MTLNOVEL Chapter 128: Still, it wasn't a wasted effort...
«Blood Word lv.1: Burst!»
Shadows close around Cassian like a black shell, nullifying Akashi's attack once more.
Yet the side effects of the Blood Word, Destray, grow more catastrophic by the second.
The ground fractures endlessly, huge chasms opening and magma erupting like geysers across every corner of Iceland.
And it doesn't end there—the entire island sinks, its foundations torn apart by Akashi's devastating spell, a breath away from being swallowed by the ocean.
Akashi's breathing is heavy, his fuchsia flames weakening, flickering faintly around him.
But Cassian isn't any better—he barely manages to stay upright thanks to a staff he summoned earlier.
The mantle of shadow cloaking his body is thin and faded, weakened by the relentless barrage Akashi unleashed.
«Looks like you've hit your limit, old man!» Akashi shouts, flaunting his control.
He hurls his dagger, the blade cutting through the air straight toward the dark mage.
The shadows react instantly, covering what Cassian's eyes fail to see.
But...
—SLASH!
This time, they aren't enough.
The dagger pierces through the dark bubble and slashes his arm, forcing a scream of pain from his lips.
Had the blade sunk deep into his flesh, it would have rooted itself inside like it once did against Drakhul.
Yet even weakened, the shadows managed to shift its trajectory, saving Cassian from certain death.
Akashi grins cruelly.
«So, even a power as immense as Nyratalir's has its limits. And that limit is you, Cassian! You can't fully wield the potential of the shadows. What did Nyratalir's daughters see in such a pathetic house like Thalukvar? Bad choice for them… but even worse for you! Time to end this farce! Blood Word lv.4: Deathorns!»
The ground under Cassian erupts, countless thorns impaling his body from every angle—legs, arms, skull, chest—no part spared.
Black blood gushes out of his wounds, mouth, and nose as he hangs impaled, lifeless in appearance.
«That was easier than I thought… though without the Fallen-One's Eye, I still wouldn't have been able to kill him…»
Akashi drops to his knees, exhausted.
That spell consumed nearly all his remaining energy.
«And now, the finishing blow…»
He forces himself back up, arm stretched toward Cassian, standing twenty meters away.
«Blood Word lv.1: Bur—»
Suddenly, he freezes.
Just before delivering the final strike, he watches Cassian's body melt into the same pitch-black liquid pouring from his wounds.
The flesh dissolves until only a pool remains, merging with the shadows spread across the battlefield.
«What… the hell is happening?!»
Akashi stares in disbelief.
His face shows none of the arrogance or coldness from before.
But the horror escalates.
A patch of shadows nearby begins to bubble like boiling tar.
Seconds later, Cassian rises from it—unharmed, refreshed, no trace of fatigue or the injury on his arm.
Once more, he is cloaked in a mantle of shadows, dense and unyielding as at the start.
It looks as if he never fought at all.
But Akashi, drained and trembling, is clearly at his limit.
«What's wrong, young vampire? Didn't you just say a weak mage like me could never wield Nyratalir's full potential? That defeating me was easier than you imagined? Yet between the two of us, you're the one on death's door.»
Cassian's voice is calm, steady. Meanwhile, the ocean creeps closer—visible with the naked eye, less than a kilometer away.
The last strip of Iceland above water shrinks rapidly.
«I would've liked to entertain you a bit longer, young vampire, but as you see, time is short. I hope you won't mind if I kill you quickly.»
«Don't worry, I don't mind,» Akashi grins faintly.
Cassian raises his hand toward him. Around them, shadows rise like countless blades ready to strike.
«Blood Word lv.1: Burst!»
Akashi fires his last shot—the same Blood Word he intended to use for the finishing blow earlier.
But instead of aiming at Cassian, he launches it at the ground, far from the mage.
«Nice aim,» Cassian comments sarcastically.
But Akashi just smiles, shaking his head with a resigned sigh.
It's the reaction of someone realizing the obvious… far too late.
The vampire's eyes fix on the ground he struck.
Melted rock glows, a hole torn through the shadow mantle covering the last scraps of land not yet swallowed by the ocean.
~What an idiot I am… If only I'd figured it out earlier, I might've actually killed him. Still, it wasn't a wasted effort…~
Then Akashi grabs his right eye… and rips out the Fallen-One's Eye.
He cannot hold back a deafening scream, blood pouring in streams from the empty socket.
With no magic left, he is unable to regenerate it.
«This battle only deepened my regret of not having someone like you under my service anymore… a shame. I was tempted to forgive you in exchange for loyalty, but with your nature, you'd only use my mercy to betray me again. May the fish feast on your flesh, young vampire!»
At Cassian's gesture, the shadows sharpen into countless blades, all striking at once toward Akashi.
The vampire stands powerless, unable to defend himself.
An instant before the blades rip his body apart, shredding flesh and blood into fragments, the Fallen-One's Eye vanishes from his fingers in a puff of red petals.
♡♡♡
«Anyway, Velshekar will be here in Rome in a week—she's meeting with the representatives of the Caspada family, the most powerful criminal family in Italy. This is the ambush I mentioned earlier,» Hakuto murmurs.
Shin smirks.
«Then I'd say the best way to prepare for a fight with Velshekar is… a nice week of rest.»
Suddenly, silence falls over the room.
The TV—which had been playing an episode of the soap opera El Suspiro de Valmara (a guilty pleasure even Shin enjoys, thanks to Velune)—cuts off abruptly.
A breaking news report takes its place.
«We interrupt this program with unbelievable news: a few minutes ago… Iceland vanished, swallowed by the ocean. Scientists and geologists worldwide are debating how to explain an event that defies all logic. The only clues are calls and messages from the late island's inhabitants, describing incredible violet lights painting the sky. Could this be some unknown natural phenomenon beyond modern science? We'll keep you updated as soon as possible!»