CHAPTER 7
Julius and Megan trudged through a dust-stained room. Spin devils born from dust storms swirled around them, thirsting for blood. Julius smacked them with the still glowing Vampire Killer while Megan cowered behind him.
Julius regarded his wife with amused affection. "Meg, if you won't fight monsters, I think you'd be better off with Hammer."
Megan considered that. "You're right. I just don't want you to be alone." She departed and slipped away into the darkness.
Julius pushed through the dusty room into an elaborate hallway with crystal chandeliers, solid gold flowerpots, and regal portraits of Chinese emperors. Suddenly, a malevolent laugh pounded through the corridor. Julius sensed a powerful being radiating from the chandeliers. "Show yourself!"
The evil cackle thundered again, and the menacing Zephyr approached with his long nails. Julius held up the Vampire Killer threateningly, while Zephyr slowed time down as he lunged toward Julius.
Julius jumped out of the way and struck him with the Vampire Killer. Zephyr threw a knife aimed at Julius' throat, the latter ducking and meeting the monster with a lash of the whip.
Zephyr lunged again, but Julius easily dodged and was able to strike him with two hits of the whip instead of one. "Give it up, Zephyr. You're no match for a Belmont."
Zephyr hissed, "I went up against Charlotte Aulin. She wasn't a challenge for Jiang-Shi. What makes you think you'll beat us if the legendary witch succumbed to our power?"
Julius took the opportunity to slash again with the Vampire Killer. "Charlotte and Jonathan killed you. If your mind isn't so twisted with idiocy, you'd remember that I am also a legendary warrior."
Zephyr snaked up the wall, equipped a knife, and leapt at Julius, who suspected the attack and expertly weaved out of harm's way. Julius then advanced with the Vampire Killer and dealt heavy blows.
The fiend dropped to the floor. "Ugh. Why?"
Julius finished the job and delivered the fatal lash. "Go back to Hell where you belong. You will not get in our way to save Sara!"
Zephyr choked, "Sara Trantoul was strong … stronger than Walter imagined … but Jiang-Shi is even more skilled than Dracula …" In a flash, Zephyr was sucked into a portal leading down to Hell.
Julius rolled his eyes and muttered, "One major demon down. Who else wants some?!" With nothing presenting itself, Julius noticed an empty room with a colorful hanfu on the floor.
Julius picked it up. "I suppose this might be good armor for Meg or Yoko." Julius marched out of the room and back into the Zephyr hallway, with a giant room looming at the official exit.
Red eerie candles were the sole lighting of the room. Barbariccia hovered near Julius and dove at his head. Julius plunged the Vampire Killer into their flesh, unmoved by their piercing screams of torment as they disintegrated before his eyes.
A familiar entity he was raised to fear dropped down to his level. "Julius Belmont. We meet at last. I have fought your friends Soma Cruz, Jonathan Morris, and last but not least Charlotte Aulin. She's quite popular among you holy warriors now, isn't she? Too bad you shall suffer her fate now."