Chương 575: Bat-Bird

Rubick watches with rapt interest as Michael goes through the motion of casting [Sacred Resurrection], the spell he'd stolen from Aqua in Megumin's origin world.

"Hmmmmhmmm, using your link with higher powers as an alternate replacement for the magic you lack... Interesting..."

Michael lets out a sigh, Rubick was honestly only useful here as a distraction... It'd worked on Harkon, but he hadn't counted on Rubick being annoying and distracting him too. "Can you just watch without talking?" he asks as he delicately places Saeko's desiccated body into position.

"Hmmu, very well..." the Grand Magus reluctantly says.

A minute later, a bright pillar of light from the sky signals the activation of the spell, Saeko's body filling with vitality as her soul returns.

*GASP!*

She desperately sucks in air and sits up with wide eyes, patting herself over to check her condition... "W-what!? I, I was dead?... Then... That..."

Michael perks up at that, "What did you see?"

"Hircine... Reaching for me." she almost growls, "You tugged me away before he could get a grasp on me..." she breathes, thoroughly relieved. Being enslaved as someone's fighting dog for eternity wasn't something she wanted for any amount of time...

"Still feel like being a Werewolf?" he asks

"... No."

He drops a couple potions into a lap and turns to Rubick, "Alright, thanks for your help..."

The Magus holds out his palm, "I'll be expecting recompense for my efforts, you do understand?"

Michael lets out a huff, "Yeah... I'll get you some books or something." he says, waving his hand and desummoning him.

He looks to Saeko, "Alright, let's see if Serana's left anything for us." he says, helping her up and over to the furious vampire girl.

"No. Just, let me do this... Alone." Serana says and continues to rant at the despondent-looking Harkon.

Hours later and Harkon is just a pile of ashes atop a bloody smear on the floor... Serana stands, grabs Harkon's Sword, and exits the hall. She finds Michael and Saeko waiting outside, quietly conversing about her recent 'tribulation'...

"I'm done... Let's leave..."

"You alright?" Michael asks but she waves him off, not answering.

"Shouldn't we free your mother?" Saeko quietly inquires.

"No... I need some time to think... We can do this tomorrow, let the survivors clean this place up for when we return."

Michael nods and opens a Dimension Gate back to the Eye of the World.

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The next day was laborious for everyone involved... Serana met with the surviving vampires and tried to negotiate terms with them then she and Michael had come up with. The main one being not to hunt and use innocents as cattle like they had been doing under Harkon's rule.

Some, of course, refused categorically, and in response Serana killed them with Harkon's own blade before confronting the others. In the end, they bent the knee, accepting the terms amd only hunting criminals, bandits, and others that 'deserved' to be treated as cattle.

With all of that confirmed and dealt with, they went to work getting Valerica back to the mortal plane.

Only Michael and Serana ended up venturing into the Soul Cairne, he was actually immune to having his soul trapped there due to the Dead God's influence, allowing him to avoid the 'multiple choice non-choice BS' from the game.

The Keepers were less of a threat when you were able to straight up devour their souls... They didn't possess bodies so there wasn't any resistance to Shadow Fiend's abilities...

"SERANA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Valerica exclaims as she walks over, the forcefield trapping having been deactivated with the deaths of the Keepers.

"I'm here to get you! We're leaving this place! For good!"

"We can't! Why do you think I sealed you away in the first place! If your father knows-"

"I killed him. We found Auriel's Bow and turned him to ash." she states, unsheathing Harkon's Sword and displaying it.

...

"Y-you did what!?... B-but the prophecy... It needs my Elder Scroll!?"

"Err, we took another path..." Michael adds at the side.

Valerica's confused look turns to a baleful one as she looks to Michael, "It's you! Isn't it! You must be one of my husband's thralls!" she exclaims, pushing Serana behind her, "I won't fall for your tricks! I'll sacrifice everything to stop him if I need to!"

Michael raises his hands, "I'll just leave you to talk... Maybe she can convince you... I myself have a dragon to kill." he walks past her intent on challenging Durnehviir.

"W-wait!" Valerica protests but her daughter stops her.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine..."

"But-"

"Leave it, mother."

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Michael walks out into the large arena-like area, the ground was covered in many black bones and acidic-looking scorch marks, displaying Valerica's earlier efforts to combat the dragon.

"Durnehviir! COME! DURNEHVIIR!" he shouts as loud as he can, and it isn't long for a roar to announce the dragon's entrance.

A huge shadow flies overhead and lands heavily on a raised dais on the other side of the arena. Durnehviir was just as he looked in the game, larger than all over dragons barring Alduin, with rotting, mottled green scales that barely covered his body, torn-up wings, and a crown of dangerous-looking horns that framed his glowing purple eyes. "Mortal, why have you called me? And how do you know of my name? It has not been spoken outside this accursed place for millennia, yet you speak it with familiarity." he drones in a rumbling tone, not sounding interested at all if you take his voice at face value.

"I called you because I have an offer you'd regret not taking." he declares, drawing a loud sniff from the semi-undead dragon.

"You are still living so you have come to this realm voluntarily. This makes you an intruder to this realm that I am forced to protect. If you wish to make an offer, you must defeat me first... It is regretful that you must end here, whatever this offer was, I doubt it was worth eternity."