Reincarnated as the Vampire Princess' Familiar
Chapter 23 - 22 - The awakening of the Shadowshaper Form

Chapter 23: 22 - The awakening of the Shadowshaper Form

So... is this the Umbral magic Ayra mentioned while we were in the shower together? Her Innatus—the unique ability that sets her apart—granting her dominion over shadows? She is terrifying, and it’s not her appearance—the breathtaking beauty remains, perhaps even enhanced—but the chilling darkness radiating from her. She unsettles me more than our attackers themselves.

I’m afraid—a visceral fear, heavier than anything I’ve ever felt. It paralyzes me, locking every muscle in place. My body trembles, seized by an icy grip that sends shivers deep into my core. Ayra is my master, and the cyclone of darkness engulfing the battlefield is her creation, just like the black lightning crackling around her. But then... why does she terrify me so much? As if something dreadful is about to befall me.

But it’s not just me—Kajetan, usually composed even against Vespera, now stares in inhuman terror and disbelief, as if facing a monstrous entity from a Lovecraftian nightmare. His mouth is slightly open, lips trembling, cold sweat gathering on his forehead and trickling down his temples.

Daphne, sensing the terror in her familiar, holds him even tighter, forcing him to look away from Ayra. Kajetan’s body is as frozen as mine. She presses his face against her ample, soft bosom, as if shielding him from a horror too overwhelming for the human mind to bear.

In truth, even the four remaining members of CrimsonRequiem, along with Vespera herself, seem gripped by the same inexplicable fear.

They back away slowly, weapons raised toward Ayra, as the darkness emanating from my master appears almost tangible—thick and oppressive, like formless tendrils rising from the shadows that blanket the ground like a black shroud.

«N-No... I never imagined you were already capable of awakening your Innatus and assuming the Shadowshaper

form...» Vespera murmurs nervously, gritting her teeth and tightening her grip on her halberd.

Not a single word escapes Ayra’s lips. Her expression is no longer one of anger or fear, but of cold, unreadable detachment. She extends her arm forward and, without uttering a single incantation, the shadows in her hand solidify into metal, forming her signature sword—but no longer blood-colored. Instead, it is a black so deep that my eyes cannot make out its details.

«Don’t be intimidated by her, it’s all just an act!» Vespera exclaims, trying to rally her men, who are visibly shaken by Ayra’s power. «Four years ago, when I left the castle, she didn’t even know she had an Innatus. There’s no way she could have mastered it enough to properly wield the Shadowshaper form in such a short time! We must attack her all together, now!»

At her command, the four hooded figures and Vespera, now filled with renewed determination, charge at Ayra with even greater speed and force than before. Two attack from the left, two from the right, while Vespera delivers a devastating frontal assault. Her halberd, infused with Sanguis energy, carves a deep gash into the ground just by passing over it, without even making contact.

But Ayra doesn’t flinch, nor does she take a single step back. With an almost unsettling calm, she swings her sword horizontally—not merely cutting through the air, but rending it completely, leaving behind a dark scar in the ether. Then, an explosion of energy unlike anything seen before. From the rift in midair, a shockwave erupts, accompanied by wind and black lightning, surging forward like a hurricane. An unstoppable force that strikes all five attackers at once, knocking them off balance and hurling them away with indescribable power.

At that moment, the shadow tendrils—until now motionless, like predators waiting for the perfect moment to strike—lunge at the airborne bodies of the Crimson Requiem members, wrapping around their wrists and ankles as if seized by a colossal octopus. Only Vespera, with a powerful swing of her halberd, manages to escape that grasp, severing the dark appendages before they can ensnare her.

What follows is the most macabre and terrifying sight I have ever witnessed. With a violent yank, the tendrils pull the four victims’ limbs in opposite directions—like a grotesque medieval torture—ripping them clean from their bodies. Their desperate resistance is futile; every ounce of strength in their muscles is meaningless against the overwhelming force of the dark tendrils. Blood, entrails, and severed limbs rain from the sky, dyeing the ground beneath us crimson, while fragments of torn flesh and organs splatter onto my body, dripping down in a sickening mess. And yet—I remain motionless under this scarlet downpour, my paralyzing terror deepening with every passing second.

«Vespera, you were right about Ayra’s Innatus,» Daphne murmurs, struggling to her feet—healing Kajetan’s grave wound must have drained her significantly, on top of the energy she had already expended. «In just four years, it’s impossible for her to have fully mastered the ultimate power of her Innatus—the Shadowshaper form—and in fact, she hasn’t. To be precise, she can’t even enter that form willingly; it only manifests through uncontrollable rage. It was thanks to you that she even discovered she had an Innatus—when she saw our beloved sister’s mutilated body, she completely lost control and awakened this power. And now, that very power will be your death!»

«Don’t spout nonsense!» Vespera growls. «Aside from Clotilde, I’ve always been the strongest among Drakhul’s daughters, and for years I’ve trained relentlessly to achieve my ideals!» Her muscles tense, her face contorted with rage, the scarlet energy around her so dense it completely obscures her figure. «I refuse to believe that a worthless girl like Ayra has become so powerful out of nowhere! I won’t accept it!»

She crouches, then propels herself forward with such force that the ground beneath her crumbles into a crater. Her halberd soars upward, poised to strike down upon Ayra—who has remained motionless in the same spot since the battle began.

Vespera’s weapon comes crashing down on my master with such force that the sheer impact hurls both Kajetan—healed by Daphne’s magic but still visibly battered—and me several meters back, accompanied by a deafening roar. The attack is so devastating it seems capable of splitting the world in two—but Ayra blocks it with her sword, with surprising ease.

Only Daphne’s quick reflexes—raising an energy barrier around Kajetan and me a split second before impact—saved us from being reduced to dust, a fate that did befall the buildings within dozens of meters, leaving PrimusRex Square a wasteland of ruins. Daphne collapses to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of the debris that, just moments ago, formed the historic heart of Noxscura.

Even Vespera couldn’t endure the catastrophic explosion—she crashes to the ground, her weapon reduced to fragments strewn across the landscape of death and destruction.

Victory seemed within reach—one more strike from Ayra, and Vespera’s death would have been certain—when suddenly, the shadows shrouding Ayra dissipate into thick black smoke, along with her sword and clothing, leaving her completely naked, her body drained, her expression unconscious.

I lunge forward and catch her in my arms just before she hits the ground. I bring my face close to hers, and from her soft, slightly parted lips, a faint breath escapes, brushing against my nose. She’s still breathing, but barely. I don’t even dare to imagine what her body—far from the trained physique of a warrior—must have endured to contain such overwhelming power.

My concern for Ayra’s condition turns to terror when Vespera emerges from a pile of rubble nearby. Her clothes are in tatters, her lacerated body bleeding profusely, yet she drags herself toward us with difficulty. Her expression is a mix of nervousness and satisfaction, likely at the sight of Ayra and Daphne in equally dire straits.

She stumbles repeatedly, each time rising with greater difficulty, yet her advance—though slow—remains relentless.

Kajetan and I exchange a swift, knowing glance.

The purple energy of Visanguis erupts from my body, while his is once again shrouded in the blue veil of Vis energy, though it seems less controlled and intense than before.

It’s two against one: I’m still at full strength, while he is partially revitalized by his master’s healing. Vespera, meanwhile, can barely remain standing. I’m certain that, in her current state, we have a chance to defeat her!

We’re just about to strike when—

A figure in a long red cloak suddenly dashes toward Vespera, grabbing her and vanishing into thin air just as swiftly.

I barely have time to process what just happened before dozens of Scarlet Army soldiers—recognizable by their gray tunics and the cryptic red emblem embroidered on their chests—begin materializing one after another amid the ruins of Primus Rex Square, their arrival heralded by the crimson flash of teleportation magic.