Welcome back, my fellow Darkstalkers fans, and Dante freaks! Skyhawker has returned after a long, long dormancy, and he has given you the gift of Chapter 6! Enjoy, as you read on, for a new ally will be made this day.
Dante and Raptor, recently recruited to the fight, arrived at Castle Aensland a few minutes after the Killer Concert. Dante and Zabel stood at the large stone door, waiting for entry. "Now, how did that password go? Man, sometimes I wish that these doors would just open with Open Says-Me!," Dante shouted.
"Calm down, dude," Raptor said, trying to keep the demon slayer calm. "Just shout to Morri, and she'll open the door!" Dante, for a minute, considered this, but then thought that Morrigan was still ticked off about the whole incident. "Look, I'd rather not. You see..." And so, Dante explained his situation, with Raptor hanging on every word. "Ah, I see!," Raptor exclaimed, "better safe then Soul Fist'd, eh?" "Yeah."
"No prob! I know a little secret entrance." Raptor smiled, and led Dante towards the tall tower, and then said, "Watch this." Then, whipping out his guitar again, Raptor played the solo to "Smoke on the Water," and then, a small door appeared, with a blood-red R emblazoned upon it. "Stage entrance, for stars like me." Then, Raptor opened the door, revealing the grand staircase, and Felicia, Jon and Anita standing over the body of a strange individual. Dante burst in quickly. "Move it, Zardrock!" Raptor looked a little concerned. "Well, please woulda been nice!"
Dante arrived on the scene, and said, "Felicia, how's the demon?" "Well, I'm no nurse, but, I'd say he's doing okay, better than he was an hour and a half ago, anyway." Dante then moved Felicia away, and saw the mysterious demon was covered in a cloak. Dante then moved the cloak, and what he saw shocked him, not an easy feat. "No way in Hell! This is... the... the Legendary Crescent Warrior, Marcus!"
Marcus had the build of a very powerful martial artist, such as one from an Anime, like DBZ or Yu Yu Hakusho. His six pack abdomen had two red stripes, one on either side, and both pointing outward, probably connected to a sort of crescent symbol on either side of the back. His wings, similar to Morrigan's or Lilith's, were jet-black on the outside and the top of the inside, while the remainder was crimson. His hair was slicked back in the front yet at the same time, spiky, but the back was a wild mane like texture, like a certain legendary dog eared demon. His wrists had red crescent symbols, probably a focal point for energy attacks, and his fingers ended in claws, like a powerful fox demon's. He wore a black pair of jeans, held secure by a rope tie, and Japanese toe sock sandals. Other than that, his body was beaten badly; clawed, stabbed and cut!
"Geez! Look's like this guy's seen better days!" Anita looked upon him, and something happened inside her, a good something, something like...love, almost, but she dismissed it. "How do you know this demon, Dante?" Dante eyed her as if to say, "Are you crazy, woman?" and said, "There's not a demon hunter who doesn't know this guy. He is said to be one of the greatest demon warriors in the world." Then he looked as if remembering something. "And, during the final battle of the Demons and Humans, Marcus here fought along side my dad." Jon was taken aback at this. "You mean to say, that this demon was one of your father's allies?" "Yeah. And if we don't hurry, the only alliance he's gonna make is with the Man Upstairs!"
Quickly reaching into his rucksack, Dante pulled out a large gold orb, with marking on the front that looked like a man in a calm state of mind. "Everyone stand back." With that, Dante placed the orb in the center of Marcus' chest. Then, the orb began to lift into the air and glow with a golden light as the demon's body began to heal. The various cuts and wounds zipped themselves up in a manner similar to the Vital Star healing, and finally, a large golden beam shot from the orb and into the demon's chest, causing Marcus' emerald eyes to spring open and a sharp gasp to emanate from the demon warrior.
"Wow!," Felicia exclaimed, "That Gold Orb did some nice work!" Dante chuckled at this. "Well, if you read books on demonic artifacts, you'd know that a Gold Orb restores the body and can even return lost souls." Marcus shook his head as he stood up from the floor. "Oh...,where...where am I?" Dante walked over to the Crescent Warrior, and said, "Hey, Marcus, welcome back to the land of the living." Marcus' green eyes (with dark green irises and no pupils) opened even wider, and he extended his hand as if he had met a long lost friend. "Sparda, it's been a long time." Then, Dante laughed and said, "Whoa, man, I'm not Sparda. I'm just his better looking descendant, Dante." Marcus at first lowered his hand and glared at Dante, but a few seconds later, Marcus laughed and re-extended his hand and said, "Well, I didn't know that Sparda had a son, and the spitting image of him, too! For saving my life, I am forever in your debt, as well as your friends." Lord Raptor, hearing this, then said, "Does that count for those who have recently joined?"
Felicia turned and saw the cadaverous form of Raptor, and was none too pleased. "Oh, great, the rockstar is here." "Hey, kitty, if it weren't for me, your little swordsman would be turned into nothin' more than a pile of toothpicks!" Felicia rolled her eyes, knowing that Raptor wasn't in this for helping the others, just himself and his career. "Sure, and I'm certain that you took all the glory?" Raptor was insulted at this. "Listen up, Kitty Litter! Your little white haired wonder asked me to join, but if this is how I'm gonna be treated, then I'll show meself the door!" Dante stopped him, "Hold it, rockstar! You're staying. Remember, no world, no concert?"
Raptor, who had just begun a dramatic exit, stopped dead in his tracks. "N-no concerts? N-n-no women?" Defeated, he turned back around and simply shut up. Meanwhile, Dante returned his attention to the Crescent Warrior. "So, Marcus, may I ask how you got all those cuts and gashes? I mean, you're supposed to be invincible!" Marcus then said, "You'd think so, wouldn't you. But it appears even I am no match for the Blood Lord now." Dante was struck dumb at this! "You tried to face the Blood Lord? You got some balls, man!" "Yes," Marcus said sadly, "but his power is ever growing, for he has taken many souls already, and he tried to take mine. I'm just lucky to be alive right now." And then, Marcus began to tell what happened in his epic struggle against the Blood Lord.
In another point in the desert, the azure warrior continued his lonely quest for Dante. Walking like a shadow, until five Hellsloths appeared around him, ready to kill the swordsman. "Hmph, these are the only challenge that I get? Fine then." And so, once again, the blue blademaster began another assault on those who stood in his way.
What did happen with Marcus? Can this Blood Lord be defeated? Find out next time, my children of the night! I also apologise for the short chapter, but I also give thanks to Knight25, for his character, Marcus! NO FLAMES!!!!!