Chapter 73: Pyralis’s Defeat

Mireille and Arya’s coordinated assault was a masterclass in Warlady precision. Mireille’s blue blade carved a silent arc toward Tiffany’s throat, a lethal whisper of Vitae-infused steel.Arya flanked her, red blade angled low, poised for a crippling strike from the side.

Pyralis didn’t move. The Dragon Lord raised a hand, and an invisible wall of force halted Mireille’s blade mid-swing, the air was infused with dark energy clashing against the sword’s pure Vitae. The impact sent a shiver through the room.

"Pathetic." Pyralis boomed, its voice a thunderclap laced with malice. A shockwave of corrupted energy erupted outward, slamming into both Warladies.

While Pyralis was momentarily occupied with Arya and Mireille, Zaeryn slipped through the chaos. He closed the distance in a heartbeat, his strike landing true across the face.

"Pathetic?" Zaeryn spat, his voice sharp with defiance as his blow connected. "You’re one to talk."

Zaeryn had unnatural strength for a male, so the blow snapped its head to the side. The triumph in Zaeryn’s chest soured instantly. The moment his knuckles met the soft and delicate skin, guilt crashed over him, because no matter who was pulling the strings, he had still struck Tiffany.

By the end of this, if Tiffany survives,he was going to feel like an asshole.

Meanwhile, Mireille recovered with feline grace, her stance was unshaken as she maneuvered, but Arya, less seasoned, grunted as the blast hurled her against the far wall.

"Arya!" Mireille’s icy composure cracked, her voice sharp with concern. This was no ordinary foe. The power radiating from Tiffany’s possessed form was unpleasant and unfamiliar, and it felt nothing like the Vitae they were trained to combat.

Gritting her teeth, Mireille raised her sword. She flooded it with Vitae until the blade shimmered like a living flame. The weapon amplified her essence, multiplying her strength several times over. With a fierce cry, she swung down, the empowered strike colliding with Tiffany’s form and driving her back under the weight of pure, unyielding force.

Seizing the moment while Pyralis focused on Mireille, Zaeryn dug deep, channeling the last of his dwindling energy. His mind raced, weaving not a weapon but a compressed, unstable orb of pure light between his palms. His Vitae Weaving was still nascent, raw, unrefined and he couldn’t sustain a true offensive construct for more than a fleeting second.

But it was enough. He unleashed the orb in a blinding flare, its high-pitched sound overloading the senses.

The room erupted in searing light.

Pyralis recoiled, his hold on Tiffany body faltering as she stumbled, her hands instinctively shielding her face. For a heartbeat, her eyes flickered to their natural hazel, a glimpse of the real Tiffany clawing against her captor’s control.

Mireille and Arya froze, stunned. A male wielding Vitae? Zaeryn’s power was never heard of, one they hadn’t anticipated. But the immediate threat snapped them back to focus.

Pyralis regained his footing, golden eyes flaring anew.

The Dragon Lord’s fragment assessed its situation. It was outnumbered. Right now it was nowhere near a single percentage of its true power. It wielded only a fraction of its true might through Tiffany’s fragile vessel, and the Warladies’ relentless skill and Zaeryn’s unpredictable Vitae posed a real threat. Worse, Tiffany’s consciousness was fighting back, straining its control.

It could still fight, but that was pointless, because they might win against him. The one thing he had realized was that this anomaly was very much unpredictable in terms of power. He was supposed to be weak.

With a chilling glare at Zaeryn, it spoke. "This changes nothing, anomaly," Pyralis declared, its voice dripping with venom. "The offer is rescinded. You are no longer an asset. You are prey. We will meet again."

A final pulse of dark energy surged from Tiffany’s form, forcing Mireille and Arya to brace themselves. The golden light in her eyes guttered out, and her body collapsed like a marionette with severed strings, crumpling to the floor.

The suffocating presence vanished.

Zaeryn’s knees buckled as the adrenaline drained from him. He sank to the floor, gasping. "What... happened?" he asked the System, his mental voice ragged.

[The Dragon Lord has relinquished control of Tiffany,] the System replied, its tone clinical.

Arya rushed to Zaeryn’s side, helping him sit up. "You okay?" she asked, her voice soft but urgent.

Mireille, ever vigilant, kept her blade drawn as she approached Tiffany’s still form, her eyes scanning for any lingering threat.

Zaeryn coughed, rubbing his bruised throat. "Yeah... thanks to you. I owe you one, Arya. And you, Mireille." He grimaced, replaying his mistake.

’That was really dumb.’ He’d thought he and Tiffany were meeting for... something private. Telling his protectors to stay outside, and not only that, he let his hormones speak for him.

Locking the door had been foolish, trapping him with a possessed professor. But, how could he have known she wasn’t herself? He thought she invited him because she wanted him to fulfil the favor, which Zaeryn had interpreted could only involve something sexual.

Arya offered a faint, relieved smile. "Good thing I dragged Mireille along. I knew something was off."

Mireille nudged Tiffany’s body with her boot, her expression unreadable. "What was that? Mind control? Possession?" Her voice carried a rare edge of uncertainty.

Zaeryn hesitated. "I... don’t know exactly." He queried the System silently. ’What was that? It felt like the Dragon Lord was in her body, but not fully at first.’

[Correct. Initially, Pyralis corrupted Tiffany’s mind, bending her will to serve as a conduit. Later, it assumed direct control, overriding her consciousness.]

Zaeryn’s eyes widened. ’That’s terrifying. He can just... do that?’

[Not without an opening. Tiffany likely invited Pyralis’s influence, perhaps unknowingly, through some ritual or artifact.]

Zaeryn relayed the explanation. "She was corrupted at first, like a puppet on strings. Then Pyralis took full control. She’ll be fine, though, she just needs time to recover."

As if on cue, Tiffany stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She grimaced, clutching her temple.

"What... what happened?"

Zaeryn knelt beside her. "Tiffany, you okay? Do you remember anything?"