Gabriella gritted her teeth as her eyes remained closed. Her bats had already borne witness for her to horrifying sight of the vampire slaves (she had no other word to best describe their predicament). Quickly she spread her bats wide, while still keeping some nearby to ensure the troops did not attack again. Currently, she was their one advantage against this invasion. However, the Executor throwing vampire civilians at them would strip that advantage quickly. Thus, it was imperative for her to find this Executor that Akira might subdue him quickly.
Slowly, she scanned every acre of the academy grounds. However, she found nothing in sight. Farther then? She wondered, spreading the bats further and further. It was entirely likely that the Executor's effect range was greater than she thought. She now decided to sweep the entire area within the hill itself, going so far as the borders and even the town nearby.
Where are you? Gabriella searched every nook and cranny conceivable. The minute her attention settled upon the city, a sharp pain exploded in her left arm.
"Shit!" Ichigo cried as he narrowly dodged a lunge from one of the slave vampires.
"Please…" The vampire groaned. "Kill me…" At this, Ichigo grimaced. All his life he never thought vampires to be one to beg for death. He now wondered what sort of atrocious fate would reduce them to this state.
"Dammit all!" Ichigo roared as another dove from behind him. Quickly, he somersaulted backward, avoiding the attack. He had no qualms about killing vampires, but these were innocent civilians. He could not just kill them. Unfortunately, their enemy knew this well, forcing the vampires to make more drastic attempts at harming him. A female vampire screamed as her body was forced unwittingly toward him. Ichigo felt his stomach churn as the sickening crunch of her broken leg sounded through the air. He twirled away just as she swiped at him, his arm snaking out and grabbing her attacking hand by reflex. That was when he felt it.
There was something on the female vampire's body, something thin like a thread. It felt as soft as silk, but as slick as blood. It was both astounding and disgusting. But at the very least, he now understood what was going on. These vampires weren't slaves. They were…
"They're being controlled!" Ichigo called out. "Someone is manipulating their movements and bodies like dolls using some kind of thread made of blood! That's why it doesn't matter if we stun them or if their bones are broken!"
"Despicable..." Akira bared his teeth, his eyes turning an angry red while Cassandra's brow furrowed in what could only be described as pure fury. "I swear, the one responsible for this will be punished."
"Not an option until we actually get to him!" Henry cried as he pushed another vampire doll away before calling to the bats. "Gabriella! Hurry!"
However, it became apparent something was wrong. The bats were slowly becoming more and more disorganised. Anyone could see it, the organised swarms were slowly dissipating.
"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, noticing the evident change in the creatures' demeanour.
"They wanted to draw her out…" Replied a vampire doll. "They said… once she was unable to defend the academy… they could take it easily…"
"Shit!" Shinji cursed. "Gabriella was their target! They wanted to get her out so they could finish her off! The Executor may have sneaked some threads to her!"
"Gabriella is immobile when she's controlling so many!" Henry exclaimed. "If she falls, the entire Academy is in danger from a mass attack! Those troops will be able to come in without any resistance!"
"We're running out of options! What do we do?" Ichigo asked.
"We free these vampires!" Akira said as he coated his blade in shadow. Rushing toward one, Akira swung his blade just shy of the vampire's back. He now felt tension against his weapon, evidence that he had gotten the threads. However, they were thick and difficult to cut. Akira had to strain more than he had originally thought, but at last the threads appeared to have been severed, evidenced by the vampire landing on the floor motionless.
"I'm sorry." Akira said. "I promise to help you soon!" He now rushed at others, hacking apart the threads upon their back, the vampires falling painfully on the ground. Such reactions prompted further disgust in him; he swore he would make the Executor pay for this.
"Akira!" Cassandra called as she and a couple of students came to assist. "We'll handle the injured! Focus on finding that Executor!"
"My thanks! I leave this to you Cassandra!" Akira said. However, as he did so, cries were heard from the students.
"No!" Cassandra cried as she restrained the vampire dolls, who were now striking at every student in range. Even worse, some of the students were now attacking the others.
"He must have reattached them!" Shinji said. "Stay alert and watch for any threads coming for you!" As if to emphasize this, he slashed around him, feeling threads break away against his sickle.
"Ichigo! Warn all squads!" Akira said as he freed a couple of students. "Keep the students in the dorms and ensure everyone says alert for threads! And send backup to Gabriella immediately!"
"Dammit!" Henry growled. "Where are they coming from?"
"We get stalled like this and we're dead!" Ichigo cried. "We need backup!"
"From who?" Shinji asked.
"Yes yes." Jerome grinned. "Struggle all you like. It won't change anything." The plan he had devised was simple, yet effective. He was well-versed in the defences that Cross Academy employed. Besides the Knights and Hunter guards around the area, he knew that the Academy's main defence lay in the hands of Gabriella Kurenai. With the bat colonies all over, she could withhold an entire siege. More than that, it was near impossible to get to her without the bats warning her first.
However, that was where his particular skills came in. He now looked to his coat, where multiple red threads snaked out from its fibres. Bloodbane weapons needn't be 'weapons' per se. After all, such restrictive designs meant restrictive functions. Cliff, Hugo, Sergei, Celestine, none of them really appreciated the fine art of crafting a weapon with such hidden utility. Well, perhaps Giselle did, but then he didn't quite know what was going on in that child's brain.
He watched as more threads snaked back to him, evidence that they were beginning to free the vampire dolls. Still, he was not concerned. After all, he could quickly reattach the threads as he needed.
He strummed another pair of threads, the ones he had snaked toward the Kurenai heiress. With how tiny they were, along with the fact he could spread them through the ground, it was a simple matter to ambush her. Slowly, he had begun to attack her directly, hoping to drop as much of her concentration as possible. He was of course, attempting to aim for her neck. A single twist and her head would have fallen from her own body. Yet, it soon became clear his threads were no longer making headway. He frowned, wondering what could have happened. Then again, it was likely his ruse had been discovered and that extra protection had been sent to the girl. Besides, his abilities were more precise if he had visual confirmation of his target.
Still, he wasn't too worried. Already it was working, with the bat swarms now becoming less cohesive. Gaps were forming in the defences and soon, it would be enough for his reserves to break through. He just needed to keep up the pressure. Soon enough, one of the threads would make contact, and killing her would be all too easy.
Just a little more. Jerome smiled.
Gabriella panted as she once more did her utmost to concentrate. It was a difficult task considering with how her left arm had been broken. It was a sickening sensation as she felt something twist her arm so violently that the flesh and bone were literally shredded. It didn't stop there, with the Executor soon moving to her legs and then the fingers on her right hand.
The pain was beyond excruciating. Luckily for her, the Bloodbane weapon didn't seem to be causing direct physical damage, otherwise her natural healing abilities would have been cancelled and she would by all accounts be dead already. It seemed that in its current state, the weapon was solely focussed on controlling and manipulating its target's body, such as those dolls that had been sent in as reinforcement.
Gabriella was repulsed by the thought of how a single human could do this to a vampire, tear them apart and unwillingly force them toward killing innocents. She wondered how many people those poor souls had to kill, how much they would have cried and wept at being forced to commit such atrocities.
Thankfully, she was still hanging on, but just barely. The Hunter team that arrived to support her now sliced away at the threads that were coming at her. Still, it was not easy with how many attached themselves to her at the same time. More than once her neck was slowly becoming twisted at odd angles, forcing the team to focus merely on keeping her alive at the cost of the rest of her body being mutilated. She stifled a scream as her pinky was torn off her hand.
"Dammit!" The Hunter captain grimaced as he sliced away at a few more threads. "I'm sorry Ms. Kurenai!"
"Just… do what… you can…" Gabriella groaned as blood loss finally started taking effect. The combination of agony and light-headedness threatened to break her focus on the bats.
No! She thought furiously. I won't fail here! I made an oath to protect this school! And I shall! Gabriella put all her strength into directing her bats as efficiently as possible, guarding the most important sectors of the school, especially the Moon dorm where Katarina Kraven lay. It was likely Helsing's primary target considering the Kraven daughter's status as a Pureblood.
Snap! Her right wrist now fractured, and this time Gabriella screamed. She ground her teeth, willing herself to go on. Come on… Keep this up! Then, something tugged at her neck and instantly her blood ran cold. She attempted to resist, but fatigue made her body as heavy as lead. It was impossible now for her to stop the Executor from dealing the death blow.
"HRRRRAAAAAAAH!" Came a loud and familiar cry. A shape landed in front of her and instantly Gabriella felt her neck straighten as two hands clasped the sides of her head. As much as she felt the threads tugging at her neck, the hands held firm and her neck did not budge.
"Why… the hell… are you here?" Gabriella asked her saviour.
"Well, I smelled your blood." Ganju said grimly as he remained clasping her skull. "So I figured you were in some sort of trouble. Seems I was right."
"I thought I told you to rest…" Gabriella snarled. "You're injured…"
"Says the girl who was just about to have her neck broken." Ganju said. "Not to mention the torn off limbs. Right now, I'm in way better shape than you."
"That isn't the point!" Gabriella hissed. "You aren't fit for combat yet! And what if that Executor gets you? You'll be in danger too!"
"Well, I'm not fighting." Ganju retorted. "But I never said anything about not protecting you. Also, these little threads? This guy is going to find getting to me isn't as easy as he thinks. I've compacted the earth and rock beneath us to slow those threads as much as possible."
"Your little plan is merely buying time, you know?" Gabriella answered. "There is no confirmation that he'll actually stop at this…"
Ganju's face remained stoic. "Don't you remember? I swore I'd be the shield to make sure those I cared about would never get hurt. And that includes you. Besides, physical pain is nothing compared to the thought of losing you."
Gabriella sighed. "Dummy. You really just don't listen, do you?"
"Well, I'm your dummy at least." Ganju chuckled. "Drink as much as you need. You'll need it to keep your strength up, and to make sure you don't keel over from blood loss."
Gabriella now took a whiff of the vampire in front of her, the smell of his blood irresistible. "Just make sure you stay strong enough to keep me alive."
"Who do you think you're talking to huh?" Ganju asked as she bit into his neck. "I'm one of the toughest vampires around after all."
Jerome frowned. Inconceivable! She had this much willpower left? Despite having cornered the Kurenai heiress, he never thought she would be able to hold out this long despite the blood loss and injuries she had suffered. When he believed that he was finally able to end the stalemate, her damned lover had to step in. The current form of his weapon may have been able to manipulate vampires, but to condense them into threads like this meant their overall power was weaker. Right now, his threads were working their way toward to two vampires, but the compact earth and stone made it difficult for them to move toward his targets. Furthermore, if he actually wanted to overpower Ganju Kain, it would require more threads than what he needed for the Kurenai vampire.
Jerome clicked his tongue in frustration, but reasoning took over soon enough. Quickly he pondered the facts and soon enough reached a conclusion. Victory could still be his.
He still had the advantage of keeping the guardian squads busy, and while slower than anticipated, Gabriella Kurenai and Ganju Kain were still within his grasp. Also, he was well hidden. So long as he could draw it out into a battle of attrition, victory could still be his. For now, he sent orders for his reserve troops to stay close in case other squads of Vampire Knights and Hunters showed up.
"Sir! We require backup!" Came a squad.
"What?" Jerome snapped. "Who is threatening you?"
"It's just one man!" Came the frantic reply. "It's… GUUUUAAAAAAH!"
"Report to me damn it!" Jerome growled. "What the hell is going on!?"
Static sounded from the other line for a good six seconds before someone answered.
"Oh hey there Jerome. Been a while. Still having fun playing dollmaster?"
Jerome's eyebrow twitched. "You… Rodin!?"
"Wow, you do remember me! I'm flattered." Rodin chuckled over the other line. "Whenever I talked to you you'd be so busy in your work I wondered if you even heard me to begin with. Glad to know I still have a place in your heart."
"Silence you dolt!" Jerome snarled. "Spare me your humor! What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm here to say hello!" Rodin replied. "To you and all your friends. Seriously, this many pals for just one party? I know there's the old saying the more the merrier, but a little too much merriment is bad, even for you."
"I knew I should have found a way to cut out your damned tongue!" Jerome growled. "You are such an annoyance!"
"Aww come on!" Rodin moaned. "I'm just trying to give some healthy advice."
Jerome took a few deep breaths, deciding it was not worth falling into Rodin's stupid game. Calming himself down, he considered the odds. While Rodin was indeed a problem, it was one he was prepared for. The troops he had would have no way stop him, but Rodin also had the same weaknesses as the vampires in the Academy. Thankfully, his soft-hearted stance nowadays meant he wouldn't even lay a finger on civilians. Jerome looked to the vampire dolls he had kept in reserve. They would serve sufficiently as meat-shields during the upcoming fight. Truly, he felt there wasn't much to worry about.
"Then accept some from me." Jerome said. "Withdraw immediately Rodin. I have with me at least ten of those dolls. A single step closer to me and they die. I wonder what that will be like, to have the deaths of innocents on your newly acquired conscience."
Silence, before Rodin replied again, this time with a tone cold as ice. "Seriously? You want to play that card on me right now?"
"Oh dear." Jerome taunted. "I forgot that you already have that kind of experience. How many vampires did you murder in your time with us hmm? A hundred? Two hundred? The body count is so high I actually lost track."
Silence again. Thus, Jerome decided to press further. "You know, I wonder how much pain I can cause you if I were to execute these ten right now?" At this, he forced a woman vampire to walk forward, her eyes squeezed shut against the pain as she came to him on broken legs. "Or maybe I'll pluck their fingers off first?"
"And I thought Celestine was crazy." Rodin answered.
"I'm different from that madwoman." Jerome said defensively. "I at least don't lose sight of what I have to do. And what I have to do is succeed here by any means necessary. So if you want what is best for these people, leave now."
"You really think I didn't consider that?" Rodin said. "Yeah, I was sure you'd have meat shields waiting for me. And yeah, I know you just can't resist watching how everyone squirms when faced with them."
"So now I have to ask. Do you know that I have a plan for that?" Came Rodin's question.
Jerome frowned for a bit before something tackled into him from the side.
Akira pushed away another vampire doll before he jumped upwards, avoiding one charging from behind. With a flourish of his blade, he severed the threads binding him. He panted, staring at the remaining dolls. He wondered how long more it would be till the Executor would be found. Until they could stop him, this was a losing fight.
Then the vampire dolls began to sag. Akira looked as they began to sloop and ultimately crumple to the ground.
"The heck?" Ichigo blinked as the dolls and formerly controlled students dropped. "What's going on?" Before he could get an answer, a voice called out from his communicator.
"Hey Kitsuke. Guess we saved your assess from going up shit creek eh?"
"Serenity?" Ichigo said, his voice laced with surprise.
"No, it's your fucking fairy godmother. Of course it's me you dumbass dope." Serenity chided.
"How the hell did you get yourself on this line?" Ichigo asked.
"None of your business idiot!" Serenity snapped. "Your business right now is taking care of those former prisoners and then capturing Jerome Lang! He's the one who has been fucking up your shit!"
"Executor number nine." Shinji recalled. "So it seems we've found out how he got his rank."
"Then it seems we need to get ready." Akira nodded. "Serenity, may I please know where he is?"
"He's hiding near the western base of the mountain, nothing but forests there for miles so he doesn't get noticed easily." Serenity reported.
"Thank you." Akira nodded. "We're heading there now. Prepare for battle!"
"No need Kuran." Serenity replied. "We've already got people on it."
"People?" Ichigo frowned in confusion, as did everyone else. "Who?"
"The dumbass Rodin…" Serenity answered. "And one more…"
"One more?" Akira asked. "Who might that be?"
What? Jerome thought frantically as he flew through the air, colliding through trees. Seeing that his original plan was out of order, he tapped into the truest nature of his weapon. The threads now condensed together into wicked and blood-red pincer claws that lashed out and anchored himself onto the trees. Jerome now looked around for any signs of his attacker.
Then, a black shape darted out and smashed into him. Jerome once more was sent flying, the anchor he placed ripped free of the trees. Jerome concentrated even more, and a pair of scythe appendages appeared. He now noticed the black shape darting from the corner of his periphery. As it dashed at him, he threw the scythe blades out, intercepting it. His look warped into one of shock as he finally saw the figure firsthand.
It was humanoid in shape with black bat like wings sprouting from its back. Blood red eyes were present on the featureless face, with dark tendrils of what could be best described as hair writhing upon the top of its head. He also noticed that it had parried a direct blow from him with razor sharp claws that looked like it could shred even a vampire into ribbons.
"Impossible!" Jerome gritted his teeth. "It can't be!"
As if in response, the shadowy being twisted and tore through the air (and trees) with him in tow. Jerome crashed right through an unknown number of trees before he landed in a small clearing, using his bloody limbs to land properly. He now looked upward to see a figure walk up to him; the shadowy being returning to its side.
She was different from what the reports mentioned before. Her hair had grown longer to the point where it reached halfway down her back, black with a streak of red flowing from her fringe to the end of each strand. She was adorned in a white coloured long sleeved shirt that was covered with a black striped waistcoat fastened with four silver buttons. She wore a dark thigh-length pleated skirt adorned with red lines and a red belt strapped across, the buckle adorned with the crest of Cross Academy's prefects. Black stockings covered her legs while high-heel boots secured with red laces where worn upon her feet. Her hands were adorned with black fingerless gloves, and her right hand carried some kind of staff. Now the shadowy being melted away and draped over her, forming a black trench coat with baggy sleeves and ending in two coattails.
Despite this change, her face could not be easily forgotten, even if her usual brown eyes were now red as blood.
"Thanks Shadow." Anju Cross said as she beheld the Executor. "Now then, it's high time we dealt with this one."
Author's Note:
And at last I can bring one of my main characters back! Also, I'm thankful for that leave period that helped me with writing this up! Unfortunately I'll be starting work again pretty soon, so I'll once more attempt to meet my usual chapter publication schedules.
As always, read and review!
Jdbl00d