Hello World! What, you thought you'd have to wait months for the next chapter? Well you thought wrong as we bring you the next chapter on our insane story. We'd also like to take this time to once again thank our beta reader, Eneko95, for her hardwork and dedication to helping us out.

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy

Chapter 15

Initial Order Arc:

Embracing Darkness, Part I

Early Evening

Forest

The sun was setting, and Dracul's two minions had looked almost everywhere they could think of to find their friend. He hadn't been in any of their usual "secret spots" like the mysterious cave near the beach or the one at the volcano. Their last hope was the abandoned dorm; its distance from the main campus made it a perfect place to stage rituals.

"D-do you really think he's here?"

"It's the only place left to look."

"Aside from back at the dorm. We could go look there."

"Stop whining. We'll look here and if he isn't here, then we can go check the dorm."

"Fine…"

The two shook in their shoes as they approached the entrance. Horror films often took place in abandoned buildings for a reason, and their love for the genre didn't extend far past the silver screen.

Before they could get further, a large booming noise emerged, causing the two to flinch and turn their heads.

At first, they saw nothing but dust swirling through what little light still crept through the windows. A flurry of movement swung down from the rafters, causing the two to scream out in shock, rooted in place. When the screaming died down, they realized that what swung down at them was their Master Dracul.

"Boss! We've finally found you!"

"Are you OK? You can't just disappear like that without even…"

The caped student slowly turned around, making the two of them look in shock. Their friend's appearance had changed completely as he now had pale skin that matched his white hair.

But his complexion was not the only change. His school uniform had grown noticeably darker, being closer to black than the usual Obelisk Blue, with a pure white vest and button up shirt. His school jacket seemed to have been replaced with a dark blue smoking jacket, though his usual cape remained. He'd also gained a gold necklace with a blood-red jewel that practically radiated malicious power.

"Oh I am more than okay, my elvtárs. I have ascended, become the man I was always meant to be. Well, I say 'man'…"

"Boss, what are you talking about?"

Dracul grinned; it could've been the lighting, but the students swore he had fangs in place of his regular teeth. "How do I put this…? Tonight, through a deal with a higher power, I truly became the Vampire King."

The students exchanged nervous looks. The one who'd been a zombie eventually broke the silence.

"L-look, man, I know today could've been a lot better for us, but m-maybe this isn't the best way to deal with what happened."

"Prof. Jorge's worried about you, too. He's the only person who can-"

Dracul cut them off with a dramatic cape flip and death glare, making the two flinch.

"Et tu, Brute? I expected better from you, yet here you are sounding like all the rest of our detractors."

"So? How's everyone else giving us crap affect our enjoyment?"

"C-come on, let's go back t-to the dorms."

"You two never took this seriously!" Dracul roared.

"You take this too seriously!"

The caped student let out a demonic hiss, and something invisible grabbed their shoulders. Whatever it was then pushed them forward, forcing them to look directly at Dracul.

"Fortunately for our relationship, I believe in second chances. You gentlemen will be the first of my true servants; prove your dedication and I will reward you. Try to relax, and look deep into my eyes…"

Elsewhere in the forest…

"Anyone think to bring a torch?" Barclay asked as the light continued to fade away. They had left their backpacks at their respective dorms before heading out to look for their new acquaintance, but weren't sure how much longer they could search before they had to go back.

"No, but we have our phones," Nick remarked, holding his phone out with the flashlight on.

"Are we even sure they're still out here?" Erhard inquired while scratching his head.

"I spoke with someone from their dorm; apparently the three of them and some members of their fan club come to places like this at night," Takashi responded.

"H-h-how can they? It's s-s-so spooky…" Atsuko shuddered and held on to Takashi's arm.

"If they're anywhere out here, they'd be at the abandoned dorm," Barclay replied.

"Abandoned dorm?" Sera repeated.

"Someone told me they heard that dorm was haunted," Erhard commented.

"HAUNTED?!" the petite girl yelled out, shaking harder than before as she was trying desperately not to faint.

"I'm going back. Let me know if you find them," Sera said abruptly, turning around and speed-walking back down the path.

"Hold on now," said Takashi, grabbing Sera's collar to keep her from leaving. "We can't give up, even if this place is haunted."

"He's right, Dracul's missing and we need to find him," Nick added.

"Besides, I doubt the place is actually haunted," Barclay said. "It's just one of those rumors that get started by bored students. Every school's got stories like that."

"I thought everyone from the UK believed in ghosts?" Erhard asked.

"In my experience, most of us do, but we play up local myths and legends for the tourists." Barclay waved a hand dismissively. "Three things that get people to spend money quick are booze, ancient locations, and haunted-house tours. Sometimes all three at once!"

"I don't care!" Sera complained. "Be a nonbeliever all you want! I'm not gonna risk getting a ghost upset with me!"

"Hey!" someone in the distance yelled. Some of the group turned around to see Laura running towards them, phone out and backpack still in tow. It took her a few minutes to catch up to them, and then a few more to catch her breath.

"Hah… Whoo… hi, guys. You just left me outside the card shop, what was up with that? I thought you were gonna come back," said Laura, panting slightly.

Their only response was silence and a disapproving stare.

"Oh come on, you guys can't really be mad at me. I mean I make fun of him all the time, how is this different?"

"This time was different, Laura," Sera replied after Takashi let her go. "There's a difference between the name calling you usually do and the total humiliation that those Obelisk jerks did."

"You laughing along with the crowd validated what they were doing and probably encouraged them to boot. It's really amazing how readily people will humiliate anyone they can call 'Other' to get their peers' approval," said Barclay.

"You sound like a psychologist," Erhard said to Barclay.

"The dangers of having one as a parent, I suppose." Barclay shrugged.

"At the risk of sounding cliché, he's actually a decent guy if you get to know him," Nick added. "And before you bring up the mall championship, just because he scared you in front of an audience doesn't mean we can't treat him with respect."

"I'm sure he didn't mean to cause you any real harm, did he?" said Atsuko.

Before Laura could say anything, the air was split by more screams. Nick's and Barclay's hands glowed faintly, and they hid them inside their pockets while the others looked in the direction of the screaming.

"It sounded like it came from up ahead," said Erhard, pointing down the path.

"That's definitely the old abandoned dorm," Barclay said. "Those eejits better just be watching some horror movies."

All of them, including Laura, ran ahead to the dorm at full speed. Sera and Atsuko were the only ones who seemed fazed by it; they held on to each other and were visibly shaking.

"Well, at least we know why they like it." Nick chuckled nervously.

"It's certainly… exotic," Takashi added with a gulp.

"So, um, who's going first?" asked Atsuko.

"No one is going in this place alone, I can tell you that. We're sticking together," Barclay replied. "But not on top of each other-God knows how long this place's been empty, we don't want the floor breaking underneath us."

"That's what you're worried about? The structural integrity?" Sera asked.

"I'm worried about one of us getting hurt," Barclay replied calmly.

"So…?" Erhard prompted.

"Takashi goes first. If the floors can support him, then the rest of us are fine."

The student in question nodded uneasily.

"I'll go next, then the girls, and then Nick and Erhard can bring up the rear," he continued. "Any complaints?"

"Yes!" both Sera and Atsuko cried.

Barclay pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Maybe it would be better if they stayed out here. I mean it's not exactly a good idea to have them screaming if something happens," Nick commented.

"Agreed," Erhard remarked with a nod.

"Fine." Barclay sighed. "Then I guess you two can stay outside and stand watch."

"Are you sure about that?" Takashi asked.

"The last thing we want is to search the place only to find out they left. This way, the girls can give us a shout if they see anyone."

Takashi nodded. "I see your point."

"Hello?! What about me?" Laura remarked with irritation.

They glared back at Laura as Nick walked towards her and stopped right in front of her.

"Laura, of course we care about you, you're one of our closest friends," he began. "But I can't overlook how heartless you were today. We're here to make Dracul feel better, and having you with us would do the exact opposite."

That single statement made Laura gasp in horror, looking at the faces of each of her friends. She hoped that some of them would defend her, but all they did was look away, even her own roommate.

"Come on, boys, we better head in."

With that, Nick and the other boys began walking.

Abandoned Dorm

"You sure you weren't too hard on Laura?" Barclay asked after they had gotten well away from the door and entered what looked to have once been the dorm's common room.

It was a large open room with several hallways leading off of it. High windows let in what little light still remained outside, and what little light could make it past the moth-eaten curtains and years of dust. A threadbare carpet covered the floor from wall to wall and a few fragments of what had probably been furniture once lay scattered across the room.

"Calling her heartless did seem a bit much," Erhard agreed.

"Well, maybe I was, but she has to realize that having a grudge against someone is no excuse not to be disrespectful to them, especially when they're trying to reach out," Nick remarked with a sigh of frustration. "That's how I see it, anyway."

"I agree. She's a good person, but how she treated Dracul was unacceptable and frankly dishonorable," Takashi added.

Conversation and forward movement ceased when the group heard creaking echoing down one of the halls. They waited, straining their eyes in the growing darkness for any sign of the source.

"We should probably check out that sound," Erhard whispered, his voice slightly louder than anticipated, yet at the same time muffled by all the dust.

"If those bastarts are just hiding down the loaby to try and scare us, then I hope they're prepared to get a boot up their arses."

Nick swallowed. He didn't usually believe in things like ghosts and cryptids, but after seeing his Duel Spirit he knew they were at least a possibility.

They soon found themselves near what they figured had been a lounge area. Unlike the other rooms, there were lit candles in strategic places on the walls for extra light. A large coffin took up the middle of the room.

"Looks like a film set in here…" Erhard muttered as the group slowly moved into the room.

"How long do you suppose they've been working on this?" Takashi asked.

"I'm more concerned about the coffin," said Barclay.

None of them noticed the two figures slowly approaching them from behind.

Outside

Back outside, the trio of girls were still standing near a tree. Sera and Atsuko were trying to keep their composure, while Laura paced in front of them, occasionally casting a worried glance at the dorm.

"Would. You. Stop. Pacing!" Sera snapped. "It's not helping!"

"I'm pacing because something about that place feels wrong," Laura snapped back.

"Like your attitude earlier?" Sera asked.

"Like the boys are in trouble," Laura replied.

"Sure."

"Okay, like what the hell?" Laura demanded. "Why have you been totally not backing me up lately?"

"Maybe because you've started acting like a total-"

"STOP IT!" Atsuko shouted.

The two roommates stopped immediately, looking over to where their friend was. While she was still shaking with fear, there were tears running down her face.

"We can't keep arguing about this. Especially if they really are in danger."

Before either of them could reply, they all heard screaming from the building. Immediately realizing that it was the boys, they all ran without hesitation into the dorm, worried about their safety.

Soon enough, they reached the same lounge the boys had seen, only with an overtly menacing feel to it. What looked like skeletal hands protruded from the walls with torches in their grips. The torches barely cast any light into the center of the room despite their strategic placements.

What the girls could see was the unconscious boys, chained to the back wall like prisoners.

"What do we do?" Sera asked. "We don't know what happened to them and there's too many of them for us to carry back to the main campus."

"Just Takashi alone would be too much for us…"

"You won't have to worry about going back," a voice remarked pleasantly.

The trio did a rapid double-take as the voice's owner approached.

"Yes… You will be here serving our glorious master," a second voice declared.

A second figure seemingly materialized behind the first. Atsuko gripped Laura's hand tightly as the figures approached. Soon the torchlight illuminated their faces; they were Dracul's two friends the group had been looking for.

"Not cool, guys," said Sera, glaring at them. "You almost gave us heart attacks."

"Good to see you're OK otherwise." Laura sighed.

"Wh-where's Dracul?" Atsuko asked, taking large gulps of air and trying to calm her racing heart.

From the center of the room, there was a loud creaking. Something was slowly opening on its own, sending dust and even a little smoke billowing across the floor. When their eyes adjusted, they realized with a shiver that the mysterious thing was a large coffin.

A pale young man wearing a cape stepped out of the coffin. An ominous glow surrounded him as he approached the girls; if it hadn't been for the hair, they would have thought he was a completely different person.

"Good evening, ladies. Welcome to my castle," he said, smiling pleasantly. Unfortunately the sharp teeth ruined his genteel image.

"Dracul, is-is that you?" Atsuko stuttered.

"Hey there, Drogo. Love what you've done with this place," said Laura with her usual attitude. "That corpse look really doesn't work for you, though."

"Of course, you always have to be the clever one, don't you?" he replied. Something about the way he said it made Laura even more nervous, as if he were implying a threat.

"Well… You seem to be feeling much better," Sera said. "That's great. We'll… We'll just wake the boys up and go, let you guys go back to… club activities?"

"But you've only just arrived. Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Dracul asked.

"I know I am, Eugene," Laura answered.

His expression soured for a brief moment before settling into a more neutral one. "I see… what a shame. I can't think of anyone better suited to being my queen. After all, you've known my strength from the beginning. Haven't you, Laura? Ever since that day at the mall, you've known deep in your soul that I deserve to be here. Above the crowd, commanding forces beyond imagination… and you can't deny you want it, too."

"Okay, first: You're totally wrong about what I know and want. Second, what the hell are you even king of? And third, if you're going to scare us at least be less cliché about it."

"I should have known better than to reason with you," Dracul snapped, eyes glowing red. "You scoff at our passion, mistreat us, belittle us…" He flung his cape over his shoulders, revealing both his new outfit and-to Laura's surprise-his duel disk. "But no longer! I have the power to get revenge for every insult you mortals ever dealt me! I can make you suffer as I have, and when you fully understand my pain I'll make you my greatest minion!"

Laura clenched her fists tightly. She had never liked Dracul's gimmick even before the mall tournament, but she didn't see any other way to get out of there.

"Fine," she retorted, taking off her backpack and retrieving her duel disk. "If a duel's the only way to get through that thick skull of yours, then let's go!"

Vengeance duel away! Next chapter will be our... second revenge duel? Wonder if that's going to be a thing we do a lot, revenge duels. I don't think so, that would get boring and predictable. But there will be a duel and it will be as hard fought as we could manage! Please look forward to that. And more thanks to our beta down here too (is it clear we appreciate her work? I don't know, we could probably thank her more)

Translations:

elvtárs - "comrades"

eejits - "idiots"

bastarts - "bastards"

loaby - "hallway, lobby, passageway"