The battlefield was lit by the dying glow of Escanor's sun, the warmth of the light fading as the horizon bled into darkness. Alucard's shadow loomed taller with every passing second, his crimson eyes glimmering with the smug confidence of a predator that knew the hunt was tilting in his favor.
"You've lasted longer than most," Alucard said, his voice deep, resonating like a church bell in a crypt. "But the night is mine. The longer this fight continues, the stronger I become… and at midnight—" His lips curled into a grin sharp enough to cut steel. "—I am invincible."
Escanor chuckled softly, Rhitta resting on his broad shoulder. "Invincible? How quaint. I've heard that word from so many before you, and they all learned the same thing…" His eyes narrowed. "The sun doesn't bow to the night. Ever."
Tatsumaki's voice came from behind the barricade of her telekinetic shield, sharp and impatient.
"Captain, why are we just sitting here letting these two smash each other? If we all went in—"
"—you'd ruin the duel," Enel interrupted without even turning his head. His golden eyes were fixed entirely on the fight. "A man's pride is a weapon sharper than any blade. Step in, and you break it."
Hinata frowned but said nothing, her Byakugan quietly tracking every movement between the combatants.
Alucard's grin widened. "You think your pride will save you? Let me show you the truth of my power."
His body began to ripple unnaturally, flesh turning to liquid. The transformation was grotesque but hypnotic — veins became rivers, muscles dissolved into crimson streams, and soon his entire form had become a churning blood mist. Dozens of glowing red eyes opened within it, each swiveling independently to track Escanor's every move.
"This," Alucard's voice echoed from every direction, "is the Batto-Batto no Mi: Model Vampirei. For as long as I will it, my body is blood. I can seep through the smallest cracks in your skin, drown your heartbeat, or strike from anywhere."
Escanor's brow furrowed, but he didn't step back. "And decide to make yourself even easier to burn? Admirable." He said, mockingly.
The mist surged forward, tendrils and spears of liquid blood lashing like serpents, and stabbing like daggers each tipped with hardened points that could pierce stone. Escanor swung Rhitta in a broad arc, the golden axe smashing through several of the blood-limbs, only for them to reform seconds later.
"You can't truly hit what isn't solid," Alucard taunted. "And even when you do strike, I mend faster than you can harm."
Escanor raised a palm to the sky, and a miniature star flared into being above it.
"Let's see how well blood fares against the sun itself… Cruel Sun!"
As he brought his arm down, the sphere of blinding fire screamed forward, heat distorting the air as it closed in. Alucard's form dispersed completely, slipping around the attack in vaporous wisps. His laugh echoed through the darkness.
"Too slow!"
But Escanor only smirked. "Who said I was done?" His fingers clenched into a fist. "Pride Flare."
The miniature sun detonated, expanding violently outward in a fiery bloom. The wave of heat and light engulfed the mist entirely, searing away chunks of Alucard's intangible body. The red eyes within the haze flickered and winked out one by one, replaced with guttural snarls.
From the stands, Erza's eyes narrowed. "He forced him into overextending. Clever."
When the flames died, the mist recoiled, pooling into a humanoid form once again — this time blood-soaked and battle-worn, but still healing.
Alucard licked his lips, tasting his own essence. "You've got teeth, Sun Lion. I'll give you that. But now…" His form blurred. "I'll stop holding back."
He vanished in a blur of crimson. Escanor's instincts kicked in — he turned just in time to block a barrage of hardened blood projectiles that slammed against Rhitta's blade like bullets from the real world. The force drove him back a step.
"Fast…" Escanor muttered, planting his feet.
"Observation Haki, boy," Alucard's voice purred from behind him. "I see your swings before you even think them."
A spike of blood erupted from the ground beneath Escanor, grazing his armored side before retracting. More spikes followed, forcing him into a defensive rhythm.
The fight wore on. The warmth of day was gone, and the sky deepened into a starless black. The moon rose like a silver coin, casting pale light over the battleground. With every passing minute, Alucard's strikes grew heavier, faster. His mist lashed with more force. His eyes glowed like furnaces.
Escanor's breathing grew heavier, but his stance never wavered.
"You… fight well," Alucard admitted between strikes. "But pride doesn't win wars. Power does."
"And yet," Escanor replied, blocking another spear of blood, "I see a man desperate to prove himself to the only audience that matters — himself."
Alucard's grin faltered for half a heartbeat before hardening again.
Midnight was close — the island's clocks tolling the approach of the hour. In one swift motion, Alucard's mist surged beneath Escanor, wrapping around his legs and chest before solidifying into hardened crimson chains. Escanor strained against them, the heat of his body sizzling the blood, but not fast enough.
A final strike — a condensed spear of blood — tore through the space beside Escanor's head, embedding in the ground.
And then… Escanor dropped to one knee.
He wasn't bleeding heavily. He wasn't unconscious. But his head hung forward, Rhitta's blade resting against the earth. For men like him, Alucard, and Enel… a knee was a silent admission of defeat.
The blood chains dissolved, and Alucard stepped back. "You're strong," he said plainly. "Stronger than most I've faced. But the night belongs to me." He turned to the crew. "You could have attacked the village while I was occupied. You didn't. That earns my respect. So I won't kill him."
Tatsumaki floated forward, clearly itching to fight. "You should regret that decision."
But before she could escalate, Enel stepped forward.
The moonlight caught the curve of Enel's drum-like gold ornaments, and a faint hum of electricity filled the air.
"Interesting ability you've got there, vampire," Enel said, golden eyes never leaving Alucard's. "But you're wrong about one thing."
"Oh?" Alucard tilted his head.
"I'm stronger than him," Enel said simply, jerking his chin toward Escanor. "And I'll prove it."
Alucard scoffed. "I don't join crews led by weaker men."
"Then let's make a wager," Enel replied, the air now crackling audibly. "If I beat you at your strongest — midnight — you join my crew. No tricks, no excuses."
A dark chuckle escaped Alucard's lips. "You amuse me, winged man. Very well. But know this…" His fangs flashed in the moonlight. "At midnight, I will show you no mercy."
Enel only smiled — slow, confident, and dangerous.
"Good," he said, as thunder began to rumble above the island. "I'd be insulted if you did."