A horde of Night creatures lined the castle halls.
You'd consider it a surprise but that sensation was present in you at the moment. They were just another obstacle that you needed to eliminate so the other three could reach their goal.
Support them in any way and any means necessary. No matter the amount of pain you felt or any injury you endured.
That reminded your focus and with a slight wave of the hand, roots stabbed and skewed any Night Creature you set your eyes on in the castle's hall. There were quite a few, the last line of defense before reaching Dracula. There was no doubt in your mind that the man from before fighting off those vampires was possibly responsible, it oozed off him.
You sensed it.
A serpent Night Creature lunged at you from the side, a root shooting out and piercing it through the chest.
You continued.
Another came charging, you shot a light arrow, it died it.
These rapid and cutting attacks by the creatures soon became nothing more than tearing through paper. You were amazed how quickly your body and muscles remembered what to do.
And the more you did….the brighter that flickering internal flame burned.
With the six orbs hovering over you, continuously reconstructing themselves and your markings across your body glowing, you fire a barrage of rapid fire at the creatures. You mixed it with your arrows adding an extra layer.
Their bellowing screeches barely reached you, only twice did a creature land an attack. You paid little attention and just keep going.
The creatures were nearly eliminated. You kill another one and do your best to resist the smirk that demands to show. While also pushing back….that side. You needed to keep your focus on the three before you.
Thinking of them, for a split second you realized you hadn't provided rejuvenation to them.
With a swift glimpse at the three, assess their appearance, while keeping your assault going, use one hand to connect your thumb and middle finger tiger, forming a loop and a soft pulse shoots from your heart.
Your hand almost clasped over it, but you resisted and see they were restored to their health. You however felt a little weaving.
There was no time to have concerns about it, the last creature was killed.
Now it was time for Dracula.
Alucard took the lead, his speed and sprint was faster than the rest, reaching his father. You once again took up the flank behind Trevor and Sypha, managing to hear the tail end of father and son confrontational talk.
"It ends, in the name of my mother."
"It endured in the name of your mother."
His mother, you thought surprised by his words, your steps slowed for a moment reflectively.
What Alucard just said, your heart filled with unwavering sympathy.
"I told you before, I won't let you do it. I grieve with you, but I won't let you commit genocide," Alucard's voice resonated with resolute conviction.
"You couldn't stop me before," Dracula countered, his voice carrying a weight of ancient sorrow.
"I was alone before," Alucard replied, his words echoing in the chamber.
From those words, Trevor, Sypha, and yourself step into Dracula's study. A hand of fear clenched your heart at the sight of Alucard's imposing father. The power and dominance exuding from him contrasted with the dark gentlemanly appearance he presented. His dark red eyes, matching the sky outside, held unhinged yet focused rage, but there was something behind them you noticed, hidden pain. You felt a tinge of sympathy for him. Even with the pain you'd be lying that you felt small, compared to him.
Nevertheless, you quickly off those feelings and remember your purpose. You ready yourself, matching the focused determination around you, hold up the bow, aim it forward, and draw the string with two fingers, a light arrow manifest.
Dracula's eyes sniped quickly, at you, with cold snare. It happened so fast, no one noticed but the residuals of its effect struck you with momentarily fear.
Alucard drew his sword and rushed his father. Slamming him into the wall, your fear vanished. What seemed like a killing attack, was an illusion. Dracula calmly and unfazed held the tip of Alucard's long sword unscathed. Either your eyes were mistaken but you were certain disappointment washed over his face for a moment.
With two fingers, Dracula walked forward using minimal strength pushed Alucard, struggling a bit, back. Dracula released the blade and Alucard stepped back and slashed the blade at his father. Dracula dodged each slash and on the last one, caught Alucard's wrist and struck him again with minimal force, knocking Alucard head-first into the fireplace.
You needed to heal him should have been your first thought, but that went away. Dracula turned his attention on you, Trevor, and Sypha. More specifically on Trevor, Trevor realized this and before he could react, Dracula blitzed him. Slamming the Belmont out the room and into the hall wall. Knocking the wind from Trevor.
You and Sypha were left.
She attacked first with blast of fire. Dracula blocked it with his draping cap, Sypha kept up her attack.
"Speaker magician," Dracula hissed, turning his focus on her.
You had just helped Alucard up and applied healing when you heard Sypha's struggles. You rip from Alucard's side to the hall and your heart drops.
Dracula struck Sypha, sending her across the hall. His nails dripped with some of her blood, your eyes hone onto the ugly slash on Sypha's arm and the excruciating pain on her face.
Something snapped in you, you see her smile in your mind, the world disappeared around you and it was either reflexes of something but…..but….you plant your feet, eyes deadly focus, fire shot after shot at the vampire. Each arrow glowing brighter and brighter. You didn't care if you hid or not, soon one arrow broke off and became two…then four soon it was up to six all targeting Dracula.
He used his cape to block the first assault of arrows until they started piercing the fabric. That cold sneer snapped in his eyes, it had no effect on you. You walk calmly forward confining your fire.
Dracula took to swiftly dodging a few, then opted to block them with slashes while closing the distance between you gearing up an attack. Your eyes kept on him and when he was just inches from you lunged with a claw high up and slashed it down.
The sound of metal on metal echoes in the halls, you blocked with the bow for a second. Dracula was slightly surprised, you couldn't hold this and within that second you let go of the bow, dove down avoiding his devastating attack, quickly scooped up Sypha, and moved her out of the way.
Trevor ran passed you to fight Dracula.
Sypha was in pain, that's all you could see. Every nerve in shattered with worry. Gently you lay her down, and the bodies of other Speakers laid before appeared in your mind. The Bishop's shadow cast over.
"Your dear sister." His insidious voice smoothly whispered in your ear, "God's punishment. He who has sinned shall know nothing but damnation."
No!
No!
No!
You weren't going to allow it! You wouldn't. She wouldn't be punished for your sins, you couldn't lose her, your sister. You wouldn't allow it, you'd do anything.
Her smile appeared again in your mind, her hand held out to you.
You reach out and take her hand.
And….
Everything burst.
Trevor punches against Dracula did nothing. With rapid punch to Trevor's Dracula knocked him and grabbed him by the throat. Just as he's about to skewer Trevor with his other hand, a root suddenly clamped around his wrist.
Dracula looked at it confused and with quick closer inspection saw the golden markings on it. When suddenly Alucard's blade stabbed cleanly through his father's wrist.
Dracula turned to his son when suddenly something bright and solid struck him. He dropped Trevor, the attacks didn't stop, another bright attack struck the vampire king. Another came this time Dracula matched its speed and knocked aside with one smack. He did to the second and third one that followed.
Annoyed his eyes rapidly search between the attacks from Alucard and Trevor where the attack came from. Another attack came straight for him, he saw and knocked the two men back and snatched the attack from its trajectory.
An idiot mistake, Dracula tore his hand away with a slight growl and saw dark blisters on the palm of his hand that began healing….slowly.
It then clicked with him, another light attack came and he once grabbed it ignoring the slight pain it caused and knowing something solid slammed it into the floor.
Indescribable pain shot through your body for a moment, the force from Dracula was….it could have killed a human. But as quickly as it happened it went away and you felt nothing.
"Whatever you are, die," Dracula bared his teeth and thrust a hand down.
Roots came out blocking his attack. You get up and move back creating distance. With a thought, more roots burst out and attack Dracula. He dodged them, they adapted to his speed. Pushing him back.
Trevor and Alucard use this and attack. Trevor with his whips, Alucard with his sword and speed. You…with whatever the fuck you had.
Holding your hands before you, clench them and shapeless light gathers. You form it into two blades, two blades that begin spinning rapidly like discs in the palm of your hands. You weren't done, you tapped into the other, and black lightning crackled around your spinning discs.
You were ready and join the two. Sypha finally got up, she saw you, your appearance returned to it previous state, glowing aflame hair, glowing eyes and those markings across your body with hints of dark markings under your eyes.
She just jumped back into the fight.
You throw one disc then the second at Dracula, in different directions. But both attacked him. He deflected them. That didn't stop you, the roots launched at them, adjusting to his strength. He went to attack Trevor but a thick root protected him, the same for Alucard.
Any attack Dracula delivered it was blocked.
You try another javelin attack. It didn't work you were struck and thrown back, you got up unfazed and try another attack.
Though not before replenishing the other with a glance and adding a bit extra.
You quickly draw to fingers to your brow and focus. A few words mutter from your lips and Alucard and Trevor's weapons become imbued with your golden markings.
They noticed Dracula did too. He also noticed something else with you.
He noticed it the moment you stepped into his study and drew the bow. His eyes narrow predatorily, knocking Alucard and Trevor back he charged Sypha.
She readied herself, he attacked, and the roots shot out protecting her, just as he thought. Smirking he changed course and target.
You.
He pounced on you before you could blink and in one swift motion snatched you up by the throat, and impaled a hand through you. You heard your flesh and insides tear, you wanted to scream but your throat was clamped shut by Dracula's applied strength. All you could do was grimace in his hold.
God it hurt.
Dracula smirked mockingly.
You wriggled in his grasp and tried clawing at his hold but it did little.
"You're merely nothing but a flicker, girl." He pulled you close and whispered tauntingly in your ear.
He pulled out his hand and raised it again. The others knew what he was going to do, and rushed to your aid. But not even Alucard's speed was fast enough, Dracula impaled you again, deeper this time. You felt his finger ripe inside you and felt cold air passing through you.
You didn't need eyes in the back of your head to know his hand sticking out the back.
The pain rippled through like electricity, every part of you screamed but you didn't want to use what you had left to for that….the world was fading in and out around you. Each blink you did it faded more and your focus went solely to Sypha. It glossed on Trevor and Alucard for a moment but you turn your eyes to Sypha, the harrowing look in her eyes.
You didn't want that, but you understood why….this was the third time you met her eyes and it was beautiful. You never felt so happy.
As usual her shouts for you fell on deaf ears, and you blinked again this time it was heavier than before. You saw it…all those corridors and them…standing there looking at you scalding anger. You hated them and never agreed to their powers forced upon you.
Your eyes open, your minimal strength lifted surged through you, and your darkest thoughts with it transferred to your hands clawing at Dracula's hold and sending your last attempt, a jolt of black lightning.
It did nothing.
Dracula, irritated, threw you down on the floor with such force your body tore through a few floors as though they were flimsy paper.
Each floor your body broke through you, you saw treasures, your life before in the city, the children, your village and the people, the small festival, Trevor and himself, Alucard and his company, the Speakers, that kind healer woman and her heart, your father, and lastly Sypha.
Her smile.
The two of you, young.
Her smile again.
Her arms wrapping around you embracing you, "We're sisters. We'll always be sisters!"
Her words and smile were so bright.
Your body jerked hitting the floor, it bounced like a ball once as debris rained about. Chunks of it. You couldn't move all you could do was stare up.
Your vision was blurry. A bit of blood trickled from the corner of your mouth.
What was that verse again, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Repentance, you muse on the word.
Sypha appeared once again.
And with your last thoughts, I've repented for the righteous.