The hammer above Thaurion’s head blazed like a newborn sun. Every instinct screamed run, but Alistair knew it was pointless. He couldn’t outrun daylight. Not this daylight.
His system window still hovered at the edge of his vision, taunting him.
[Ability Available – Trueform: Nightbound Majesty]
He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. He’d been avoiding this since the moment it appeared. Every instinct told him not to touch it. That some doors, once opened, didn’t close again.
But the boulevard was burning, the gods were watching, and the sun’s favorite golden boy was about to pulp him into the cobblestones.
Alistair spat blood into the dust. “I hate this. I really, really hate this.”
He let go.
The system pulsed.
[Trueform – Nightbound Majesty: Activated]
It hit him like drowning in velvet and fire. Darkness poured out of his skin, thick tendrils of living shadow unraveling from his limbs. His fangs lengthened, stabbing down past his lip. His eyes flared red, then white, then something deeper, ancient, as though twin voids had been carved into his skull.
The air bent around him.
Shadows peeled off the walls, off the broken cobbles, even off Thaurion’s blazing form, and dragged themselves toward him like moths drawn to a pyre. His cloak shredded at the edges, turning into living smoke that writhed around his frame.
His dead heart lurched, heartbeat thundered in his ears. Too fast. Too strong. Power snarled through his veins, hungry and endless.
He hated it.
He loved it.
It was him.
The stands erupted.
Some gods shrieked with laughter, delighted. Others roared in disgust, hurling curses. A cluster of them simply stood, silent, eyes narrowed, as though taking careful notes.
One goddess in dwarf’s flesh thrust her tankard into the air and bellowed, “NOW THAT’S HOW YOU DO FANGS!” Her divine neighbors collapsed into fits, chanting kneel! over and over until the stands shook.
On the opposite side, bronze-winged deities sneered, their hammers glowing, shouting condemnations that dissolved into static.
The Herald, of course, was shrieking like a lunatic.
“YES! YES! BLOODSTAIN UNLEASHES THE MONSTER! THE DARLING BECOMES THE DEMON! THE CROWD GOES WILD!”
Alistair’s hands trembled, blades glowing crimson-black as shadows swirled around him. His voice was rough, guttural, yet still laced with a bitter smirk.
“Congratulations,” he rasped, glaring at Thaurion through the storm of shadows. “You’ve officially made me do the one thing I swore I wouldn’t. Hope you’re proud, sunshine.”
[Trueform: Nightbound Majesty – Active]
Gain +15 to all attributes
Immune to all status effects
Basic attacks apply [Bleed] and [Weakness]
Unlocks [Midnight Rend] – dash through enemies in a line, dealing 150% weapon damage and silencing for 3 seconds.
Duration Remaining: 1:59
HP: 130 / 315
MP: 150 / 210
SP: 170 / 276
The boulevard shook as bronze wings flared. Thaurion’s hammer glowed like a captive star.
Alistair grinned, shadows writhing off his shoulders, eyes gleaming with white-hot void.
For the first time, he wasn’t already three steps behind.
They clashed.
The hammer came down like thunder, but Alistair met it head-on this time, Redcrystal sword blazing with embers.
[Firebite – Active]
Flames rippled up his blade, red light mingling with shadow. He deflected the swing just enough to slip inside the Paladin’s guard and slashed across his side.
[Damage Dealt: 41 + 5 Fire]
[Effect Applied: Warmth +1]
Sparks hissed. Blood sizzled. Alistair felt the warmth thread into him, faint but real, knitting a fraction of his wounds. His grin sharpened.
“Bleeding,” he said. “Finally.”
Thaurion snarled, wings snapping. Bronze feathers shot outward.
[Feather Barrage – Activated]
Alistair blurred, sprinting low, weaving between them. A feather clipped his shoulder, ripping through armor and flesh...
[Damage Taken: 29]
[HP: 101 / 315]
... but he didn’t slow. He hissed through bared fangs, then snapped his hand forward.
[Sanguine Grasp – Activated]
The blood in Thaurion’s veins answered.
A crimson tether yanked the Paladin three meters forward, staggering him. He roared in fury as his hammer swung wide, vision flashing.
[Status Applied: Stunned – 2s]
[Damage Dealt: Minor]
[Alistair Heals 21 HP]
[HP: 122 / 315]
The pull dragged Thaurion right into range. Alistair’s fangs itched. His claws twitched.
He didn’t hesitate.
He lunged, colliding with the Paladin’s chest. His fangs tore into the warm, sunlit flesh of Thaurion’s throat.
[Blood Drain – Activated]
Heat and fury poured down his throat. Divine blood, molten sunlight turned to nectar, seared his insides as he drank.
[Healing Successful – 41 HP Restored]
[Buff Applied – Adrenal Surge (+2 Strength, +2 Speed)]
[HP: 163 / 315]
Alistair’s eyes flared as strength flooded his limbs, every nerve blazing alive. He ripped back, blood dripping from his mouth, laughter bubbling unbidden. “Tastes like overpriced wine.”
The Paladin bellowed, staggering, one hand clutching the wound. Sunlight gushed from it instead of blood, but the mark was there.
And for the first time he looked furious.
[Enemy Status – Thaurion the Dawnforged]
HP: 489 / 618
Alistair’s grin faltered. Gods. That was after all that.
His pulse hammered. Two minutes. One shot at this.
He wiped his mouth, lifted his burning sword, and whispered, “Alright, sunshine. Let’s see how much night you can swallow.”
Thaurion raised his hammer again, blazing like a newborn star, his voice booming with fury:
“You dare drink the blood of Aurion’s chosen?!”
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Alistair bared his fangs, still grinning, shadows boiling at his heels.
“Yeah,” he rasped. “And I’m still thirsty.”
The hammer flared, gathering the light of heaven itself, and the boulevard trembled as the next clash loomed.
The boulevard became a furnace.
Thaurion’s hammer blazed with divine fury as he lunged, wings cutting the air like swords. Alistair met him in a storm of claws and steel, the Redcrystal sword flaring with fire, shadows boiling from his shoulders.
Their weapons collided.
BOOM.
The impact split the cobbles, a shockwave ripping outward, hurling debris into the sky. Bronze and crimson sparks scattered like fireworks.
[HP: 152 / 315]
Thaurion roared, hammer arcing overhead. Alistair slipped under, carved across his flank, then spun and slashed again.
[Critical Hit!]
[Damage Dealt: 57]
Sunlight gushed from the wound. The Paladin bellowed. “Parasite!”
The hammer crashed down, clipping Alistair’s side.
[Damage Taken: 46]
[HP: 106 / 315]
Pain lanced through him. Shadows shrieked off his skin. He reeled—then grinned, too wide, too hungry.
He lunged.
[Blood Drain – Activated]
His fangs sank into the Paladin’s shoulder. Sunlight seared his mouth, every swallow agony, yet it was life.
[Healing Successful – 32 HP Restored]
[HP: 138 / 315]
Thaurion staggered, eyes wild with fury. “You dare taint me with your filth?!”
The gods in the stands erupted, half shrieking laughter, half hurling curses. A bronze-winged goddess spat into the void, while the dwarf-goddess with bloody fangs raised her mug and roared, “DRINK DEEP!”
Alistair shoved off, licking blood from his mouth, eyes blazing. “You taste like sermon-flavored piss, by the way.”
The hammer came again, radiant arcs scouring the boulevard. Alistair ducked, slashed, countered. Drank the sun tainted blood again and again.
[HP: 121 / 315]
[HP: 142 / 315]
[HP: 105 / 315]
[HP: 149 / 315]
Each exchange bled him dry. Each bite dragged him back from the brink. He was a shadow clinging to life by his fangs, and every time he latched on, the Paladin’s rage grew more incandescent.
Then Thaurion slammed his hammer down, sunlight flaring outward in a searing dome.
[Ability Activated – Dawnflare]
[Status: Blinded – 3s]
[Damage Taken: 24 Light]
[HP: 118 / 315]
Alistair staggered, vision burned white. The Paladin’s voice roared through the blaze: “Aurion’s light will erase you!”
And Alistair laughed, low and guttural. “Then you’d better hurry, because I’ve still got tricks.”
He bled mana into his blade. Shadows rippled, folding into his form until he was a streak of black fire.
[Ultimate Activated – Midnight Rend]
The world blurred.
Alistair dashed forward in a line of living shadow, cutting through Thaurion, not around him. His Redcrystal sword carved across the Paladin’s chest, dragging darkness with it.
[Damage Dealt: 92]
[Status Applied: Silenced – 3s]
The impact staggered Thaurion, his hammer crashing to the ground as his mouth opened in a silent roar. Radiance sputtered around him, his divine words cut short.
The gods howled in delight. Some leapt to their feet, slapping each other, shrieking “KNEEL!” at the bronze-winged gods who hissed in rage. The Herald spun overhead, shrieking, “YES! YES! BLOODSTAIN CARVES THE SUN! WHAT A DARLING MONSTER!”
Alistair slid to a halt, chest heaving, shadows writhing around him. His HP ticked down again under the aura.
[HP: 109 / 315]
He spat blood into the dust, lifted his blade, and smirked. “Looks like even the sun can choke on the dark.”
The silence on Thaurion broke. His roar shook the boulevard, wings flaring wide, light blazing hotter than ever. His hammer rose again, molten sunlight dripping from its head.
[Trueform: Nightbound Majesty – Active]
Duration Remaining: 1:12
Thaurion swung wide, hammer blazing with molten fire, every strike rattling the stones and spraying shards of light. Alistair darted and twisted, fangs bared, shadows boiling off him in furious trails.
Each clash was a storm.
Each miss shook the world.
Each hit nearly killed him.
The hammer crashed into the earth where Alistair had stood an instant before. The shockwave split the ground, ripping cobbles into the air. He slashed across Thaurion’s ribs, Firebite burning into flesh.
[Damage Dealt: 42 + 5 Fire]
[Enemy HP: 265 / 618]
Thaurion snarled, eyes blazing. His wings snapped wide.
[Ability Activated – Feather Barrage]
Bronze spears screamed through the air. One tore across Alistair’s shoulder, spinning him.
[Damage Taken: 36]
[HP: 82 / 315]
He hissed, blood spraying. His hunger screamed louder than his pain.
He lunged.
[Blood Drain – Activated]
His fangs sank into the Paladin’s throat, burning like he was drinking sunlight itself.
[Healing Successful – 51 HP Restored]
[Buff Applied – Adrenal Surge (+2 Strength, +2 Speed)]
[HP: 133 / 315]
Thaurion staggered, roared, and slammed his fist into Alistair’s ribs to break free.
“You dare soil Aurion’s chosen with your filth?!”
Alistair spat blood back into his face, grinning. “Oh, sorry! was that your good side?”
The Paladin’s fury detonated.
His hammer lifted high, sunlight condensing above it until the entire boulevard glowed white-hot.
[Ultimate Ability Detected – Hammer of Aurion]
A shaft of pure light crashed down onto his weapon. For a moment, it wasn’t a hammer. It was a star.
“Burn.”
He launched skyward, wings spreading, then came down like a comet.
Alistair had one second. Maybe less.
[Ethereal Phase – Activated]
He dissolved into smoke, lashing sideways as the hammer struck.
BOOOOM.
The street disintegrated. A crater ten meters wide yawned where the impact landed, stone erupting into fire and molten debris. The shockwave slammed Alistair even in smoke, ripping the breath from his lungs.
[Reduced Damage Taken – 41]
[HP: 92 / 315]
He reformed, coughing, ears ringing. His vision swam. He could barely stand.
But Thaurion was panting now. His wings shook. Sunlight dripped from him like sweat.
[Enemy Status – Thaurion the Dawnforged]
HP: 231 / 618
Still a mountain. But one Alistair had chipped.
He dragged himself upright, eyes blazing. “That all you’ve got? Because I’ve still got teeth.”
He surged forward, shadows blurring, blades trailing crimson fire.
[Ultimate – Midnight Rend]
He dashed through Thaurion in a streak of living night, Redcrystal blade carving a line across the Paladin’s chest.
[Damage Dealt: 87]
[Status Applied: Silenced – 3s]
[Enemy HP: 144 / 618]
The gods roared, half in glee, half in fury. The Herald shrieked overhead, spinning like a maniac. “YES! YES! BLOODSTAIN SLITS THE SUN! NIGHT EATS THE DAWN!”
Alistair staggered out the other side, chest heaving, blood dripping from his mouth. He turned, eyes blazing, fangs bared.
[Trueform Duration: 0:43]
His HP ticked down under the solar aura.
[HP: 84 / 315]
The Paladin staggered, chest heaving, wings dripping molten light. His hammer burned, still deadly, but his steps faltered. Alistair could smell it, the break in his rhythm, the first crack in his armor.
“Still standing?” Alistair rasped, blood trailing from his mouth. “Not for long.”
He snapped his hand open, shadows boiling from his veins.
[Dark Magic Spell – Searing Vein]
Black fire erupted from his hand, crawling up his arm with sparks of red-black flame. Pain lanced through him, his own blood igniting, before the spell tore forward in a screaming arc.
[Upgrade Triggered – Vesselbreaker]
The bolt slammed into Thaurion’s chest, punching through bronze plate. Black fire spidered across his skin, searing into his very essence.
[Damage Dealt: 112 (Critical – HP < 50% Bonus)]
[Status Applied: Manavessel Rupture – Mana Regen -50%, bonus damage if skill used within 5s]
Thaurion screamed, a raw, animal sound, golden blood spraying as radiant sparks burst out of his armor.
The gods howled. Some in fury. Some in glee.
The Herald shrieked above, clapping like a lunatic. “VESSELBREAKER! THE BLOODSTAIN RIPS THE DAWNFORGED’S VERY SOUL TO SHREDS! DELIGHTFUL!”
The Paladin stumbled, hammer shaking in his grip. His wings flickered, bronze feathers falling like molten knives.
Alistair’s eyes burned white, shadows boiling. He raised one hand, voice cracking like a whip.
[Noble Edict Activated]
He roared, spit flying, “KNEEL!”
The command detonated through the air, heavier than the hammer, colder than sunlight.
Thaurion froze mid-step. His eyes widened. His knees hit stone with a crash that split the cobbles.
[Status Applied: Weakened (-15% Damage), Slowed]
[Willpower Save – Failed (Target HP < 30%)]
The stands erupted. Some gods roared laughter, some shrieked curses, others simply bellowed “KNEEL!” until the word shook the colosseum.
Alistair didn’t hesitate.
He surged forward, Redcrystal sword blazing with Firebite, shadows trailing like banners. His fangs flashed, his grin sharp as hate.
The Paladin looked up, defiance still in his golden eyes. Alistair’s blade answered.
The Redcrystal edge carved clean through neck and spine.
Thaurion’s head tumbled free, bronze wings twitching once before collapsing in a shower of molten feathers.
[Enemy Champion Defeated – Thaurion the Dawnforged]
The boulevard fell silent for half a heartbeat.
Then the stands exploded. Gods shrieking, cackling, roaring with fury or delight. The Herald spun midair, screaming into the void, “YES! YES! THE BLOODSTAIN TURNS THE DAWN INTO DUSK! KNEEEEL, AND BEHEAD THE SUN!”
Alistair stood over the corpse, chest heaving, his own HP bar flashing in warning. His Trueform’s timer ticked down toward nothing.
He spat blood onto the stone, lifted his blade high, and whispered, low enough for only himself:
“Yeap, he's dead.”
Get early access to chapters, bonus content, and more. Now’s the perfect time to jump in!
Patreon
