And so, the mana absorption began.
"Oh my goodness," the Duke spoke aloud, delightfully enjoying a newly absorbed source of energy, "Your Highness' mana is as well infused with the World Tree?"
The old man never got the answer nor he was expecting one in the first place.
Not when Her Highness was kicking his torso and grasping desperately on his wrist, trying to ease her weight for she could not take flight like a naturally born mage.
Perhaps Her Highness' consort was doing slightly better that he managed to cough a curse or two at the Duke.
"How... The fuck are you... Urg...! Alive...?!"
"I never was, to begin with, Sir Magician. He was already drained out of his lifespan when I took over this body."
"You... Fucking Parasite!! I will kill you as many... Arg...! TIME...! IF I HAVE TO...! AHH!!"
Lucas shot a fireball at the Duke's face. As the smoke cleared, all Lucas could see was red from scrapped skin. Blood and flesh sucked into the growing mana, generating back the missing part of his eye.
The grip on Lucas' neck loosened, he noticed as well as the disappearing wickedness on the Duke's face. Lucas realized he had done something right.
"If only this vessel was a mage, I could do so much more with this body," the Duke took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at the two people in front of him. "Can you imagine if I could take over one of your bodies? Such a shame you two are too pure-hearted. Especially you, Sir Magician. You have come a long way from your past."
"Fuck... Off...!" The Magician spat out his hatred. "I will fucking...! Murder you-"
The Imperial Magician raised his hand again, ready to set off another attack when suddenly the mana absorption intensified.
A strangle cry came from next to him completely wrecking Lucas' heart, shattering it to pieces. He could no longer care less about his pain despite being in great struggle from simply turning his head to face her.
While the Magician managed to stifle his suffering, Athanasia couldn't. Her head staggered backward as she cried out in agony. The rush of electrocution zapped her whole body nonstop as her mana flowed out of her body, from her neck through the Duke's palm.
Then there was a rupture inside her. Her mana flow shattered uncontrollably and the golden light started to pour out of her body like flesh that was sliced up and left to bleed.
"Perfect. I shall have all of it at once," the old man chuckled.
Her cry raged on until she could no longer find her voice for she was now choking on some sort of liquid forming in her mouth. She coughed once and blood splattered all over the Duke's hand.
Something inside Lucas' snapped. He no longer reacted to the great suffering of mana extraction. He didn't vow to make the Duke pay for what he did. He didn't utter a single word.
Lucas would just... Stare...
At the woman who was drawing weak gasps where her heart could not find the strength to keep beating anymore. Her hands, no longer resisting the Duke, now rested freely by the body. Her eyes, met Lucas' horrified gaze once before closing and her head sloping like she had no spine to support.
"Your Highness mana's flow is... Weaker than I thought. I didn't expect her to die-"
The mana extraction came to a sudden stop when a slash of blue energy ray cut through both hands of the Duke. He had no choice but to wobble backward. The mana stock in his body ran an auto regeneration to repair the missing tissues but it would take some time to do so.
