Arcane energy blasted out from Xerath's hand, swallowing the mortal human before him, making him another victim from underestimating the arcane power!
"Flesh and blood… how fragile!" Xerath's arcane energy lit up the sky, scanning the charred earth below and feeling as if he had overdone it.
The arcane energy was an art to Xerath! Manipulating them is a beauty!
It's a violent aesthetic, but in Xerath's eyes, it was nothing more than a grand concert!
Now that the concert had come to an end, an inevitable feeling of disappointment came to the conductor. But then, he saw another concert dyed in scarlet!
What's that?
He had lived hundreds of years, maybe thousands. But the scene made him stunned. He was supposed to be in the middle of the land!
He was summoned in the middle of the continent. But why...was there an ocean here?!
Xerath used his power to turn himself into the void and flew into the thunderstorm sky, looking down at the ruined city across the scorched land below.
Waves of scarlet swirled around the city's streets, the lightning flashed and illuminated its dark red hue.
It was blood, covering half of the city!
Who was it? Who the hell was that? Xerath traveled through the city, finally finding the center of the sea of blood.
The laughter was noticeable, and Xerath looked down at the figure standing below. It was his own summoner.
A new arm grew again, replacing Lucius' severed arm. A substance covered in a sticky, dark red glow wrapped around his broken arm, temporarily replacing it.
Standing on top of the endless sea of blood, his hand waved rhythmically. As if conducting a huge concert, the instrument was the stream of blood below.
The blood beneath Lucius' feet was like the magical elements surrounding Xerath's body. A complete submission, complete obedience!
A werewolf stood amidst the endless blood, as its own blood dripped from the greyish-black fur. Powerless, it tried to break the blockade on its own. But the silver poison that kept spreading in its body, to the point it almost killed him with every heartbeat! Furthermore, the blood beneath it was also fused with liquid silver! Rather than blood, it was more like liquid silver mixed with a red hue.
Then, Lucius used the blood as a medium, forging them into sharp weapons and shot them at the werewolf's body from all angles. Blood mixed with silver kept falling into the werewolf's body, mixing with its own blood. It must endure the pain of its soul being burned.
If it moved a little more and made its heart beat faster, Lucius was certain that this werewolf would die.
Its life was what mattered the most.
Lucius steadily launched his attacks, gradually destroying the werewolf's body. If it turns back to human form, it might be able to survive. As the last descendant of the Van Helsing family, will he choose the bloodline to perish with him?
Facing death, countless people throw away their honor and dignity.
Lucius had seen it before. A lot of people willing to give up their loved one or their dignity for their own survival.
You're just like them, right?
From Lucius' eyes, Van Helsing was just another pervert bastard who likes to gamble and smoke, wasting his time. A man that falls for every woman, a man that relies on children to solve his goddamn problem.
Run, now!
That's the man Lucius knew.
The werewolf, covered in blood, howled into the moon.
If it was in his human form, the werewolf must have said, 'Junior, you hide first. I'll dodge.', or something like that.
But right now, the beast's howl showed its determination to fight for the last time.
Leaping, it landed on all its four limbs and rushed toward Lucius.
Damn it! A fight to death doesn't suit you at all, bastard!
The scarlet light emerged from Lucius' severed arm transformed into a sword, like Alex's claws.
"I don't care about the Van Helsing family, or the hundred years war! I only care about one thing…"
The blood pool was in cooldown. There's no turning back now!
This is the last clash!
"I'll kill anyone who has hurt my sister! All of them! You are one!!"
Lucius raised his left arm made of blood, and the werewolf's claws were also aimed at Lucius' chest. The blade swung down! The tip of the werewolf's claws was tinged with scarlet hue.
"Auuuu!!"
The werewolf howled in triumph. Because at this moment, Lucius' blade stopped near the werewolf's neck. Ultimately, the werewolf was faster than him.
"Cough…" Lucius' eyes stared wide at the grayish-black fur on his chest. It was the werewolf's arm, running through his chest. Lucius's breath drifted away.
The werewolf pulled out the arm that ran through his chest, and Lucius' body weakly collapsed to the ground. The surging sea of blood suddenly dissipated, leaving behind a devastated ground.
The werewolf looked at Lucius, who had fallen to the ground while looking at the burning thing in his hand. It was a powerful heart, slowly beating.
Lucius' heart…
The center that controls blood throughout the body.
The center of a vampire's life.
The werewolf's grip tightens and squeezed hard so that the heart bursts open! At the same time, Lucius' unconscious body fell to the ground, turned into blood, and vanished. At this moment, the moon faded away, and the sun shone, basking the world with its glorious light.
The werewolf wondered, gazing at the humanoid pattern made of blood on the ground.
"Ah, I lose…" The werewolf actually spoke in human words. It was Van Helsing's voice.
Bang!
Gunshot sounds rang out, and bloom blossomed from its chest. The 0.44 caliber bullet had run through the werewolf's chest. The impact caused it to take a few steps backward, and eventually, its body leaned against a broken wall and collapsed.
The tall body gradually sank, the gray-black hairs turned into dust, dissipating from its body. Eventually, an old man in a scruffy black coat sat against the wall. His bloodline was the same as Lucius'. He was allowed to die with a bit of dignity, instead of running away like a coward.
Van Helsing's blurred vision saw the western cowboy hat he had thrown out before. Inside, there was a box of lousy quality cigarettes, but the silver-plated revolver was nowhere to be found.
"I lost… Truly… you've grown, Junior. But still, hatred is such a horrible thing, and vampires are still horrible." Van Helsing's hands trembled as he grabbed the cowboy hat and put it on his head, holding the low-quality box of cigarettes and looking at Lucius standing nearby.
The silver-plated revolver rested in Lucius' hand, a wisp of smoke coming out of the muzzle.
"Humans, weren't they also horrible?"
Lucius' heart was still beating in his chest, intact. The body whose heart was crushed was nothing more than his blood clone.
Such a little trick, but it had outplayed the best hunter. Now, this hunter was indeed on his last strand. He was hit by the Zero Bullet!
Such an irony… the bullet he had been saving on killing a vampire was used by a vampire to kill him.
Van Helsing's feet gradually turned into dust, drifting in the wind. His body was losing its color. Just like he said, the person hit by this bullet would cease to exist.
All of Lucius' memories of Van Helsing would disappear.
This man was the only reason why Lucius hated this world in the first place.
"Junior, has your revenge been avenged?" Van Helsing's fingers trembled as he tried to pick a cigarette from the box. But he was weak, too weak that he couldn't even hold a cigarette. After dropping several cigarettes, he could finally have one in his mouth.
"....." Lucius was silent, he lowered his head…
Now Lucius didn't even know how to answer him.
"What's with that pathetic look? Cheer up, Lucius F. Alucard!" Van Helsing's voice suddenly filled with an elderly authority. "Do you know how great you are?! You're an Alucard! A true king of the night! The King of the Night who had killed an Elder Werewolf! None of those highborn vampires are worthy to lick your shoes. Don't give me that world-hating pathetic look again! Humans are in no position to make you feel hatred! You are the king of the night, and humans are just a part of your food! A part of blood inside your cup!"
Van Helsing shivered. He was so excited that his lower body had completely turned to dust and faded away. "Or any other creatures… It's too tiresome to be burdened with hatred on your back."
Van Helsing's hand tried to reach up, letting the cigarette on his mouth. Back then, it was easy for him to light a flame. But now he couldn't even do it because his fingers slowly turned into dust and drifted away.
But a wisp of scorching flame lit up near him. Lucius had walked towards Van Helsing at some point, holding a lighter in his hands.
Lifting up the cigarette for Van Helsing, he raised his head. He suddenly saw that there's a hint of glistening gold in Lucius' scarlet eyes.
He laughed out loudly.
"Hahahahahaha! I, Van Helsing, am a genius!" Van Helsing finally said in a weak tone, "You know what? You know what? I've raised a true vampire elder! The Great Vampire True Elder, hahahahahahaha!"
The sound of laughter echoed through the silent city, the moment the sun fully rose. Before Lucius, Van Helsing's body dissipated into the sunlight.
The cowboy hat fell to the ground...