Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney

Turnabout Of The Night

by Derald Snyder

The Hunt- Part 1

(AKA Neptunevania: Al Poker's Curse)

November 14, 12:15 PM

Lastation Southern Coast

"Damn maggot moves fast for a blood-sucker!" Chaos Heart growled as she flew through the star-less pitch-black sky, carrying Simone Rondo in her arms. Gold Form K-Sha was flying alongside them, using both the vampire aura tracker and her own eyepiece to track their target's movements. Uni had stayed behind to inform Noire of what had transpired, and help keep the citizens from panicking.

"It's possible he could have teleported once he escaped the confines of the courtroom," Simone theorized.

"Well, the aura tracker says we're getting closer now," K-Sha said. Looking up, the ex-mercenary saw a strange shape in the distance, using her eyepiece to zoom in... "What the... is that a... castle?! But there shouldn't be any castles in this area!"

(Music- Simon's Theme- Super Castlevania IV)

"The vampire's stronghold," Simone stated. "We had better start flying lower, no doubt Al Poker has a welcoming committee waiting for us..." Sure enough, a flock of what appeared to be bats suddenly flew out of the castle, before revealing themselves to be winged demons!

"Incoming!" K-Sha cried as she cocked her golden machine guns and opened fire.

"Aim for their wings, K-Sha!" Simone shouted. This the Gold Third member did, causing many of the fiends to fall from the sky. "Ryghts, release me! We're sitting ducks like this!"

"Fine, but don't blame me if you break a leg!" Rei acquiesced, dropping the blonde and promptly firing a red ball of energy at some approaching demons, blowing one apart and causing the others to scatter! Meanwhile, Simone went into a combat roll upon hitting the ground, coming up into a kneeling position, quickly unslinging her Combat Cross and whipping it at a demon that had fallen, making it explode!

"Watch out! It's the Vampire Killer!" one of the demons warned, the others forming a defensive line.

"My reputation precedes me, does it?" the femme hunter smiled grimly. "But it matters not! I shall strike down each and every one of you!" She promptly lashed out with her whip again...

Back in the sky, Rei had summoned her weapon, using it to swat down any demon that flew too close to K-Sha as she continued to shoot the fiends down... at least until her guns ran dry. "Oh no! I need to reload!"

"I'll handle them!" Chaos Heart assured as she concentrated energy in her weapon, then swinging, unleashing an angry red wave that cut several of the demons in half!

"They're too strong for us! Retreat!" The remaining winged fiends swiftly turned and fled back toward the castle.

"Good work, you two!" Simone shouted from the ground, having dispatched the majority of the demons around her. "But this was just the vanguard! The battles will become harder from here on out!"

"I'll have to try and conserve my ammo then," K-Sha muttered as she finished reloading, she and Rei descending to the ground.

"What about that thing floating behind you?" Chaos Heart noted her companion's weapons apparatus.

"That's my trump card," the schoolgirl explained, "I'd rather save it for the vampire himself..."

"If that machine is as armed as I suspect, it'll definitely cause some bruises for that fiend," Simone stated. "Right, let us press forward! We have no time to waste!"

November 14, 12:38 PM

Al Poker's Castle

Castle Courtyard

Chaos Heart easily bashed the gates open with her weapon, the trio entering cautiously. The courtyard appeared to be empty, save a lone suit of armor standing near the center. As they approached, however, it suddenly began to move, holding up its shield while lifting an axe over its shoulder.

"Possessed armors..." Simone groaned. "Gonna take a while to wear down, even with my whip..."

"Well, how about this then?!" K-Sha stated as she brandished an RPG launcher, taking aim and firing at the armor. The explosive hit dead center, blowing the suit of armor into so many pieces of shrapnel.

"Well, that works," the hunter shrugged.

(Music- Bloody Tears- Castlevania Judgment)

"Curses! The ambush failed!" a demonic voice hissed. "Get them!" Several creatures suddenly emerged from the brush and charged at the group! They included undead skeletons, hellhounds, and several of the winged imps from earlier.

"Play dead!" Rei growled as she knocked a few hellhounds through the air with her weapon.

"Go, Twinbits!" K-Sha declared, said Twinbits assaulting the demonic undead army with several energy waves, before blasting them with massive laser beams!

"...Impressive, K-Sha. You have gotten stronger," Simone mused as she smashed some skeletons into bone piles with her morning-star whip.

"The red one is the most dangerous!" a demon hissed. "Release the Cerberus!" A gate at the other end of the courtyard opened, revealing a large, black, three-headed dog, which immediately charged at K-Sha!

"Oh no you don't!" The schoolgirl cried as she opened fire with her golden guns, only for the beast to easily leap above her line of fire, coming down and slamming K-Sha to the ground with it's front paws!

"K-Sha!" Simone screamed as she ran over, despite knowing she wouldn't make it in time... but before the Cerberus could tear out K-Sha's jugular with it's sharp teeth, a loud report was heard as a bright beam lanced through the center head, causing the beast to recoil and flip over backward! "W-what was that?!"

"Ta-da! It's Lastation's number one sniper, Black Sister!" the CPU Candidate announced as she flew onto the scene, her gun at the ready.

"About damn time you showed up, Uni!" Chaos Heart growled as she swept aside a few skeletons with her weapon. Seeing the Cerberus right itself, she quickly lunged and bashed in the left head's skull with her weapon, while Simone did the same to the right head with her Combat Cross. The beast collapsed and shuddered, before going still forever.

"Hey, you alright, K-Sha?" Black Sister asked as she helped the Gold Third member to her feet.

"Y-yeah, thanks," the ex-mercenary nodded, a bit too shook up to ask about Noire's whereabouts.

"Another CPU?! What madness is this?" one of the demons said in dismay.

"Hold the line!" another encouraged. "We must not let them reach the Master!"

Hearing that caused Rei to realize something. "Hey Rondo, where do you think that vampire's holed up at, anyway?"

"Hmm..." Simone pondered. "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say... there," she pointed to the highest spire, "at the highest, furthest point of the castle."

"All I needed to hear," the goddess nodded. "Uni, cover for me! I'm going to pay that peon a visit!" With that, she spread her wings and ascended rapidly...

"Stop right there!" an orange-colored gargoyle blocked her path, leading a troupe of winged imps. "You will never reach the Master, we will not allow it!" The other demons roared in agreement.

Rei just growled as her weapon was engulfed in red energy... "Get out of my way, flying maggots!" She swung, the resulting energy wave cutting the gargoyle in half diagonally, as well as taking out a good number of imps! The CPU wasted no time flying through the gap that had been created...

"...on second thought," one of the surviving demons muttered, "Perhaps we should let the Master deal with her."

The other imps grunted in agreement.

*To be continued...*