906 Test of Powers (2)
While the group of vampires acted to suppress Vicente and the two monsters engaged him directly, these nine powerful beings underestimated Vicente's companions.
The robot armors were the first to act. Using their magnetic abilities, they divided into groups, targeting specific opponents rather than spreading their efforts thinly across all enemies.
Three of the seven vampires became the focus of the armors' assault. These mechanical warriors combined their powers, driving Vicente's eight companions against the selected targets.
Acidbelly and Lonan joined forces against one of the four remaining vampires, striking at her weak points while she was entirely focused on Vicente.
Tenglin and Qiang zeroed in on another of the remaining opponents, their attacks synchronized to exploit any opening. Meanwhile, the final two vampires faced the relentless attacks of Vicente's Intermediate Archmage subordinates. Though individually not strong enough to deal significant damage, their combined efforts could tip the scales in their favor.
The battlefield buzzed with activity. Metal clashed against flesh, and the air was filled with the sounds of magic and machinery. The armors moved, their magnetic fields creating an eerie hum as they maneuvered to outflank their targets.
Amid the chaos, the Hippogryph let out a powerful roar, its voice echoing through the realm like a thunderclap. Simultaneously, the Qilin spat orange flames towards its target, the intense heat lighting up the dark surroundings. The targeted vampire turned, momentarily distracted by the sudden assault.
If he defended himself, his suppressive effect against Vicente would weaken. But if he didn't defend himself, the attack of these creatures would hurt him and give room for the shadow demons and spirits to attack him. In the end, he would be weakened and lose power against Vicente.
This and the other vampires gritted their teeth and made terrible expressions, unable to causally absorb the movements of Vicente's allies.
One armor, under the restrictive effects of six of its artificial companions, attacked the enemy with a lightsaber, targeting the supposedly immortal body of this creature.
Swooish!
As he dodged this point-blank attack, the vampire opened his eyes wide and felt a shiver run down his spine. The attack wouldn't have killed him, but he was sure it would have seriously wounded him.
"Wretch!"
But the moment he dodged, the spirits attacked him with more force, causing him to lose his attention on Vicente.
With bodies covered in blood and dirt, drenched in sweat, mouths agape, and breathing rapidly, those remaining at the end of the sixth minute of battle reached a decisive point in the battle.
"Let's retreat!" shouted one of the still-living vampires, staring at Vicente in horror.
Vicente could no longer use the realm of darkness. He needed too much mana to keep it running. Now he only had his magnetic powers. Together with the Dragon's Amulet, he helped his companions to regain their lost powers and injuries.
Qiang, Lonan, Tenglin, and Acidbelly were the only ones left at his side, each of them in a state where they could not move much.
Even if they were facing the enemy, they were in such a bad condition that their attacks would hardly hurt their opponents.
The standing vampires were in the same situation. They were alive, facing their enemies, and their strength was gradually recovering. But they had no power to kill.
Continuing to fight would be a waste of time, a risk neither side wanted to take.
One side, afraid the other would recover before them, wanted to flee. The other, fearing the arrival of enemy reinforcements, wanted to leave as well.
As the vampires and the remaining monster retreated, Vicente gathered the bodies of the dead and soon fell back as well.
Ignoring the environment destroyed by the battle in the ruins of the City of Angels, the five of them headed south while their opponents headed north.
Both sides glanced in each other's direction, naturally seeking revenge for what had happened today.
This was definitely a victory for Vicente's group, so the next confrontation would be even tougher for them!
After losing sight of their enemies, Vicente and his companions picked up their speed and hurried south, in a different direction than they wanted to go.
But for the moment, their destination wasn't the far northwest of the continent, where they wanted to go to find the old headquarters of the Blacksmiths Association. Their destination was a safe place to recover from today's tough battle!