The Drake Blood Tales

As Fallion and his group made their way through the dense forest paths leading to Kashima, the atmosphere grew tense. Shadows danced in the dappled sunlight filtering through the towering trees, and an unsettling silence hung in the air.

"Where are we anyway?" Fallion shouted, his voice breaking the quiet. He still hadn't fully recovered, and riding was forbidden for now. Instead, he sat behind Yanmei on her steed, his frustration evident.

"This is White Cloud Country," Yanmei explained, her eyes scanning their surroundings as though searching for unseen threats. "It's the borderland between Burash and Kashima. Lord Yarinaga often uses this path to avoid passing through Utakata. But…" she hesitated, her voice dropping slightly, "this is also close to the Night Raven Headquarters."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, their pace slowing as if the very mention of that name summoned a hidden menace. They pressed forward cautiously until a sharp voice suddenly pierced the air.

"STOPPP! Where do you all think you're going?"

The group reined in their horses immediately, startled by the figure standing in their path. Blanchette stood firm, her small frame practically radiating determination.

"Oh, it's the girl that's with Fordragon," Dofan muttered, recognizing her.

Blanchette's face twisted in frustration as she took a step closer. "Listen! Crow has already done more than enough to keep you all safe. Don't you dare just throw yourselves into danger now!"

"I'm sorry, little girl, but we can't let Lord Fordragon risk his life, either," Gaz'mirna said, his tone gruff but calm.

Blanchette's cheeks flushed with anger as she jabbed a finger at him. "First of all, the name is Blanchette. Secondly, I'm not a little girl—you daemons are just absurdly tall! And thirdly," she glared at the entire group, "Crow risked his life for you. If you recklessly put yourselves in danger now, everything he did will be for nothing!"

Her words carried a weight that caused the group to pause. Even Fallion seemed momentarily taken aback, though he quickly recovered.

"I know, Blanchette, but at least let us discuss this with my brother first. I have a bad feeling knowing he's gone to Yarinaga."

Blanchette's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. "No, I can't just—" She stopped mid-sentence, her expression shifting to one of confusion. "Wait. Did you say he's gone to Yarinaga?"

"Yes," Gaz'mirna confirmed. "Lord Fordragon said he was going there to settle the problems between them."

Blanchette's face fell as the realization dawned on her. "No… Crow's just supposed to be on a mission with…" She trailed off, her expression darkening. "No way. That idiot! Father explicitly told him not to make deals with those samurai! They're up to no good!" Her voice rose with anger, her hands trembling as she gripped her staff tightly.

Before the group could respond, Yanmei suddenly tensed. Her sharp gaze darted to the treetops. "Guys… something is coming fast."

With reflexes honed from years of experience, Yanmei deflected a spectral spear aimed directly at Fallion with one of her daggers. The force of the deflection sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

The group immediately went on high alert. Weapons were drawn, and their horses shuffled nervously, sensing the tension.

From above the trees, a chilling laugh echoed, followed by a mocking voice.

"Wow, that girl is fast," remarked a towering figure as he stepped into view, his 2.3-meter frame imposing and unyielding. His bare chest and arms rippled with muscle, while minimal armor covered only his legs and thighs. A massive round shield rested on his back, and in his left hand, he held a long, menacing spear.

Yanmei's eyes narrowed as she whispered, "Barn Grimgar... the Monster. He's a member of the Assassin's Guild and ranks seventeenth in the League of Shadows."

The name sent a ripple of tension through the group. Blanchette stepped forward, raising her staff as her determined gaze locked onto Barn. "These people are under my protection. I won't let you harm them."

Barn tilted his head, his expression twisting into a cruel grin. "Oh, little witch… wait, I know you." His eyes gleamed with recognition. "You're Raven Beak's daughter, aren't you? Hahaha! What luck!"

Blanchette didn't flinch. "You all need to go—find Crow and stop him before he does something reckless," she ordered the group.

Before anyone could respond, the ground erupted beneath them. Jagged stone spikes burst forth, piercing the ground and sending their horses into a frenzy. The terrified steeds reared, injured and panicked, throwing the group into disarray.

"What the—?!" Yanmei exclaimed, only to be abruptly ensnared by writhing tree branches. They snaked around her legs and torso, dragging her away.

"Protect Lord Fallion!" Samhain bellowed, summoning pillars of fire and cloaking himself in flames to repel the encroaching branches.

Dofan stood in front of Fallion, his massive frame shielding the weakened lord, while Gaz'mirna struggled against the branches pulling her away. Despite their best efforts, the party was being systematically separated.

"See? Now it's less crowded," a gravelly voice crooned. Emerging from the shadows was an old goblin clad in a vibrant red hanfu garment. His gnarled hands held an air of malevolent control as he surveyed the chaos he had wrought.

Barn glanced at the newcomer and sneered. "Mu Xianshi..." His tone carried a mix of disdain and acknowledgment.

The goblin's smile widened. "Always a pleasure, Grimgar. Tell me, should we invite Nagasaki to join us?"

From above, a smooth, lazy voice chimed in, "I told you all, this isn't my best scenario. You should've let me handle the ambush properly." Sitting casually atop a high tree branch, a wiry figure played a haunting tune on a shamisen. His long hair flowed like ink in the wind, and his demeanor exuded smug confidence.

Blanchette's knuckles turned white around her staff as she muttered, "Three of them. Perfect."

Barn smirked. "How do you think Raven Beak would react if we took his daughter's head?"

Mu Xianshi chuckled. "He wouldn't be pleased, obviously. But let's deal with our primary target first—then we'll deal with the girl."

Nagasaki strummed his shamisen, the eerie melody hanging in the air like a curse. "If Raven Beak comes after us, we could just disappear into Utakata. That guy might be strong, but let's face it—he's a coward."

Blanchette's eyes burned with fury as she stepped forward. "Don't you dare insult my father!"

Barn burst into laughter. "Why not? It's no secret. Both your parents are cowards. Your mother—an Archmage, no less—did nothing when Utakata burned her hometown to ashes. She stayed cozy in Burash, content with warm days and idle peace. And your father? He's no better. He let his own son die on a mission, too afraid to recover his body from Qa'stur."

The words struck like venom, and Blanchette's anger flared. She pointed her staff at Barn, her voice trembling with rage. "You know nothing! You're going to regret every word you just said."

Barn's grin widened, his grip on his spear tightening. "Show me what you've got, little witch."

Blanchette began chanting, her voice steady and resolute. Her staff glowed with radiant energy, the air around her vibrating with power.

Barn Grimgar wasted no time, charging toward her with his shield raised. Blanchette unleashed a barrage of light beams from her staff, the bolts slamming into Barn's shield. The shield absorbed the onslaught, but as Barn closed the gap, Blanchette shifted her aim.

She pointed her staff toward the ground and unleashed a concentrated beam, obliterating the landscape beneath them. The earth crumbled, and Barn, caught off-guard, began to fall. Mu Xianshi reacted swiftly, summoning a massive treant to catch him.

Hovering above the chaos, Blanchette activated a glowing magic circle beneath her feet, keeping her aloft. She aimed her staff downward and unleashed a relentless barrage of light beams, obliterating the treant and scorching the ground below. The sheer destructive force left Fallion, Dofan, and Samhain awestruck.

"Her magic…" Fallion murmured, his voice filled with disbelief. Blanchette's light beams were devastating, each one rivaling the power of his own black flames. Yet, she fired them in rapid succession, as though it was effortless.

Barn, undeterred, activated a reflective spell on his shield. The light beams ricocheted harmlessly away as he advanced with renewed determination. Within moments, he was upon Blanchette.

Rather than panic, Blanchette's staff began to radiate an intense, blinding light. The crystal at its tip transformed into a sharp spearhead. She charged toward Barn, and their weapons clashed in a dazzling display of skill and power. Sparks flew as they exchanged blows.

Barn managed to parry her attack with his shield and countered, driving his spear into Blanchette's left shoulder. She grimaced in pain but didn't falter. Grabbing Barn's arm, she pressed the tip of her staff against him and unleashed a devastating beam of light at point-blank range. The force of the attack sent Barn flying, his body scorched and smoking as he hit the ground.

"Wow, you actually got him!" Mu Xianshi remarked, his tone amused. But his smirk deepened. "Too bad you've been poisoned by his spear."

Blanchette's gaze flicked to her wound, where dark veins began to creep outward from the injury. "Black Iron Poison…" she muttered, wincing. She kept her guard up, wary of Nagasaki, who continued to play his shamisen leisurely, seemingly uninterested in the fight.

Blanchette unleashed another barrage of light beams, but Mu Xianshi countered by summoning a massive magic circle. The barrier deflected every beam, scattering them harmlessly. In retaliation, thousands of tree branches erupted from the ground, converging on Blanchette like a living net.

She darted upward, using her magic circle to evade the branches. As she prepared to counterattack, a lightning spear streaked through the air toward her. She raised a mana shield to block it, but the spear shattered into dozens of smaller projectiles upon impact. Several slipped through her defenses, striking her legs and causing her to stumble in mid-air.

Before she could recover, a colossal treant materialized from the ground and swung a massive fist. The blow sent her hurtling toward the ground, where Fallion caught her just in time.

"What is that thing?" Blanchette groaned, clutching her injured shoulder.

Mu Xianshi only smiled. "Well, I suppose I'll have to entertain you all for a while. Let's see how long you can last."

Barn Grimgar rejoined Mu Xianshi, his burns evident but his grin unshaken. "She got me good, I'll admit that. But it's clear she's not used to taking hits herself."

"Exactly," Mu Xianshi said, his tone mocking. "Strong, yes—but she's accustomed to having someone else take the brunt of the damage for her."

"Shut up!" Blanchette roared, firing another light beam in their direction. Both men deflected it with ease.

High above, Nagasaki finally spoke, his voice lazy but filled with malice. "Well, this is getting crowded. I'll go after that daemon woman and the kunoichi. You two have fun with the main course." With that, he leapt gracefully from his perch, disappearing into the forest.

As the battle raged on, Fallion, Dofan, and Samhain moved to support Blanchette.

Samhain unleashed a massive fireball aimed at Mu Xianshi, but the goblin conjured a wave of water, extinguishing the flames and soaking the battlefield. The wet terrain rendered Samhain's fire-based magic less effective, and Mu Xianshi's grin widened.

Blanchette unleashed another barrage of radiant beams, her staff glowing fiercely. Barn Grimgar stood firm, his massive shield absorbing the onslaught without faltering. As he began to close the gap, Blanchette smirked.

"You really didn't think of any plan aside from charging straight at me, did you?" she taunted, readying herself to blast the ground once more.

But Barn stopped abruptly, dropping both his shield and spear. "A true hunter adapts to its prey. No matter how strong the prey is, it can never become the predator."

With a roar, Barn plunged his massive hands into the earth and heaved upward, tearing the ground apart and sending chunks of terrain skyward. The explosion of debris launched everyone into the air. Blanchette swiftly conjured a magic circle beneath her feet, stabilizing her flight, while Fallion spread his wings to steady himself.

From the ground below, Barn began hurling massive rocks and fragments of solid earth at Blanchette. Calmly, she destroyed each projectile with precise bursts of light magic. However, amidst the chaos, she lost track of him.

Suddenly, Barn emerged from the swirling dust, leaping high into the air. Blanchette aimed her staff at him, but before she could fire, the shield Barn had thrown moments earlier emitted a hidden magic circle. From it, a crystal spike erupted, catching her off-guard. The spike pierced her left arm before she could react.

Before Blanchette could recover, Mu Xianshi launched another lightning spear. Dofan leapt in, using his shield to intercept the attack, though the impact hurled him several meters away. Samhain rushed to his side, ensuring he was uninjured.

Ignoring her throbbing wound and the poison seeping into her veins, Blanchette gritted her teeth and charged toward Mu Xianshi. Fallion and Samhain, meanwhile, turned their attention to Barn.

Mu Xianshi responded by summoning countless wooden pillars to impede Blanchette's advance. She cut through them effortlessly, her staff in blade mode, its magical edge slicing cleanly through the obstacles. With a swift motion, she pulled a potion bottle from her belt and drank it, temporarily dulling the poison's effects.

Mu Xianshi, undeterred, conjured thousands of wooden tentacles from his back, sending them surging toward Blanchette. She moved with precision, cutting through them all. However, to her horror, the severed tentacles transformed into black steel rods mid-air. Unable to evade in time, several rods pierced her body.

Blanchette retreated, creating a glowing magic sphere around herself for protection. But before she could catch her breath, the giant treant Mu Xianshi had summoned earlier loomed over her. Its massive fist crashed down, shattering the sphere. Though Blanchette narrowly escaped, she landed on the ground, panting and visibly wounded.

As the treant pursued her relentlessly, she attempted to conjure a wind tornado to repel it. However, her exhaustion grew, and her magic faltered. Sensing something was amiss, she activated her mana detection ability.

Her eyes widened in realization. "The branches and tentacles… they're absorbing mana from the entire area!"

Meanwhile, Fallion, Samhain, and Dofan faced off against Barn. Dofan activated his Devotion Mode, his body surging with divine strength. He struck Barn with a powerful swing of his sword, but Barn held firm with his shield.

"Ah, a paladin's power," Barn sneered. "No wonder number 12 failed to kill you. But a prey is still a prey."

Barn countered with a thrust of his spear, but Dofan caught the weapon, preventing it from striking true. As Barn raised his shield to block the incoming counterattack, Dofan slammed his own shield into the ground, shattering the terrain beneath them. Both combatants fell into the depths below.

"This is more like it!" Barn roared as he fell.

Before Barn could recover, Dofan charged again, pinning him to the fractured ground. The earth trembled as Dofan slammed his shield against Barn repeatedly. Barn screamed in pain but managed to create a smokescreen, slipping away.

Samhain quickly intervened, flying overhead and creating a vortex of flames that sucked away the smoke. With Barn's position revealed, Dofan charged once more.

Barn, though injured, was prepared. He cast a spell using his shield as a catalyst, unleashing a Crystal Barrage that immobilized Dofan. Samhain retaliated, launching fire pillars from above to obscure Barn's vision.

Barn raised his shield over his head, its surface glowing ominously.

"Dofan, get behind me!" Samhain yelled.

But before Samhain could react, Barn activated the shield's stored magic, releasing a Radiant Light spell. The intense light overwhelmed Samhain, causing him to scream in pain as he was hurled back.

Dofan rushed to his companion's side, demanding, "What the hell? How can you use that?"

Barn smirked, his injuries seemingly forgotten. "Overestimated yourself, paladin? Let me show you how a predator truly hunts."

To Dofan's shock, Barn cast Devotion upon himself, his body surging with divine energy.

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