Ryoshi and Kuroshi stood before the imposing entrance to Atanasius's room, the weight of their impending confrontation hanging heavy in the air.
"Kuroshi... I don't want to die," Ryoshi admitted, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"What?" Kuroshi's response was one of surprise, her gaze meeting Ryoshi's with a mixture of concern and determination.
"We have a big chance of dying," Ryoshi continued, his tone resigned.
"Yeah, at least we tried," Kuroshi replied, her words carrying a sense of quiet resolve.
"We haven't even fought him yet! sigh I can't give up now, but I'm not completely sure that my new skills could put me on his level," Ryoshi confessed, his voice betraying a hint of doubt.
"You don't know that. We don't know his full capabilities," Kuroshi countered, her voice steady despite the uncertainty that loomed before them.
"Yeah... well, let's go!" Ryoshi declared, determination flashing in his eyes as he took a step forward.
"Good luck, humans," Heunae's voice echoed from behind them, drawing their attention.
"Good luck? You're coming too, you know... wait... who are you?" Ryoshi questioned, turning to face the mysterious newcomer.
"I'm Heunae, a loyal servant of my god," Heunae replied, their demeanor calm yet imposing.
"Nice meeting you... my name is Ryoshi... how the hell do I say your name, Heunay?" Ryoshi asked, struggling with the unfamiliar pronunciation.
"I don't think you said it right," Heunae remarked with a hint of amusement.
"I don't care. Kuroshi, you ready?" Ryoshi turned to his companion, determination burning bright in his eyes.
"Toruri, how did you heal?" Ryoshi inquired, his gaze shifting to the newly awakened Toruri.
"Hachto can naturally regenerate, but because of him also being human, he needs to sleep to heal," Kuroshi explained, her tone matter-of-fact.
With a gentle gesture, Kuroshi lowered Toruri to the ground, their group now assembled and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
As Toruri rose to his feet, a lingering ache served as a stark reminder of the battles they had faced.
"Ow," he muttered, his voice strained with discomfort.
"So... where were we?" Toruri inquired, his gaze sweeping over his companions.
"About to fight that vampire guy," Ryoshi replied, his tone firm and resolute.
"Oh... No," Toruri's response was filled with a hint of trepidation.
"It's now or never," Ryoshi insisted, determination etched into every line of his face.
"Alright then, NEVER," Toruri joked, a fleeting attempt to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"But, we have to," Ryoshi pressed, his gaze unwavering.
"I'm just joking, we need to do it now," Toruri relented, his resolve firm as he prepared to face the inevitable.
"Ok, we go in in 3, 2, 1," Ryoshi counted down, his voice steady with resolve.
With a swift kick, Ryoshi shattered the door, the sound echoing through the darkened room as they stepped inside.
"Scary," Ryoshi whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the oppressive silence.
"What do we do about this?" Toruri questioned, his voice laced with uncertainty.
"Just keep on walking, of course! Nothing can hurt us if we're playing the victims," Ryoshi reassured, his tone tinged with bravado.
Silence hung heavy in the air as they ventured deeper into the darkness, each step a silent prayer for safety.
"Time to see through the darkness," Toruri declared, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light as he scanned the shadows.
"Guys, he's here," Toruri whispered, his voice barely a breath against the oppressive silence.
With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Toruri locked eyes with Atanasius, the vampire lord seated upon his throne with eyes closed in meditation.
"Well, shit, I spoiled the plan!" Ryoshi cursed, realization dawning upon him like a storm on the horizon.
"Wait, guys—" Toruri's words were cut short as Atanasius's eyes snapped open, a chilling crimson gaze fixated upon them.
"No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOO!!!" Toruri's voice rose in a panicked crescendo as Atanasius vanished before their eyes.
"What!?" Ryoshi's voice mirrored Toruri's panic, his gaze darting around the room in search of any sign of their adversary.
Blue lights suddenly illuminated the room, casting eerie shadows upon the walls and floor, their source unknown and their purpose unclear.
"Where is he?" Toruri's voice echoed through the chamber, his senses on high alert as he scanned the darkness.
In an instant, a pale white hand seized Toruri's neck, tightening its grip with a vice-like hold. Atanasius had materialized behind him, his intentions clear as he lunged forward, mouth agape in a predatory snarl.
Reacting swiftly, Toruri whirled around, delivering a powerful blow that sent Atanasius crashing to the ground. But before their eyes, Atanasius's form dissolved into mist, vanishing from sight.
"Foolish mortals, you dare attack me," Atanasius's voice echoed through the chamber, a haunting reminder of their perilous situation.
"Heunae!" Ryoshi's cry was filled with anguish as the vampire lord reappeared, holding Heunae captive in his grasp.
"Lord Atanasius, are you going to cure me?" Heunae's voice trembled with fear, her eyes pleading for mercy.
"I've been hungry lately, you failed to bring me back food. Now you and your new friends will become food," Atanasius declared, his tone cold and merciless.
With a swift motion, Atanasius broke the ice covering Heunae's wound, drinking deeply from the crimson flow that spilled forth.
"Heunae! Er, that's our cue, Kuroshi, Ryoshi," Toruri exclaimed, his resolve hardening as he and Ryoshi prepared for battle.
With sharpened fingernails and steely determination, Toruri and Ryoshi charged towards Atanasius, unleashing a relentless barrage of cuts and slashes that tore through the vampire lord's form, rending him into bloody scraps.
"That enhanced fire kick gave me a new idea! Enhanced fireball," Toruri declared, channeling his magic into a searing orb of flame.
"Skill 1: light bullet," Kuroshi interjected, firing a radiant projectile that merged seamlessly with Toruri's fireball, their combined force creating a dazzling display of power.
"Instead of destroying the fireball they fused? Impossible," Ryoshi remarked, awe coloring his voice.
"Really is," Toruri agreed, his gaze fixed on their elusive foe.
But Atanasius was not so easily defeated. With a swift transformation, he evaded their combined attack, shifting into a flock of bats made of blood that scattered across the chamber.
"First problem gone," Atanasius taunted, his form reforming behind Kuroshi with chilling precision.
"Die," he commanded, large streams of blood surge from Kuroshi's forehead, neck, arms, legs, stomach, and chest, engulfing Kuroshi in a maelstrom of crimson fury. With a sickening impact, she was sent hurtling into the unforgiving embrace of the chamber wall, her form crumpling against its unyielding surface.
"Kuroshi-" Ryoshi's voice trailed off, his heart pounding with dread as he watched Atanasius's next move.
"Second problem gone," Atanasius declared triumphantly, his gaze fixed upon the fallen form of Kuroshi.
In a desperate bid to shield himself from Atanasius's onslaught, Toruri's eyes erupted with blood, a pained cry escaping his lips as he crumpled to the ground, wracked with agony.
"GRAAH!" Toruri's voice echoed through the chamber, his body convulsing with pain as he fought to protect his eyes from the searing assault.
"Ryoshi... I was wrong about my god. I will help you before I die. My god uses blood magic, a magic that can manipulate other people's blood but it has a catch... blood magic is an up-close type of magic, so you need to fight him from a range..." Heunae's words were tinged with regret, her voice barely above a whisper as she imparted her knowledge to Ryoshi.
"Heunay... I won't let you die in vain! But first, where is that vampire guy?" Ryoshi's voice was filled with determination, his resolve unwavering in the face of adversity.
"For thousands and thousands of years, us vampires have been neglected and almost forgotten as a whole. We didn't deserve it, the new demons just took over. We've become book characters like Dracula and all of them. But I'm Dracula, I am ATANASIUS!!! Evil Smite," Atanasius proclaimed, his words echoing through the chamber with chilling finality.
"Evil what?" Ryoshi's confusion was evident, his gaze darting around the room in search of any sign of danger.
A red beam of light lanced down from the ceiling, hurtling towards Ryoshi with deadly precision.
"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Ryoshi exclaimed, his reflexes kicking into overdrive as he raised his arms to block the incoming attack.
"Smite," Atanasius replied simply, his tone dripping with malice as another beam of crimson light descended from above.
But Ryoshi was ready this time, his sword raised in defense as he braced himself against the onslaught of Atanasius's relentless assault.
Ryoshi's brow furrowed in confusion as he faced Atanasius, his mind grappling with the implications of their deadly confrontation.
"Ok, why are we fighting? We were sent on a mission to kill you... but why? What is your goal?" Ryoshi's voice was tinged with genuine curiosity, his gaze fixed upon the vampire lord before him.
"My goal is to repopulate the world with vampires by turning humans into vampires, which will eradicate humans and replace them with vampires! You humans would do the same if you were the last of your kind surrounded in a world of monsters and hatred. You would take the opportunity to eliminate an inferior species just to revive your own, wouldn't you? I see nothing wrong with us doing the same, humans aren't ahead of anything!" Atanasius's words dripped with bitterness and resentment, his gaze cold and unyielding.
"Could you not do that to humans though? Could you do it to like... trees?" Ryoshi's voice was laced with desperation, a flicker of hope that perhaps there was a way to avoid the bloodshed.
"Humans are the only thing capable of turning into vampires. Humans were originally the old demons and demons are vampires," Atanasius explained, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Oh... well, what a shame. I was looking forward to not fighting you," Ryoshi lamented, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Smite Storm," Atanasius declared, his command summoning a barrage of crimson beams from the sky, each one hurtling towards Ryoshi with deadly intent.
"Shit," Ryoshi cursed under his breath, his reflexes barely enough to evade some of the incoming attacks. But despite his efforts, three of the beams found their mark, sending him reeling with pain.
"Ow, what—where did he go-" Ryoshi's words were cut short as he glanced up, his eyes widening in disbelief as he spotted Atanasius standing on the ceiling.
"Uh," Ryoshi muttered dumbfoundedly, his mind struggling to comprehend the vampire lord's seemingly impossible feat.
"I call this one, blood necklace," Atanasius declared, his voice echoing through the chamber as streams of blood poured forth, ensnaring Ryoshi in a deadly embrace.
"God... Damn... my throat," Ryoshi gasped, his breath coming in ragged wheezes as he struggled against the suffocating hold.
"I'll make you and your allies the first sign of us vampires not being ones to mess with," Atanasius threatened, his intent clear as he prepared to deliver the final blow.
But before Atanasius could enact his cruel vengeance, a beam of light pierced the darkness, forcing him to halt his attack and evade the unexpected assault.
"Who did that?" Atanasius demanded, his gaze darting around the chamber in search of the source of the interference.
It was Kuroshi.
"Woah, Kuroshi, are you ok?" Ryoshi exclaimed, relief flooding his features as he watched her intervene on his behalf.
"Are you ok?" Kuroshi's concern was evident, her voice filled with genuine worry for her companion.
"Yeah, maybe. Not like you'd care," Ryoshi replied, his tone tinged with bitterness as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Ryoshi, I might be the first person to show you this or tell you about this," Kuroshi began, her words carrying a weight of importance as she prepared to reveal a long-held secret.
"Tell me about what?" Ryoshi's voice was filled with curiosity, his gaze fixed upon Kuroshi with a mixture of anticipation and confusion.
"Just watch. But don't tell Toruri," Kuroshi instructed, her tone carrying a sense of secrecy and urgency.
"Ok?" Ryoshi replied, his brows furrowing in puzzlement.
"Hey, don't count me out! My eyes are just in a lot of pain. That's it," Toruri interjected, his voice a mix of protest and reassurance.
"Yume No Ju, awaken," Kuroshi commanded, her words resonating with a quiet intensity.
"Did you just say awaken!?" Toruri's voice rose in disbelief, his eyes widening in shock.
A blinding yellow light enveloped Kuroshi, illuminating the chamber with its brilliance. When it faded, Kuroshi's gun had vanished, replaced by a left hand fashioned from the same material as her weapon.
"What is that?" Ryoshi exclaimed, his gaze fixed upon Kuroshi's transformed appendage.
"It's only at its first stage," Kuroshi explained, her voice calm despite the astonishment in the room.
"Kuroshi, you could awaken your magical weapon the whole time!?" Toruri's incredulous tone echoed through the chamber, his disbelief palpable.
"Yeah, I was waiting for this moment," Kuroshi admitted, a sense of determination underlying her words.
"Awaken? What's that?" Ryoshi queried, his confusion evident.
"It's something you can do once your weapon feels like you've earned it," Kuroshi elucidated, her explanation shedding light on the mysterious process.
"I'm hungry for you now," Atanasius declared, his voice dripping with malice as he prepared to strike.
"Eat this," Kuroshi retorted, her tone defiant as she unleashed a ball of light that engulfed the right half of Atanasius's castle in a blinding explosion.
"Is he dead?" Ryoshi asked, his gaze fixed upon the aftermath of Kuroshi's attack.
"No, but you're dead," Atanasius's voice echoed ominously, his threat hanging heavy in the air as the battle reached its climax.
"