Chapter 557: A Butler (1/2)
”Accept what?” her face froze.
”Truth be told,” broken screens flashed, ”-I'm a vampire.”
Screams of help, the sound of bones breaking, the gluttonous groan of the crawler. Mild tremors diffused per their steps.
”A vampire?” she gulped,”-what then?”
”I need, ”caressing her neck, ”-blood. Your blood.”
”I trust you,” said she in a soft-spoken tone and compassionate expression.
*Slam!* the door flung open; a tall figure entered with a pig-like creature in his arms. Fierce eyes submerged in a black veil, rounded white spots marked the retina. A strange symbol ran from the forehead, down the nose, and spread around the mouth. A dark complexion, short hair, and protruding horns. Ling's grip nearly pierced skin, her face paled.
”It's him,” she let a whimper.
The seeking gaze struck Igna and the cowering lass. ”You there,” patting the pet, ”-what's your name?”
”My name?” returned Igna.
”Yes,” said he, ”-I'm searching for a certain individual. My master sent me to evaluate his strengths.”
”I knew it,” said he under the breath.
”Igna?” her face fearfully stared upwards; ”-do you know him?”
”I'm afraid so. Ling, sense that aura. There's no way anyone's getting out alive. Sorry about this,” he bit into her neck, a warm tingling sensation ran down her whole body. Her legs and arms involuntarily contracted in wait for something else. Her tears warmed to steam, the cheeks and ears boiled, '-s-stop,' asked she in an unconvincing manner.
'Good, she'll do. I can just about manage to recover.' Quick to locate the splattered blood, '-if there's a massacre, all the better for me.' *Blood-Arts: Bloody Mary.*
”Once again I ask,” the tone came across impatient, ”-what is your name?”
”Igna Haggard,” he stood whilst Ling rested inside the makeshift hideout, ”-you're a demon from Scifer's army?”
”Correct. To be precise, a low-level demon, a butler. Don't be confused, butlers are more suited to combat than our masters.”
”Demons follow a hierarchy?” he chuckled.
”What is so funny?” the unmoving pale face rose a brow, the petting stopped.
”Where does the inheritor of the Founder land?”
”Very shrewd of you,” the wind blew strong, carrying the vaporized mists of blood and broken skin, ”-the inheritor is the rightful king. Though, all considered, most of the lords and nobles haven't accepted thy claim. Lady Vesper and Lady Kul might have done so, we, speaking as a proxy, haven't recognized thee as the king. We follow the simple law of survival – the strong rule and the weak follow. What will it be?”
”This supposed to be a fight, right?” ambled till the door, ”-don't worry, I'm not running away,” said he feet away from the demon, ”-quite rude of me, I forgot to ask, what's thy name?” A dead body crashed against the adjacent wall, splattering bone fragments across. 'Good,' thought he, '-the plan's coming along.'
”Please, refer to me as Butler. I haven't been granted a name by my master yet. We of the demon race follow different rules.”
”To each their own,” he stepped onto the broken roof, a fire rose in from Reforge. The singular Crawler spewed fire before reaching the camp. The adventurers broke into teams to fight fire and monster. It wouldn't take long for support to surround the beast.
”I'd say this fight is getting along nicely,” said the Butler, ”-a single Cawn managing to destroy the Azure wall and its fighters. Quite sad, considering their place in the demon-army.”
”Are they not monsters?” inquired Igna walking along with the troubled surrounding.
”No, they are the ants of our world. Those abnormals there,” pointing to Viola's fight, ”-are a tiny bit up the scale. They're throw away lives, fast regeneration, and instinct to fight, adapt, and win. The more people fight one, the stronger it becomes.”
”The perfect pawns,” sighed he, ”-listen, Butler, are we going to fight?” over yonder, the wall-guardian neared her end, the blade broke, she stood before the hunter and its prey.
”We'll fight, that much is sure. I'm in no rush, I quite enjoy the sight of carnage. Go,” said he, ”-rescue those who need so,” a blink later, ”-I'll be taking this girl as a hostage. Can't have the inheritor running out on me,” glancing to the lonesome tree beyond the walls, ”-I'll be there, waiting. My patience has its limits,” a deafening pulse marked his teleportation.
'A low demon without a name. Guess I have to learn more about the other races. How the hell can he be that strong. Well, at least I know those beasts aren't monsters. They're servants of the demons. The beast-like one is named Cawn. Anyway,' multiple threads stretched as if spider-webs. '-all this death hasn't been lost.' A halo slowly built around above the head, five dark-crimson orbs hovered at the back. 'My blood is replenished, let's fight for real.'
”Runa!” cried the injured, ”-save yourself, guardian, we're a lost cause.”
”Shut up!” strong with a broken blade, ”-I'll uphold my responsibility. I can't let my sister's aspirations be in vain.” The blade dropped; a purple-cape materialized at her back; a bow conjured from thin air. The wind swallowed into a vortex.
'A saint,' he leaped over.
”BEHIND US!” screamed another.
”She's open,” gritted Igna, ”-well,” using the first Cawn as a springboard, he flew as if a bullet.
”No you don't!” the arrow fired to hit and summon a black hole. The beast collapsed, blood spewed, the inner-organs crushed, it was as if juicing a lemon with the skin still on, all the liquid poured onto the wall. '-I did it,' light-headed by the first shot, '-next target,' spun to draw another, '-are those wings?' a figure went straight for the head, multiple strokes and it fell.
'Never underestimate the power of a true-blooded vampire.'
”Who are you?” asked she falling to her knee.
”Kinless. Take the wounded to the lieutenant's quarters. It's the safest place on the wall, we don't know if there are more coming our way.”
”We can't hold out anymore,” cried Frost stuck in battle, ”-between defending and attacking, we drew the shortest straw.”
”Come on,” fired Rena, ”-let's win this fight already, I want to sleep.”
”FOCUS KIDDOS,” screamed the veteran signaling for an incoming volley of spells. 'Can't do much with the outpost inches away from destruction. We lose this and innocent people will die.' He stood on a boulder.
”Sir, Beast-wolves have engaged support from Ground-Zero and Stonegrove.”