The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

"Heya~" The female vampire's appearance was incredibly beautiful, but her blood-stained face and crimson eyes revealed her true nature. Blood dripped from her fangs as a black tongue flicked out from her mouth, licking her lips.

Seductive and dangerous, sharp and powerful, her long white hair was neatly styled into a bun at the back of her head. If it weren't for her vampire fangs and the sight of her feasting on flesh, anyone would mistake her for a human noblewoman.

"Undead! Face the lady's judgment!" Federmond instantly drew his knight's sword, shouting angrily. As a Holy Grail Knight, he was sworn to vanquish the Midnight Noble before him.

"Damn!" Alfred, the Templar Knight, cursed in frustration. He never expected to confront a high-level vampire!

As a Templar of the Church of Justice, Alfred was well aware of how formidable a high-level vampire could be. These creatures surpassed mortal limits in both strength and speed.

The Empire had several knight orders specializing in combating vampires, notably the Solar Knights, the Golden Scythe, the Hammer of Charlemagne, and the Raven Knights. Even these specialized groups required thorough preparation to face high-level vampires, including holy water, silver swords, divine spells, and blessings from the gods.

Witch hunters generally avoided taking on high-level vampires. If they encountered such a threat, they would report it and wait for the church and knight orders to form a joint team to deal with it. High-level vampires, in turn, preferred to avoid hunters.

Holy Grail Knights, however, were not reckless in their confrontations with high-level vampires. They possessed the physical and combat capabilities to match these formidable foes directly. Unlike Alfred, who wasn't a Holy Grail Knight, and apart from a small vial of holy water, he had no other means to defend himself in such a hasty encounter.

"Wait! Holy Grail Knight, we shouldn't act rashly." Just as Federmond was about to attack, Olica spoke. The dark elf's face was a mix of ferocity and seriousness as she held a deep navy staff in her hand. Chanting a spell, a purple-black shield enveloped the three of them.

The dark magic energy from the shield made both Federmond and Alfred uncomfortable, but it was undeniably effective. The Midnight Noble, who was about to charge, paused with a look of confusion on her face and spoke something unintelligible to Olica.

Olica replied briefly.

"What are you saying to her, dark elf?" Federmond still held deep hostility towards the female vampire. He couldn't fathom why Olica would attempt to communicate with this undead creature. "Tell me!"

"Foolish mortal," the female vampire sneered, stepping to the side and revealing the embroidered cuffs of her white shirt beneath her silk sleeves. "Enough. A Holy Grail Knight and a dark mage? I don't intend to—"

"Destruction Bolt!" Before she could finish, the dark elf raised her hand, and a violent flash of purple-black lightning erupted, illuminating the basement as if it were daylight. In the confined space, the vampire's silhouette was instantly engulfed by the electric storm.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The explosion echoed throughout the basement, causing a section of the ceiling to collapse. The blinding light forced Federmond and Alfred to shield their eyes with their hands.

"Arghhh!" The vampire's agonized scream emerged from the smoke and debris.

"Well, it didn't finish her off. Now, you two, get in there," Olica showed no shame for her deceitful attack. She chanted another spell, making her navy staff vanish into thin air and summoning a pair of green daggers into her hands.

"Despicable!" The vampire shrieked, clutching at the three scorched wounds inflicted by the Destruction Bolt. Her form dissolved into a cloud of blood mist and surged towards the trio. "Die, lowly creatures!"

Federmond and Alfred exchanged a glance, tightening their grip on their swords and shields.

The red mist whirled around the basement. Alfred focused his gaze, chanting a divine spell: "Fourth-Circle Spell! Consecration!"

Golden radiance filled the room as the power of the God of Justice swept through, exposing the vampire's true form. Her face had contorted into a monstrous visage with menacing fangs, and her hands had elongated into sharp claws. Grasping a necrotic bone sword, she appeared before Alfred in an instant. The blade, jagged and worn, had claimed countless mortal lives.

Alfred clenched his teeth. He knew that while Consecration could fend off low-level vampires, it was insufficient against a high-level one. He swung his knight's sword to counter her, but the tremendous force behind her attack threw him off balance. As he stumbled, her claws were already poised to strike.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The vampire's claws shredded Alfred's steel and mithril shield into pieces. Realizing he had no other choice, Alfred cast another spell: "Holy Shield!"

"Heyah!" The vampire's necrotic bone sword glanced off the golden halo of the Holy Shield. With her other hand, she gripped the shield with crushing force.

"Crack, crack!" The golden halo cracked under the vampire's strength. She grabbed Alfred through the shield, lifting him off the ground and hurling him across the room.

The vampire watched with satisfaction as Alfred's body crashed through a wall, landing among a clutter of bottles and jars. She didn't look back as she raised her bone sword behind her, meeting Federmond's incoming strike. Sparks flew from the clash between the bone sword and the knight's blade. Federmond immediately retreated to strike again, but the vampire exhaled a cloud of black smoke. Olica's lithe form darted close, her twin daggers aimed at the vampire's heart and throat. The Midnight Noble raised her arms, using her flesh to counter Olica's attack. The dark elf couldn't penetrate her defenses, and after a few exchanges, the vampire slapped Olica hard across the face.

"Ugh!" Olica was sent flying, landing in a pile of straw. Her left cheek swelled instantly, marked by three claw marks. She groaned in pain, her amber eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

The vampire turned her attention back to Federmond. The Holy Grail Knight gathered his strength, focusing it into his arms. His knight's sword, coated in golden oil and burning with flames, had been blessed by the Lady of the Lake. Even a high-level vampire wouldn't want to confront its formidable power directly. The Midnight Noble bent backward to avoid the horizontal slash, watching the golden flames slice through the air.

"For the Lady! Die!" Federmond's physical abilities surpassed those of ordinary mortals. Missing with his first slash, he quickly followed with a vertical strike. The vampire parried with her bone sword, engaging in a rapid exchange of blows. The Holy Grail Knight invoked the names of the Lady of the Lake and Mannan. As his sword slashed upward, it left a thin cut on the vampire's chest, accompanied by her scream.

This minor victory left him exposed. Though his shield blocked the bone sword, it couldn't stop her claws, which pierced through his Bretonnian mithril armor and into his chest. Blood stained his undershirt.

Pain couldn't deter the steadfast faith of a Holy Grail Knight. Federmond roared and used his blade to slash the vampire's left calf, causing her to lose balance.

The vampire withdrew her claws, staggering back. She glanced up at the collapsed ceiling, where cold moonlight streamed through. She grinned maniacally before transforming into a mist of blood.

She intended to flee.

"Holy Light!" From the other side of the fallen wall, a beam of golden light struck the blood mist. Alfred, covered in blood, stretched out his hand. The Templar Knight's forehead was bleeding, and a Holy Light engulfed the vampire. Alfred wiped the blood from his brow and chanted another Holy Light spell. "Again! Holy Light!"

The two consecutive Holy Light spells finally inflicted some damage on the high-level vampire. Her body darkened under the Holy Light, but she remained unfazed, reengaging Federmond in a furious battle. Amidst the flashes of swords, the vampire and the Holy Grail Knight clashed three more times. Her claws struck his shield, leaving deep grooves along the surface decorated with the trident of the sea god and the golden chalice. She then delivered a swift kick, sending Federmond flying.

"Heyah!" The vampire stood still, screeching as the Holy Light began to fade.

"Blade Storm!" Olica's spell materialized. The dark elf had conjured dozens of ethereal blades within a vortex of purple-black energy, which hurtled towards the Midnight Noble.

"What makes you side with the Holy Grail, dark elf?" The vampire swatted the blades away, her face contorting into a monstrous grimace. "Let me—"

Before she could finish, Federmond's sword appeared before her again. The Holy Grail Knight was panting heavily, but his movements were relentless. The vampire had to defend against him once more, their weapons clashing with blinding speed. Federmond's sword cut through the foul air, forming a "cross" in midair as he deflected her blade. Raising his shield, he smashed it into the vampire's forehead. "Shield Bash!"

"Ah!" The vampire was stunned by the blow.

"Try this!" Alfred, now kneeling, seized the opportunity to throw his last vial of holy water. Both the Holy Grail Knight and the vampire were drenched in the sacred liquid. Its divine power soothed Federmond in his wounds, while the vampire shrieked in agony as the holy water burned her. She staggered back, her form flickering as she prepared to flee once more. But in a blur, she darted towards Alfred with deadly intent.

This Templar was too much of a nuisance. She needed to kill him first!

"Alfred! Watch out!" Federmond shouted, trying to close the distance, but he couldn't match the vampire's speed. In an instant, she was upon Alfred.

"Hey! Undead! Try this!" Alfred shouted, pulling out a small vial and tossing it at the vampire. Instinctively, she thought it was another vial of holy water and hesitated, dodging to the side.

"Crash~" The vial shattered on the floor, releasing a familiar, sweet aroma.

It was a bottle of fine Sherry wine, a famous product from the Bilbali Duchy.

"???!!!" The vampire realized she had been tricked. She screamed in rage, "Damn you! Deceitful scum!"

It was too late. In her moment of hesitation, Alfred had drawn a Dwarven rune-inscribed quad-barrel revolver.

At point-blank range, the Templar Knight pulled the trigger.

"Bang~" The first bullet pierced the vampire's forehead, spraying a mist of blood.

"Bang~" The second bullet shattered her left cheek, breaking her jaw.

"Bang~ Bang~" The third and fourth bullets slammed into her chest.

The magical explosive rounds from Veronica's Wizard Tower detonated inside the Midnight Noble's body.

The vampire, now severely wounded, stumbled backward, her form disintegrating under the onslaught. Olica, seizing the moment, appeared behind her. With a swift motion, her twin daggers pierced through the vampire's chest, and with a deft twist, she extracted the vampire's black heart, crushing it into fragments.

"For the Lady's love! Die, undead!" Federmond's sword cleaved through the air, and in a final act of vengeance, he decapitated the vampire.

Alfred held the now empty Dwarven revolver, breathing heavily. He watched as the vampire's headless body crumpled to the ground, a sense of relief washing over him.

"Hesitation leads to defeat!" he declared, a weary smile on his face.

Today's battle had ended in their favor, but the lingering tension made it clear how close they had come to a different outcome. 

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