Thanks to Dodo's clean, precise, and utterly graceful stab, Allen collapsed instantly, End of book!
…Just kidding.
Sure, the human body is fragile, but a critical hit isn't the same thing as an instant kill.
Before Allen could even react, the house-elf who had just ambushed him had already slipped away into the shadows.
It was then that a group of figures revealed themselves on the other side of the battlefield.
Clap clap clap!
With crisp applause, a blonde, blue-eyed vampire stepped forward, wand pointed at Allen, joined by his companions, who also cast approving glances at Dodo, hiding to the side.
"Well done, Dodo. You've completed your master's task perfectly."
Even while praising her, they didn't let up. Spell after spell was launched at Allen, who dodged each one with grit and instinct.
"You're strong for a little wizard, but still far too green," the blonde vampire sneered. "Tsk tsk... I wonder how long you can keep dodging? That dagger was made from the remains of a certain powerful individual. Bet it doesn't feel so good, does it?"
Allen didn't need the reminder. He could already feel the cursed dagger, still stuck in his waist, draining him. It was as if a black hole had lodged itself in his side, greedily sucking away his blood and power.
"Oh, by the way… you're not a Muggle-born, are you? How could someone be this stupid? Actually falling for a house-elf's words?"
Their spells didn't slow. These vampires weren't in any rush to finish him off, they were taunting him, trying to get a rise out of him. If Allen lost his temper, the surge in blood and magic would only make the dagger feed even faster.
And truth be told, taunting him also helped them. They were scared.
After all, the most powerful among them, Lord William, had just been taken down by the very wizard standing before them.
Of course they all dreamed of being the one to finish Allen off, but they also feared the price of his final counterattack. If they could wear him down slowly and safely, that was far more preferable.
Unfortunately for them, Allen didn't take the bait. Though he wouldn't have minded killing that damned elf.
He had seriously overestimated house-elves. Not every elf was like Dobby, and not all of them came offering late-night snacks and helpful warnings.
These creatures had no real sense of good or evil. Their minds had been bent by magical contracts and years of indoctrination.
Winky had once helped hide Barty Crouch Jr.
Kreacher had betrayed Sirius, even though he was the one who sought Kreacher out to serve him.
In hindsight, Allen should've realized it. Compared to him, a total outsider, the vampires were this elf's real masters. Back when he'd ordered Dodo into the study and she'd hesitated… that had been the first sign. He just hadn't noticed.
A pity. If Allen had been surrounded by regular wizards instead of vampires, he might've actually been in real trouble.
But these vampires? Sorry, not a threat.
If Allen hadn't still been recovering from the intense side effects of Arcane Shift, he wouldn't have given them even a second of time to monologue.
As he kept dodging, the vampires gradually formed a loose circle around him.
Then, FLASH!
A streak of golden light passed through them. Suddenly, they realized there was one more figure standing in their midst.
But this wasn't a horror story.
They quickly identified the new arrival, or at least, something that barely counted as a "person."
It was a strange creature, its body covered in feathers, with massive green wings unfurling from its back.
But none of the vampires cared about what it looked like. What chilled them to the bone were the dozens of crows forming around it, each one pulsing with magic.
As the creature flapped its wings, feathers fell to the ground and transformed into tiny, raven-like birds. These crows circled the vampires, and with each pass, they stole something more than just blood,
They drained their very life force.
Because they were so close to one another, none of the vampires dared use offensive magic. Spells in this world didn't come with "friendly fire" toggles.
So, with panic setting in, they all made the same decision: Transform and attack!
They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Vampires were supposed to be the ones drinking blood, not getting drained like this!
But just as several of them pounced at Allen from above,
BOOM!
A brilliant golden light exploded in their midst.
The leading few vampires disintegrated instantly, turned to ash beneath the sunlight-like blast. The rest howled in pain, smoking as if set aflame.
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But that wasn't even the most terrifying part.
As the remaining vampires looked on in horror, something clattered to the ground, falling from the feathered monster's body.
It was a dagger.
Their dagger.
And every vampire there instantly understood what had happened.
It hadn't been pulled out.
It had been forced out, squeezed from the closing wound as Allen's body recovered too fast for the curse to keep up.
They had no idea which vampire screamed first, but in the next moment, they all exploded into clouds of bats, fleeing in every direction.
This guy had nearly wiped them out while severely wounded.
Now that he was healed? What chance did they have?
They were vampires, creatures of darkness.
So why did he feel more like the one who mastered life and death?
Allen, back in human form, sent spells exploding across the room, scattering the retreating vampires like leaves in the wind.
Then he slumped to the wall, utterly drained.
If those idiots had stuck around a little longer, they might've actually won. Allen's mana reserves were completely dried out after everything.
The [Possession: Death Crow Strategist] spell still had the same two fatal flaws:
It cost way too much mana.
It looked absolutely hideous.
If the cursed dagger hadn't been draining him so badly, Allen never would've used something so flashy, costly, and dark. Yeah, that was absolutely a black magic spell if there ever was one.
Once he'd recovered enough, Allen got up and started picking through the loot scattered across the room.
He had to move quickly, before the vampires regrouped and kicked him out.
When all was said and done, the only thing left behind was a small body.
Everything else had been absorbed by the system.
It was Dodo, the house-elf who, in the end, had shielded her "master" from one of Allen's final spells.
Allen took one step, then paused.
With a wave of his wand, he conjured a small grave.
On the tombstone, he engraved two words that didn't quite go together:
"Confused Loyalty."
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