Into the Darkness: Devotion

 Mana is a universal energy source, used by mages and skilled knights to wield magic.

Using mana automatically makes you stronger than someone who doesn't, as it negates the risk of passing out from exhaustion.

Running out of mana simply means you have to rely on stamina instead.

Vincent could use far more magic than me and empower himself with mana as well.

So saying he's stronger isn't a downplay on my part, it's simply a fact. Not one that I like.

I wanted to wait until my birthday, but I'll just start learning it now.

I glanced at Vincent. "Where did you learn mana control?"

He leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers on the table. "From my father. He wasn't a mage, but he understood mana flow well enough to teach me the basics. The rest? I had to figure it out on my own."

Artoria raised an eyebrow. "Figured it out? You make it sound easy."

Vincent chuckled. "Well, at first it wasn't. Now I can even form mana into my palm."

He stretched his hand out, opening his palm, and then an odd green energy began swirling around.

It had an overbearing force, akin to what one might feel when gazing at the stars above.

The pressure slowly vanished as the mana became a ball. "Mana is like silk, you weave your own being into a piece that you hold."

Vincent flipped his hand, and the mana disappeared, leaving nothing but the odd tune of what seemed to be a bell in my ears.

Vincent looked at us both, tilting his head slightly. "Wait… don't tell me you haven't learned mana theory yet?"

Artoria and I exchanged glances before I shook my head. "Never learned it."

Vincent blinked, clearly caught off guard. "You're joking, right?"

"No," Artoria said. "Should we have?"

He frowned. "I don't get it. Your power is way too grand for mana not to be running cleanly through it."

Artoria crossed her arms. "Does mana enhance someone that much?"

Vincent spread out both hands, a smirk forming on his lips. "Want to see your full potential?"

I hesitated, but Artoria stepped forward without question, placing her left hand into his right.

I followed, gripping his left hand with my right.

Almost immediately, a current of energy surged through my body. It wasn't overwhelming, nor was it painful, it was precise, calculated.

My veins felt as though they had been jump-started, my senses sharpening as if I had been living in a haze until now.

Artoria let out a breath, flexing her fingers. "My body… feels lighter."

I nodded, rolling my shoulders. "More defined too."

"What you're feeling is mana running throughout your bones, blood, and skin," Vincent said, smiling.

I didn't think he was lying. My body felt like an energy source was powering me, like I had been reborn anew.

Was this the result of using mana? Just by circulating it, I had gained over double my previous power.

Vincent… I should keep him close.

Vincent leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you two want to learn mana control? At least briefly, before we reach the academy?"

I glanced out the window, noting how the once-bright sky had long faded into darkness. 

We'd been on this train for around sixteen hours now. Night had already fallen.

"Yes," Artoria said immediately, without a hint of hesitation.

Vincent clapped his hands together. "Great! Then let's start with the first lesson, controlling it internally."

At that very moment, for a brief second, I felt a powerful force, one akin to a pure disaster.

Then, I blacked out.

My head was pounding, like something was beating against my skull, begging me to wake.

Faint sounds echoed in the darkness of nothingness. Slowly, I reached out and forced my eyes open.

I sat up, blood trickling down my head. My left arm hurt an unusual amount, and a deep gash ran across my chest.

When I looked around, storm clouds raged above, rain falling as if the heavens themselves were weeping.

The train was off the tracks, its frame twisted and broken. The scent of blood filled my nostrils, thick and overwhelming, as if I were standing in a pool of it.

Then I looked down.

Blood soaked the grass, shattered trees lay scattered around the wreckage, torn apart as if by some monstrous force.

I scanned the area, searching for Artoria. It wasn't until I turned behind me that I found her, clutching her head in pain.

What the hell hit us?

Just before I lost consciousness, I felt a monstrous power… Was it a beast?

I rushed over to Artoria and helped her up. "You okay?"

She nodded, glancing around. "I saw a flash, just before we were hit."

"What do you think it was?"

She paused, her eyes narrowing in thought, then suddenly, she gasped.

Slowly, she raised a trembling finger.

I turned back.

A man stood there.

He had long purple hair and sleek black eyes. His skin was unnaturally pale, almost lifeless.

He wore a tight black shirt with a flowing white cloak over it, and loose black pants that were cuffed at the bottom with short boots.

But what stood out most was the rapier in his hand, its violet blade pierced straight through Vincent.

I was certain I had looked in that direction before. So why hadn't I seen him until now?

Vincent, despite the wound, managed to push himself away, jumping back toward us.

"Both of you, run away," he said, raising his enchanted sword. "This guy… he's not human."

I looked at Artoria. She was trembling.

That wasn't like her.

Then I realized, so was I.

As if I were.

Before I could finish the thought, the man vanished.

I spun around, only to see him standing behind us, gazing down with a crude smile.

"You three… oh my, fledglings in battle, newborns in war, children of struggle."

I reacted immediately, shoving Artoria back with all my strength.

At the same time, Vincent swung his sword.

The man effortlessly parried with his rapier, deflecting the strike with a flick of his wrist.

The force of the clash sent both Vincent and Artoria flying back.

Yet, for some reason, I remained standing.

But not for long.

His kick crashed into me, sending me hurtling through the air.

I hit the ground hard, barely catching my breath as I looked up at him.

His face… he looked both young and old, like someone who had aged for centuries yet never left adolescence.

I knew immediately.

Just from his words, his presence, his aura, he was a vampire.

Vampires weren't monsters. They were simply beings who needed blood to survive.

Inherently, they could coexist.

But this one…

This one was on a rampage.

I turned to Artoria. "Run! Don't look back!"

"Stop it! Don't think for a second I'm leaving you!"

Then Vincent screamed.

"Watch out!"

At that moment, a vision flashed before my eyes. A glimpse into the future.

My Gift had activated on its own. And I saw it.

He was about to stab me in the neck. I moved instinctively, spinning around and catching his blade between my hands.

The vampire's eyes widened, clearly surprised.

At that moment, Vincent swung his sword from my side, its edge tracing a deep cut along the vampire's face. A wound that healed almost instantly.

At the same time, Artoria rushed in from behind, now wielding her sword. She swung.

The vampire spun.

At the same time, he flicked his blade, slashing my fingers and kicking me back.

His body twisted fluidly, his movements seamless as he grabbed Vincent by the neck and slammed him into Artoria, sending both of them crashing into the debris.

Then, he turned to me and lunged.

Another glimpse into the future.

It didn't drain me much this time.

I saw it, he was aiming for my stomach.

I clapped my hands together and caught his blade again.

"This one is fast and smart," he muttered, yanking the rapier back and spinning.

Before I could react, his foot connected with my chest.

The force sent me airborne.

Pain flared through my ribs as I crashed onto the ground, struggling to catch my breath.

Through blurry vision, I saw Vincent say something, but the words didn't reach me.

Then, Artoria covered her ears.

I followed instinctively.

The air shook.

A violent, piercing vibration ripped through the battlefield.

Even with my ears covered, the sound was unbearable—a deep, oscillating pressure that made my entire body feel like it was coming apart.

Blood dripped from my ears.

I dropped to the ground, barely staying conscious, as Vincent rushed forward.

His sword swung in a perfect arc, aimed straight at the vampire's neck.

The vampire smirked, effortlessly parrying the strike and countering with a thrust.

Vincent roared, his voice carrying an unnatural force.

"Seismic Slicer!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the air exploded.

A shockwave of raw sound erupted from Vincent's blade, distorting the space around it.

The vampire's expression shifted, no longer amused, but focused.

He moved to dodge but he was too late. The wave of compressed sound energy struck him dead center.

The impact sent him skidding backward, his boots carving deep trenches into the blood-soaked ground.

For the first time, he looked genuinely surprised.

Vincent exhaled, gripping his sword tightly.

"Not so untouchable now, are you?"

The vampire straightened, rolling his shoulders.

Then, he grinned.

And disappeared.

Vincent barely had time to react before the vampire was behind him, his blade aiming straight for Vincent's spine.

I pushed forward, forcing my body to move.

Artoria was already moving, her hands glowing faintly.

Vincent turned, but he wasn't fast enough.

The vampire's blade lunged forward and then, Vincent opened his mouth.

A single, piercing note rang out.

The sound carried a force unlike before, a frequency so sharp it distorted everything around him.

The vampire hesitated for a split second.

That was all Vincent needed.

He twisted his sword downward.

The vibrating energy condensed along the blade's edge. And then he slashed upward.

The blade cleaved through the vampire's neck, splitting the skull in half. The creature staggered back, dark blood spilling as its body tried to mend itself.

Vincent took this chance.

With a swift thrust, he drove his sword straight into the vampire's chest. A low, eerie tune left his lips, a resonance that made the air tremble.

The blade glowed green, and the black lines coiled around it unraveled, slithering like living shadows.

The vampire's wounds closed instantly, but it didn't matter. The black tendrils wrapped around its flesh, piercing deep into its skin.

"This is my sister's last masterpiece," Vincent murmured. "Allow me to show it to you."

The vampire's head finished healing.

With a cold smile, it snapped its rapier toward Vincent, slicing his cheek open. But it was too late.

The black lines constricted.

They pulsed with a green hue, burrowing deeper, tearing through the vampire's body like ravenous beasts.

A sickening crack filled the air as its limbs contorted unnaturally, veins bulging under the strain.

The creature let out a strangled cry as its flesh bubbled, trying desperately to rebuild itself.

Artoria stepped forward, her expression cold.

She slit her palm and let her blood drip onto the writhing body.

Then, she clenched her fist.

The blood condensed into a single, solid point, an iron stake formed of her own essence.

Vincent wasted no time.

With one clean swing, he severed the vampire's body in two.

To kill a vampire, you didn't need to sever its head. You simply had to exceed the damage threshold its regeneration could handle.

This one was young, weak and slow by vampire standards.

Its body crumbled, bursting into particles before being carried away by the wind.