chapter 38

Chapter 38:

– Asia –

Asia's heart pounded as she stared at the large knife embedded in Valerie's stomach. Her breath hitched, panic clawing at her chest. 

Was Valerie going to die? Instinctively, she almost called upon her Sacred Gear, but she still found herself hesitating…

She knew she wasn't supposed to show it to people outside of the church.

Before she could even react, heavy footsteps echoed through the chapel. Father Anderson strode forward, his expression carved from stone, another bayonet gleaming in his hand. He was already reciting scripture under his breath.

"Why did you do that?!" Asia gasped, stepping toward him in shock.

"This monster is trying to corrupt you, Asia," Anderson declared, his tone laced with righteous fury. "Do not fear, child. I will slay all filthy heretic abominations that dare set foot in this most holy land."

Asia shook her head, her stomach twisting in knots. "That's not true! Valerie didn't—"

"Well, that was just rude," Valerie interrupted, sounding more annoyed than in pain.

Asia turned back to her in shock. She expected Valerie to be in agony, but instead, she looked completely unfazed. Valerie reached down, grabbed the knife by the hilt, and yanked it free without so much as a wince. Blood spurted out for a brief second before the wound closed up, her skin knitting itself back together as if nothing had happened.

Asia's hands trembled as she covered her mouth. "H-How are you doing that?" she whispered.

Valerie wiped a bit of blood from her shirt and sighed. "I regenerate fast," she said simply, tossing the bloodied knife aside like it was nothing more than an inconvenience. Then, she turned to Father Anderson with a raised eyebrow. "You usually stab first and ask questions never, or am I just special?"

Anderson's lips curled into a snarl as he stopped reciting scripture. "You are a tough one, vampire, but you won't be for long!"

Asia's heart pounded as she watched Valerie rise to her feet, completely unfazed by the attack.

"You're obviously just here looking out for my new friend, Asia, so I'll go easy on you," Valerie said, cracking her neck.

That only seemed to make Father Anderson even angrier. Asia flinched at the sheer fury radiating from him. He looked even more enraged than when he found that devil trying to deceive her earlier.

"She is not friends with you, foul creature!" Anderson bellowed, his voice echoing through the chapel.

Before Asia could react, more bayonets materialized in his hands. With inhuman speed, he hurled them at Valerie from every direction. They struck true, impaling her arms, legs, and torso in a brutal display.

Asia covered her mouth in horror. She had never seen such violence up close. But despite the sheer number of holy weapons piercing Valerie's body, she barely looked affected at all.

Valerie grunted in mild discomfort, then, with an irritated sigh, began yanking the bayonets out one by one. Blood spurted briefly from each wound, but like before, her flesh sealed over within seconds.

Anderson's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Impossible," he muttered under his breath.

Valerie tossed the last bloodied bayonet to the ground and shot forward with a burst of speed. Anderson barely had time to react before she was already in front of him, slashing at him with hands that had morphed into razor-sharp claws.

Asia gasped as she saw Anderson raise his forearm to block the attack. Valerie's claws tore through the sleeve of his cassock and cut deep into his flesh.

For a moment, Valerie smirked. Then, both her and Asia's eyes widened in shock as Anderson's wound immediately began closing, just as fast as Valerie's had.

"You've got to be kidding me," Valerie muttered.

Asia stared at Anderson in disbelief. She had no idea he had that kind of power.

Anderson smiled grimly. "You think you're the only one blessed with gifts, monster?" He flexed his hand, as if testing the fully healed flesh. "The Lord provides for His warriors."

Valerie scoffed. "Right. I guess that means I don't have to hold back then."

Asia's hands clenched into fists as she watched the chaos unfold in front of her. The chapel, once peaceful, was now being torn apart by the brutal battle between Valerie and Father Anderson.

"Stop it! Both of you!" she cried out, her voice desperate.

Neither of them so much as flinched at her words. They were completely locked in the fight, their movements too fast for Asia's eyes to fully track.

Anderson lunged forward, slashing at Valerie with a pair of bayonets that gleamed with holy light. Valerie ducked under the first strike, but the second blade caught her across the shoulder, cutting through fabric and skin with ease. Blood splattered onto the stone floor, but the wound barely had time to exist before sealing itself shut.

Valerie retaliated immediately, swinging her clawed hand toward Anderson's chest. He twisted his body at the last second, causing the attack to miss his vitals, but her claws still tore through his side. More blood sprayed onto the floor, staining the once-pristine white tiles.

Asia's heart pounded as the battle escalated. The two of them were slashing, stabbing, and dodging at a terrifying speed. The sound of tearing flesh and clashing weapons echoed through the chapel. Wooden pews were splintering apart, knocked over and broken as their fight moved through the room like a violent storm.

The walls weren't spared either. Bloodstains, both Valerie's and Anderson's, streaked across the stone as they moved. Valerie's red mixed with Anderson's golden ichor, both of them regenerating so fast that the damage barely seemed to slow them down.

Anderson slammed his foot into Valerie's stomach, sending her skidding back. She crashed into an altar, shattering part of it under the force of the impact.

Asia gasped, stepping forward. "Please, stop! This is madness!"

Neither of them even looked at her.

Valerie wiped the blood off her lips and smirked. "Not bad, old man. You've got some bite to you."

Anderson adjusted his grip on his bayonets. "I am the sword of the Lord. You will not leave this place alive, vampire."

Asia felt completely helpless. No one was listening, and the chapel was being torn apart around them. If this kept up, there wouldn't be anything left standing.

She had to do something.

But what?

Asia didn't have time to think of a plan.

The chapel doors suddenly burst open with a deafening crash, sending a shockwave through the ruined room. Asia spun around, her breath catching in her throat as a figure stepped through the wreckage.

It was an angel.

But… he didn't look like how she had always imagined angels to be.

His white robes were pristine, but there were streaks of what looked like dried blood near the edges. His gaze darting around the room before finally landing on her. Something about the way he looked at her made her skin crawl.

Valerie was the first to break the tense silence. "Huh. That's convenient," she muttered.

Father Anderson, on the other hand, looked genuinely shocked. "Lord Angel, what are you doing here? Do you bring a command for me from our Lord?"

The angel cleared his throat before speaking. "I am here to take Asia Argento with me for her protection! That is the Lord's will, priest."

Asia's stomach twisted into knots. She didn't know why, but everything about this felt wrong. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to run. "I… I don't want to go with him," she said, taking a cautious step back.

"If that is the Lord's will, then please, take her and protect her," Anderson said, bowing his head in reverence.

"No!" Asia blurted, her voice rising.

Valerie crossed her arms, stepping between Asia and the angel. "Yeah, what the fuck, priest dude? This guy looks completely unhinged!"

"How dare you, filthy creature!" Dubbiel spat, his face twisting in disgust. He flapped his two wings, pushing forward with an imposing presence. "I am Dubbiel, an angel of the Lord!"

Valerie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England!"

Dubbiel ignored her and surged forward, reaching for Asia. Panicked, she tried to back away, but her skirt got caught on a broken splinter of wood. She gasped as he grabbed her arm in a painfully tight grip.

"You will come with me," he ordered, his tone final.

"Let go of her, asshole!" Valerie snarled, stepping toward them.

Dubbiel barely spared her a glance before barking a command at Anderson. "Slay the vampire for her disrespect!"

Asia's heart pounded in her chest. "No!" she screamed as Dubbiel yanked her toward the door. She struggled, kicking and thrashing, but his grip was like iron.

– Valerie –

Anderson lunged at me again, swinging one of his damn bayonets straight for my throat. I barely ducked in time, feeling the blade slice through a few strands of my hair.

Fuck him! I work really hard on my gorgeous hair!

"Are you fucking kidding me, priest?!" I snapped, dodging back as he came at me again. "Did you not see what just happened?! That angel is obviously bad news! Stop trying to kill me for two goddamn seconds and help me get Asia back!"

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!"

"He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge! His truth shall be your shield and buckler!"

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!"

But of course, he didn't listen. He didn't even hesitate. He just kept attacking, relentless, his voice rising as he recited endless scripture like it was supposed to actually do something to me.

"Seriously, stop!" I complained and yanked more knives out of my skin. 

"I will not fall for the tricks of a monster!" he roared, slashing at my chest. "Your evil words will not sway me, creature of the night!"

I gritted my teeth as the blade cut into me, but the wound closed almost instantly, just like all the others. 

Anderson was getting angrier by the second, his frustration mounting as his prayers and blessed weapons continued to do absolutely nothing to me. "How is this possible?!" he barked, his strikes getting wilder. "No vampire should be able to withstand the blessed tools of the Lord!"

"Guess I'm just built different," I deadpanned, blocking one of his swings with my forearm before slamming my foot into his chest, sending him stumbling back.

I was beyond pissed now. This wasn't just some fight anymore—I could feel it deep inside me. Something was screaming at me, warning me that if Asia was taken away, something really bad was going to happen. Maybe it was some kind of warning from my Sacred Gear. Fuck, for all I knew it could have been a warning from the Big Guy upstairs since I was literally in the Vatican.

All I knew was that I should probably listen to that warning.

Snarling, my red eyes flared as I moved faster than I ever had before, slamming into Anderson and sending us both crashing through the ruined chapel doors. 

I didn't have time to think. The second Anderson hit the ground, I grabbed the nearest jagged piece of wood and rammed it straight through his throat before he could get back up. He let out a strangled gurgle, his hands immediately clawing at the impalement, but even for a regenerator like him, that had to slow him down for a few seconds. That was all I needed.

I bolted.

Asia and that creepy angel were long gone, but I wasn't about to let them slip away. I inhaled sharply, locking onto their scents. If I moved fast enough, I could still catch them before they made it out of the Vatican.

I tore through the hallways, shoving past stunned priests and exorcists who barely had time to react to the sight of a gorgeous blood-soaked girl sprinting through their holy halls. My clothes were practically hanging off me, shredded from all the hits I had taken, but I couldn't care less.

Then suddenly, a scent hit me.

I nearly stumbled.

It was divine. My entire body shuddered as the smell wrapped around my senses, making my throat tighten with an all-too-familiar hunger. It was overwhelming—sweet, powerful, intoxicating!

I knew I shouldn't waste time. I knew I had to stay focused on Asia. But my legs moved before I could stop myself, and I turned sharply down another hallway, tracking the source of the scent like a predator running on pure instinct.

A couple of exorcists tried to step in my way, raising their ridiculous laser guns. I didn't slow down. I was too annoyed at this whole damn situation to be gentle. I closed the distance in an instant, slamming a fist into one's gut and sending him flying into the wall. The other barely had time to flinch before I kicked his legs out from under him and knocked him out cold.

They weren't important.

I followed the scent to a set of open doors.

And I gasped.

A female angel was sprawled out on the floor, golden blood pooling beneath her, leaking from a deep wound in her stomach. Her wings twitched weakly, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. She was barely conscious.

My mouth watered.

The scent was unbearable this close. My fangs ached. My entire body screamed at me to lunge forward, to take what was right in front of me, to drink.

I clenched my fists and forced myself to focus.

This had to be Dubbiel's doing. He tried to kill her for some reason. Another angel?

But why?

And more importantly—what the hell was I supposed to do now?

Fuck it. I didn't have time to hesitate.

I knelt down next to the barely-breathing angel, golden blood still leaking from her stomach. "You owe me for this one, angel," I muttered, already pressing a hand over my chest.

The familiar pull of my sacred gear activated, and my Healing Grail materialized in my palm. The cup immediately filled with my own crimson blood, the liquid swirling unnaturally as if it had a will of its own.

I reached out and cupped the angel's face, lifting her up just enough to press the rim of the grail against her trembling lips. "Drink," I ordered. "Unless you want to die."

She was too weak to resist. She swallowed hesitantly at first, then greedily, her body instinctively recognizing the power in my blood. The moment it hit her system, the gaping wound in her stomach began sealing shut, flesh knitting back together like it had never been injured in the first place.

Her breathing evened out. Her fingers twitched. And then her eyes snapped open, burning with clarity.

"Dubbiel!" she gasped, coughing slightly as she sat up. She clenched her fists, her face twisting in fury. "That traitor!"

The angel blinked, clearly trying to process what just happened. "Why… Why would a vampire heal me?" she asked, looking at me like I'd just rewritten the laws of the universe.

"That's not important," I said, slipping the grail back inside my soul.

Her eyes widened in shock. She looked like she wanted to say something—probably something annoying or overly dramatic—but I cut her off before she could get started. "Dubbiel kidnapped Asia Argento."

"Oh no!" She shot to her feet so fast it was like she hadn't just been at death's door seconds ago. "I don't know what foul plan he has for her, but it can't be good! We have to stop him!"

"That was the plan before I got sidetracked saving your ass," I muttered.

Her expression softened slightly, and she dipped her head in acknowledgment. "…I thank you for that. My name is Puriel."

I let out a short snort. Of course it was. Her name was literally just 'pure.'

"I'm Valerie Tepes. Are you going to help me or what? Everyone else in this place keeps trying to kill me."

Puriel hesitated only for a moment before nodding firmly. "You saved my life, and you carry… that cup." Her gaze flickered to where the grail had disappeared before she straightened her posture. "Yes, I shall help you."

Puriel and I rushed out of the room, my senses locked onto Asia's scent. It was getting fainter, which meant we were running out of time. But, of course, we didn't even make it two steps before hitting another obstacle—a group of at least twenty exorcists waiting right outside the doors, weapons drawn.

Leading them was a girl with short, messy blue-and-green hair, wearing an insanely tight black bodysuit that looked more like a dominatrix outfit than proper battle gear. She held a massive sword that was nearly bigger than she was, and she pointed it directly at me.

"Please step away, Lady Angel," she ordered. "We're here to slay the vampire."

I scoffed. "You can try and fail like everyone else in this palace so far."

The girl's eye twitched. "What was that, bitch?"

"You heard me, slut," I shot back.

Before things could escalate, Puriel stepped between us, her wings flaring as she snapped, "No fighting! We have more important matters at hand." The exorcists flinched, clearly not used to being scolded by an angel. Puriel didn't stop there. "My fellow angel, Dubbiel, has turned traitor! He has abducted the saintess, Asia Argento! If we do not stop him now, he will flee Vatican grounds and teleport away with her! We must hurry!"

Stunned silence filled the hallway. Some of the exorcists exchanged shocked glances, clearly trying to process what they had just heard.

That was my cue. I bolted forward, not bothering to wait for them to make up their minds. If they wanted to stand around and gawk, that was their problem. Puriel took flight beside me as we turned down another hallway and sped up.

XXX

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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 324-328

The Blood Queen 41

The Fox Hole 71

Thunder and Black Wings 16

The Fox Hole 70

The Blood Queen 40

Thunder and Black Wings 15

The Fox Hole 69

The Blood Queen 39

The Fox Hole 68

The Titan 30

The Fox Hole 67

Thunder and Black Wings 14

The Fox Hole 66