It took a week, but Akira had managed to settle everything in Cross Academy before he departed. Naturally, he had left Cassandra in charge of the Night class along with some of the junior knights serving as prefects. The rest of his friends had their own business to attend to in other areas across the world with regards to the Kraven clan's locations as provided by Rodin, though Lin Hua was quite adamant about staying by his side as his personal protector.

Akira stared outside the window of the plane restlessly. Since he had proclaimed himself an ally, Rodin had been unreserved in his information regarding the Kraven clan and Helsing. At least in that regard, Akira believed he could trust the man. However, this newfound trust also meant that other things he spoke of had a great weight of significance behind them, the greatest of which were the changes in Anju.

While he only saw it for a brief moment, Akira couldn't shake the feeling that now Anju was closer to being a vampire than a human. He thought of Dhampirs, of the Kraven clan's Paragon monsters and now Helsing's Executors. All had aspects of both humanity and vampire in them, either in the best or the worst way. Anju's circumstances however seemed to outshine all of those. The introduction of vampiric elements into Anju's body did not debilitate her. Rather, it had the effect of bringing out something within her; something extraordinary, perhaps even something beautiful.

He now thought back to the play he saw at the school festival, the re-imagining of The Nightingale and the Rose. He wondered if that story now held true to the current situation, only that the vampire didn't become a human. It was the human who now became a vampire.

What a twist of fate. He thought to himself as he shut the window, the first light of dawn starting to break through the sky. It was so long since he actually felt exhaustion with all the training that had been going on. He thought that since Mortis's Project Paragon he'd be immune to all of these surprises. Turns out there were many ways reality could prove him wrong.

"Akira?" Lin Hua said from her in front of him. "We should be getting some sleep. We won't be of use when we are tired."

"Agreed." Akira nodded as he proceeded to tilt his seat back. Being his mother's private plane, it had functions that put even Business class flights to shame. At least he knew he wouldn't be having problems with resting. Still, many things could keep even a Pureblood awake, and for Akira, his thoughts about Anju were hard to ignore. A few times he awoke through the flight, grumbling slightly as he attempted to drift back to sleep.

"I wonder if sleeping pills would suffice…" Akira lamented.

"Or perhaps you need someone to lay your troubles out on." Came a voice to his left. Akira turned and blinked in surprise at who he saw.

"Beatrice?" He gasped. "Why are you here?"

"Well, let's just say your mother became quite fond of my skills in making fruit tarts." She chuckled. "Along with the fact that I have been around a Pureblood youth long enough to know when something bothers them terribly. Lady Cassandra may seemed poised, but even she has moments of high stress."

Akira sighed. "So, even I have been afflicted by something that threatens to tear my thoughts apart. I wonder what it is…"

"I can't quite say milord." Beatrice nodded. "But if I were to offer a small bit of advice, you ought to first discover what it is that makes you think this way. Just as a tree requires roots to live, so too do the feelings in our own heart and mind. This will undoubtedly require reflection on your part."

Akira frowned at the maid's words. "So what must I do?"

"Think about what makes you feel that way, and then why. This is your first, and most difficult challenge of all." Beatrice said as she placed a small glass of blood tablet solution on his table. "You ought to rest. It would not do for a prince to be weary before his fellow warriors."

Ichigo looked at the guns Serenity had given him a week ago. It was surprising to know that she was actually a smith formerly working for Helsing to create Bloodbane weapons. Thankfully, her skills have not dulled since she left. He hoisted one of the pistols, a semi-automatic. According to Serenity, this one she had named Havoc. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling it was named that way because of its function. That thought made him less comfortable about the other pistol, a six-chamber revolver named Wither.

Shit, these things look deadly. Ichigo remarked as he studied the guns. Other than the red markings on them, they looked like legitimate Hunter weapons. Furthermore, Serenity had assured him that even normal bullets wouldn't affect their combat effectiveness. He had wondered why and asked about it, but all Serenity said was: "You so interested kid? Go and fucking test them in the field. Just be careful that you don't hit your own guys with Wither, and that you're not too close to Havoc's primary target. That is, unless you wanna send yours and your allies' fucking asses to hell…"

"That woman was a ray of sunshine, wasn't she?" Ichigo frowned as he put the guns away.

"I can't speak for her attitude." Yumiak Shiba said from behind him. "But if that woman is capable of making a weapon like that, I don't think her personality is what we should be worried about. Already I'm uncertain as to what these guns entail, and that she has been crafting Bloodbane weapons for those terrorists."

"Seriously, this world gets more and more messed up." Came another voice. Yumika turned and frowned at the man who had spiky black hair.

"Zen, stay focused." Yumika replied. "I know you are itching for combat, but remember that our first priority is reconnaissance and information acquisition."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Zen grumbled as he looked up from his position on the chair. "But man, after I thought I was going to get into a fight, I end up being benched? What was all that training for to fight them Paragon monsters?"

"We are on a ship Zen." Yumika said. "I'd hardly call that being benched. If anything, you are being impatient. It's only an hour to the French coast."

"Fine, I get it." Zen sighed exasperatedly as he got off the chair and went back to his room. "Just let me know when we're reaching."

Ichigo watched as Zen went off. He wasn't completely sure about what Zen's attitude was meant to portray. However, he wasn't complaining about his presence. There were hundreds of stories why Zen was referred to as the 'Hunter among Hunters'. Of all the vampires and Level E's he had hunted over the years, he had never missed one. Even if he had little information, or even if the case was months, even years ago, he would track them down without fail. Many attackers had been put to justice thanks to his efforts, enough that Marcus Corbin had to award him a seat on the Association's inner circle. He was sure that the presence of that man would make their job easier.

"So…" Yumika asked Ichigo. "How are you doing?"

"If we are speaking physically…" Ichigo started. "I'm in tip top shape. If we are speaking mentally however, well let's just say I'm still trying to sort that out."

"Still pretty freaked out by what happened to that friend of yours huh?" Yumika asked. "Anju Cross was it? Pretty unbelievable that something like that could have happened to a human."

"First being possessed by the consciousness of an ancient Pureblood and now this." Ichigo sighed. "What stranger things will happen in my life I wonder? Is Anju going to end up sucking blood for real this time?"

"Don't let that imagination run wild." Yumika said. "If my daughter were here, she'd say that right now."

"I mean." Ichigo breathed as he looked out to the ocean. "I always thought that Anju would continuously have a normal life. That she would remain to be that idiot, near-hopeless ordinary girl…"

Why are you referring to her in that manner? Yumika frowned as Ichigo continued, deciding that it was a matter better left untouched.

"But now, she's becoming… well I don't even know what she's turning into. She's no longer the same. It's as if something made it in such a way that she'd be fated to constantly get into trouble with that dark world. Like, she was destined to be a part of it, no matter how I or that Kuran vampire tried to protect her from it."

Yumika listened intently, deep in thought over the strange occurrence within Anju Cross. Most likely, the vampires themselves were perplexed over this development. She wondered what this could mean for the future of the world. With Anju's ability to be able to sire complete vampires, she wondered how it would alter the courses of both vampire and human history. Already she could see why Helsing saw her a target; if her abilities could pass onto future generations, what would that lead to? It was not impossible to think that Anju may pass that same trait down, resulting in vampires who could have children with humans. Or perhaps it could be the other way round, she could have human children capable of bearing vampire children. Yumika once more was reminded of the 'Butterfly Effect', though never in her lifetime would she bear witness to something as phenomenal as this. The lines between human and vampire may one day become blurred, to the point that it was indistinguishable.

"A strange twist of fate." Yumika nodded. "And to think that this began because of James Ridley. I wonder how ironic it was, that his actions in trying to separate the worlds of Day and Night would result in them joining together in this way?"

Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle. "Hell, I wonder how that bastard would react if I told him."

"With that however, I hope you are ready for this upcoming hunt." Yumika said sternly. "Remember Death Dealer, you have a job to do."

Ichigo nodded. "Three Wretchlings spotted in a rural village of France. Nearly killed a few people were it not for Vampire Knights. They fled into the forest and never came out since. That was about five days ago. Our job is to investigate and see what these guys are doing here."

Yumika nodded. "They could further glean insight into his secret Alucard project. If what Project Paragon's actual purpose remains true, this could be a dangerous development."

"We have to stop it before it becomes reality." Ichigo nodded. "Don't worry, I won't let these thoughts get in the way. I'll finish my hunt, no matter the cost."

"Alright then." Yumika nodded. "Best to prepare ourselves."

"Though I have to wonder…" Ichigo continued. "What is going on between her and that Kuran vampire? I've never seen them so awkward with one another before."

"Who knows?" Yumika answered. "If there was anything I learned about humans and vampires from all of my experiences, both can have problems with facing that which exists inside their own hearts and minds."

Shit… Ain't that the truth. Ichigo thought.

"You know, we've been at this for a few weeks now…" Stefan grumbled. "And we are still no closer to hacking the whole thing open. So far we've only managed to get a few files out, but nothing too informative."

"The firewall on this thing is tough, alright?" Francois grumbled. "I have run thousands upon thousands of decryption codes and hacking programs on it. It's as if we go past one wall, and another is there to take its place…"

"What this file has inside it must be extremely important to have security this overboard." Stefan sighed. "The Kraven clan really doesn't want anything to get through it. And it isn't helpful that we are slowly losing this information war to Helsing. This Rodin fellow has more bread on them than we do. We seriously need this thing cracked open."

Francois sighed. "Alright. I didn't want to do it on account of the risks, but it seems we have no choice." He now reached into his bag and took out a small drive. "Inside here is a super-complex and strong virus I made, a custom project of sorts. It can break the internet within a day, so it should be fine on this security system."

"And why didn't you do this before?" Stefan frowned.

"Because it risks deleting every single file in this computer." Francois said. "So either we get our info, or none at all. I can reduce the risk of it all being destroyed, but I need you and every other of our IT-literate agents you can find to set up hundreds of computers and quickly try to pull out that data once the firewalls come down."

"How likely will we be able to do that?" Stefan asked.

"Well, that depends on how fast you can work the keyboard." Francois said as he strode over and hefted a monitor onto the table, connecting it to the main one he worked on. "Well don't just stand there! Get going! I can't work all this myself!"

"Okay, okay! Yeesh!" Stefan snapped as he went off to find any tech-oriented Darkstalker agent he could find. As he did, he wondered what their old friend David would say to perk them up in such a time.

Probably would have been the straight man he always was… Stefan mused. Though he would likely have lent a hand himself too.

China, Beijing

The flight was at least three hours, but the minute they landed they were quickly picked up by Ai's contact in China. On the way, they were briefed on what was going on, an addition to what Rodin had already provided.

"So, as you know by now, four Paragon creatures were spotted in the mountains." The contact had explained to Akira. Thankfully, Akira knew enough Mandarin to get by, though Beatrice assisted him with the more difficult words. He was quite impressed by her linguistic prowess. "There was one very big one that almost ran through a village, but a strange screeching was reported before it turned away."

"A Brute and a Darkcaller." Akira nodded. "We may be in for a difficult fight. Darkcallers may be weak, but they are quite intelligent."

"And Brutes are tough to kill from what I've heard." Valsh, one of the accompanying responded.

"Despite their differences, they are all dangerous." Lin Hua noted. "It will take every effort to kill them."

"Quickest way is their head." Akira explained to the rest. "But even that isn't going to be easy. It would be wise of us to strike only when we are assured victory, and to ensure that our priority is the Darkcaller. But first, we need to find out what they are doing here. Knowing the monsters' whereabouts could lead to new insights on the Kraven clan's plan."

"Yes my prince." The Knights responded.

Akira now turned to Beatrice, who brandished two curved knives. "Are you ready?"

"After what happened at Kraven castle I realized just how helpless I was to Lady Cassandra." Beatrice replied. "I will not fail this time."

"Very well then. But know this Beatrice, should I order it, you must stand down from the fighting." Akira said. "If I fall here, you must return to Cassandra's side. Should you die, I fear it will affect her greatly. After all, you are the only family she has left."

"I understand." Beatrice nodded. "My loyalty is to her and her alone so long as she lives."

"Good." Akira nodded. "Now then, we ought to get ready. Whatever these beasts are up to, I doubt it is anything good."

"They went this way." Zen said. "Gotta admit, these Paragon monsters stink like shit."

"Yeah, I suppose they do." Ichigo nodded. "I've fought loads of those things before, and trust me it wasn't fun."

"Considering we are reduced to the option of just peppering them with bullets, I can't imagine why." Yumika nodded as she surveyed her surroundings. "Hmm, curious…"

"What is?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't want to jump to conclusions right yet." Yumika said. "But if we are where I think we are, then Queen Ai's job just got a lot more complicated. The French vampires may not take this well…"

Ichigo frowned at this, but said nothing. However, based on what Yumika just said, it was quite likely that their actions here to amount to an offense against the vampire community in France. He had learned that especially in Europe, the vampires were quite protective of their own culture. While he was sure that Queen Ai would likely be able to sort out any problems, it was quite likely they would continue to pester her. Still, it was a necessity for them to find out what was happening here.

After an hour of trekking through the forest, Zen stopped, immediately commanding everyone to take cover. As Ichigo ducked behind a tree, he saw why.

Ahead of them was a massive cave hewn from the rocky face of a cliff. At the entrance, two Wretchlings crawled about, their featureless faces illuminated in the moonlight. Drool dripped from their gaping maws as the remained on guard. Ichigo frowned as he wondered why there were just these two. From what he knew, Wretchlings were the weakest of the Paragon monsters, often relegated to being (extremely tough) cannon fodder or support for the stronger creatures. He wondered what else could be waiting for them.

"I suspect there are more than just three Wretchlings." Ichigo whispered. "No way just three of them are here. And since that cave is small, it is likely we have a Darkcaller."

"Good observation." Yumika nodded as she took out her radio. "Take these two out fast. Once were are done, Zen, Ichigo and myself will investigate. The rest of you maintain the perimeter. Set up the snipers, alert me when you have your targets."

"Team A, we have the one on the left." Came one reply.

"Team B, hitting the one on the right." Came the other.

"Wait for my mark." Yumika nodded. Ichigo now heard the silent cocking of rifles in the silence of the night. As for the Paragon monsters, it did not seem that they were aware.

"Mark!" Yumika said sharply. Instantly, shot rang out from the darkness. High caliber sniper rounds now pierced through the Wretchlings head, splattering their blood all over the rocky walls. Ichigo watched as their bodies crumpled, twitching lifelessly on the ground.

"Go go!" Yumika commanded. The Death Dealer crews immediately moved to secure the cave entrance, taking care to also make sure the Wretchlings were indeed dead before tossing their bodies aside and setting up the defenses.

Zen now clicked a button on his gauntlets, extending two blades from the wrists. While the anti-vampire weapons wouldn't do a thing to the Paragon monsters, it would still be better at cutting them apart. Zen himself ensured the blades were reinforced once he had heard of the monsters resistances. Yumika drew her knives while Ichigo checked that his guns were loaded before they entered. Not long after they had wandered through the cave, they saw a small door that had been broken through. Yumika moved to examine the words written upon the archway above.

"I knew it." Yumika said. "This is not a cave. It's a crypt."

"A crypt? For what?" Ichigo asked.

"It is for the French vampire coven of Soleil Noir; means Dark Sun in English." Yumika said. "Their leader was a powerful Pureblood named Jeanne Soleil. Centuries ago, he chose to commit himself into slumber because he felt tired of managing the affairs of the French covens. For now, most of the Nobles who have sided with him handle his affairs. But what are these Paragon creatures intending to do?"

"Only one way to find out, and it doesn't involve a history session!" Zen said as he went on. As he did however, a claw swiped at him from above. Zen dropped just in time before the claws could hit him. Twisting onto his back, Zen stabbed upwards. The reinforced blades cut through the flesh of the Wretchling above him, causing it to cry out in pain. Ichigo now drew Wither and fired a few rounds at the Wretchling, with one landing in its exposed arm. The creature snarled as the bullets punctured its flesh. Moments later, Hunter sigils spread from where the shots landed, causing the creature to screech in pain. All of them watched as its flesh began to burn, and a foul smell emanated from the creature.

The Wretchling now clambered to the ground, but as it did, its right arm snapped off, rotting flesh engulfing the point where Ichigo had hit it. This allowed Zen to stand up and stab it straight in its mouth, killing it instantly.

"Hell…" Ichigo remarked as he looked at the revolver. "That Serenity is nuts…"

"And dangerous." Yumika nodded. "She must have enchanted that pistol to decay vampire flesh."

"What the hell…" Zen groaned. "This smith really doesn't hold her punches."

"And it also worries me as to what Helsing is capable of." Yumika frowned. "But that is a matter for another time. We have to investigate this."

Without further argument, the three of them went further in. Soon enough, they entered the main room of the Soleil crypt. They looked around, frowning as soon as they saw nothing.

"Well, that was a bust." Zen sighed.

"Don't be too sure." Yumika said as she gestured to the object in front, a coffin that had been broken open. It was also stained with blood. Walking up to it, she looked in and found nothing but ashes. "He's dead. Whatever happened here, it seemed having Lord Soleil alive was not it."

"A lot of blood everywhere." Zen remarked at the mess on the ground and around the coffin.

"I wonder…" Ichigo frowned. "This seemed similar to the time they took Anju, I mean Yuki Kuran. They drained blood from her body to help with Project Paragon. I wonder if this is the same…"

"Wait, they are now taking the blood from other Purebloods?" Yumika frowned.

"The only thing I can think of." Ichigo said. "Question is, why? Yuki's blood was all he needed for making Project Paragon work. Why would he need another Pureblood's?"

"Maybe the dude is just thirsty?" Zen snickered.

"Alright, enough." Yumika said sternly. "Whatever it is, it definitely isn't good. We should inform the French covens that Lord Soleil is dead. Also, contact Marcus and Ai Kuran. We will need to make them aware of this."

Zen sighed, tilting his head upward. As soon as he did, he frowned. Directly above him was a Darkcaller hanging from the ceiling just like a bat would. In its bloodied hands was a strange lump of flesh. Whatever it was, it was none of Zen's concern. The only thing he could think of was killing the monster.

"Up high!" He called. Ichigo and Yumika now faced upwards as the Darkcaller released itself from its perch and attempted to fly through the entrance.

"Take him down!" Yumika cried as she threw a knife, expertly hitting its wing. The Darkcaller screamed as it wobbled through the air, landing on the ground.

As he prepared to take his shot, Ichigo's nose picked up a strange pungent smell. He then noticed movement from his periphery. Quickly, he dashed forward and grabbed Yumika, hauling the both of them away from the coffin before a large shape crashed into it. As they recovered, Ichigo looked up to see his target. His eyes widened as soon as he did.

The creature that attacked wasn't that much larger than a Wretchling. However, he knew it was not one as attested to the bat-like face it wore. Additionally, it sprouted a singular horn on its head, flanked by large bat ears. While it was on all fours, its forearms sported a thick membrane, wings no doubt. A thick mane of white fur grew from the base of its neck that pulsed with electrical energy.

"Ah hell, a Nightfiend…" Ichigo cursed as he drew his guns. In response, the Nightfiend screeched, an ear-piercing roar that reverberated through the room. Ichigo now fired Wither. Unfortunately, the Nightfiend must have sensed danger from the gun, for it dashed off and avoided his shots.

"I thought they were bigger than this?" Yumika asked.

"Mortis must've expanded their functionalities." Ichigo said as he now drew Havoc, firing at the monster. However, the Nightfiend was fast, and each of his shots missed.

"Attention! We have a Nightfiend!" Yumika hollered into her radio. "Team A, back us up!"

"Negative!" Came the answer. "We are being attacked by helicopters! Masked vampires are coming from all sides!"

"Shit…" Zen growled. "They must've been on the way as soon as we landed here." As he said this, the Darkcaller began to recover and attempted to limp toward the entrance.

"Zen, stop it!" Yumika said. "I think its carrying Lord Soleil's heart! If what Ichigo says is true, we cannot let it leave!"

Zen moved to intercept, but then the Nightfiend's fur and horn glowed. Zen saw it and jumped back just as the Paragon monster discharged a bolt of electricity. This allowed the Darkcaller to move past him and leave.

"All teams, we have a Darkcaller coming out! Kill it at all costs!" Yumika said.

"I'm going after it!" Zen yelled. However, the Nightfiend was adamant about letting any of them leave, as it pounced forward and blocked the entrance.

"Seriously, this thing is getting on my nerves!" Zen growled as he charged it. The Nightfiend fired electricity again, but this time Zen twisted away from the bolt of lightning and continued charging toward the Nightfiend. He quickly clambered onto its back and sank his blades into the monster. The Nightfiend roared as it shook him off, but that allowed Yumika to throw a few daggers at its eyes. While one missed, the other landed perfectly, blinding the monster's right eye. It snarled as it attempted to turn around. Ichigo immediately realized what it was going to do; feast on the dead Paragon monsters to regenerate!

Not on my watch. He said as he aimed Havoc and fired, the semi-automatic now firing full burst into the creature. The Nightfiend lumbered away into the dark cave. However, eight magic circles now glowed in the dark. The sooner they were seen, an explosion engulfed the cave, causing the three of them to lose balance and fall. Ichigo now saw the splatter of blood all over the rocks, along with what he could only identify as viscera.

"What in the hell…" Ichigo looked toward Havoc as he said this. He knew this already, but Serenity was definitely nuts.

"And explosion enchantment? Seriously?" Yumika said exasperatedly. "That woman is completely crazy to be making something like that."

"Hey come on! Darkcaller is getting away!" Zen cried as he got back to his feet and ran for the entrance. Ichigo and Yumika nodded as they ran after him, reaching the entrance within minutes. Here and there, they saw wounded or dead hunters on the ground.

"What happened?" Yumika asked the Death Dealer teams. "Report!"

"We took out the Darkcaller." One of them said, pointing to the Paragon monster's mangled body lying a few metres from the entrance. "However, we were unsuccessful in preventing the Death Bringers of the Kraven clan from retrieving Lord Soleil's heart. They left as soon as one of them managed to get it."

"Damn!" Yumika growled. "Contact Marcus and Queen Ai immediately and let them know what is going on! And I hope the Knights in China have had better luck."

China

Of course we don't have that kind of luck. Akira lamented as he crouched low behind a pillar. After tracking the Paragon monsters through massive swathes of jungle, they had arrived at what Akira identified as the crypt of Lord Li, one of the most influential Purebloods in China who had chosen to go into slumber as well on account of being bored with his rule. Upon investigating, they had indeed confirmed the presence of the identified Paragon monsters, which they had dispatched easily thanks to Akira's command. However, just as they were trying to investigate the main tomb, they were jumped by a Nightfiend.

"So, any ideas?" Lin Hua whispered from her own cover point. Akira took a slight look at the Nightfiend, hoping that it had yet to notice him. The creature in question was not as large as the one he fought before. However, it was just as dangerous. The plentiful spikes impaled across the walls attested to that. He was indeed thankful that he had not brought all the knights in. Still, it did not help the two dead knights who had been caught in the initial ambush.

The Nightfiend was erect on its legs, all six of them that were lined with razor sharp claws. However, he knew that the spiny protrusions on its back and its shoulders would be the first things to likely kill him. Additionally, despite its lack of eyes, the creature had a powerful sense of hearing. A single sound would alert it instantly to his location.

Akira had no choice but to cut communications with everyone else; the creature could apparently detect even radio static, which was how it constantly picked them off despite being in cover.

Akira frowned, thinking of how he could distract the creature long enough for his own plan to work. He would tell Lin Hua, but doing so could likely give him away. He looked up; the creature was now sniffing out the coffin where Li slumbered. Slowly, it raised its claws and tore apart the lid of the coffin.

Damn it, I cannot falter here! Akira frowned as he silently hefted a rock. With all his might, he threw it toward a pillar opposite the room. It has the desired effect. The creature roared, arching its spines forward and firing them at the pillar. Quickly, Akira fumbled with his walkie-talkie, adjusting the frequency. Unfortunately, the Nightfiend was still extremely smart. It had finally realized it was not attacking anyone, and instead went back to its business.

Unfortunately, this happened just as Akira clicked the dial on the walkie-talkie. The Nightfiend froze as it heard him, and now proceeded to aim at him.

"Monster!" Came a shrill voice. Everyone now turned to see Beatrice at the entrance of the crypt. She was now scraping her knives together, getting the creature's attention. The Nightfiend hissed, though obviously distressed at the piercing sound of metal. It now aimed toward Beatrice, who took the time to now run. With a sickening crunch, the Nightfiend fired the spines at her. Beatrice ran as fast as she could, barely keeping ahead of the spines.

Akira quickened his work, adjusting his walkie-talkie, Lin Hua for her part now began to scrape her own weapons on the walls, distracting the Nightfiend and allowing Beatrice some respite. The Nightfiend fired at her, causing her to duck before spines impaled her head.

Akira finally was finished, nodding to Lin Hua. He then turned the walkie-talkie on, and an ear-piercing sound echoed through the room. Within the enclosed space, the noise was amplified. The Nightfiend now screamed in pain as its sensitive hearing was overloaded. Lin Hua now charged forward, with Beatrice doing so from her cover. Akira now drew his blade, coating it in shadow as he ran toward the creature. With a swift stroke, his sword sliced through the Nightfiend's head. Beatrice and Lin Hua attacked simultaneously, impaling the monster's head. The Nightfiend gurgled as blood oozed from its mouth, before it slumped forward and went still.

Akira quickly went to the walkie-talkie, turning it off and allowing his ears to rest. "Well, I'm glad that is over. Lin Hua, please check on Lord Li." With a nod, she complied as he went to Beatrice.

"I thought I told you to get out?" Akira frowned.

"Well, let's just say I took it as a suggestion." Beatrice said. "Besides, I told you before that to me, only Lady Cassandra's orders are absolute."

"A loophole hm?" Akira chuckled. "Well played Beatrice. But next time, I hope you can make a plan better than being bait."

"In any case, why would they be interested in slumbering Purebloods?" Beatrice asked.

"This is only conjecture…" Akira frowned. "But I fear they may be acquiring the flesh or blood of powerful Purebloods. As to what that purpose serves, I can only assume it is for Project Alucard…"

"So Lord Li will be in danger either way." Beatrice said. "We have to evacuate him from here."

"I'll inform my mother as well." Akira nodded. "She will arrange sanctuary for him, and I will explain the circumstances leading to this interruption as well."

"What in the world is Mortis thinking?" Beatrice frowned as she moved to help with Li's slumbering body.

"I know not." Akira said. "But whatever it is, I doubt it bodes well for us."

Ren walked toward the cell that held Lestat. It had been at least three days since Rodin had volunteered to help with the interrogation. Finally it seemed, Lestat had enough. While the fear of Mortis was one thing, it seemed even vampires had no desire to endure excruciating agony, and it appeared Lestat was at his limit. Already they had pulled out some of the Kraven clan's important facilities from him.

Rodin for his part had made arrangements to lengthen his stay, expressing great surprise at how resilient the Kraven vampire was. Even his assistant Serenity knew of how important this was. In fact, when Ren overheard their most recent phone conversation the woman seemed quite eager that he wouldn't be around. According to Rodin, she was apparently making some adjustments for Anju, and appeared thrilled to be having more time to work out the kinks.

Ren now entered the observation room, nodding in greeting to her sister. "So, how is he?"

"Look." Ai said, gesturing to the window. Ren turned and frowned as soon as she saw Lestat's condition. The Kraven scientist was, to best describe it, wasted. Literally. Bloody splotches adorned his body, with evidence of rot on some areas. The vampire, once so cocky, was now reduced to a whimpering wreck. Surrounding him were a few vampire guards while Rodin sat opposite, ready to interrogate.

"So talk." Rodin said. "What is Project Alucard?"

"The culmination…" Lestat gasped. "Of all our Lord's designs. A perfect body for himself…"

"I can't imagine that Mortis would go so far just to create a simple body." Rodin continued. "What else did he have in mind?"

"It was to create the ultimate form of vampire…" Lestat said. "One that would no longer have to fear death… a paragon of immortality."

"Quite close to our assumptions." Ai nodded.

"And how did he intend to do this?" Rodin asked again. "What is he planning with this Alucard?"

Lestat chuckled sickly as he turned his head upward. "What do you think human? You know of the other creatures… Tell me, what do you think they are the building blocks for?"

Suddenly, the door opened and Ruka walked in, ignoring the interrogation taking place. She quickly strode next to Ai garnering her attention.

"Ai, the Hunters just reported in. The Paragon monsters made away with the heart of the slumbering Lord Soleil." Ruka said in hushed tones. Still, that did not serve to dispel the alarm on Ai's face.

"There is more." Ruka said. "Your son and the knights thwarted an attempt on the slumbering Lord Li in China. They have managed to awaken him and are now escorting him back here. It appears they were attempting the same thing."

"Each of those vampires are quite old…" Ai said. "They are quite extraordinary in terms of their power. If Mortis is targeting them, then…" Her eyes widened at the revelation. Immediately she left the observation room, with Ruka and Ren following behind. Ai immediately burst through into the interrogation room, interrupting Rodin.

"Can I help you?" Rodin asked as Ai walked up to the table, slamming both her hands down and leaving slight dents in it.

"You are hunting older Purebloods." Ai snarled in anger. "Why?"

Lestat turned to look at her, a weak smile on his face. Just then, Ai felt her phone ring. Not taking her eyes off him for a second, she took out the phone and answered. "It's me."

"Ai?" Came Francois's voice. "We finally did it. Probably lost some data thanks to the virus I used, but we more or less know what Project Alucard entails. Mortis intends to create a Paragon body, this time using Pureblood DNA as the vampire source…"

Ai's face warped into a look of horror as he relayed this. But little did she know it was only beginning.

"Based on the research of Nightfiends, it has been proven that they can be augmented with powerful abilities." Francois continued. "My guess is that they will find a way to use DNA from multiple Purebloods to make Mortis a body so powerful that it is virtually unstoppable." Silence for a few moments before: "Ai? Are you there?"

Ai did not answer. She took a single look at Lestat, who smirked in response. "A body with more power than you can imagine, immune to anti-vampire weapons and forged with the immortal flesh of Purebloods." He leaned forward, grinning sickly all the while. "Now then, tell me what do you think you can do?"

She merely turned on her heel and walked away. Ren took one look at her sister before drawing Night Rose and putting a single round through Lestat's head.

"Woah!" Rodin gasped as Lestat crumbled into dust. "What?"

"Contact all vampires worldwide, and get me Marcus. Furthermore, alert the families of all Pureblood clans, and get Sir Isaya on the line" Ai said sternly. "Our situation just got a lot worse."

James watched as more bloody samples poured in. He was surprised at how efficient the Nightfiends were at following Mortis's instructions. Already ten groups had returned with great success, harvesting the flesh and blood of old Pureblood vampires.

"Impressive." James commented as Romanoff toiled at the many test tubes. "To think we would be able to find so many resting places so easily. I admit, your work at reproducing the Paragon beasts and improving their combat functions is quite spectacular."

"As is yours in finding the crypts of slumbering Purebloods who would have likely opposed us." Romanoff sniffled. "I wouldn't have been able to gather them were it not for you."

"So I trust I can report to our Lord without fear of his disappointment?" James asked.

"It will take a while for the process to be completed." Romanoff smiled as he turned his attention to another vat, this one having plenty of specialized equipment hooked to it. "But nevertheless, you may tell him that soon, his designs shall be realized."

"Bravo Mr. Romanoff." James nodded. "Bravo."

Author's Note:

So here's a chapter on Christmas! Hope 2018 has been a good year for you all! As for me, well plenty of ups and downs, with downs including having to extend my deadline for this story. Writer block hits you hard at times, especially when you are busy with work.

For a while though, the story will shift away from Anju and focus more on Akira and Ichigo plus the other vampires; good and bad. I think it is time to finally get the actual conflict working, culminating into the final aspect of this story. So please read and review, and I hope for your continued support.

Jdbl00d