A lot of bloody action here! I had fun writing it. Just know that it's good to keep track of what is happening and what has happened. Also, I switch events back and forth; everything basically happens simultaneously to each other.

Great, go read!

Chapter 21: Dispute

"Robin didn't die while doing his job to stop that half-blood wench, did he? You killed him." Heras's eyes glowed a bright golden color as his mouth revealed a row of sharp jagged teeth. "Well now, we're here to kill you."

The look that suddenly crossed Caleb's face was of pure horror. It was not so much of the fact that they had found out, but that his family and the vampires' lives were in jeopardy now that they were cornered in Katra's chamber.

"Damn it…" Caleb thought in dread.

"So? Do you admit to the truth, Cyrus?" Heras continued with a wide grin. "Or should I say, petty Caleb Austerlitz?"

"You assholes think you can just show up here and blabber your smelly egos at a time like this?" Caleb ground his teeth as he fought himself from changing into his true form. "This is not the time and pla-"

Suddenly, the one called Nolan shot forward and pushed Caleb forcefully against the wall with a loud crash, letting the cracks reach high into the ceiling as the broken cement dug deep into Caleb's skin. He instantly let out a painful yell as Iselda screamed at the top of her voice.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" she shouted fearfully.

"What makes you think you can talk back to us after what you've done?" Nolan hissed into Caleb's ear.

"Please! Just stop it! Stop it!"

"Quiet, Iselda!" Heras shot his claws at her, making her shut her mouth immediately. "You are lucky we haven't gotten to you first."

Ichijo had a quick impulse to kill Heras at the spot for threatening her, but he knew that his powers were not going to be of any use. He didn't have his sword, and in werecat territory, it would be foolish to act without accord. Instead, he turned his attention to Richard, who had a similar look of fury and contempt. But he could tell Richard was not thinking about saving Caleb at the moment. There was something else that needed to be done first.

"Come on," Richard whispered as he used his arm to gather Ichijo, Yuki, and Zero together. "We have to get you three to safety before-"

"Where do you think you're going, Richard?" A werecat blocked his path as he tried to lead them towards the door.

"I'm not going to let our guests become involved in your dilemma," Richard tried hard to speak without raising his voice. "They have done nothing to deserve this."

"Oh? What makes you think they're free from the loophole?" Heras turned to face Richard with interest. "The vampires most indeed played part in helping the wretched half-blood escape, didn't they? They got their filthy little half-blood council to allow her to read our forbidden laws, didn't they? Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they deserve punishment as much as you do, Richard."

"It's against the law." Richard growled. "It's against the law to hurt anyone in the vampire race!"

"And it's against the law to help a convict that is not of their kind behind our backs!" Heras retorted. "I think what we're about to do will prove as a fair payback, don't you think?" Within seconds, he shot out a fleshy snake-like substance that pinned Richard and the vampires against the wall like a web cocoon. Before the vampires could respond to their situation, the thick strands of flesh circulated their heads and injected themselves through their skulls. Yuki let out a scream as she felt the horrible sensation of being ripped in two. The vampire within her was screaming to be let free of the pain. Richard shouted in fury, but a shockwave flowed through the fleshy veins that paralyzed him temporarily.

"No!" Caleb yelled as he grabbed Nolan's face and sent him flying across the room. He was inches from changing into his other form, but the other werecats had already grabbed him and took him down with five times the force. But it was not enough. As Iselda and Richard watched in horror, Caleb was thrown forcefully all around the chamber like free meat, knocking into the pillars and breaking them, leaving huge dents on the marble floor, and even lurching out enormous amount of blood in the process, all while resisting to fight back. In a twisted way, he knew he deserved this punishment, not because he was feeling guilty for Catherine's death, but because it was the only way for Iselda to buy time to help the others escape.

"No, Aunt Iselda…stay out of this!" As his ribs and bones cracked and grew back, Caleb tried to mentally get Iselda from interfering. She was desperately trying to make them stop, but few of the werecats had blocked her advance. It was surprising that they had not trapped her in a cocoon as well, probably in an impulsive way to grant her more respect for being Katra's second daughter. But it did not matter…she was still awfully helpless.

"You seem to be taking this really well," Heras kneeled down to grab Caleb's head and pull it back towards his face. "You should see how pathetic you look right now." He used his tongue to lick the thick blood off the side of his face. "Just between you and me, I think Robin would have loved to see you like this if he ever came back."

"Is that why you're taking so long to kill me?" Caleb hissed. "You expect him to pop in through the doors anytime now?"

"I really hate when you talk like that, Cyrus." Heras instantly dug his nails into his back, and Caleb squeezed his eyes to force back the pain. "By the way…do you know how we found out?"

Caleb did not respond as Heras's breath close to his face reeked of flesh and blood. But it was not the smell he was familiar with, and it made his stomach churn even more.

"You see Caleb, right before coming here, we came across a Japanese man just a few miles from here. He said he was sent by someone named Kaien Cross and had an urgent message for Kaname Kuran." His words struck Caleb with dread. "You may say it was a coincidence that we met in a pub, but I think it was fate. And so we had a little talk and in the end found out more than what we bargained for. Of course, it was not easy, especially since he wasn't even human. And yet…he was so delicious."

"You son of a bitch!" Caleb spit out blood on the floor. "You killed an innocent man for this!"

"And you killed one of our kind, no, your own brother, to save a half-blood wench!" Heras dug his claws into Caleb again, and this time, he could not hold back his scream. "What makes you think you can defy us, huh? Your brothers in arms! Your only friends!" he continued to spit. "We were doing our duty, weren't we? We were following orders to look after our clan, weren't we? But you! You decided to be a rebel! Thinking that hiding Robin's death under a fake excuse would let you escape, didn't you? Think we weren't going to find out? What in bloody carnations did give you that idea, huh?" he used his fingers to crack Caleb's spine, and even when they healed just as quickly, Caleb found himself spasm and shake violently from unimaginable pain.

Iselda on the other hand could not handle the torture and quickly curled up into a corner. "Cyrus…" she whimpered as huge tears strolled down her cheeks even when her eyes were shut tight. Caleb's screams were striking her like a whip. She couldn't think straight. Her Eden was nowhere to be found. Her niece, Almira, was somewhere deep below. And the others…she didn't even want to think.

This was the end. She knew it. This had to be the end.

"Izzy…"

Iselda opened one eye to see her husband motioning her towards him. "Ri-Richard?" she crawled towards the wall where he was strapped tight. Even through his paralyzed state, his mouth moved slowly.

"Izzy…" He whispered again. "You have to do something…"

"W-what?"

"You're the only one here…that has the greatest authority than all of us…" he looked at the Ichijo, Yuki, and Zero unconscious behind the cocoon, their faces drained of energy. "Make them stop. And quickly."

"But I already told them to-"

"You have to be more authoritative than that. Much much more." He continued. "There's no other way right now."

"But how do I…what do I…?" she clutched her head in sorrow.

"Izzy…darling, look at me." he gazed into the cyan eyes that had taken his heart the first day he had met her. "Think about the old days. The days when it was only you and Catherine…think of all the hardships that you had to face…and how you both surpassed them. You remember them, don't you?"

"You mean…?"

"Think about it…and face these bastards with your wrath."

He didn't have to repeat twice as Iselda closed her eyes as she mentally fought through every memory to attain the oldest ones she could find. Back in the days when they were mortals yet protected under their goddess Bastet, they survived every illness and war while given wholesome prosperity. After death, they were brought back in a new life everytime with the same memories and duty of the past. But their curse had soon turned them into immortal beasts, giving them more power and beauty but in place a price of inhumanity. Those were the ages when she and her sister had used their entrusted authority to rule their kind in the elders' place. That era had been her best, but as time flew by, and more and more werecats came into the world, their authority had soon declined. The power went back to Katra, and both Iselda and Catherine receded to living as civilized beings under her shadow. She remembered how meek and submissive she became after that, appreciating the beauty of life while her sister turned to education. Although they still loved each other dearly, it was this separation of mind that had broken their power. The younger generations did not fear them anymore, and because of that, Catherine's death had been lowly regarded. Without mourning. Without a funeral.

Iselda could not accept it. The anger that flowed through her veins at the thought of their deceit was overwhelming. She had to be stronger. She had to be fierce and dominant, just like those times. If Richard was right, and this was the only way, then so be it. She had to stop this now before Katra came back. Before things became even more complicated.

And with that thought, Iselda stood up with her head held high and a mentality that pushed all her fears underground. "Enough!" her voice surprised her, echoing through the chamber like Katra's had done before. "Enough with this already!"

All ten of the guardian werecats stopped to face her. They flinched at the excess of her energy, but they refused to move. "What's this?" Heras questioned. "You're interfering with us once again?" With a motion of his head, two of the werecats lunged forward for her throat, but even before Caleb could cry out in protest, she flicked her fingers effortlessly and thrust them back towards the opposite wall. Heras gasped. "What in Bast's name did-"

"Serves them right! How dare you children commit such indecency in front of me?" she bellowed. "And in our great mother's chamber as well?"

"W-we have every right to destroy any threat to our clan! It is our duty, no matter where we are!" one of the guardians spoke in defense. "It is highly unfortunate that you had to be involved as well. Rebellious and bold…just like your sister, isn't it?"

Iselda growled at the mention of Catherine, but she kept poised and stern. "No matter the case, without our great ancestors' consent, you will do nothing to harm my family!" she pointed at the cocoons. "And you will set them free. Immediately!"

Heras bared his teeth as he dropped Caleb to the floor and extended his claws to break the cocoons' hold. He cursed and flinched under his breath, keeping himself from disobeying. But knowing that he was now up against something much powerful than he anticipated, he did what he was told. The fleshy strands that were swallowing the vampires' energies plucked themselves out and shattered to the ground. All of them were set free, and Richard used his quick speed to catch the unconscious vampires before they hit the floor with a thud.

"We did what you told us. Now summon our great mother so we can deal with this fair and square." Heras continued. "But mark our words, Iselda. You and your family are not going to escape this place alive. This is not the end!"

"Good…" Iselda hissed as she found herself changing form, exposing the beast that she had contained for a very long time. "We are just getting started…"

And she lunged forward.

XX

XX

Within the cold dampness that contained the expansive cave, the elders stood like large crows surrounding their freshly caught preys in the middle. The still atmosphere had not changed, but it was in the short silence that followed Katra's startling confession when Kaname was able to pick up a strange sensation from above.

"Yuki…" He whispered. Something was wrong. His dearest kin was in danger.

It was not just him. While Katra stared blankly at whom she confessed to be her long lost daughter, Akhen tilted his head to sense a great disruption in the souls of his descendents. Something indeed was occurring in Katra's chamber above, but whatever it was, he did not bother to care. Nothing mattered more than what was happening at this moment. Unearthing the lost past of the two children before him was just the tip of his desire to end his growing fears.

"Stop it…" Almira murmured through her cold visible breath. "Stop saying such things to me…"

"You still do not believe it?" Katra reached out to touch her again.

"No!" Almira impulsively pushed her hand away. "No I do not! You want me to accept something so…so unexpected, so big, out of thin air just like that? Something so serious and impossible?"

"You called me 'mother'…."

"I spoke without thinking! I…" Almira paused touched her forehead. "I did not even know what I said. He was the one who was pushing all those images into my head just now." She pointed at Akhen. "How do I know you both are not just manipulating with our minds? How do I know you are not intentionally making me believe your words?"

Katra's stare pierced her one last time before she stood up. The girl before her did not look away, and even with a slight fear in her heart, Almira expressed more bravery than she had ever seen in her kind. It was not something different. Catherine had it too. But most importantly, Almira had it when she was once human. Right now she could tell how she was forcing herself to deny the truth. But the cause was surprisingly different. And it made her smile to know that that cause was something she had admired in her the moment she was born so long ago.

So with a heavy sigh, she continued. "Amirah…you know for certain that what we have said and shown you is the absolute truth. You were my daughter, and we did sacrifice you to give ourselves eternal protection. But we were foolish. We acted hastily without thinking about our tribe. Our family. There were several disagreements between us; some of our people thought it was too dangerous to give up our lives to our goddess, but Akhen and I were desperate. We fled with you, and it was the last time you ever were able to see him…see Kanim. We found a cave underground, similar to this, where we started the ritual that changed us forever. I was the one who put you to sleep, Amirah, and you were gone from my arms even before we realized what we had done."

She closed her eyes to prevent herself from expressing any emotion. "We became hideous monsters. Mortal at first yet completely isolated from mankind, hunting in the cool Sahara nights for human meat. And killing. We killed the pharoah's men so easily, enjoying every ounce of this new inhumane power we had. And for years after that, we continued to satisfy our hunger secretly. People became frightened and fought for the greater good. Soon, we became afraid of this power, and decided to leave Egypt and head north. Across the ocean and up the Alps, it was there where we learned to control our powers and bloodlust. It was painful, and we almost ended our own lives from desperation. But meditation outside of human civilization made us wise and orderly, even though now and then we would feast on stranded animals." She paused to look at Kaname, who took in her story with great difficulty. "Somehow, this young man who had grown up by then heard of our departure, and decided to pursue us. He did not know what we had done to our daughter or what we had become, and yet, when I saw him scream for her name…and collapse in front of my very eyes, I could sense that he knew. He knew she was never going to return."

"And you took his memory…" Almira whispered with dread. "You let me see into his past, in the oasis, and then in the snow to find me…"

"I am glad you are showing interest, my dear," Katra slightly smiled. "But what I took from him was only so little, for he threatened me. He threatened that he would return. That you would return…and turn against us." Her lower lip quivered once again, just as how Kaname saw it twice before. "It was a declaration that haunted me for the rest of my life. And even when for several millenia we grew prosperously and expanded our population, I had forgotten about his words…until the great climate change, and the rise of the vampires."

Katra's last few words struck Kaname in the gut. It sounded so strange. He had become so involved, so horribly perplexed and baffled by the story of his tragic human years that he had forgotten what he really was; whether he was really Kanim, a simple human who lived and died for his love, or Kaname Kuran, the great ancestor of his powerful race. Both seemed nothing alike. And yet even back then, as one of the first purebloods on earth, he knew there was something that made him vulnerable and weak. Always lost and alone; miserable and forgotten, like a child who desperately sought attention. The bloodlust had been great, but he had controlled it well. Well enough because he had craved to be humane. He wanted to protect humanity, protect anything that calmed his troubled guilt, even if he was driven away by mankind. And when Yuki was born, he knew he had to protect her more than anything. He wanted to be different than the other purebloods, yet he could never tell why.

But now he knew. This human instinct, this obsession to protect arose long before he became what he was. It was Kanim who wanted to protect Amirah above all else, but the guilt that befell him when he failed carried onto his rebirth as an immortal. Perhaps it was why he always kept searching; searching for a reason to protect and keep on living.

"You should have seen when we found out about these new beings; these monsters similar to us yet so different." Akhen spoke with a glint in his eyes. "They were so…fascinating. I was desperate to connect with these purebloods. Teach them our ways and help them control their powers. But when we found out…found out that the pureblood named Kaname was the boy we knew…" he looked off into the distance in an excited yet uncomfortable way. "We were astounded and simply horrified. An unofficial prophecy had come true! And what did we do? We lied in hiding and forbid ourselves to connect with these beasts. Katra made it clear that we never brought ourselves forth to the Kaname at all cost. Only when the war started were we forced to secretly help both sides, in an attempt that no suspicion would be drawn.

"Of course, it more out of anxiety than fear alone." He continued. "I myself knew he was not going to remember us at first sight. Plus the vampire realm already began to have problems of their own, and we realized it was best to stay out of them. Unfortunately, we were never truly apart. The vampire hunters as they are called remembered our service and came back to us many times afterwards. The vampires themselves were not pleased with this and so…we went into a little bit of a quarrel. Both sides wanted power, although it was our race that began long before theirs."

"But I do not understand…" Almira said with a face so stiff she could hardly move her lips. "If what happened is all true, and if you say we are who we are, then why was this never told to us sooner? Why…why did you all keep this from me…from Kaname…for so long? And why…why are you telling us this now?"

"Because it is the perfect time. Unlike most rulers who destroy the ones who threaten them, we knew it would be wiser to wait until you two were together at last, mostly because as you said, times and situations have changed." Katra said calmly. "And also because…we had forgotten about you long after the vampires, and Kanim, laid the path for their descendents to flourish…that is, until two and a half years ago…when you managed to access the forbidden charters from the vampire council back in Japan."

The thought about her struggle in the vampire world caused Almira to stand up. "You knew what I went through to get there, and yet you did not help me?" her voice quivered once again. "Is this how you treat your children? Sending your hunters to kill them…kill my real mother, and stopping me from-"

"I did not know you were the daughter I lost then!" Katra glided towards Almira and took her shoulders once again. "Don't you see? We had long forgotten about those early days after ages of ruling over our descendents. Although what Kanim said that time became true, we didn't fear him as much because he had become something else entirely. But you…even when you were resurrected as a half-blood after so so long, you were still a half-blood like any other. The curse has what made mating between our kind and humans impossible. A half-blood is the only being that can destroy us, and like so many we have killed in the past, we had no choice but to do the same to you." She paused. "But no one was ever able to get their hands on the ancient charters; the ones that we left with the vampires as a trust that no half-blood born in our domain would ever be able to read them. Even so, no pureblood other than myself, Akhen, and the rest of the elders know what is written. Yet Amirah…you managed to get to them and read them so easily. You had a different aura that persuaded the vampires, and you knew the language that we only spoke within our tribe. It was then that I knew who you were. It was at the ball that I knew you were still alive. And it is now that I realize you would not have been here if all this had not occurred."

"And it is no coincidence that you and Kanim have met after ages of separation. As two different beings now in one place, we could not have exposed so much at any other time." Akhen said. "We were expecting this day to come and we prepared ourselves well; prepared to reveal everything you needed to know. A straightforward truth, after all, is better than arousing assumptions and suspicions."

The stillness was broken instantly as the other elders surrounding them began to clap simultaneously. Katra walked back towards Akhen, but her face had not broken its grim features; a mixture of uncertainty and sadness that Almira could not recognize. It was strange. As the claps continued to echo louder in the dark, Akhen moved forward with an excited expression on his face, something like a child's look when he is thrilled to play with his new toys. It was frightening.

"I congratulate you both…" Akhen gleamed as he joined in the clapping. "Both of you have come so far, and have become so so different than how I remembered. The boy I knew, always running around and guiding our tribe with his father…now a vampire! No, a pureblood ancestor!" his black teeth glinted through his grin. "And Amirah…our fair daughter, our godsend gift from Amun-Ra himself…surpassed our laws and have become a pureblood like us! Simply astounding!"

Kaname had never been entranced by anything that had crossed his path for so long. Never had he been thrust backwards in time; much much earlier than he knew when the world had been completely different. The things they spoke of made him lightheaded, but it weighed down on him more than his existence had done as the first vampire. It surprised him that he agreed to this past; he started to remember some instances, but he pushed back the ones that scarred his heart. It was all true, so much truth in one sitting, but he shivered at just one thought alone; that he finally got his answers. He knew what he was and how he became that way. He was Kanim, son of the pathfinder. It was the only human life he remembered and nothing else. What happened many years after his death on that mountaintop? Was he reborn into new human vessels before finally becoming an immortal beast? Did every one of his mortal lives end in tragedy?

But what good did it do knowing? What good did it do to know anything? No matter what, it was meaningless. No matter what he now understood; no matter what he came down to be, he knew for certain that the past would not change anything.

That was another undeniable truth.

And that was when he broke out of his trance and immediately pulled Almira close to him. This girl who had claimed his heart even before he realized it, her reappearance at Cross Academy had changed everything. But now her eyes were the same as his, baffled, confused, but most of all, aware of what was going on.

"Kaname…" she whispered, and he sensed her worries. The circle that the elders formulated was becoming smaller. They were closing in on them.

The next stage was about to take place.

"What is your purpose?" Kaname locked eyes with Akhen. "To tell us all this…there must be a reason. How is it going to change the present?"

"Oh yes…that. Well I'm afraid, the present as it is will become the past," Akhen's eyes glowed a ferocious golden color, followed by the others around them. "Yet, if this works as I want it to, then this may change our future."

And the blackness engulfed them in a blink of an eye.

XX

XX

The screams that erupted within Katra's chamber were loud enough to shake the entire structure. As Iselda pounced on two of the werecats nearby and tore them into several pieces in one swipe, Heras reacted with an ear-piercing screech. The next few seconds became a blur. Caleb pushed another werecat off of him and into a pillar, driving his claws straight into his brain to release the poison that had once killed his brother. Even before he watched his body disintegrate into bones and ashes, the other werecats pulled Caleb off and flung him to the other wall. In midair, he broke through his skin, and became the beast he always was: his jet black hair covered the vicious snarl underneath and his whole body stood high and muscular, like a werewolf but in feline form. The other guardians, suddenly aware of what was happening, changed forms just as quickly. Within seconds the whole circular room was filled with towering beasts bearing their large fangs at each other, ready to battle.

"Mylady!" Heras screeched again, aghast at Iselda's true form that he had never seen before. Whether she looked intimidating, it did not matter. She had defied them. Once again.

In a heat of fury, he charged at her, claws forward. Iselda dodged it with difficulty, and Caleb came from behind, knocking into him and pushing them both into the walls again. The others proceeded to grab Iselda while she stood alone, but she created a huge trench that broke the floor and sent the marble pieces crashing into them. But it was not enough. Many of them vanished from the floor and reappeared on the walls overhead. The darkness at the top made them look like large insects constantly changing places. They were so quick, going around and around the entire perimeter overhead. Iselda was getting dizzy, but she forced herself to be ready in case one of them attacked.

Heras, on the other hand, locked claws with Caleb, wrestling him from pillar to pillar and floor to floor. They were equal in force, and none of them had any advantage over the other. The damage was, however, enough for the whole architecture to collapse, but it was only Richard who noticed the wreckage to fix itself every time. It was something Katra had perfected with her spells, but the fact that none of the werecats before him were using their full potential was a sign of relief yet of terror at the same time. This was a battle between arms, a physical force against another, and just like the primitive days, the opponent's death was the only sign of victory.

"Mmm…"

Richard looked over to see Zero sit up with a look of frustration. "W-what happened?" Before Richard could speak however, his eyes became transfixed at the sight before him. "What the hell is-?"

"Ssh, I'm afraid this is not your fight," Richard whispered. "As much as they say it is…the boys are more angered by Robin's death than by our actions. It's Caleb they want…not us."

"Z…Zero…" Yuki had regained consciousness as well and clung to him with fear. Ichijo sat up the same way, hanging onto his forehead as he squinted to look at the fight. "Ugh…that felt horrible. W-what did they do to us…?"

"Heras tried to build pressure into your brains so it would ultimately drain your powers and kill you…mortal or immortal…" Richard continued. "Iselda stopped him just in time. But I'm afraid she has also joined the fight…"

Ichijo followed his gaze and gasped at what he could not recognize before until now: a massive cat-like beast with saber-like fangs that protruded out of her mouth. His stomach gave a jolt knowing that this was the same graceful woman he had begun to have feelings for. She looked monstrous and wild.

"Ow." Zero felt a sharp pain underneath his jacket. "Bloody Rose is impatient…it was hurt by that werecat's flesh things too."

"Bloody Rose…" Richard repeated before he looked at Zero. "Wait…you're a vampire hunter."

He raised a brow. "And?"

"Your weapons derive from the ancient pureblood vampire's remains. Which means…" Richard snapped his finger. "This may just work…"

"What do you mean?" Zero sat up to face him directly. "You know how I can get my hands on these bastards?"

"Listen…" Richard continued. "When the vampire race began, many of the humans who became hunters turned to us for help. Since we were not supposed to intervene, we advised them in many ways, such as gaining power through devoration…eating the beast. Later on, some of them had turned on us with their new weapons, thinking that they could destroy us as well. But they forgot that the weapons were derived from an immortal's blood." He closed his eyes to choose the right words. "According to what we know, a pureblood vampire's blood repels the blood of a pureblood werecat. Two of them can never mix, which is another reason why we forbid marital relationships with vampires as well. Two and two will never contact."

"But what about Almira?" Yuki spoke. "Zero used his Bloody Rose to kill her and it worked."

"Yes the forbidden charter; any demonic half-blood can kill another demonic half-blood. Resurgum de Sanguis Dimidium." Richard thought. "Well first, the Bloody Rose killed her because it was a pureblood's power against a half-blood, and the former was bound to work. The reason she was resurrected in Zero's hands was well, if you remember…"

"The evil blood diminishes when shown mercy by its equal who shares the same curse…because I was the same as her." Zero recited from memory. "But how will that help me now if Bloody Rose repels their attack?"

"I'm not 100% sure, but we'll give it a shot," Richard grabbed his hand. "I hate to see Iselda fight alone, but with both of our help and yours, my idea can bring all of them down together. Now let's go!"

Yuki watched them make their way towards the fight, and she instantly got up to reach into her pocket.

"What are you doing, Yuki?" Ichijo grabbed her arm. "Don't be ridiculous!"

"I want to be ready…" she pulled out Artemis, and Ichijo noticed how it was fidgeting in her hands. "Artemis is being affected by their presence as well."

"I can't let you go out there. Kaname will be furious!" he made a pouting face. "And he will blame me if anything happens to you."

"I think you should worry more about yourself. Here," She threw a glass vial at him that contained globs of moving deep red substance. "Kaname-sama gave it to me in case he's not here when I'm in danger." She watched as Ichijo opened the container, and the substance flew out to take the shape of a small blood-red dog.

"What the…" Ichijo raised his brows as the canine sniffed madly around the walls. "Yuki, this-"

"It's a part of Kaname-sama. He did this plenty of times before to follow me around." Yuki tried to break a smile. "Please let him protect you, Ichijo-san, and use him to find Eden and Aido-san."

"Come if you dare!" Iselda yelled as the werecats above jetted from wall to wall and appeared unexpectedly in front of her face, only to disappear when she tried to hit back. "Stop fooling around and a-" Before she could finish, one of them pounced on her back and ran his claws down her spine. She screamed in pain as her dress was ripped apart.

"Get off my wife!" Richard took him by the head, almost stabbing him in the heart. The werecat instead pushed him off and ascended up the wall with the others.

"Richard!" Iselda's vicious face looked timid and humane staring at her husband. "What are you…?"

"No time to talk. Are you alright?" He brought Zero forward who cocked his gun ready in place. "If you are, then I really need you to follow my lead."

Iselda was fighting to ask, but she nodded in agreement. This was, after all, one of those moments that she had to obey her husband at all cost.

"What are you doing now, Richard?" Nolan spoke as he supported himself on the wall. "First leaving your wife stranded to fight for herself, and now bringing a lousy vampire hunter?"

Richard smiled. "You shouldn't underestimate vampires just because they are much younger creatures than us. Especially the vampire hunters."

"Oh yeah? What does this little human have that we don't?"

"For one thing, you boys are fighting like wildcats." Richard continued. "None of you are using your powers to your full potential, and it's embarrassing!"

The werecats growled loudly. "What did you say?" Nolan hissed as his eyes changed a sharp golden color.

Iselda stepped back. "Richard…no, don't make them-"

"Trust me…" he whispered before revealing his saber fangs at all of them. "If you want to kill us, fight like real men!"

"Kill them!" Heras shouted as Caleb held him tightly. "Kill them!"

"Shut up!" Caleb covered his mouth. "I'm your prey!"

But Richard's words had ticked Nolan off badly. It was not that they didn't want to; there was a reason they resisting using magic to fight them. For one, it was too powerful to be contained in an enclosed space, as large as the chamber was, and Katra would definitely punish them greatly if anything happened there. Plus, they expected to kill them swiftly without problems, but they were up against a greater force than they thought. Yet, Nolan was not going to back out of a challenge, and he found himself running his claws down his entire body, letting the blood seep out in large quantities. The others did the same, and without warning, they all began to chant a spell simultaneously.

"Get ready…" Richard whispered.

Suddenly, their blood began to converge together into something that resembled the head of a large cat-like monster, hovering in midair and baring its giant teeth at its victims below.

"The Bloody Rose…" Zero tightened his grip on his gun as it jerked madly in his hands. "It doesn't want to stay put."

"It senses their blood," Richard continued. "Don't lose focus."

"I can't! It wants to leave!" he desperately tried to hold onto the trigger. "Help me, Bloody Rose! Give me my power!"

Before he could react, the Bloody Rose suddenly blended into his hands and mutated into a large clump of metal vines, shooting straight through his skin and sucking up some of his energy. Zero flinched at his weapon's boldness, but now he had the power he needed.

"What's this?" Nolan locked eyes with the weapon's form. Immediately, he gasped in horror. "No!"

But it was too late. The massive blood filled monster opened its mouth to shoot a swirling destructive beam. At the same time, the Bloody Rose, with its limitless form flowing with an ancestor pureblood's power, went on to attack the foreign threat face to face.

What resulted was an enormous gust of magnetic pressure that mangled itself between the two forces and sent them flying in the opposite direction.

As the chamber shook like a house in an earthquake, the bright beam that shot directly at the Bloody Rose repelled itself towards the giant bloody monster, and in consequence, the horrified werecats. In less than a second, they were propelled hard against the walls and scorched by their own spells, their screeches echoing loudly behind clouds of thick smoke. The metal vines of the Bloody Rose repelled towards Zero, but it was powerless to stop its attack in time. Richard took this moment to quickly jump forward and grab the vines forcefully, sending a spell through his fingertips that calmed it down immediately. The vampire hunter watched in surprise as his weapon slowly became smaller and went back to its original gun form, plopping exhaustedly to the ground.

"We did it…" Iselda breathed as the powdery remains of the werecat guardians dropped to the ground from behind the smoke. "We did it, Richard! We did it! We did it!" she jumped up and down in joy, and the sight of her beastly form prancing like a little girl made Zero squirm in discomfort.

"Not quite…there's still one more left." Richard moved his eyes towards Heras who had been struggling in Caleb's grip the whole time. His eyes were wide and transfixed at the smoke before him. Even he could not believe what just had occurred: the death of every one of his comrades, all at one place and in one time. Something about his look sent a tumult of pity through Richard and Iselda's minds. They knew these boys ever since they were little cubs, mere children trained to be lethal warriors from a young age. They knew how well they cooperated with each other. Like brothers. Like family. Was it their fault that their minds were molded to think like killers? Like guardians? Was it their fault that they were taught to be ruthless and spare nothing that harmed their clan? Was it their fault…that they were only taking revenge for the death of their brother?

"Heras…" Iselda spoke softly as she changed back to a human. "Please listen to us, Heras."

"We had to do this. We had to protect our family," Richard continued. "And we will spare you if you come to our side." He chose his words carefully. "I know what happened in Japan was horrible. Robin should never have died without cause…he was a great boy and an excellent warrior. But Caleb had someone to protect. It didn't matter if she was a half-blood or a human… we loved her. She was my niece and Catherine's daughter…and if you know anything about love and family, you should know that there are no boundaries to this affection. We understood her problem, and we were prepared to help. But Robin…unfortunately, was not ready to accept this. He broke rules to have her killed and put the vampire realm in danger. If Caleb had not stopped him…we would have run into serious problems with their world and ours."

Heras did not speak as he stopped resisting and lied limp against Caleb's grip. He looked towards the ground, his face expressionless and grim.

"I know it hurts. Losing a loved one is very difficult. But know it was for a purpose." He continued. "You must understand Heras…even if my ideologies are hardly approved, they bear some importance. This is not the past anymore. We can't look down on upon each other with pride and hatred. As a powerful race, we must show how powerful we are, not by force, but by generosity. Helping those who need help. Looking at ways to benefit both sides. Understanding the changes of the world and striving to change for the better each time." Richard tried to form a smile. "I know it will be difficult. It will be very difficult. But at least try…try to see when you have this chance. Force, after all, is a power that can be easily overthrown. But kindness and acceptance…it's a rare power that can make us invincible."

"I hope that went through your thick skull," Caleb said as loosened his hold on Heras. Both of them went back to their human form. Heras stood up weakly and attempted to face Richard's look of sympathy.

"You…you're terrible…" Heras continued. "And yet you're right…you are so right."

In an action quick as lightning, he vanished from his spot and unexpectedly pounced on Zero from the back, digging his fangs hard into his neck. The blood poured out wildly even before he had time to double over in agony.

"Zero!" Yuki screamed at the top of her lungs as the others gasped in shock. Iselda and Richard quickly reached for him, but he disappeared once again, reappearing this time in front of Yuki.

"Vampires should never belong here!" he threw out his claws, and in response, she swung her scythe that scratched through his chest but hardly took his blood. He growled before disappearing and appearing behind her, changing locations each time she used Artemis to defend herself. "If we must be invincible, we must destroy our enemy!" Finally, he pushed her on the ground and stared at her hungrily.

"You are mighty cute though. Maybe I'll reconsider." His blood tainted breath was driving her crazy, and before he could reach down to lick her face in sensual pleasure, Kaname's dog shaped projection jumped forward and bit him hard in the nose. Heras jumped back in pain and saw the blood trickle down his skin. The next act was impulsive; his eyes glowed ferociously as he began to make his blood morph into some form of weapon. Artemis instantly began vibrating in Yuki's hands, and she took this as the best time to act. Flipping to her feet, she swung the scythe as soon as his weapon came at her.

But the repulsion never came. Heras vanished again before her weapon could make contact.

"Heras!" Richard shouted towards the darkness overhead as he supported the bleeding Zero with his hands. "Heras will never listen, will he?"

No answer.

"If that's the case, then I'm afraid we must finish this!"

For the last time, Heras materialized behind Caleb before he could process his actions. Iselda, who was closest, got ready to pounce for his throat.

Heras laughed inwardly at her attempt. "I have no problems dying with my comrades…" he quickly took Caleb into a chokehold.

"But if I go…Cyrus must go as well."

And he drove his claws straight through his heart.

XX

Oh no, horrifying cliffhanger! The ending is near. Leave your thoughts!