Zeke’s finger lightly swept through the sea of golden liquid.
It was truly fascinating. Despite its unfamiliar appearance, he felt the same unmistakable connection to the substance in front of him. It was definitely still blood.
Once again, he closed his eyes, focusing on the exact mental picture of what he wanted to happen. After using the Magic so many times today, the image had become much clearer than before, easier to conjure on command. How ironic was it that his highly experimental, purely theoretical, unripe thought experiment of the past few days had already become so familiar to him.
With the image firmly in mind, Zeke began to imbue his new Concepts, trying his best to focus on all of them at the same time.
Three of them formed the basis of this spell.
First, the Concept of Blood Heritage. It allowed these creatures to tap into the traits of their inherited bloodline. It dictated their forms, their movements, their actions, and their abilities.
Second, the Concept of Evolution. It was the ability to observe and copy successful actions, gradually becoming more proficient.
And lastly, the crowning jewel: the Concept of the Hive. It was the ability to share information among all members of the swarm. It turned the hundreds of individual consciousnesses into one mega-organism. A being with one mind and a thousand bodies. It was this Concept that made these creatures into the fearsome weapon they were.
To even begin to make it a reality, Zeke had to combine all three of his affinities: Blood, Mind, and Space. It was scary to think that it hadn’t even been a week since he had mastered his first Concept, and now, he was using three vastly more complex Concepts at the same time in a single spell.
War truly was the mother of invention. Without his life on the line, he would never have dared to go so far, nor would he have found the necessary number of corpses to even attempt something like this in the first place.
But when lives were cheap, and the pressure was high, the unthinkable quickly became possible, and the possible became likely.
As the spell settled into place, the huge pool of blood began to slowly move. It twisted and turned, writhed and squirmed, almost as if the liquid harbored a creature within, trapped beneath the thin film. With every moment, its movements became clearer, and its outline more defined.
Finally, the golden mass snapped into form, revealing the latest addition to the army.
This new Blood-Shade looked nothing like the ones that had come before it. Though its shape was still mostly humanoid, the obviously draconic features were its most prominent characteristics. Two curved horns, hard, scaly skin, and two wings that protruded from its back.
Zeke stared up at the enormous creature, his heart hammering wildly.
He had bet everything on this, without any guarantee that his idea could work. The words to Khai’Zar had not only been meant for the Dragon, but just as much for himself. This would decide if he truly had what it took to stand at the forefront of the human race, or if his ego was the only thing grand enough to claim such a spot.
“A shame,” Khai’Zar’s raspy voice remarked. “If you hadn’t diluted the purity of our essence with so much lesser blood, we might have seen a truly magnificent creature here today.”
Zeke shook his head. “No. This is better.”
“Better…” the Dragon sneered. “How could this be better? This thing is likely not even a match for a single human Archmage, despite being made of my blood.”
Zeke nodded easily. “I would be surprised if it were. But… that was never its purpose. In fact, it’s not meant for combat at all.”
“Damn you!” Khai’Zar’s voice had turned into something between shock and disbelief. “You’ve used our last drop of essence blood to summon what? A decoration?”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Zeke couldn’t help but smile. This was the first time he could remember seeing the Dragon so enraged. The usually stoic creature even seemed to have adopted his habit of making sarcastic remarks.
At that precise moment, the newly summoned Blood-Shade tilted its head back and opened its mouth wide, displaying rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Zeke instinctively clamped his hands over his ears. He was just in time to shield himself from the earth-shattering roar that tore across the battlefield.
All around him, the fighting stopped. Even the Titan Rhea, who had been about to re-engage her enemy, froze in her tracks and looked his way.
The same was true for the hundreds of Blood-Shades Zeke had summoned. As one, they froze mid-motion, as if their minds had suddenly stopped working.
The sight naturally brought a grin to Zeke’s face. This was exactly what he had hoped would happen.
“Everyone,” he whispered quietly, “say hello to your big brother. Big brother, meet the swarm.”
“…What is the meaning of this?” Khai’Zar asked. “What is happening?”
Zeke’s grin turned sharp. “Tell me, Khai’Zar, what’s better than having a draconic servant?”
“…”
“…Having a thousand of them.”
***
Melissa was watching like a hawk.
Ever since her little niece had fallen from the sky, she had been looking for the right time to save her.
Fortunately, the girl had landed close to her childhood friend, that boy Ezekiel. Despite standing on opposite sides, he had not immediately attacked her. But that didn’t mean she was safe either.
Initially, he had been content to have her follow him while he repeatedly performed some sort of desecration on the corpses of the fallen, conjuring monstrous creatures through his vile Magic.
Ultimately, though, the two had their falling out, just like she had expected they would. The girl, despite valiantly wounding her enemy, wasn’t able to flee and was subjected to a violent beating.
Multiple times, Melissa had attempted to break away and save her, but it was as if that damnable fortress could read her mind, tying her down every single time she planned to intervene.
The only cause for joy was the fact that Viola was still alive, though gravely injured. And even though Melissa couldn’t break away for now, that didn’t mean nobody else could. Already, half a squadron of experienced Wind Mages had gathered. They would be responsible for putting an end to this growing horde of blood-bound abominations, taking care of Ezekiel, and rescuing the heavily injured Viola.
Melissa dodged another volley of lightning bolts, slipping past and casting [Windtänzer] to create some distance. The Destroyers could keep the fortress occupied for a while. She used that rare moment to send out another [Wind Whisper] to instruct her captains.
“I will draw its attention. Act now!”
This was the extent of what she could convey with a breath. It wasn’t nearly as convenient as [Telepathy], being restricted in both distance and the length of the message, but it was better than nothing. And with the temporary blockade on mental communication still in effect, it was the only form of battlefield command available.
But before her subordinates could even begin their mission, a violent roar shook the air. It was so bestial and savage that even somebody of Melissa’s composure couldn’t help but pause and stare.
The sound came from the direction of her little niece and that fiend Ezekiel. She had tried to keep an eye on him the entire time, though after he somehow tampered with the blood of a few dozen fallen and turned it a strange golden color, she had momentarily lost track of his actions.
Now, an even larger, even more monstrous abomination stood in its place. This creature wasn’t even human anymore, but a strange mixture of reptile and man. Clearly, something only a truly depraved mind could conjure up.
Though even she had to admit that it gave off a dangerous presence, and the wings on its back made it clear that even she and her people had to be careful…
Wait… what in the…
Only now did Melissa realize that the entire army of blood creatures had gone deathly still after that roar. She couldn’t quite tell why, but her intuition told her that something was terribly wrong.
She sent out another whisper, urging her subordinates to hurry.
“Kill the boy. Rescue Viola. NOW!”
The voice never reached them. The spell [Wind Whisper] worked by carrying the vibrations caused by her voice to a particular area. It was no different from voice projection. However, it wasn’t some form of spatial or mental transmission. Meaning that if something disturbed the wind carrying her voice, it could be destroyed.
And this time, a thousand roaring voices were more than enough to completely annihilate her desperate shout.
Melissa pressed her eyelids shut. Her intuition had been right again, even when she wished it had failed her. Then came the sound of beating wings, and the air itself began to churn.
Melissa quickly opened her eyes and peered down. The sight almost stole her breath.
These abominations, who had previously formed ranks to face off against the Legion’s ground troops, had suddenly… transformed.
Scales. Horns… Wings!
Every single one of those creatures had suddenly taken on that same monstrous form. But that wasn’t all. The way they sailed through the air, the way their bodies moved. She recognized it. That was not a skill developed in a short time. It was the grace of creatures that belonged to the sky. But how could that be? She had seen with her own eyes that every single one of them had only just grown wings…
No! Now was not the time for that! She couldn’t allow these creatures to reach her airships. Otherwise, the slight upper hand she had won through sweat and blood might be taken from them again.
“INTERCEPT!” she roared, not trusting her spell to carry.
This time, her people heard the command. The half-formed squadron dove toward the approaching horde without a moment's hesitation. Despite the sudden departure, they flew in perfect formation, like a flock of hawks on the hunt.
At least, that was the impression they gave before colliding with the enemy.
For the first heartbeat, their experience showed. Windblades flashed in practiced arcs, severing limbs, opening throats, and sending several of the creatures tumbling from the sky. The formation punched into the swarm like a spearhead, clean and disciplined.
But that was when it all changed.
Melissa watched in horror as her squadron was torn to shreds. It couldn’t even be called a fight. Maybe they would have been able to hold their own against an equal number of enemies, but with a ratio of ten to one, the outcome had already been decided.
These creatures… They were clearly unnatural! They had the savagery of wild beasts, while somehow also having the cunning and guile of a seasoned strategist. Even their initial weakness had been nothing but a feint to lure her people in.
Every other second, one of her subordinates died. Arms were torn off, throats severed, and bones bitten clean through. These creatures seemed to be masters of both aerial maneuvering and close combat.
Without any more time to waste, Melissa flew after them. She knew that the fortress would intercept her, and she was prepared to take those hits. If she didn’t act now, every last one of her people would die in the next minute. Every single one of them was somebody she knew, some of them since they were born.
Consequences be damned, she would not watch them be slaughtered like this!
“Urgh.”
The first lightning bolt took her in the ribs. A second clipped her hip, and a final one struck her legs. Only then did she finally manage to pull away from the fortress for good. Though the damage was worse than she had expected, at least she was free now.
Free to save her...
Melissa dodged to the side, a single moment before a pair of massive horns pierced the space she had just occupied.
“…Fancy meeting you again.”
It was a voice that didn’t belong in this situation. It was so calm, it almost seemed conversational. And even though she had never heard it before, Melissa knew instinctively who it belonged to.
“Ezekiel…”
Finally, the attacker came into view. Sitting on the shoulder of the gigantic humanoid monster, he was looking at her with a curious expression.
“In the flesh,” he said, bowing his head in a perfect example of courtly manners. “What do you say, Lady Windtänzer, care for a dance with a youngster like me?”
Melissa’s heart was beating like a drum. She wanted nothing more than to rush to her subordinate’s aid, but something in this young man’s eyes made her unwilling to turn her back on him, even for a single moment.
“I don’t have time to play with you, kid.”
The half-reptilian creature growled, almost as if it understood human speech. But a single pat from Ezekiel’s hand made it calm down again.
During this entire time, his eyes had remained on her, his smile wide and predatory.
Worse, Melissa understood exactly what he was doing. Every second he kept her here was another second his creatures had to finish the slaughter behind her.
“I’m afraid I have to insist.”