Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a Castlevania fanfic. I don't own Castlevania or any of the characters of that story. I own Benji Himura and others original characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.
Benji Himura.
"Text"= Talked sentences.
'Text' = Thoughts.
-Text- = Sounds effects.
(Text)= Talked sentences in a foreign language as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.
: Text: = Messages show in an electronic screen or written.
Text: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.
Text: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.
"Text"= Alteration in the voice, not in the tone but the voice itself.
Chapter four: End of the quest
One of the demonic maids stares Benji in disbelief, they were a total of seventy maids, armed with knives, pots and cleavers, yet he had killed every single one of them other than herself.
Benji is leaning against a blood stained wall, pulling a knife from his chest, thanks to the armor the wound wasn't deep, but he got several of those knives nailed on his chest, even one on his leg and right arm.
The maid turns her back towards Benji and runs away, she was ordered like the others to kill him, but she wasn't told that the enemy was so powerful, she was just a lower class demoness, a maid above everything, she wasn't a warrior, she couldn't face a human that killed so many of her sisters.
But Benji don't intend on let her leave, he flicks the knife on the air before grabbing it by the tip and throwing it hard against the fleeing maid. She yelps in pain when the kitchen knife nails itself on her back with a low 'thud'. Benji pulls the other knives from his body and stores them in his inventory.
"I am not done with you maid-san." Benji said after walking to the crawling maid and pulling the knife from her back, she screams and tries to escape, Benji cuts her way, cornering her against the wall. Benji had to admit that the maid was looking quite cute about to cry in fear. Shoving away the dark evil feelings that surged Benji leans forward. "You are now my map."
The maid tries to push back, but the solid wall prevents that, she was utterly terrified of Benji. "If you behave and do what I say I will let you live." Benji added. "If you refuse or try doing anything other than I tell you I will kill you, so what you want? To die now or the chance of living another day?"
…
Benji nailed the demon maid to the wall by her sleeves, he has to craft some restrains for her so he can lead her around, the maid too scared to actually resist just remain there crying in silence, afraid of her fate. She watches scared while Benji picks a frying pan and cuts pieces of it with his sword, with the ease of someone cutting paper.
Pulling his leatherman multi-tool Benji sits on the floor holding a two by one and a half inches rectangle of cast iron, he carefully cuts the center of the rectangle leaving only a one centimeter thick edge, with a two and a half inches long iron pin Benji makes a prong by folding a end of it around the a one and a half inches wide part of the rectangle.
Pulling a leather stripe from his backpack Benji quickly adapts the newly made buckle on it with the aid of smaller iron pieces piercing the edges of the stripe and holding it together as clamps after some folding. Benji adds a D-ring on it, using the same piercing and clamping process to hold it in place; he adds a second one a couple inches from the buckle to hold the excess leather. All that took only five minutes.
He makes four more like that, but smaller than the first, and even make a couple of harnesses, he moves to the maid and places the largest belt like construction on her neck and buckles it. "It is too tight?" Benji asked to her. She denies confused, it wasn't all that tight, it was a bit tight but not uncomfortably tight. "Good." Benji commented while sliding the excess leather on the ring for it.
Then he quickly places the other four each in her wrists or ankles. Benji removes the knife from the wall and using one of harnesses he cuffs her wrists together behind her back. A longer leather stripe is hooked on the two rings on her legs' cuffs, and a leather and cloth rope is hooked on the ring on the collar.
"What?" She asked confused about everything. "You don't get it?" Benji asked. "This is your leash and your restraints. Just to make sure that you won't try anything, you have enough rope between your legs to take smaller than average steps, your hands are cuffed together, and on your neck are a collar and a leash."
The demoness feel humiliated at the treatment, but above everything she is scared of him, but the simple thought that he had so simple cutting out her means to escape and her freedom was intimidating and disturbingly arousing. Benji softly tugs on the leash indicating for her to stand up; she obeys knowing that she has no other choice.
"What is your name?" Benji asked to her, it was better than 'hey you'. "Remi." She answered. "Okay Remi, it is as I said." Benji said seriously. "You take me to where I want to go without trying anything funny and I will let you live, that simple and easy."
…
Benji looks at the maid walking in front of him, knowing her way around the mansion she was taking him to shortcuts and less crowded areas of the castle to his final destination, the room of clocks. "You don't have to be that tense." Benji commented noticing how stiff she is.
He is a bit unsure about things, he had scared that demon maid quite badly, Benji believed, or wanted to believe that not every demon was necessarily evil, that there could be good demons, life would be more interesting that way. "How you started to serve Dracula?" Benji asked, that bit of information could be precious.
"Every demonic ruler has a demand for servants." Remi answered. "Lord Dracula isn't an exception, if anything he is the rule, it takes more than skeletons, werewolves, zombies and others mindless creatures to serve a demonic lord, demons of high and lower caste can serve under a ruler, it makes life easier."
"So you read from a wanted ads or something?" Benji asked. "A loyal servant of Lord Dracula gathers demons willingly to serve him." Remi answered. "It can't be denied that some are slaves, bound to this castle and lord, others are just temporary servants." 'This kind of explains why there is such an array of monsters that differ in every game.' Benji thought idly. 'As well why there are always the same ones as well.'
"And you are here as?" Benji asked. "I am just a servant." Remi answered. "I thought that the mortal world would be better than hell, if you think that this world is harsh, that is because you haven't seen what I saw. I saw horrors able to tear the soul of the bravest man's."
Benji remained in silence, even if hell was harsh and brutal it doesn't justify them trying to take over the mortal world and make it as bad as hell. "I don't doubt that." Benji commented. "And we are here to make sure that this world won't turn into a second hell under Dracula's rule."
…
Reinhardt is about to attack this newly arrived demoness when he sees Benji appearing behind her. "What happened?" Reinhardt asked seeing Benji even more ragged than before, even the demonic maid was pretty ragged. "We walked into some ambushes and troublesome areas." Benji answered, while undoing the harness between the two leather cuffs of the demoness.
"What are you doing?" Reinhardt exclaimed realizing that Benji is setting his prisoner free. "I told her that if she behaved and took me here I would let her live." Benji answered seriously. "Reinhardt lower your whip, or you want to make me a liar?"
Reinhardt frowns at that, he is angry at Benji, but at the same time respects him. "I will only comply by the fact that you gave your word to that demon." Reinhardt said seriously. "I pray that it doesn't turn into a mistake that you will pay dearly for it."
The demoness stares in shock, she didn't expected to be released like that, she thought that Benji would actually kill her after her usefulness ended, even thought he saved her few times when they were attacked. "Why?" Remi asked confused. "As you fulfilled your end of the bargain so did I" Benji answered. "I am not an evil as you think that I am, now go."
Remi nods and runs away from there after removing her leg bindings. "Benji I really hope that you won't regret that." Reinhardt said seriously. Benji smiled at that. "I know that I won't." Benji replied casually. "I could see that on her eyes. I may be a pretty evil guy when I have to, but I can also be a pretty nice guy, besides Reinhardt, certain demons just need to feel some kindness to change."
"I hate to say this Benji but I don't believe in or agree with you." Carrie said seriously. "A good demon is a dead demon." "Sadly Carrie evil is as much needed on this world as good is." Benji said with a smile. "It is all about balance, without evil how good would exist? Without pain how we would know about pleasure? Without hate there isn't love, with out death there wouldn't be life. Death isn't such a bad guy, he is just fulfilling his task in this universe, everything that begins ends, maybe that end is just a new beginning."
Reinhardt and Carrie stare at Benji in surprised and awe. Reinhardt wonders for a split second if Benji was or got insane, but then he recalls that death comes to everyone regardless of their status, if they are good or evil, it comes to everyone and everything, and that perhaps Benji is right and Death isn't evil.
"If Death isn't evil why it helps Dracula?" Reinhardt asked seriously. "Think like this." Benji replied seriously. "If you lived since the beginning of the time taking lives when their time came wouldn't you help a friend that might live through that same eternity that you are?"
Reinhardt couldn't answer that, the idea of outliving friends over and over again until he wouldn't try making any more of those short living friends sounded pretty terrifying. "I concede that you may have a point there." Reinhardt said after a while. "Seeing life as such ephemeral thing I guess that for Death siding with Dracula won't change anything."
Carrie also weights that, but Benji's notion that Death wasn't either good or evil was oddly disturbing. "Then why people die?" Carrie asked to Benji. "So those who live know why to live for or something like that." Benji answered. "I am not sure, nothing on this world is eternal, everything changes maybe death is just another change for living beings."
Carrie remains in silence, the first sentence brought her some comfort, the admission that he wasn't sure also made her feel a little better, and if he was right and death was only a change to something else it made her feel better about it. In the other hand Benji was worried if Carrie bought the explanation, it was something that he red in a magazine and altered to fit the situation.
Carrie's small smile eases Benji's mind, it seemed that his explanation soothed something on her, then it was alright, plus it was true that be believed that death is neutral, neither good or evil, people just think on death as a bad thing because the feelings for those who are gone.
…
Reinhardt looked a Benji a bit suspiciously, Benji was eying Carrie in a different way for a while now, while the whip wasn't reacting to anything Reinhardt wasn't sure of anything, Benji's mischievous smile makes him uneasy. Benji was waiting for Carrie to lower her guard just a bit, he wants to toy with her and for that happen she can't see what he will do.
Luckily Carrie was distracted removing the magic seal that is keeping shut the door between the room of clocks and the clock tower. Benji leans forward to Carrie when she is done and purrs a 'Carrie…' on her ear softly blowing warm air on her ear. Carrie let out a cute little 'Eekkk!' jumping away startled and embarrassed.
Benji chuckled at the blushing girl protectively holding herself, staring at him. "Benji!" She exclaimed angrily and embarrassed. "Why did you do that for?" "Just felt like it." Benji replied playfully, Reinhardt let go of his previous suspicion, that little exchange made the mood of everyone lighter.
"Don't do that!" Carrie exclaimed still scarlet to her hairline, she huffs angrily and turns away from him. "So you don't want this?" Benji asked moving to Carrie, leaning forward again and showing to her ring between his index and middle fingers. "I want it! I want it!" Carrie exclaimed totally forgetting her anger and embarrassment, and acting only as a girl.
Benji lets Carrie pick the ring from his fingers. Carrie exams the gift very so carefully, taking every detail of the item. Reinhardt smiled at the scene noticing that Benji was also smiling. "What is that?" Reinhardt asked to him curious, that ring feels different than regular rings.
"I got from killing a monster on my way here." Benji answered. "It is a magic boosting ring, it boost magical powers among other things, handy stuff, especially for her." Reinhardt nodded agreeing, Carrie wouldn't admit but she was struggling harder than the two of them on the quest because her young age and small body, but both men knew it, if the two of them grown men are having trouble, a child would be having much more trouble. Carrie is oblivious to that, she is so happy with the gift that she missed the duo's serious mood.
After few minutes Carrie realizes two things. "Thank you." Carrie said to Benji, realizing that she forgot to show her appreciation to him. "I am really happy with this." "You are welcome." Benji replied with a smile, he can tell that he made Carrie's day with that.
"But why you gave this to me?" Carrie asked. "Because I wanted." Benji answered. "And it is magical, it will help you a lot in the long run." Carrie nodded understanding, happy for the concern and kindness. "Plus it is a sign of my thanks." Benji added ruffling Carrie's hair. "Without your aid I wouldn't have make this far." Carrie is embarrassed with his words and act, and tries to escape from him, even though she is happy.
…
Benji never really liked of the clock tower stage, and now that he had to pass by it he hated it even more, the place was a twisting and moving bowels of metal cogs, with danger everywhere, Reinhardt missed a jump and almost fell to his death, using the whip he with Benji's aid got back to safety, Benji was still nursing the cut on his left arm. Carrie got hit on the head by a cog while in midair, luckily she was throw back to the platform where the others were, so she was safely catch by Reinhardt and Benji. Benji was still due to a mistake there, but they all knew that sooner or later it would happen.
Benji leaps to a second platform after Reinhardt and Carrie, but cog that he was standing on moved just enough so it lacked enough distance covered by the jump, Benji hits the platform with his chest and holds on it as he slides down breathlessly, Reinhardt holds Benji's wrists cutting the fall on a pair of massive moving cogs.
Benji looks down and sighs in relief, but a shine catches his eyes. "Carrie there is a lock in the door doesn't it?" Benji asked while Reinhardt pulls him up. "Yeah." Carrie answered now by the door. "And we don't have the key." "I saw something down there." Benji replied. "It might be the key." "Then I will go get it." Reinhardt said. "I am better with those jumps than you are, no offence intended." "None taken." Benji replied. "Just be careful, it is a quite long way down."
Benji watches while Reinhardt jumping to get the key, Benji is a bit jealous of the skills of the vampire hunter, but there isn't much that he can do, Reinhardt trained his entire life to be a vampire hunter, Benji was just a normal guy in an unusual situation and slowly turning unusual himself.
…
"You are right this tower is the worse." Reinhardt said to Benji after they leave the clock tower, at least the duel and execution towers were more straight forward than this. "I told you so." Benji replied while Carrie heals a nasty cut on his scalp, caused by a moving platform lowering itself just when Benji jumped to another platform.
Their only comfort is that they are near the castle's keep, from there is just reaching Dracula's throne room and vanquish him back to hell. Taking that break to catch their breaths the adventurers also ready their weapons. "I must say that your firearm is quite impressive." Reinhardt commented while Benji removes a nearly over belt and places his third to last filled belt on it.
"I know, I stole from the tower of science and altered it a little bit." Benji replied casually. "But if wasn't for Carrie's sorcery firing one handed would be impossible." "Please it isn't all that great; it only multiplies your strength by three." Carrie said blushing at his words. "And I wouldn't be here if you haven't saved me more than few times."
"We all saved each other several times." Reinhardt commented. "I thank you all for being here; I might have failed if I was alone." "We are friends." Benji replied with a smile. "That is why friends are for." Carrie nodded agreeing, they might not know each other for more than one month in Carrie's and Reinhardt's case, or more than four days in Benji's case, but fighting along side the other made them close.
…
Rested and ready the trio advances to the highest parts of the keep, other than a meeting with Renon who announced that he was leaving to a global war the way up was uneventful, until they reach the final stairway leading to the last room of the keep. Readying themselves the trio takes a final calming and reassuring breath before entering on the room.
Benji is shocked with who was inside the room, just in front of a bearded man, Remi, now with real shackles above the makeshift ones that Benji made, held by a chain on Dracula's hand. "You sure took your time to reach my quarters." Dracula said to the trio. "I was getting bored with the waiting."
"What is she doing in here?" Benji asked to the older man. "You know how hard is to find good help in hell?" Dracula replied in a sneeringly tone. "And then pesky adventurers come and kill them. I am used to that, but you have to be different, this lowly demoness changed because of you. You had to show her kindness. And she actually thought that she would be allowed to leave her servitude."
"I asked why she is here." Benji said covering his anger the best that he could. "Not your inhuman resources issues." Dracula chuckled at his words. "I thought that it would be fitting for the responsible to see her dismissal." Dracula replied pushing the demoness towards Benji, releasing her chain. "Run." Dracula instructed her. "If you reach him you might escape."
And she did run as fast as her legs could take her. But before she was halfway through the room Dracula raises his right hand and fires a fireball at her. Remi gasped when the small ball pierces her back and chest, exiting through her breast, still taking few steps before falling at Benji, hitting his legs and holding on his waist.
Benji holds her, kneeling in next of her and holding her gently. "I really wanted to change…" she whispered in a pained voice. "I know." Benji replied. "I know, I saw that." Remi smiled at his words, feeling that he was sad with her death, it was more than she could have ever hoped to get from a human, a monster hunter above everything. "I am truly thankful that I met you." She whispered. "I won't ever forget your kindness…"
'What kindness?' Benji asked to himself, he just saved her from death few times for his own interest; he used her fear of him to get what he wanted.
With a smile she vanishes from his arms leaving behind only a small crimson colored stone, resting on his hand. "Why?" Benji asked to the count while standing up and pretty much knowing the answer already. "Because I can." Dracula answered with arrogance."
"So can I." Benji whispered dashing at Dracula, drawing his sword. It was all too fast for Carrie and Reinhardt to stop Benji, so they supported him, using their own attacks to kill Dracula.
Dracula smiled at that and throws a pillar of flames on Benji, Benji doesn't even dodge the flames, instead meets it head on. Dracula content that his plan worked smiled even more, and then he gasps when seeing a hand parting the flames, followed by an arm, a shoulder and the body, and a right arm high in the air bringing down a sword on its victim, now held by the hand that first appeared from the flames.
"How?" Dracula yelped while the sword impacts on his shoulder. "That is called resist fire." Benji hissed forcing the sword down while keeping a hold of Dracula's wrist. Not even Benji's hair was burnt; all the blood and sweat that covered Benji's face and body protected him from the hellish flames, barely losing moisture.
Benji twists the blade before Dracula yanks his wrist away from Benji's iron grip and teleporting away. Reinhardt was impressed, Benji was literally steaming as the blood on his body is still hot, but his skin was safe bellow it. Carrie was also shocked with that, Benji looked almost evil with the steam rising from his body, and now she understood why he didn't cleaned the blood that oozed on his face from the cut on his scalp.
Benji didn't charged at Dracula in mad rage, sure there was rage and anger, but Benji had it all focused, that is why he acted like that, to lead Dracula to a false superiority feeling, with that Benji scored a very serious hit on Dracula, sure he didn't get to the heart but it was bad enough to make Dracula weaker.
Carrie and Reinhardt jump away from a series of fireballs when Dracula reappears behind them. Carrie let out one of her homing orbs while Reinhardt throws a cross at him, both attacks score hits that make Dracula teleport away. "Die!" Dracula ordered reappearing behind Benji.
"I am not that obedient." Benji answered pulling a cut-off double barreled shotgun from his jacket and firing at Dracula's face. The vampire lord howls in pain holding his wounded face, now a mass of broken bones and torn flesh.
Reinhardt leaps at them and whips Dracula; the mystical whip wraps itself around Dracula's head and hands, burning the vampire at contact. Benji thrusts his sword on Dracula while Carrie fires a volley of energy balls at Dracula. Dracula screeches in pain at the barrage and dies in a burst of flaming energy.
"It can't be this easy." Reinhardt said in disbelieve while Dracula's cloak burns into nothing. "It isn't." Benji replied sheathing his sword before breaking open the shotgun, ejecting the spent shells. "That one isn't Dracula, but a decoy, a farce to trick us."
"How you know that?" Carrie asked surprised with his statement. Benji smiled while loading the new shells. "If I said that I was Dracula how you would take it?" Benji asked casually while snapping the gun shut for emphasis.
"Oh please if you were Dracula my whip would have detected that a long time ago." Reinhardt replied in the same tone. "Enough with jesting, okay?" "Spoilsport." Benji said while sticking out his tongue. "A little doubt would be nice." "I admit that for a moment I feared that it was true." Reinhardt admitted. "But you held my whip when I almost fell in the clock tower, my whip just cutted you as it does with humans, it didn't burned you."
"I didn't believed, but I admit that the way that you said was a bit unnerving." Carrie said truly displeased with his joke. "Don't do that again." Benji apologized to her; he could see that Carrie didn't take the joke as lightly as Reinhardt did. "Anyway." Benji said. "Dracula isn't here. Remember we are days before the full moon, this decoy was to trick us and maybe weaken us if he does make his appearance."
Now on that Carrie and Reinhardt had to believe on, it was a strategy that Dracula could use against them. The room shakes strongly and dust falls from the ceiling. "Run!" Benji shouted bolting out of his standing place; the duo does that and follows him out of the room.
The room starts to fall apart and so does the stairs few meters behind them. Benji slows just enough to Carrie catch up with him, he grabs her and speeds up with Reinhardt right next to him. Halfway through the stairway the collapse stops, getting more distance they only stop with several meters between them and the end of the collapsing stairs.
Benji puts Carrie down, confused the sorceress look at him, she knew that he would hold her as a sack of something until they were sure that they were done running. Benji slowly slides his left hand to his gauntlet. At distance they see an approaching spot at the sunset.
"Is that Malus?" Reinhardt asked confused. "No." Benji replied in a level tone, with his eyes locked on the incoming flying horse. "That is Dracula." The two vampire hunters gasp in shock, and as soon Malus is in range Benji opens fire at him with both his shotgun and machine gun, hitting the black bat winged unicorn.
The flying beast screeches in pain, prancing in the air, Malus desperately holding on the reins as Benji fires at the now exposed belly of the beast. Tough beast Benji admitted, it took a half a belt for it to die and fall down the abysmal heights from there to the courtyard down bellow with Malus screeching on his back.
"Well that will weaken him." Benji commented with a pleased grin. "I don't care what Reinhardt's whip says." Carrie said eyeing Benji with a mix of playful and angry feelings. "You are evil." "Never said otherwise." Benji replied. "I have my moments." "I wouldn't say moments." Reinhardt joked back. "Either way we should move to a less vulnerable position."
…
The group makes their way down to the first room of the keep, and they find Dracula, an older version of Malus literally fuming in rage. "I have never been so humiliated in my entire life." He snarled looking at Benji. "I am glad to be your first." Benji replied cheerfully. "Did it hurt too much? Should I have been more gently?"
Dracula fumed even more at that verbal jab at his masculinity. Reinhardt laughed at that, Carrie was a bit confused at the joke, but she was too young to understand sexual related jokes. Dracula lashes out at them, the trio pretty much expected that as Benji explained that was part of his plan, an angry blinded Dracula would be easier to defeat.
The fight was hard, Benji firing at Dracula at any given chance when in range, Carrie was also avoiding being close of the vampire. Reinhardt keeps a whipping distance from him, running and avoiding the attacks from the enraged vampire.
After a massive beating from the trio Dracula falls on the ground and reverts to Malus, Benji fires that the downed boy. "What are you doing?" Reinhardt exclaimed while pushing Benji's arm away, but half of the burst meets its intended target. "It isn't over yet." Benji answered seriously.
"Damn you outworlder." Dracula curses while standing up, bleeding from several bullet holes. "Death should have killed you and not sent you to different parts of my castle. You know far too much." Benji smiled at that, how he couldn't, Castlevania 64 was one of the five Castlevania games that he cleared, so he knew how it ended. "My pleasure to be a pain in your ass." Benji replied teasingly.
Dracula roars while transporting them to a different dimension and changing his form. "Now the true battle begins." Benji said to Carrie and Reinhardt. "Run around him, don't stop and attack as hard as you can with everything that you can, this is the final battle and the moment of truth."
Reinhardt and Carrie nodded agreeing, and as instructed they run in different directions, Benji fires away at Dracula, Carrie shoots more of her energy orbs at him while Reinhardt throw crosses and whips away while getting closer of Dracula. Unable to target between the three attackers Dracula throw attacks randomly.
Benji's machine gun gets out of bullets and he holsters it, Reinhardt continues to whip Dracula now much closer of him, drawing the most of his whip against the gigantic monster. It ended too quickly, roaring in pain Dracula's body is wracked by violent spasms, Reinhardt runs away from the monster as it begins to explode from the inside out.
The trio find themselves back to the keep and Dracula is gone, dead and sealed for another hundred years to come. "Run the hell out of here!" Benji shouted while grabbing Carrie. "This place will collapse!" Heeding the order before understanding the why Reinhardt runs after Benji as indeed the castle starts to fall apart slowly, but steadily.
"They way out is much simpler than the way in." Reinhardt commented while running. "Remi thought me this way." Benji answered while they run through the now empty royal chapel. "Over than door!" Reinhardt nodded and follows Benji through a doorway. "What?" Reinhardt asked confused, they were in the castle center and they came out from a secret doorway.
"Neat isn't it?" Benji asked with a smile, he runs to the motorcycle that he left near it on his way there from the outer back wall. Benji rides on it and plops Carrie in front of him. "Get in the back Reinhardt." Benji said while hitting the kick start of the motorcycle's engine.
Reinhardt doesn't discuss and rides behind Benji holding on his waist. Benji speeds away from there, knowing a safe way out of there. Carrie is just horrified with the hellish vehicle; it was by far faster than a horse, and much louder. Benji was just enjoying the ride, a shotgun shot by the doors slam them open before they pass by it.
"I so want one of these!" Reinhardt exclaimed also enjoying the machine. "Well this one is mine Reinhardt." Benji replied. "If you had saved one you could have gotten one now." Reinhardt didn't really minded, but the ride was as much exciting and fun as forcing a horse to his fastest speed.
Speeding down the down bridge Benji gets more distance of the falling castle and gets on the forest of silence. "That way!" Reinhardt exclaimed pointing to a incoming side road, Benji slows down and makes the turn before hitting the gas again, he notices that they are going uphill now.
After a couple minutes they are facing the falling castle sink into the lake, Benji sited on the motorcycle looks at it while Reinhardt looks at it closer of the cliff, Carrie is standing next to Benji.
"I wonder if this conflict with Dracula will last forever." Reinhardt said now recalling what that battle cost to everyone of them, Carrie lost her family, Benji lost his chance to return to his family, Reinhardt lost Rosa. Benji stretches tiredly, content that Reinhardt is with his back turned to him, or he would get mad at Benji not taking the moment seriously.
Carrie covers her eyes with a bit of disgust, but with more amazement at Benji's carefree actions, she can tell that he is looking only at the positive side of things, however she notices Reinhardt backing away surprised at something, Death approaches them.
As Reinhardt Carrie gets ready to battle the specter, but the specter makes not signs of being hostile, nor does Benji show signals of joining the skirmish. "I have not come to battle you this time." Death says to the duo. "I came to bring you this." Death drops a rose few meters ahead of Reinhardt, with a burst of light Rosa, now human appears in front of them.
As the couple is happy in being together they are also confused at the gesture. "As the outworlder said I am neither good nor evil." Death said to them. "I am balance, I live between both sides, reaping those who their time have arrived. This child hasn't met her time yet, I am merely returning her."
"Outworlder." Death said turning to Benji. "Do you desire to return to your world?" "Not yet." Benji answered casually. "I appreciate the offer though, ask me another day, I am too much of a mess to return right now." "Very well outworlder, as you desire you will remain here." Death replied. "However I cannot touch you who not belong. Thou shall not die nor age as my influences on you are null. Outlander I do not appreciate nor tolerate when my plans are disturbed."
"I know, I know, I won't go out there and killing people." Benji said with a smile. "But I will kill villains, criminals and related scum." "As long you understands that." Death said seriously. "I can overlook certain individuals." "By the way Death." Benji said while digging on his pockets. "What is this?" He asked when showing to the specter the crystal that Remi left behind.
"Her soul." Death answered. "Knowing what expected her back in hell she bound her soul to your service, use that crystal to summon her as your demonic familiar, the young one will be able to guild you through it." Benji nodded understanding, he had guessed that was something like that.
"Thanks." Benji replied with a smile content that she wasn't destroyed. "Your time to leave will come." Death said to Benji. "Make full use of it, once it arrives, it will be final." "I will keep that in mind." Benji said seriously. "Thanks for the heads up."
"I might be seeing you again." Death said to the four of them. "I bid that is not soon." Then Death disappears from there. "Okay did Death just wish us a long life?" Reinhardt asked confused. "Yup." Benji answered while storing Remi's soul crystal in his jacket's internal breast pocket. "As I told you before Reinhardt, Death isn't such a bad person."
"I guess so." Reinhardt replied with his arm around Rosa's shoulders. "Perhaps you are right Benji, and Death is just misunderstood. Still if Death didn't aided Dracula he would be seen as a less evil thing."
Benji shrug at that. "Life and death are two faces of the same coin." Benji said casually. "So are good and evil, one can't exist without the other, as light can't exist without darkness, darkness can't exist without light, my friend, balance is the key for everything."
Reinhardt chuckled at Benji's words. "You might be right." Reinhardt said. "But with faith on each other and love, that gives us the hope and strength to face and fight the despair, so the evil might not triumph."
After few moments of silence Reinhardt looks at the trees where he fenced his horse on and finds it still there. "So now that you are staying here what will you do?" Reinhardt asked to Benji. "First I want a hot bath, then warm and plenty food." Benji answered with a smile. "After that some rest, anything afterwards is up to discussion."
Reinhardt laughed at Benji's words. "Very well, then we go to the village to get our deserved rest." Reinhardt said casually. "You take Carrie on your iron horse?" "Steel horse." Benji corrected playfully. "And sure, I take her." Then Benji turns to Carrie and say. "Hop on Carrie." Carrie nodded in silence, inwardly happy that Benji decided to stay. Holding on his jacket Carrie makes sure that she is firm on the seat.
Reinhardt has Rosa riding in front of him, safely between his arms before he nudges the horse to start walking, Benji drives away slowly, matching the horse's pace. "What you plan on doing with all those weapons?" Reinhardt asked to Benji, the height difference between the horse and the motorcycle was enough to Reinhardt see that Benji strapped the machine gun in one side of the motorcycle and the sword in the other, with his backpack over the rear wheel.
"Maybe train myself a bit." Benji answered. "Even without Dracula that is still a lot of evil on this world, while I won't actively look for it, I will have myself ready to defend those that are around me." Reinhardt nodded at that. "I can understand that." He said in a light tone. "Now I might as well do the same."
Freed of the weight of defeating Dracula and the tension of being on the castle Carrie starts to doze off, Benji feels that and comes to a smooth halt, he gently maneuvers Carrie who let herself be moved, and he sits her in front of him, with her back against his chest, safely between his arms and nested on him.
Reinhardt smiled at that and sees Benji smoothly getting more speed and catching up with them. Now he finally realizes that it is over, the battle was over and now was time to heal and rest, enjoy the hard earned peace, while being ready to the battles in the distant future, but for now it came the rest.
…
The long ride was tranquil, as they noticed nightlife has returned and they could hear it, at the distance Benji could see small fires. "Those are lithe by the gates of the village." Reinhardt said to Benji. "Most villages in this area have sturdy walls to prevent monsters from entering it, sometimes they do fail."
"As long one of those times isn't on the next week I don't really care." Benji replied tiredly, he was really looking forward to sleep; he was envious of Carrie who is sleeping soundly against him, lulled by the movement of the motorcycle. When they approach the gate a loud uproar starts.
Carrie wakes confused and only doesn't fall because Benji held her. "It seems that news about the fall of Dracula reached here before we did." Reinhardt chuckled seeing the same villagers that told him that was impossible for them to destroy Dracula cheering and celebrating their feat.
"And there goes my peace and silence." Benji muttered; Carrie nodded agreeing, a bit grumpy for being so rudely awakened. The way to the inn was filled with people wanting to see them, congratulate them and hear the tale of the adventure. "You deal with that Reinhardt." Benji said after Reinhardt and Rosa dismounts from the horse. "Carrie and I will put your horse on the stable and get ourselves rooms."
"Very well my friend, but I won't forget to add your feats on the tale as well." Reinhardt answered with a laugh; he really didn't mind the appreciation. Carrie makes the arrangements on the stable while Benji makes sure that no one will touch on his bike.
Ten minutes later now inside the inn itself they learn that they won't have to pay for anything, heroes as then shouldn't pay after such a great feat. Benji wouldn't complain about that and just ask for some food, fresh bread, warm meat, some cheese, fruits and a cold drink with no alcohol.
The innkeeper is a bit taken aback by the no alcohol, but Benji replies that is because he is too tired for drinking and Carrie would drink as well, she is too young for, now that reassures the motherly lady and she leaves to gather the food after telling them to pick any room that they wanted to and where the baths are located.
Benji grinned at the idea of bathing. He practically runs all the way to the second floor, finds a nice room, and throws his stuff over the bed, just rushing to get a the only clean set of clothes that he has left. Carrie pretty much did the same she only picked a room next to Benji's.
After emptying the filled tub, not sure of what was on that water and waiting for it to refill Benji starts to wash himself clean of all the blood, mud, sweat and dirt on him, and boy how dirty he was, the running water was in a very dark reddish color. Benji is content with small favors, as he having a bar of soap on his backpack, the same with his toothbrush and some toothpaste.
Now clean Benji starts to shave, a hard task with the not so good mirror there, but at least he had his razor with him so he wouldn't use the straight razor there. When done Benji washes himself again before entering on the tub, he knew that he wasn't using the western way of bathing, but he doesn't care, plus he never agreed with the whole bathing on a soapy tub and drying off after it.
With a sigh of pleasure he lets the warm water works its magic with him, easing his sore muscles and washing some of the tiredness away. 'Not bad.' Benji thought idly. 'But I would prefer a bigger tub or an onsen.' After a while Benji remembers that he needs to wash his jeans again.
When leaving the bathing area Benji is surprised in finding a clean set of clothes waiting him there. "Those are courtesy of the village's tailor." The innkeeper said when hearing Benji moving on the changing area. "They should fid you well." "I appreciate it." Benji replied thankfully, but he would still wear his clean trunks and shorts bellow it.
"I have to admit you don't look bad with those." Carrie commented when seeing Benji wearing black boots similar to Reinhardt's, a slightly loose brown trousers and a loose shirt with a tying string on the adjustable cut of the collar. "Well I like yours better." Benji replied teasingly, Carrie was wearing a cute pink dress that in Benji's opinion fit her quite well. Carrie blushes at his words and look away embarrassed.
Benji still holding his clothes moves to his room with Carrie walking beside him holding her own clothes on her arms. Benji places the dirty clothes over a chair and the washed jeans near of the lithe fireplace to dry. "Hungry?" Benji asked to the girl. Carrie nodded and they leave, with a quick stop on her room so she can place her own clothes away.
End of the chapter four:
Author notes:
Changes on this chapter were moderate, some dialog were removed, some were added, most of it is the same from the original chapter that I wrote in the past, most of the change were made to fit the changes that I made on the story for the next chapters.
The demon maids, well it is of some influence of Aria of Sorrow, but it also makes sense that the castle would have servants on it to keep it clean and working as a castle and not a creature of chaos. The explanation over how servants are there is a little invention of mine, also to explain why the monsters change from game to game.