"What the hell!?" Ichigo cried out as the very floor beneath him gave way.
"Protect lord Kraven!" Ridley yelled over the collapse of the throne room. However, as much as he remained calm, the Death Bringers were unable to respond appropriately, a mixture of shock and lost footing paralysing their actions.
"Yuki Kuran!" Katarina growled, her hair now glowing with an eerie red. She drew her blade, charging toward the Kuran ancestor as the room crumbled all around, traversing the falling blocks of stone. Yuki responded by gathering the shadows into her hands, her scythe forming instantly to parry Katarina's attack. Wasting no time, Yuki unveiled her wings, floating above Katarina and delivering a powerful kick to the woman's temple.
Successful in disorientating Katarina, Yuki now flew over and grabbed Ichigo and Akira, flying them through the debris and toward the hallway that led into the throne room. Ichigo and Akira watched as Mortis glared at them through the falling rubble, dark bat-like wings sprouting from his back as Ridley disappeared into the shadows. Katarina herself attempted to get airborne as well, but the amount of debris now collapsed upon her and dragged her downward.
"When the hell did you do this?" Ichigo asked Yuki.
"Escape now, talk later. Agreed?" Yuki said as she attempted to reach safety. However, just like everyone else, she was caught within the debris as well, forcing her to stretch her wings to form a protective bubble of darkness.
"Hold on!" She cried as they fell down into the depths of the castle.
Ai sipped her tea, anxious for news from Akira and his friends. Despite this, she remained steadfast in her confidence, such was her duty as both a queen and mother. She stared upwards, her eyes drawn to the fog wall that enclosed the territory of the Kraven clan.
She frowned as she saw some fluctuating in the fog, a writhing in the mist that was too miniscule for most to see. She stood from her chair, striding closer to the edge of the balcony in her private room of the Darkstalker's villa.
Ren noticed her actions, moving beside her and fixating her attention upon the fog as well. "What do you see?"
"Something feels off…" Ai replied. "The power within that barrier is ebbing and flowing violently now."
"What does that mean?" Ren asked as she squinted toward the fog. As soon as she said that, the fog suddenly dissipated, as if a veil had finally been removed from the area. Ai stared in surprise for a few seconds before she realised what had happened.
"Get down to our control center!" She commanded to the Darkstalker guard outside her room. "Inform our forces and the Hunter's Association to move in immediately!"
"Yes your Majesty!" He nodded, wasting no time to carry out her commands.
"Ren, we must get ready." Ai said as she nodded to Li Ming. The vampire lady nodded as she left the room, returning soon after with a small case marked with the Vampire Knight's Coat of Arms.
"I'll mobilise the members of the Rose Knights who have gathered here." Ren nodded.
"Very well." Ai nodded as she unlocked the case, revealing a small cylinder within. She breathed, pouring her power through it as her eyes flashed like crimson blood. The cylinder then extended out, wicked curved blades extending from both ends of the staff.
"Diana…" Ai breathed as she beheld the double-bladed scythe. "I suppose it has been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Your Majesty, are you ready?" Li Ming asked.
"I am." Ai nodded. "Come. It is time this matter was resolved."
"It appears Queen Ai is moving in." Marcus stated as he got off the walkie talkie. "According to her, the fog barrier has gone down. It appears their strategy has worked."
"Finally." Zen grumbled as he twirled his sword. "Time to go kick some vampire butt!"
"Remember, we still have no idea what awaits us." Yumika said sternly. "This Project Paragon unnerves me to no end. We still have no idea what this is."
"Indeed." Kidomaru nodded. "It is imperative that we exercise high caution in this engagement. We stick to the plan, the Vampire Knights will move in first, and then we enter where we must."
Marcus nodded as he turned to Ruka Souen. "I appreciate your efforts lady Ruka. I understand the strain this must be putting on you."
"It is of no matter." Ruka nodded. "I have trained this power extremely well. Hiding a massive army is no consequence to me."
"I still find it hard to believe the resources that queen has." Ford frowned as he stared at the massive army that was made up of Vampire Knights and Hunters. "She has enough to rival any army worldwide. Just getting all of us here covertly was quite the challenge."
"Still, the foe we face is greater still." Senri frowned. "Based on the information we have, our Kraven clan leader has somehow remained unnoticed by the numerous villages and towns within the area. How this was possible truly baffles me."
"An investigation will be made after this is done." Marcus nodded as he hefted his crooked blade. "For now, eliminating the vampire threat is our main objective. Ford, begin the briefing please."
Ford nodded, turning to the massive army arrayed behind them. "Now listen up! Our enemy this time is the Kraven vampire clan! Thanks to that fog, there was no way to get scouts inside. Therefore, we have absolutely no idea what to expect. Stay on your toes and remember your training! Our main targets are the members of the Kraven clan; who we believe are completely filled with Purebloods and James Ridley; a former vampire knight. Capture or elimination is our goal. Do everything in your power to ensure this. Lastly, another goal is to infiltrate their main research facilities for any information pertaining to this Project Paragon. This is their biggest secret, so it's imperative that we find out what it is! Got it?"
No one responded. There was no need to. Everyone understood the severity of the situation and the task that was at hand. Ford nodded and turned to the rest of the Hunters and Vampires gathered before him. "Alright, they seem to get it."
Marcus nodded. "Very well, then let's get to work. MOVE OUT!"
"Shit…" Ichigo groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Why the hell does getting involved with you hurt so much?"
"The reason it hurts is because you are still alive." Yuki replied as the butterfly wings disappeared into the back of Anju's body. "So you're welcome. Now if you are done with complaining, there is a place we need to go to."
"Grandmother, what do you mean?" Akira asked as he brushed the dust and dirt off his clothes.
"Project Paragon." Yuki replied. "I fear that there is a deeper goal to it than what I have seen currently. We need to gather as much information on it as possible. Despite the combined forces of both the Hunter's Association and the Vampire Knights, I doubt they will be able to even capture this castle. However, we are currently inside, meaning we can infiltrate their laboratories and retrieve whatever information is needed."
"Shouldn't we focus on killing Mortis instead?" Ichigo asked. "He's that close!"
"Mortis may appear weak, but his strength is other-worldly. Ai and I may be the only ones in this world who can stand against him single-handedly, but we cannot fight Katarina, James and his other guards in the process. You are still no match for them."
"Regrettable, but true." Akira nodded. "Katarina is well-versed in the art of warfare, and with James by their side even our best knights stand no chance. We have no other choice but to let them withdraw for now."
Ichigo growled sullenly, but he knew there was no way around it. "Fine. So what are we going to do?"
"The laboratories here are run by a vampire named Franklin Lestat. No doubt that now he would be packing up all the work he has done so far." Yuki explained as she continued leading them down the hallways. "We must apprehend him, no matter what. In the event we cannot acquire what we need from their databases, he will be the next best source of information for us."
"Fine. I'll keep him alive." Ichigo grumbled. "But I don't care how much he has to suffer whilst being caged."
"Very well." Yuki nodded. "Now let's go, we have no time to waste. And while we're at it, I suppose I'll tell you everything about Mortis's sinister project."
The outside of the castle bustled with wild commotion. Hundreds of armoured guards and soldiers rushed about, manning the battlements and readying themselves for battle. The destruction of the main throne room coupled with the earlier attacks had placed the entirety of the guards on alert, the air so tense that a single action could rip the silence that had settled upon the castle.
It wasn't long before they heard it, the rumbling of the ground that signalled the arrival of their enemies. The defenders watched as hordes of figures dressed in white and red clothing rushed out from the darkness. The Kraven clan commanders barked out orders, knowing full well the power of the Crimson Tulip knights. Snipers took aim with their rifles while infantrymen poured out of the gates, ready to meet the attacking force head on in melee combat.
Suddenly, whirring cut through the air as Hunter Association helicopters appeared from behind the mountains. Hunter marksmen now fired from the helicopters, catching the wall defenders off-guard and forcing the Kraven clan snipers to re-prioritise their targets. Other helicopters now moved toward the interior of the castle, their crews preparing to rappel down and secure the inner courtyard to force the defenders to fight on two fronts.
Commanding the Hunter infiltration team were the Hunter Council. Marcus Corbin rappelled down from the helicopter he rode in, swiftly cutting down a masked vampire as he landed. He was soon joined by Kidomaru and Yumika, confronting the vampires head-on as Ford kept watch from the aerial vehicle above.
"Ford, we are going to move deeper into the castle." Marcus said. "Keep scouting ahead, I want to know what we will be walking into."
"Roger." Ford nodded as he scanned the interior of the castle. "There seems to be a large garden past the corridor to your left. You've got a sizeable battalion headed your way, so I suggest you move it before they get the chance to flank you." He continued to relay what he could, simultaneously putting a round through a sniper's head, his kill disintegrating before it hit the ground.
Upon the vast open field, the two vampire armies now clashed. Blades flashed as the brutal melee began, the chaos of war and battle consuming the entire landscape. Akatsuki led the army, burning away any who got too close to him while Senri and Rima watched his flanks. He suddenly felt the earth tremble as huge stalagmites burst forth from the ground, impaling a couple of enemy vampires. He watched as a section of the ground now crumbled away, revealing his grandson and the other student knights who had accompanied the queen.
"Ganju?" Akatsuki frowned as they emerged.
"Grandfather?" Ganju replied. "So the tremors I felt was this army?"
"It seems they were successful in bringing the fog barrier down." Emi nodded as she froze a few attackers in ice. "I must say, Lady Yuki Kuran never fails to impress."
"Well, she is quite ancient." Shinji nodded as he coiled his weapon's chain around the neck of a Death Bringer who charged at him. "Her power is on a whole different level even to Akira's." He finished as he sliced off the offender's head.
"Keep it quiet." Senri said as he sharpened his blood into spears, lancing them toward three Kraven vampires that were approaching Shinji from behind. "We currently are in a warzone, any inattentiveness could get you killed."
"I second that." Henry nodded as he engaged in battle. "I must say though, Akira's plan was quite effective. I imagined it being a lot more difficult to bring down the Kraven leader."
"I'm sure we'll figure things out soon enough." Emi said as she drove her blade through her enemy, now assuming her post as their group's second-in-command. "Ganju, for now get Gabriella to the rear so that she can report the battle to us. I am certain we have a command post ready?"
"We managed to make one, albeit it being rather exposed from all sides." Akatsuki nodded.
"I'll throw up some cover when I get there." Ganju said as he went to Gabriella. "That should be enough for them."
"Alright." Emi nodded. "Get back here as soon as possible. As for the rest of us, we will focus on beating this army and then entering the castle. Lord Akira waits for us within those walls. It is only proper we go to his aid!"
"Right!" The rest of the student knights replied as they engaged in battle.
"This will not be easy." Rima stated as she walked to them, striking down nearby enemies with swift bolts of lightning. "These warriors are highly trained."
Emi stabbed her rapier into the ground, the frost now spreading across the earth and causing the Kraven vampires to falter in their footing. At once Shinji jumped up, slicing open his palm and manipulating the blood into sharp blades which now stabbed right through the vulnerable warriors, turning them into dust. Henry followed up as well, his katanas slashing through his enemies as Lin Hua weaved and stabbed her way past the cloaked warriors.
"Say what you will Rima." Akatsuki smiled. "But sometimes, you have to simply leave it to the kids."
"Milord! Are you alright?" James asked frantically as he helped Mortis to his feet. Although the old vampire sovereign was not injured in anyway, the debris had effectively knocked him out for but a few short seconds.
"I'm fine…" Mortis growled as he surveyed the damage. He counted the lifeless bodies of the thralls who had been buried under the rubble as the Death Bringer soldiers rose from the debris. He looked up, noting how far they had fallen. It was at least two stories from where the throne room was, meaning he was about at ground level now.
A rumbling was heard not far off. Mortis and James now watched as a pile of brick and stone exploded outwards, causing all the Death Bringers nearby to be flung to the ground. Katarina rose up, her eyes glaring an angry red as she strode to her grandfather. "What happened?" Katarina asked.
"It appears Yuki Kuran has been more cunning than I believed." Mortis growled. "It is certain now that despite her captivity she was more than capable of manipulating things around her without our knowledge. I have no doubt in my mind she is responsible for Ichigo and Akira's intrusion."
"The battle has already begun." James said. "Your time of unconsciousness, however brief, has effectively caused the fog barrier to dissipate. Our defences have already been breached due to a simultaneous frontal assault with an air incursion. Queen Ai's Vampire Knights now fight on the fields while the Hunter's Association infiltrates the grounds. I do not yet sense her, but I have no doubt that Queen Ai herself will arrive soon. I believe this is the best time to consider employing the fail saves for your Project, as well as evacuating you. I may be able to hold the intruders, but with this many I doubt even my skills will be enough."
Mortis nodded, agreeing with James's assessment. "Katarina, have your sisters head toward the evacuation vehicles we have prepared and contact Lestat, have him start backing up our files and data on Project Paragon. Yuki Kuran would no doubt bring those two there to destroy whatever progress we have made. Once that is done, he is to evacuate immediately along with the rest of the science staff. Tell him to rendezvous with "
"Understood grandfather." Katarina nodded.
"What about the subjects milord?" James asked as Katarina narrowed her eyes at his words.
Mortis chuckled darkly at this. "Perhaps it is time we let them know what Project Paragon is…"
Death Bringers rushed through the corridors, weapons drawn as they headed to their battle positions. However, their path was cut short as a squad of Hunters approached from the left hallway, cutting them down swiftly.
"This is squad Alpha 7." The leader replied as the slain vampires turned into dust. "We have successfully approached the lower floors and will be continuing below toward the underground laboratories." With his report done, he led his squad further down the hallways, intent on finding the route to their main objective. As the briefing had said, it was imperative that any information on the elusive Project Paragon was found. Humans and vampires had been abducted for this reason, and thus it was important that it was made known.
Suddenly, a hissing sound reverberated through the hallways, putting the squad on alert. "What was that?" One of them exclaimed. They looked around, checking their corners and the shadows. However, there was nothing of note anywhere.
"Was it our imagination?" One of them asked. The squad leader remained silent, watching all around him for the slightest movement. Then, at the corner of his vision, he spotted movement.
He turned sharply, his eyes trailing to the strange yellowish-green fluid that was now upon the floor. He frowned as he bent over to examine it further. Then, another droplet landed right next to it, glowing with the same fluorescent colour. He now looked upwards to find the source of the fluid…
…and at once was dragged upwards by massive claws that crushed his skull like an egg.
"Hrraah! Kidomaru yelled as he struck down the vampire he fought. To his left, Yumika had stabbed both her knives through her opponent's chest, flipping over and throwing a spare at another vampire's head and landing gracefully as they turned to ash.
"Forward!" Marcus commanded as the Kraven vampires retreated, losing control over the castle courtyard and gardens. The Hunters cheered, rallying toward the members of the inner council as they pushed the vampires back. "Secure the interior of the castle! Get me a report on the separate infiltration teams. What is their status of the infiltration teams?"
"I'm trying to hail them now sir!" Came the young Hunter at his right. "Communications are quite difficult since they entered. I presume that they are underground."
"Keep trying." Marcus said. "Let me know if…"
"I have one team sir!" The Hunter replied as he held up the walkie talkie. "Report! What is your status!"
"This is infiltration team six!" Came the voice of the team. Upon hearing it, Marcus frowned. She sounded frantic, terrified even. "We were almost at the location of the laboratories when…" Her voice was cut off as screams sounded across the comm. Everyone near Marcus now froze as they heard the sounds of gunfire ring from the walkie talkie.
"Respond!" Marcus said. "What is going on?"
"I… I don't know! We encountered these… things! Their killing all of us! Our weapons are-EEEEAAAAAAAAGH!" The Hunter's scream finally pierced the air accompanied by a guttural sound. Splatters could now be heard before static took over as the comm-link went dead.
"What the hell?" Yumika gasped. "What did they find down there?"
As Marcus took the walkie talkie for himself, another scream pierced through the air. He looked upwards toward the battlements at the top of the wall to see a figure get flung down. A closer look revealed it to be a Hunter. Many Hunters went pale as they saw the corpse, horribly mauled and shredded beyond recognition. Then, a loud roar echoed through the air.
They turned their eyes upwards once more, and now the Hunters froze at the sight, with some starting to shiver as their mouths fell open in horror. Even Marcus, well-renowned for his calmness in battle could do nothing but widen his eyes at the sight he beheld.
Atop the battlements, a creature stood erect on all fours, the soft rays of moonlight reflected upon its purple skin. Its body heaved as a result of its heavy, yet rapid breathing. Its limbs, long and lanky were armed with sharp claws capable of shredding flesh to pieces. It had no eyes and no nose, the only orifice being the gaping mouth that was lined with razor-sharp teeth. Its long tongue now flicked out, as if tasting the air around it.
And then it screeched, as if signalling that it had found more prey. Without warning, it leaped downwards at the Hunters gathered below.
"OPEN FIRE!" Marcus commanded. The Hunters snapped out of their shock as their fired round after round of anti-vampire bullets at the creature. It didn't even appear fazed by the onslaught, closing the distance quickly before slashing through a Hunter. Another yelled as struck at the creature with his sword, but the usual effect of the anti-vampire blade was not present. Instead, it merely bounced off the creature's body. The hunter stared in shock before the creature pounced upon him, clawing apart his body with the massive claws.
"What is that thing!?" A Hunter screamed as he fired his weapon, but the bullets had no effect.
"Marcus!" Kidomaru shouted, pointing at a wall. The older hunter watched as the wall sank into the ground, and out of the shadows of the secret passageway emerged more of the creatures, their teeth gnashing.
"Holy…"A Hunter shuddered as more of the creatures arrived from all over, climbing from the ramparts or the hidden entrances that were now being opened.
"What do we do?" Kidomaru asked. Marcus, seeing that their advantage had been lost, gave the order to retreat from the castle grounds. As they did, the creatures pursued, pouncing upon the Hunters within reach.
The battle upon the open fields was going well. The Knights were effectively pushing the Kraven defenders back toward the fortress. However, their advance stopped the minute segments of the ground opened up directly beneath the castle walls. Before anyone could realise what was happening, a swarm of unknown creatures attacked, brutally rampaging throughout the armies and slaughtering any Knight they could find.
The savagery and ferocity of the unknown monsters turned the tide, and immediately the vampires found themselves on the defensive, doing their best to fend off the creatures.
"Okay, what the hell are those things!?" Ganju yelled as he sent one flying with the toss of a boulder.
"What am I? Your answer to everything?" Henry shouted back as he sliced at one who had come close to him, his katana merely giving a small cut upon the creature's thick skin. "Your guess is as good as mine!"
"Shut up! Both of you!" Emi screamed as she stabbed at the ground, freezing some of the creatures before her. She jumped upwards as another lunged at her, stabbing her rapier through its head. The creature screeched as it toppled over, trembling slightly before going still. "We can still kill them! We aren't out of this fight yet!"
Another now lunged at her. Just before it could reach her though, it was set alight. Emi watched amidst the writhing form of the burning creature as Akatsuki now came forward, sending streams of fire toward any monster he could see. "Reform the battle-line! We cannot break here!"
"Akatsuki!" Senri shouted as a bat fluttered close to him. "Gabriella just sent a message from Marcus! They've had to pull out! They were getting swarmed from all sides by those monsters and it is also likely their infiltration teams have been destroyed! We have to focus on getting them out past enemy lines!"
As Akatsuki was about to acknowledge, a louder and more ferocious roar sounded through the air. Everyone watched as another figure emerged from the hidden underground passages. However, this one was different. Like the others, it also had purplish skin. However, it was at least three times the size of one and its body bulged with muscles. It stood upright on two legs, freeing its hands for grasping. Its face was elongated, with red eyes upon the sides. It bellowed as it approached, its jaws splitting into four mandibles flanking its gaping mouth.
And behind it more were coming. The behemoths swiped at any that got too close, grabbing them and pulling their victims apart or scooping them into their massive jaws, the screams of the dying lasting only for seconds before their lives were ended.
"Shit…" Shinji stared in horror, something unnatural for him. "What do we do?"
"Shinji! Look out!" His grandfather yelled. The young Knight now turned to see one of the smaller monsters charging at him. As quick as he was, there was no way for him to defend in time.
An unknown shape blurred past, and the monster was cut into two halves. Its slain body landed before him, splattering blood across his clothes.
"I get here as planned, and this is the first thing I see." Shinji's saviour spoke. Everyone turned to see the figure twirling a black double-sided scythe. She was dressed in a white coat and sported black stockings and boots. Still, despite her change in appearance, everyone knew who she was, and that they still had a strong individual on their side.
"To me, Vampire Knights and Hunters!" Queen Ai yelled. "Till we fall or give in to defeat! We are not beaten yet!"
Author's Note:
Finally beginning the part I was most excited about in this whole arc. Also, apologies but my previous estimates on when this would end were wrong. I've got about 2 chapters left before the conclusion of this arc, so please bear with me.
Till then, I hope you continue reading this and do make any comments on how I can improve.
Jdbl00d