Hunter of Vampire(final part)

Three weeks had passed since Shadow, Luciana, Marrie, Mistral, and Lisa had arrived at Red Coal Village. Shadow and the others had taken on various tasks around Red Coal, from eradicating lava slimes to tracking the Fire Wolf tribe alongside the White Fangs, who were destined to be sold as slaves.

"Whew, I'm exhausted," said Shadow as he entered the house.

"Yeah, that last one was particularly tough," Lisa agreed, slumping into a chair at the dining table.

"And not to mention..." Lisa added, glancing toward Marrie.

"I know, my Fire Arrow spell's range is just too short," Marrie sighed in frustration.

During their stay in Red Coal Village, Shadow and his party rented a small house where they could rest after completing jobs provided by the local branch of the Adventure Guild. Shadow headed straight to his room and lay down on the bed. Just as he was about to close his eyes, an eagle landed on his window with a message tied to its talon. Shadow quickly untied and opened the message.

In two days, precisely at night, they will arrive at the Valley of a Thousand Eyes.

All preparations have been made from this end. Tomorrow, someone will come for you.

Inform everyone that we will meet just outside the Valley.

Note:

Queen Xesinus is eager to meet you

Shadow immediately left his room and placed the letter on the table, just as dinner was being prepared by Lisa and Marrie.

"Smells delicious. Oh, by the way... Uncle Vergil sent a letter," said Shadow, placing the letter on the table.

"May I see it?" asked Luciana.

"Of course," replied Shadow, handing the letter to Luciana.

"Just a little longer, and the special dinner will be ready," said Lisa.

"Two days, huh?" Luciana inquired.

"That's right," Shadow confirmed.

"And... a package for us tomorrow?" Luciana asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It seems so. Uncle is always prepared," Shadow said.

"And Queen Xesinus can't wait to meet you???" Luciana asked, her tone slightly suspicious.

"That's what Uncle said. I've never met her myself," Shadow replied.

"Dinner's ready!" Lisa announced, bringing a pot of stew to the table.

"Perfect timing, I'm hungry before bed," said Shadow.

"You'll get fat, you know..." Lisa teased.

Shadow just laughed.

The next morning, Shadow woke up early as usual. Lisa and Mistral lay beside him, completely unclothed. Shadow quickly got up, cleaned himself, and donned his armor, preparing for the night ahead. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me, a package for Mr. Shadow," said the courier.

"Ah, it's here already?" said Shadow, opening the door.

"A package from Shadow Master Vergil," the courier said, placing a wooden box inside the house before quickly departing.

"The package has arrived, hasn't it?" asked Luciana, who had just woken up.

"Of course. Uncle Vergil is always prepared, never rushing into anything," said Shadow as he opened the box.

"Uncle Vergil really cares. These weapons are made of silver," Shadow observed, looking at the contents of the box.

"An interesting sword," Luciana remarked, picking up a blade.

"What's going on? Did a delivery arrive?" asked Lisa, just stepping out of her room.

"In that case, I'll head to the potion shop to stock up on potions," said Shadow, leaving the house and making his way to the potion shop in Red Coal Village.

Shadow quickly purchased several potions to neutralize poison, some rolls of bandages, and a substantial amount of health potions. After returning from the potion shop, he immediately headed to the nearest church to request some Holy Water.

Shadow entered the church and met with the priest on duty. He promptly explained his request and was given 15 bottles of Holy Water. Shadow then made his way back home.

"Where have you been, Shadow?" Marrie asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Preparing for tonight. I have a feeling it’s going to be quite difficult," Shadow replied.

"Tonight, huh?" Marrie said, her interest piqued.

"It should be interesting. The Elves don’t like vampires either; they probably think they're a bit... strange," Mistral added.

"Not surprising," Shadow said.

Shadow and the rest of the group quickly made their way to the Valley of a Thousand Eyes. Vergil had arrived alone and was observing a hill. The hill had been constructed with an altar, facing out over a vast expanse of grassy terrain.

"Uncle..." Shadow said, seeing Vergil preparing.

"So you're here. Just like your father, always arriving early," Vergil remarked.

"Very well, let me explain the plan. Tonight the Blood Moon will rise, and the Vampires will begin to arrive starting at dusk. I will deal with the other Vampires, while you must confront their leader directly," Vergil instructed.

"What kind of ritual are they performing?" Shadow asked.

"The grassy plain you see was once the site of the Vampire's castle from the House of Red Night. Long ago, your great-great-grandfather and I managed to defeat all members of that family because they refused to participate in the Treaty of Unity," Vergil explained.

"Treaty of Unity? That means..." Mistral began.

"Vampires from other Houses have agreed and received what was promised in the treaty," Vergil said.

Shadow fell silent, processing the information.

As dusk began to fall, a swarm of bats and wolves started to converge on the altar area. In an instant, the bats and wolves transformed into their true forms—vampires. The leader of the vampires arrived, initially appearing as a massive bat before shifting into his human form.

"Welcome, members of the House of Red Night. Tonight, we will perform the summoning of our house, cast out by the Heart Royal Family," declared Count Dracula.

"Quickly, bring forth all the sacrifices," commanded the Count.

The male captives were brought to the altar one by one, laid down upon it, and swiftly slain.

“It’s time to move… NOW!” Vergil shouted, stepping forward and drawing his katana.

Shadow and his party began their assault as well. Mistral swiftly cast Fire Bolt, while Marrie fired her Fire Arrows from the back. Shadow and Lisa engaged in close combat, successfully stabbing the hearts of several vampires.

Vergil swiftly cleared a path for Shadow to reach the altar, and Shadow along with the others seized the opportunity. Vergil fought with a speed that was almost terrifying; in the blink of an eye, three vampires had been reduced to ashes.

Upon reaching the altar, Shadow witnessed the Count slitting the throat of a woman, her blood pooling around her. Suddenly, a castle began to materialize before their eyes.

"You’re too late; the PALACE OF BLOOD HAS ARRIVED!" Count Dracula shouted as he transformed into a bat and flew into the castle.

"Damn it..." Shadow muttered.

"Go after Count Dracula; I’ll handle things here," Vergil said, standing firm at the altar.

Shadow nodded and, with the others, hurried into the castle, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Yum... yum... yum... so much food..." Vergil said, licking his lips, before his expression shifted to something more serious.

Shadow quickly ran with Marrie, Lisa, Luciana, and Mistral toward the grand hall of the castle. Inside, the vampires were standing there, with Count Dracula standing in the center of the hall.

"Welcome to the Palace of Blood, home of the House of Red Blood Vampires," Count Dracula announced.

"Tonight is your end, Count," Lisa declared, stepping forward to strike with her silver sword. However, Count Dracula effortlessly dodged her attack and defeated her with ease.

"Who else...?" Count Dracula taunted.

Shadow advanced, covered by Marrie’s Fire Arrows and Mistral’s Ice Bolts. Despite their support, Count Dracula deftly avoided Marrie's arrows and overwhelmed her. The injuries inflicted on Marrie and Lisa caused them to collapse, unconscious. Count Dracula then turned his attention to Mistral, dealing a blow that rendered her unconscious as well.

"So, it’s you who remains… Prince Blackheart," Count Dracula said, his gaze cold.

"You... know who I am?" Shadow asked, his voice steady despite the tension.

"Of course, I know. Shadow Master Vergil and your grandfather once tried to destroy my family. Look at you now... Even with anti-vampire weaponry, you still fall short," Count Dracula said, and with a swift movement, he gripped Shadow's throat.

Shadow quickly freed himself by striking Count Dracula with the hilt of his scythe, forcing Dracula to stagger backward.

Shadow coughed and began to catch his breath. Count Dracula felt nothing and laughed.

"Is that all?" Dracula asked mockingly.

"You haven’t seen anything yet," Shadow replied, now steadying himself.

Shadow moved forward, attacking Count Dracula with renewed vigor. However, Dracula effortlessly evaded all of Shadow’s strikes. With a swift counterattack, Count Dracula wounded Shadow’s left arm. Shadow, taken aback by the pain, recoiled briefly to assess his injury. But before he could react, Dracula was already upon him, delivering a relentless series of blows that sent Shadow flying backward.

"You’re too slow, even after 1500 years," Count Dracula said, advancing and striking Shadow repeatedly before tossing him to the far end of the room.

"You..." Shadow began to say, but before he could finish, he fell unconscious.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out from the direction of the main gates of the castle. A massive knight in full, gleaming armor burst into the room. The silver knight's helm radiated a piercing blue light, and he brandished a spear with a fierce, unwavering gaze fixed on Count Dracula. Despite his imposing size, the knight moved with remarkable speed.

"Who are you?" Count Dracula demanded.

"I am the Hammer, the right hand of the Emperor. The instrument of his will, the tip of his spear, the gauntlet on his right fist, the edge of his sword," the knight declared, charging at Count Dracula.

Dracula quickly drew his sword and began to engage in combat with the knight.

Shadow slowly began to open his eyes, and he saw the knight battling fiercely with his glowing spear. Count Dracula appeared to be struggling as all of his attacks were skillfully blocked by the knight.

The knight swiftly thrust his spear towards Dracula’s heart, then slashed through Dracula’s left arm before delivering a decisive blow that severed the Count’s head from his body.