The locusts swarmed all over the room, and while there had been plenty of space initially Alucard had been forced into the air. The battle had been going on for minutes and he still couldn't get close to the maestro, who used the locusts to protect him like a shield while also using it to attack Alucard. With a wave of the maestro wand the enemy could control where the locusts could go, and it proved to be an infuriating foe to defeat.
The monster itself, Alucard remembered, was a demon known as Abaddon. He was usually in another area of the castle like in the musical areas controlling the ghost musicians that were bound to the structure. Yet he seemed to be in the garden for no reason. Unless Elexina had summoned him to keep Alucard company until she returned to speak with him again. Given how his last meeting went with her Alucard didn't plan to wait around.
Regardless Alucard had been forced to take to the air to avoid becoming the locusts' meal. While he could move through the air with relative ease the dhampir was finding even the air to be a bit problematic as the cloud of insects seemed to follow him and predict his every move. Thousands of the little things littered the floor already, but there seemed to be thousands more waiting for their chance to attack. all the vegetation in the immediate area had been devoured already, presumably from the locusts taking the chance to devour anything he could use for cover.
But Alucard had more tricks up his sleeve. Landing on the ground, many bugs crunching under the weight of his boots, the dhampir raised his sword and it began to glow an otherworldly red. The sharp tip was pointing in the direction of the maestro himself.
"This game is at an end," said Alucard, his eyes also beginning to glow a crimson hue. Reaching inside his coat with his left hand Alucard found a small pocket watch he had fused with alchemy and pressed a switch that was on it. "I will have only a few seconds. Better work fast."
The magic worked instantly. Everything around Alucard seemed to slow to a crawl while he moved at normal speed. Using this he was able to get through Abaddon's defenses and, with expert cuts of his sword, sliced off all of the creature's limbs. All this happened while his foe was completely unaware of what was happening.
When the time limit was reached everything sped back up but by then Abaddon was already dead, and his body fell to pieces on the stone ground. Soon enough, with their leader perished, all the locusts dropped dead as well. This included the ones that had covered the doors Alucard had meant to go through earlier.
"That took long enough." Hearing a loud crack in close proximity Alucard took the pocket watch out of his coat and saw that the glass face was completely shattered. Though able to manipulate time, Alucard knew it was a powerful tool that had limited uses. In this case, it was one and done. Now it was nothing more than a broken trinket. He dropped it, and it broke into many pieces.
"No more of that," he said, not as much dismayed that he had lost a tool that could have proven to be useful once again down the line. Yet that was something he had gotten used to in his hunts.
Wasting little time Alucard turned to the door that he assumed led to the next area of the castle. While he didn't know where he would end up next, he felt ready for anything.
And yet the thought that something tremendous had occurred in the castle plagued his mind. He could only put it to the back of his mind as his feet began to move the rest of his body forward.
Author's Note: This chapter is short because i missed it ^^;
Also, the next chapter is my absolute favorite part in this story, hope you enjoy it!
