While waiting for Sorel
-We shall need some rope and a grapple… said Raphael with a pensive expression.
-What for? asked Amy, not knowing what he was talking about.
-I know a secret passage that could lead us inside… I found it just some days before I went away on my quest. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, Amy… I was really busy those days… It goes through the walls of the castle and inside the mountain. I took it only once from inside and since there was a place where the old ladder going down into the mountain maze, was broken, I had to go back and search for a rope and grapple to get down and continue to explore. I thought it would be safe enough against intruders who would not be able to climb this or even find their way in the maze of caves under the mountain unless they knew the place… Since it really looks at first glance like some ordinary caves, no one would think it leads to the castle… And the remains of the ladder and other human-made constructions I found there seemed so old; it must have been dating from the castle's foundations. Since the castle was abandoned, I do not imagine someone else would know about it…
-So we will take an old secret passage to recover our possessions?
-Indeed, my dear daughter. So we need to get a rope and a grapple from the village, find the entrance, go through the caves and enter our castle… But before we do all this hard work… Amy, are you thirsty?
Amy understood her father was mostly thirsty for revenge. Even if she was less angry than her father, she was too.
-Yes, father.
Raphael smiled cruelly.
-Good. Let us feast on some of the peasants then…
They went back near the village, avoiding the few soldiers patrolling the area. They first passed before a somehow remote house.
-We go there, master? eagerly asked Auguste, mostly thirsty for blood and not revenge.
-Non.
-…Why not? It's remote, nobody would see!
-Indeed, but it is not my choice… I feel fussy… Luckily, the one I want is not in the village either… We shall not go to the village… Too risky…
-You want one in particular? still asked Auguste, puzzled.
Raphael didn't answer and they went to another house.
-Here. Hide the horses. We shall stay a little while…
Followed by his daughter and servants, Raphael then went to the door and brutally kicked it open. A man quickly got up in surprise from his chair at the table. Raphael swiftly unsheathed his rapier and swiftly cornered the man between him and the wall. The others entered the house and Amy closed the door.
-Ahhh! Please! Please kind lord! Do not kill me!
-Kind lord? I do not recall that you called me like that this evening with the welcoming committee… I remember you; you called me creature of the Devil… and told me to go back to Hell while throwing a rock at my head. I know my peasants, I remember you… Mircea Florescu.
-… I… I didn't mean it… kind lord… please… It was the others…
Raphael brutally grabbed him by the shirt and angrily asked him:
-Why did you betray me? Who cured you?
-I… I don't know… The army invaded… I fought against them… I got… wounded… and fainted… When I woke up, I was… hu… human again… Some told me it was strangers accompanying the army…
-So you do not know?
-No… Forgive me… Forgive me… Please don't kill me!
The man was crying and begging for his life, but Raphael didn't seem moved at all.
-You're completely useless!
And Raphael swiftly bit him on the neck and began to drink his blood. When the man fainted, Raphael took a tankard on the shelf over the table and collected some blood with it before he offered it to Amy.
-You want some, Amy?
-Yes, please, father. Merci.
Amy reached out her hand to take the drink. Raphael gave it to her as the minions jumped avidly on what remained of the dead man's blood. After Amy and the minions finished drinking, Raphael said:
-Now we have to go! Before soldiers come here! Take any rope or grapple or anything resembling a grapple and we shall take our leave! But I believe Mircea must have what we need since he is, was, the village's handyman.
They succeeded in finding suitable instruments and left the house to go back to the horses.
But while going toward the mountains to search for the secret passage, some Walachian soldiers spotted them.
-Look! The Vampire!
The soldiers ran toward the group while yelling their battle cry.
-Die! Monters! screamed the captain coming on his horse toward Raphael who parried his strike while Amy swiftly thrust her weapon at the captain's left leg before the two horses moved away from each other. As Raphael turned around to charge again at the captain, the only one mounted on a horse among the Walachians, he noticed some of the soldiers were aiming guns at them.
-Amy! Beware! Stay behind me!
Amy looked and suddenly saw the six soldiers aiming in their direction and in the direction of the minions. She hid herself behind her father's back when Raphael turned toward the gunners to charge at them. Since there was no place to hide, he hoped to kill them before they would fire. Amy suddenly heard the discharge of the guns as it was near and suddenly the horse neighed in pain and fell down, bringing Raphael and her in its fall. Meanwhile, on the minion's horse, Marienbard had been shot on the side of her forehead and fell down from the horse. Raphael got up from his fall and asked Amy if she was alright.
-Yes… just surprised…
-Good. Hide behind the horse. I shall take on the gunners.
And he went running toward the gunners who were reloading their guns.
One of them tried to hit him with his arquebus, swinging the heavy weapon toward the vampire. But as the man swung the weapon, leaving his chest unprotected, Raphael dodged under it and thrust his rapier in the man's heart. Another soldier then let go of his gun to unsheath his sword and slashed at Raphael who swiftly parried the strike, not noticing another soldier who was now ready to slash at him. He noticed it only when he heard a grunt of pain and saw the man falling beside him. He quickly turned around and saw Amy now thrusting her rapier at another soldier.
-Merci Amy!
-De rien, papa.
Raphael turned around to take care of his adversary while Amy was striking at her's. After some time, the father and daughter had taken care of the gunners while Jacqueline and Auguste were fighting the mounted captain. Raphael looked at the arquebuses and wondered how those guns could work; it must not be too complicated… He never was an expert in long range weapons like guns or pistols but they could use them against the enemies…
He took one and continued to reload it then aimed at the mounted captain. He fired on him and the recoil of the shot sent Raphael tumbling down. When he got up, he saw that the captain didn't seem wounded at all. He had missed. He cursed and prepared to fight the soldiers now coming toward him and Amy. They slashed at the soldiers without mercy while Auguste and Jacqueline were against the captain. After a while the two mounted vampires finished their adversary and came to their master's aid even though Raphael didn't need any help. He, Amy and Marienbard, who had regained consciousness after having fainted from her wound and fall, were taking care of the ennemies quite easily. Then the last of the soldier fell down. Raphael looked at Amy to see if she was fine and when she told him that she was, he looked at his minions. Marienbard seemed to be alright now and the two others were also in quite good shape. Only Raphael's horse was dead. But aside from the horse, they could all go on without problem. Then all the vampires except Amy got the same idea: Seeing the blood flow, they jumped on the soldiers and drank their blood. Since she had just drank from the handyman, Amy was not thirsty anymore and looked at the others excitedly drinking from the soldiers without any emotion. She didn't really care about the death of those soldiers nor did she felt the beastly urge the others felt. After they had finished drinking, Raphael ordered to go on.
-Do not forget to take the guns… They may be useful to us…
Jacqueline was happily holding an arquebus, playfully threatening Auguste with it. Amy got one too and pointed it at Auguste too.
-Hé! No need to aim at me…
-I think it means take off your mask, Auguste… Can't you understand? said Raphael, laughing at his daughter's amusement. In fact, he didn't really care about the mask anymore, Auguste never listened anyway… For now it was so futile… But once their actual problems taken care of, Auguste would have to be disciplined.
Raphael and his group then searched for the secret entrance since Raphael didn't really remember where it was exactly. He did see the exit when he took it the first time but not that long, just the time to realize approximately where he was and then he went inside again, so he hoped he remembered where it was.
After some times, they finally found it. They tied the horse to a tree and entered the caves. Raphael told the others:
-We shall mark our way with some signs on the rock so that we do not get lost when we take the passage again. We may have to leave fast so we have to know where we are going…
They walked for a while, following Raphael's memories of his exploration. Suddenly Raphael pointed in the air:
-Look at those lovely bats, Amy! Aren't they cute?
-Well, yes father.
But Amy was not as fascinated by the bats as Raphael was, yet they were cute… They would be cuter if she could pet them though… Now they all were on the roof of the cave, so it was less interesting…
After a while, Raphael looked a little lost. He didn't really remember the way. Yet they continued to walk in some direction until they stumbled into a macabre scene: Many skeletons impaled on stakes.
-What is that? I didn't see that last time! Yet I haven't been here either…
Amy looked at the skeletons with curiosity.
-There are a lot of them… Was there some kind of war?
-I do not know… But the war must have taken place since a while… The skeletons seem old… The stakes are all rotten…
Raphael noticed that not all skeletons were impaled; some had been killed by other means… like nails knocked in the head… Some didn't have hands or feet anymore…
-Some things happened at this castle… One of the previous master must have been quite cruel… muttered Raphael, not knowing the castle's history. He then told his followers:
-Well then, no need to stay here looking at this! Let us continue to the castle!
Not long after, Raphael found the broken ladder. They used the rope and grapple to climb and continued toward the castle. Now the way was not complicated at all. They just had to follow the way.
-So now we are between the castle's walls? asked Amy after a while.
-Yes, Amy and none of those fools know it.
-There are a lot of cobwebs… yeurk!
Amy quickly withdrew her hand from the wall she touched and shook her hand in disgust.
-I know. That is why I asked Auguste to lead the way. He is pleased to take care of the vast majority of cobwebs for us… N'est-ce pas, cher Auguste?
-Glad to be of service, master…
-Iiiik! There are rats!
-Silence Jacqueline! You want the enemy to notice us? It's only rats! Just don't attack them and they won't attack you!
After a while, the vampires reached the secret entrance. They first listened to know if anyone was there, then hearing nothing, Raphael opened the secret door. It led to a salon with no one in it. Raphael peeked into the gallery next to it. No one was there either. He motioned for his group to follow him as he stealthily went into the gallery. They continued some time until the way was blocked by two soldiers keeping guard but not looking in their direction. Raphael ordered Jacqueline to follow him and they quickly but silently went to the soldiers. While they stealthily moved toward the soldiers, Raphael noticed something: Those were not Walachian soldiers… They had other uniforms…
Nevertheless, as quickly as they came, the two vampires slit the throat of their victims and the soldiers fell down without a word. Raphael ordered to hide the soldiers' bodies in a room before they continued toward their destination.
Suddenly they heard some people talking together coming in their direction. They quickly hid into the first room they found: a salon with long curtains going from the ceiling to the floor. Raphael ordered to hide behind the curtains as the voices were coming toward them. While hiding, Raphael realized the people were not speaking Romanian but German. He wondered: What are Germans doing here?
Meanwhile, Hilde was now leaving the courtyard and entering the castle as all of the occupying minions who were not killed in the fight, were turned back to humans again by the Holy Stone Kilik carried when he came back here to finish his job and by the wind priestess Talim that Hilde met in Ostrheinsburg. She was glad to have found those two persons; their help was most precious; they cured the people, saving them from this horrible curse and by the way, spared her tired soldiers from more fights.
After the battle of Ostrheinsburg, Hilde quickly came here at the demand of the Duke of Walachia, Stefan I Surdul, an ally of her country, since he was incapable of getting rid of the Vampire himself. After he lost his last commander, the Baron of Rackovâ, one of his most loyal subject and a man loved by the soldiers, the Walachian prince got demoralized like the soldiers and didn't send any other forces until Hilde came to his aid. Hilde had promised that she would help him after the battle of Ostrheinsburg. So even if she was still mourning her lost soldiers, among them some of her most loyal bodyguards from her personal guard: Helmwige, Ortlinde, and Rossweisse, whom she even had to fight against when they rose up as undead after their death in the courtyard, Hilde told her army to go to Walachia as soon as possible, not taking any time to mourn or to rest. They had destroyed the evil in Ostrheinsburg and now with the Walachian soldiers the Duke sent her, they would destroy all the evil brought by it once and for all… So like some of her soldiers, Hilde was now exploring the castle, looking specifically for Raphael.
-I am getting close. I must find their leader!
She was now wandering the corridors with Gerhilde, her most loyal bodyguard. She had visited many rooms when she suddenly found a locked door that seemed important. She asked her bodyguard to pick the lock and then entered the room, ready to fight anyone that could hide there. It seemed to be a study room; a big library seemed to occupy most of the room and a luxurious desk carved with bat figures was also there with books and papers on it. Hilde approached the desk and as she approached, she saw that many papers were pinned to the wall. She looked at them and a look of surprise appeared on her face: They were drawings made by a child. There were many animals drawn but the subject coming back more often was a little red haired girl with pigtails and a man with yellow hair drawn clumsily together. They always had a smile on their face and Hilde found the drawings very touching. A child, probably the little red haired girl, expressed her happiness by doing those drawings of her and probably her father, yes, her father… It was written 'À papa' on some of the drawings. This was the Vampire's private study… and he seemed to have a family… Well, a daughter. And they seemed to love each other like a normal family… Hilde got troubled; it was sad to know that people always made war with each other while they were all the same; people who wanted to live happily with those they loved.
But the people here were vampires, Hilde thought, she had to remember it. They were evil. She came here with her army to stop the spreading of vampirism and stop the Vampire from attacking the nearby villages. No matter the cute drawings, she would protect the people of Walachia from this vampire; she swore it on her honour to the Duke of Walachia. But where were this vampire and his daughter? They only saw minions as they entered here. She thought the Vampire would have led his forces against her own… But the minions seemed disorganized and lost, so they were easily beaten. Has the Vampire fled? Was he a coward?
But the exploration of the castle was not over yet, they haven't started interrogating the minions, she may find the Vampire and his daughter hiding somewhere, she had to be on her guards. And she attacked at daytime, so he may have still been in his coffin…
She then looked at the papers on the desk and what she saw appalled her: It was far less cute and touching than the drawings; the Vampire had plans to infect the entire world with his illness. He was crazy! Once again, she was glad she had allies to stop this evil spreading. She continued searching the room; the Vampire seemed to love books; there were so many and on so many subjects! Magic and mysteries, history, language, poetry, legends and lore, politic, astronomy, philosophy, medicine and science… So many subjects… In many languages as well. Her own kingdom royal library had not as much books. When she finished exploring the room, she continued to other rooms followed by Gerhilde.
They soon arrived in a beautifully decorated room with a four-poster bed. Many flowers were decorating the room and many dolls were standing on shelves and on the bed. Hilde guessed it was the bedroom of a young girl… probably the red haired one. A vanity was there with a beautifully carved mirror on it and Hilde wondered if the vampire girl could see herself in it; it must be hard to not be able to see her reflection in the mirror… Why would she put a mirror in her room if it was to be reminded of that? She probably could see herself then… A library was on the other wall with many books in it, mostly poetry but some other subjects too. Beautiful frilly curtains were hanging to the window. Hilde thought this place was very beautiful.
She asked her bodyguard to leave her alone for a while and to go in the courtyard to see how the purifications where going. She wanted to know if any cured minion had any important information to tell.
-But Your Highness… I cannot leave you alone…
-Gerhilde, many guards are already patrolling the castle, I am not completely alone… Just go ask how it goes and come back as soon as you can.
Gerhilde bowed and left the room. Hilde then sat on the bed and looked at the dolls on it; they were of high quality and had very nice dresses. She took one and held it in her arms. She remembered with some nostalgia the time she was a child, the time before she had to take the crown at only eleven years old to govern in place of her father who became mad because of the Evil Seed. The time where she didn't worry about anything… Now she was worrying about so many things… Her kingdom, her people, the battles… She was also worrying about her father; have those mercenaries she hired, Cassandra Alexandra and Geo Dampierre, found the ingredients for the cure yet? She hadn't got news from the alchemist, the Countess Valentine… It has been a while…
All those worries made her age prematurely in her heart. She was still young, she only was eighteen years old but already governed her kingdom and acted like an adult for seven years. She stayed there thinking about old time for a while, holding Amy's doll against her breastplate. She was alone; she could allow herself some time…
-What are you doing in my daughter's room?
Hilde got startled and lifted her head: By the reflection in the mirror, she saw that a seemingly very annoyed blond man with an arrogant pose was standing in the door frame with a rapier in his hand. Behind him, a young red haired teenage girl stood beside a green haired woman wearing a servant's dress and there were some other people that Hilde could not see since they were not in front of the door and only bit of them showed. One of them must also be a maid from the bit of the dress Hilde could glimpse. She thought this was probably the Vampire, his daughter and some servants. And they do reflect in mirrors. She didn't notice the faint transparency Raphael had since she didn't look for very long in it. She didn't really have time for this.
Hilde delicately put down the doll she was holding, got up and faced them. She took a proud stance and said:
-I am Hildegard Von Krone, princess of Wolfkrone, I came to put an end to the evil oppression of the lord residing here! Are you the lord of this castle? State your name, if you have any honour!
Raphael suddenly recognized the voice as she named her kingdom: It was Jeanne D'Arc from Ostrheinsburg! He suddenly regretted having lowered the drawbridge. If he had known she would come here after… But he tried not to show his surprise; he gallantly bowed and replied:
-I am Raphael Sorel, the Lord of the night and the lord of this castle indeed. This is the room of my daughter, ma princesse adorée, Amy. You have taken too much liberty by invading it.
Amy was indeed very upset that this woman was going through her private things. She hoped that she didn't read her poems or her writings. Those were her private thoughts and feelings; nobody could lay an eye on them, not even her father. And this woman was there, holding her dolls, invading her privacy… Amy felt really attacked by this intrusion. She gazed at Hilde with a hurt and angry look while Raphael continued to speak:
-…And on my honour, I shall personally kill you for this, Votre Altesse. But first, get out of the room. I would not like to destroy and soil it with our fight.
-You're challenging me to a duel? Very well. I accept! But before I get out, I would like you to swear that you will fight me with honour!
-Honour?… While you come into my castle uninvited and rummage through our possessions like a thief?
-And you? What do you think you did to the people of Walachia? Did they invite you here? Did they ask you to take control of their lives?
Raphael looked at her with an arrogant gaze.
-And you, bonne Princesse, did your people asked you to control them? Or do you command by 'divine right', like all rulers claim? Your subjects had to accept your reign because of your royal blood. They have to accept mine because of my special blood. And do you think the Walachian peasants asked the Duke to control them? Since Walachia is a vassal kingdom to the Ottoman Empire, they put him in charge; the peasants had no word in the matter. Why should my reign be more illegitimate? A tyrant is a tyrant, no matter the way. But enough talk, come to the salon beside. I am not the kind of person who gets his battles fought by others. I shall fight you one on one. I swear on my honour.
Having received the lord's promise that he will fight her alone, Hilde got out of the room and followed him to the salon. She looked at the others accompanying him; they were only four, three servants and his daughter. It was already enough in case she had to fight them all but she was glad there was not more that she didn't see. She had really hoped the Vampire and his servants were not too numerous. She knew she had committed an imprudence by sending away Gerhilde since she knew not many soldiers were actually patrolling this tower. Yet she had hoped for some solitude, but this wish for solitude may now have led her to her doom…
The salon had red curtains on the walls and columns on the side. A very nice carpet was on the floor and some elegant furniture was adorning the room. Amy sat on the couch and the three servants stood by her side. Raphael unsheathed his rapier and smirked. Hilde had her sword by her side but not her lance, so she unsheathed her only blade and said:
-I demand that I be granted to bring some of my soldiers here. A duel always has witnesses from each side.
-I am afraid I cannot allow that, bonne princesse. I would not let your soldiers come here. You would be on an advantage if everybody knew of our presence here.
-They will know anyway. The castle is being searched everywhere for you. You have nowhere to go.
-Humpf! You think so? Hahahaha! I have got out of worse situations. My daughter is very talented and resourceful and my three servants are very loyal. Together we can beat your army and drive them away tonight.
-Three servants! You lost all your other servants! You don't have anyone except them by your side! Surrender now and I may show you mercy.
-Ha! How hilarious! Mercy by beheading us before you burn us on the stake instead of the contrary? I would be so grateful… I can show you mercy too! I shall grant you a swift death and behead you right here. Or… I may even let you live… Yes… Since you attacked my daughter by intruding her privacy, I shall make you Amy's pet!
When Amy heard her father's threat to the princess, she outlined a malicious smile and chuckled. Hilde was horrified and backed away in horror.
-You brute! How dare you plan on making me a lowly pet? How revolting! Damn you, you perverted aristocrat!
-Aren't you an aristocrat yourself?
-But not a perverted one.
She then stared at Raphael and looked deep in his angry eyes before she seriously told him:
-But I know Soul Edge made you do what you did and still makes you say those horrible things. I know people controlled by Soul Edge are not really evil. The Evil Seed made many people become crazy and this was only the first of Soul Edge's evil tricks. I may ask for forgiveness for your condemnable behaviour and demand your pardon to the Duke of Walachia if you ask for forgiveness and submit to be purified right now.
-To ask for forgiveness in my own castle? I don't believe it! I am the master here! I will grant forgiveness or punishment to whoever I wish here! Not the contrary!
-This castle does not belong to you. It belongs to the Duke of Walachia!
-He didn't even take care of his castle! When I came here, this was a ruin. I made it what it is today! I deserve to keep it!
-You are just a squatter!
-What? How dare you! This is my castle!
This insult really hurt Raphael since he knew he had lived in houses not belonging to him since the got thrown out of his own family house. It wasn't very glorious indeed… The insult was even more painful since it was true.
-Fool. You have been enslaved by your own delusions! This castle is not yours! Those people are not yours! You control nothing!
-Humpf! …How foolish of you, to anger me. Now, I'm in a very foul mood… I shall make you regret your words, Votre Altesse…
He gallantly bowed to her once more.
-Well then, let us celebrate your demise with a dance… May I have this dance, douce Princesse?
Raphael pointed his rapier at Hilde who gazed coldly at him while taking her fighting stance. Raphael smiled evilly.
-En garde!
-For the glory of the Krones! Victory shall be mine!
And they clashed together. Raphael slashed at Hilde's head but the princess parried with her sword while she tried to kick Raphael who backed away before he whirled again toward her, slashing her armor. He thought that it was still another embarrassing person with an armour, but no matter, she had weak spots and her head was still a good target.
As Raphael tried to slash at her head again, Hilde parried but had some trouble fighting with only her sword. Normally she attacked with one weapon and parried with the other; she felt disarmed with only one weapon. Raphael slashed at her once more and Hilde still parried to protect her head but Raphael kicked her in the stomach and Hilde fell down. But she quickly rolled out of the way as Raphael tried to stab at her stomach where she didn't have armour covering this part. She quickly got up beside a decorative armor and quickly grabbed the halberd the armour was holding to parry Raphael's next strike at her head while she thrust at him with her sword.
-You're open!
Raphael received the strike in his rib and grunted in pain before he kicked Hilde once more, sending her slamming violently on the wall. Hilde quickly bent down to evade another decapitating strike and slashed Raphael's legs. The vampire fell down and grabbed Hilde's right leg to bring her with him but Hilde kicked him in the face instead. Raphael rolled away and swiftly got up.
-Where's your passion? Fight like you mean it! defiantly yelled Hilde.
-I will not give you the chance to strike again…
Raphael was humiliated of his actual performance in front of his daughter. He was the only one bleeding and somehow wounded; he had begun the fight on a bad basis. He backed away, studying Hilde carefully while wiping his bleeding nose. Hilde took this opportunity to attack again.
-Here I come! I swear by my name, I shall be victorious!
She launched at him, pointing her halberd in front of her and slashing with her sword as Raphael evaded the long weapon. But Raphael parried the sword strike with his rapier and grabbed the halberd. He brutally pulled on the halberd, bringing Hilde toward him before he thrust his knee in her stomach. As Hilde bent grunting in pain, Raphael struck at her head with the hilt of his weapon. She fell down before him. Raphael lifted his rapier.
-Coup…
Raphael was about to give her the death blow but Hilde swiftly lifted her halberd and slashed at Raphael's shoulder.
-… de arrgh!
Raphael dropped his rapier in pain. But he swiftly reacted and kicked Hilde in the face before he jumped on her to wrestle with her, tackling her on the floor. Holding her arm with the sword, he grabbed the halberd and threw it away.
-The likes of you could never stop me!
He was now grabbing both her arms, pinning her on the floor.
-You're mine! I shall make you one of my minions!
He opened his mouth to bite her and Hilde saw with horror his long and pointy fangs. But Raphael had some problems: he was trying to lower her collar to have a place to bite with her annoying armour while trying to keep his grab on Hilde's arms. So while doing this, Hilde succeeded in freeing one of her hands and grabbed Raphael's chin to push him back. To end up as a vampire minion was to Hilde a fate worse than death.
-Don't touch me! It is not honourable! And a most vicious attack! You said you would fight with honour!
-I changed my mind! I'll protect my daughter and my castle by any means! And by becoming my minion, you shall obey me and order your army to leave…
-I refuse to bow to your logic! My army would never do such a thing! They will fight you until the end!
-They will not obey their princesse bien-aimée?
-Not if their princess is not their princess anymore! They won't obey a minion of yours! Cease this dishonourable behaviour at once! Fight with honour!
-Non. You shall become my minion. And then, you shall make a fine pet for Amy…
-So then monsters have no honour!
-How dare you? Do not call me monster!
-Well your actions show what you are! A vile beast!
Raphael lifted his head in outrage while still holding her captive. He stared at her with a hateful and furious gaze from his even more reddish eyes while Hilde was still keeping him away with her hand. To be called a beast and a monster was really painful and offensive.
-You shall regret your words, Princesse… You want to kill me for the vile beast that I am? Then I shall act like a vile beast… until the end! You and your army shall all suffer! I shall destroy you all!
His bloodlust and the fact she insulted him made him even angrier toward her. He will bite her! And he won't hold back! No need for minions, he'll kill them all! Hilde desperately tried to keep him away from her. She put her gauntlet in front of his mouth as he was about to bite her and Raphael bit the hard metal. He got very furious to have hurt himself on it and brutally grabbed Hilde's wrist to push it aside while growling in anger. Hilde could not resist anymore against this enraged beast.
-Stay down wretched human! Don't move! Ahh… Blue wine… It has been a while…
-Nooo!
Raphael is living in Vlad Dracul's castle so that is why he found those impaled people, since Vlad the Impaler had made so much victims something may remain… Just a clue as to where he lives…