Genesis

Yun Zhao's POV

As I peered over from the attic, I watched in horror as men poured into the mansion and killed the guards. Gusion sat beside me, silently. I could tell that he wanted to fight... but we have to escape. 

Zerith Brightfall, 'Commander' of the revolutionary army, enters the house and inspects his surroundings. He then orders his men to search the building.

"Gusion, let's go." I said, creeping into a nearby window. I was about to open it when Gusion pulled me back. 

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Gusion remarked, pointing towards the lights outside. "There are soldiers outside. Who knows what they'll do to us if they find us?"

I looked over to where Gusion was pointing at. He was right. We shouldn't rush out to escape or else the enemy would find us. But what are we supposed to do? We can't just sit here and die like cattle!

Gusion thought about it for a while then looks at me. "I have a plan." 

"Really?" I asked.

"But it's going to be risky." He says, pulling out a knife from his pockets. "My speed makes up for my lack of early strength. Once I give the signal, run as fast as you can outside. Got it?"

I nodded. Gusion looked peaked at that small gap, and held up 3 fingers.

It all happened so fast. How did they get here?

They couldn't have headed over THIS quickly... unless there was something going on.

Gusion held 2 fingers. It was time for me to get ready.

1...

Gusion kicks the door open and immediately stabbed the nearest soldier he could see. I saw an opening between them to which I ran. The other soldiers noticed, but were preoccupied with Gusion throwing knives everywhere.

I go down the stairs and into the backdoor, which led me to a small thicket. I ran as fast as my legs could take me.

There were footsteps coming from behind, so I turned around to see if Gusion was following my lead... however it wasn't him.

It was Zerith himself, carrying his sword.

"You cannot escape me, Dragonborne!" He shouts, charging. "I know how to hunt rats like you!"

I didn't mind him one bit. That cold rush of adrenaline boosted the strength of my legs, almost leaving Zerith behind.

Zerith stops at his tracks and aims the sword towards my position."Oh no, you don't..."

I was expecting a fatal hit in the stomach or the hips, however what I heard proved the contrary.

The sword never reached me, as a man in black slices it at mid air with his katana.

Zerith grits his teeth as he unsheathes the spare dagger he had on his waists.

I looked in awe at the man who just saved my skin. His eyes turn towards me, however it almost immediately turns its attention to Zerith, who was charging at him at full speed.

Believe it or not, he wasn't there! Zerith was confused for like, a second... however he snapped back into reality as the man in black chips away the shield that Zerith held in his hand.

The man looked at me and yelled for me to make a run for the palace. I nodded and got out of there, following the man's instructions...

...

Hayabusa makes a fighting stance as Zerith waited for him to make the move.

"I have heard a great deal about you... Hayabusa Saito, the Shadow of Iga." Zerith tells him. "And I know exactly who it is you want."

Hayabusa's eyes widened... but he retains his focus still. His shadows were placed exactly where he wanted them to be, and so he could make a quick escape whenever he wanted to... but not until this man was eliminated. He knew too much.

"Who you're searching for... is with the King's guard, helping them retain ground in the holy land." Zerith says."Join us, and help us eradicate this great evil!"

"The only evil that I can see here is the man who helped traitorous scum..." Hayabusa, readying his sword, tells him. "And betrayal must be paid back by blood."

Zerith snaps, and charge towards Hayabusa he goes.

The Ninja was prepared for this of course, touching the tip of his almighty sword, whispering the words...

"Shadowkill."

_______________________________________

Alucard Bloodfallen's POV

The Valencian Region...

The "Dark Castle"...

Alice laughs insanely as she released orb after orb of blood. I was the one attacking up front while Pharsa tries to blast the witch with her magic abilities at the back...

However, as hard as we tried, it seems like Alice was dodging every attack we threw at her.

I managed to get 2 hits consecutively, while Pharsa was waayy more luckier, dodging every blood orb that was heading towards her.

With the way this is going, we were never going to defeat Alice.

I was about to hit Alice in the rear, but she quickly dodges as Pharsa was also attacking her... which sent me straight to the wall, absorbing all damage Pharsa was intending to hit Alice with.

"Get out of the way!" Pharsa tells me, whilst firing upon Alice once more.

Like hell I'd do that. We couldn't even beat her 2-to-1... what does Pharsa expect?

I exhaled every air that filled my lungs and positioned myself correctly. I only had one shot before my mana runs short... so I have to make it count.

My ultimate move, "Fission Wave", which raises my physical lifesteal ability by 20%, and automatically presses my senses to lock unto the enemy. If I can get the rhythm right, then I could strike at least 3 times.

I hope that I might at least get 1 hit right.

Pharsa sends another wave of energy towards Alice, which sends her flying over towards my destination to avoid it.

Target locked.

I quickly ran forward and attempted to strike. It hits Alice in the arm, which sends her in a frenzy. I try to hit her the second time, but she dodges and tries to break my combo by attacking me with her blood orbs. I evade at the last second and send my last strike towards her, which she tries to block using her wings.

She did manage to avoid taking a huge amount of damage... but with one of her wings as a price.

She jumps away from me and into the set of stairs which led to the royal chair.

Alice looks at the stub in which her left wing was situated upon, and then looked towards me in anger.

Her eyes turn bloodshot red, and she sends a huge blood orb coming my way.

It was slowly moving in, so I was able to get out of the way before it did any damage. Little did I know that she could actually TELEPORT towards the blood!

She immediately lunges toward me and attempts to cut open my chest... until Pharsa, with the help of Verri, blasts her out of the way. I quickly got to my feet and hold my ground.

Alice stands up and looks at the two of us. We were ready to end this.

However, she just smiles.

"What's so funny?" Pharsa asks her, to which she responds with a chuckle. Something was not right here, as I could see Alice's figure glowing a ghostly, yellow aura.

"Oh, nothing..." Alice responds, licking her lips in the process. "I just find it funny that you never even thought that I missed a few of those shots on purpose.

I looked around me, and sure enough... every stone pillar holding the castle down was severely damaged.

Backing away slowly, I gestured for Pharsa to do the same.

However, she wouldn't have any of it. She raises her hand and attempts to send another shockwave of energy, however Alice activates some sort of skill that surrounds herself in blood... a blood circle.

Then, out of nowhere, blood tentacles (or atleast that's what I call them) , shot right out from the circle and grabbed every pillar holding the place.

Pharsa hits Alice twice before the witch finally pulls, staring at us with a smile on her face whilst teleporting out of there before the room collapsed.

Pharsa grabs Verri and tries to protect him. I quickly got my battle spell, Aegis, ready and ran towards them, shielding the two from any falling debris.

...

Pharsa was physically exhausted... and so it was up to me to get out of that small problem. I used every last strength I had in me and pushed the rocks aside before my Aegis wore off.

I smiled, eager to breathe the fresh moonlit air again when a hand quickly came from the darkness of night and choked me.

Pharsa tried to help me, however those blood things smacked her hard in the face, making her collapse, with Verri still wrapped around her arms.

I drop my sword and looked at Alice, who examined every part of my body while holding my throat with two hands. My right hand shot up in instinct and tried to get ahold of her, however she quickly reacted using the sharp talons of her wings.

I cried in pain as my right hand was cut off from where it used to be, to Alice's delight.

"You were a moron to think that someone of your calibre can stand against me..." Alice grins, pressing my throat with every ounce of strength that she had. "And not just any moron... it seemed like you were brought into this world just to be the biggest moron of them all. Demon hunters such as yourself should be extinct."

My vision was failing. Was this the end?

Just before I knew I was about to die, Alice drops me, wiping off her blood filled mouth with her hands.

"Tsch... the vermin is calling for me again..." Alice says as she walks past me and Pharsa. "Consider this your lucky day, Hunter. And remember... you are always at my mercy."

She then recites the scripture used for teleporting long distances, and after a few seconds... she disappeared.

I tried standing up after that, however my "sore" throat and missing hand prevented me from doing so. I was gonna die of blood loss... I'm sure of it.

But just as I was starting to drift off into eternal sleep, I could hear footsteps coming in closer.

"Poor things. Don't worry, I will drive away the darkness."

________________________________________

Lancelot wakes up covered in bandages and pillows...

Sweet scented pillows...

"Just like before..." he thought.

But as soon as he felt someone's presence sitting beside him, he quickly jolted up to see who it was.

A beautiful, young lady greeted him with a smile. It was strange, however... since he couldn't help but smile as well.

This woman's smile was contagious.

"W-who are you?" Lancelot asks, trying to identify the lady.

The woman in white lets out a friendly chuckle before moving in closer. "Don't worry. I'm an ally of the King to whom you owe your service, Captain Baroque of the Immortal Legion."

She lets out a cute smile, stopping whatever words Lance was thinking of.

Wow, the smile WAS contagious.

"You can call me... Odette."