Cameraman Never Dies

Gereon could feel the overwhelming power of the person in front of him, he was someone worthy to fight against a dragon lord. The lord being Gereon, obviously.

The man stood tall on the rubbles of fallen buildings, his sword was dark, but unlike Gereon's previous encounter, the sword had dark energy spewing out of it. "I had not killed any of the dragons yet, they were not worth my time. But you, old man, I can feel it, how strong are you?" He had an excited smile on his face, but not in a good way.

Gereon cracked his neck, loosening up as he readied himself. "You seem awfully confident, standing there like you've got something to prove. But tell me," he swirled his sword lazily, the blade catching the light, "have you ever fought a dragon who makes jokes while he melts your face off?"

The man's expression tightened, he was ready for a fight but this guy was talking way too much, so he decided to taunt him. "I've fought many beings in my time. You're no different."

Gereon's laugh boomed, loud enough to send a few birds flying from the trees behind them— if there was a tree there of course. "Oh, you poor, poor soul. You just compared me to 'many beings.' You might want to write a will."

The man lunged without warning, his sword aimed straight for Gereon's heart, but the dragon lord sidestepped with ease, the movement so casual it was insulting.

"You call that an attack? My grandmother's faster than that, and she's been dead for a whole century!" Gereon taunted, spinning his blade in a lazy arc. The clang of metal against metal echoed as their swords collided, sparks flying with each clash.

Both of the men were taking it easy and enjoying themselves, but Gereon's sarcastic and insulting remarks was making the other guy even more enraged.

He moved with precise strikes, with each swing of a sword aimed to kill. But Gereon dodged or blocked the attacks with the grace of a Lego enthusiast building a complicated set.

"What's your name youngster?" Gereon asked while holding back a yawn, probably not to annoy the guy too much too early. He was starting to enjoy the fight as he had gotten a strong opponent.

Both of them stepped back, "I am Aldric, the light priest from the church of God of Night."

"Ah, so you are a vampire." Gereon gave him an annoying smile. "No wonder you are stronger than the other bunch of trolls, elves, and dwarves. Why would a creature as dignified as you attack our town, not that I'm complaining. I even let someone interfere with the barrier, but I should point out that a whole-scale fight was out of the question."

"I may be a vampire but I am not as idiotic as the rest, not even taking revenge. The dragons are the ones who put our entire race nearly into extinction, and I will have my vengeance by doing the same to your race, you will be the first dragon to fall... Dragon Lord."

Gereon raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "The first huh? I'm touched. But let me tell you something, Take this as someone speaking from experience: Revenge is a thief. It steals your time, your joy, your future. It promises satisfaction but delivers nothing but regret. The true victory is in walking away, not letting the hatred bury you along with your enemy."

Aldric's eyes narrowed as Gereon spoke, the vampire's rage barely restrained behind his tightly clenched jaw. "You speak as if you know true loss, Dragon Lord. As if you've suffered in the way I have."

Gereon chuckled, the sound low and rumbling like distant thunder. "Oh, I've suffered, believe me. But if you think revenge is the way to ease that pain, you're in for a world of disappointment, my friend. Trust me, it's like throwing rocks into the ocean and expecting a tidal wave." He spun his sword once more, the blade shimmering in the fading light. "Now, shall we stop chatting and get on with this? I've got a nap planned after this, and you're cutting into my relaxation time."

Aldric snarled, his patience fraying. "You mock me, dragon!"

"And yet," Gereon interrupted with a grin, "you're still standing there, waiting for me to stop. You've got all this darkness and vengeance, and I've just got my bright character. It's like a tragic comedy, really."

Without another word, Aldric's ether flared around him, briefly forming a small, dark storm before revealing himself, now with a much stronger character vibe. His sword became engulfed in an eerie black flame as he lunged forward with blinding speed. Gereon, however, sidestepped the attack with a casual flick of his wrist, as though swatting away an annoying insect.

"Nice form," Gereon commented, easily deflecting another strike, "but a bit predictable. You're announcing your movements. It's like you're waving a flag that says, 'Hey, I'm about to stab you!'"

Aldric roared in frustration, his attacks becoming more frenzied. He swung his sword in wide arcs, sending waves of dark energy crashing toward Gereon, who dodged them effortlessly, his movements sloppy but precise.

"You know," Gereon said, his voice light and conversational as he parried another strike, "you really ought to take up dancing. You've got the speed for it. A little grace wouldn't hurt, though."

Aldric's face twisted with rage, his crimson eyes glowing with hatred. "Enough!" he shouted, dark-colored ether erupting outward in a violent explosion. The ground beneath them cracked and split, and the air itself seemed to grow heavy with the weight of Aldric's power, he was very powerful, but he was matched against the wrong opponent.

Gereon, still calm, raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is it time for the dramatic power-up moment? I love this part."

The vampire's form shifted as dark energy consumed him, transforming him into a towering figure of shadow and flame. His sword had grown larger, and the dark energy that spewed from it crackled with raw, untamed ether.

"Now," Aldric growled, his voice deep and distorted, "you will witness the true might of the God of Night's chosen."

Gereon stared at Aldric's new form for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. "Not bad. I'd give it a solid 8 out of 10 for the intimidation factor. But you're still missing something… Ah, right. You forgot the banter part."

Aldric, now fully consumed by his rage, charged at Gereon with terrifying speed. His blade came down with the force of a landslide, aiming to cleave the Dragon Lord in two. But Gereon, ever the showman, raised his own sword just in time, blocking the strike with a deafening clang that sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

The force of the blow sent both men sliding backward, their feet digging into the ground. For the first time in the battle, Gereon's smile faltered, replaced by a look of mild surprise.

"Well, well," he said, his tone still light despite the clear strain in his voice. "Looks like you've got some real strength behind those fancy powers of yours."

Aldric's monstrous form loomed over him, his sword raised high for another strike. "This is your end, Dragon Lord!"

Gereon's smile returned, sharp and dangerous. "Not today, bloodsucker."

With a sudden burst of golden ether, Gereon surged forward, his sword cutting through the air with blinding speed. Aldric barely had time to react as their blades clashed once more, the impact sending sparks flying in every direction. Gereon's strikes were extremely precise, heavy, and relentless, each one moved to exploit the smallest weakness in Aldric's defense.

Despite his monstrous strength, Aldric found himself being pushed back, his footing slipping with every blow. Gereon moved like a whirlwind, his sword a blur of golden light as he danced around Aldric's attacks, his movements simple and effortless.

"You know," Gereon said between strikes, "for all that dark power of yours, you're still too slow. It's all about agility, my friend. Power means nothing if you can't land a hit."

Aldric roared again in frustration, Gereon knew the art of making your enemy angry very well, he unleashed another wave of dark ether that tore through the ground, sending debris flying into the air. But Gereon was already moving, dodging the attack with a casual leap and landing gracefully a few feet away.

"Really, you've got to stop relying on these big, flashy moves," Gereon chided, shaking his head. "They look cool, sure, but they're not very practical."

Aldric's chest heaved with exertion, his monstrous form flickering as the dark ether began to wane. "You… mock me… still…"

Gereon gave him a sympathetic look. "Oh, come on. You're taking this all too seriously. This is supposed to be fun! A good ol' battle of life and death. Well, mostly for you. I'm planning on walking away from this."

With a roar of defiance (yes more roaring), Aldric summoned every last ounce of his strength, his dark ether surging around him in a final, desperate attempt to overpower the Dragon Lord. His sword swung down with all the weight of his rage and vengeance behind it.

But Gereon, with a calm smile, raised his hand. "Time to end this."

In an instant, golden ether exploded from his body, engulfing the battlefield in a blinding light. The sheer force of Gereon's power shattered Aldric's sword, sending shards of dark energy scattering like dust in the wind.

Aldric stumbled back, his monstrous form crumbling as the ether drained from his body. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath as the last of his strength left him.

Gereon sheathed his sword, walking over to the defeated vampire with a casual swagger. "Well, that was entertaining. You put up a decent fight, Aldric. But, as I said before… revenge is a thief. And right now, it's stolen your future."

Aldric, his face pale and drawn, looked up at Gereon with hollow eyes. "You… you spared me… Why?"

Gereon shrugged. "Eh, I'm not a fan of killing for the sake of it. Plus, you've got potential. Maybe next time, try fighting for something other than vengeance. You might actually enjoy it."

With that, Gereon turned and walked away, his figure disappearing into the horizon as the remnants of Aldric's dark power faded into nothingness. As he left, he called out one last witty remark over his shoulder.

"Oh, and if you ever feel like a rematch, look me up! I could use the workout."