Chapter 313
Chapter 313
【Elsa POV】
I drop to my knees beside Karl's motionless form, my hands frantically checking for injuries. His eyes snap open at my touch, blinking away confusion.
"Karl, can you hear me?" I shake his shoulder gently.
He winces as he sits up, pressing a hand to his ribs. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just got the wind knocked out of me."
Leif crouches beside us, his throat still bearing angry red marks from the Mad Prince's grip. We need to move. Now, his voice flows through our mental link. That creature's too dangerous in a direct fight. He can vanish into thin air.
Agreed, Karl responds silently, struggling to his feet. We're outmatched here.
No. I stand up, brushing dust from my knees. If we run now, he'll just get stronger. More innocent people will die.
Heavy footsteps echo beyond the stone door, each one reverberating through the chamber like a war drum. The sound grows louder, more deliberate.
"What the hell is that?" Karl mutters, reaching for his weapon.
The iron door explodes inward with a screech of twisted metal. Chunks of stone spray across the room as something massive fills the doorway.
"Jesus Christ," Leif breathes.
The thing that enters barely resembles the pale aristocrat we fought moments ago. The Mad Prince has become something monstrous—his body swollen with grotesque muscle, demonic ears jutting from his skull, and massive black wings unfurling from his back like some twisted nightmare.
The creature throws back its head and roars, the sound so loud it makes my ears ring. Dust rains from the ceiling as the ancient stones shudder.
Then it lunges straight at us.
"Move!" Leif shouts.
He and Karl split apart, circling the beast like wolves hunting prey. They grab its arms simultaneously, their muscles straining as they wrestle with inhuman strength.
"Can't... hold him... long!" Karl grunts through gritted teeth.
Now would be good, Elsa! Leif's mental voice is strained with effort.
I close my eyes, reaching for the magic coursing through my veins. Heat builds in my chest, spreading down my arms until orange flames dance around my fingers.
"Getting stronger..." I mutter, feeling the power grow.
The Mad Prince notices the gathering energy and laughs—a sound like grinding stone. "You think that pathetic light can harm me?" he sneers. "I've destroyed armies with powers far greater than yours!"
The creature flexes his wings and suddenly erupts with tremendous force. Leif and Karl go flying, their bodies slamming into opposite walls with bone-jarring impacts.
"Shit!" Karl groans, sliding down the stone.
Leif pushes himself up on his elbows, blood trickling from his temple. "Elsa, get back!"
But I'm not retreating. The Mad Prince stalks toward me, each footstep cracking the ancient floor stones.
"Your friends cannot save you now," he growls, extending razor-sharp claws. "Accept your death with dignity."
"How about no?" I raise my hands, flames crackling between my palms.
That's when I see it—Leif, moving silent as a shadow behind the monster. The golden dagger in his hand catches the firelight as he drives it deep between the creature's shoulder blades.
The Mad Prince's eyes go wide with shock. "Gold?" he screams, spinning around to face Leif. "Impossible! I destroyed every piece of gold in this realm centuries ago!"
"Guess you missed one," Leif says grimly, twisting the blade.
The creature staggers, dark blood oozing around the dagger's hilt. His composure finally cracks, revealing genuine fear.
I don't waste the opening. With a wordless shout, I hurl every ounce of gathered magic straight at his chest.
The fire magic hits him like a cannonball. Flames engulf his entire body as he releases a final, ear-splitting scream. Within seconds, there's nothing left but a pile of smoldering black ash scattered across the floor.
Leif pulls the golden dagger free, wiping the blade clean on his sleeve. "Is that it?" he asks, staring at the remains. "Did we actually get the bastard?"
I approach the ash pile cautiously, still feeling magic tingling in my fingertips. "I think we did. I really think it's over."
Karl limps over to join us, favoring his left side. "About damn time. I was getting tired of being thrown around like a ragdoll."
But our celebration is cut short as the entire castle begins to shake. Stone blocks crash down from the ceiling, and cracks spider across the walls.
"Oh, shit," I gasp, watching the chamber start to collapse around us. "The magic holding this place together is failing!"
"Run!" Leif shouts.
We sprint for the doorway as the rumbling grows louder. Leif's mental call shoots out to Freyja and the others: Everyone out! The castle's coming down!
When we burst into the main hall, I'm shocked to see the massive stone door standing wide open. Beyond it, the artificial sky looks almost welcoming.
"There!" I point toward the exit. "The way out!"
We stumble through the doorway and into the plaza, where dozens of familiar faces wait for us. Grand Sage stands at the front of the group, his usually stern expression broken by a wide grin.
"You magnificent bastards!" he calls out, striding toward us. "You actually did it!"
"Did what exactly?" Karl pants, still catching his breath.
"Killed the Mad Prince," Grand Sage explains, his eyes bright with excitement. "Every vampire in this realm just vanished into thin air. One moment we were fighting for our lives against a dozen bloodsuckers, the next they were gone like smoke."
I lean against Leif's solid warmth, finally allowing myself to feel the relief. "So it's really over?"
"It's over," Leif confirms, his arm tightening around my shoulders. "The nightmare's finally over."
（END）
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