I could just barely understand what was going on. His brother was hell bent on ending Eric and just the same, Eric was ready to deny his brother and finish what Casper started. It wouldn't end until one of them was dead, that much I could tell.
I confirmed my thoughts when Eric came back home that day, tired and looking like he just came out of a fight which from experience, I knew he just came out of one. He slumped into the chair while Ivory smiled, going in and coming back with an ice pack which she applied on certain parts of his body at which he winced. I stood up and sat beside him.
"Even if you both just came back from a fight, why are you in worse shape than a powerless person? Why are you wincing?" I joked
"You think my fight was that easy?" he asked
"For you, I thought any fight would be easy." I teased
"Quit it. He had help all his previous fights" Ivory said as she tended to him.
I joined to take care of him (of course, I didn't neglect myself) until he was back to normal. It was as though the heavens were against us because as soon as he was back to good health, we got an unwelcome visit. All of a sudden, he was seated in the living room like he owned the place (I know I'm not one to talk, but) to which Eric smiled like he was expecting it.
"You sure took your time." he said.
"It would be bad for me if I beat you when you weren't at your best." Casper replied.
"Yeah, yeah" Eric laughed as he moved towards the kitchen "Would you like coffee, tea, or perhaps blood?"
"You know what I like best, little one." Casper said, smiling brightly "but I wonder, who will be the one to drink blood?"
He pulled a wine bottle and glass out of thin air which he popped like he was going to make a toast while Eric brought our drinks. The moment the cork touched the ground, we saw an image of Charlotte academy. I turned to him and asked, my voice seething with rage "Even after we left there, you still won't let them go? Whatever did they do to you?"
"Oh don't be angry, Annie. I haven't done anything to them. At least, not yet." Casper said, casually sipping from his glass as he looked Eric straight in the eye.
"So," Eric said, also sipping from his drink "What do you have planned for them, or should I say, us?"
"You decide." Casper said as he downed the remaining drink in the glass and poured himself another one. We glared at him, unable to hide our now overflowing bloodlust as Eric punched the ground where the image showed. The floor cracked and he lunged at Casper, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him against the wall but I managed to stop him, just in time. "What's your end game?" I asked.
"How nice of you to ask. All I ask for is to accept my challenge. You pick the rules, I pick the place." he smiled
"Okay" Eric said, seemingly calm "How about a one-on-one? I against you."
"Nothing will make me happier. Venue is at Charlotte academy training arena 3. You should be familiar with that arena too." he said, looking at me.
Just then, Jerry and Ivory came into the room. It was obvious they were eavesdropping considering how they immediately said "We're going with you!".
"What?!" I exclaimed while Talia said "It's too dangerous." "Of course we can't allow you guys go with us." Natalie chipped in "Worst of all, you're regular humans. You don't expect us to knowingly put you in harm's way."
"Your worst mistake, Nat," Ivory calmly said "is calling us regular humans. There are two Irregulars in this family so you shouldn't take us lightly."
They both wouldn't budge so we decided to take them along but not after telling them that they were responsible for their own safety there. They laughed, telling us not to worry as they put on a pair of gloves and sat with us.
"Like we discussed, you get to pick the time-" Casper had barely finished when Eric suddenly punched him. Just as his punch connected, a portal opened and we found ourselves at Charlotte's.
Immediately we exchanged eye contact with the students, they all fell to the ground. "I thought you said you didn't do anything to them?" I shouted at him.
"I said not yet" he smiled coldly "You guys just triggered the curse I had placed on them. Now they are all under my command."
"What happened to our one-on-one?" Eric asked.
"It's still on. Only that you have to pass through my defenses to get to me." Casper smiled. Just then, Delphine came in. I had always wondered how, whenever we seemed to be in a desperate situation, she is available and ready to fight for and with us but I couldn't quite grasp it. She looked at them and said "It's over. These ones can't be redeemed anymore. You just have to put them to rest and get this over with". At that, we all charged into the fight against the zombies while making a way for Eric to face Casper. It was an arduous task, really. It took all I had to fight against people I trained and lived with but since they had no qualms with it, I decided to bury my emotions and gave them a real good thrashing (if I do say so myself).
Eric had managed to make it to Casper's position as the battle began in earnest. Everything around me basically screamed "RUN" as they moved at blinding speed, destroying everything in their path. Two god-level Irregulars, brothers faced off with everything they had but, as is usual during a fight, one will be overwhelmed. I could only look on in disbelief as barely a few minutes into their encounter, Eric hit the ground so hard I was sure he wasn't going to get up ever again. "Why are you fighting like you're missing something?" Casper asked. "Why is it that you can't give your all?" "Well, there's nothing to worry about. I promise you'll have so much fun here, you'll be unable to think about what you're missing." he said as he released his next surprise.