Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

Chapter 74: Kill On Sight

Evian followed the shrills of departing souls and soon got close enough to the action to hear the clashing of weapons.

Diverted from a direct path towards the Stygian Estate, dead Knights in the Stygian Uniform littered the ground while stoic and focused-looking Knights in Larnak uniforms stood victorious in a U-shape around one of their comrades dressed in the Superior uniform of a Captain as he made the very last kill.

*Clang!

With a decisive parry, The Larnak Captain knocked his opponent's weapon aside and forced him to his knees.

"You-- Scum!" said the Stygian Knight who had been neutralized by superior martial excellence. He had a look of defiance even though every last one of his brethren had met their end.

The Larnak Knight Captain chuckled harshly at the mockery without an interest in thinking of a comeback.

*Sksh*

Sword stabbed through chest and punctured the Stygian Knight's heart to put an end to his life in quite an unceremonious fashion.

The Larnak Captain allowed himself a breath before he gestured at his subordinates with sharp head movements,

"Let's rally with the others."

Only after giving that order did he truly turn around and became the first of the present Knights to notice Evian and Daria's presence. Both had arrived only in time to witness the defining stab and without any room to interfere.

"You!" the Captain said, his eyes instantly spotting Evian's features while his brain quickly pieced together his identity. Then his eyes went to the black-haired, black-dressed beauty by his side,

"And you, Witch!" he added while thrusting a finger at Daria whose black eyes glinted in reactionary malice at his tone.

"This," Evian said as he eyed the battlefield and ignored the Elite Knights whose pressures were flaring, "This is quite a scene."

The Captain held himself straight with pride,

"How do you find it?" he asked, "My Lord grew tired of reacting. He has taken the initiative."

"An intentional man," Evian said with a nod, "I'm Inpre- Hngh!"

*Clang*

Before Evian had gotten to the end of his sentence, the Captain dashed towards him and swung his weapon with the clear intent to cleave him in two instantly. There was no restraint at all in his attack.

Now that the identity of the Crew was known and their base of operations ransacked, Herbert no longer had use for any information Evian might have so all orders were to kill him on sight along with any other member of the runaway Crew the Knights came across.

The Captain was fast and had it not been for the distance already between them, Evian feared he would not have been able to retrieve his weapon or react in time. When their weapons clashed, the force of it caused him to slide a few steps back.

Evian dug in his toes and locked his knees to stop his slide but the Captain pursued with a wide triumphant grin. The plan was to press Evian so he didn't get a chance to perform yet another disappearing act.

'We know your tricks,' the Captain thought, 'Donan filled us in. It doesn't work if I get to strike you first!'

Despite his intense disappointment the day before, Donan the Spear-wielding Captain had taken positives from his brief 'battle' with Evian. Positives that he shared with every single one of his colleagues just in case they came up against the grey-eyed slippery scum again.

Evian sensed something from how the Captain charged at him. There was a level of focus and intentionality about it that left him at a loss. He even tried to Phase into the ground but a kick connected with his jaw before he could.

*Bam!*

The kick lifted him off the ground and in that second, the Captain stabbed his sword at him. Contact was sure but Evian need not be worried. He had not come alone after all.

Cutting it a bit too close, Daria finally got an opening to toss out a magical barrier to keep the sword tip from Evian's body, letting him fall to the ground only nursing the pain in his jaw.

"Thank you," he told the Witch.

Daria acknowledged his gratitude with a nod but kept her attention on the Captain as well as her focus on her spell casting.

"Ah!"

In an outburst of martial strength and cultivation pressure backed with a powerful release of Spiritual energy, the Captain broke the barrier and made to pursue Evian again only to be met with yet another barrier.

"Bang!*

He shattered it but this time turned his attention to the Witch who cast it.

"You'll just not stay out of it, will you?" he asked her with a smile, "Oh well, My Lord wants you dead too, so why not?"

Turning completely away from Evian, he dashed towards the Witch with a purposeful *Whoosh*, and of course, Daria was ready. With a movement Circle beneath her feet, she kept the distance and tossed out two barriers in quick succession before switching up the seals she was forming with her fingers.

*Bang!*

*Bang!*

Destroying the two barriers with his dashing speed only slightly hampered, the Captain remained excited only to discover Daria had stopped moving. She thrust her hands out and a magical circle appeared. Out of it charged chains that Evian recognized. They were chains Koln had once used to bind him.

Clearly, the Arahant Scripture was not the only Manuscript Daria had studied.

Moving faster than the Captain could hope to avoid, the chains wrapped around him tightly while pulling him towards Daria who had a barrage of spinning blades ready.

"Ngh!" with eyes wide in impending horror, the Captain infused his spiritual energy into the chains before overwhelming them with his physical strength until they broke apart freeing his hand to move his sword and smack aside the magical blades before they could cut through him.

Meanwhile, Evian was not allowed to be idle.

The Captain's Squad instantly charged at him, all overwhelming him with their numbers and combined Pressure.

Evian kept his sword by his side before summoning the spell circle for the 'Whiron Barbed Spear' and casting the spell the number of times he was currently allowed; Five.

The Spears streaked forward, parking forceful Eldritch might, and hit five of the approaching Knights simultaneously but they were ready. With eyes narrowed in focus and their weapons swinging in defense, they tried to parry the spears and keep the barbed tips from tearing through their body.

Two succeeded in knocking the spears to the side so they stuck the ground and dissipated into a thick, cold Eldritch cold.

The other three were less lucky.

The Spears pushed them until they were at their limit and the moment their stance faltered and their weapons shifted, it was over. And their souls were harvested for a hungry Evian to devour.

-

[Decadence: Denounced Wraith {650/700 Soul Points}]

-

Evian had no chance to savor the taste nor for his eyes to brighten as his Soul Point count ticked up. A quick headcount showed there were Ten more in the Larnak Knight Squad and they soon arrived with their weapons raised to strike.

Evian Phased out of sight but when he returned to the surface, he was expected and the Pressures of the Elite Knights were back upon him. They refused to be caught by surprise or to be rattled by the losses they had so far suffered.

*Clang*

*Bam*

He parried a sword only to be kicked in the ribs right the next second and while he resisted the pain, a sword slashed at his back from behind. Evian Phased his upper body, the Knight swung off course and before he could regain his bearing, Evian's sword stabbed through his heart. Ending his life.

And thus began the series of kills.

The Knights stood no chance.

So long as they belonged to the Third Order (which they did) they were incapable of actually landing a hit on Evian unless he let his guard down (which he never did). He was even mindful of sustaining cuts from them because he felt since he could avoid them, why allow himself to lose 50 points when every bit counted towards his Decadence and Weapon Modification plans?

Even though they fought with dedication and focus, at some point they all still looked to their Captain for much-needed Fourth Order Support but he had his hands very full at the moment and unfortunately, left them in the hands of Evian who killed them with the joy of a well-fed man, sorry, Wraith.

Finally, in a scene reminiscent of what he had seen when he first arrived at the battleground, Evian unleashed his Eldritch energy in a deathly cloud that swarmed the only Knight still breathing.

He forced him to his knees and smiled widely at him with his Grey eyes filled with casual malice and a clearly felt killing intent causing the appearance of multiple beads of sweat on the hapless victim's forehead.

Unlike the Stygian Knight though, the Larnak Knight was incapable of any last words. His lips just twitched as he felt death appearing quickly and surely.

*Sksshhh*

Blood spilled in liters, dyeing Evian's clothes in even more red but that was hardly the focus. The focus was on his Soul Point Balance.

-

[Decadence: Denounced Wraith {1650/700 Soul Points}]

-

'Nice.'

"Ah!"

The delicate-sounding yell pulled Evian out of his delighted thoughts. He looked to the side and saw Daria was no longer at an advantage.

"I got you now, Witch!" the Larnak Captain yelled with a disdainful smile while striking at Daria who was only just protected by the magical barrier she erected.

*Crack!*

And it quickly showed signs of faltering.

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