221 Smelt All Over

Michael sends Derflinger a dirty look, not that the sword would notice due to them being invisible, but it's the thought that counts. The vampire was slowly making her way towards them, but she hadn't yet located him.

"Come out, I can smell you." she seductively calls, the blood-red spell in her hand intensifying in colour and brightness.

"Don't worry, I will be gentle... Just come out so I can properly accommodate my guest... You wouldn't want to upset me, would you?" she asks, and Michael can feel a slight ripple of magic from her voice. Fortunately, his mental and magical defences were preventing him from getting controlled by her... For now at least.

The vampire walks closer and closer, eventually reaching the statue where the scent of her prey was located behind. She grins and pauses for a moment, before darting around the corner, her fangs extending with the promise of blood.

Only to be presented with nothing. Just a blank, empty, inconspicuous corner... She quirks a brow, situations running through her mind as she takes a deep breath, sniffing the air. Her prey was here, he just couldn't be seen. "Found yo-" she starts but is interrupted as Michael materialises while stabbing Derflinger at her throat.

The woman reacts quickly, her vampiric abilities allowing her to evade to the side, causing the blade to only take a chunk out of her neck. The wound gushes with blood and she growls in an almost animalistic manner, throwing her hand forward and casting the trademark vampire spell.

Michael attempts to use Counter Spell to block this, a bright light blue shield manifesting over him. Only for it to do nothing in the face of this unique spell. A steam of bright red mist with glowing red particles is sucked from his body and transferred into the vampire, healing the wound in her neck at a visible rate while steadily weakening his own body.

He raises Derflinger in an attempt to block it, but the stream of life-stealing magic continues unabated despite the magic absorbing sword shoved in between it. The vampire isn't only draining him however, the tip of her staff lights up as she jabs it twice at the floor beside him, causing two small Oblivion portals to form, releasing two Frost Atronachs which proceed to try and attack him.

The large, almost 8ft ice golems lumber towards him and slam their mace-like limbs down at him in an attempt to crush him. Michael Blinks behind a nearby statue to both avoid the Atronach's attacks and the vampiric drain spell.

"Partner! Are you-"

"Shut up, sword." Michael seethes as he feels his Shadow Dance passive restore the vitality lost to the vampire.

"Oh! My little guest can speak then? I'll have you sing for me!" the vampire exclaims almost joyfully, "I'll have you tell me where you learned to use such strange magic!"

"Go suck a lemon you cunt!" he angrily retorts, the effects of that vitality drain spell annoying him far more than he'd like to admit. It was able to bypass all his defences, and his magic resistance didn't seem to do much against it. Not only that, it felt like someone else was violating his body, sticking a sharp petal straw into his life and soul before slowly sucking it all out.

He peeks past the statue and throws his hand out, summoning his Serpent Wards behind the Frost Atronachs which stumble as Flame Darts begin peppering them in the back. The vampire wasn't better off either, as three snakes had begun firing at her... She dispels the vampiric drain spell and summons a Ward to protect her, the see-through white shield causing the flame darts to splatter uselessly against it.

While the enemy was distracted with the snakes, he teleports next to the Wards and swings his sword through one, utilising the Ether Strike spell that Rhasta had taught him. The serpent gets absorbed by Derflinger and causes the sword to glow and crackle with orange electricity. He then Blink Strikes behind the vampire and swings down at her as hard as he can.

*CRACKLE!*

*SPLIT!*

*SQULECH!*

The sword easily passes through his foe, splitting her from head to crotch, his blade scorching everything as he passes, the flame affinity dealing huge amounts of damage to the vampire and would've been enough to kill her alone had he not just bisected her.

The Frost Atronachs explode into shards of ice and disappear back to Oblivion, leaving the blankly standing vampire with a shocked look on her face. "Oh... My...." she starts but trails off as her two halves separate and fall to the floor, each turning into two piles of ash not long after.

Michael gives a huff, half of amusement and half of relief at dealing with her so quickly. He was fortunate, in that this vampire seemed solely focused on magic and not anything else. He was a mage killer with most of his abilities countering magic casters. Had it been a vampire more focussed on martial pursuits, he might've been in trouble.

Despite the fact the vampire seemed solely focussed on her magical studies, she was very fast. Faster than any opponent he'd faced before. Not even Wardes fully hopped up on wind elemental energies came close to her. It would've been troublesome to deal with had she had any idea how to utilise such strength.

He shakes his head, scooping up the vampire dust, vampire clothes, and Frost Atronach Staff before storing them in his inventory with the rest of his loot. He wasn't sure what was required to operate the staff, but it'd be an interesting thing to study, even if he didn't actively make use of it. It'd also be interesting to see if the game limits also applied to him... After all, having an army of Atronachs at his back didn't seem all that bad...

Omake :

"Partner, is it me or is that wall glowing?... Ah! The words! They're burrowing into my mind!" Derflinger exclaims as the Word Wall transmits its knowledge straight into the sword's mind.

"Derflinger..." Michael mutters in shock and exasperation, realising what was happening.

A minute passes and the sword finally stops screaming, it lets out a hard breath and attempts to speak, only for something entirely different to come out from its mouth. "FUS RO DAH!" the sword unconsciously shouts, tearing apart the mountain they were under, the shockwave continuing up towards the sun and blowing that too apart. Akatosh is only able to regret granting the sword a dragon soul for a moment before his entire being is destroyed by the ungodly shout.

Alduin dies from the echo of said shout, and Harkon instantly stops all of his plans for world domination after witnessing the sun itself be destroyed by an unknown foe.

"Ah... Yes... Everyone! We're going back to the castle!" the vampire lord commands, marching back inside and shoving all the furniture against the heavy door, locking themselves away for eternity.

Thus, is the beginning of the tale; The Sword Emperor.

Omake end.