"I still can't believe your mother agreed to this…" Ichigo frowned as he watched Akira stare at the fog wall. Barely a few minutes after Ichigo had informed them of Yuki Kuran's plan to sneak them into the lands of the Kraven clan, they had decided that it would be best if a small team entered and dealt with the issue of the barrier. What he didn't expect was that queen Ai would pick the youngest knights in existence for this job.

"We are still knights Ichigo." Shinji responded from behind. "We trained and swore an oath to both vampires and humans. This is the time were we must now fulfil that oath."

"Well, I get that part." Ichigo replied. "But the one thing that concerns me is that we still have no clue what we are up against. And this Mortis Kraven guy is leagues beyond what we are capable of. We're actually supposed to fight someone like that?"

"I admit that will be a difficult part." Akira agreed grimly. "His power is on a whole other level based on what we have seen so far. Fighting him head on will surely lead to our demise."

"And thus our strategy comes in." Ichigo grumbled. "No offense, but I'm not all that confident about it…"

"Neither am I. But there is no other solution." Akira frowned as he went prone. "I see movement. Get down."

Ichigo crouched low as the vampires behind him did the same. He squinted into the misty wall and saw a shape now moving through. Grabbing the binoculars, he now spotted the thrall. Its head and back slumped forward while its arms dangled loosely before it. Its face was an emotionless mask as it plodded forward. Ichigo recalled the grim reminder of what these were; nothing but empty shells of their former selves. It appeared Mortis's powers were not limited to just causing death and decay to flesh. Truly, there were less fates worse than death when compared to becoming a mindless doll for all time, subjugated by a will that was not your own.

"So Akira…" Emi whispered from behind. "When is your grandma going to do her whole thrall takeover? We aren't going through as long as the guy controlling it notices us right?"

"Have faith Emi." Akira said. "I'm sure she is waiting for the opportune moment."

"Yeah." Ganju breathed. "Thing is, we have been waiting for that opportune moment now for at least a day now. I almost got burned when the sun rose."

"Our whole plan hinges on the fact that Mortis Kraven will enter a period of poor health." Shinji said. "Who knows when such episodes appear."

"The Kraven leader aside, what will we do regarding Cassandra?" Lin Hua asked. She now looked to her right arm, her eyes naturally drawn to the stitches that encircled her shoulder; the spot where her arms was attached back to her body. "Her power is another issue we will need to worry about."

"Regarding that, I have no idea what we are going to do." Ichigo replied. "I was hoping to ask her about it but she cut off before I got the chance."

"We'll have to count on you for that Ichigo." Gabriella said. "Thanks to Ms Yuki, you are the only one among us who actually is immune to that trick."

"That is, if we even get inside that." Ichigo commented. He now watched as the thrall stopped in its movements. It seemed that the safe way in was now fixed. All they needed to do now was hope that Yuki Kuran could hold up her end.

Mortis waited in his private chambers as the servants prepared his meal. He always ate in private, knowing that his presence would only put others off, especially his granddaughters. He remembered now the day he was afflicted with this decaying body. If he was capable of it, he would have scowled.

He now heard the doors close, signalling that the servants were done. He now stood up, his legs not even shaking in the slightest as he walked over to the tray left in his quarters. He now reached for the cup that was filled with blood. Mortis never considered taking those blood tablets. True vampires would never stoop that low in his opinion.

He swirled the crimson liquid in the glass before taking a sip, feeling the sweet taste of the blood saturate his mouth before swallowing. He could tell that the blood came from a male, about thirty years old. He didn't quite know where this man was or whether he was still alive, but he couldn't really be bothered.

Then, Mortis frowned as he sensed something was off. Immediately, his coughing fits began, causing him to drop the glass which shattered and spilled the crimson liquid across the floor of his chambers.

Ichigo kept his eyes on the thrall at all times. It hadn't moved from the same spot since it had arrived, constantly staring into empty space with lifeless eyes. As he observed it, it occurred to him that whoever was capable of the fog barrier was also capable of turning ordinary people into mindless husks. He didn't push the revolting thought to the back of his mind. He felt that keeping it constantly at the forefront would make killing Mortis all the easier.

He then noticed how the thrall started to stagger slightly, an odd movement since it had not made even a twitch the moment it took up its post. "Kuran…" He called out to the Pureblood who was prone into the ground next to him. Akira looked up immediately, frowning as he caught the strange movements the thrall was exhibiting.

"It's as if the puppeteer is faltering…" Akira frowned. "This could be our chance…"

"But how would we know if your grandmother has managed to control it?" Ichigo asked. "I don't see anything…"

Misaki now squinted at the thrall as it wobbled, spinning slightly toward the left. And that was when she saw it.

"Hey!" She whispered sharply, pointing to the thrall. Everyone now saw the small black butterfly upon the thrall's neck.

"Is that one of Lady Yuki's butterflies?" Ganju frowned.

"Are we really sure this plan is going to work?" Emi asked. "If it doesn't, we won't even have a second thought before we get killed in that fog…"

"Regardless, we cannot turn back now." Akira affirmed. "We must take the chance we have been given. To falter now would be to lose it forever."

"Uh…" Shinji frowned. "So who goes first?"

"I honestly don't think it matters. We are all going to run the risk of decaying in a cold and foggy embrace once this starts." Lin Hua answered bluntly. "Akira, shall we proceed?"

"Yes." Akira nodded as he hefted his sword. "Let us go. Time will not wait for us here."

"Misaki, stay back and relay the situation to the queen." Emi said, patting the young Hunter on her head. "That fog is too dangerous for a human to enter safely."

"Okay." Misaki nodded. "Just promise me that you'll make it out of there alive. And please, rescue Anju."

Without another word, the vampires stood up and rushed into the fog. Akira gulped as he locked eyes with the thrall for a split moment. However, it did not seem to react to him in anyway. He pushed the thoughts out of his head as he entered the fog. At once, he felt an unnatural chill pierce through his very body, causing him to falter.

"Guh!" Shinji groaned. "It feels like a hundred icy needles stabbing through me…"

"To think their underlings would have to go through this all the time…" Gabriella huffed, her forehead already getting covered in beads of sweat. "And this is where the effects are at their weakest…"

"Press forward!" Akira said. "Every moment we spend here just raises the chance of failure."

Emi gasped as she picked up her pace. "Don't have to tell me twice…"

"This cold feels different from Emi's powers…" Henry groaned as he concentrated on his breathing. "I wonder if this is what death feels like…"

"Rather fitting it would seem." Ganju huffed. "But right now I have no intentions of meeting the grave. So shut it and keep going."

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Henry angrily retorted.

"Just shut up, all of you." Ichigo said through gritted teeth. "I was prepared for pain, but it makes it all the more difficult with your damned bickering…"

"So touchy…" Emi smirked. "But he has a point. We really need to shut up right now…"

They picked up the pace, their skin stinging with stabs of cold. As if that wasn't bad enough, the fog had reduced visibility to nothing. Many a time had they stumbled on the roots of trees or almost faltered on loose rocks and the ever changing gradient of the earth below them. However, the greatest danger was that the terrain was completely unknown.

"I really hope we don't get lost." Henry groaned, the cold stinging slowly overwhelming him. "The last thing we need right now is to get caught inside the danger areas. It's this bad here; I don't want to imagine what it would be like there…"

"Agreed." Ganju said as he now hefted Gabriella off the ground. The frail vampire had already succumbed to exhaustion whilst running up the mountainous terrain. "We ought to find our way through this quickly…."

"How? We have no clue where we are going!" Emi growled.

Ichigo panted as he did his best to endure the pain. He too agreed with the vampires behind him, wondering just how they would even find the place. As he looked up, his eyes widened at a familiar figure.

"Keep going this way." Yuki Kuran said. "The castle is just a few minutes run from here."

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled as she disappeared. "Damned girl…" He cursed as he scrambled to his feet. "Kuran! This way!"

Akira looked up and toward where Ichigo was running. "What do you see?" He asked. However Ichigo did not reply. He kept running through the dense fog, a few times seeing the ghostly form of Yuki Kuran appearing to put him back on the right path before vanishing into thin air again. He gritted his teeth in annoyance as he bore with the freeze that now appeared to run through his very blood vessels.

Soon enough, he felt the topography change. The earth now dipped downward, signalling that they had just crossed over into the Kraven clan's territory. He pressed onward, ignoring the chill that crept over his very flesh. However, despite ignoring it, he was starting to reach his limit. Already his vision began to blur and his steps slowly degenerated into slight stumbles. Ganju had no other choice but to heft Gabriella on his back while the others staggered forward. Ichigo forced himself on, knowing that there was no turning back at this stage.

He blinked as he looked at his hand. He swore now that he had felt a slight rush of warmth. He didn't know if he was being delirious or if he had truly felt it, but as his vision began to white out, he ceased all such thoughts as he now strode forward. With a great cry of effort, Ichigo rushed forward, tripping over a branch and subsequently tumbling out of the fog wall.

As he did so, the rush of warmth entered his body again as his vision cleared. He lay on the ground, sucking in gups of air as the other vampires emerged as well.

"Good lord…" Henry gasped, falling down on all fours. "Let's all agree to not do that again?"

"Here here…" Emi nodded, panting as she recovered.

"At least we are out of that deathtrap." Ganju said as he gingerly laid Gabriella on the ground. "But it looks like we won't be making any moves yet. I still can't completely feel my legs…"

"Agreed." Akira nodded. "We ought to rest for a while before carrying out our plan. After all, we'll have to go through that." At this, he gestured up ahead. All the vampires now looked up, their eyes widening at the sight.

Before them stood Castle Kraven. The building was massive, nestling nicely into the mountain range behind it. The gothic castle itself was huge, accommodating an area almost twenty times the size of the academy grounds. It walls appeared to have been made with blackened stone, with battlements overlooking the entirety of the land before them. Huge turrets and towers extended toward the sky like menacing claws. Upon further observation through his binoculars, Ichigo could make out the shapes and lights carried by lookouts. He wasn't sure about it considering all he had seen, but it was entirely conceivable that they would be holding sniper rifles. Charging out into the open would be a death sentence.

There were no identifiable roads upon the massive field, but Ichigo could see a path leading upward to the entrance of the castle, a guardhouse with a massive portcullis barring the way in. Past the guardhouse was a courtyard where hundreds of black vans were now parked. Ichigo saw a large amount of movement located there. His eyes were drawn to a door where the figures were running from. That he reckoned was the barracks, or at least the entrance to it.

"Damn…" Shinji breathed. "Even an army wouldn't be enough to take this place…"

"Yeah." Henry nodded. "Furthermore, we would need to also consider if there is anything below. If they are doing any experiments, I doubt an ancient building such as this has the space needed for any laboratories they would require."

"Likely they are underground." Akira nodded. "But that is not our first priority. We must find Anju and my grandmother."

"Easy to say." Ganju frowned as he crouched low. "There are easily thousands of rooms to search for in that place."

"Well, I doubt she is underground." Emi said. "To summon her familiars and then use them to guide us in, she would have needed access to the outside world. I suspect she is in one of the towers."

"Alright then." Akira nodded. "Ichigo, you and I will take the task of finding out Anju's location. As you have a connection with my grandmother, you will be the only one who will be able to find her. I will act as your guardian until this is done."

Ichigo snorted, once more annoyed at the idea that a Pureblood had to protect him. However, Akira had made a point. Without him, there was no way they would be able to find Yuki Kuran and subsequently stop the Kraven clan. Thus, he merely nodded in reply.

"As for the rest of you." Akira said. "I need you to help us get in."

"Okay." Shinji nodded. "And how will you get inside that fortress?"

Akira now pointed to the castle wall at the farthest end. Through his binoculars, Ichigo could now see a small gate where a small stream of water gushed out. "I believe that will be the best way in for me and Ichigo. It is far away from most of the guard towers and appears to be quite secluded as well, therefore not being heavily guarded."

"Sound plan." Ichigo nodded. "With the only problem being the many lookouts stationed all across the battlements. How are we going to get in there without being spotted?"

Akira looked at his classmates. "That is where you come in. Let me explain…"

The guard upon the western battlement growled as the wind blew, the chill of the air biting into his skin. Despite being his orders, he couldn't help but feel bored staring out into the plains that stretched before the castle. No one entered this barrier except by the grace of Lord Mortis. He found it inconceivable that anyone would dare to attack this place at all.

He adjusted the sword that hung at his belt, looking toward the other sentry stationed with him. This one had a sniper slung across his back, perfect for picking off any unknown that strayed across the fields. Admittedly, the castle was well built and conceived to the point where it could potentially withstand prolonged sieges. Even an army would find themselves hard pressed to enter.

Then suddenly, the very floor beneath him shook, toppling him down onto his feet. As he looked up, he watched with wide eyes as the eastern observation tower crumbled and fell.

"Seriously?" Ichigo frowned. "We have someone like that in Cross Academy?"

"Ganju's physique is not just for show Ichigo." Akira explained. "His powers are heavily dependent upon his own physical prowess. He trains daily to make sure it never slips below standard."

"I don't think it's safe to consider the ability to launch boulders like golf balls 'standard'." Ichigo argued. "The guy could potentially destroy any building in Cross Academy."

He watched now as the guards ran to their battle positions, no doubt the first thing on their minds being to respond to the current threat that was directly assaulting the castle. Serving as the distraction was the burly vampire prefect, who now was compacting rocks and soil into massive boulder before punting them toward the castle.

With the diversion, Akira and Ichigo rushed to the wall of the castle, sheltered by Akira's shadow creatures. They made it a point to steer clear of the open spaces, relying on the shrub and trees for cover, ducking back into the shadows where necessary. Ichigo looked up to see another projectile fly through the air and landing in the main courtyard. He now saw troops emerging from the castle entrance, no doubt to find the aggressors.

"We have to hurry." Akira said. "The longer we take, the more danger the others will be in."

Ichigo nodded and rushed to the wall, keeping to as close to it as he possibly could so as to avoid the eyes of the guards stationed above. Still, with all the commotion going on, their attention would have to be divided. So long as they did nothing to telegraph their position, it was unlikely that they would be spotted.

They made their way to the small gate they had identified earlier. As they neared, Ichigo now detected a foul smell coming from the small entrance.

"This smell is…" Akira frowned.

"Oh you have got to be shitting me…" Ichigo recoiled. "Sewage? Really?"

"We don't exactly have another option." Akira responded grimly. "As… vile as it sounds, we must press on…"

Ichigo looked at the gate, the cacophony of cries and the clamour of battle filling his ears; a reminder of the important task he had to do.

"Son of a bitch…" He cursed as Akira forced the gate open.

Author's Note:

Well, here is the next chapter of this fic. Apologies for such a late upload. School has started again, and I've been busy doing research projects left and right. I will attempt to upload these as fast as possible, but do bear with me.

Till then, do read and review.

Jdbl00d