Note: With this story still going on, it gets closer to the end by each passing month. It might end in October assuming everything goes as planned. If not, then I apologize for being unable to give the story a proper ending in the first place. Then again, anything could happen this year. After all, it's easy to get distracted from finishing a story. Nonetheless, I hope that the long wait doesn't keep you from reading.
Before we move on, I have something to say to a reviewer.
Big Bossk Man 92: Yeah, the title was a bit of a spoiler. Given how Panther uses rose euphemisms, it seems fitting that he can use the eponymous flower (if not plants in general) as a superpower on account of his vampirism. Maybe Miyu should've had that ability as well. Then again, she had powers of her own, so she wasn't entirely helpless. She and Panther put up a good fight against the vampire hunters, regardless of what their abilities were. Stay tuned for what happens next.
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter twenty-six.
Chapter 26: Detour
As they walked through the seventh floor, Fox and Krystal saw no sign of the dungeon key. However, they began to sense ethereal energies the more they traveled through the castle. The two undead vulpines agreed to keep an open eye out for anything, considering that the supernatural power within the castle was getting stronger. From where they were standing, it was already powerful enough to repel any hapless mortal who had somehow stumbled into the castle while hiking. With their vampiric abilities, Fox and Krystal were protected from the dark magic, but they felt that said protection wouldn't work for much longer. There were creatures awaiting them and each was more powerful than the last.
Taking the stairway up to the eighth floor, Krystal could feel her telepathy pick up thought patterns on the next few floors up. From what she could tell, there were three coming down from the top floor. Before she could assume that they were enemies, the cobalt vixen had sensed that it was only Fara, Orlando and Owen, presumably having been teleported up there. A thought pattern was in-between the vampiric foxes and the vampire hunters, one that was in trouble. Having sensed distress signals in the past, Krystal knew how to tell a real signal apart from a fake one. This signal was real, the person it was coming from being someone Star Fox and their allies knew well.
Once they had reached the eighth floor, Fox and Krystal were greeted by people with glowing yellow eyes. Each person let out a pained groan, their voices having a demonic edge to it. By seeing these individuals, Krystal saw how some of them seemed to be rotting, even missing certain limbs on their body. She used her telepathy, only to find that none of them had a single thought, as if their minds were clear. None of the people in front of Fox and Krystal were able to speaking, their grunts and groans being their only means of communication. These creatures were not vampires like them or a majority of Volk's army, but rather something else entirely: zombies.
Having her sword out, Krystal swung it, decapitating a zombie that had stepped near her. She stomped on its head afterwards, preventing it from reattaching it to its body. Knowing that the cobalt vixen couldn't kill all the reanimated corpses by herself, Fox went to give her a hand. Swiping his right claw forward, he killed two of them in one strike. The maroon tod then threw a fireball, destroying their bodies. Another zombie was about to bite him, but Krystal impaled it with her sword, using her staff to annihilate its body shortly after.
With the zombies surrounding them, Fox and Krystal quickly worked to kill them. Fox used his claws and the powers he gained from his enemies to keep the undead at bay, making sure to burn each body in order to prevent them from getting back up. Krystal used her sword to slice each zombie near her to pieces, having Fox destroy their remains with fireballs afterwards. On occasion, she would rapidly stab a zombie in certain areas on its body, essentially turning it into a pincushion. The zombies that were dealt that method wouldn't get up, but the cobalt vixen used her staff to completely eliminate their remains as a way of making sure. Fox would destroy the ones she missed, even though she could have done so.
Once all of the zombies were gone, Fox checked to see if there were any souls floating in the air. There weren't any, as if the souls had already parted from their bodies. Knowing that there was a reason behind this, Fox figured that the souls had been eaten by whoever had been responsible for the creation of the zombies. He then signaled for Krystal to come over to them, so that they could check the rooms for the dungeon key. Upon finding no sign of it, the undead foxes decided to head up to the ninth floor. They felt as though the closer they got, they would be able to find the key and free everyone.
Before either of them could step on the stairway leading up to the ninth floor, Fox and Krystal heard ethereal noises above them. They readied themselves, knowing that they were about to encounter one of the monsters lurking inside the castle. However, it just turned out to be a soul lurking around the hallway. Pulling down the scarf that masked his face, Fox sucked the soul towards him, allowing him to absorb it into his system. With that out of the way, he began to walk up the stairs with Krystal. He hoped that she had her telepathy on, given that there were more creatures awaiting them.
Entering the ninth floor, Krystal used her telepathy to detect for anything. There didn't seem to be any monsters or anyone who was being held prisoner in the castle. However, that didn't mean that the hallway was empty. With her telepathy, the cobalt vixen was able to pick up anything, even while she was asleep. Since she had been turned into a vampire, her powers had increased to the point where she could sense for ghosts and creatures that would've evaded ESP altogether. Because of that, the Cerinian vampire knew that she couldn't ignore something that her powers picked up.
Fox began to search the rooms for the dungeon key, while Krystal kept an eye out for any hostiles. Eventually, she helped look for the key, checking areas where no one would think to look, such as in jars and behind furniture. The cobalt vixen kept her telepathy on, in case of an incoming attack. Neither her nor Fox found the key in the rooms they searched through, despite checking everywhere. As they walked out of the room they searched in, the vampiric foxes were ready to go up to the tenth floor. It seemed like that would be the floor with the key.
As he walked, Fox turned his head and saw a door to a room that he and Krystal hadn't entered. Unlike the other doors, it had a lock on it. The lock itself was massive, being held up with chains that wrapped around the door itself. With there being no key that could open it, Fox and Krystal were stuck. Searching for the key would take a while and they had no time to waste. They needed to get that door open and see what was in the room it was hiding.
"Let's smash it!" Fox spoke.
"It's a better idea for you to become intangible and enter the room." Krystal said. "Perhaps you could unlock the door from the inside."
"That could work." The maroon tod said, using his powers to become intangible.
Using his powers, Fox was able to phase through the door, bypassing the lock and chains. After a bit, the lock began to spin, being a custom made lock that would activate when the key had been inserted into it. The lock fell off the door, then the door came open, causing Krystal to step back. Fox stepped out of the room, holding his pointer finger in front of his face.
"Turns out, I could've just picked the lock with my nails." Fox spoke.
"That's good to know, Fox." Krystal said, looking in the room. "Come on, let's see what's in here and -!"
"What?" The maroon tod asked.
"You'll want to see this!" The cobalt vixen said.
Taking a peek in the room, Fox could not help but gasp. His eyes widened as he saw the absurd horror in front of him. Corpses were up on the walls, being encased in some sort of shell. Tubes were in their necks, a green fluid traveling through them. From the eyes and mouthes of the corpses, the fluid leaked out. By looking at each one, Fox could see that parts of their flesh seemed to be melting, with bones and organs being visible.
Krystal took a closer look at the bodies above her, only to find that they were not mortals. By looking at each line of data near them, she saw that these people were vampires. Whatever was being pumped into their system was nothing good. Vampires were known for being powerful monsters, their primary weaknesses being sunlight, garlic and being staked in the heart. Looking at the corpses, it was evident that whatever was in the tubes connected to their bodies was an acid of some kind, being strong enough to melt vampires. This wasn't something that the Helsings had made, it was a creation of pure evil.
"These people," Fox spoke, "they're being disintegrated!"
"We can't save any of them!" Krystal spoke. "Even if we disconnected the tubes and got them out, it would be too late!"
"What is the stuff that's being pumped into them?!" The maroon tod asked.
"It's none of your business."
Having heard that voice, Fox and Krystal turned around and saw a familiar face: Volk, formerly Wolf O'Donnell. The one-eyed lupine glared at them, seemingly annoyed that they had entered the room. Krystal glared back at him, disgusted by what she had seen. Fox, on the other hand, clenched his clawed hand into a fist, intent on fighting his longtime nemesis. Both of the undead vulpines wanted the space pirate-turned-vampire dead, not only for the fact he was the reason they were monsters, but because he had a deadly compound intended for his universal conquest. Volk only shook his head at them, wordlessly telling the Cerinian and Papetoonian vampires to stand down.
"Looks like you have finally returned, Krystal." Volk spoke. "I must say, I am disappointed that you would refuse my offer and side with my enemies instead of the army."
"After you turned me into a monster against my will," Krystal spoke, "you should have expected for me to rebel against you and your evil army."
"Is it really wrong to be immortal?" The one-eyed lupine asked. "Do you really wish to die young instead of living forever? Wouldn't you want to stay young at the cost of not being able to die?"
"Immortality is not worth outliving those around you." The cobalt vixen said. "I'd rather live life however I want to and die when I'm ready instead of never dying."
"And killing you would allow us to resume our normal lives." Fox spoke.
"Fox?" Volk said, looking at his transformed rival. "That's a good look for you! Of course, I would get rid of that ridiculous scarf if I were in your shoes."
"Enough with the flattery!" The maroon tod said. "Tell us, why are these people up on the walls? Clearly, the tubes aren't being used for life support!"
"I'm almost glad you asked." The space pirate-turned-vampire said. "You see, ever since Krystal grew wings and flew out of the castle carrying your body, I had some of my soldiers enter the throne room, so that I could see if they would show similar transformations. Sure enough, a few sprouted wings, while others demonstrated that they could turn into bats or use powers that Leon, Panther and I couldn't. I didn't want a repeat of when Fay lost control, so I chose to punish these individuals accordingly."
"Sure, dissolving them in acid is a better idea than keeping them around." Krystal said out of sarcasm.
"As the king of the vampires, I refused to let these mutants overthrow me." The Venomian vampire said. "Knowing that Leon had been working on a caustic solution that can destroy anything, I executed the empowered soldiers and had them put in those pods with the solution. I plan to use it against anyone who dares to stand in my way and on anyone in the army who dares to rebel against me!"
"Just what is your plan for the universe, especially considering this acid?!" Fox growled.
"My plan is to transform everyone my army comes across into vampires. If not that, then we will either keep these individuals for food or throw them into the solution. Once we go through the entire galaxy, there will be no one standing in our way!"
"Damn you, Wolf!" The maroon tod shouted. "You are not a God! This act of genocide is unconscionable! If you carry out your plan, there will be nothing left alive, not even a source of food!"
"Your army will die out when there's nothing to feed on!" Krystal spoke. "Everything will be dead, including those who you haven't fed on or turned into vampires!"
"Even if that happens, at least I'll be happy that there will be no one around to get in my way." Volk said. "Those who are in my army will do what I command. We will carry out our conquest and vanquish any resistance to our might!"
"Not if we stop you!" Fox said.
"So, you two wish to fight me?" The vampiric lupine asked.
"Even if we fail to kill you, we won't stop until we've bested you!" Krystal spoke. "Prepare yourself, Wolf!"
"Very well." The Venomian said, waving his hand in the air.
All of a sudden, Fox and Krystal found themselves surrounded by a bright glow. It surrounded Volk as well, considering how he was the one to trigger it. The light shined all throughout the room, even going through the hallway. Once it had dissipated, Fox, Krystal and Volk were gone, leaving the ninth floor dead silent. It was only a matter of time before Fara and the Helsings entered, assuming that they weren't slain by one of the castle's many monsters. Even if they weren't, they would be wondering where their undead allies had gone.
With the light dissipating around them, Fox and Krystal looked around and saw that they were no longer on the ninth floor. Rather, they were in an area that looked like an ancient arena. If this was part of the castle, then it was on the first floor, its entrance being hidden to anyone who had entered the castle. If it wasn't part of the castle, then it seemed that Volk had this arena constructed in a different location. Him having the ability to teleport to different dimensions seemed impossible, though vampires were prone to having all sorts of different powers. No matter what, Fox and Krystal agreed to keep their guard up.
After getting a look at their surroundings, Fox and Krystal turned around to face Volk. He was standing on the opposite end of the room, a smirk on his face. The one-eyed lupine looked confident, thinking that he would win the fight. Even though he would be alone during this battle, the space pirate-turned-vampire figured that he could handle his rival and the vixen he wanted as his apprentice. He had been a vampire longer than either of them, so his powers were far greater than theirs. Of course, that didn't mean that the Venomian would underestimate his opponents in a battle.
"Surprised by your surroundings?" Volk asked.
"No." Krystal said. "In fact, you have chosen the perfect battlefield for the three of us to spar in."
"Prepare yourself, Volk!" Fox said.
Reaching behind his back, Volk pulled out a sword. The sword itself had a curved blade, almost looking like a scimitar. With his weapon out, the one-eyed lupine walked towards Krystal, deciding to fight her first. The cobalt vixen obliged, drawing out her sword next. If the battle got too tough, then she would have to use her staff. While it seemed a little excessive, she knew that Volk would have something up his sleeve, so she needed something that would help her gain the advantage. Even if Fox joined the battle, Krystal hoped to take Volk down as quickly as possible.
Swinging her sword, Krystal managed to cut Volk on his cheek. In response, the one-eyed lupine swung his sword a few times, intent on striking her down. The cobalt vixen was quick to block each attack with the blade of her sword. Once her opponent tried to strike again, she dodged and kicked him in the side. Volk let out a grunt of pain when he received the attack, to the point where he was nearly knocked off his feet. However, he stood his ground, shaking off the pain the best he could.
Rushing towards Krystal, Volk thrusted his sword towards her. While she was able to get away without a scratch, Krystal felt the blade of her opponent's sword chill her to the bone. The cobalt vixen did not let such a thing bother her, only continuing on with the fight. She and Volk kept trading blows with their weapons, with neither one of them letting their guard down. Their aura surged throughout the fight, to the point where it was visible. As Krystal fought against the man responsible for turning her into a vampire, she refused to give up until he was dead.
Fox watched as the battle raged on, swords colliding and opponents charging at each other. He hoped that Krystal would win, considering how she wanted revenge for her predicament. But, given how Volk could be, even before he became a vampire, the maroon tod feared for the love of his life. If Volk were to prevail, then Krystal would have either been forced to join his army or killed. Clenching his claws into fists, Fox promised himself that he would let neither happen. He would need to act fast, even though Krystal showed no sign of being defeated.
The moment Krystal kicked Volk away again, she found herself being lifted into the air. Looking down, she saw Volk glaring at her, standing perfectly still. As the one-eyed lupine had ensnared her with psychokinesis, the cobalt vixen knew she had to get free and strike back. Managing to move her arm, she created a fireball and threw it at Volk. Once he was hit with it, he stumbled back and released his hold on his opponent, freeing her. Krystal landed on her feet, even sticking the blade of her sword into the floor.
With Krystal out of his psychokinetic attack, Volk approached her, intent on striking her down. The cobalt vixen only glared at him, hoping to attack him with her staff. She grabbed at the weapon and attempted to unsheathe it, as it was on her hip. However, Fox feared that the Cerinian vampire would be unable to use the weapon against their enemy. Volk was only a few feet away, meaning that it wouldn't take long for him to strike her. With that in mind, Fox needed to act before Krystal could be killed.
"So, are you planning something?" Volk asked.
"You should know that an opponent can gain an advantage in battle." Krystal said. "Once I get my staff out, I'll use it in place of my sword!"
"I won't let that happen!" The one-eyed lupine said. "Such a shame to do this, but I must! Goodbye, Krystal!"
Raising his sword, Volk was intent on slicing Krystal in half. The cobalt vixen did not flinch, intent on deflecting his attack with her staff. Before she could even raise the weapon, she saw a maroon blur above her. It happened to be Fox, who had managed to catch the blade of Volk's sword. He then pushed the one-eyed lupine back, turning his attention towards his lover. However, Krystal wasn't exactly happy that he interrupted her plan.
"Fox, I was about to bring out my staff!" Krystal spoke.
"Sorry, helping people, even when they're about to strike back, is a bit of a bad habit of mine." Fox said.
"It's not a bad habit, but you should be more careful next time." The cobalt vixen said.
Fox nodded his head, telling Krystal that he would do so. He turned his attention to Volk, who was ready to fight him next. Creating a fireball, the maroon tod threw it at the one-eyed lupine, only for it to be swatted away. Undeterred, he created a larger one, throwing this one with little hesitation. This one hit Volk, but it didn't knock him off his feet or incinerate him. Rather, it nearly made the Venomian vampire drop his sword, the fireball only managing to do that.
Walking up to Volk, Fox engaged him in a fight. As the one-eyed lupine swung his sword, the maroon tod dodged and parried it with his claws. Every so often, the undead vulpine would launch a fireball, intent on burning his opponent to death. The space pirate-turned-vampire managed to avoid each one, though one came close to igniting his ears. He began to form a fireball of his own, so that he could throw Fox off of his balance. That was unless he had a few tricks of his own.
Now that he had a fireball in his hand, Volk launched it towards Fox. In response, Fox used his powers to turn intangible. The fireball passed through the maroon tod, only managing to strike the wall behind him. After that, he used his powers to summon some chains, so that he could bind Volk. In the process, the undead Papetoonian used one as a whip, knocking his opponent's weapon out of his hand. With the space pirate-turned-vampire disarmed, the chains ensnared him, leaving him defenseless.
Upon binding Volk with his chains, Fox formed a fireball in his hands, intent on destroying his enemy with his. He threw it at the one-eyed lupine, hoping that it would work. Before it could even reach him, Volk focused his magic into his eyes, deciding to use the devastating power he had demonstrated prior. As such, Krystal gasped, knowing what the Venomian vampire was about to do. The glow came to his eyes, with an electric crackle being heard as well.
"Fox, watch out!" Krystal warned.
But it was too late. Volk unleashed his devastating attack, throwing the fireball back at Fox. Upon feeling the force of it, the maroon tod was thrown back towards the wall, causing him to let out a cry of pain. Krystal wanted to rush to his aid, but Volk was quick to use his binding magic on her, preventing her from moving. The cobalt vixen was forced to watch as the one-eyed lupine approached Fox, raising his sword. However, she felt an odd aura coming off of Fox, something that wasn't there until now.
"Is this all you've got?" Volk spoke. "Weaklings, the lot of you!"
"That's what you think!" Fox shouted.
Swinging his sword, Volk was intent on decapitating Fox then and there. However, he was then knocked back by a powerful surge, causing the binding magic around Krystal to disperse. Before she could run to Fox, the cobalt vixen was shocked by what she was seeing. The maroon tod had gained a powerful aura around him, being massive enough to glow all over the arena. Not only that, but there was an energy construct coming out of the Papetoonian vampire's clawed hand. It was in the shape of a blade, as if he had created a sword out of pure will.
"Krystal, let's finish this!" Fox spoke, clenching his other claw.
Nodding her head, Krystal took out her sword and her staff. After that, she and Fox began to fight together, attacking Volk with everything they had. The one-eyed lupine used whatever he could to keep them at bay, but it was clear that they weren't going to give up. Fox used his new weapon to parry each attack that came his way, occasionally thrusting it forward. Krystal used her staff to knock Volk back, then switched to her sword when he rushed back at her. With their strategies, there was no way for their enemy to beat them.
Once Volk was thrown back towards a wall, Fox and Krystal approached, ready to finish him off. Before they could, however, Volk used his magic to envelop them both in a blinding light. The moment it had dissipated, they found themselves back on the ninth floor, in the doorway of the room they had opened before the one-eyed lupine approached them. Now that they were back where they were prior to the fight, Fox looked at the blade in his hand, then watched as it faded away. This left him rather dumbfounded. Just what was this strange power and why did it not show up until now?
All of a sudden, time stopped moving. Fox and Krystal knew what this meant, so they were used to this. They sheathed their weapons, awaiting their ethereal benefactor. In the process, they were intent on talking to him about what happened during their short-lived battle with Volk.
"So, I take it that the two of you are wondering what that was?" Death asked, having materialized a few seconds prior.
"Yes, what was that sword that sprouted out of my hand?" Fox asked.
"It's your Phantom Blade." The Grim Reaper said. "Wraiths need the occasional weapon to fight, so you gained the Phantom Blade. It might not look like much, but trust me, it's more than a simple blade. The weapon can destroy any monster that poses a threat and, if you focus enough power behind it, it has a devastating finishing strike."
"I'll use it well against Volk's army." The maroon tod said.
"And I'll make sure he doesn't use it recklessly." Krystal spoke.
"Good." Death said. "I'll see you two when you manage to finally defeat Wolf O'Donnell. Until then, take care."
Death faded away, allowing time to resume its flow. Once that was out of the way, Fox and Krystal decided to carry on and head up to the tenth floor. If they didn't find the dungeon key up there, then they would either move on or wait until they met up with Fara and the Helsings. As they kept moving, Fox wondered about the Phantom Blade. Could it be the weapon he needed to defeat Volk and save the day or would the one-eyed lupine be defeated by a simple stake to the heart? Only time would tell.
As she walked up the stairs, Krystal hoped that Lucy was alright. She would be three floors down from the hare, but that didn't mean that she and Fox would be able to save her. That job would have to fall to Fara and the Helsings, assuming they hadn't been caught up in anything bad. Having her telepathy out, the cobalt vixen could tell that they were still alive, but she hoped that they wouldn't do anything reckless, as they needed all the help they could get. But, would they all be reunited or would they have to fight separately for the rest of the castle? Only time would tell.
Note: As Fox is now essentially Raziel from the Legacy of Kain franchise, it seems like a given that he would have his own version of the Wraith Blade. What horrors will our heroes face in Castle Volk next? Will Fara and the Helsings be the ones to find Lucy Hare? Can they fight whatever monster that might be guarding her? Will we see the Helsing family spirit in action again? Who will be the one to use it? Does Fara have her own way of defeating monsters as well?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!