Aah...
A low groan escaped my lips as a stream of cool air rushed through, causing me to shiver. My eyelids opened and my blurred vision was mixed with blood. Similar to the blood stench attached to every air I breathe.
{Get up! You can't pass out now, get up!} Lin's screams were barely a whisper but the desperation in his voice left me confused.
What is he so worried about, it's not like I'm about to die or something…
Wait, why am I outside and why are there black birds in the sky?
And then it came—
My memories came rushing in with an ear piercing static sound and a blinding light for a background. It was instantaneous and overwhelming witnessing my final memories before getting knocked out.
'I tried to dodge but it was too fast…'
'My arm!'
My eyes yanked open in realization and with this came a burning pain like never before. I glanced towards my right arm and my heart shook seeing nothing but a puddle of blood below my elbow.
But I wasn't the only one in pain.
Ki~Ki! Ki~Ki!
Ki~Ki! Ki~Ki!
The Black devil's cries were louder than mine and the ground quaked as it trashed around. I can boldly say, this was the only good news I have received this night.
{You need to do something about your wound. You will bleed out soon!} Lin's voice was much clearer now but my blurred bloody vision remained the same.
"Derek!" Klien's voice rang from a distance but my mind was too messy to tell where it came from.
His hasty footsteps increased and froze a few meters away from me.
"Ooh shit." He said.
Ooh shit?
What does he mean by ooh shit. I know I lost my arm but that doesn't warrant that kind of reaction.
"I'll help you before you bleed out!"
There was desperation in his voice and this led me wondering who injured me or him?
So why the hell is he reacting this way?
He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me up, allowing me to lean on the walls of the inner court… Wait, weren't we closer to the western walls?
"How did I get all the way here?" I said in a hoarse but low tone. For some reason, I couldn't muster enough energy to speak louder.
{The bird cut off your arm and leg and you fell into a wind tunnel which flung you farther from the scene. You are lucky, you would have been its meal already.} Lin explained.
My arm and my leg?
Wait, I lost my leg too?!
Klein ignored my question and actions and placed his palm on my chest.
"I'm not skilled at healing, but I can help with the blood loss and also stop the bleeding completely," He said.
Buzz!
A crimson magic array spiralled to existence on my chest.
"Blood obeys... blood seals… bind the life within!"
Blood Magic: Blood lock!
Suddenly, my spilled blood began to stir, coiling back like serpents. It crawled over my wounds, weaving itself into thick, pulsing threads. My vision became clearer as more blood flowed into my wounds and at the end the strands hardened, sealing my arteries and veins in place.
"Why are you saving me? So that I can die again?" I grabbed Klien by the collar and shoved him aside.
He barely caught himself from falling flat on the ground but he didn't seem pissed—just unimpressed by my bad behavior.
"I see gratitude doesn't exist in noble houses."
I wasn't going to back down or let this body gaslight me into apologizing.
"Fuck you and your kin. If you cared, you would have helped me keep that thing distracted but you hid and never showed your face!" I snapped.
"But you are alive and our spell hurt the bird." Klien shrugged indifferently.
Aah!
I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, not from my wounds but a deep regret of not being able to strangle this bastard to death now I only have one arm.
And did he just say our spell?
My spell!
I suggested the idea, I fused it with a soul wisp and I lost my limbs for it. Without him, I could replicate this spell alone but he can't do the same without me.
I don't blame him, I blame myself. I should have just stolen his shadow alongside the others while he was weakened and protected myself.
"I should have just let you die." I sighed.
"But you didn't. Now let's focus on killing off the bird." Klien shrugged again.
Should I just bite him?
If I move quickly I can rip its nose out in one go…
"Do you still have some mana left?" Klien asked in his irritating dull tone.
He seemed oblivious to the nasty thoughts running through my head.
"Enough to take your li—"
{Focus!} Lin yelled
Hmph!
I snorted disdainfully and looked toward the distance. The black devil cried loudly, thrashing around like a baby throwing a tantrum. My attack had cut deep into its left scapula and its black feathers were dyed violet with its blood.
"I was going for the head." I said.
"I saw." Klien nodded slightly and then there was silence between us.
The peaceful kind.
"We can try it again but it will need your help preparing it this time." I said and Klien nodded.
"Now I know we can kill it with that spell, there is no reason to run." He said and rose to his feet.
Klien offered me a hand and pulled me up to my feet but I still needed the wall for support. He placed both hands over my palm and I watched his palm cut open, causing his pulsating thick blood to flow. However his blood never reached my palm, it was suspended in mid air.
"From vein to fang, I shape the crimson edge!" Klien hissed as the crimson crescent blade gleamed under the moonlight, drawing the attention of the black devil.
Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!
It cried out, its eyes burning with resentment. I could tell it wanted nothing more than to tear us apart.
"It's too late… We have won." I muttered as I unleashed my wind magic.
"From breath to storm, I drive the piercing gale!" I chanted as the blood-forged blade was wrapped in a violent wind. It slowly began spinning between our palms, sharpening further as my wind integrated with his spell.
Rumble!
Not daring to let us finish, the black devil broke into a vicious charge. Without its wings it had to move on foot, giving me enough time to add the final ingredient to this deadly magic.
Soul wisps!
Klien stepped back as I lifted the crimson crescent moon over my head as two soul wisps sank into it.
BUZZZ!
"Crimson Tempest: Twin Fang!" Klien and I roared as the crimson blade grew threefold while it spun fiercely over my head like a disk, reading to split the world in two.
It wasn't just my wind pushing it this time, Klien was manipulating his magic to drastically improve to rotation speed and lethality.
If the last attack was able to penetrate its scapular, this one will cut off its entire wing.
KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!
The black devil was already halfway through, just seconds away from reaching us.
"I'll be the distraction." Klien said and began walking forward before I could respond.
"And I'll make sure to end it with this hit." I said while holding up the twin fang spell.
While the black devil charged forward, Klien walked while his muscles bulged and his skin turned a crimson shade again. His back seemed to bulge as four blood tendrils tore through his skin, dancing madly in the wind.
SWOOSH!
This time, the black devil didn't dare ram into its target recklessly. It hid its damaged wings and swiped at Klein with its talons. However, he used two blood tendrils to propel himself off the ground and into the air!
From above he had a clear view of the black devil's injury and attacked directly with his blood tendrils.
Peng!
Before his blood tendrils could reach its mark, the black devil's right wing swung like a blade and deflected the attack in a single swoop. However, I wasn't going to let it get past Klien that easily.
Taking advantage of their short exchange, I had already expanded my shadow zone and had tens of shadow tendrils on standby. Without hesitation they swooped forward, wrapping and binding the injured wing of the black devil and pulled—-
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!
The black devil cried out in pain but it didn't recklessly yank off my shadow, instead it tried to tear off the shadow tendrils with its beak!
NOW IS OUR CHANCE!
Maybe it's because we both moved in unison, but it felt like we shared similar thoughts. Using only one blood tendril to stand, Klien sent the other three hurling at its injury.
Meanwhile, shadow tendrils erupted from the wall behind, impaling my back. Gritting my teeth, I endured the pain as It dragged me off the ground and hurled me to the left as I couldn't walk with one leg.
Unable to dodge Klien's due to the shadow holding it down, the devil bird relied on its wing to block the attack. However with that move, its head was stuck between a small cram between both wings and the only figure within range of this fragile spot was me!
Crimson Tempest: Twin Fang!
"I win, little bird!" I snarled as I sent the crimson blade hurling forward.
For a moment the eyes of the black devil widened with shock, since it never expected me to harm myself with my shadow just to get to it.
This was game over!