As Zaltran''s headless body collapsed to the ground, a silence swept through the core chamber.


    "GRAARGHHH!!" Then, in the blink of an eye, the silence was shattered by an uproar of enraged roars as the vampires surged forward.


    Velnorah''s scythe shimmered in the crimson glow as she crouched low.


    Then—boom!—the ground beneath her cracked as she launched herself into the horde like a streak of crimson lightning.


    The first vampire barely had time to raise his weapon before her scythe cleaved straight through his torso.


    Blood sprayed in an arc as his upper body slid off his legs, collapsing into a heap of gore.


    Another lunged at her from behind, but without even turning, Velnorah spun her scythe in a deadly whirlwind, carving through flesh and bone.


    The vampire''s eyes widened in shock as his body split diagonally, collapsing into two halves before he even understood what had happened.


    More came at her... dozens of them.


    She danced through the chaos as her movements became fluid, elegant, and utterly merciless.


    Every flick of her scythe painted the chamber in blood, and every step she took was over a fallen corpse.


    One vampire wielding dual daggers tried to outmaneuver her, darting to her side and striking toward her exposed ribcage.


    With a flick of her wrist, her scythe''s blade detached into segmented chains and the weapon wrapped around his neck in an instant.


    She yanked it hard, and the chain constricted- *snap*


    His head popped off like a crushed grape, rolling across the floor.@@@@


    Two more vampires charged together, one swinging a massive greatsword while the other channeled crimson energy into his palms, preparing a destructive spell.


    She lifted her free hand, and in an instant, the blood from the dead vampires coalesced into a swirling vortex around her.


    With a flick of her fingers, the blood took a shape... forming jagged crimson spears that hovered in the air.


    Boom!


    The spears shot forward, impaling the vampire and his body convulsed as the crimson spikes drilled through him, pinning him to the wall.


    The greatsword-wielding vampire howled in rage and swung his blade downward in a mighty arc.


    But Velnorah moved faster as she phased... her body momentarily dissolving into a mist of blood as she dodged his strike.


    She reappeared behind him...


    Then, in a single fluid motion, she buried her scythe into his back and ripped upward, splitting him in half from the waist up.


    His entrails spilled onto the floor as his bisected body crumpled in a heap.


    More vampires hesitated now.


    Fear began to seep into their eyes.


    But it was far too late for second thoughts.


    Alarms blared throughout the vessel and red warning lights flickered.


    "Two down," Velnorah mused, twirling her scythe as she eyed the last, largest stone in the center of the chamber.


    She lifted her scythe high above her head.


    The blood surrounding it condensed, sharpening into a jagged, spiraling edge.


    Then, with one final, decisive swing...


    SHHRRKKK!


    Her scythe cleaved into the core stone, splitting it in half.


    For a moment, everything was silent.


    Then...


    BOOOOOM!


    An explosion erupted from the core, sending shockwaves rippling through the entire ark.


    The walls tore apart, sections of the ship breaking off as fiery debris scattered through the sky.


    Velnorah spun midair, landing gracefully beside Zhao Tian as the ark''s structure collapsed around them.


    With a chuckle, Zhao Tian spoke "You did all the work..."


    The entire ark was now in freefall.


    Outside, the battlefield watched in stunned silence as the enormous structure lost its stability.


    From a distance, the sect''s disciples and elders saw the ark begin its final descent.


    The sky was filled with burning fragments as the ark fell from the skies, crashing down toward the battlefield below.


    Velnorah turned to Zhao Tian. "Shall we?"


    "Mhm..."


    Then, in a blur of motion, the two figures vanished... leaping from the crumbling ruins just before the ark made an impact.


    *THOOMMM*


    The ground shook as the ark slammed into the battlefield below and a devastating shockwave ripped through the land.


    Flying in mid-air, Zhao Tian''s gaze flickered to the other two enormous arks like that "One down, two more to go..."


    As they were about to move, suddenly a blade appeared out of nowhere, aiming for Zhao Tian''s neck.


    Zhao Tian instinctively raised his sword to parry, but a crimson scythe appeared before him and parried the blade.


    "Hoh... dear Norah."


    -------------------------------------------------


    I hope you guys liked this chapter!