him like a beast at prayer. Vardis didn’t look back. Didn’t acknowledge him. His eyes were locked on the prize, the hunger of a made vampire that knew nothing but survival.

  That casual dismissal burned Alistair deeper than any wound.

  “You killed her,” he hissed, sprinting harder, [Firebite] flaring along both blades. “And you don’t even look at me?”

  The Redcrystal Sword screamed as it drank more phantom essence.

  [Firebite – Active]

  Mana Drain: 2/sec

  Effect: +5 Fire Damage per strike

  [Warmth] applied (healing effectiveness +3% per stack, max 5)

  The first clash came sudden and violent.

  Vardis reached the edge of a collapsing bridge, claws digging deep. Alistair struck from the side, blades whistling, illusory after-strikes trailing as he triggered his speed technique.

  [Phantom Edge – Activated]

  His next two swings split into four, illusory blades that shimmered against the void. Vardis snarled, twisting, his corrupted longsword lashing up to parry. The real strikes hit home, sparks bursting as steel screamed against steel. The illusions carved across his chest, leaving bleeding gouges that smoked with ghostfire.

  [Debuff Applied – Disoriented]

  Vardis Accuracy: ?15% (6s)

  The beast reeled, spitting blood. Then his chest pulsed.

  The shriveled thing beneath his ribs beat once, twice, glowing red-violet. His wounds sealed, his muscles swelled. Steam hissed from his skin as his strength doubled.

  [Artifact Revealed – Heart of the Withered Lord]

  Effect: Killing blows grant +5% Max HP & +5% Strength (30s, stacks).

  Drawback: Berserker Compulsion – must continue attacking or suffer internal rupture.

  Vardis lunged, his sword shrieking as he swung with newfound strength. Alistair caught the blow, knees buckling, stone shattering beneath him. The sheer force rattled his bones.

  “Lovely,” he snarled, sparks burning his cheek. “As if you weren’t ugly enough already.”

  He shoved back, [Imbued Strike] flooding his blade with mana. The Redcrystal Sword flashed, carving into Vardis’s shoulder in a gout of black-violet sparks. The feral vampire howled, staggering.

  [Imbued Strike – Hit!]

  Damage: 140 + Mana Surge Bonus

  Target inflicted with [Bleed] + [Weakness]

  Vardis’s lips peeled into a snarl. His sword twitched. The corrupted metal whined like a starving animal.

  And then it changed.

  The blade split at the edge, ghostly fangs unfolding from the steel. Crimson mist bled into the air as if the weapon itself were exhaling hunger.

  [Artifact Revealed – Fang of the Hollow Maw]

  Passive: +25% Attack Damage, all hits inflict [Devour].

  [Devour] – Bleed effect, heals wielder for 50% of damage dealt.

  Active: [Howl of the Maw] – unleash a shockwave of shadow-fangs (AoE + Fear, 60s CD).

  Alistair’s gut twisted. The sword itself moaned as Vardis swung it, teeth gnashing through the air. His parry faltered, pain slamming through his ribs as the fangs raked across him.

  [Damage Taken: -22 HP]

  HP: 306 → 284 / 415

  [Status Applied: Devour Bleed]

  HP loss: -8/sec for 6s.

  Vardis’s wounds closed. His muscles thickened again, chest pulsing faster.

  The gods roared. The Herald shrieked. “AND THE BEAST SHOWS HIS TEETH! LOOK AT HIM GNAW! LOOK AT HIM FEAST!”

  Alistair staggered back, blood hissing against his armor. Shades swarmed, screaming for flesh, but he ignored them, his fangs bared in fury.

  “You think a trinket makes you my better?” His voice was smoke and venom. His crown flared, ember runes orbiting his head like broken halos.

  [Crown of the Last Regent – Activated]

  Nearby Enemies: ?20 HP/sec (6s)

  Projectiles Deflected (1m radius)

  Shades shrieked as they burned away in waves of emberlight. Spectral arrows bent midair, deflected into the void. Alistair’s laughter was bitter, cracked, but proud.

  “You’re just another made thing, Vardis. Feral. Pretending at strength. I am the nightbound. I am LORD.”

  He surged forward, blades aflame, Trueform burning at its peak.

  The void screamed as the two vampires clashed again, steel and shadow and fire colliding in a storm that shook the Arena.

  Their blades met again, sparks scattering into the void. Steel rang against steel, ash and smoke exploding with every strike.

  Vardis pressed hard, his corrupted longsword snarling like a living beast. Each swing was a cleave meant to split Alistair in half, strength multiplied by the pulsing revenant heart in his chest.

  Alistair matched him, Redcrystal Sword blazing, his off-hand dagger carving arcs of fire. His crown burned, ember symbols orbiting his head like a shattered halo. Every clash sent fractures cracking through the unstable stone beneath their feet.

  Vardis’s lip peeled back, saliva flying. His voice was guttural, animal, but words still formed between his snarls.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  “You were born to this,” he spat, lunging with a savage slash. “Fed from silver spoons, draped in silks. You don’t deserve it.” Their blades screamed together, sparks dancing across Alistair’s face. “You don’t know what it means to starve!”

  Alistair shoved him back, fire licking down his blade. “And you don’t know what it means to rule.”

  Vardis roared, his body flickering.

  [Veinstep – Activated]

  He blurred, dissolving into crimson mist. For a heartbeat Alistair saw nothing, then the feral vampire reformed at his flank, blade screaming in a savage arc.

  [Damage Taken: -16 HP]

  HP: 284 → 268 / 415

  Alistair hissed, twisting just enough to avoid the killing blow. Vardis pressed, swinging again.

  [Soulrend Cleave – Activated]

  The corrupted blade erupted with violet fire as it came down. Alistair crossed both blades to block, the impact rattling his arms, shoving him back across the fractured stone.

  [Damage Taken: -28 HP]

  HP: 268 → 240 / 415

  The bloodsong surged, shrieking for release. His breath came ragged, his body trembling with fury and hunger.

  “Not yet,” he growled, forcing it back. Shadows coiled from his form as he triggered his escape.

  [Ethereal Phase – Activated]

  He dissolved into smoke, Vardis’s next blow slicing harmlessly through wisps. He reformed behind his rival, Redcrystal Sword stabbing forward. The blade pierced Vardis’s shoulder, blood spraying across the void.

  [Damage Dealt: 72]

  [Status Applied: Bleed]

  Vardis howled, staggering. Then his chest pulsed, the Withered Heart beating like a war drum, sealing flesh even as blood spilled. He snarled, swinging his blade in a backhand arc.

  Alistair ducked, raising his hand.

  [Grave Ember – Activated]

  Three ember-spirits spun into existence, trailing pale fire as they streaked into the swarm of shades converging around them. They detonated, wiping out a cluster in blinding white fire. Ash scattered across both vampires, the void echoing with shrieks.

  [Enemy Shades Destroyed: +9]

  EXP Gained: +7,200

  “Pathetic tricks!” Vardis bellowed, blood flecking his chin. He slammed a hand to the ground, veins in his arm flaring violet.

  [Bloodshock Pulse – Activated]

  The ground beneath them erupted. A shockwave of crimson energy blasted outward, rattling stone fragments, forcing Alistair back. Pain stabbed into his chest, blood spraying from his mouth.

  [Damage Taken: -20 HP]

  HP: 240 → 220 / 415

  Alistair coughed, spat blood into the void. “You have to work harder than that. I am not a broken lord, I am nightbound!”

  He raised his hand, his crown burning brighter, his voice guttural.

  [Scorchpulse – Activated]

  A circular wave of heat blasted outward. Fire roared across the battlefield, shades igniting and staggering, their ghostly bodies burning to nothing. The pulse slammed into Vardis, his feral face twisting as the flames clung to his skin.

  [Damage Dealt: 82 Fire]

  Status Applied: [Scorched] – Fire Resist -20%

  Vardis’s howl was guttural, savage. He clawed at the fire clinging to him, his weapon gnashing spectral fangs.

  Alistair snarled, snapping his fingers.

  [Summon Chittering Bats – Activated]

  A swarm of shrieking bats burst from the void, swirling around Vardis, clawing at his eyes, snapping at his throat. The feral vampire roared, swinging wildly, his blade splitting them apart, but more swarmed.

  “Do you feel it now?” Alistair rasped, his blades rising again. “That’s what it means to be hunted.”

  Vardis shoved through the swarm, fangs bared, blood dripping down his chin. His eyes were wide with frenzy, his voice a snarl.

  “I killed her,” he hissed, words slurred with fury. “And I’ll kill you too.”

  Their blades clashed again, sparks and ash and ghostfire exploding around them, two predators locked in a storm of blood and steel.

  Vardis pressed harder, his feral speed nearly impossible to track. [The Fang of the Hollow Maw] shrieked with every swing, spectral teeth gnashing, each strike spraying blood. Every cut he landed healed him, every kill he stole from the surrounding shades made the shriveled heart in his chest pulse brighter.

  [Heart of the Withered Lord – Triggered]

  +5% Max HP, +5% Strength (stacks: 3)

  Duration: 0:28

  [Devour] – Active (Alistair HP siphoned: ?12/sec)

  Alistair staggered back, boots scraping sparks across fractured stone. His health bled out in chunks.

  [Damage Taken: -14 HP]

  [Damage Taken: -27 HP]

  HP: 220 → 179 / 415

  The bloodsong screamed, clawing at the inside of his skull. Yield, surrender, let me take him.

  “No… I can’t lose control now!” Alistair snarled through bloodied fangs. His voice cut through the swarm. “KNEEL!”

  The void itself pulsed.

  [Noble Edict – Active]

  The command thundered out of him, a wave of vampiric will slamming into the battlefield. For a heartbeat, the shades froze, their hollow eyes flickering. Even Vardis faltered, his legs buckling as the word pressed into his marrow.

  [Status Attempt – Kneel!]

  Target Save: Constitution (Failed – duration reduced)

  Vardis afflicted: [Weakened, -10% Strength, -15% Speed] (3s)

  Alistair lunged.

  His veins ignited, black-red fire crackling under his skin. He gritted his teeth, blood boiling as he ripped the pain into power.

  [Searing Vein → Vesselbreaker – Activated]

  The strike slammed into Vardis’s chest, the Redcrystal Sword flaring with dark fire. Veins across Vardis’s torso lit violently, rupturing in black-red arcs. Blood exploded from his mouth as the essence in his body twisted and tore.

  [Damage Dealt: 182 (Dark)]

  [Status Applied: Manavessel Rupture] – Mana regen -50%, bonus damage on skill use (5s)

  Vardis howled, swinging wildly, his sword carving gouges into the stone as he staggered back.

  Alistair’s chest heaved, his vision blurred from the strain of channeling too much power.

  The bloodsong roared with triumph. Shadows writhed tighter, pulling at his limbs, begging for release. He gave it.

  [Trueform Ability Unlocked – Midnight Rend]

  Alistair dissolved into smoke. His body stretched into a streak of shadow, ember crown blazing as he became a torrent of knives and fury. He dashed through the line of shades, the Redcrystal Sword tearing them apart in gouts of ash, before slamming full-force into Vardis’s side.

  [Midnight Rend – Activated]

  Damage: 150% Weapon + Bleed + Silence (3s)

  Cooldown: 60s

  The feral vampire shrieked as the silence crashed over him, his spell-choked throat unable to call on blood-magic. His body skidded across shattered stone, black blood spraying in his wake.

  The Herald’s laughter boomed across the void. “LOOK AT THEM! THE LORD AND THE BEAST! SHADOWS AND FANGS, BLOOD AND BONE!”

  Alistair reformed in smoke and fire, ember runes orbiting his head like a cracked crown. He leveled his blade, eyes burning like black void.

  The duel had become a blur of steel and shadow, a storm of shrieks and blood. Alistair’s blades still struck true, his ember crown still burned, but the timer was running out. The shadows that made his Trueform began to thin, the smoke unraveling from his limbs, the void-light fading from his eyes.

  [Trueform: Nightbound Majesty – Duration Expired]

  The surge of power drained from him like water through broken hands. His body felt suddenly heavier, slower, raw wounds screaming through every nerve. His HP ticked down, scarlet warnings flickering across his vision.

  Vardis’s grin widened.

  His corrupted sword moaned as he raised it high, the spectral fangs along its length gnashing in unison. Violet-black fire swirled along the edge, coalescing into a screaming aura.

  [Fang of the Hollow Maw – Active Ability: Howl of the Maw]

  He swung.

  A wave of shadow-fangs erupted from the blade, a storm of gnashing teeth and crimson mist blasting across the broken terrain. Alistair threw up his blades, but the sheer force of it slammed through him. His armor shrieked, smoke bursting from the seams.

  [Damage Taken: -112 HP]

  HP: 179 → 67 / 415

  Status Applied: [Fear] (resisted – Vampiric Willpower)

  Blood spilled across his chin. His body buckled. He could barely breathe.

  Vardis threw back his head and laughed. The sound was ugly, wet, half-feral, but filled with savage joy. He turned his face to the gods above, raising his arms wide.

  “Look at him!” he roared, his voice cracking with madness. “Look at your pitiful, broken lord! A crawling wretch with nothing left!”

  The divine audience howled with laughter and cheers, the Herald shrieking in delight.

  Vardis lowered his gaze, eyes burning, fangs dripping blood. He stepped closer, his blade hissing like a starving animal.

  “You’re out of tricks, lordling,” he growled. “Bleed out and be forgotten.”

  Alistair coughed, spat blood into the void. And then he laughed.

  The sound was cracked, bitter, defiant. His ember crown flickered, smoke still curling from his armor. His eyes burned even through the exhaustion.

  “You couldn’t be more wrong,” he rasped, fangs gleaming. “Monster.”

  Patreon