Ophis Dracula

"Shit, shit, shit!!!"

Leo mumbled under his breath, gasping between words as his legs pounded hard against the uneven, cracked cobblestones. Each step sent jolts of pain through his thighs, his lungs burning, but the sheer panic in his chest kept him moving faster than he ever had before.

He had never seen anything like that. Not even close.

A man... turning into a monster?

What the actual hell was that?

Okay... sure, he had been shocked by magic the first time, but somehow, he'd accepted it.

Wooden sword? Magic circles? Glowing girls? Weird, but manageable.

He told himself it was all some freaky part of this ONE BILLION.

But even in his wildest nightmares, nothing prepared him for what he had just witnessed.

The moment that man's body twisted and vomited out a beast that looked like it had crawled from hell's furnace, Leo's survival instincts screamed loud and clear.

Run... Now.

'I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd want to find the police!' he cursed to himself, eyes darting across the desolate street, desperate for any sign of a patrol car, a siren, even a donut shop with a rent-a-cop inside. But just as he pushed off for his next stride—

THUD.

The air shifted. Reality itself bent for a split second. Shadows pulsed unnaturally.

And then—it stood there.

Right in front of him.

A towering, black-skinned demon with jagged horns and massive wings that blocked out the faint moonlight. Its long claws reached forward like a scythe slicing toward his face—

"FU--!"

Leo's heart skipped a beat.

But in the blink of an eye—

CRACK!!

A pair of boots smashed into the demon's snarling jaw with explosive force. The monster's head whipped back as it reeled, its massive body skidding several meters across the blood-stained stone before crashing into the wall, crumbling the edge of a ruined building.

Leo hit the ground hard, elbows scraped and eyes wide as he blinked through the haze of dust and disbelief.

"Master! Are you alright!?" came a sharp, panicked voice.

It was Pride. She stood firmly between him and the demon, wooden sword drawn, her eyes blazing with fierce determination.

Leo blinked again, heart hammering like a drum. "Y-Yeah… I-I think so... Thanks..."

A guttural growl rumbled from across the plaza.

"GRRRRLLL!"

The beast was already rising. Its body twitched erratically, muscles bunching under black, veined skin. Bones popped. Its neck cracked as it rolled its head with twitchy, animalistic spasms. Then its burning, red-hot eyes locked onto Pride.

Saliva dripped from its dagger-like fangs. A low, broken snarl curled across its jagged mouth, leaking rage and hunger.

Pride didn't move. Her stance lowered. Legs spread, sword angled. Her knuckles whitened around the wooden hilt as she faced it without a flinch. That weapon shouldn't have stood a chance—but she held it like it was forged by gods.

Valra landed nearby in a blur, flipping into a defensive pose with her arms crossed tight over her chest, sparks already trailing from her fingers.

"Leo! Damn it, stop running around like a headless chicken! You're just making yourself an easier snack!" she snapped.

Leo let out a dry, shaky chuckle and scrambled behind them both. "Hah... yeah, got it... loud and clear. Trust me, I'm not going anywhere now."

Call it cowardice or... common sense—whatever it was, that thing wasn't just some magical beast.

It was death.

BOOM!

The ground exploded beneath the monster's next charge. Its claws extended like razors, body launched into the air with terrifying speed.

Pride lunged forward to meet it, wind howling as her wooden sword clashed with its claws—not through brute strength, but flawless timing and precision. Every strike she landed pulsed with a golden glow, strange symbols flickering faintly with each impact.

Crack—bam—shk!

She moved like a dancer in a storm, fluid and fierce. Her blade intercepted every deadly swing, wooden edge ringing like steel. Each strike from the beast shattered the ground, but not one found her.

Valra tilted her head, watching the fight with mild amazement. "Damn... she's actually holding it back. With a wooden sword, no less..." she muttered, then threw a side glance at Leo. "And you got her? Seriously?"

Leo blinked, unsure if he should be offended or proud.

Valra sighed, already turning her gaze toward a shadowed tree nearby. Her voice sharpened. "Alright... how long are you gonna lurk there, huh? Vampire girl."

Leo froze. "V-Vampire? Wait, that little one is a vampire? No way! Are vampires even real in this world!?"

Valra didn't look at him. Just smirked. "Oh, sure. You accept floating stone, glowing weapons, and fireballs from an 18-year-old, but vampires are where you draw the line? That's adorable."

"…" Leo's mouth hung open. His brain was buffering, logic short-circuiting. Every defence he had built—every excuse, every comforting lie—was falling apart.

The fantasy had just become way too real.

"Hehe~ Sweet fire girl always reads me so well..."

The voice was light, musical. Almost playful.

A figure dropped from the tree without a sound, landing on her feet like a cat.

A girl—tiny, maybe just above Leo's shoulder—stood before them. Pale skin. short twin-tails that shimmered in the moonlight. Her eyes were soft pink, glowing faintly with mischief... and hunger.

When she smiled, two sharp fangs glinted.

Now Leo saw what he'd missed. The ears—pointed. The skin—almost translucent.

Cute yet dangerous!

Valra's fingers twitched. Sparks burst into flame at her palm, dancing like angry fireflies. Her smirk widened into something wild.

"I've always wanted to see how vampires burn. Wanna be my test subject?"

FWOOM!

She snapped her hand forward, unleashing a flaming whip that roared across the air toward the girl.

But—

Flash!

The vampire girl vanished. One instant she was there, the next she wasn't. The flame cracked through the tree's trunk behind her, setting it ablaze in a single breath.

CLINK!

A glass-like chime echoed in the tense silence.

And Valra's wrist was caught.

The vampire now stood beside her, so close their bodies almost touched. One dainty hand gripped Valra's arm gently, like a teasing dance partner. Her eyes sparkled.

"Tsk-tsk~ So aggressive… You'll wrinkle that pretty face, Girl"

BOOM!

Flames erupted from the ground like an inferno geyser. Valra retaliated without hesitation, unleashing a column of fire that swallowed them both in an instant.

Smoke exploded outward, smothering the plaza in white heat and ash.

Leo threw his hands up to shield his face. "Holy hell! Did she just nuke the child!?"

As the smoke thinned—

A soft, amused laugh floated through the scorched air.

From the charred edge of the blasted ground, the vampire girl stepped out, completely unfazed. Her clothes were slightly singed, the hems darkened by fire—but her pale skin remained untouched, flawless.

Her grin? Even wider than before.

"Oooh~ That actually tingled! Fire girl's hotter than I thought~" she purred, licking her lips with a slow, playful swipe. "Guess I'll have to get serious now."

She raised one small hand.

Real, crimson liquid began to gather in her palm, thick like syrup, dripping like ink. It churned unnaturally, condensing and hardening into a wicked crescent-shaped claw that pulsed like a living heart.

WHOOSH!

With a burst of speed, she launched toward Valra, her blade-shaped blood claw aimed straight for the throat.

Valra shifted, tilting her head back with a small hiss as the claw sliced just past her neck, close enough to sting. Her eyes narrowed, flickering with fire as she growled, "Not bad for a little girl. But I've seen worse."

On the other side of the chaos—

CRASH!

Gluttony charged. The earth cracked beneath his clawed feet as each step shook the stone, sending tremors outward like ripples. With a feral roar, he raised his massive blade-like claw and brought it down in a monstrous arc.

CLANG!!!

Pride met the attack.

Her arms trembled under the force of the impact, her boots digging into the stone as cracks spiderwebbed beneath her. Her knees buckled, but her gaze never wavered.

She twisted her body and—

THWACK!

Her wooden sword snapped upward in a clean, brutal arc, catching Gluttony right on the snout. The monster reeled, stumbling back with a snort of surprise. But the hesitation lasted barely a second—his rage surged, and he lunged again.

SLASH—SWIPE—CRUSH!

He attacked with everything. A storm of destruction. But Pride moved like water. Smooth, sharp, minimal. Every motion counted. Her wooden blade collided with armor-like flesh, with jagged claws, with teeth that could rip through metal.

Crack.

Whirl.

Step.

Parry.

Strike.

Again and again.

Meanwhile—across the battlefield—

Valra stood on blackened earth, steam rising around her. Sweat trickled down her cheek, her eyes scanning, narrowed and focused. Her breaths were steady, but tense.

"No more tricks, blood doll?" she muttered, slowly turning, watching for any flicker of movement. The vampire girl had vanished.

Too fast. Too silent.

"Hehe~"

"Hehe~"

Only that giggling echoed now, bouncing around the trees.

"Too slow~" came the whisper from behind her.

Valra spun, barely fast enough to block the blood claw with her gauntlet. She twisted, elbowed the girl hard in the chin, then raised her palm—

BOOM!

A focused blast of flame erupted from her hand, catching the vampire square in the chest and blasting her across the field.

The girl slammed into a tree with a loud crack—and didn't move.

Valra frowned. Her guard remained up as she stepped forward cautiously toward the tree.

Leo, still crouched behind rubble, peeked up. "Okay... maybe they're winning? Maybe it's finally over... maybe I can breathe..."

"Maybe not."

His blood froze.

A shadow fell over him.

Two glowing pink eyes blinked open—right behind him.

"Found you~" the vampire girl whispered, hanging upside-down from a branch above him. Her voice was playful... and chilling. "Mind if I take a sip?"

Before Leo could even scream, she moved—lips parting as her fangs sank deep into his neck.

"AARRGH!" Leo groaned, jerking violently as pain shot through his spine.

Valra's eyes locked on the tree where the vampire had crashed—only now she realised it wasn't her. It was a fake. A wooden doll.

She spun around. The real girl was behind Leo.

"LEO!" Valra shouted.

"MASTER!!!" Pride shouted, her attention snapping toward them—but in that instant, the beast slashed across her back with a furious roar.

"ARRRGH!!" Pride cried out, blood spraying as she fell forward, struggling to keep her stance.

"Tsk, you guys are way too loud," came a calm, bored voice. "He's fine."

The voice belonged to Envy.

Then—

Thud!

CHUCKK!

An arrow struck.

Clean through the vampire girl's forehead.

Headshot.

She dropped instantly, collapsing like a broken doll. Leo staggered backward, neck bleeding, his breathing ragged.

Valra rushed over to him, sliding to her knees. "Leo!? Leo—can you hear me!?"

Across the field, the beast howled. It dropped to all fours, then ran—no, sprinted—toward the girl, shrinking as it moved. By the time it reached her, Gluttony had shifted into human form again. He knelt, gently cradling her small body in his arms.

"Master?" he called softly, voice shaking.

Then—

"Awwww~" the girl yawned.

Casually.

She sat up, plucked the arrow from her forehead with a soft pop, and smiled as the wound closed in seconds.

Valra's heart sank. Her eyes widened. "You've gotta be kidding me... a high-class vampire?"

"You're soooo mean," the girl giggled, licking blood from her fingertips. Her pink eyes sparkled like gems. "His blood... Mmm~ It's so... delicious."

She stretched, then stood up like nothing had happened.

"Anyway, we got what we came for," she said cheerfully, casting one last glance at Leo, who was struggling to breathe. "We'll see you again in four days, okay?"

Her smile widened.

"Don't forget—My name is Ophis Dracula."

She bowed lightly, holding the hem of her clothes with a graceful hand, then turned. Shadows swallowed her as she and Gluttony vanished without another word.

Valra clenched her jaw. "Tch. Looks like we've got very serious competition..." she muttered.

She turned to Leo—his eyes fluttering, breath shallow. He swayed, barely conscious.

And then, darkness took him.

The last thing he saw—

Pride, bloodied and bruised, rushed toward him with panic carved across her face.

'…This is the first time… I've seen someone so… worried about me…' He lost his vision.