Based on their estimates and the map given by Katarina, they would soon be able to see the island, along with Bloodspire castle. Anju breathed in the sea air, focusing her thoughts for the battle ahead. It was already more than obvious that this was the climax of it all. Whoever won here decided the fate of the world.

Akira and the others had gone to get fitted with Serenity. The smith had taken great lengths to design clothing that would be ideal for them in the fight ahead. Anju fingered the coat she wore, given to her by Serenity herself. It was quite amazing to think Serenity had a good sense of style to complement her smithing capabilities. No doubt that Akira and the other knights would find their apparel as fashionable as it was protective.

Shadow rippled. Anju breathed out as she felt the familiar speak. "I know. I'm nervous too. But as long as we remember our training, I'm sure we'll be just fine." Shadow rippled again, though this time Anju could tell it was more violently. Who was she kidding after all? Shadow was bonded to her and knew her every emotion inside and out. It was no surprise it also felt her fear.

"Okay, okay." Anju sighed. "I am seriously worried still. And I know that we experienced Mortis's power first-hand. We can't fight him on our own. We are going to need almost all of our elite forces to even have a shot at bringing him down. And there's also the part of not even knowing what we can do that will hurt him."

Anju's head now lowered and rested on her arms, feeling the waves rock the ship gently. She took a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air. Despite this, it did little to ease her nerves.

"I was wondering where I might find you." Anju turned to see Queen Ai standing next to her, her form glowing ethereally in the night sky.

"Oh, your Majesty…" Anju bowed slightly but was stopped by Ai halfway.

"No need Anju." Ai replied. "At this point, I'd like it if we could be more familiar with each other, especially considering your blossoming relationship with my dear son."

"Uh… okay." Anju nodded. "So uh, Miss Ai…"

"Yes?" Ai replied with a smile, which threw Anju off. She wasn't sure if the vampire queen was actually teasing her or if she was being considerate.

"Well, it's just about what's about to happen." Anju said. "I know what I signed up for and what I'm getting into. But just thinking about Mortis's power is…"

"I understand." Ai nodded. "I'm afraid in a few ways too, that there will be nothing we can do to harm him. I'm even unsure of the kind of power he will soon bear upon us."

"You? Forgive me Miss Ai, but I never thought you of the type…" Anju replied.

"I may be a queen, and a vampire who has lived through ages uncountable." Ai said. "But I am also a woman, a mother and… well I suppose I was also a wife once."

Anju looked down, now remembering the details of Akira's family. "Was it difficult, losing your husband?"

"More painful than you could imagine." Ai replied with a sad smile. "I can't remember all the details, but I wept uncontrollably for days. And then, when I felt the thirst come, I savagely bit through my own wrist just to sate myself. I heard the maids of the castle were so afraid to even come near me at the time. Only Ren was able to calm me down to an extent."

Anju gulped, realizing just how immense it was when vampires fell in love. She was told before, how love was something that overpowered vampires due to their extremely long lives. Despite it only being the start, already she knew her life was already akin to a vampire's, one that would see centuries pass before her. She wondered now, what would happen to her if she learned Akira had died? What would Akira do if she were to lose her life? The thoughts were unknown and scary enough to make her shudder.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. But I want you to know that this is what you will be getting yourself into in due time." Ai replied.

"Are you telling me that I shouldn't die?" Anju asked.

"Basically." Ai nodded. "Mainly because I don't want my son to endure what I have had to. Oh and I already spoke with Akira about this as well."

"Quite a tall order." Anju sighed. "Battle is never kind to all who partake of it. I've seen enough to know."

"I know. "Ai replied in agreement. "Even so, promise me that you will do all you can to survive. I want to see you both grow together as a couple and as lovers. I'd like to see you both properly wed, have children, and live out your lives peacefully, Pureblood royalty or no. We can worry about all that succession crap another day."

"That sounds lovely indeed." Anju smiled as her imagination took over again. "I just hope forever doesn't get boring."

"Forever is also a witness to change." Ai smiled. "I mean, a new cruise liner always seems to be in production. You can always take an extended trip round the world. Or even spend time sunbathing in the Bahamas."

"Can vampires sunbathe?" Anju frowned. "More than that, can they really get tanned?"

"Yes in fact." Ai nodded. "We just need a really good pair of sunglasses or our eyes will ache."

Anju stared a long time at the vampire queen. "Sorry Ms. Ai, but I can't imagine you actually getting a tan."

"Well, perhaps I should have put on a little more sunscreen. Maybe then I wouldn't have looked so brown when I went for that important meeting a week later…" Ai pouted.

Anju giggled. "I suppose that does sound nice, I meant the relaxation part."

"I know you do." Ai smiled. "But remember, you can only do so if you live. So please Anju, as your future mother-in-law, I ask that you live."

Anju bowed, not out of respect or adoration, but out of piety. "Yes. I promise to do so…"


Mortis breathed, his nose picking up the myriad scents in the air as he meditated upon his throne. He could feel the very tension in the air, his mind already seeing the fleet approaching Bloodspire castle.

"Master, is everything alright?" James Ridley asked as he marched up behind him.

"Be silent James." Mortis responded curtly. "Shouldn't you be preparing for what is to come?"

"I come to tell you that I already have." James responded. "Our troops are prepared and ready to deploy. All we require is your command."

"Very good." Mortis smiled. "So James, how does it feel to be on the precipice of your dreams?"

"I do not know master." James said. "At best I feel a peculiar melancholy. When this is over, exactly what will I do?"

"I'm certain you will have an eternity to figure it out." Mortis smiled. "So, how is that grandchild of mine?"

"Well, there have been no problems." Jams said. "Though if I may say so a lot of our esteemed guests are wondering if she is just a walking ornament or some strange pet you have decided to keep around."

"Pay it no heed." Mortis waved his hand in dismissal. "I see no reason to discuss my family affairs with our guests at this time."

"Be as it may, I fear Lord Richtor is growing more and more interested by the day." James replied. "It may just be my imagination, but I think he's extremely close toward submitting to the urge to consummate with her."

"Then tell that imbecile that will depend on me. As of now, I can't afford anything that puts a dent in our plans." Mortis grumbled. "If he thinks otherwise, I allow you to use whatever force you deem necessary to restrain him."

"Right away milord." James nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I ought to return to my post."

Mortis nodded as James bowed and walked away. He now returned his focus to the approaching armada, his mind going through a list of individuals he was sure would survive to the end. The Kuran prince, his mother and aunt for sure would confront him in time. He was also certain of the defector from Helsing, that one he would like to deal with personally.

Now that he thought about it, it was likely that terrorist organization would show up soon enough. They may have lost plenty of strength at the battle of Kuran Town, but they were still quite capable of waging a fight if needed.

His mind now turned to the one wild card whose role he couldn't anticipate. Anju Cross was a definite threat to his current designs, considering the power she held. Someone like that was definitely more than capable of unwelcome complications. Already he had heard of her abilities changing and evolving in certain ways. She would have to be dealt with immediately once the chance presented itself.

Mortis went through the battle plans he had thought up with James, considering the fortifications of the castle, the myriad traps within and the forces he had on hand. For now, he would need to see how the situation developed as the battle proceeded. Satisfied with his preparations as they could be made, Mortis closed his eyes, gathering his strength for the carnage ahead.


"Seriously Arthur. I hope that we actually succeed this time." Richard grumbled. "Losing Clifford and Giselle was a serious blow, not to mention plenty of our troops."

"It couldn't be helped." Arthur replied as he glanced over his sword. "Mortis Kraven's power swelled more than I anticipated, and Anju Cross was surprising to say the least. Which is why now we must focus our efforts into dealing decisive blows. Our primary target is of course, Mortis. His current situation is something we cannot ignore. Once he is dead, we will see to the other vampires."

"I trust you have a plan for this?" Lance frowned. "Already the knights have proven they can match our prowess. Our Blood Drive isn't as unstoppable as we believed it to be."

"Rest assured, Hagan and I have made our preparations." Arthur nodded to the elderly man. "We will have our chance. Simply show no mercy to anyone who crosses your path."

"Oh gladly." Celestine nodded, her usual smile gone. It appeared that her scuffle in Kuran Town did not bode well with her. It took a while before she stopped jerking uncontrollably from the effects of the tazer Serenity had made. She was obviously angry at that.

"Oui." Francesco replied.

"Kill all vampires!" Sergei gritted his teeth.

"Very well." Arthur nodded, stabbing his blade into the deck below him. "Into the eternal hunt."


The fleet sailed without incident through the night. Anju saw that it was just past midnight now where they were. Soon, the final confrontation would begin. She looked around the large room. Among the huge sea of knights garbed in their traditional uniforms, she caught her other friends within, seeing them dressed and ready for combat. She once again had to admire Serenity's eye for design.

Akira was now dressed in a black cloak with red cloth lining the inside; stripes of the opposite colour adorning each side from the collar down while he sported a white shirt with black and gold trim upon the cuffs of his sleeves, the placket and the hem. A red rose was adorned on the left breast and the pants he wore were a brilliant white that contrasted with the black shoes.

Ichigo appeared to be garbed in traditional Hunter clothing, his black jacket and grey clothes no doubt fortified with Serenity's craft, attested to this by the red lines he saw. Anju also noticed he wore leather boots that appeared to be modified versions of what the military wore.

Emi wore a black bolero over a thigh-length strapless dress that fell to just above her knees, changing from a dark blue shade at the top to an icy-gray blue at the bottom. The interior and cuffs of the bolero glittered slightly while her gray high heels clicked on the floor.

On the other hand, Shinji was dressed in a red overcoat over a gray shirt lined with yellow markings. A similar colour scheme was seen on his gloves while his white pants were also lined with jagged gold markings, with a gold and black leather belt securing it.

For Ganju, he wore a tan coloured surcoat over a long sleeved steel coloured shirt and black gloves. He also wore gray pants with brown stripes that ran down the leggings. Beside him, Gabriella was dressed in the weapon Serenity had forged, the only extra being a translucent veil coming down from the back of the headband on her head.

Henry sported a navy blue shirt that matched his hair accompanied by a gray jacket lined with silver buttons, accompanied with black trousers decorated with white studs and finishing off with brown shoes.

Finally, Misaki was dressed in the same cloak given to her prior to the battle, but underneath it was an olive green shirt and thigh length shorts which was worn over a black tight fitting shirt and pants, likely to allow mobility.

Queen Ai now stepped out, her black dress glimmering amidst the dim lighting of the cabin, followed by Ren who wore a white shirt and black pants, adorned with a red surcoat. Following close behind was Sir Marcus and the rest of the Hunter's Association council.

"Greetings everyone." Queen Ai said. "As you know by now, the next few hours will likely be the most important for the entire world. It is not an understatement when I say that failure could spell the end to the peace for which we have sacrificed so much."

A grim silence filled the room. All understood the gravity of the Queen's words this time.

"Thus, without further ado, I would like to introduce Katarina Kraven, who will brief us on our battle plans." Ai nodded to the side, and instantly Katarina appeared. Anju once again marveled at her appearance. Her hair was now tied in a ponytail and she wore a similarly coloured overcoat, the tails drifting down past her knees in and intricate design similar to bat wings. Grey pants and a silver shirt could be seen underneath as she strode forward on heels that, while seemingly unsuitable for combat, appeared to be tailored for that express purpose.

"Thank you your Majesty." Katarina nodded as she turned to the gathered troops. "Now, I will brief us on Bloodspire castle's foundations and your assigned roles. Remember these well! Any lapses could result in defeat."

Anju watched as Katarina briefed everyone on their plans. She had to admit, Katarina lived up to her reputation as a commander and a warrior. The briefing was concise and pragmatic, clearly outlining every aspect of the castle and what each regiment was meant to do.

Anju summarized it all in her head. The castle was divided into three locations, the island grounds, the main castle, which was about fifty floors tall and then the great spire that stretched all the way to the sky. Two regiments would be in charge of taking the island, their priority being the docks which was the main access to the island. Leading that would be Emi and Shinji. An aerial team of hunters lead by Rodin, Misaki and the Association council would be responsible for securing the three helicopter pads built upon the roof of the main castle, cutting off escape options for the rest of the inhabitants, with Gabriella providing support.

The main assault teams, in which Ganju, Henry, Ichigo and Katarina herself were included, would then attempt to take control of the castle itself. The main targets were the armory, where Mortis's troops were stationed, and the laboratories in which the Paragon creatures were being bred. Katarina explicitly explained who was likely overseeing it all, a man named Romanoff. Lastly, separate squads would attack upon the defense bastions arrayed around the castle, led by Grandmaster Ren herself, and assisted by the airborne Hunter squads.

Only when these locations were taken could they finally focus on capturing Mortis, who was no doubt at the upper spire. Anju agreed that he likely would be wanting to conserve energy as much as he could, instead letting his Paragon beasts and warriors fight first. Thus, it was also agreed that Anju, Akira and Queen Ai herself would stay as the reserves, only deploying when needed as reinforcements.

The fleet in the meantime would do what it could to cover them and keep the swarms of Paragon beasts busy. To that end, each team would also have communications facilitated by Gabriella, in case they required heavier support.

However, a few uncertainties did weigh on her mind. First of them was Helsing. Katarina explained their appearance was likely, though not sure in how they would. To that end, Katarina cautioned that many who were part of the main assault could be called to face against their Executors. Second was Mortis. As of now, Katarina's prediction was simply just a guess. Who knows what Mortis would really do? Even Anju wasn't sure if she could fight his Avatar of Death. The only comfort for now was that Katarina was certain he wouldn't join the fight so early.

"Even the best laid plans…" Anju muttered to herself as she stood upon the deck, the briefing having concluded. She looked up, now beginning to make out the spire of Mortis's final stronghold in the distance.

She now felt Akira and Ichigo walk up to where she was standing on the deck. No doubt they too were anxious about the battle ahead.

"We have done all we can." Akira nodded. "Only we can now decide if fortune favours us as we hope."

"I'll do you one better." Ichigo replied. "If you are alive, fight. If you are dying, walk it off and fight again."

"Doesn't look like much of a choice." Anju said as soon the castle became clear.

It was as Katarina described. Upon a single island was the massive gothic style fortress, with parapets and turrets covering the walls. She could also see the docks, flanked by two turrets on the side and a huge portcullis gate that would block further entry into the interior. She could also make out a helicopter pad jutting out from the side, though she couldn't see the others.

But greatest of all was the spire. It stretched high into the sky like a twisted nail, spiraling upwards from the center of the fortress. Anju couldn't tell what it would be like, but she was certain Mortis had plenty of guards awaiting them at the top.

Alarms now went off all around them as the crew went to their battle stations. "It's time then…" Anju breathed.

The final battle now began.


Author's Note:

Hope you all enjoy this latest update! I know it is quite delayed as I have been more busy over the last few months, and honestly it was also difficult trying to get this particular chapter ironed out. Whilst the main plot is usually easy to write, it is the filling chapters that I tend to find trouble with. Thus, I hope you can bear with me a little longer.

On a plus side, now I can finally write the conclusion of this tale! So I hope to hold your attention a little longer.

Yours SIncerely,

Jdbl00d