Rosario of Sorrow
Chapter twenty: New Truths and a Vampire
Cover Image: Soma standing alone in Dracula's throne room with Krul standing beside him.
Over five hundred years ago outside Dracula's Castle in Wallachia, a teenaged Alucard, back then known as Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes was sleeping under a tree, the soft breeze caressing his skin, but his slumber was soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps followed by his name being called.
"Adrian!" The voice belonged to a girl about his age with pink hair and green eyes in a purple dress. She bore a striking resemblance to the Outer Moka.
"Akasha…" Adrian opened his eyes and sat up, acknowledging her presence. "What do you want?"
"Don't be so cold." Akasha placed her hands on her hips and pouted at Adrian's distant attitude. "We're practically siblings, you know?"
"Forgive me…" Adrian stood before approaching Akasha, bowing his head once as an apology.
"Adrian… I've been meaning to ask you something for a long time…" Akasha blushed slightly as she played with her fingers, gazing at her cold childhood friend.
"And that is…?" Adrian raised a brow as he asked, not really paying attention to Akasha's body language.
"Do you think we'll be together forever?" Akasha's blush deepened as she looked down in an attempt to hide it, still playing with her fingers.
"Of course, we will…" Adrian answered Akasha's question, since they were immortal and practically family, he saw no reason for them to separate.
"Adrian…" Akasha smiled and suddenly hugged her childhood friend, happy that he somewhat acknowledged her feelings.
Back to the present, Soma Cruz led a very strange life, so much that any instance of normalcy was like a drop of fresh water in a scorching desert and whenever he got used to his circumstance, another unknown would complicate his already hectic existence.
Krul Tepes was the name of this unknown and she was haughty, unpredictable and worse of all, a dangerous vampire queen.
Classes had ended for the students of Youkai Academy and the bell signalled a welcome relief for the tired learners. The teenagers packed their bags and left the room but two students held a conversation as the others left, Soma and the newcomer, Krul.
"So… umm… do you want me to show you around or something?" Soma awkwardly tried to speak to Krul. Given her strange first impression, the white-haired youth was understandably uncomfortable around the petite vampire.
"Oh my, I have such a dutiful pet." Krul clasped both her hands together as she smiled at Soma, satisfied with how accommodating he was. "Be a dear and carry my bag for me."
"Sure…" Soma forced a smile as he picked up the bag, he had half a mind to scold Krul for her condescending behaviour, but he thought against it, assuming that she was raised as a sheltered noble.
Unknown to Soma and Krul, Moka and Kurumu were watching them from outside, both digging their nails into the wall with a fierce aura of jealousy emanating from them.
"I can't believe how she's acting!" Moka scowled at the master and servant dynamic to Krul and Soma's interaction. "She's treating him like her butler!"
"Butler, huh?" Kurumu was suddenly pulled away from her anger and into a fantasy about Soma dressed in a tuxedo, waiting on her every whim.
"How may I serve you, Mistress?" The fantasy Soma gave Kurumu a gentle but knowing smile as he bowed to her. "Shall I prepare a bath or perhaps…" The white-haired youth touched his mistress' cheek and started to close the distance between them.
Kurumu was reduced to a blushing mess, with a lustful and absent smile plastered on her face as her fantasy turned more graphic.
As Krul walked ahead of Soma, the spectre of Dracul appeared at his side with a grimly serious expression on his bearded face.
"What will you do, boy?" Dracul spoke sternly to Soma, recognizing how dire their current situation was and hoping for some kind of plan to be put into action.
"I'm even more confused than you are…" Soma mumbled under his breath careful so that Krul wouldn't hear his disgruntlement.
Krul stopped and raised a brow as she saw what looked like Soma talking to himself, not taking kindly to being ignored, she stopped abruptly.
"I'm bored." Krul let out an exaggerated sigh, turning around to face Soma with a pout. "Entertain me."
"Can you believe this girl?" Dracul spoke with a visible scowl on his pale features. "Treating a Dark Lord as a mere servant…"
"We just have to get through the day and she'll find her own clique…" Soma sighed as he tried to calm down his ghostly companion, putting his hands into his pockets as he walked.
Arikado watched Krul and Soma from the distance with a wary gaze, turning around immediately to get answers from Mikogami about what he had just seen.
Arikado stepped into Mikogami's office, wearing his grim and stern expression as he approached the headmaster, intent on confronting him.
"Mikogami… why did you let her in here?" Arikado glared and slammed his hands on the desk, demanding answers from the headmaster regarding Krul's presence.
"I have my reasons, old friend…" Mikogami met Arikado's glare with a whimsical and curious expression. "Tell me, her last name is Tepes… is she a relative of yours by any chance."
Seeing the futility of arguing with someone as eccentric and unpredictable as Mikogami, Arikado composed himself and took a seat across the desk.
"She was Father's first wife…" Arikado settled into his seat and closed his eyes as he recounted the story of his complicated family history with Krul. "Back when he was a new vampire, he had power, but not authority over the vampire clans, so he needed to find a way into their aristocracy."
"So, he married Krul and took her last name?" Mikogami asked with renewed curiosity at his friend's complex and mysterious past.
"Yes…" Arikado nodded as he continued to tell his story. "After taking the name Tepes, Father shared his vast knowledge and power with Krul and through marriage and an alliance, he gained enough authority to rule over a majority of the vampire clans… and through his own strength, ruled over the forces of Chaos."
"So, it was a loveless marriage of convenience?" Mikogami asked yet another question regarding the new revelation.
"Not entirely, though Father saw the marriage as a stepping stone, Krul was and is genuinely in love with him, despite knowing his true intentions. She was no fool though." Arikado closed his eyes. "She waited and tried for centuries to win his love… you can only imagine how much she hated Mother."
Mikogami sat forward as he continued to listen to Arikado.
"I have no proof of this…" Arikado spoke bitterly as his cold expression broke for a moment.
"But I wouldn't be surprised if she planned Mother's execution in secret…"
Arikado stood up and gave Mikogami yet another stern glare.
"You have no idea what would happen if she so much as suspects Soma's true nature as Dracula…" Arikado spoke darkly and grimly as he walked to the door. "Krul Tepes… would stop at nothing to get what she wants… and the centuries have made her more cunning and ruthless."
Soma and Krul continued to walk the halls of Yokai Academy, drawing stares and whispers from the other students.
"Cruz is walking with a little girl." One boy spoke to his friend with a slight chuckled. "Well, he hangs out with Sendo all the time, guess he has a type?"
"That's so wrong…" A girl replied to her classmate in a worried and slightly disgusted tone.
Soma felt both the gazes and judgment from where he was, nervously looking down from embarrassment as he continued to walk with Krul.
"They're seriously getting the wrong idea…" Soma thought to himself as he heard a stray whisper from one of the other students.
Krul however, smirked to herself, finding a new way to entertain herself, she quickly grabbed Soma's arm, knowing they were being watched, causing the whispers and stares to intensify even further.
Soma reluctantly walked arm in arm with a smirking Krul, inwardly sighing to himself, he was no stranger to awkward situations, but this felt much worse than the ones he was used to.
As the day went by, Soma found himself playing the role of tour guide to Krul, showing her around Yokai Academy's many facilities. The petite vampire was bored with the campus, but kept a keen interest in the white-haired youth, rarely leaving his side.
Moka was not happy about Soma's situation, not one bit, so she decided to trail both him and Krul. She hated the fact that there was yet another vampire in his life other than her.
While Moka was following Krul and Soma, Yukari was seated alone in the library beside a tall stack of books, her time in the castle had introduced her to new forms of magic as well as exposing some historical inaccuracies in their textbooks.
Yukari stood after finishing her book, setting on top of the tall stack, the young witch approached the bookshelf to get more books, but then she saw a mysterious seal. Her curiosity got the better of her and she touched the seal, instinctively using an incantation she learned in the castle. When she was done, the bookshelf faded away to reveal what looked like a smaller version of the portal that connected the school with the outside world.
Yukari reluctantly stepped into the portal and after a few minutes surrounded by shadows and bright prismatic lights, she found herself in an impossibly large mechanical library, its size and scope far surpassing even the academy itself.
As Yukari walked through what seemed to be endless halls, gears and moving bookshelves, she finally made her way to the main study and there, she saw what looked like several mechanical tanks of artificial blood and behind an ornately designed desk, a ghostly pale man with long, wavy black hair tied in a ponytail and gold eyes, the librarian was dressed in an elegant white and red coat over a gold vest with black trousers and a cape that was designed after stars in the night sky contained by a gold trim.
"I haven't seen you before…" The man spoke in a calm, impassive voice as he noticed Yukari's presence, not even standing to greet her. "Who are you?"
"M-My name's Yukari Sendo." The young witch bowed nervously as she sensed the man's imposing presence. He was powerful, his demonic aura dwarfed even the Inner Moka's. "Sorry for intruding, I just got lost-"
"And my name is Orlok Fahrenheit Dracule… but you can call me O.D." The man bowed his head once in acknowledgement. "I'm the overseer of this library and a vampire… if you couldn't already tell." He looked over Yukari once before asking. "How did you even find this place? Only those using Enochian spells can open the portal…"
"I… learned some spells somewhere…" Yukari spoke up nervously, deciding against mentioning Dracula's Castle to the suspicious librarian.
"The only other visitors I receive are my brother and the headmaster…" O.D nodded, half-accepting Yukari's answer. "I never expected to meet a child here…"
"Hey! I'm not a child!" Yukari pouted at O.D's cold and condescending attitude. "I'm almost thirteen years old!"
"I'm about five hundred… even adults of your kind are like children in my eyes." O.D spoke nonchalantly and logically as he stood. "While you're here… would you care to take out a book? These are special tomes that impart magical powers upon their readers. "Why not avail yourself of their boons?"
"Of course!" Yukari's eyes brightened with excitement at being granted access to a near-infinite library by O.D. The young witch knew now that she had all the resources, she needed to get stronger for Soma's sake.
"Be sure to return what you borrow." O.D approached one of his bookshelves to take out a book for Yukari. "This is a library, not a bookshop."
Krul walked arm in arm with Soma as he showed her around campus and as the pair walked, they finally made their way to the cliffs, now staring out into the ominous crimson sea and green sky. The white-haired youth still had no idea what to make of his new companion, but he somehow sensed that she was very powerful, as strong as if not stronger than the Inner Moka.
"So… that's all of it." Soma gave Krul a nervous but accommodating smile, he was still uncomfortable, but rude was the last thing he wanted to be.
"I'm not impressed with it…" Krul yawned before turning her attention to Soma. "But you on the other hand…" Her lips curved into a smirk.
"What about me?" Soma gave Krul a suspicious glance, his levels of discomfort quickly rising.
"Are interesting… human." Krul's smirk remained on her face as she touched Soma's cheek, looking into his eyes intently. "No, maybe something more…" The petite vampire suddenly closed the distance, breathing on Soma's neck before going in to bit him.
"No!" Moka came out of hiding and quickly yanked Soma's arm to pull him away from Krul. "Stay away from him!"
"Moka?" Soma was surprised to see his childhood friend, seeing as she came out of nowhere, but he was relieved that she saved him.
"Tch!" Krul frowned as she glared at Moka, upset that Soma was taken away. "It's rude to interrupt people when they're alone together."
"You're one to talk, you were about to bite Soma and drain him dry!" Moka balled her fists as she glared at Krul. "I saw you!"
"Pot calling the kettle black…" Soma thought to himself as he remembered all the times Moka bit him without warning.
Krul was about to snap back at Moka, but then she noticed how familiar she looked and with a smirk, she turned around.
"Fine, I'll let this slide." Krul turned back to face Moka, her eyes now glowing red. "But don't ever get in my way again, girl."
As Krul walked away, Soma let out a sigh of relief, he was sure that Krul had predatory intentions towards him and Moka saved him just in time.
"Thanks, Moka…" Soma smiled at his childhood friend, grateful for the save. "I thought I was lunch for sure…"
"Anything for you, Soma…" Moka smiled and leaned on Soma's chest. "What was her problem?" Her smile turned to a frown.
"I don't know… but she's scary." Soma sighed as he wrapped his arms around Moka protectively. "I wouldn't mess with her."
"I was so worried…" Moka nodded and rested on Soma's chest before gazing up at him.
"Moka…" Soma gazed gently at his childhood friend, touched by her concern.
"Soma…" Moka blushed at their closeness as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Soma and Moka both leaned in for a kiss but were interrupted by a sudden drop in temperature followed by a familiar icy voice.
"So, this is where you ran off to." Mizore approached Soma and Moka, her hands frozen into sharp claws. "I can't believe you'd sneak around behind my back…"
"Give me a break…" Soma sighed to himself as he watched Moka and Mizore's standoff. Though stressful, it felt normal at least compared to his time with Krul.
A few hours had passed and Krul stood in front of the same cliffside, humming to herself as she watched the moon reflected on the sea.
"What are you doing here?" Arikado approached her from behind, his impassive features forming a nigh-imperceptible frown. "Third Progenitor Krul Tepes…"
"You could be more welcoming." Krul smiled and turned to face Arikado. "But if you must know, I'm here because of what happened at the Witch's Knoll."
"The return of Dracula's Castle…" Arikado nodded in acknowledgment, knowing the entirety of vampire society must've known already. "But what does that have to do with this academy?"
"Don't play dumb with me, boy." Krul's playful smile turned into an impatient frown. "I know your students were there on a field trip and I'm sure Soma was involved somehow."
"Your suspicions are both unwarranted and foolish." Arikado summoned a long silver sword, determined to use force if necessary, to protect his students. "Leave now."
"You're so rude, little Adrian…" Krul smirked at Arikado, having known about his secret identity from the very beginning. "You can change your face, but the scent of your blood is undeniable."
"In the name of my mother, I will protect Soma from you." Arikado placed one hand behind his back and held his sword up in a combat stance.
"Your mother…" Krul's face twisted with rage upon hearing about Lisa, she dug her claws into her palms and drew blood as she clenched her fists. "That witch that took my beloved husband away from me!"
"Father never loved you…" Arikado remained in his combat stance, watching Krul and waiting for her to make the first move.
"She deserved to burn at that stake…" Krul bared her fangs and claws at Arikado as she entered a combat stance as well.
Arikado and Krul both made their move, charging at impossible speeds and as the dust settled, the dhampir had his sword pointed at the petite vampire's neck.
"Kill me, and this academy becomes a warzone…" Krul smirked and goaded Arikado as his sword drew blood. "The other Progenitors will make sure of that."
Arikado was tempted to kill Krul where she stood, to avenge his mother and to punish her for her disrespect, but he knew better, so her lowered his sword reluctantly.
"I will find out what you're hiding… little Adrian." Krul smirked menacingly at Arikado as her wound healed. "I promise you that." The petite vampire laughed to herself before walking off.
"Not so long as a draw breath…" Arikado dismissed his sword before walking back to the academy.
Around the same time, Soma returned to the abandoned schoolhouse he called home and waiting for him as usual, were Eucliwood, Haruna and most recently Seraphim.
"I'm home…" Soma smiled and set his bag down, taking off his shoes before stepping inside.
"Welcome back." Eucliwood scribbled on her notepad before holding it up for Soma to read.
"Did you miss me, your cute genius of a girlfriend?" Haruna grinned brightly at Soma, hoping he would acknowledge what in her mind was their relationship.
Before Soma could answer Haruna, Seraphim approached him, holding his chin and inspecting his neck and face.
"What are you doing?" Soma blinked and stared at Seraphim, confused by her actions.
"I'm checking to see if you cheated on me…" Seraphim's face remained the same, her usual calm and somewhat stony expression.
"I already told you… we're not married." Soma sighed at Seraphim's strange antics.
"Don't disregard the customs of my people." Seraphim frowned at Soma, offended by his lack of commitment. "We kissed, so we're married."
"Hungry." Eucliwood tapped her pen to get Soma's attention before scribbling on her notepad.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you." Soma smiled and turned his attention to Eucliwood. "I'll get started on dinner right away."
Haruna pouted as she glared at Soma, for a while now, she felt that between all the other girls and his schoolwork, that he was neglecting her.
A little past midnight, Soma decided to take a walk to the nearby lake, between Krul almost biting him and Seraphim's insistence on their marriage, he needed some time alone.
As he reached the lakeshore, he saw not his reflection on the body of water, but the image of Dracul staring back at him.
"You seem bothered." Dracul spoke to Soma through the reflection. "Is it because of that girl?"
"Yeah… I could tell she was powerful." Soma sighed and stared down at his "reflection". "And she toyed with me like it was nothing."
"All the more reason for you to reclaim your powers." Dracul smirked as he spoke to Soma, once again reminding him of his mistake. "More like her will come, and you need to be more than just a weak human when the time comes."
"I know that… but I have something to ask." Soma closed his eyes and sighed in acknowledgment. "What's it like to be a Dark Lord?"
"Sovereignty is solitude." Dracul answered Soma in a somewhat sombre tone. "To be powerful beyond belief is to have no equal, and to have no equal is to be alone."
"I don't know if I can do that." Soma thought about all the times his friends helped him and how they all gave him the resolve to fight Chaos and destroy the castle. "If it weren't for them and all they've done for me… I might not even be alive today."
"Absolute power comes at a price." Dracul warned Soma, at that moment he was feeling both sympathy and pity for the boy. "And believe me, you do not get to choose whether or not you'll make a sacrifice."
With those words, Dracul's image turned back into Soma's reflection on the lake, leaving him to ponder their conversation.
"Sovereignty is solitude..." Soma repeated the words spoken to him by Dracul and he knew that the ghostly dark lord was right, but he couldn't accept that future for himself.
Soma was prepared to head back home when he saw Haruna along the way, he didn't know why she was out so late, but he decided to greet her.
"Hey, Haruna. What's up?" Soma smiled as he waved once at the Magical Garment Girl.
"I wanted to talk to you…" Haruna nervously played with her fingers, unable to look Soma in the eyes.
"Sure, what's on your mind?" Soma answered Haruna with a smile, he hadn't had time to talk to her lately, so he was glad to indulge her.
"Look at me…" Haruna requested as she approached Soma, pulling on his sleeve. "I want you to… kiss me!"
"W-What?" Soma blushed slightly at Haruna's sudden request, not knowing whether she was joking or not. "C'mon… you can't be serious."
"What are you waiting for? Kiss me!" Haruna grabbed Soma's collar forcefully as she frowned. "Just be a man for once and get on with it!" She closed her eyes and leaned up.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Soma frantically shook his head, even more confused than before. "It's so sudden and things are complicated as it is."
"Are you trying to play hard to get!?" Haruna shook her head angrily as she gripped Soma's collar. "You've been ignoring me for the past few days and hanging out with all those other girls! You're my partner so act like it!"
"Haruna, please calm down." Soma tried to restrain Haruna but to no avail.
"I'm a genius Magical Garment Girl, but you kissed that vampire before me!" Tears started to form in Haruna's eyes as she shut them tight, still shaking Soma by the collar. "What does she got that I don't?"
Soma suddenly realised that he had been neglecting Haruna to an extent, he was so wrapped up in his own problems that he failed to realise how she felt.
"I'm sorry, Haruna…" Soma suddenly wrapped his arms around the Magical Garment Girl, earning a surprised gasp from her. "I haven't been sensitive to your feelings."
"Idiot…" Haruna started to calm down as she leaned on Soma, hugging him as she sighed. "I'm your partner… don't ever forget that."
Haruna blushed as she saw her chance, she closed her eyes and leaned in close to kiss Soma, only for him to absentmindedly move away.
"It's getting late, we should head back." Soma smiled and turned around. "I'll walk you home."
Haruna frowned and held Soma's hand as they both started walking back to the abandoned building, she was determined to make him see her as a woman and not just some bratty kid.
Soma's life at Yokai Academy has changed for sure with Krul's presence, but his talk with Haruna seemed to have calmed him down somewhat. He smiled to himself, knowing that no matter what, his friends would stay the same, at least he hoped so.
Author's note: Chapter twenty is finally complete after a long delay. Castlevania, Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? and Rosario + Vampire are all out on Netflix, so I've been watching them all to get inspiration for this chapter. Thanks to the new animated Castlevania, my interest in the series is renewed, you can tell from my newest updates being primarily Castlevania related.
So, this chapter solidifies Krul's role not just in the story, but in the past events of the world as well. Having her as Dracula's first wife was a logical choice for me since it would explain how Mathias came upon the name Tepes. Krul was always in love with Mathias and knew him ever since he was human, but he never reciprocated her feelings. She's a good three hundred years older than him. She knows there's something different about Soma and she's determined to find out, but Alucard will never let her. Krul hates Lisa with all her heart because Dracula loved her while he wouldn't even touch Krul.
Yukari meets Orlok Dracule/O.D from Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and he'll serve as a mentor of sorts for her since he'll share many secrets and tomes with her. In this story, he's Alucard's younger brother.
Alucard and Akasha were raised together by Dracula since he adopted her at some point. They're very close with Akasha harbouring feelings for him. Alucard and Moka are deeply connected, but that will be explained in later chapters.
Dracul has a sort of paternal affection for Soma and truly wishes for him to succeed where he failed in life. Instead of tempting him to accept greater power, he's warning him about the sacrifices he'll have to make. Dracul will be instrumental to Soma's character development.
Haruna finally gets her time alone with Soma. I wanted to do something involving her since I want to avoid side-lining her. Her scene is somewhat adapted from the anime when she asks for a kiss, just without the beating. Haruna is in love with Soma, but she's a little more comical about it. Rosario of Sorrow might have a spinoff/AU that focuses solely on Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka characters.
And lastly, this story has a bad ending route and I actually have the final chapter of that written, tell me in the reviews if you want it published here. The bad ending route leads to a sequel called Code Vein: Eternal Blood and it takes place twenty years after the bad ending of Rosario of Sorrow and crosses over Code Vein, Seraph of the End and Castlevania.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and happy holidays.
Now to answer my reviewers.
Angron
If it's not for you then alright, no problem.
BowmanW
Later chapters correct those issues.
ThatOneGuyUpstairs
That would be pretty funny to be honest and so would Kurumu's reaction.
Soma cannot remember his past, but it can be shown to him by the Mirror of Fate and Death.
Moka doesn't get the memo.
Mr. Kino-san
Trust me, the story will really take a darker turn once it reaches season 2.
The story is named A Certain Magical Dominance and it's still in its infancy and may or may not even get written.
Alhazad2003
Glad you liked it and no problem.
It also goes to show that Eucliwood gives Moka a run for her money when it comes to who's closest to winning Soma's heart.
Indeed, the girls to not like competition and they're especially wary of Moka and Eucliwood.
Glad to be back and I hope you enjoyed this one.
Spooookay Ghost
Glad you liked it.
Sorry, but I won't be doing OCs.