Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 564: An Ordinance Shared

”Well, we had best make it quick,” Delia said with her eyes over at the unit of Klevers,

”I have a feeling our enemy is almost ready to resume. As am I to be honest.”

”Right,” Kaya said and launched into planning, ”Delia, that attack you killed that Klever with— was that a fluke?”

Delia gave it some thought and then let out a sigh.

”I’m not sure. I’m still armed with the Ordinance but the earlier burst of Divine energy seems less now.”

”So you might not be able to replicate that ease,” Kaya said.

”Not against that many of them, no,” Delia said and it sounded like it hurt her to admit it.

”But a Divine ordinance is still a powerful tool,” Aurelius cut in, ”Aether hasn’t even bestowed me such a boon. Anyxyl must truly value you.”

”Yeah, I’m sure she does,” Delia said sarcastically through gritted teeth.

Aurelius didn’t seem to understand the sarcasm though, or he just didn’t care because he pressed on.

”A Divine Ordinance is not a finite resource. It can’t be used up. Unless Anyxyl strips you of it, which she eventually will, you can use it indefinitely.

Such an incredible boon...”

Delia just rolled her eyes.

Aylin looked thoughtful.

”Maybe we could use that,” she said, ”If it’s a non-finite resource then it can be shared and still be intact.”

”You want to share an Ordinance?” Aurelius said, letting out a chuckle.

But none of the ladies found Aylin’s idea strange.

”That could work,” Kaya said.

”What?” Aurelius looked incredulous.

”Yeah, with the Arcane Circle, it might,” Eloise mumbled.

”What Arcane Circle?” Aurelius asked, feeling lost.

”It’s worth a try,” Delia agreed.

”You should ask Nyx for permission,” Kaya said, ”I mean, that’s the right etiquette, is it not?”

”Why does she deserve that honor?” Delia sneered, ”Screw her!”

Aurelius jumped.

”Delia,” he hissed, ”You don’t speak of a goddess like Anyxyl that way...”

”Alright, so we share the Ordinance. Will that be enough?” Aylin asked, ploughing through any protest Aurelius was about to voice.

”There’s still eight of them,” Kaya looked skeptical, ”I think we need a bit more to better our chances...”

They fell silent for a while then and it was Kaya who broke the silence with a somber tone and her leaf-green eyes resolute.

”Maybe...” She said and then began to mumble mostly to herself,

”Yes, yes, maybe. It wouldn’t have worked before. But now... a chance? I think...”

”Care to share your epiphany with the class?” Aylin asked with a raised brow.

Kaya’s obliged.

”According to Eloise, Klever exists in multiple bodies but is a singular being. In other words, there is a single multitasking mind being shared among the eight Klever bodies.”

”Yeah, so?” Aurelius asked.

”Well, what if I toss that mind into disarray— Launch an attack directly into its possibly fragmented mental state?”

”You can do that?” Aurelius asked. Mind Magic was a very obscure bit of Magic that is practically unseen and unused in the world.

Aurelius realized that he was the only one surprised that Kaya was capable of this. And of course, he was because Kaya had long filled the other ladies in on what she had done during the past Mid-Semester break.

That said, Aurelius wasn’t the only one who was skeptical.

”But you said that was dangerous,” Aylin pointed out with her brows furrowed with worry,

”You said entering the mind of another could make your own mind vulnerable. Not to mention that it’s not often easy to decipher a person’s mental strength at a glance and by the time you know for sure, you might already be out of your depths and it could be too late.”

”I know what I said,” Kaya said slowly, ”But I’m sure I can do this.”

”How sure?”

”60% sure.”

The ladies all hissed.

”Nope, you’re not doing it,” Aylin said like that was final.

Kaya’s lips twitched.

”Trust me, a 60% chance of success is very good for a mental infiltration. It’s practically 90%,” she said.

”If it was 90%, you would have just said 90%,” Eloise scoffed.

”But I really think I can do it!” Kaya insisted.

Kaya had only successfully infiltrated a mind—while also escaping safely—one time and that was when she was trying to free her father from the Malevolent aura. Still, she had gotten even better since then. In theory anyway. She had fine-tuned the necessary spell and believed she had worked out the kinks of the exercise as well as she absolutely could.

”Kaya...” Delia started.

”No, listen to me,” Kaya said and dropped her voice into a very low whisper, ”If Klever’s mind is really just one that is multitasking through eight different bodies, that is a weakness in its Mental state that we can exploit. I can break it down mentally and it’ll just be a sitting duck.

We—I—need to try this.”

Kaya stared at them hard so they could see she wasn’t making this decision flippantly. This battle had been going on a while and only now was she considering using this move because only now did it feel truly necessary.

If she could lock down Klever’s mind, the numbers wouldn’t matter and a win would be much more assured.

”What will you need?” Aurelius asked.

”I just need to be in range with one of the bodies, and use it to access the shared mind,” Kaya said, ”It shouldn’t be too hard but Klever might be expecting a trap after what I did earlier so that might complicate things.

Which means, I need to present myself like a weaker target and so, I can’t share in Nyx’s Divine Ordinance.”

”What?!” Delia said with wide eyes.

”Think about it; Once you are all powered up with Ordinances and Divine Energy and I’m just standing in place seemingly weak and just trying my best to ward off attacks, I should be able to lure one of them close enough.

”It likely won’t be just one though,” Eloise said.

”I’ll have to rely on you to make sure it is just one,” Kaya said, ”Keep the others busy.”

”No, I don’t like this,” Aylin shook her head, ”Your idea was dangerous enough already, but now it’s just stupid. You’re taking that Ordinance.”

Kaya smiled wryly.

”I’m a Nature Mage. My magic is born on a foundation of Life. Who knows what will happen to my magic if I accept an Ordinance of death— The very opposite of the nature of my magic?

Now is not the time to experiment.”

”But—” Aylin started.

”They’re done,” Kaya cut in then with a head gesture at Klever who were breaking apart from their unit and glaring over,

”It’s time.”

”Here,” Aylin said and began to load the others up with potion vials,

”Mending potions and Mana Amplification potions. Only one Mana amplification will work at a time and they’ll get you damn well into the Fifth Circle but with one drawback; Once the potion’s effect has ended in twenty minutes or so, you’ll be too weak to move for ten minutes.”

”So only in an emergency then,” Eloise said.

”Maybe not even then,” Aylin admitted somberly, ”But it’s best to have rather than not.”

”Thank you.” They all murmured their genuine gratitude before chugging down at least one Mending Potion each to ensure they were in the best condition they could be to do battle.

And then, they began to separate.

As they did, Delia sought out the Divine Ordinance of Death Nyx had bestowed on her and found that it answered her call quickly. When she directed it toward her Arcane Circle, the Ordinance did not protest.

The Arcane Circle, having been perfect for the storage and transportation of a Divine seed, was not new to accepting and transmitting things of the Divine nature.

Aylin paused when she first felt the creeping chill of death seeping out of the Arcane Circle in her head to her entire body. It was so abundant that she practically levitated as she was imbued with Divine might.

Eloise actually levitated. Sound ripples were thrumming out of her body sounding like the chimes that heralded death as they raised her inches off the ground. It felt incredible and she couldn’t help the smile that crept across her face.

A dazzling halo appeared above Aurelius’s head and he exuded a torrent of Divine Power on a level he had not expressed so far today. It appeared Aether didn’t wish to be outdone by her sister/rival and decided to give her Apostle a bonus of her own.

Delia stepped forward clutching her Warhammer tight with a sneer at Klever.

”So,” she said, ”You’re ready now, are you?”

”While Nyx has again meddled in matters—”

”—that do not concern her—”

”—this challenge most definitely—”

”—remains mine to win—”

”—You may have cheating gods on your side—”

”—But I carry the mandate of Hell—”

”—You shall face the supremacy of my race—”

”—and so shall your world thereafter.”

”A lot of words just to say ’Yes’,” Delia snorted, ”But good that you’re ready because, so are we.”

And while Kaya hung back and began to prepare her mental trap, the other four charged to meet the approaching Klever in what promised to be a final clash.