As the minutes ticked by, the chase between Kuroshi and the headless horseman intensified, the thundering hooves of the fiery stallion echoing through the night.
"Yawn. I gave you your 5-minute head start, my horse was merely gated," the Headless Horseman's voice boomed with a hint of impatience, signaling an end to the brief respite.
With a burst of speed that defied the bounds of mortal comprehension, the Headless Horseman surged forward, his form disappearing from Kuroshi's sight in a blur of motion.
Undeterred, Kuroshi called upon her mastery of light, invoking her technique, Yume No Ju skill 1: Light Dash. But before she could fully harness its power, the Headless Horseman materialized beside her, seizing her by the face with a force that sent her crashing to the ground.
"How many variations of your first skill do you have? sigh forget it. I don't even want to fight you, I want my freedom! And I have it right here. You can run off and kill whoever you want, I just want a second chance at life. But for now...bye?" The Headless Horseman's cryptic words hung in the air, a testament to his elusive nature.
Confusion clouded Kuroshi's thoughts as the spectral figure vanished into the night, leaving her to grapple with the unsettling reality of her predicament.
But before she could gather her bearings, a towering figure loomed behind her, a harbinger of dark intent.
"I knew he wasn't trustworthy," the mysterious woman declared, her voice dripping with malice as she invoked the power of dark magic.
With a flick of her wrist, black chains erupted from the ground, ensnaring Kuroshi in their suffocating grip, binding her tightly.
"You're coming with me, ma'am," the woman declared, her resolve unyielding as she dragged Kuroshi along the path to an uncertain fate.
Meanwhile, atop Fuyu's mountain, the serene stillness of the night enveloped Fuyu as he lay upon the ground, his thoughts a turbulent sea of contemplation and introspection.
Fuyu's lament echoed through the quiet expanse of his mountain abode, his thoughts drifting towards the absence of his trainees.
"It's so boring without my trainees," he sighed, the weight of solitude settling upon him like a heavy cloak.
But John, ever the steadfast companion, offered a retort from his corner of the room. "You know, I'm still here."
Fuyu shook his head, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It's not the same though. I've known you for almost what? 1000 years?"
"Yeah, so?" John replied, his tone tinged with amusement.
"You're old. And boring. I like talking to these kids. I think they're unique," Fuyu remarked, his gaze distant as memories of past encounters danced through his mind.
"Geez, you're also old and boring!" John retorted with a playful grin, his banter a familiar comfort amidst the quietude.
Determined to shake off the ennui that plagued him, Fuyu made a swift decision. "You know what? I'm going to do what I used to do, which is doing boring old missions."
Before John could offer a response, Fuyu vanished into thin air, leaving his friend behind with a sense of longing and solitude.
"Nobody wants to talk to me anymore," John mused to himself, a hint of melancholy coloring his words.
Meanwhile, within a building nestled within the confines of the Negative Point guardian area, a scene of idle disarray unfolded.
In a messy room, four figures occupied various positions, their boredom palpable in the stagnant air. Two of them slumbered soundly in their chairs, while the remaining pair lounged on the floor, their expressions a mixture of restlessness and ennui.
In the dimly lit confines of their meeting room, a sense of restlessness permeated the air, each member of the assembled group lost in their own thoughts.
"What to do, what to do," mused the man with red eyes, his voice tinged with a hint of boredom.
"Probably another boring escort mission," remarked the man clad in a sleek black suit, his tone resigned to the mundane nature of their duties.
"No. Maybe. Yeah..." the man with red eyes replied, his words trailing off into uncertainty.
Into this atmosphere of idle contemplation strode a newcomer, his presence commanding attention despite the shadow cast by his black baseball cap.
"Hello there, Choque. Haven't seen you in a while. Wait, your name is Choque, right?" the man with the black suit greeted, his recognition tinged with surprise.
"Correct! My name is Choque Starcie, and yours is Sukesan Okyamasu, correct?" Choque replied, his demeanor affable yet confident.
"Yup," Sukesan confirmed with a nod, acknowledging Choque's accuracy.
Turning his attention to the man with the red eyes, Choque continued, "And you, sir, with the red eyes, you're Aruhoshi Umeko."
"Yeah," Aruhoshi affirmed, his response terse yet confirming Choque's guess.
"And you, sir, with the spiky brown hair. You must be Furia Raivoa," Choque declared, prompting the awakening of the previously slumbering individual.
"Huh, who said my name?" Furia grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"And you, ma'am, you must be Sumajo Kuru," Choque concluded, addressing the blonde woman who had also been roused from her rest.
"How joyous for me! I got all of your names right," Choque exclaimed with a hint of pride, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Why are you guessing names anyway?" Sukesan inquired, his curiosity piqued by Choque's behavior.
"I was sent on a mission that took me 10 years to complete, and now I'm back," Choque explained, his tone tinged with a sense of accomplishment.
"Wait, really?" Sukesan's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Yeah, it was big news here," Choque confirmed, a note of satisfaction in his voice.
"How come I didn't hear this big news?" Sukesan muttered, perplexed by his own ignorance.
"I have no idea. It still puzzles me that you remember his name," Aruhoshi interjected, a hint of amusement coloring his words.
"Sukesan, how didn't you know? He's quite literally one of the strongest in his ranks," Sumajo added, her tone tinged with admiration.
"Oh, golly gee, don't mention it," Choque replied modestly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Why'd you wake me up, dammit!?" Furia exclaimed, his annoyance evident as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Well, uhm... we've got an important mission... that's what I came here to tell you," Choque stammered, his composure faltering under Furia's glare.
"Oh, what's the mission?" Furia inquired, his interest piqued despite his initial irritation.
"Escort," Sukesan whispered, prompting uproarious laughter from everyone in the room except for Choque.
As laughter subsided and the conversation shifted back to the matter at hand, Sukesan's curiosity lingered.
"Hahaha, but seriously, what's the mission?" he pressed, eager to learn more.
Choque, ever the bearer of news, leaned forward with a sense of purpose. "Do you guys know about the current vampire-related events happening?"
Sukesan nodded, his expression grave. "Yeah, my daughter and her team are actually on a mission to end it."
Sumajo interjected with a note of concern. "There are rumors about the vampires being immune to sunlight, thus making them unkillable."
Undeterred, Choque continued, his tone resolute. "Well, thanks to the combined efforts of the research team and the scouting team, we pinpointed and found the reason why they're immune to the sun."
"Hm, really?" Sumajo's interest was piqued, her gaze locking onto Choque with newfound intensity.
"Yeah, it's a relic made by vampires themselves that causes all vampires within a 298,556,100-mile radius to be immune to the sun," Choque explained, his words weighted with significance.
Aruhoshi interjected, his voice tinged with awe. "That's one-fourth the size of our planet."
"Yeah, where is this relic?" Furia demanded, his impatience palpable.
"It's deep underground and guarded by vampires. We're lucky that they left a huge cave above ground for us to enter," Choque revealed, a glimmer of excitement dancing in his eyes.
"Good, this might help Kuroshi out a lot," Sukesan remarked, his thoughts drifting to his daughter's well-being.
"How is Kuroshi doing? I haven't seen her in 10 years!" Choque exclaimed, his genuine interest shining through.
"She's been doing good. She's a part of the N.P.D.O now," Sukesan replied, a hint of pride evident in his voice.
"Wowzers, that's amazing," Choque marveled, his admiration for Kuroshi evident.
Before anyone could react, a familiar voice chimed in from the shadows, startling Sukesan and the others.
"Yeah, she's a great student," Fuyu remarked, his sudden appearance eliciting surprise from the group.
"What do you mean Sukey? I've stood here the entire time, and I would like to join this mission," Fuyu stated matter-of-factly, his presence commanding attention.
"Splendid! With Fuyu on our side, nothing can stand in our way now," Choque exclaimed, his optimism unwavering.
"That or it's because this mission has a team of six fully trained warriors," Sukesan quipped, his skepticism tempered by practicality.
Fuyu, undeterred by Sukesan's comment, urged the group forward. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Hold on a second... I need to wake up a little bit," Furia grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Yeah, me too," Sumajo agreed, her voice tinged with exhaustion.
"Shouldn't have been sleeping on the job!" Fuyu teased, earning a glare from Furia.
"Shut up," Furia retorted, his irritation evident.
"Be nice," Fuyu chided gently, his tone tinged with amusement.
"...Can we go now?" Furia relented, his impatience clear.
"Of course! We just need to head to the lab," Choque declared, his enthusiasm infectious.
"OK, LET'S GO TO THE LAB!" Furia exclaimed, his energy renewed.
"Wait—" Sumajo's protest fell on deaf ears as the group hurriedly left the room.
sigh Sumajo sighed resignedly as she followed suit, her steps echoing the weariness in her heart.
Two minutes later, at the Negative Point lab, Choque announced their arrival to the researchers, eager to embark on their mission. With a nod of approval, they were directed towards a portal that would transport them to the heart of their quest—a wide-open, dark cave, where their fate awaited.
As they stood at the mouth of the cave, Sukesan's question hung in the air, prompting Choque to confirm their destination with a nod.
"Yeah, and because we're all good at being fast, we could pretty much run through this without harming any vampires," Choque suggested optimistically, his gaze sweeping over the group.
"But that wouldn't be fun. I want to punch some vampires," Furia declared, his eagerness palpable.
"Ok. You can do that. I have no control over you, my friend," Choque acquiesced, his tone resigned.
Fuyu interjected with a proposal, seeking to divide the group based on their objectives. "How about this, all the people who want to destroy the vampire relic can go with... Choque?"
"No, I wanna kill some vampires!" Choque protested, his enthusiasm bubbling over.
"I want to complete the mission, so... I guess I'll just speed through this?" Sukesan suggested, his practicality shining through.
"I'll join you," Sumajo volunteered, her determination evident.
"Ok, Aruhoshi, are you gonna tag along with us too?" Sukesan inquired, turning to his fellow warrior.
"Sure," Aruhoshi agreed, his readiness apparent.
"It's decided then! Me, Choque, and Furia will take care of the vampires, and Sukesan, Sumajo, and Aruhoshi will destroy the relic," Fuyu announced, his leadership decisive.
"Alright, this will be quick, Magical Weapon: Dangan No Suketo," Sukesan proclaimed, summoning a pair of yellow skates to his feet.
"Bye!" With a swift motion, Sukesan sped into the cave at lightning speed, leaving the others to follow in his wake.
"We should follow him," Aruhoshi suggested, his resolve unwavering.
"Right," Sumajo agreed, her determination matching his own.
Meanwhile, within the depths of the cave, Furia's anticipation reached a crescendo as they prepared to confront the vampires lurking within.
"Welp... VAMPIRE KILLING TIME," Furia declared, his battle cry echoing through the cavernous expanse.
"Let's get bloody," Choque echoed, his nerves tingling with excitement as they ventured deeper into the darkness.
As they traversed the dimly lit passages, the oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily upon them, prompting Choque to voice his unease.
"Gee, this looks like something I'd see in my nightmares," Choque admitted, his bravado wavering slightly.
"Scared?" Furia teased, his grin evident even in the dim light.
"N-No," Choque stammered, his resolve faltering under Furia's gaze.
"Leave him alone, Airuf. He's just a kid," Fuyu interjected, coming to Choque's defense.
"It's FURIA! And just because he's hundreds of times older than him doesn't make him a kid. To mortals, he's your basic 20-year-old," Furia retorted, his irritation evident.
"Basic?..." Choque muttered, unsure how to respond.
"He's not basic, he's just... normal," Fuyu reasoned, attempting to diffuse the tension.
"Hmph, basic," Furia muttered under his breath, his frustration simmering.
"Am not!" Choque protested, his pride wounded by Furia's jibe.
"Am so!" Furia shot back, his retort swift and sharp.
Unbeknownst to them, a malevolent presence lurked nearby, observing their every move with a mixture of disdain and amusement.
Is that what I have to worry about? Those are the masters of the pathetic humans that thought they could kill me, THE GREAT BALDASSARE!? Baldassare sneered to himself, his contempt evident as he plotted his next move from the shadows just outside the cave.
As the scene unfolded within the dark confines of the cave, Baldassare, hidden in the shadows, seethed with a mixture of frustration and determination.
Not even the demon lord Denshin could stop me! Instead of entering the spirit world myself, I sent a mirror clone to do my bidding, but that wasn't enough he mused, his thoughts swirling with contempt for his adversaries.
Outside, Choque and Furia's exchange continued, their banter interrupted by the sudden appearance of five vampires lunging at them from the darkness.
"They fell for it. Magical Weapon: Shototsu," Choque declared, summoning a blade that cleaved through the vampires with unparalleled speed and precision, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.
IMPOSSIBLE, HOW DID HE KILL THOSE VAMPIRES SO QUICKLY!? They should have regenerated from that Baldassare thought, his astonishment evident.
"You guys seem confused," Choque remarked, his gaze shifting to Fuyu, who seemed to be pondering the situation.
"How did you know?" Fuyu inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"I could see it in your eyes," Choque explained, backtracking slightly. "I-I meant in your facial expressions."
Furia, however, had other concerns. "How did you—"
"How did I kill those vampires, you ask?" Choque interjected, seizing the opportunity to share his knowledge. "You see, my weapon Shototsu has a passive ability that makes me literally one of the strongest things to walk on this planet. Anytime the blade of Shototsu comes in contact with something, it turns that thing into the magic that it absorbs. Which means I can kill anything in one hit, no matter what it is."
"I wasn't asking about that. I wasn't even talking to you. I'm talking to the bozo out there," Furia clarified, redirecting the conversation towards Baldassare.
WHAT, HE SAW ME?! Baldassare recoiled, his shock evident.
"Hey, you! How the hell did I let you live for so long!? You're a vampire, you have red eyes, really pale skin, fangs, no pupils, and you have that weird haircut that vampires have," Furia accused, his tone laced with frustration.
"You'll never kill me, human," Baldassare retorted defiantly, his resolve unyielding.
"Stop with that human bullshit, it's weird, especially when you're not talking to one," Furia snapped back, his impatience growing.
"How dare you? Mirror Magic: Magnificent Beam!!!" Baldassare countered, summoning a mirror that unleashed a powerful beam of light towards Furia.
"Mirror magic...?" Furia muttered, his attention now fully focused on the imminent threat before him.