Prologue:
"I'LL KILL YOU!" A young blond screamed in rage. Emerald-ruby eyes filled with anger, the boy rushed the armor-clad man before him. Face twisted in unrelenting fury, right arm cloaked in a deep, dark, black. With a hard step, the young boy, Ragna, reeled his right arm back to swing up and tear the armored man apart, only to be blown back by a gust of wind. He rolled, glided, and bounced along the grassy terrain before coming to a stop. When he picked up his head to gaze at his attacker, his canines ground like a savage wolf and his already murderous outlook became even more menacing, his fingers and claws dug into the earth and bunched up the soil and blades of grass into his hands.
"You…bitch…!"
The man looked up to the scarlet night that shrouded the world, the moon crimson.
"Tonight is the night..." The armor clad man voice echoed through the night. Stern and deep, it brought everything to a standstill, even time itself. His very presence was a force to be reckoned with. Mask faceless and chilling pressure zoning out the bloodstained air; his gaze once more fell on Ragna, serving to stop Ragna's advance. "The ceremony will reach its climax."
"Cere…mony…?"
"The souls of those sacrificed will become the catalyst for mankind's redemption. It will bring us hope and salvation. The possibility of a life free from sorrow… Free of evil."
"You…masked…bitch!" The boy cursed at him as he slowly rose from the ground. "I'm gonna make you pay…! You hear me!?"
"…" The blond haired girl extends her hand outwards as another blast of wind came and struck him, spiraling him into a small plateau behind him. He hit the bedrock back first. Blood spurt from his mouth as his eyes stretched to saucers, a scream of pain stuffed in his throat, unable to pour from his mouth. Ragna hit the ground with a harsh thud and cough a few times before looking back up.
"Why…? Why are you doing this!? We've never done ANYTHING to you!" the boy cries out. "What's the point to all this!?"
"It is all…for the sake of order."
"What…?"
"This world is unbalanced," the swordsman said. "Tonight I shall bring the rest of 'them' to our world… Then we can secure our future and move passed this nightmare…"
"How the hell can this secure out future!?" He rose up once more and glared right at the armor-clad man. "How does slaughtering my family and my village supposed to do that shit huh!?" He got no response from the man as his teeth once again showed themselves to the world. Before he could move, a bright white light stole his gaze as he found a white seal under his feet. Chains sprung came from the seal and wrapped around him as it brought him down to the ground. He tried to wiggle his way out, but it was useless. There was no escape.
"Who…the hell…are you…!?" He strained himself to say as the chains binding him began to crush him.
"Who am I…?" The man strode over to the boy on the ground, each footstep shaking the ground beneath him, unsheathing the long blade held on his back, striking fear into the boy's heart, nearly stopping it. "I shall reap the sins of this world… And cleanse it…in the fires of destruction. I…am Hakumen…" His advance yielded before the restrained boy as he lifted the tall blade above his head. "The end…has come."
"Sir. What are you planning to do?"
Hakumen and a few soldiers in white cloaks with masks over there face stood over what seemed to be a dungeon with an unconscious Ragna held loosely in the armored man's hand. T
"…Throw him in."
Without another word, they toss the young boy in through the open hatchet. Ragna hit the grey brick layered floor with a harsh thud. Once he did, the hatchet closed, the light dimming to the size of a penny. His entire body cried out in pain. From his head, all the way down to his legs. However, the pain he felt in his body was nothing to that of his real pain.
"…Mom… Dad… Jin…"
The boy's voice started to crack as he ground his teeth together. Tears fell down his face in perfect streams while he wept silently to himself. His whimpers and coughs echoed through the dark, gloomy dungeon. However, nobody was around to hear or care. Family slain, he was all alone. Left to wallow in his own despair. Forced to reside in a hell he did not deserve.
Images of Hakumen flashed in his mind as he clawed at the concrete. Trails of blood followed his fingers, his teeth grit and showing.
"Kill… Kill… Kill…"
He repeated over and over again to himself. He kept repeating as it became like a melody. The same mesmerizing tempo.
"Uoooo…"
He heard a growl and cocked his head back to see what that noise was. Ragna looked to see beasts covered in a dark gaseous substance. Their eyes glowed a bright red, saliva running down from their mouths, and razor sharp fangs and claws ready to tear into him.
However, he didn't feel threatened one bit. He struggled to get up, mumbling the same thing over and over again. His hair shrouding his eyes from view.
"Kill…"
He rose to his knees.
"Kill…!"
He wobbled onto his two feet as they came closer.
"Kill!"
His right arm turned into a massive claw as he looked up at them with wide, murderous eyes.
"KILL!"
Ragna roared as he charged at the coming beasts to engage them in a bloody battle. However, this was no battle; this was a massacre. He tore through them and ripped them apart like paper. Bloody, sickening squelches and the cries of the monsters resounded through the dungeon. Once a cement-grey floor now bathed in red as did Ragna. The wounds inflicted on him begun to heal, sizzling like a flame before disappearing.
Those still left alive cowered, taking a few steps back. Ragna's head fell to his right. His eyes were wide, deranged, psychotic. No longer was he a simple boy living a peaceful life with his loved ones, but a monster out for blood. Craving it...! He wanted it!
A wicked smile appeared on his lips then.
He was so hungry...
"Heh."
And his food was staring right at him.
The sound of squelches now filled the blood stained room. Within the carnage and littered bodies, a crimson drenched Ragna knelt before a still breathing daemon as he tore into the crying monster, took whatever piece of meat he could get his hands on, and shoved it in his mouth whole. Desperate hands worked effortlessly to bring the irresistible meat to his mouth. He was so hungry... But no matter how much he ate, he could never feel full. Ragna took up a bone and licked whatever scant of meat remained, slurping up the blood as if it were ketchup. The boy stood up then, arms wobbling when he did so, his eyes stretched in horror and lips curled in a smile. A mixture of different emotions flit within him; repugnance, ecstasy, fear, joy.
Soon that pleasure and delight vanished, leaving him with nothing but disgust. Trembling, he turned to his right hand to find it in its claw form. How could this happen? Just what did he do? Ragna buckled to his knees, splashing in the pool of blood.
"Hakumen…"
This was his fault...!
"Hakumen...!"
Then and there he made a vow.
A vow that would drive him to live on.
A mission.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
Fifteen years later…
The room was dark with only the light from the small hatchet above illuminating it. Dead bodies littered the floor, filling the room with the stench of blood and aroma of decomposition. Viscera and gore spread all across the surrounding stone. In this dark, filthy, bloodstained room, a single man sat all the way in the corner of the room. His body was well toned as his chest was visible through the tight shirt he wore. He had on a ripped up brown sleeveless shirt and pants; his hair a dirty spiky blond and eyes mismatched, one emerald green and the other crimson red. His right arm was a pitch black as his left was normal. The man's ears tingled at the sound of footsteps and looked to see not a man, but a beast. It took on the form of a wolf with a single brown leather chest plate on its right breast. Razor sharp teeth and fangs as its drool poured down its chin while he stalked towards the masculine man. Its presence would shake even the most formidable warrior to their boots.
But not him.
Not anymore.
"Looks like another idiot wants to die. I'm not in the mood for this shit..." Ragna scoffed. His deep, gruff voice echoed within his cell, hanging in the air for a moment. With an annoyed grunt, Ragna stood at his full height. Darkness oozed from his right arm before encasing it entirely, stopping the monsters advance. "You're scared now are ya? Well, it's too late for regrets now."
With a scared whimper, the daemon began to run the opposite way. Tch, how annoying, Ragna clicked his teeth as he leapt over the scampering daemon and landed right in front of him, grabbing his neck in the same instant as he hoisted the beast up in the air.
"You know if it didn't progress this far I might've been able to save you. I guess luck wasn't on your side. Sorry about this..." Ragna slammed the daemon onto the ground with enough force to break the brick-covered floor, tightening his hold on the creature. It writhed and squirmed, and past its savagous eyes, it begged for mercy. Something Ragna could no longer give. Something like this was nothing. Just another daemon, Ragna groaned internally. All in a days work.
"Just shut up. Don't worry; I'll end your suffering as quickly as I can." His tone held a remorseful edge as he pushed its head further down into the concrete to shut it up, and with a yell, crushed its head. The creatures limbs squirmed as if having a seizure before finally falling limb. The moment it did, Ragna did like he always did, and devoured it. The creature's body began to vanish, replaced by a thick purple cloud. Ragna's arm pulsed which sounded like a gulp with each 'bite' he took. Once the creature had vanished entirely, Ragna rose up with a sad look in his eyes. Not even a body...?
"Damn… The hell kind of shit is this…"
Years of being trapped in this hellhole taught Ragna what these things were that ravaged the planet. Or...who. Once people, now monsters out for blood. Men, women, child—it didn't matter who. Daemonblight had no favorite.
"Poor kid…" He shook his head in disapproval, contrite eyes fixed where the body of the daemon once laid. "All for the sake of justice? What a load of crap. Self-centered sonsabitches."
Even though he's been trapped in this godforsaken caged and stripped of his rights as a human being that didn't mean he still didn't have his morals. He couldn't let himself break or lose himself. That was one thing he couldn't let happen. In any event, his time in here gave him time to sort what happened out, and the daemons that came in here helped him out. What were these daemons? And just what exactly happened to his village? However, that question remained unanswered. There were no means of getting that information. All he could do was try and survive. Survive and try to make it out so he could get the answers he's been searching desperately for.
"It's been fifteen years now…" The man mumbled to himself as he looked at his pitch black arm. He held his head in pain as he tried to recall the exact events of that day. That horrid...horrid day. Ragna growled when the bane of his existence, a man clad in white armor, standing over a large sanctuary popped up in his mind. A blade as tall as he was in hand, his back turned to him.
"Damn him…!"
Fifteen, long, cold, lonely years he's been trapped in this cage. Forced to fight and devour man, woman, and child. The unfortunate souls that became daemons now his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He's devoured soul after soul, after soul and he could hear them wailing as he ate them. Their souls cried out for solace and peace. He saw that he was able to let them go in peace, but it wasn't as often as he'd like. Sometimes they were at a phase that they could even be saved and turned back into humans, but that was rare. If he recalled correctly, it's only happened once or twice. The best he could do was send them off as quickly as he could and put their soul to rest.
Ragna closed his eyes, recalling his past. In this cold cell, it was the only thing that kept him warm.
'Brother…'
A boys voice echoed through his mind as he grit his teeth.
A time where he could recall truly being happy. And a time where he lost everything. All because of that man. And it is because that man still lives that he finds the strength to carry on as he dreams of the day where he can kill him with his own two hands. To make him suffer as he has; to avenge his family; to bath in the afterglow of his demise.
With a sigh, he started back to his corner at the end of the room, but an odd noise stopped him in his tracks. He looked up to see the door above him open as a ladder descended down to the ground. He raised his hand above his eyes to block the light that came from above him. His eyes slowly began to adjust to the bright light coming from above and removed his hand from his eyes as a figure descended to him. From the hatchet, a woman wearing a black dress with red crosses on it and a large red bow on her chest landed gracefully on the ground. She had long blond hair tied in pigtails by black ribbons that almost made her look like a rabbit. The woman had a small red bat at her side and a black umbrella in hand. She crossed over to the taller man and stopped right in front of him, a small greeting smile on her face.
"Good evening, Ragna."
"Your… Rachel Alucard." Ragna's glare hardened. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked her with a sharp venom.
Rachel twirls her umbrella in her hand playfully and looks around the room. "I see you have been quite busy these past few years Ragna. Quite t—"
"I asked what the fuck are you doing here?" Ragna cut her off.
Rachel stopped twirling her umbrella and closed it with a snap.
"I have come for you Ragna. I believe it is time for you to get out of here. A man should not be cooped up in one place for so long. Even a beast like you needs to be let off his leash at some point. I believe a thank you is in order." Rachel giggled.
"I don't have time to put up with your bullshit." He hissed his teeth in disdain and gave her a halfhearted chuckle. "Also, beast? Leash? I think your more of a beast then I'll ever be… Vampire."
"Still a classless foul. You haven't changed at all in the fifteen years incarcerated. To speak to me in such an uncouth tone? Do know your place peasant."
"I see you haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you. Still an uptight bitch." Ragna bit and put a hand on his hip. "So, what does the woman who put me here want to break me out for? What, you want me to be your slave? Sorry you bloodthirsty lapin, but I ain't gonna be your lapdog."
Rachel giggled then.
"So you wish to stay in this pit of blood and gore for the rest of your life then Ragna?"
"I think that's better than looking at you at this point. So…if you don't leave…"
The guttural growl that erupted from him hung in the air. Hatred oozed from him as seithr seeped from his right arm. Rachel's familiars gulped staring at the platinum. To them, he had glowing red eyes and stood as nothing but a phantom; a monster. Unfazed by his threat or the gravity-defying pressure he gave, she giggled and leapt back for some space.
"Oh really? I would love to see you try Ragna. Please. I insist." In that same instant, Ragna appeared before her, fist reeled, and eyes stretched wide. Gracefully, Rachel sidestepped to the right, using her wind to aid her as the man flew across the room for his fist to crater the wall behind her. "My," Rachel covered her mouth with dainty fingers with eyes wide in surprise. "If I did not know any better, I believe you were actually trying to kill me. Is this true?"
"I got nothing to say to you," Ragna replied sharply. He charged back at her, his fist surrounded by seithr once more. He threw several punches and kicks her way, but she dodged them nimbly and gracefully, almost like a dance.
"Is that truly all you can do? Mr. "Grim Reaper"? That is quite pitiful."
"Aaagh!" With a beastial roar, Ragna's fist collides with the ground as Rachel leapt back just before the attack turned her into a jelly pastry.
Silence.
"You enjoying yourself over there?" Ragna asked in an irritated tone.
"Quite. I have not had this much fun in an age." Rachel answered.
"Who the hell do you think you are…?" Ragna took his fist from the concrete, small pebbles falling while he did so. "You think this is fucking 'fun'? You think this is a damn joke!?" Ragna's arm morphed into a massive claw then. Digging his feet into the ground, Ragna charged the vampire once again, and when she attempted to sidestep using the wind, Ragna caught her, brought her to the very back of the dungeon and slammed her into the wall.
"Oh my, you caught me. I did not predict this."
"You think this is a fucking game!? If you're just here to fuck with me let me tell you… You made the wrong. Fucking. Choice." He clenched his left fist and reeled it back as seithr surrounded it.
"A game hm?"
"Always thinking that shit is a game. Rambling on about how bored you are. You never fucking change… You always manage to piss me off. So how about this. You get the fuck out of here before I kill you because I am so SICK and TIRED of your bullshit! Just looking at you makes me fucking sick…! I wish you would just die."
"...And? If I do not leave."
"Then I guess this place is gonna be your grave."
"I see… But let me tell you… If you kill me…" Ragna threw his fist to strike her as a smirk came across Rachel's features. "Then you will never know what took place that night." With that, Ragna's fist stops right in front of her face, the wind from the attack ruffling her perfect bangs as a single string of hair fell from its place.
Ragna retracted his fist back to his side and let her down after a momentary staring contest as his right arm reverts to its regular pitch black state. "The hell are you talking about?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Rachel gracefully moved her fingers across her forehead to correct the small strand of hair that dangled over her. "What you saw…? Why your village was sacrificed…? What that ritual was? I'm sure you want answers." Ragna remained silent. Rachel smirked, "I see I have caught you attention. If you seek answers, that I can provide. But we must escape first." The vampire snapped her fingers as a massive seal appeared above him and shattered, the seal falling like glass and disappearing into the wind.
"What are you up too?" Ragna asked, suspicious of the vampires goal. "Are you trying to use me? If you are you can go to hell. Actually, just go to hell."
"Do you truly care? What should matter now is getting out of here. We haven't much time. I've broken quite a few seals to make it here, and I have no doubt the guards will notice." Rachel informed.
"I see..." Ragna glossed over Rachel's clothing to find it a bit torn up. Not too much to be easily recognized, but it was clear she ran into some trouble before arriving here.
"Though," Rachel started. "I must say you have grown a bit since the last time I saw you Ragna."
"It's been fifteen years… The hell else did you expect?" Ragna bit.
"Well," she giggled and brought her hand up to his cheek. "I expected you t—"
Slap.
A loud slap sound rang through the silent dungeon. It was the sound of Ragna slapping Rachel's hand off his face. This time she didn't have anything to say and just stared at him.
"Don't you ever…" Ragna started, his voice filled with a powerful venom, his glare strong enough to make even the gods themselves cower. "Don't…touch me. Don't you ever laying a finger on me ya hear?"
"…"
"Now if we're done chatting, we need to go. You've got a lot of shit you need to explain to me." The dungeon went silent then, filled with nothing but the footsteps of Ragna heading towards the ladder. He stopped just a few steps from Rachel. "Also… Don't go acting like we're friends. This isn't some reunion or destined meeting. This is nothing more than a chance encounter. Or did you forget what you did to me?"
"No… I am well aware of what I've done to you. I am one of the reasons you are in here after all…"
"Good. Glad you remember. So I'm gonna say this shit once." Ragna started. "After we get outta here…and you tell me all I need to know. I want you out my sight." He looked over his shoulder at her with wide, beast-like eyes, his voice just as vicious. "And the next time I see you… I'm gonna kill you. No questions asked."
"…"
"Are we clear?"
"…Crystal."
Ragna didn't glance back at her after that and made his way out, leaving the vampire with her familiars. Rachel felt a sudden tightness in her chest as if someone was squeezing it. She placed a hand over it as if it would ease her pain, but somehow, it only made it worse. Rachel chuckled to herself in pity. Why should she be sad? It's no surprise to her that he would respond to her like this. Honestly, this went better than she expected. But still...
"Princess…" Nago observed his master with saddened eyes along with his bat companion. Just looking at her like this... It made their hearts ache.
"Are you o—?"
"I'm fine," Rachel sharply cut off Gii.
"But princess… You don't seem ok."
"Gii… Nago…"
The two started to shiver as they answered back hesitantly. "Y-Yes princess?"
"...It is nothing. So let us stop with the questions."
"O-Oh… Right…"
'What is wrong with me…? What was I expecting to see when I walked in here?' "Let us go before that idiot gets impatient." Rachel summoned a small gust of wind that fluttered her dress then. Slowly, she made her way to the hatchet and shut her eyes as memories began flooding back into her. To the night that would forever change the course of her life. 'Why…? There was no point…' Rachel gave a sad sigh as she opened her eyes and flew through the hatch to find nothing but barren land scattered with rocks and a large door a good walking distance from her that lead to the inner prison. Trotting across the rock-littered landscape was Ragna, who had made it halfway. Someone was in a hurry, Rachel attempted to joke, but it did little to bring her up. Contrite eyes observed the man, holding the hand he slapped away moments ago.
"Don't...touch me. Don't you ever lay a finger on me, ya hear?"
Rachel's head hung just enough for her bangs to shroud her eyes as rain made it's decent, growing harsher by the second. Somehow, her chest grew tighter, and her eyes began to burn. She told herself she was ready. For so long she prepared herself for this day. And yet, she came ill-equipped to handle this pain. This pain was unlike any she had ever felt before. Rachel pondered over herself for a moment, trying to figure out why her heart ached so. But, it didn't take too long. Even a child could figure out this pain that ailed her.
'So...this is how it feels to have your heart broken?'
Rachel bit her lip and bunched her top up in her fist.
'I hate this feeling... I hate it...' Rachel tightened her grip than with enough force to rip her shirt. 'It hurts... It hurts so much...' She pulled in her lip as her fangs sunk into it, drawing blood that dripped down her lip, joining the falling rain.
Rachel looked up to the grey sky.
'Father... Please, grant me strength.'
Now that's the end of this chapter. While I was writing this I debated between this and Persona 5 (great game by the way). I'm still thinking about doing a Persona 5 one, but meh. Hope yall found this read enjoyable and I'll see ya next chapter.
Next Chapter 1: Prison break
Revised.
