?


    "Oh, I guess you thought you were trying to hit me..." Ashton acted as if he was lost in his thoughts. "News sh, whenever you thought you were hitting me, you were hitting your soldiers instead."


    Nishkca''s eyes widened in horror as he connected the dots. The truth unfolded before him, and the weight of his actions pressed heavily on his conscience. Hisrades hadn''t met their demise by a swift, sharp de as he had believed; it resulted from his own ruthless and frenzied attacks.


    The realisation hit him like a tidal wave, and the guilt washed over him, threatening to drown him in remorse.


    The hallucinations that had driven his men to turn on each other were nothing but cruel illusions, a wicked ploy yed by Ashton through blood mist. And he had been its unwitting puppet, mindlessly perpetuating the chaos and destruction.


    "It can''t be..."


    Ashton''s masqueraded face held a smile, but it was a smile filled with amusement. It was a smile that reflected the gravity of the situation, the severity of the Xyrans'' actions. His eyes bore into Nishkca, piercing through the facade of arrogance and revealing the darkness within.


    "That''s right... they weren''t the ones hallucinating. It was you," Ashton''s words wereced with a sad truth. "You didn''t flinch as they begged for mercy, and here we are now... debating about their deaths."


    Ashton''s voice trailed off, the weight of the moment hanging heavily in the air. The library, once filled with chaos and violence, was now a haunting memoir of tragedy and despair-filled Xyrans.


    The reality of Nishkca''s actions hit him with an indescribable force. He had be the instrument of hisrades'' demise. Their lives were doused out by his own hands, controlled by the evil mist.


    "I knew you, Xyrans, were heartless," Ashton''s tone shifted, his words tinged with an air of disappointment, "but this? Killing yourrades... is a whole new level."


    The air was tense as Nishkca''s eyes burned with anger and frustration. He pointed an using finger at Ashton, his voice trembling with emotion.


    "This is all your fault! You brought this mist upon us, and now myrades are dead because of you!"


    "Oh, is that so?" he taunted, his masquerade slipping away to reveal his vampire visage. "me me all you want, but the truth is, yourck of mental fortitude made you an easy pawn for the mist. Your weaknesses led to the demise of yourrades. Not me."


    Enraged by Ashton''s dismissive demeanour, Nishkca lunged forward, fists clenched and eyes aze. His attack was swift and decisive, fueled by a desire for vengeance and retribution.


    "You never learn, do you?" Ashton sighed, flexing his arms. "That''s why I love it when people like you struggle."


    Ashton sidestepped Nishkca''s blow with inhuman speed, and the Xyran''s momentum carried him forward, causing him to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, Ashton countered with a well-ced kick to Nishkca''s side, sending him sprawling back into the library.


    Undeterred, Nishkca rose to his feet, determination burning in his eyes. He charged at Ashton again, fists flying in a relentless barrage of attacks. But Ashton was a master of evasion, his lithe frame twisting and contorting to avoid each strike.


    With a wicked grin, Ashton retaliated, delivering a series of lightning-fast strikes to Nishkca''s torso and limbs.


    His vampire strength allowed him to hit with bone-crushing force, but he held back, not wanting to deliver a fatal blow and enjoyed toying with the Xyran for a while as he had some time to kill.


    "Stand still, damn it!"


    "Eh? What kind of warrior are you who needs the enemy to stand still so you cannd a hit?" Ashton mocked the Xyran yet again.


    Nishkca''s anger and grief clouded his judgment, making him reckless and easy to predict. Ashton exploited his opponent''s emotional vulnerability, baiting him into a wild attack.


    With a swift sidestep, Ashton grabbed Nishkca''s arm and flipped him over his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. A basic manoeuvre, yet an effective one.


    Nishkca gritted his teeth, refusing to yield. He pushed himself up, blood trickling from his nose and bruises forming on his skin. With a roar of fury, he lunged at Ashton once more, his fists a blur of motion.


    But Ashton was a predator whose ws were honed by two of the most incredible warriors he had had the pleasure ofing across.


    Usually, Ashton would have had to turn full zompirewolf mode to deal with a Xyran, but after his training, only one set of genes was enough to bring Nishkca down.


    Ashton weaved through Nishkca''s strikes using his vampire speed, dancing around him like a ghostly apparition. With each miss, Nishkca grew more desperate, his attacks bing sloppier and more erratic.


    Finally, Ashton saw his chance.


    With a swift spin, he delivered a powerful kick to Nishkca''s back, sending him sprawling to the floor. Before Nishkca could react, Ashton was on him, pinning him to the ground with inhuman strength.


    "You''re outmatched, Nishkca," Ashton said, his voice low and menacing. "So much so, you make me wonder if you''re even a Xyran at all!"


    "I... I won''t let you get away with this," Nishkca spat, his voice filled with defiance.


    "Oh, really?" Ashton retorted with a mocking smile. "You think you can threaten me when you''repletely at my mercy? I could easily end your pathetic existence, but where''s the fun in that? No, I''d rather see you suffer first."


    With a cruel grin, Ashton tore apart one of Nishkca''s hands, causing him to cry out in agony.


    "Don''t worry," Ashton chuckled darkly. "I won''t kill you... not yet, at least. I want you to live long enough to see the downfall of your kind."


    "You... you monster!" he gasped.


    "Ah, the truthes out," Ashton sneered. "You see, Nishkca, you''re the monster here. You and your kind terrorising innocent beings, wreaking havoc wherever you go. It''s time for you to face the consequences of your actions."