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Drake decided to keep his allies out of this and let them rush into the swamps while he and his family took care of the annoyances, only keeping Rose and Coral within his shadows for extra precaution. Meanwhile, Hector, Ruby, Yuki, Pekora, and Tisha ran into the nearest ruins, seeking the presence that Drake had just felt when they descended here.
"Are you sure this is fine, Drake? These guys seem stronger than the others, their gear… it has even more of the Deep One's powers." Said Ruby through telepathy.
"Don't worry about us, Ruby." Drake said without any sort of concern. "Quickly chase down the presence we felt, I believe that might be our elusive witch."
"…Fine, but don't take too long!" Ruby sighed.
"You're gotten cockier, girl." Drake reprimanded her.
His eyes quickly glanced back at Henry, he had completely ignored his babbling, and so the words of the other knights with him. For Drake, these guys were nothing but walking snacks filled with divine power ready to be absorbed.
However, just as Ruby said… these guys were perhaps twice, or even thrice as strong as the previous knights that attacked the orphanage. Not only their base Mana Core Ranks were higher at Rank 5, but their equipment seemed to have been made with rarer divine materials and imbued with even stronger effects and divine power.
…But that only made him hungrier.
His hunger was so strong he couldn't control his vampiric instincts, his hunger quickly turning into a powerful bloodlust aura that emanated from his body.
"T-That aura…!"
"Is he…?!"
"Could it be, an accursed vampire?!"
"But how come he can walk in the middle of the day?!"
The knights were naturally scared, and they even knew what vampires were.
Drake hated to spread bad rumors about vampires, but these guys weren't going to spread any rumors if they died, so it was fine to go a bit loose.
"(Are they going to attack us or what? I might as well eat them in a single bite if they're going to stand there.)" Thought Drake, without any intention of having a conversation with his food.
"If you're not going to respond our questions, then there's little point in talking! Men! Attack! Do not go easy on the children either, they are the accursed kids that defeated the other knights!" Henry roared; the knights' auras exploded with powerful divine essence.
The other knights unleashed their auras, quickly attack Drake and his family at the same time as their commander. However, the "Evil Dragon" smiled. His [Endless Night] Ability reacted to his hunger, spreading out.
"How generous of you to bring us such a nice aperitive."
FLAAAASH!
His shadows suddenly transformed into an endless swarm of bats, which quickly attacked the knights and the commander, throwing them away from Drake and his family!
BAAAAMMM!!!
"Uuuaaagggh…!"
"B-Bats?!"
"Their power is the real deal though, they're not illusions!"
"Uuuaaagggh! My blood is being drained!"
The Dragon King analyzed the power of this [Endless Night] derivative Divine Spell called [Endless Vampiric Bat Swarm] which created an extension of the user's shadows that could attack and drain blood from foes, trapping them at the same time within an endless swarm of bats.
"Papa leave some for us!" Benladra complained while pouting.
"Nn!" Kate agreed.
"I know." Drake nodded. "I'll take on the knight commander, you can have fun with the rest, girls. Benladann, Miranda, keep the girls on check if possible, we don't want the entire place to be destroyed."
"Got it!" Benladann nodded.
"Alright!" Miranda smiled.
Meanwhile, as they conversed leisurely, the knights had enough of Drake's games.
"Y-Youuuuu…! [Shining Sea]!!!"
Henry gathered his powerful two elements, Light and Water, which he was born with, as he combined them with his lustrous golden sword, unleashing a countless sea waves made of shining light, which quickly dissipated Drake's swarm of bats!
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
His knights were freed, and Henry was absolutely furious!
"Those powers won't be capable of defeating me, a herald of light and the sea!" Henry roared, his eyes glowing with golden light.
"Would you stop spouting nonsense?" Drake's figure disappeared in an instant, only to emerge right behind the paladin-like knight commander, his shadows embracing commander's entire body as they shaped as monstrous dragon claws. "[Abyssal Dragon Claws]"
"…Wha?!"
CLAAAAASSSSHHH!!!
Henry's frail body was launched into the skies with a single swipe of Drake's hands, the darkness exploding all over his body as it embraced him, damaging his body and leaving countless wounds and cracks around his armor.
"Graaakkhhh…?! T-That's… my armor's cracking?! Impo… ssible!"
The knight commander's face was disfigured as he was crying tears of pain, while being suspended in midair, he couldn't react to Drake's second blow, which came in a flash, resembling a blur of darkness and cold winds.
"[Abyssal Frost Spear]"
CRAAASHHH!!!
A massive spike made of black ice emerged out of thin air, piercing through Henry's chest, but barely being stopped by his divine aura, which only helped in launching him even higher into the skies.
"GAAAGGH…! I can't… see him! H-He's way too fast!"
Henry started panicking.
However, as Drake was about to hit him thrice, he suddenly heard a voice coming from within his sword and the rest of his armor.
"You might be talented and strong... But against that monster, you're nothing."
"Huh?! Is this… the Sea God's voice?!"
"You're using my powers wrong! If you want more of this strength, if you truly want to channel my divinity…"
The voice grew creepier and darker as Henry began to realize the true nature of his god.
"Offer me your life force, your lifespan!"
"A sacrifice…"
"Give it to me, your life!"
"But…!"
"Don't you want to be strong? To crush them all?"
"I do…!"
"Then give me your life! A sacrifice is necessary."
"I… will!"
FLAAASH!
As Drake was about to strike him a third time, a flash of light and darkness emerged from within the knight commander's body, his entire armor growing larger and larger, covering his entire body, and so did his sword, growing sharper and immense.
Suddenly, his entire body resembled a majestic golden-colored metallic guardian, holding an utterly massive holy sword. His size now easily reaching over thirty meters.
"S-So this is the power of my god! Bwahahah… HAHAHAHAH! Prepare yourself for your end, Evil Dragon!!!"
"Hoh, things are getting a bit more interesting now."
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