At exactly seven o'clock, Xylon and his friends were now in a bar. Tonight marked the commencement of their mission to capture the chimeras.
They climbed onto the stage and started playing music. The crowd applauded while Xylon was singing.
Xylon's gaze met Xenon's, a silent exchange of understanding passing between them. Without a word, Xenon ceased his playing, his eyes shuttering closed in intense concentration. Time itself seemed to bend to his will as the once lively crowd froze in motion. Xenon had the ability to stop time.
In the eerie stillness, only the vampires and chimeras inside the bar remained unaffected, their sinister presence palpable amidst the frozen scene.
"I knew you vampires were up to something!" one of the chimeras shouted, its accusatory tone echoing through the frozen air.
Xylon and the others descended from the stage.
The chimeras ran out of the bar, so they immediately chased after them.
They split up to make capturing easier. Blake, with a calculated step, maneuvered to trap one of the chimeras in a corner.
"Well, well, aren't you bold to stand against me," the chimera taunted, a smirk playing on its lips.
Blake's response was a confident grin. "Don't worry, this won't take long."
He then pulled out his flute. The chimera's eyes widened in recognition.
"A Charmer?" Fear crept into the chimera's voice.
Blake's fingers danced across the instrument, conjuring a haunting melody that filled the air. The chimera, realizing its imminent danger, futilely covered its ears to block out the mesmerizing tune. But as the music enveloped it, the chimera's resistance crumbled. Succumbing to Blake's enchantment, it lost control of itself. Once Blake noticed his opponent's vulnerability, he swiftly drew the hidden dagger and lunged towards the chimera, plunging it into the creature's chest. Its skin withered, leaving behind a mere skeleton. Blake wiped his dagger and kicked the bones of the slain chimera. A determined glint in his eye as he rejoined his comrades in their relentless pursuit.
Meanwhile, facing another chimera, Stephen stood poised and ready. The chimera, brimming with arrogance, challenged Stephen's resolve.
"Do you truly believe you can catch us?" sneered the chimera.
Stephen's response was calm and unwavering. "Let's find out, shall we?"
With a swift motion, the chimera lunged forward, its monstrous form contorting into a menacing shape, its mouth enlarging. But Stephen was prepared, his hands raised in a commanding gesture. Metal objects responded to his will, converging towards him. Stephen was an elementalist with the ability to control metal objects. He shaped the metal into a sword-like form.
Stephen dodged the chimera's attack, retaliating with precise strikes. The chimera, caught off guard by Stephen's mastery over metal, found itself impaled by the sword. It screamed in agony.
"Chain of Hell!" Stephen shouted.
Two long chains, sharp at the ends, emerged from Stephen's body, attached to his back. They swiftly tore through the chimera's form, sealing its fate in a final, agonizing moment. As the defeated chimera crumbled to dust, Stephen surveyed the scene with a mixture of exhaustion and determination, his gaze meeting those of his companions.
Heberlin's movements were a blur as he deftly evaded his opponent's strike.
"Hahaha, always dodging, aren't you?" taunted the chimera, its mocking tone ringing through the air.
"Wait for it, you bastard!" Heberlin shot back.
In an instant, he closed the gap between them, seizing the chimera by the neck with a vice-like grip.
A wicked grin spread across Heberlin's face as he stared into the chimera's eyes.
"It's the end for you, asshole," he declared.
As he held the chimera captive, its struggles grew feeble, its defiance crumbling under Heberlin's unwavering gaze. Its eyes turned white, powerless to resist. Heberlin threw his opponent to the ground and observed. The chimera was no longer in control, as he had removed its sanity. It became a deranged chimera, and before it could attack, he swiftly ended its life.
Xenon's attack was even faster than fast forward. He teleported, his form disappearing and reappearing behind his foe in the blink of an eye. Before the chimera could react, his sword pierced its chest with unerring precision, the force of his strike driving it to its knees.
As the chimera's form slowly dissolved into a crumbling skeleton, Xenon wasted no time in disposing of the remains with disdain, his focus already shifting to the next threat looming on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, amidst the fight, Aria's mind raced with worry as thoughts of Rebeus flooded her mind, a pang of fear clutching at her heart.
"I-It can't be..." she whispered, her gaze shifting to the top of the mountain where the academy was located.
.
....
Rebeus woke up in a laboratory, his senses slowly returning to him as he realized his entire body was tied up. Despite his supernatural strength, his attempts to break free were unsuccessful, leaving him bewildered. How could he, a powerful vampire and soul eater, be restrained by mere ropes? Unless, of course, they were crafted from something other than ordinary materials.
He looked around in confusion.
"Oh, you're finally awake, my dear," Love's voice cut through the silence, dripping with amusement.
He shot her a venomous glare.
"What is the meaning of this? Release me now!" he demanded.
Love's laughter echoed off the sterile walls.
"Don't worry, we'll release you once the experiment is done," she taunted, her tone teasing.
"Damn you! When I break free from here, I'll devour your souls!" Rebeus roared, his struggles intensifying as he fought against his restraints with all his might.
Yet, despite his threats, Love's laughter only grew louder, echoing throughout the room and intensifying the atmosphere of ridicule directed towards him.
.
....
Xylon stood firm, facing his opponent.
"It's time to put an end to this. Your allies are already dead, so surrender now," he asserted calmly.
The chimera scoffed, a sneer twisting its features. "Haha, do you think I'm a fool? I won't allow myself to be killed by your hands!"
With a sudden rush, the chimera charged at Xylon. Sensing the impending attack, Xylon closed his eyes, and in the blink of an eye, the surroundings changed. They were now in a different place, shrouded in fog. The chimera froze in its tracks, confusion etched on its face.
"Y-You're an illusionist? Y-You're the prince??" it stammered, fear evident in its voice. Only the Prince of the vampires has the power to create illusions.
Xylon's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Indeed, it's me. And your fate ends here," he said.
A blood-curdling scream pierced the air as the chimera struggled against unseen terrors conjured by Xylon's illusions.
In reality, Xylon just stood there, watching as the chimera thrashed about, ensnared in the grips of its own terror-induced delusions and screamed as if insane. It was under his illusion.
"Wait, don't kill him yet," Aria interjected, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"Why?" Xylon questioned, turning to regard her with a raised eyebrow.
"We need to extract information about their hideout first," Aria explained.
Xylon nodded in understanding.
Approaching the scared chimera, Aria laid her hand upon its head, delving into its mind to extract information.
After Aria finished, she signaled Xylon. With a snap of Xylon's fingers, the chimera died. Xenon and the others joined them.
"What did you see?" Xylon inquired.
"An old building, teeming with chimeras," she revealed.
"Then let us waste no time; let's go," Xylon declared.
With a subtle gesture from Xenon, time resumed its normal flow. They entered the bar. Aria chose not to mention anything about Rebeus for now, as everyone was determined to catch the other chimeras that were attacking the town.