Esdeath shut her eyes tight, took the biggest breath she could, and screamed with everything she had:
"LORTELLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
Her voice echoed across the battlefield.
But before anyone could react—
A strong, powerful voice rang out in the air.
"Blood Spear!"
Wooshhhhhhh!
In the blink of an eye, a spear made entirely of blood tore through the sky like lightning and slammed right into the lava snake's head.
BOOM!
The snake didn't even get a chance to move. Its head was blown clean off, and its massive, burning body crashed to the ground with a loud thud. It was dead. Just like that.
Everyone stared, eyes wide and mouths open.
Up above, floating gracefully in the air, stood a tall, elegant girl with long silver hair dancing in the breeze and deep red eyes that glowed like rubies. Her presence made the air feel heavy. Strong. Royal.
It was Lortell.
But she wasn't using her bat wings—no, she was floating with magic, graceful and calm. She didn't want anyone to know she was a vampire.
"Teleport," she said in a calm voice.
A bright, white magic circle appeared under everyone on the battlefield.
Fwoosh!
In a flash, all the students—including Maruti and Lorraine—vanished, teleported safely into the academy garden.
All except Esdeath.
Lortell had left her behind on purpose.
Slowly, gently, Lortell descended from the sky like a goddess or a fairy from a beautiful dream. At the same time,The sun began to rise behind her, painting the sky with soft golden light. The horrible battlefield that had just been full of blood and danger suddenly looked peaceful—like a warm, blooming garden.
Esdeath looked up, stunned. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.
"I… I want to say something!" she said, her voice shaking a little.
But before she could say anything more, Lortell decended closer and placed both her soft hands on Esdeath's cheeks, holding her gently.
Esdeath froze. Her eyes widened, and her heart pounded even faster.
Lortell looked into her eyes—deeply, lovingly—and said softly, "No. Let me say something first."
"I got too carried away last time. I didn't get to tell you the truth," Lortell said, her voice full of emotion. She stepped down lightly, placing her feet on the ground, still holding Esdeath's face as if it was something precious.
Then, looking straight into her eyes, with no hesitation, she said:
"The truth is… I'm a vampire."
For a moment, the two of them stood in silence, just staring into each other's eyes. The air felt heavy, filled with unspoken words and hidden memories.
Then, Esdeath let out a soft, gentle chuckle.
"I know," she said quietly, her voice calm but filled with meaning.
Lortell blinked in surprise. "You knew?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Esdeath nodded slowly. "I remembered everything... from ten years ago. When we went on the date."
Her words were honest. It all came rushing back during that moment at the photo studio, where Lortell had taken her for fun. Esdeath had suddenly gotten a headache there — not because of any illness, but because those buried memories had come flooding back.
Ten years ago, Lortell had used an essence stone to erase Esdeath's memories. But now that Esdeath had awakened and her powers were growing stronger, it was only natural that her memories would return.
Lortell's expression shifted. Her eyes searched Esdeath's face as she spoke more softly now. "By everything, do you mean… everything?"
There was hesitation in her voice — fear, guilt, and a deep sadness. She was thinking about that night ten years ago. The night she had done something she still regretted. She had never found the courage to confess it. She was terrified that if Esdeath remembered, she would never forgive her… never love her again.
Esdeath didn't speak. She just nodded.
Gulp.
Lortell swallowed hard. Her eyes became watery and she looked away, her voice trembling. "Are you… disappointed in me?"
She couldn't look at Esdeath. She was scared of the answer. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum.
But then — warm arms wrapped around her.
Esdeath hugged her tightly, burying her face into Lortell's belly. Because of the height difference, that was all she could reach — her head resting right between Lortell's soft breasts.
"I'm not disappointed," Esdeath said like a child reassuring a hurt friend. Her voice was filled with pure love. "I don't care about the past… or the fact that you're a vampire. My feelings will never change."
Those simple words felt like the sweetest thing Lortell had ever heard. Her heart swelled with warmth. Her tears didn't fall — instead, her lips curled into a bright smile.
Her usual playful side returned, and she leaned in with a teasing expression. "Is that so?" she whispered with a sly grin, biting her lower lip in a seductive way.
She gently pulled away from Esdeath and looked into her eyes with hunger and longing.
"Then let me taste your love," she said in a breathy voice.
Bending down slightly to match Esdeath's height, Lortell didn't go for a kiss — instead, she moved to Esdeath's neck.
Esdeath didn't resist. She tilted her head and pulled her shoulder slightly forward, exposing her skin. Her heartbeat quickened, but she wasn't scared.
"I'm yours," she whispered.
Lortell's lips brushed over Esdeath's skin, warm and soft. Then — her sharp fangs slid out and sank gently into the spot just above Esdeath's collarbone.
"Mmhhhnnn…" Esdeath moaned softly, feeling a strange mix of pain and pleasure. The sensation of her blood being drawn out was warm, dizzying, and somehow… comforting.
Lortell drank only what she needed, careful not to hurt her beloved. When she was done, she pulled back and licked the spot, leaving behind a small red mark — a love bite.
She smiled, eyes glowing gently. "Now I'm done," she said playfully. "So… what was it that you wanted to tell me?"
Esdeath looked towards the battle of elara's teh different versions and arch Duke, Where arch Duke was clearly loosing, He was not at it's peak, His strength was long gone,He was just holding out somehow.
"I want you to kill him, Don't let him escape alive at any cost!"Esdeath said in serious tone.
Lortell nodded and turned back towards the direction,"Go inside the garden and be with Lorraine for the time being, I'll take care of him!",
She said as she opened her bat wings and with one dash she flies in the air leaving Esdeath.
--------------------
Meanwhile, at the same time, in another part of the battlefield, Ethan was locked in a tense fight against Elara's clone.
Just a while ago, Ethan had been too weak to even block a single attack. Elara's clone had overwhelmed him easily. But now, things were different. After gaining a sudden boost in strength, Ethan was not only defending himself—he was fighting back with fierce, sharp attacks.
Elara's clone was originally at Rank A-, much stronger than Ethan. But earlier, he had taken a powerful hit from Esdeath's deadly move. That blow had left his body badly injured, and now his strength had dropped—just enough to give Ethan the upper hand.
"Warp!" Ethan shouted.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared right in front of Elara's clone.
Swish!
The clone slashed at him, but before the blade could touch, Ethan used his skill again.
"Warp!"
He disappeared once more and appeared behind the clone, landing a clean slash across his back.
The clone stumbled, clearly caught off guard.
How did he get so strong all of a sudden? the clone wondered, panting as he turned to face Ethan again. Did a constellation help him?
It was a good guess—but not quite the truth.
"There's no point in struggling anymore," Ethan said coldly. His voice was calm but filled with anger. "I told you—today, you're going to die."
He stood about ten steps away, his eyes glowing with rage and determination.
But Elara's clone didn't look scared. Instead, he let out a twisted laugh.
"Is that so?" he sneered. "Then before I die… I'll take away what you love the most. Let's see how you like the pain of losing someone precious!"
His eyes locked onto Emma and Sylvania, who were standing nearby.
Ethan's heart stopped for a moment. His eyes went wide. "No…!"
Instead of trying a final attack against Ethan, the clone suddenly rushed toward Emma and Sylvania with killing intent.
"You bastard!" Ethan shouted, his hands shaking in fury.
He bent down slightly, gripping his sword tightly. Golden energy surged around the blade, glowing brighter and brighter as it shimmered with the light of justice.
This was his last resort.
"Azurelion Sword Style… Third Form!"
A powerful wave of energy burst from Ethan, shaking the ground. The air felt heavy—so heavy that Elara's clone found it hard to breathe.
The mana surrounding Ethan was noble, elegant, and overwhelming. His movements were smooth, like water flowing through a river—graceful, yet unstoppable.
"Lightning Speed—Horizontal Slash!" Ethan roared.
Splash—Splash—SPLASH!
The sword moved faster than the eye could follow. A golden streak of light shot forward, cutting through the air like a lightning bolt.
In an instant, Elara's clone was struck.
The slash was so clean, so fast—his head flew off in one direction, and his upper body fell apart in another.
Blood sprayed everywhere, splashing right onto Emma and Sylvania's faces.
Both girls stood frozen.
Their eyes were wide, trembling with shock and fear. The warmth of the blood on their lips and cheeks made everything feel real—too real.
They had come so close to death… and now, what they witnessed was too much.
Their bodies wouldn't move.
They stood like statues, unable to speak, breathe, or even blink—trapped in a moment of pure trauma.
Ethan rushed toward Sylvania and Emma without wasting a second.
"Hey! Are you two alright?" he asked, his voice filled with worry and concern.
Sylvania looked at him, but then her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees. Her whole body trembled as fear took over her mind.
"I don't want to die... Please don't kill me… please don't kill me…" she kept whispering over and over, her voice shaky and broken. Tears flowed from her eyes like a fountain, soaking her cheeks and falling onto the ground.
Emma, who had been standing still in shock, suddenly sat down and hugged herself tightly as if trying to protect her body from the world.
"Sob… sob… Why is this all happening?" she cried out. Her voice was weak, like a child who had lost everything. "I can't take it anymore… I just want to go home… This isn't why I came here!"
Both girls were completely shattered by the trauma, their hearts full of fear, confusion, and pain.
Ethan stood silently for a second. He looked at them with a heavy heart, his chest tight with guilt and sadness. Then, slowly, he walked forward, knelt down beside them, and pulled them both into a warm hug.
"Don't worry," he whispered gently. "It's going to be alright now. I'll protect you... I'll save you all, no matter what happens."
Hearing his words, Sylvania and Emma held onto him tightly. Their hands clutched his clothes, their faces pressed against his shoulders as if trying to hide from the terrifying world around them. They cried in his arms, letting out all the fear and sadness that had built up inside.
For a while, the three of them just stayed like that—sitting on the battlefield, holding each other in silence.
After some time, their tears began to slow down. They wiped their eyes, their breathing still shaky but calmer now.
Ethan gave them a small nod and stood up.
"Let's go. Now that he's dead, we should free Violet too."
Sylvania and Emma nodded slowly. They still looked scared, but there was strength in their eyes now. They stood up, side by side with Ethan, ready to keep going and bring their friend back.