"Hi Crowley! Over here!" Ferid waved his arm around wildly.
Crowley made his way through the crowd of vampires. The hall was far too crowded and Crowley even had to resort to shoving few nobles out of the way so he could get to Ferid. Horn and Chess rather squished themselves to his back than expending energy and fight for more space.
"Hello Ferid. Do you know why we were called?" Crowley asked his friend, who shrugged.
"I guess it's about the final orders for when the humans attack." Ferid let his gaze wander over the gathered people. "I am surprised by how many we are. I don't recognize everyone and I am pretty sure that Lord Arverra is supposed to be in California." Suddenly Ferid straightened up. "Can it be? Crowley, would you be a dear and tell me what was said? I really need to go."
Crowley blinked. Where does he need to go? Vampires don't get sick of spoiled blood and they don't need to use the toilet either. "Sure." Then he watched Ferid struggling to reach the door. He was uncharacteristically tense.
The door to the commanders' office flew open and expecting silence hung over the room. Out walked Lady Luna Tepes and Lord Urd Geales. Crowley watched as Ferid threw a glance over his shoulder, only to resume his attempts to leave the room with increased haste.
"Ferid Bathory, where are you going to? Come and receive your orders, unless you have another pressing matter to attend to."
When he was so clearly addressed by the First in front of all people even Ferid couldn't just leave. "Your Majesty. It is wonderful to gaze upon your lovely face and hear your wisdom. I am reassured to see Lord Geales at your side, with whose forces we will most certainly succeed in crushing the human organization."
"Yes, Lord Geales has spared no effort to arrive as soon as possible, which has resulted in his entire army to arrive a week before we expected them to come."
An admiring murmur went through the room and some nobles even applauded the Second Progenitor. Crowley looked from Ferid to Luna and back again. He couldn't put his finger to it, but there definitively was an unspoken conversation going on.
"Our scouts have reported increased activity around Shimonoseki. In less than five days the JIDA will launch an attack at our base at Kitakyushu. Our goal in this fight will be to capture or kill as many soldiers as possible. Therefore we will let the enemy land and march further inland. Three anti-aircraft brigades will support the front held by the infantry. At a signal a division will flank the enemy from the mountains and Lord Geales will use his navy to lay waste to the enemy's base at Shimonoseki leaving them nowhere to retreat to."
The crowd erupted into cheers. Ferid smiled politely and clapped his hands.
"Lord Geales will now announce the position of each of your units. After that, report to your commanders for details on your assignments. That's it. Ferid, if you would follow me."
Crowley watched as Luna returned to her office with Ferid close behind. It was weird. Something was wrong and Crowley didn't exactly know what it was, but if somebody asked him, he would tell them that this person was not Luna Tepes. The strategy was sound, of course, but it seemed too cruel for the person who disliked killing humans. The person who had vampires executed for disproportionate bloodshed was now planning to annihilate an entire army.
It was a bit like the Crusades, only that Crowley felt like he was fighting on the other side of this war.
Someone tugged on his cape. "Lord Crowley. Lord Crowley! Lord Geales read our names. We have to report to the First for a special mission," Chess said.
Crowley nodded. Maybe he could finally get some answers.
Behind the doors guards had been waiting. Ferid pondered for a second. What would Guren do? Attempt a heroic escape? Probably. Best to do exactly the opposite.
Luna did not wait for him to ask a question. "Lord Ferid Bathory, you will be placed under arrest for the time being."
"What if I promise to be a good boy and don't run my mouth?"
Luna huffed. "You know I can't trust you."
"Oh dear me." Ferid helplessly raised his arms. "I only did what you ordered."
"I know. That's exactly why."
"Pardon me?"
The First looked amused. "I won't pardon you. This has gotten way bigger than your pathetic little revenge-game against Saito and I'm pretty certain that, if my plans threaten your little scheme, you will betray me. I won't take my chances and let your actions drag this war out. After I have Krul back, you will be released."
Ferid did not resist as the guards led him to his rooms. There will be a time for everything. Now, how to alert Guren without alarming his dearest daddy too?
The hallway in front of the First's office was empty and the heavy cherry wood door closed. The three vampires observed their surroundings. There was no bell or something.
Horn sighed. "I suppose we knock."
Chess nodded eagerly, but before her hand had touched the wood, Lady Luna called: "Come in."
In the middle of the room was a huge table with a map and figures standing for different squads. There also was another desk loaded with stacks of papers. The First sat on a windowsill and Crowley was again reminded of how much she seemed to have aged in the last century.
"13th Progenitor Crowley Eusford, it's been quite some time."
"Indeed it has."
His two aides threw Crowley a glance. He had never mentioned meeting the First before.
"And these two are your aides?"
"The 17th Progenitors Chess Bell and Horn Skuld. Yes."
Horn curtsied. "We're at your service, Ma'am."
It took Chess a moment to catch up and when she did she bowed swiftly. "It's an honor!"
Luna chuckled. "Stop, stop. It's fine." She got up and walked to the strategy table. "I have a special mission for you three. It's a mission I can only entrust to people I have faith in."
While Chess perked up, quite flattered at this compliment, Crowley felt paralyzed by the First's stare. He knew this feeling. He had felt it before. The first time he had met Luna and Vlad Tepes, who at that time was the First Progenitor, the late First had had the same intense stare, like standing on the bottom of the ocean with water pressing on one's body from all sides.
"I want you to capture as many human soldiers as possible and keep them from killing themselves or being drunk dry by our own soldiers. Take their weapons, put them in chains and break their bones, if you have to, but I want them alive."
Crowley almost sighed. Despite the change in demeanor, the Luna he knew was still in there.
"I apologize for this question, but I have to ask. I thought we were going to put an end to the JIDA?" Horn asked.
Luna nodded. "We are. But first we need to get Krul out of there. Afterwards we'll have more options where our causalities will be low. In this battle you will fight at the eastern front with 5th Progenitor Ky Luc."
"Uh, that might be a little problem," Crowley began.
Luna tilted her head to the side. "Because you fought him? I talked to Lord Luc and he said he'd forgive you. Or do you have a problem with him?"
"Oh, good. No, if that's so then everything is fine."
"Good. While I'd like to have as many prisoners as possible, there is no need to risk your safety or the safety of others. Priority one still is winning this fight by any means necessary. Any questions?"
The three vampires shook their heads.
"Then you may go. Crowley, if you have a minute …"
The vampire signed to his aides to go on without him.
Luna sat on the windowsill again. She leaned against the window and did not look at him. "How are you doing?"
Crowley shrugged. "Like always. Nothing new."
"Oh no, those two are new," Luna said, referring to his aides.
"Ferid assigned them to me when I took over Nagoya. They are … interesting."
"That's good."
"And how are you doing?" Crowley asked in return.
"In general or right now?"
"Either. Both." Crowley shrugged.
Finally, Luna turned towards him and smiled. "In general I'm doing fine. Right now, … that's a different story. Krul got herself captured, I'm going to war and the floor won't stop moving. I hate Japan! You'd think people would not like to live on an island with volcanos and earthquakes, but no!"
"Can I do something to help you?"
Luna shook her head. "Thank you. That's nice. I'll be fine though. I just want to go home."
There was a silence. Crowley didn't know what to say. Well, actually he had a question, but Luna was looking exhausted now that she wasn't putting on a show and he really didn't want to bother her. Maybe he himself was just overreacting. Vampires have a different relationship with time than humans. Crowley knew that, but even for her 15 decades should be a long time span.
Luna broke the silence. "I thought when I came here, something would switch on and I'd feel right, like, you know, like this is something I was born and raised to do. I don't like it here. I want to go home! I don't feel like a leader, like a First Progenitor."
"Then why don't you leave everything to Lord Geales? Isn't that what he is for?"
Luna huffed. "He was going to nuke Japan. Obviously I couldn't let that happen! I can't let so many people die, if I have the ability to prevent it. … I wish ... Sometimes I wish I could be a bit more ruthless. It would save me a lot of problems."
Hearing her say this gave Crowley a slight twinge in his heart. "If you were more ruthless, you wouldn't be you anymore. Frankly, I prefer the Luna that is trying her best to save lives."
"Thank you, Crowley…" She tilted her head to one side. "I think I missed you. I think, maybe, I should have contacted you before."
"It's fine. I guess, you must have been busy."
Luna shook her head. "Not at all. Everything was just so different. It was a bit ... overwhelming. I didn't even really know who I was." She laughed dryly. "I guess I was afraid of you treating me differently and our friendship was the last thing I still had left from before. That wasn't fair to you."
Crowley shifted his weight. "Was taking over that difficult? I always assumed you were being prepared."
"I was prepared for succession by ceremony. That was how succession was supposed to go. The First approaches the end of their existence and is ritually killed by their successor." Luna stared directly into Crowley's eyes. Her voice dropped and was barely louder than a whisper. "He went mad, absolutely batshit crazy. He was going to destroy humanity and probably most animals and plants alongside them. I couldn't let that happen. … I killed him, my own father."
"I'm sorry."
Luna paused for a second and then shrugged. "There was nothing you could have done. I'll adapt eventually."
Crowley shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "Again, if there is something I can do to help …"
"I'll let you know." Luna smiled. "Hm, I know! Why don't we spar? Tomorrow? I promise I'll hold back."
"I'll hope so. I don't stand a chance otherwise."
"Power isn't everything." Luna grinned. That had been the first lesson Crowley had taught her. At that time she had used her sword like a stick to bludgeon enemies with. It hadn't been very elegant or effective, but well, it was not like there were lots of people who were as powerful as her.
Crowley raised an eyebrow. "You know very well that you're my equal or better than me in power, speed and technique."
"I know. I'm teasing you."
The man sighed. "Please don't. Ferid is already teasing me enough."
"Hm … So if I kill Ferid, will I get my teasing rights back?" Luna asked.
Crowley facepalmed and an unbidden curse came over his lips. "Good Lord, give me strength."
When he was younger, Seishiro wished for time to pass faster, because in his dreams his hard work catapulted him ahead of Mahiru and Kureto. It was just a fantasy, Seishiro had always known that, but still he had felt impatient, a restless energy coursing through his body and he didn't know where to invest it.
Now Seishiro desperately wished for a bit more time. "I am telling you we are not ready for deployment yet!"
Kureto gave him a glare. "Watch your tone!" What a disrespectful tone. Actually, it was somewhat impressive that Seishiro, who always had groveled before those stronger than him, took this tone with the General of the JIDA. It was still disrespectful, though. "You just said that the experiments were successful and the performance I just saw was quite … satisfactory."
They were standing in front of a big window, looking into an underground arena where a massacre just had taken place. Seishiro had put Dr. Garth's test-subject, some weak vampires and human prisoners, murderers and thieves (Kureto favored harsh sentences), into this arena. The demon had responded as hoped and killed the vampires, while leaving the humans alive. Interestingly, some of the vampires had started fighting each other. Also, after killing the bloodsuckers the demon investigated the humans, but then curled up wailing and hissing.
"A battlefield is highly dynamic. There might be unforeseen circumstances, which would have an unpredictable effect on the subject. In the worst case, it might start attacking our own soldiers!"
Kureto looked past his younger brother at the leading scientist of these experiments. "Dr. Garth. What is your opinion?"
The red head had just been scribbling on his clipboard. "Sorry? About what?"
Oh dear. The stories about not-functional geniuses, who could reform sciences but not toast bread in a toaster, seemed to be true. "Is the subject ready for deployment on a battlefield?"
"No."
"That's what I said too," Seishiro said.
"Pack it up anyway," Kureto ordered. "We will use it in the upcoming battle." He walked out before his little brother could get another word in. They could have a proper discussion once Seishiro had accepted the order.
Using an experimental weapon should have been a harder decision to make, Kureto thought. It had felt so easy. Was it because of the circumstances? At any rate, they could either win or lose and in latter case, the vampires would show no mercy. He'd take any chance to avoid that outcome.
The alarms sounded at the break of dawn. Choppers of the JIDA had been sighted over Shimonoseki. It seemed that under the cover of the night the humans had established their camp in the city and chose the new day for an attack.
Luna had to give it to them. They chose the best time of the day. It was sunny and they had a lot of light left. Also the humans' sight was a lot better in daylight. She sat in her chair at their headquarters and watched over screens as her soldiers got in position. Even the usually lethargic normal vampires ran around in a hurry. As chaotic as it might look, there was a certain order to it. Get your armor, get your weapon, get your rations, get in position, drink your ration.
"Then, I will be off too, my lady." Lord Geales had stepped up to the First.
"Alright. And I will try to be a good First and stay put." Luna wriggled around in her chair and Geales regarded her doubtfully.
Then he nodded. "Well, then … I will be waiting for your signal." Lord Geales started walking towards the exit.
"See you later! Have fun!"
Luna could not keep her feet still. The chair felt like it was studded with pins. So she jumped to her feet and paced around. The screens showed that the various bases were almost empty by now.
"Do we have cameras on the battle field?" Luna asked the chief-technician.
"Your Majesty, we do have public surveillance cameras, which are left-overs from the human's era, but we were not able to reactivate them," the vampire said.
"Okay. Let's put that on the list for our next defensive battle. How many choppers are approaching?"
"Ten, Your Majesty," an officer answered.
Most likely they would fly back to Shimonoseki and get more soldiers. Should she order the anti-aircraft division to fire at the retreating choppers or should she let them fly in another wave? At maximum ten choppers could hold 700 soldiers. Luna's side had 2000 soldiers, but 600 of them were with Lord Geales on the ships.
"Tell the anti-aircraft artillery to shoot down five of them when they have unloaded the first wave of soldiers. And the 'bait' shall prepare for retreating."
"Understood."
And there was nothing to do again. Luna took a deep breath and clasped her hands behind her back. Finally the battle was starting. This was fine. This was good. She could do this. She had been trained for this for half her life.
"The enemy's choppers have landed. The 'bait' is under attack. They are retreating to position 2 as planned. No signs of artillery or of a Seraph."
"…"
"The choppers have lifted off as expected. The AA-division is opening fire," the officer reported.
Things still went according to plan, but it was only the beginning.
"It seems the enemy is focusing its power on getting to the AA-division. Only ten humans are pursuing the 'bait'."
"Very well. Have the bait hold at position 2. Inform Ky Luc that he has incoming enemies." Whether they went after the 'bait' or the AA-division didn't matter. In both cases the vampires could execute a pincer-attack and attack the humans flank or rear.
"Three choppers are down. The snipers have started to attack."
"Well done. How about the other fronts?" Luna asked.
"None of them have made contact with the enemy."
"…"
The officer reported: "Now Ky Luc's front is in close combat with the human army."
Waiting for developments was the most annoying part of battles. Small scale battles like this didn't take long, but Luna had also experienced fights going on for hours or days.
She asked: "How is the 'bait' doing?"
"They have subdued their enemies and are standing by at position 2. The AA-division reports the choppers are returning."
"Good." The next move was a bit risky. "Have the 'bait' attack the first enemy wave from behind at let Lord Arverra and Lord Lindau advance 300 meters." With a bit of luck and skill, Ky Luc would subdue the first wave and Arverra and Lindau the second. "Tell AA, if the choppers lift off again, they are to be shot down. All of them."
"Your Majesty, Lord Arverra is not responding!"
Luna blinked. "He wasn't under attack, was he?"
"He didn't report an attack," the officer said.
"Did the Seraph wipe them out?" If one of the Seraphs had attacked only partially transformed, Lord Arverra would have had time to report it. That means the Seraph had to have been fully awakened and somebody else must have witnessed that.
"No. No Seraph has been seen on the battlefield."
Now that was odd. And it was dangerous. There was a hole in the left flank, or actually, there was no left flank at all! If the humans knew this, their second wave could possibly attack the vampires' headquarters.
This was not the best option, but under these circumstances Luna couldn't just stand by. She was a soldier, damn it, and a good one too. "Alright. You are familiar with the battle plan. If necessary you can call Lord Geales. I will take over the left flank personally."
"Your Majesty?" The officers looked horrified.
She gave them her most reassuring smile. "Try your best. I believe in you."
The vampires responded in a chorus: "We won't let you down, Your Majesty!"
Luna opened the first window she could find and jumped. She broke her fall by rolling and hit the ground running. As soon as she deemed it safe enough, she jumped on a roof. It was riskier, because she had no cover up here, but she also had a better overview.
There was no movement. It was like the earth had opened up and swallowed an entire division whole. She found the first weapon in the middle of a street. It was one of those mass-produced swords the normal vampires carried. Its owner was not to be seen. How odd.
Luna looked around. Then she finally found a heap of white fabric with some grey patches on it. It was a common soldier's uniform. That meant the grey stuff must be their ashes.
Instinct had Luna dart into the nearest bushes. Someone was here. Someone with a light step, like a vampire. She strained her senses. Indeed she could hear a footfall, but no heartbeat. She waited until she could somewhat pinpoint its location and then crept out of her hideout without making any sound.
Instead of racing towards this vampire, Luna prioritized soundlessness. She crept over the roofs and stopped from time to time to listen. The steps have grown louder. The vampire was just beyond the next house. Luna pushed herself up on the roof, centimeter for centimeter. One wrong movement could betray her. One sound and whoever was down there would be alarmed. Finally her fingers grasped the ridge. She pulled herself up extra slow and cursed herself for not making a camouflage for her hair. She could only hope the vampire was not looking up.
Anyone could have that brown hair, but only one vampire wore an ornately embroidered cape. Lord Arverra loved embroidery and Luna had commissioned him to embroider her red vest with golden dragons. Why was he all alone? Where was his division?
"Lord Arverra?"
The vampire whirled around, weapon in hand, but when he saw Luna Tepes he took three steps, fell to his knees right in front of her and presented her his sword in his hands.
"It was my fault. I couldn't stop it. I'll take responsibility."
Obviously he thought that she would kill him for his failure. What a stupid idea to take responsibility with your death. That doesn't solve anything. "Stand up, I order you! If you want to take responsibility then tell me what has happened."
The man stood up, but still looked at the ground. What had happened to rouse emotion in an emotionless vampire? "We were standing by and there was no enemy in sight. Suddenly there was this weird feeling, the one you get when tasting old blood. One of my soldiers cried out: 'Enemy!' but when I turned around I saw him attacking his partner. I wanted to tell my communications officer to report the situation, but I turned around and they were gone. A human attacked me from the left. I beheaded her, but as her body fell, the cloths turned from black to white and her blood to ash."
"It was an illusion."
"No." Lord Arverra's eyes looked haunted. "No mere illusion. Some of my soldiers screamed in pain and killed themselves. One attacked their spouse, drank them dry and then committed suicide. A few others went wild like demons and slaughtered anything that moved. I have seen wizardry! I have seen illusions! Never in my life have I encountered something like this!"
It did indeed sound a bit more powerful than what Luna was used to. She knew about vampires, who used subtle illusions to make it look like they were making out with their lover, while actually drinking them dry. Then there were the more powerful ones that could hide entire castles from view. But this was not just about optics. This illusion also seemed to prey on the last drops of emotion or the vampires' instincts.
"Rendezvous with the 'bait' at Ky Luc's position. As soon as the first wave of enemies is dealt with take the 'bait' and reestablish the left flank. Tell Lord Luc to advance to position 2. I'll manage things here," Luna said.
Lord Arverra finally raised his eyes. "Your Majesty, you don't know what you're dealing with! Even you -"
"No. You don't know who you're dealing with!" Red eyes blazed with cold fire. "How dare you?"
"I'm sorry! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"Then get going! You already have your orders."
The progenitor ran away. Luna sighed. Worrying about someone is one thing, but disobedience another.
She carefully picked her way through the streets. Illusions … Illusions. Was this a new human weapon? It sure would help them. The vampires would fight each other 'till death. No human causalities required. So … where are the humans? Why are they not yet here?
Honestly anyone else but Ferid wouldn't be able to complain about this cell. It was a spacious well-furnished room and the amount of blood stored in the fridge would allow even the thirstiest vampire to live for a week. For anyone else but Ferid this was more like heaven on earth. But Ferid Bathory was Ferid Bathory and not 'anyone else'.
Being locked up was unacceptable. Sure, if Luna Tepes were to capture a large amount of the JIDA's forces, they could invade Japan and slowly chip away Saito's territory. The old man would be forced to watch his kingdom fall, his precious experiments falling into the vampires' hands and finally, finally Saito would be forced to surrender and beg on his knees for mercy.
It would not be granted to him. His sins were too great.
This was how the war was supposed to go, but Ferid knew Luna and possibly he understood her better than Urd Geales or even Krul herself. Luna's goal was not annihilating the JIDA, no matter how often she said it. It was saving her sister. She would arrange a prisoner exchange and they'd be back to where they started from.
Technically, this would be fine. Only that the trust between Ferid and Guren was rather fragile and if Guren walked into this trap, then their cooperation would be over.
For his plan, Ferid needed a mole. If Guren wasn't it, there was nobody else willing to.
The alarm had sounded and Ferid started to burn all the papers he had written his plans and possible outcomes on.
The rhythmical thrum of boots on the pavement told Ferid that the soldiers were moving out. This sound was very familiar. A lifetime ago, he had told a human Crowley, that he was a noble of low status. Another lifetime ago, when he himself was still human, he had certainly been a noble, but only for his people and not for the empire that drafted him.
The sounds subsided. Ferid took an empty pitcher and walked to the door. He opened it just a crack and was already greeted by a sword.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you hard working guards, but would you mind fetching me another one of those," Ferid said shaking the pitcher.
The guard, impervious to flattery, nodded and Ferid opened the door wider to hand it over. This allowed him to throw a look at his guards. There were four and all of them were just normal soldiers. Now that was kind of naïve, Ferid thought. Did the First really think he would just stay put? Even without a sword Ferid could take them on.
When the guard returned with a filled pitcher, his fellow guards were gone. Only scraps of their uniform and three of their four swords were left. Lord Ferid had vanished too.
"Are you sure the vampires are here?" Yu nagged.
"That's what our intel said," Shinoa replied.
"Then why are they hiding? It's not like someone came here before us and cleared them out."
Truth to be told that was something that had Shinoa worried too. There was no presence except for them. Even Mika with his highly enhanced senses had not been able to pinpoint the enemy's location. Why would they leave their flank wide open? And not just any flank. The Shinoa Squad had a direct path to the vampires' headquarters.
That's why they were not with the main army. Kureto had ordered them to take out the vampires' leader. Best to do this before the rest of the army catches up, especially since Yu might need to use all his power and might go a bit mad in the process.
"Over there!"
Shinoa had her scythe in her hands before she even registered what Mitsuba was pointing at. Weapons were strewn around. It looked like a battlefield, only that the battle was long over and the corpses long buried. Well, if vampires were the only casualties that would explain the lack of bodies.
Mika took one of the swords. "It's a weapon that is given to city guards and the common soldiers."
"What in the world happened here?" Yoichi said.
"Does it matter?" Yu asked. "Let's get a move on. The sooner we kill the boss the better."
Things didn't add up. Shinoa's stomach clenched in uncertainty. "We should stay close together. I have a bad feeling about this."
They jogged on. The city was eerily quiet. No even a bird was to be heard. There was only the sound of their steps and their ragged breaths.
After rounding a corner they saw her. Pale white skin, white hair and two big deer antlers with multiple tips each. The demon wore the gown that the JIDA used for their test subjects, but held a vampire's sword.
Shinoa knew immediately what that person was. "Prepare for battle! That's a demon!"
The squad fell in positions. If the demon had noticed them, she didn't show it. Or maybe she didn't care? That reaction went against everything Shinoa knew about demons. Sure, vampires needed blood, but demons were insatiable and relished in slaughter.
"Do you think it knows we're here?" Mitsuba half-whispered.
Just then, the demon turned around. Slowly, like she had all the time in the world. Her gaze wandered over the soldiers. "Tepes," she hissed.
Then she jumped. That speed alone told Shinoa everything. "This is bad! Take your pills!"
The demon had aimed for Yu, but Shiho blocked her. When the swords met, he gritted his teeth. A second blow sent him flying into a house.
Yoichi fired some arrows. The demon blocked all of them. She had not a single scratch!
The barrage blocked Yu and Mika's first attack from her view. That didn't help. The demon blocked both their swords. Yu aimed for her shoulder. The demon pushed Mika away, parried Yu with a downward stroke, but before she could do a counter attack and take Yu's head off, Mika attacked again.
The demon jumped back, which Mitsuba immediately exploited. "Tenjiryu!"
Yoichi followed right up. Distracted by the arrows, the demon only noticed Shiho at the last second. The demon was still way too fast. Her blow ripped one of Shiho's blades out of his hands. She attacked the man before he had any type of defense ready!
But Yu attacked the demon from behind and she chose her own life over taking Shiho's. Mika joined Yu and for a second they seemed evenly matched. Then, with a sudden bout of strength the demon threw them back.
She bared her teeth and jumped at Yu. He had not regained his footing. For Mika the seconds suddenly seemed to stretch out to eternities. His insides had turned to ice by fear. The demon was just so strong, so fast and none of the humans would make it in time. He could feel his body instinctively reacting. He sped towards Yu. He was prepared to take the blow for his brother. If only he would make it in time.
That was not going to be possible. Even with Mika's fast reactions and his great speed, he would not make it in time. So Mika put his hope on this one red wave attack. Maybe it would work this one time … for his family!
"It's a thing that happens naturally."
The red wave did not hurt the demon, but it pushed her back. Mika had expected the demon to attack Yu again and he was not prepared when it changed targets and came after him!
His wrist was grabbed and he was yanked back. The demon's sword clashed with another one. The sound was deafening. He was pulled forward again as his savior started a counter attack. It never hit. The demon put a bit of distance between the group and herself.
"Are you okay?"
This person shouldn't be here!
"Luna?" It was Yu, who had shouted. "What are you doing here?"
The vampire shrugged. "Was drafted. Sorry about that," she added towards Mika and let go of his wrist.
The pain subsided almost immediately. "It's fine. Thank you."
She nodded. "You can't win. I can hold her for some time. Get out of here."
Mika swallowed. Even if Luna was a bit better than him, she would not win against that demon. She was too powerful. Every fiber in Mika's body told him to run. Didn't she feel that too?
"Tepes," the demon hissed. At a closer look, unlike vampires, all her teeth were pointy and sharp. "You will die here."
Luna huffed. "Good luck. You'll need it," the young woman answered in the same language.
The demon started running. Luna sped away too. "Get going!" she shouted. She dodged the first blow. The demon attacked with greater force than she had expected. She probably stopped holding back.
Luna knew the vampire that demon had been. After all, looking at it was like looking into a mirror, at least when it came to the face. The Second Progenitor Elizabeth Bathory. 'One hit and I am done for.'
"We can't just run away," Yu argued. "Isn't she our friend? How can we let her fight alone?"
She focused on evading the demon's blows. Parring one of those would snap her blade in half and leave her defenseless.
At the same time Luna and the demon went for each other's necks. The swords missed each other by a hair's breadth. Despite her superior speed Luna could not land a counter attack without getting hit herself.
"We're no match for that demon," Mitsuba said.
The Lady Bathory took a step and aimed her blade to pierce Luna's heart. The vampire threw herself into the sword, only to side-step at the last moment and hit the demon's sword arm with her own. She pushed it out of the way and the demon's side was now vulnerable.
Luna angled her sword to cut across the demon's chest, but the Lady Bathory recovered too fast and parried with her sword. The vampire stopped her attack to protect her own blade. The sound of metal grazing over metal rang through the air.
The demon continued attacking and slowly pushed Luna back, step by step. Losing ground didn't matter much, though. Luna was watching, waiting, analyzing. Every sword-style had a weakness. Untrained fighters had a pattern. Luna just had to find it.
"If we can't beat her, Luna alone won't either. We stand a better chance together," Shinoa said.
The Lady Bathory's attacks were simple, almost crude. Luna sneered. She still had to hold back. She had to buy time for the others to escape. But in a few seconds she could go all out.
The demon had noticed her reluctance to parry and aimed her sword to decapitate Luna. The vampire jumped back a few steps.
Yoichi had his bow drawn and aimed at the fighting women. Shinoa said: "Fire once they separate." Yoichi nodded. Then the chance came and he did not hesitate. Only …
Luna's instincts saved her. She rotated and sliced Yoichi's arrows out of the air. His surprised outcry came too late. Suddenly the demon was in front of her, Luna was thrown back into a building.
"NO! Why? I was aiming for the demon!" Yoichi shouted. Right before his eyes Luna had turned into the demon and the demon into Luna! What was going on?
Concrete rained down around her. Her back hurt, but it was healing fast. She had underestimated the Lady Bathory. That's why she had wanted the humans to run! Illusions won't work on her, but they will work on them and the Lady Bathory was undisputed Number One when it came to illusions. It wasn't Yoichi's fault.
Luna hoisted herself up. Her muscles protested, but she fought against the pain. Obviously her stupid friends hadn't left and weren't planning to, so she had to step up her game.
The demon had turned her attention to the humans again. Feeling cocky, she approached them, dragging her blade over the asphalt and creating sparks with every step. Shiho, Yu and Mika brandished their swords.
Lady Bathory whirled around and tried to block Luna's strike, but the vampire had anticipated that reaction. She threw herself on the ground, rolling past the demon, jumping back up and severing one of the antlers. The demon screamed and went straight for stabbing Luna's heart. The vampire swiftly side-stepped and brought her blade up slicing through the demon's sword arm.
The demon grabbed her severed arm and brought the wounds together. The flesh wouldn't fuse.
"Oh dear, you should know that you're no match for me," Luna sneered. She gave the demon time to sniff at her arm and recoil from the stench of burning flesh. Greek myths came in handy sometimes. Like with the mythological Hydra, cauterized wounds were harder to heal and limbs harder to attach.
Luna let her sword flash up red and prepared to swing it when the demon disappeared. The vampire blinked a few times and allowed her sub-consciousness to analyze the situation. Invisibility was a tricky thing. She shouldn't underestimate that demon. Right now she could strike from any direction at any time. Only that Luna did not feel any trace of bloodlust or of being watched at all.
The demon must have retreated.
"Is she gone?" Yu asked. "Ha! What a coward!"
Luna whirled around. "What the hell were you thinking?!" she shouted. "I told you to go! Do you think you can just take on a Second Progenitor and survive?! If I hadn't been around, you'd be stone-dead right now!"
"Hey-," Yu started to talk back, but Shinoa stepped in front of him. "I made the call. I assumed our chances of survival would be higher if we fought as a team."
Luna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Your argument is sound, but you forgot to take into account that I might know better what this demon is capable of. Like illusions for example."
"So that's why I almost hit you," Yoichi said. "I'm really sorry about that!"
"Not your fault. Anyway we should get you out of here. Or if you want to end up as our prisoners, that's fine by me."
The humans did not look very enticed by the idea of being taken as prisoners. "I think we all agree on going back," Shiho said.
"Fine. Then follow me," Luna ordered and did not look back before taking off. "And don't dawdle!"
Suspicion was gnawing at Mika's stomach. In the beginning it had been just a hunch. Her swordplay, her knowledge, her connection to Krul. These were just small things and Mika had tied them to her being an immortal, who had lived a long life. Then she brought the letter, the one from his First. Miraculously it arrived just before they left for Japan. What a weird coincidence … right?
And now she had volunteered to take on a Second Progenitor for them. Alone. Mika didn't know for sure how the power of a vampire changes when they become a demon, but he always assumed it stayed pretty much the same. Luna had gone head to head with that demon.
Of course Mika could just ask, but Luna had tried to hide her status and power, so he wasn't sure how she would react, if he confronted her directly. He took a few longer strides and ran next to her.
Luna threw him a glance and Mika asked: "How were you planning to take on a Second Progenitor, when you were barely holding up against me?"
It took just a moment, one fleeting expression of surprise melting into anxiousness before settling on nonchalance. Her hesitation and the slight widening of her eyes pretty much confirmed Mika's suspicions.
"I have backup a few streets away. I didn't want to call them, because they would have fought with you too."
To Mika these words sounded hollow. There was no backup. Mika knew that. There was just her, the First Progenitor of Tepes.
Luna led the group away from the battlefield. She knew where the frontlines were, but they could have already shifted, so intently listened to any sign of fighting and, of course, she also watched out for that demon.
They were already halfway to the harbor, when the vampire heard another group approaching them. She put her hand on her sword. Where those humans? Or were they vampires? The footfall told her there were seven people. They would run into them at the next corner.
She moved a bit more to the right side of the street. That way she would be harder to spot.
The strangers were just around the corner. Luna tensed her legs and prepared to tackle the first person running into this crossing.
Only she wasn't prepared for this person to be Ferid!
Questions flashed through her mind. 'Why was he here? How did he get out? What did he want?' They were not important.
Ferid had noticed them now too and turned around when Luna grasped his collar and almost lifted him off his feet.
"How do I turn a demon back?!" The girl growled.
Ferid blinked. "Well, well. Fancy meeting you here, my dear~. What was that about a demon?"
"Guren!" The humans had now met up and the teenagers seemed happy to see their superior.
Guren brought them up to speed. "We're retreating. Ferid here seems to have a boat we can take back. We'll secure the vessel and wait as long as possible for our comrades."
There was a crash in the distance. When the people looked up they saw the demon running over the rooves, searching for its next prey.
"I was talking about her," Luna said.
"Oh, dear. That's really not ideal. How did she get here?"
"It doesn't matter." Luna's arms quivered. Ferid wondered if she was going to snap his neck or throw him on his feet. "I need to turn her back. I can't kill my other parent too. Not so soon."
"There are laws of nature you simply cannot change."
"I know there is a way!"
"No, love," Ferid said. He still stood on his tippy-toes to lessen the strain on his uniform (just when he'd mended the sleeve it gets ripped again) and the discomfort. "If you don't kill her, she will kill you."
With a thud Ferid landed on his soles. Luna turned away from him. "I'll still go after her."
"Have you gone mad?!" Ferid asked.
"Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae est," Luna said in a singsong voice.
"Don't quote Seneca at me."
"Are you guys done already?" Guren asked. "We don't want to become your permanent guests."
Ferid grinned. "Aww, why Guren~? Was the stay not to your liking?"
The man scoffed. "Not really. Besides I'd like to get out of here before Kureto's pet comes back to finish us off."
Luna quivered.
"Darling? Are you fine?" Ferid asked, still insisting on those weird nicknames.
"Kureto's pet? The demon? You made her your experiment?!" Luna whirled around and took a step towards Guren, before Ferid grasped her arm. He wouldn't be able to hold her back by force, but maybe he could try something else.
"Throwing a temper-tantrum won't do any good, love."
"They experimented on her. What are they doing to Krul? What are going to do to her?" The vampire was shaking, wide eyed and completely thrown off by terror and anger.
"What do you mean? The Queen isn't with us," Yu said.
Shinoa grasped the situation and turned to Guren. "Lieutenant Colonel? What is the meaning of this?"
The man ran a hand through his hair. "We captured the vampire Queen at Hiroshima two weeks ago."
"What?! And you didn't tell us?"
Mika squeezed the hilt of his sword and a foul feeling was rising in his stomach. Sure, he had resented Krul for a long time. Then again, because of her he was able to see Yu again, to save his family and time and time again she had helped them and his resentment had lessened. Now she was made a guinea pig for the JIDA! If it was up to him, he would get her out, set her free.
But this wasn't about him, because for all his superhuman power, Mika was still considered weak for a noble. He was just 17 years old, after all. The vampire next to him was the problem. Luna had called Krul by her name without titles or honorifics. That had just made him surer that his theory was correct. Now, what would the First Tepes do? There was so much Mika didn't know about the current situation, but telling by Luna's body language, she was going to stop pulling her punches. What did that mean for his family?
"Shut up brat!" Guren said. "We can talk about this when we are safe! Now we need to run!"
"Yes. Run," Luna said, her voice cool and smooth like the surface of a frozen pond. "But you won't be safe. There will be no peace until you hand Queen Krul over and if she is turned into an abnormity by you people, you all will die." Then she blinked and seemed to remind herself of who she was to them. "I'm sure that what my First would say. I'll leave you in Ferid's capable hands. Now, if you excuse me."
And that was when Luna turned around and left.
None said a word.
Then Shinoa piped up. "Okay, are you sure she ate? Because that sounded like a very hangry person."
Luna rushed through the streets towards where Elizabeth Bathory had been heading. Now that she didn't need to be quiet anymore, her feet thrummed on the ground. She smiled unbiddenly. It felt good to be running again. It took the tension out of her muscles and from her mind. She avoided jumping on buildings in fear they might break, but she did jump over them, breaking her fall by rolling and then running on without losing speed.
Just ahead of her she heard fighting and the screams of dying soldiers. It didn't smell like the casualties were human. Too little blood.
Considering how much energy the Lady Bathory must have used for the illusions from before and the invisibility that even worked on her, the demon had to do the fighting herself this time. Sure enough there was a white haired demon causing mayhem at one of Ky Luc's squads. The normal vampires stood even less of a chance than her human acquaintances.
Luna tackled the demon and threw her through the air. "Get out of my way," she snarled at the other vampires, who happily obliged and scrambled for safety.
The demon had pretty much immediately recovered and pounced at Luna. The girl dodged and sent fire down her blade, heating up the metal. Again she had to step back, and then another and step by step, attack by attack, she led the demon closer to the left side of the street.
Finally the demon aimed for her neck and Luna crouched down. The sword imbedded itself in the concrete wall of a house. Luna sliced through the demons shoulder, separating her arm from her body for the second time. Only this time she followed it up with another attack and the demon had to put some space between them, leaving its arm behind.
Luna yanked the blade from the wall and nailed the arm to the ground with the demon's own sword.
It hissed. "You will pay for this, Tepes."
"Why do you know me? Demons lose all their memories."
The demon launched herself at the vampire with jaws wide open. For a second, Luna hesitated. Now was the perfect time to cut her down. End this. Kill her. Instead she merely caught the demon's remaining arm and slammed her into a house.
"Look, I don't particular care about you. You never really cared about me either, but I do owe you my existence and for that alone I will save you."
The woman rose from the rubble, her pristine white hair now stained gray by dust and dirt. "I will kill you, Tepes."
Luna sighed and readied her sword. She raced at the demon and aimed to stab her neck. In the split second before the sword pierced her skin, the demon pulled a pipe from the rubble and smashed it on Luna's head.
The vampire went down and rolled to avoid her head being completely smashed. She could feel blood running down her scalp. Luna pushed herself to her feet and sliced the incoming pipe in half. The berserk demon continued her assault and with every hit Luna reduced the pipe by a few centimeters. She wasn't really cutting the pipe rather than burning through it and melting its edges. Slowly blisters were forming on the demon's skin from the heat.
Suddenly she threw the useless rest of the pipe aside and bolted. It took Luna a second to notice what she was going after. The demon grabbed her severed arm and the sword. The wounds had already calmed down and the healing process was faster. When Luna attacked her she was ready.
Only the Lady Bathory had underestimated one thing. She had thought Luna would refrain from sword-on-sword contact again. By now the woman had heated her blade up enough. It was glowing white and it cut through the demon's sword like butter.
The demon did not hesitate in grabbing Luna's arm and ripping it clean off. Luna gasped. She was slammed into the ground. The demon's hands were around her throat squeezing as hard as possible. Why wasn't she biting her throat yet?
"You won't kill me," Luna rasped. "You are not going to kill me, mother."
A shudder went through the demon's body and her grip lessened a bit. Her eyes flickered over Luna's face.
"I'm the last thing that's left of the person you loved most," Luna said.
The demon removed her hands from her neck and threw her into a house.
Luna thought, as the rubble rained over her and dusted her hair grey, the entire thing was getting old, she really needed a bath and a new uniform, which was going to cost a fortune. Urd was so going to ground her!
The demon had not moved. She was wailing and clutching her head in her hands. Her antlers started to decay in a swirl of black ashes.
"I'm sorry for you," Luna rasped. Then she coughed. The dust made her throat sore. "I killed him. I killed my father with my own hands. I understand what it means to have something you love taken from you, never to return. Resent me, hate me all you want, but don't take it out on others."
Finally, at last, the antlers broke off, hit the ground and dissolved in a flurry of black. Elizabeth Bathory collapsed on the spot and Luna rushed to catch her. It didn't look like she was dying. Of course it was hard to tell, since vampires don't have a heartbeat or need to breathe.
So Luna decided to fetch her arm. When she returned, her mother was blinking and squeezing her eyes shut, like a person who has been staring at book in a poorly lit room too long. Luna sat down beside her.
The white haired vampire reached up and grasped a strand of her pink hair. "Beautiful. Do you still let it grow, little one?"
Luna smiled. "Yes. I only trim the tips a bit."
Elizabeth Bathory hummed in approval. "I'm glad you did not inherit my hair color. Red suits you." She paused. When she spoke again her voice was softer. "I'm sorry. You grew up without a mother."
"I did not." Luna shook her head. "There are a lot of mother figures in my life and I love each one. I don't see you as one, though."
"That is my fault. I should have demanded to see you sooner." The older woman sighed. "I was jealous that your father paid more attention to you than to me." When Luna scoffed, she raised a brow.
"My father," she spat, "only raised me to be a tool. He never cared for me at all."
Elizabeth Bathory reached out and petted her daughter's head. "It's hard to want love from someone, but they never give it to you. I know that very well."
Luna abruptly stood up. Disgust festered in her stomach. There was a difference between unrequited love and parents not loving their children, at least to her. Maybe in her mother's time things had been different. "Do you remember anything from after you were captured, Lady Bathory?" she asked.
The older vampire retracted her hand, which still hung in the air where Luna's head had been just a few seconds ago. "I remember the attack. I remember fighting. I had gone incognito as a middle-ranked progenitor. In the end I was fighting alongside Krul. Your sister is a good fighter."
She paused, waiting for Luna to react. A smile or anything that would shift her out of Millitary Commander mode. "The humans swarmed us. They bound us with talismans and one of them injected me with a drug. I remember having some vivid dreams. Often I was in pain. Then I felt disconnected from my own body and I ended up here, where I … my body started killing other vampires.
"I wasn't able to stop it. It felt like rage was keeping me from accessing my own body. Then there was you. When you put your life in my hands, the anger dissipated. I … You said that you are the last thing left of Vlad Tepes, but it doesn't matter. Don't let him define you. Your life is yours, a gift from us to you that will never need to be repaid."
Luna nodded. "I already decided on who and what I want to be. Still, thank you for your insight, Lady Bathory."
Elizabeth Bathory finally stood up. "What will you do now?"
"I have about ten different plans, depending on the situation and changes thereof. I will succeed."
"You sound like your father."
Luna shrugged. "I cannot change my blood."
"Listen child-"
Luna cut her off. "No! You listen! I have spent half my life learning how to accept myself! I learned who I am, what I can do and what I am supposed to do. Going against ones destiny sure sounds glorious, but I have accepted mine. I have approved of my destiny! So if you don't mind, I will now go back to commanding this operation. After I am done I will organize a flight for you wherever you want to go."
Luna started to walk away, but then she remembered something. "You said, that my life is a gift, not a favor to be returned. Then I shall tell you this: I only call you mother, because you gave birth to me. You are not my mom and I don't really feel like changing that."
She turned away and waved. "After all, I will have to kill you eventually."
For Ryo: Yes Nero is the 'crazy' Nero. I find him interesting because it's hard to tell what he actually did and what people exaggerated because they hated his policies.
This chapter is way longer than I expected and I didn't want to split it, so it took longer. I think I like writing one-on-one fights more than group fights. Lots of severed arms here. Someone's gotta pay for these new uniforms they have to get. Until the battle it's 2500 words and the whole chapter stands at 9432 words. That's like 3 months' worth of writing! I'm very proud of this chapter! I'll try to have Chap 19 up in the week of 6th July.
‚Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae est.' = There is no genius without a touch of madness.
The cat's out of the bag. Mika knows that Luna lied about who she is. Well, technically nobody asked: "Hey, are you a First Progenitor?" but she did try to hide it as much as possible.
Also Elizabeth Bathory and Vlad Tepes are the biological parents of Luna. She calls them 'mother' and 'father' and her (real) parents 'mom', 'dad' and other more informal addresses.
The cursive talk of Elizabeth Bathory, Ferid and Luna is meant to be in a different language, specifically vampires' common language (VC). You might think that all vampires speak it, because it's called 'common', but no. It's only spoken by older or influential vampires, because it's a pain to learn. The really old vampires decided to have a static language for vampire-kind. The point of VC is to have a language with fixed grammar and pronunciation. They go to great lengths to keep everything exactly the same. The only thing that gets added or removed is vocabulary. It sounds very odd, because words like 'automobile' have to be pronounced differently than in the language they originate from and the words are taken from the local language. So you have Egyptian, Babylonian, Mandarin, Latin, Greek, German, English, French (, …) words, pronounced with the rules of VC and going by the grammar of VC.
Languages change fast, pronunciation changes too and a once widely spoken language can become a minor language in a century or two. So when the Firsts wake up they might not be able to communicate anymore and most vampires are far too lazy to new languages (except if they are travelers/ their obsession has been with travelling the world or the common language in their home changes).
No, I won't make the language up (like Tolkien), but I thought it's interesting trivia and I like to think about how vampires would handle things like these, being immortal and all.