FIFTY-TWO(Ryder)

Ryder left the witches and went to help the warriors.

The reclusive and quiet territory that had not suffered any harm, the enemy is ruining it in front of him.

'So this is why Absalom told carmen not to underestimate him.' He thought, helping an injured warrior to the castle entrance.

He dropped the warrior and continued helping injured vampires.

After running to and fro, he stood at the castle entrance, looked at his territory with clenched fists, and gritted his teeth.

'Typhon,' He thought in anger.

The guard, who shouted in the dining hall, noticed Ryder and ran to him, ''Master!''

''What is it?'' Ryder glanced at the guard, asking.

The guard, running to Ryder, noticed his behavior, paused his movement, and continued.

A chill ran down his spine as he noticed the expression on his face.

He sees him smiling a lot at many people, they think of Ryder as a warm-hearted person, but he knows that behind that smile is a cold and unfeeling vampire.

And for Ryder to show his color means he is outraged.

The guard gulped in fear as he reported the situation to him, '' Master, we found a witch, but the witches are battling with her.''

Ryder nodded as he remembered Rose and Amelia talking about someone as they ran to the entrance, and it was likely to be the witch.

''They will take care of the witch, but prepare for anything,'' Ryder instructed the guard.

'The way I see this battle, Typhon looks unpredictable,' He thought as he remembered when the vampire god appeared in his dream, warning him of his two identities and mentioning one thing he didn't understand then.

'He must never find out,' he heard in his dream but didn't know who the god was referring to, and he didn't find out then.

Absalom didn't visit him since that dream until Carmen's existence, and he learned about Typhon from Absalom.

''Anything I must know?'' Ryder asked the guard.

''No, sir, and we can't find the man named Typhon, sir,'' The guard reported.

Ryder nodded and said, ''Go.''

The guard left.

''He must be here, somewhere,'' He thought as he ran through the battle, killing rogues on his way with claws.

If carmen go for the heart, he kills from the neck and is not as bloody as Carmen.

He went to the east part of the territory and noticed the area was the most affected.

'They might have started here,' He thought, passing burnt houses, innocent dead people, and ripped body parts.

He saw no one here and was about to leave, then he felt them.

'Vampires,' He thought as many of them appeared here.

He got to a fighting position and noticed strays followed them.

'Surrounded,' He thought as they attacked at the same time.

He dodged a stray and kicked another one to a burnt area with fire before turning to the vampire and ripping its heart.

The stray escaped the fire as the creature touched the fire before growling at Ryder.

Ryder threw the beating heart somewhere as the body of the vampire fell.

'Might as well get bloody,' He thought as the burnt stray crouched before attacking him.

Ryder defended and attacked all the creatures without breathing for a second as they did not give him a minute to breathe.

His clothes dripped with blood as he got a few slashes from the creatures, but he ripped many hearts and sliced necks.

He didn't shift as he didn't see the need to do so.

But more and more creatures kept coming, including rogues.

A rogue bit his wrist, and a vampire took the opportunity to attack him.

Ryder gritted his teeth in pain as the sharp canines of the rogue sank its teeth deep into his skin.

The vampire flew to Ryder speedily and used its claws to slice Ryder's neck.

Ryder lifted the rogue by his bitten arm and hit the vampire before kicking the creatures away.

The rogue dragged his skin and hit the vampire to a brunt building as Ryder fought back.

Ryder held his bleeding wrist and groaned in pain.

Since the creatures didn't give him a minute to breathe, he ran speedily, and they chased after him.

He removed his jacket from his body and tore the material before throwing the rest away.

He used the torn material and tied his wrist to stop the blood from dripping.

He looked deeply at his wrist and wondered, 'I should be healing by now.'

'Did Typhon do something?' He thought, running to a forest area in the territory.

'Let's figure it out later,' He added as he stopped.

The creatures didn't stop and attacked him immediately.

He fought and fought till the creatures started decreasing in numbers.

Ryder heavily panted as he looked at the dead creatures on the ground.

'I did it,' He thought as he bent down with his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

After calming down, he rose and was about to leave when he felt a shiver down his spine.

The same sensation he felt in the castle was overwhelming in the forest.

''I finally know why Ambrogio's species were so reclusive and hard to find.'' A deep, guttural, and sinister voice echoed in the forest.

Ryder trembled in fear unconsciously at the overwhelming sensation he felt.

''It's because he doesn't want me to find you.'' A dark chuckle sounded.

Ryder could hear footsteps coming from different directions of the forest.

''He did the right thing as I would have added you to my collection of creatures, but it is late now, isn't it.''

''Now it makes sense.'' A whisper sounded behind him.

Ryder turned around but saw no one.

''An oracle and leader at the same time, That's a lot of power'' The voice added.

Ryder realized who the mysterious person was in that sentence.

''But not as powerful as my bride,'' The voice said.

''She is lovely, isn't she?'' The voice asked.

Ryder felt someone behind him and turned to a man who smiled creepily, but the power coming from him was overwhelming.

''T-Typhon?'' Ryder stuttered in a question.

The man, called Typhon, chuckled darkly, ''Nice to meet you, oracle of the vampires.''