Fwoosh!

A piece of what seemed to be a wooden shelf flew over Teresa's head as she ducked down to avoid getting splattered like an insect. A few dozen meters from her would be the library’s ancient weapon display. The place where she might be able to find something to help the Crown Prince with. 

Teresa tore off a piece of her dress and tied it around her arms and hands. She did this so that she would have to feel the bruises that were burning in her skin. She didn't like wincing at every move she made with them.

She shut her mouth and sneaked her way behind the debris and fallen shelves as she tiptoed toward the doorway. All she needed was something she could use to defeat that man. 

She stared at the Prince one more time before she vanished into the weapon's display.

The fight between Ben and Hemming continued. There was a loud crash that bore from the two’s spirit slashes colliding into each other. Ben sidestepped and tried to find a blind spot by stabbing towards the side of the Vice Captain only to be met by a deflecting blade that threw him off balance and in direct line of sight for a gut punch.

In quick thinking, he used his blade to block the Spirit-infused fist and managed to avoid having his ribs broken more than they already were and instead was just flung to the other side of the library. 

“You're half-assed Spirit isn't a match for mine!” The Baron or Vice Captain mocked. “Your Spirit is rendered weak by your reliance on magic, no training or honing can fix a tainted one like you!” He drew his blade and released another slash infused with spirit that flew towards Ben. 

The Prince quickly erected a blood wall to defend himself but it was nullified by the power of the Spirit. The slash cut through his defense and into his chest as he cried out in pain.

“Face it, you half-assed Prince.” Hemming walked over menacingly and stepped on the Prince’s chest. “You think yourself special? You're just useless!” He stabbed his blade downward, aiming for the Imperial’s heart but Ben did not allow himself to go down that easily.

He used his hands and caught the blade in his palms. Holding it tightly, preventing it from reaching his chest. 

“Fuck off.” Ben cursed and the blood from his injured palms climbed the sword in an instant and turned into little needles that pierced through the Vice Captain’s shoulder. 

The blood rose so quickly that the Vice Captain couldn't release his spirit fast enough. He backed away, holding his shoulder, and leaving his sword behind as Ben let it clatter to the side.

“You bastard.” The Vice Captain scowled. 

Ben stood up from the rubble. His body, cut and bruised and bleeding all over.  

Ben relaxed and calmed his breathing. He felt the blood on his body flow through his veins as it rushed to heal him at a faster rate. 

He tried going down the rubble but he stumbled down. His leg hasn't recovered from earlier as well. He was gravely injured and had no time to heal in between. He cursed his own life and glared at his opponent ahead of him.

“So they never sent the likes of you to the front lines huh?” Ben spat.

“Of course! Wouldn't want the Empire to see how strong we actually are.” The Vice Captain smirked. “We hid our blades and let you relish your so-called victories. Let the Empire relish in your false glory.”

“Was it all a lie?”

“Hardly, the Kingdom did lose most of the infantry in the false war,” The Vice Captains shrugged, “but they were the powerless weaklings who didn't carry unwavering loyalty for the Kingdom.”

The Vice Captain smiled like a madman. “Their sacrifices were not in vain! They managed to trick you into letting your guard down!”

The Crown Prince stumbled forward. “So you just sacrificed their lives as some sort of game?”

“Maybe. I’m not the commander here.” The Vice Captain shook his head. “If you have any complaints, it is to the higher command of our army.”

“Everything I’ve fought for in the border, all of it… it was just a mask to hide all of this all along!” Ben glared, his rage boiling like magma.

“Indeed, you would've figured that out after this invasion anyway.” The Vice Captain laughed. “But it is amusing to see the agony in your face as you realize this here.”

“You bastard!”

“Hahaha!” The Vice Captain shook his head. “There is no point in discussing further things with a dead man.”

“You're right.” Ben snarled. “I’m gonna kill you right here.” 

Suddenly like a burst of tentacles, blood-red spikes erupted from Ben's direction and pierced through the air and toward Hemming. The Vice Captain reacted past his surprise and danced in avoidance as the spikes penetrated the ground behind him. 

The blood tentacles looking more like arachnid limbs came endlessly from Ben’s position as he channeled all his magic into this anger.

However, the Vice Captain was simply too agile. He evaded every single attack that seemed impossible to avoid and he skirted through every cut that Ben would have given him.

“Frankly, it was fun fighting you, Young Prince!” Hemming cackled as he got closer and closer to Ben. “But I’m afraid the curtains must now draw to a close.”

From his waist, The Baron drew a dagger and struck it right at the Prince's chest. Directly, at his heart.

The staff in the room gaped in awe as their eyes dilated in fear. “YOUR HIGHNESS!” they screamed.

“DON'T LOSE!” They yelled. 

But all their voices were molding together like porridge. Ben’s vision was darkening. He could feel the pumping of his heart slowly weakening. 

The blood that flows through his body now seeping, uncontrolled, on the floor. 

Fuck

Was all that Ben could think.

He was losing.

He was dying.

No.

He's already dead.

He failed to protect everyone.

Something flowed down his eyes. It felt like tears.

Ahead of him, past the darkness that enveloped his sight, was a young mature woman. She was dressed in regal clothing and a beautiful smile adorned her lips. A crown rested carefully above her head and her red hair flowed down her shoulders like a waterfall of ember.

She turned to face him and he could recognize her without even having to think about it. It was his sister.

“SIS!” He called. He felt his body stand up and run. He ran after that light, that figure in front of him but it felt like as he grew closer the path between them grew ever longer. “PLEASE! SIS! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!” He cried, reaching his hand out for her to take.

The red-haired woman shook her head and pushed his hand away. “Put that away for now Benjamin.” Her voice was beautiful and sweet, a voice he truly did miss. “If you lose here, then we’d truly never meet.”

“What do you mean?” Ben’s heart ached. His chest felt like it was being knotted so tightly it was about to snap.

“Wake, there is still much to protect. Feel your desire. Use it. Live.” Her voice spoke, her hands reached over and pushed something inside his chest. “I believe in you, Benjamin O’neal. You are my chosen hero, after all.” 

Ben suddenly felt like his soul was being ripped away from his body but then forcefully pushed right back. 

He blinked his eyes open. The sides of his face felt wet. 

I guess they were tears after all.

Ben felt something flow through him as the dagger that struck his heart began to slowly be pushed out of his body indiscriminately. 

“What!?” The Vice Captain’s eyes were appalled at what was happening in front of him.

The dagger never reached his heart.

The Vice Captain raised the dagger and saw the steel bent. 

The blood in his body coagulated just in time as an extra armor that defended his insides. 

His blood was now stronger than steel.

“Impossible.” Baron Hemming took a step back. “How did you grow so much stronger!?”

The Crown Prince lifted himself up. “I don't know.” He couldn't explain why, but he felt his body healing faster and his limbs feeling lighter. “Whatever that was…I–”

“Enough!” The Vice Captain rushed forward. Whatever just happened was concerning. The Prince had reached another step in his magic. That was uncalled for and unexpected. This would be dangerous should the battle extend any longer.

He focused his Spirit into his hands and threw a punch towards the Imperial. Ben anticipated the attack and blocked with his arms and infused them with Spirit, managing to diffuse the full brunt of the strike only making him slide a few meters in the direction of the punch.

Hemming’s eyes widened. Sure, the Prince was still affected by his attacks but he took this attack a lot better than he would have a few minutes ago.

The Vice Captain realized it, finally.

This young boy who used to be below him in Spirit…was now on the same level as him.

His pride couldn't take this. He rushed forward and delivered countless blows to the defense of the young man, who winced as he took hit after hit. 

Ben didn't let this go on however, he decided to open his defense and take an attack straight to his chest. The Vice Captain didn't expect this to happen and couldn't stop his punch in time as it struck the Prince right in the abdomen. 

Ben remembered his spar in the Ramirez estate from a while ago and a smile crept on his lips. 

He grabbed the arm of Hemming and grappled him to the ground. They fell in a slam as they struggled to gain control over each other. 

“What is this barbaric way of fighting!?” Baron Hemming complained.

“I’ve learned to fight dirty when time calls for it.” Ben quipped as he put the Vice Captain in a chokehold preventing him from fighting much longer. 

“You won't beat me like this!” Baron Hemming grunted and used his full strength to grab the Prince from behind him and throw him a distance away. 

Ben smashed into some rubble, splitting them into pieces. He felt the pain strike his body but it mellowed down in an instant. He couldn't exactly explain how his body was now able to tank attacks better but what mattered most now, is he could use it to protect the people around him.

He felt the blood around him, the blood in him, and the blood all over this entire room, the entire hall, the entire palace. 

He breathed in. He focused his magic on this one room.

Suddenly, the entire area began to shake. As the crimson liquid escaped from every nook and cranny of the debris. It flowed like serpentine to his hands and turned itself into a halberd.

Ben tested it out and slashed down a bookshelf, which fell over, perfectly cut with no marks whatsoever.

Then he saw a flash from one corner of the room. As a door creaked open to reveal a girl, with a bow drawn and an arrow ready to fire. 

Ben realized it was now time for the final attack.

He swung his blood halberd towards the Vice Captain who intercepted it with a Spirit-coated fist, thus rendering the strike weak. However, Ben simply used the blood turning more liquid again as a way to wrap itself around the arm of the Vice Captain. 

“Shit.” Baron Hemming panicked as the blood tightened around his arm grabbing onto him like a rope. He raised his other hand to pull it out with Spirit but he was yanked toward the Prince before he could do so. 

Hemming dragged his feet to the floor and resisted the pull and managed to prevent himself from going further toward the Prince. Unfortunately, like the same move earlier, Ben erected a dozen or so spiderlike spears of blood that shot through and pierced the now-defenseless Vice Captain.

“ARGH!” He yelled as the cuts began to slowly hurt more and more. 

This won't be enough to take him down though. With his rage set on max, he tunnel visioned onto Ben as he let out a huge burst of Spirit that freed him from the blood chains. 

“You may have the same strength as me but I am still far more skilled.” The Vice Captain grit his teeth and coated himself entirely in Spirit. “None of your magic can pierce through me now!” He rushed forward with overflowing murderous intent.

Ben simply smirked and laid his full faith on the young lady a bit far to the side. “I don't believe I can beat you with my magic nor my Spirit.” He then channeled all of his Magic into his hands and blasted a splash of blood towards his head. “Do you know that Magic and Spirit actually cancel each other out?”

“What!?” The Vice Captain couldn't process what he said any longer as an arrow notched itself through his skull.

“It only makes sense after all.” Ben smiled as he felt the blood weaken upon touching the Spirit-coated body of the Vice Captain. “If Spirit disperses magic, it's logical to assume the opposite.”

…

A few moments ago…

“This must be the place.” A Boy in a black coat stood a few meters away from the Imperial Library. He eyed a pocket watch and took one step forward.

“What are you doing here?” A lady with short blonde hair, dressed in leather pants and a light white blouse adorned with a green corset, appeared before him

“It's you…The Blonde Elf in the White Cat's Guild.” The Boy spoke with little emoti

on.

“Correct. Now what is the Underworld’s top Informant and assassin doing in the Imperial Palace.” The Elf glared at the boy with scorn. “The Evernight, Elijah of the Underworld.”

Note:

I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPLOAD!!!

EXAMS HAPPENED AMONG OTHER THINGS AND I HAD A HARD TIME FINDING TIME TO WORK ON 27

Anywho, its here now!

Hopefully this is worth the wait!!! 

Thank you for always reading!!!

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