Magnus's words rippled through the group of vampires around him. Some didn't react at all, their minds either too preoccupied with what had just happened to one of their own or entirely focused on Magnus's movements. Others were looking for the fastest way to take him down before he could make another move.
But even among the undead, pride could take root and drive away hesitation and fear.
"Human... are you mocking us?"
One vampire spoke up. Magnus turned his head slightly toward the source of the voice. He didn't know exactly how vampires were born—whether they were turned or somehow created—but this one seemed a little younger than the others. It was something in their eyes. When he'd encountered Lady Austra, her irises had been a burning orange, standing out against the black of her pupils, gleaming even in the dark. The other vampires he'd met had similar eyes, but the 'glow' always seemed dimmer, never quite as bright.
Magnus held out his hand, and the K-Variant Rokshaata appeared from his storage ring, landing in his palm.
"No, a threat would imply I'm trying to deter you," he said, his tone clear even through the vocal modifications of his mask.
"But there's no need for that. After all, I don't plan on letting a single one of you escape." The vampire who'd called him out narrowed their eyes, baring their teeth as if silently growling. But surprisingly, it wasn't that vampire who attacked first. Instead, it was one hidden behind a tree, positioned two o'clock from Magnus.
The reason for the attack was simple—Magnus was distracted.
There were no words, only the sound of the vampire's nearly-black uniform rustling from the sudden acceleration. Dark mist, a sign of their true form, leaked out from beneath their skin, growing and sharpening. It began at their wrist and quickly became a shadowy blade over a meter long.
Magnus didn't bother to turn his head; his response was fully mental.
The projectile section of K-Variant Rokshaata, separate from its coin-shaped holder, vanished in an instant. It all happened so fast that it would've been beyond the perception of an Adept-level knight, who could only rely on their sixth sense to notice the event.
The projectile section broke through space in a split second, entering the Liminal Veil beyond time, and then returned just as quickly.
The vampire charging with the shadow blade never saw it coming. He didn't feel it when it appeared in front of his chest. And he certainly didn't get to register the moment his consciousness slipped away. The blade vanished from his arm as his body lurched forward, his balance lost as his legs tripped over one another.
The projectile section of K-Variant Rokshaata returned to its place, moving through the void in the same way it had left. Magnus barely had to turn around as the unconscious vampire's body dropped toward the ground. He stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed the back of the vampire's collar. With a simple application of [Self Body Puppetry], Magnus tossed the body into the air with surprising force. The vampire flew up, limp as a ragdoll, until it crashed into one of the open mana constructs in the sky, which sealed shut around it.
The construct began shrinking and constricting, tearing the vampire's body apart almost immediately. The sound echoed through the park, filling the air once more. But none of the vampires still trying to process what had just happened could focus on the sound of one of their own being broken down.
They overheard Magnus's words instead: "Two down... twenty-eight more of you to go."
Those words hit hard, and every vampire in the area reacted. Whatever doubts, fears, or hesitation they had were shattered. They had to deal with this human—and they had to do it together. In an instant, they all surged forward. Their figures—dozens of them, some cloaked and others in black leather uniforms made for stealth—rushed in. A few even darted through the shadows, moving faster than the ones dashing through the air or running across the ground.
Magnus's eyes swept left and right as they closed in, his grip on K-Variant Rokshaata unshaken.
His body immediately fell under the full control of [Combat Assistant]. It had already analyzed and broken down the movement and attack patterns of vampires before. It knew some of the best counters, blocks, and dodges. If none were available, it would refine a move or create one, pulling from the current database. Against a fighter as skilled as Gerald, this wouldn't have worked—those moves would take too long to perfect in combat at that level.
But against these vampires, who relied on speed, immortality, and raw ferocity rather than technique, it was more than enough.
What followed was almost like a strange dance. Magnus stepped back as his body automatically reacted to the vampire shooting up from the ground, trying to grab his legs. He tilted his head just in time to dodge an attack aimed at his skull from behind. Pivoting on his heel, he twisted, avoiding the Umbral Rend launched by a vampire in the air above him.
The crescent blade of darkness sliced past him by mere centimeters before disappearing into the ground.
Every movement Magnus made was fluid and precise, almost robotic, and as a result, completely inhuman. As more vampires rushed in, launching everything from direct melee strikes to their vampiric abilities, the park erupted into chaos. Attacks formed from darkness flew in all directions. Weapons forged from the dark fog of their true forms moved faster than sound, causing bursts, shockwaves, and ripples of noise that tore through the night sky.
It was like watching piranhas swarm around a piece of meat thrown into their tank—shadows and dark figures swarming Magnus from every direction.
Yet, despite all their efforts, their 'prey' remained untouched. No matter how much speed they gained or what method they used, it was as if the human before them always knew when and where they would strike—even if he didn't see them.
It didn't matter what kind of attack it was; even if it came from the shadows, it was as though it had been telegraphed. What was even stranger was the inconsistency of his speed. Sometimes, his movements were slow, just below the speed of sound, making quick, sharp shifts. But at other times, his speed would suddenly surge. Even when it seemed impossible—when he was mid-dodge, avoiding a previous attack—he would gain momentum, somehow dodging faster, evading the next strike in a flash.
One vampire, sliding to a stop as they tried to retreat, frowned and muttered to herself.
"What is this? Some kind of sensory magic? But even his movements... How is he avoiding everything we throw at him?" She couldn't make sense of it. Despite the relentless assault from her fellow vampires, there was no progress. They couldn't land a hit.
That's when she saw it.
Magnus spotted one of the vampires rushing toward him head-on, while four others moved in to surround him. As the K-Variant Rokshaata flickered, the vampire charging from the front fell unconscious with a single tap. Magnus ducked under the four attacks coming at him while moving forward. As he braced, the unconscious vampire collided with him, but Magnus caught them before they hit the ground and tossed them into the air. The result was exactly as expected—their body was sealed in a mana construct and crushed.
And then it happened again.
Magnus flipped backward, vaulting onto one hand. Simultaneously, the vampire that was charging in from his right was knocked out by the K-Variant Rokshaata. Even while upside down, balancing on one hand, Magnus twisted his body and landed a perfect kick to their chest. The unconscious vampire was sent hurtling into the sky, straight toward another mana construct. Ignoring the body after his kick, Magnus then bent his arm slightly and pushed off the ground, launching himself a couple of meters into the air.
Six vampires on the ground immediately dashed toward him, determined not to let him escape.
"Blight Orbs!" They called out. Ten small black orbs, about the size of a coin or an eye, materialized from the compressed dark fog of their true forms—sixty in total. As the vampires leaped into the air after Magnus, the orbs around them flew toward him with a speed that surpassed the vampires' own.
They had expected him to dodge, but to their surprise, Magnus tapped his foot against the air. In an instant, a flat, circular-shaped mana construct appeared beneath his feet, like a platform. The black orbs struck the barrier with force, causing it to tremble slightly as the two opposing energies clashed. However, one side was being sustained by Magnus, and unless the Blight Orbs had enough force to destabilize and shatter the mana formation instantly, it would be repaired under his control, constantly rebuilt by the endless flow of mana.
The result was immediate.
The modified properties of the mana formation triggered, and the vampires rushing at Magnus watched in disbelief as their attacks rebounded. The orbs sent them flying back with the same speed they had come. Only two managed to barely dodge, while the remaining four were hit directly. The areas where the orbs passed through began to decay rapidly, as if some invisible, corrosive force or disease was eating them away. Faces, arms, and skin collapsed inward, losing their strange, lifeless, yet somehow aesthetic appearance.
It wasn't an attack that could truly harm them, they were immortal after all—but it had slowed them down, even the two who dodged. They didn't realize what was happening until something suddenly locked around their necks. Mana-made collars, connected by shimmering black-and-white chains, appeared. The chains stretched up and wrapped around Magnus's right arm, while his left hand still gripped Rokshaata.
"You wanted to come up here, didn't you?" Magnus said, gripping the chains and yanking with force. The six vampires' bodies jerked into the air, pulled like dogs on leashes. Magnus's eyes snapped to a group of four vampires charging up from below, with another four above, launching a barrage of varied attacks. Some drained energy, some broke down the body, and others induced paralysis or blood coagulation in deadly areas.
All of these attacks struck Magnus squarely, seemingly before he could react.
"We finally got him," one of them said, relief and excitement in their voice.
"He was too arrogant for his own good," another chimed in.
But their victory was short-lived. Despite the multiple effects of the attacks, Magnus's body didn't change at all. Nothing happened as he stared at them through the holes in his mask.
"But- But how!?" One of them shouted, their blackened eyes wide with confusion.
Magnus responded smoothly, "Using attacks meant to kill humans against me? The only thing I have in common with normal people is how we look."
With that, Magnus pulled hard on the chained vampires in the air. The force of his movements was overwhelming, instantly snapping the necks of the six vampires as they were yanked downward. Their bodies and the chains became like whips, slamming into the group of four vampires above him with enough force to pull them down. But it didn't stop there. The remaining group of four, still closer to the ground, looked up in shock, trying too late to avoid the incoming attack. The six chained vampires and the four additional ones who were slammed down collided with them.
The impact cracked the pathway through the park and shook the ground, sending fragments of stone, dust, and dirt flying into the air. Before anyone could recover, eight more chains formed and wrapped around the necks of the collapsed vampires. Magnus then yanked them upward, tossing the bodies into the air.
The chains vanished as each vampire was sent crashing into a mana construct, where they were compressed down to their true forms. The sound that followed was even more harrowing than before—a cacophony of joints, bones, and biological matter being torn apart, leaving only silence in its wake. Seventeen orbs now hung in the air, their black masses writhing within.
Magnus stopped floating, slowly descending to the ground, spinning slightly as he did, turning to face the remaining vampires.
"And then, there were thirteen," he said, his voice revealing that none of this had tired him. His tone, along with his movements, made it clear to the vampires that something was off. They couldn't read his body language to predict his actions, and his breathing, aside from the occasional breath or his speaking, seemed nonexistent.
Once again, hesitation gripped them. Their thoughts raced, unsure of what to do.
We can't defeat him... I thought we were just sent here because Lady Austra wanted this resolved quickly, but no. This human is too strong—his power's far beyond the Adept-level that they said he was at. It's almost like we're facing a Hierarch.
Just the thought caused the vampire to take a step back—not in retreat, but out of fear. His eyes flickered upward to the mana constructs, to the captured vampires Magnus had gathered so easily.
The immortality they relied on felt more like a curse now than an advantage.
Similar feelings of dread spread through the remaining vampires. The thought of escape flashed in their minds, but something held them in place.
Even if we run, Lady Austra will track us down when she finds out we failed. And we'll be killed.
They had no choice. They could either fight and be captured or flee and face death later. That realization cornered them, a feeling so rare for their kind, usually only felt when meeting with their superiors. It pushed them into an extreme state—bodies tense, fangs bared, eyes burning with fear and desperation.
Magnus tilted his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Oh? They're not going to run? Well, whatever. Saves me the trouble of chasing them, that would've been annoying with their abilities.
Raising his hand, Magnus made a simple beckoning motion toward them. There were no taunts, no words—just a subtle understanding that it was time to end this.
After a brief moment, all thirteen vampires attacked, and the silence was shattered once more.
The ensuing fight couldn't have lasted more than five minutes. One by one, sometimes two at a time, the vampires were taken down—either by K-Variant Rokshaata or some form of magic they simply couldn't counter in time. No strategy they put together worked, and no ability that managed to hit seemed to have any effect. Instead, vampiric bodies flew into the air, trapped, and were then broken down in a repeating cycle that kept the air filled with sounds and vibrations.
In contrast, the number of vampiric abilities thrown Magnus's way grew fewer with each passing moment until finally, there were none.
Soon, only one vampire remained.
Their back was pressed against the trunk of a tree. All around them were the signs of battle: craters, dead wildlife drained of life, trees sucked dry, and entire patches of greenery reduced to dust. The stone path cutting through the park had been nearly destroyed. Yet, despite the destruction, Magnus stood there, completely unharmed, eyes locked on the last remaining vampire.
"You know, if you're willing to tell me what you know about your Lady Austra, or the lord behind her, I'm willing to spare you the fate of the others," Magnus offered.
The vampire stood still for a moment, then sneered.
"I'd die the moment I tried."
Without warning, they bolted—not toward Magnus, but away from him. Unlike the others, this vampire had decided that running was the better choice. It was a risk, but it seemed more bearable than being captured by Magnus, even if it meant certain death when Lady Austra found out.
"Well, I offered," Magnus muttered to himself as he held out his hand, palm facing the sky. Mana gathered from nothing, swirling and condensing into a black-and-white sphere in his palm. Looking in the direction the vampire had run, he tossed the ball up twice before letting it fall. Shifting his stance, Magnus took a small step back and spiked the ball with his foot. The force transferred into the ball, accelerating it well beyond the speed of sound.
But it wasn't just that.
As the ball flew through the trees the vampire had run past, it didn't explode on impact or even damage the trunks.
Instead, it bounced, ricocheting off one tree and then another, gaining speed with each bounce. It left a faint afterimage as it sped up, clearing the trees and still heading in the direction of the escaping vampire. Magnus began walking casually in the direction it had flown, the floating sealed mana constructs in the air following him like balloons tethered by invisible strings.
Meanwhile, the vampire had already cleared the park and was perched atop a building. They glanced back, spotting the ball flying toward them.
"Grah, dammit!" The vampire cursed, frustration evident. They jumped off the roof and darted down the maze of buildings, using their speed to round the corners. But the ball wasn't far behind. It bounced off a glass window without even rattling it, then continued down the alleyways. It bounced rapidly, like a ping-pong ball, gaining speed with every rebound.
The vampire barely had time to turn their head when they reached a dead end. They saw the ball coming straight at them and raised their guard. But instead of hitting them, the ball expanded suddenly, like the mouth of a creature. Before the vampire could react, they were engulfed by the ball, which shrank almost immediately. The vampire struggled, using all their strength to lash out at the enclosing mana walls, but nothing they did seemed to break it.
They even tried using Blackout, the ability to disrupt the mana formation of a spell. But the ball only shifted slightly before snapping back into place, fixing itself in the blink of an eye. With their last attempt failing, the sphere compressed fully, leaving only the vampire's black, foggy true form inside.
Moments later, Magnus floated down into the alleyway, landing softly. He spotted the sphere hovering in place and approached it.
Reaching up, he plucked it from the air as if it were a fruit.
"Your 'Anti-Magic' works by disrupting the mana formation of a spell by flooding it with foreign and wild energy, causing it to destabilize and unravel. Effective, but as long as I stabilize it faster than you can break it, it's easy enough to counter." Magnus had figured this out during his fight with the two vampires outside Arlcliff City. By casting the same spell over and over again, faster than they could cancel it out, he realized he could overwhelm their ability. So, why not simply repair a spell faster than their Blackout could tear it apart?
Of course, only someone at the Master level—or someone like me—would have the mana control, speed, and reserves to pull that off. It wouldn't work against Lady Austra, considering how fast she is, but it looks like it works fine on these types.
With that thought, Magnus tossed the final sphere into the air, adding it to the twenty-nine others that had already been captured.
Looking up at them, Magnus stretched slightly and muttered, "Hmm, I wonder if Eveline's made any progress with those two vampires I left with her? Well, either way, she's going to have a field day with all of you."