The ground trembled as the remnants of the broken dimension dissolved into shimmering dust. Rays of crimson light cut through the cracks of the collapsing sky, falling onto the ruins of the battlefield. When the last fragment of the rift vanished, silence descended over the living world once more.
The vampires stood on one side of the shattered field—Oban, Klein, Allisa, and the others—eyes still glowing faintly from the surge of power that had held their realm together. On the other side, the mages, led by Yuji, gripped their staves and swords tightly, the scent of burnt mana lingering in the air.
For a moment, no one moved. No one breathed.
Then Allisa took a step forward. Her boots crunched against the ash-covered ground, her golden eyes weary but still sharp. "So," she said quietly, her voice breaking the stillness, "this is what it all comes down to? A war that neither side ever wanted?"
Yuji's gaze hardened. "Don't twist this, Allisa. It wasn't us who started spilling blood in the dark."
Klein clenched his fist, anger flashing across his face. "You think you're innocent? You mages called us monsters, hunted us for centuries—did you expect us to bow and smile while you burned our people alive?"
"Enough."
The single word came from Aijack, his voice steady but cold. He stepped between them, his coat fluttering with the faint wind that swept through the battlefield. His body was still scarred from his earlier fight, but his eyes carried something different now—a calm clarity.
"Yuji," Aijack said, "you've known me long enough to understand what truly happened. You think Oban wanted this chaos? You think any of us did?"
Yuji's jaw tightened, but he didn't answer.
Allisa crossed her arms. "You always saw us as threats, not as beings who bled and felt like you. Oban… he fought because he wanted to protect our kind. He didn't want revenge—he wanted balance."
Yuji turned away for a second, his shoulders tense. "Balance? Tell that to the villages that burned. Tell that to the people who lost everything when your kind went wild."
"Those weren't We doing!" Klein shot back. "You think every vampire listens to reason? You humans pushed too hard, cornered too many—and now you cry about what you created!"
Aijack raised his hand slightly, stopping them both. His gaze softened as he looked at Yuji. "You lost people. So did we. But if you can't see that We sacrificed everything just to keep both worlds from collapsing, then you'll never understand what kind of man he is."
Yuji finally met his eyes. The fury in him dimmed, replaced by something quieter. Regret, maybe. "Then tell me, Aijack… why did it have to go this far?"
Aijack looked down at the ground, his shadow stretching across the cracked stone. "Because no one ever stopped to talk before they drew their blades."
There was silence again. Long, heavy, but not hostile this time.
Then, like a whisper carried by the wind, the air rippled—and from the fading shimmer of energy, Oban appeared. His black coat swayed with every step, his eyes glowing faintly red, though the exhaustion beneath them was clear.
Aijack turned immediately. "Oban!"
Oban gave a faint smile. "Yeah Mr Aijack ? Guess I didn't train you for nothing."
Aijack laughed softly, shaking his head. "Barely. That dimension almost tore us apart."
Oban's gaze moved past him to Yuji. For a second, the two stood face to face—the vampire who had once been feared as the Blood Monarch and the mage who had sworn to destroy him.
Yuji finally spoke. "You stopped the rift… didn't you?"
Oban nodded slowly. "Yeah. It wasn't supposed to open that way. Too much hatred, too much blood—it was feeding on both worlds. But it's done now."
Yuji lowered his weapon. "Then maybe… we were wrong about you."
Oban smiled faintly. "Maybe we were wrong about each other."
Allisa looked at Yuji then, her expression softening. "Do you understand now? We never wanted this to continue. All the pain, the fighting… it was never our goal."
Yuji exhaled, his voice quiet. "I see that now." He turned toward Oban and bowed slightly. "Thank you—for stopping what we couldn't."
Oban shrugged, though his eyes glimmered faintly. "You don't need to thank me. Just make sure no one else follows the same path we did."
Aijack stepped closer, his tone gentle. "What happens now?"
Klein pulled out something from his coat—a shimmering object shaped like a jagged crystal key, pulsing with dimensional energy. "Now," he said softly, "we go home. The rift may be gone, but our world is still out there—waiting for us."
Yuji frowned. "You're leaving?"
Oban nodded. "It's better this way. Two worlds weren't meant to overlap for so long. Every time we crossed paths, more blood spilled. It's time we end the cycle."
There was a pause. Then Yuji stepped forward and extended his hand. "Then let's end it with peace."
Oban looked at the hand for a moment before clasping it. Their grip was firm—rough, tired, but real.
"For all the lives lost," Oban said quietly, "may this be enough."
Yuji smiled faintly. "It's more than enough."
Aijack watched them, a sense of relief washing over him. The tension that had once filled the air now melted into something softer—hope, fragile but genuine.
As the last rays of sunlight broke through the clouds, Klein raised the dimensional key. A golden light spread around the vampires, wrapping them like a gentle wave.
Oban turned one last time, looking at Yuji and the other mages who now stood silently.
"Take care of your world," he said. "We'll take care of ours."
Oban smiled—one final, human smile. "You already had the strength. You just needed to believe in it."
The key pulsed brighter, the light surrounding the vampires growing stronger. Klein's voice echoed softly, "Castle Foreverness… open."
And just like that, the world shimmered. The figures of the vampires began to fade, their silhouettes dissolving into motes of red and silver.
Yuji raised his hand in farewell. "Goodbye, Oban. May your people find peace."
Oban's voice came faintly, carried by the wind: "And may yours never lose it."
With a final flash, the vampires vanished, leaving only silence—and the faint glimmer of light where they had stood.
Aijack looked at the empty space for a long time, his chest heavy but calm. Allisa rested a hand on his shoulder. "They're finally free," she whispered.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. And so are we."
Above them, the clouds parted fully, revealing a vast blue sky for the first time in what felt like ages. The battle, the hatred, the misunderstanding—it all faded with the dawn.
Two worlds, once bound by conflict, now separated by peace.
And somewhere far beyond that horizon, in the halls of Castle Foreverness, Oban stood at the window, watching the same sunrise. A faint smile crossed his lips.
At last… it was over.