Ryoshi's confidence wavered as he faced Baldassare's formidable power, but he refused to back down.
"This time it's four against one, you don't stand a chance!!!" Ryoshi declared boldly, his voice echoing with determination.
"Toi and I are going to hide in a bush or something..." John interjected calmly.
"Who's Toi?" Ryoshi inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"The kid," John explained simply.
"Oh... so you two are gonna hide while we deal with this creep," Ryoshi concluded, his tone tinged with frustration.
"I can't do anything effective in a fight against whoever the heck that is," John admitted, his demeanor resigned.
"I'm a vampire," Baldassare interjected proudly, his crimson eyes gleaming with malice.
"Yup! I'm only effective against weak little humans. Let's go, Toi," John remarked casually, prompting Toi's agreement.
"But Toi could do something! He can shoot a lot of magic in under a second," Ryoshi protested, hoping to rally their forces.
"Ok, Toi, do you want to help?" John offered, turning to Toi for confirmation.
"No," Toi responded bluntly.
"Ok, let's go to our bush," John decided, leading Toi away from the impending battle.
"Eh?" Ryoshi exclaimed incredulously, his disbelief evident.
Undeterred by John and Toi's departure, Ryoshi and Kuroshi prepared to face Baldassare head-on.
"Mirror magic: magnificent beam!" Baldassare commanded, conjuring a giant mirror that shot a powerful beam of light.
Reacting swiftly, Ryoshi and Kuroshi dodged the attack, narrowly avoiding the deadly beam.
"Ice magic: Ice sword!" Ryoshi called out, summoning his weapon as he leaped into action.
Launching a relentless assault, Ryoshi attacked Baldassare with all his might, but the vampire's resilience proved formidable.
"Mirror magic: magnificent beam barrage!" Baldassare countered, unleashing a barrage of beams from multiple mirrors.
In a split-second decision, Kuroshi intervened, using her defensive magic to create a reversal shield that reflected the deadly beams back at Baldassare.
"How foolish are you? You're reflecting a beam of light at a mirror magic user!" Baldassare taunted, his confidence unwavering.
Undeterred by Baldassare's mockery, Ryoshi seized the opportunity to devise a plan.
"What do I do? Oh, right, this leaves him wide open!" Ryoshi realized, his mind racing with possibilities.
"Ice magic: Ice tip!" Ryoshi invoked, leaping forward and delivering a precise strike to Baldassare's torso.
However, to Ryoshi's dismay, Baldassare quickly regenerated, his mocking laughter filling the air.
"Ohoho! Did you really think that hurting me would really make me drop my mirror?" Baldassare mocked, his smirk widening.
Thinking quickly, Ryoshi attempted another strategy, invoking his ice magic to freeze Baldassare solid.
As Baldassare was immobilized, Kuroshi redirected the beam into the forest using her magical shield, neutralizing the immediate threat.
Despite their efforts, Ryoshi and Kuroshi knew that the battle was far from over. With Baldassare's formidable power and Denshin's mysterious presence looming over them, they braced themselves for the challenges that lay ahead.
Ryoshi's heart pounded in his chest as Baldassare's relentless assault threatened to overwhelm them.
"That should give us enough time to... RUN! THERE'S NO GODDAMN WAY WE'RE GONNA BEAT HIM!" Ryoshi exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic.
"You're right, we need the help of at least a Purotekuta," Kuroshi agreed, her voice steady despite the urgency of their situation.
Before they could make their escape, the sound of shattered ice shattered their hopes of evading Baldassare's wrath.
"Shit, we're too late—" Ryoshi started, but his words were cut off by the sudden appearance of Baldassare, blocking their path.
"Not so fast. I'm really hungry right now, and considering that humans are nothing but my prey, I must not let you two escape," Baldassare declared, his tone ominous.
"Mirror magic: Mirror dome!" Baldassare commanded, conjuring a massive dome of small mirrors that surrounded them, trapping them within its confines.
"Now we're really screwed..." Ryoshi muttered, his fear palpable.
"Indeed. Mirror magic: Chaos shot!" Baldassare announced, unleashing a barrage of tiny beams from the mirrors, aimed directly at Ryoshi and Kuroshi.
Reacting swiftly, Ryoshi invoked his ice magic, creating ice spikes to counter the incoming lasers, while Kuroshi erected a force field to protect herself.
"I can't keep this up for long, my mana is running low... Kuroshi, some lasers are coming at you," Ryoshi warned, his voice strained with exertion.
As the situation grew increasingly dire, John and Toi emerged from their hiding place, determined to lend their aid despite the risks.
"It's you. What do you want?" Baldassare questioned, his gaze narrowing as he assessed the newcomers.
"I want to kill you," John declared boldly, his voice filled with determination.
Baldassare's laughter filled the air, mocking John's bravado. "Ohoho! Do you really think that you, out of everyone here, could kill me?"
"Yes! Because I am John Madison, the spring season!" John proclaimed, his resolve unwavering.
As John unleashed his Combination Magic, launching a barrage of punches at Baldassare with blinding speed, Ryoshi's mind raced with memories of a familiar phrase.
"70 in 1? That sounds awfully similar to something I've heard before, but who said it?" Ryoshi pondered, his thoughts racing.
A flashback interrupted his train of thought, bringing clarity to his mind.
"Sairu: '70 in 1'," Ryoshi recalled, the pieces falling into place.
"That's right... Sairu," Ryoshi realized, a sense of recognition dawning upon him.
With renewed determination, Ryoshi and Kuroshi braced themselves for the outcome of John's bold attack, knowing that their fate hung in the balance.
Baldassare's relentless assault left Ryoshi and Kuroshi on the brink of exhaustion, their defenses crumbling under the onslaught of lasers.
"Fool—" Baldassare began, his voice dripping with disdain, but his words were cut short by John's decisive action.
"Toi, do it NOW!" John commanded, his voice filled with urgency.
Responding swiftly, Toi unleashed a powerful blast from his cannon, engulfing Baldassare in a brilliant blue beam.
Baldassare's agonized cry filled the air as his form disintegrated into nothingness, leaving only a single finger behind.
"Did we... do it?" John questioned, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"I think so... Can you guys help us out NOW?! We can't defend ourselves much longer," Ryoshi pleaded, desperation evident in his voice.
John nodded in agreement, ready to assist his allies, but their moment of triumph was short-lived as Baldassare reformed from his finger with a vengeance.
"You almost killed me there, but you should have destroyed my finger when you had the chance," Baldassare taunted, his tone laced with menace.
John's expression darkened as he realized the extent of their oversight. "Well... you shouldn't be able to use any more of your mirror magic because your Geji should be destroyed."
Baldassare chuckled darkly, revealing the resilience of vampire Gejis. "Ohoho, vampire Gejis are different from human Gejis. We can heal our Gejis; there's no such thing as a permanently damaged vampire Geji."
John cursed his oversight, knowing that their chances of victory had dwindled.
"And you, little boy," Baldassare continued, turning his attention to Toi, "I can't allow you to live any longer. I won't kill you right now, but I'll deal with you later."
A beam from one of Baldassare's mirrors struck Toi in the back, rendering him unconscious.
"Toi!!" John exclaimed, his heart filled with dread at the sight of his fallen companion.
"I'm out of mana," Kuroshi admitted, her voice strained with exhaustion.
Ryoshi gritted his teeth, his own mana reserves depleted. "I'm about to run out of mana."
With their defenses faltering and their allies incapacitated, Ryoshi and Kuroshi faced Baldassare's onslaught alone, their backs against the wall as they braced for the inevitable confrontation.
Ryoshi's last-ditch effort drained his mana reserves, leaving him vulnerable and uncertain of his next move.
But as desperation took hold, his sword began to glow red, a sign of an unexpected transformation.
"Am I really doing this again? Blood ice magic, here we go!" Ryoshi declared, channeling his newfound power.
With a surge of crimson energy, he shattered the top of Baldassare's mirror dome, clearing a path for his advance.
"I'm coming after you now!" Ryoshi proclaimed, launching himself towards Baldassare with renewed determination.
In a flurry of slashes, Ryoshi carved through Baldassare, reducing him to little more than frozen fragments with his blood ice magic. His onslaught culminated in a final wave of crimson energy, sealing Baldassare's fate—or so he thought.
Kuroshi watched in astonishment, unable to comprehend Ryoshi's newfound abilities. Baldassare, however, proved resilient, reforming once more to confront his adversaries.
"Impressive, but it's my turn now," Baldassare declared, his tone laced with menace.
Summoning all his power, Baldassare fused the tiny mirrors into a colossal one, unveiling his ultimate creation—the Great Mirror.
Ryoshi's expression darkened as he realized the magnitude of Baldassare's new weapon.
"Don't tell me that it shoots a—" Ryoshi's words were cut short as the Great Mirror unleashed a devastating beam.
"Goddammit," Ryoshi cursed, bracing for the inevitable impact.
Suddenly, a blue beam of equal size erupted from the shadows, overpowering Baldassare's attack and shattering the Great Mirror.
Baldassare's body disintegrated once again, leaving only a tiny speck of hair behind.
"SHAAAAAAAAAA," Baldassare roared in frustration, but his fury was short-lived as he promptly reformed.
"How does that even work?!?" Ryoshi exclaimed in disbelief.
"It's called being a vampire," Baldassare retorted cryptically.
As Ryoshi processed this revelation, Baldassare unleashed another spell, summoning a transparent mirror— the Forbidden Gate.
"Death," Baldassare declared, as a transparent chain emerged, ensnaring Ryoshi, Kuroshi, and John, pulling them into the mirror realm with him.
With a final twist of fate, the mirror vanished, leaving no trace of their presence behind.
Ryoshi blinked, disoriented. "Where are we?"
Baldassare's voice echoed in the dim expanse. "Welcome to the spirit world."
"Spirit... world?" Ryoshi echoed, uncertainty lacing his tone.
Baldassare nodded, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling light. "Yeah, and I came here to eat your souls."
A ghastly version of Ryoshi and Kuroshi materialized behind Baldassare, their forms distorted and eerie.
Ryoshi frowned, his gaze flickering between the apparitions and Baldassare. "Who's that? And why do they look like me?"
Baldassare's lips curled into a sinister smile. "That's your soul. The spirit world, or as I like to say, the mirror world, is where all the souls of the dead reside. It sits between hell and heaven. Humans who haven't sinned go to heaven, and those who have go to hell. But if you've committed sins yet performed one extraordinary act of goodness, you become a ghost, free to roam the earth and spirit realm. The spirit realm is divided into three parts: the mainland, the revival zone, and the land of reflections. We're currently in the land of reflections."
"What's so special about this place?" Ryoshi asked, his voice laced with apprehension.
Baldassare's eyes glittered with a dark amusement. "Your reflection is your soul. As a vampire, I have no soul and thus no reflection. However, I can touch souls."
"Don't you dare!" Ryoshi's voice cracked with urgency. "Ice magic: Ice sword—GAAAH!" He staggered, clutching his side. "I'm running out of blood. One more ice sword or ice tip should kill me! Damn it, I've faced many life-threatening situations before, but this one is different... maybe because I'm scared."
Baldassare chuckled darkly. "Don't even try it. While we're in this world, we're nothing but reflections. You can't even hurt me."
"Baldassare, you... bastard," Ryoshi spat, his frustration palpable.
"Ohoho, save your breath," Baldassare sneered. "Allow me to eat your souls in peace."
"But you can't touch them," Ryoshi retorted.
"Well, you can't, but I can," Baldassare taunted. "Vampires have the ability to touch the dead."
Ryoshi cursed inwardly. "Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT, DAAAAMMIT! I'm so screwed right now."
Baldassare's eyes narrowed as a shadow loomed over him. "Who's that?"
Denshin emerged from the darkness, clad in a green scarf. "Didn't you have a white scarf?" the newcomer remarked.
"Yes, but no," Denshin responded. "This scarf's color is based on my emotions. It only turns white when I'm dead or when it's processing my emotion."
Baldassare's voice quavered with uncertainty. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
Denshin shrugged indifferently. "Got bored... more bored than you. I guess you can see what's going on here. I want to destroy your soul."
"I have no soul," Baldassare protested weakly.
"Now you do," Denshin declared.
A ghastly version of Baldassare materialized, causing Baldassare to recoil in horror. "HOW!?!"
"I've recovered one of the five demon abilities," Denshin explained calmly. "The ability to turn anybody back into their original state. Baldassare, you weren't originally a vampire. You're just a human."
Baldassare was speechless, his fear palpable.
Denshin raised a hand, summoning a sword. "Nothing? Okay, I'll just destroy your soul then."
"NO, PLEASE!!!" Baldassare pleaded desperately.
With a swift motion, Denshin cleaved Baldassare's soul in half.
"NOOOOO!!!" Baldassare's anguished cry echoed through the void.
"Okay, fine. I'll do you one better," Denshin remarked coolly.
With practiced ease, Denshin reunited the two halves of Baldassare's soul.
"What?" Baldassare gasped, disbelief etched on his features.
"I'll eat your soul," Denshin declared.
Baldassare was rendered speechless as Denshin, now revealed with white hair and red eyes, consumed his essence with chilling resolve.
"Denshin: "Ah, that was good," he remarked before securing his helmet back in place.
John beamed with gratitude. "How can I ever thank you? You saved our lives."
Denshin's expression softened. "To be completely honest, I owed you big time. And even though I technically think you would have been fine, it's always nice to help."
"Hm? What do you mean by that?" John inquired, curiosity coloring his tone.
"I doubt that Baldassare would have found your soul, to begin with," Denshin explained. "Your vessel might be a sock monkey, but your soul is different."
"Where is my soul?" John pressed further.
"Don't ask me," Denshin deflected.
"Aren't you supposed to be the strongest demon?" John questioned.
"Yeah, but I don't have the sharpest eye," Denshin admitted. "I need to get you guys out of here, though."
With a swift motion, Denshin drew his sword and sliced a portal into existence. "Hurry, hurry."
"Ok!!!" Ryoshi exclaimed, urgency coloring his voice.
They departed from the spirit world, returning to the familiar realm.
"I'm tired, I want to take a nap... maybe it's because I lost a lot of blood," Ryoshi murmured wearily.
"I'll take you guys back home if you'd like," Denshin offered.
"That'll be great, thanks," Ryoshi accepted gratefully.
"Don't mention it," Denshin replied. "But I have to tell you guys something. Watch out for vampires. They are now aware of their missing Conrad. I'm working with some people to try to kill the rest of them. Remember to always keep your guard up."
"Yessir," Ryoshi and Kuroshi chorused in unison.
"Okay, I'm going to take you guys back home now. John, do you wanna come with us?" Denshin turned to John.
"Uh, yeah!" John agreed enthusiastically.
"Ah, so that's two more people I have to carry," Denshin remarked wryly.
"Two more? Oh right, Toi. I hope he's okay," John expressed concern.
"I'll make sure that he's okay," Denshin assured him.
Meanwhile, at a mysterious location...
A mysterious man sat on a throne in a dimly lit room.
???: "Sir, Baldassare is dead."
The response from the mysterious man was indifferent, his tone laced with an air of apathy. "Ok. He was nothing but dead weight. He's not even a native vampire. Even a weak human like you could kill him."
The subordinate, unnamed and voice slightly uncertain, interjected, "But sir, regardless of power, he was one of our more important members, and losing him just makes us weaker."
The mysterious man's demeanor remained unchanged, his voice devoid of emotion. "Weaker by a small percentage. I couldn't care less about what he brought to the table."
"Ok, sir," the subordinate acquiesced, his compliance palpable as he took in the weight of the dismissal.
The mysterious man dismissed the subordinate with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now, out of my face."
"Yes, sir," the subordinate murmured, quickly exiting the room and entering another chamber bustling with people, the door closing softly behind him.
In the new chamber, another figure, queried, "What did our god say about Baldassare?"
"He said that Baldassare's death shall be avenged, and we should fight for his justice," responded the first speaker, with a solemn tone, echoing the solemnity of their divine mandate.