Leonidas sprinted, his wet, crimson hair whipping against the rain as he fled. Something was gaining on him—a relentless, wet rhythmic thumping that echoed against the castle tiles.
He spotted a black metal railing ahead. Glancing back, he saw the nightmare: a massive, obsidian tentacle coiling through the air like a predatory snake. As he neared the edge, Leonidas slammed his right hand onto the cold iron and vaulted over in one fluid motion.
He hit the slick tiles on the other side, sliding down the incline. He looked up, and his blood went cold. The thick black tentacle was right there, covered in pulsating, oily bumps that seemed to throb with a life of their own. It was inches away.
"Shit," Leonidas hissed as he reached the edge of the roof. "Got no choice."
He kicked off, launching himself into the void toward the opposite roof. Just as he took flight, the bumps on the tentacle detonated. They didn't just burst; they exploded outward, releasing a lethal spray of long, spear-like spikes that whistled through the space his head had occupied milliseconds before.
Decker drifted into the air, following Leonidas with a slow, ghostly grace. His tentacle-arm had already retracted, squelching back into a human limb. He leveled his palm at the Vampire Lord and unleashed a barrage of thick, black needles.
Leonidas hit the next roof running, zig-zagging across the stone while dodging the needle-fire. He didn't just run—he fought back. Snapping his palms forward, he traded shots with Decker, hurling crimson fireballs that hissed through the rain. From a distance, it looked like a supernatural gunfight between two gods on the skyline.
Decker coughed a mouthful of blood and looked down in confusion. He wondered what was happening to his body and why his wounds were not healing. He questioned if the holy water that girl had thrown into his mouth had somehow slipped through the protection of the demon.
Leonidas saw this as an opportunity he could not let slip by. He knew something was wrong with Decker but it was not his concern. His only goal was to kill his enemy. He held out his right palm and released three fireballs which screamed toward his target at high speed.
The dark skinned vampire wiped the blood from his mouth and quickly sensed the fireballs heading his way. He stretched out his hand and released dark energy balls to counter the flames. Three thunderous explosions rocked the air. As the smoke cleared, Decker's eyes scanned the area in a frantic search for Leonidas.
He then suddenly felt two hands wrapping around both his ankles. Decker gritted his teeth in a snarl. "You snake."
"Come down," Leonidas roared. He used his legendary strength and hurled the dark skinned vampire down to the ground.
Leonidas followed with a vicious stomp, but a dark shadow clone swiftly manifested. The clone pulled Decker out of harm's way and launched a kick that caught the vampire lord in the face, sending him hurdling back.
Leonidas stopped himself and rushed toward Decker and the clone, engaging in hand to hand combat with both enemies at the same time. The shadow clone threw out multiple punches but Leonidas managed to dodge the attack. Decker's nails had extended like talons, which he used to slash at his enemy, finally landing one across Leonidas's face.
The vampire lord ignored the wound across his face and kept his focus locked on both of his opponents. Decker sneered as he watched the old warrior struggle. "What is wrong Leonidas? Are we too much for you?"
"No," Leonidas grunted.
"Then how about this." Leonidas already had his hands full fighting two opponents, but now a new shadow clone emerged from the darkness.
Decker and his two dark shadow clones began to overwhelm Leonidas. He could not keep all three opponents at bay as the battle tipped in their favor. Leonidas would block the clone from the left, only for the other to punch him in the face from the right. Decker then delivered a heavy front kick to Leonidas's chest that sent him staggering back a few steps.
The dark skinned vampire grinned as he released a thick black needle from his palm. It darted through the air and buried itself in Leonidas's right shoulder. The vampire lord did not have time to pull it out because Decker immediately fired a dark energy ball aimed directly at his face. Leonidas reacted quickly by ducking his head out of the way, but he was forced to block the shadow clones from both sides as they refused to give him a moment to catch his breath.
The vampire lord jumped back in an attempt to find some space, but Decker had already circled behind him. His predatory instincts guided his every move. With a swift motion, he unleashed a dark energy ball attack that connected squarely with Leonidas's back. The force threw him forward directly into the waiting fist of a shadow clone. Leonidas crashed hard to the ground.
Decker suddenly coughed a mouthful of blood before falling down to his right knee. He was confused as to why his body felt so weak. "Demon, what is wrong? It is not time yet, is it?"
"I don't know," the voice within him hissed.
"Damn." Decker looked at Leonidas who was still struggling against the two clones. "Is it him? What did he do to me?"
Leonidas lunged forward and caught both of the dark shadow clones by their faces. With his mighty strength, he lifted them both off the roof and slammed them down into the concrete. While his hands still firmly gripped their heads, a small light emanated from his palms before an explosion of Hellfire blew their skulls to smithereens.
The vampire lord dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. He looked at his right shoulder before reaching up and pulling the thick black needle out. His chest felt like it was burning as he gazed at his opponent.
"Let's end this Decker," Leonidas said as he prepared himself for the final clash.
====
Earlier, while Markus and Raven were still locked in a fierce battle, the air inside the castle suddenly changed. A massive, exploding power vibrated from far above, radiating through the very stones of the architecture. Markus smiled and looked up toward the ceiling as the building groaned under the weight of the energy. Even from way under the ground, he could sense the sheer magnitude of the force his father was releasing. He thought to himself that his father was finally getting serious.
Raven refused to give his enemy time to admire the explosive energy of the Vampire Lord. He threw a sharp jab toward the vampire which Markus dodged casually.
"Weak," Markus taunted.
Raven gritted his teeth and threw another jab that landed square on the vampire's face. Blood oozed from the vampire's nose but he only grinned. "Is that all you got?"
"No, there is more," Raven hissed.
"Good, good."
Raven threw another jab but Markus dodged it again. He moved to punch the mercenary in the stomach, however Raven reacted swiftly by driving a knee strike into the vampire. It was a heavy blow that caused the vampire to hurl back.
The vampire rushed forward and delivered his own set of punches which the mercenary blocked. Markus imbued a little more spirit force into his right fist and punched the blocking mercenary, sending him falling to the ground on his back. The vampire dashed toward his opponent who was still down. Raven pushed himself up from the concrete and kicked the vampire hard in the stomach.
The mercenary stood up and his arm began to change, transforming into a large black tentacle. Dark energy surrounded the mass and lightly oozed out of the limb, shimmering in the air like a dark haze above the concrete floor. Markus observed the tentacle which was still growing longer and a little larger. "It's scary to think what humans would do for power."
"You keep talking and talking," Raven growled. "I'm going to use this power and shut you up permanently."
Raven swung his right tentacle arm which headed straight toward Markus's mid-section. For Markus, it felt like he was hit by a huge sledgehammer. He coughed a mouthful of blood while being blown away by the force of the attack. It did not take long for the big vampire to find his footing. "That's good, keep it just like that."
Markus dashed toward Raven. The mercenary used his other ever growing tentacle arm to attack. The tentacle managed to hit the big vampire, sending him flying against the wall, but this did not faze the vampire as he quickly got up and ran sideways up the concrete.
Raven gritted his teeth and swung both of his tentacle arms like whips. They latched toward the vampire at extreme speed. Markus used blood step to dodge each attack. "You're slow human."
Markus ran up the ceiling until he was almost right above Raven. His feet seemed to stick to the surface like glue. Raven looked up and hissed, "Get down you leech."
The big vampire jumped from the ceiling straight toward his enemy. Like a homing missile, he charged at full speed while managing to dodge the incoming tentacles. Markus infused spirit force into his right fist. There was a huge explosion as Markus descended upon his enemy. A large cloud of debris hovered in the air. The big vampire jumped back, trying to put distance between himself and his enemy. He scanned the area, not knowing if the mercenary had escaped.
"Hehehe, are you dead human?"
As the dust and debris cleared, Raven was still standing in the same place. However, his right tentacle was laying on the ground and a huge chunk of his right shoulder was destroyed. "You Bastard! That fucking hurts."
Black blood leaked from his right shoulder and the pain he felt was unimaginable. Markus just grinned at the sight. "Is that all you got human? I'm sure you have more to show me."
Raven heard a whisper in his mind. "Do you want more power human?"
The mercenary knew that he did not have long to live. He did not hesitate, for his mind was only filled with the need for revenge and the will to win. "Yes."
"Then I will take another piece of your soul," the demon hissed.
For two seconds, Raven felt a pain so intense it almost made him lose consciousness. A strong wave of energy suddenly filled his body. Raven reached up and tore away the upper part of his green armor. A heavy metal thud echoed through the chamber as the top grade plate fell to the concrete. Markus watched in confusion. "What are you doing human?"
Raven did not answer. He removed the lower part of his armor until he was standing with only his trousers on. Markus scratched his head and gave a startled look. "Hey man, I don't swing that way."
Raven's body suddenly grew larger, transforming into a black grotesque creature with eyes like dark coal. From his upper arms and shoulders, several thick black tentacles sprouted. This time, the tips of the tentacles were tipped with long black blades. Next, a sickening and wet crack echoed through the air as the man's lower half began to warp and distend. The fabric of his trousers shredded as his hips broadened and fused into a massive, elongated abdomen of overlapping obsidian plates.
This new lower body was a tapering and segmented carapace, darker than the night and polished to a greasy, predatory sheen that reflected the flickering flames. Erupting from the base of this black exoskeleton, four spindly and multi jointed legs snapped into existence. They were jagged and angular, covered in thorn like protrusions that bristled with every twitch of the mercenary's new anatomy.
Markus scratched his head with his index finger. "Guess I can't call you a human anymore."
Raven felt the immense power flowing through his black eyes. "I do not care what you call me. Let us find out if you can still speak in the afterlife."
He rushed toward the vampire with extreme speed. His black tentacle blades shot out like a viper.
"So fast." Markus crossed his arms to block the incoming attack, quickly using spirit force to harden his limbs. The bladed tentacles hit the vampire with massive force. His forearms cracked under the pressure, and the impact knocked the big guy into the wall of the room.
Markus dashed across the space in an attempt to create distance between them. However, Raven swung his bladed tentacle arms toward him. They stretched like rubber and lashed across the vampire's back, opening a huge gash.
The muscular vampire felt a stinging, burning pain across his spine. What made it worse was that his wound was not healing as rapidly as it used to. He turned around, but instead of fear, his face was filled with ecstasy. With blinding speed, Raven lunged again. His limbs whipped toward Markus like lethal blades. Anticipating the onslaught, Markus rolled to the side and felt the whoosh of metal slicing through the air where he had just stood. He sprang back up, his senses heightened and ready to retaliate.
But the demon was relentless. It quickly repositioned, leveraging its long limbs for another strike. One of the tentacles struck true, slashing across Markus's side and leaving a deep gash that caused him to stagger back. The tentacle demon did not give his enemy a chance to recover. He propelled his bladed tentacles forward into a vicious thrust, but Markus managed to dodge the attack with precise accuracy. After missing the vampire, the tentacles continued forward and slammed into the wall, causing a massive explosion of stone and dust.
For Markus, this was the perfect opportunity to counter. "Is that all you got?"
His powerful grip latched onto the creature like a vice. He grinned as adrenaline coursed through him. "Let's take you for a spin."
Markus began swinging the demon in a wide arc. The creature's weight added momentum, and for a brief moment, it was airborne and flailing in disbelief. Shadows flickered against the concrete walls as Markus executed the move with precision, using the demon's own mass against it.
"Take this!" he shouted. He hurled the demon against the cold and unforgiving concrete wall of the underground room. The impact echoed through the chamber like thunder, sending debris scattering in all directions.
Raven quickly launched himself at Markus with fury. However, the demon had taken massive damage and he felt pain creeping throughout his distorted body. With two tentacles slashing out, one managed to scrape across Markus's shoulder, leaving the vampire momentarily disoriented. The sting of pain surged through him, yet he pressed on, fueled by the rush of the fight.
The demon, seizing the opportunity, unleashed a flurry of razor sharp strikes, each attempt forcing Markus to dodge and weave. Despite his agility, he could not evade every attack. One blade caught him across the chest, the sharp edge tearing through his flesh. He grunted in pain and staggered back against the concrete.
The demon bellowed, a sinister laugh echoing in the underground chamber. "Hahaha! You think you can defeat me, vampire? Once I end your life, I'll hunt down your wife and child, and their heads will adorn my spikes like trophies!"
"Enough," Markus growled. "I'm done listening to your pointless rambling. I wanted to play with you for a little bit longer, but hearing you talk like you stand a chance against me is really pissing me off."
Markus tore off the upper part of his tattered clothes. His muscles were thick and well refined. He looked like the Olympian bodybuilders from Earth but with a slightly slimmer physique. Suddenly, his blood shot out of his body like steam escaping from a kettle. His once pale skin turned a light red and thick veins protruded from his body.
A huge wave of power enveloped the room. Raven could feel a cold chill running down his skin. He knew that this battle was going to be tougher and he prepared himself mentally. He retracted his tentacle arms and transformed them into scythes with dark energy flowing around the edges of the blades. Dark energy started to envelop Raven's body as he grew even larger.
"I will give you a chance to attack me three times," Markus said, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. "I will not fight back, and after that, I, Markus Crimson, will take your life."
A thick vein snaked around Raven's neck as he felt those words like a great insult. Even though he was a high ranking mercenary under Kilo, he always thought of himself as a proud warrior.
"I will make sure you regret that," Raven hissed.
Raven rushed toward the vampire in a zig zag motion. His speed was extremely fast for his huge stature, and he managed to quickly move behind his enemy. The blade of his arm was ready to slice through Markus's mid section.
The demon looked at his bladed arm after swinging. "Where is the blood?"
"Demon. That is your first move," Markus said calmly.
Raven turned his head to see Markus standing there with no wound. "Come, try again."
Anger rose within the demon. "Fuck you!"
He attacked again, but this time wings unfurled dramatically from the demon's back. The wings rippled with veins that pulsed subtly, each movement revealing a network of interlaced patterns that hinted at both beauty and menace. The wings began to flap back and forth at top speed. The movement was so fast that it formed a huge cloud of debris that hovered everywhere inside the room.
"Try to dodge this you vampire piece of trash!"
A loud boom echoed as Raven launched toward Markus. This time, his speed was even faster than before. With both of his arms taking the form of scythes, he attacked the vampire with two lethal slashes. Markus did not stand still and used his blood step technique to dodge the attack, but the demon read his movements. His speed was superior as he delivered two deep slashes across the vampire's chest.
Blood spurted from Markus's mouth. He thought to himself, how has his power increased this much? How powerful is this demon that gave him his power?
The wound across his chest had an intense burned effect. Also, the dark energy that surrounded the scythe like arms somehow prevented the vampire's body from regenerating. Markus turned around and saw Raven near the wall.
"You still have one more move left, then I'm going to kill you," Markus growled. "So make this attack count."
"Hahaha, Markus, Markus, Markus. You don't seem to understand the predicament that you are in."
Raven's face began to shift and morph. His left eye transformed into a bulbous shape that looked like a snail. His mouth followed, the teeth gradually receding and losing their unsettling sharpness. The gums took on a smoother texture, morphing from dark and ominous into a vibrant and fluidic hue reminiscent of aquatic depths. The lips swelled and reshaped, becoming full and rounded with an almost glossy sheen.
"I have grown stronger than you can imagine. I was just testing my power against you. I can kill you anytime I want. You are now just a practice toy and I have had enough of you already."
He suddenly wiggled his mouth and, in the blink of an eye, shot out a powerful stream of fast black liquid. It flew past Markus's left cheek and slammed directly into the fortified wall behind him. The moment the liquid connected, a violent hissing sound filled the room. The black acid ate deep into the stone, corroding a huge, jagged chunk of the fortified structure in seconds. The wall, designed to withstand siege-level impacts, crumbled and dissolved as the liquid chewed through the heavy material like it was nothing more than paper.
The vampire felt a burning sensation on his face. With the middle and index fingers of his left hand, he touched the spot where it burned. He pulled his fingers back only to see the black liquid. After a couple of seconds, the liquid ate through both of his fingers like acid. His left cheek also burned as the black liquid ate through his face. After more seconds, almost half of his face was gone with only the bone remaining.
Markus looked at his hand. He noticed the flesh was gone from his thumb, index, and middle fingers. He then looked up at the demon who was laughing hysterically.
"You see Markus? You see the difference?"
Markus did not say much. He decided to turn up the heat as he went into second gear. "Blood Burst times two!"
Blood steam burst out of Markus's body with violent force. He knew this technique could not be activated for long. He could have beaten this demon with his initial blood burst technique, but he wanted to show this newly born monster the true meaning of despair.
"This is the difference between heaven and the soil," Markus growled.
Raven did not know what happened. He had been staring at the vampire only a few seconds ago, but now, Markus had vanished like a ghost. Even with his demonically enhanced senses, he could not follow the movement. All that remained was a fading red mist hovering where the vampire had stood moments ago. Before Raven could even blink, the Crimson was already towering before him.
Markus's right hand coiled into a massive fist. He cocked back his muscled arm, the limb corded with thick veins that pulsed as small jets of red steam hissed from his pores. The air seemed to grow heavy, pressurized by the sheer presence of the vampire's second gear.
"Blood Punch," Markus whispered.
"Wait, Markus!" Raven cried out. In that final, desperate split second, the mercenary realized the truth. Markus had not been struggling; he had been hiding a sun's worth of power behind a mask of boredom.
The strike was cataclysmic. Markus unleashed a punch that tore through the demon's mid section, the force expanding inside Raven's body until he blew up like a balloon. The raw kinetic energy did not stop there; it slammed into the floor starting from where Raven stood, carving a massive trench through the concrete that plowed straight into the fortified wall behind the mercenary.
Silence returned to the chamber, broken only by the sound of Raven's remains splattering across the floor.
Markus exhaled sharply as he deactivated his Blood Burst technique. His skin cooled, returning to its natural pale hue, and the red steam dissipated into the damp air. Feeling the heavy weight of exhaustion, he sank down right where he stood, sitting on the cold concrete just inches away from the start of the jagged trench. The deep gashes across his chest remained open, the dark energy of the demon still fighting against his natural regeneration. He had banked on his immortality to carry him through, but he had underestimated the corrosive power of the creature. He knew he could not move yet. He had to sit, stay focused, and force his body to stitch itself back together.
He leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling, thinking of the battle still raging above. "I'm sure the others have everything under control for now."