Blood tendrils erupted from the ground, stabbing through three of Yukiko's phantoms while the others darted away in graceful evasion.
Dracula's gaze shifted sharply to the Yukiko on his left.
"Found you," he muttered, as the tendrils lashed around her, reeling her in and crushing her in their coils.
Crack.
The body shattered into shards of ice.
"How?" Dracula hissed, his voice barely audible.
Before he could react, Morvain and Sigvard emerged from the mist, flanking him from both sides while Akira descended from above.
Those two… they're the real threat, Dracula realized, eyes narrowing. They want me distracted for just one second.
He thrust his hand toward Morvain and Sigvard
but in that same instant, Akira and Sigvard switched places.
Dracula's eyes widened. Sigvard's blade was already swinging for his neck.
CLANG!
Steel met steel. Dracula blocked at the last moment, his teeth gritted from the impact. Before he could counter, Akira switched with Morvain
and the dagger of darkness carved across Dracula's ribs.
Blood sprayed into the air. Dracula staggered, reaching for his other hand only for black whips to coil around it, binding him to the ground.
Dracula turned his head sharply. Edward knelt with one hand pressed to the dirt, veins of shadow spreading around him.
Edward chuckled despite the strain. "You should focus a little more, don't you think?"
A flicker of light caught Dracula's eyes. He turned
to see Yukiko already in her stance, her blade glowing with dense, swirling mana.
"Saku!"
A massive arc of icy energy erupted, consuming him whole.
Dracula was hurled backward, parts of his body crystallizing over in frost. Sigvard and Morvain surged forward, switching places in rapid succession as they closed the gap. But Dracula's gaze tracked every shift now his senses sharpening through fury.
When Morvain switched with Akira, Dracula's hand shot out, seizing Akira's arm. With a single motion, he flung him high into the air.
"Umb—"
Dracula's words froze in his throat. His mind was suddenly elsewhere—a vast white void stretching infinitely.
Where am I…? he thought.
A woman of crimson flame stood before him. Her warmth was almost suffocating, yet achingly familiar.
"It can't be…" he whispered, voice trembling with something like regret. He reached for her, and she for him.
Their fingertips brushed—
—and the world snapped back.
Dracula's sword ignited in a violent burst of crimson flame. He swung downward, unleashing a searing arc that tore through the air toward Akira.
Akira's eyes widened. It's cold…?
"Get out of there!!" a voice screamed inside his head.
A shadow soldier reformed beside him, switching places in an instant. The crimson flames devoured the soldier whole.
Pain lanced through Akira's skull. I… can't feel him anymore.
He fell to the ground, barely conscious, watching as the fiery wave struck the phantom veil—the barrier melting away under the heat.
Dracula kicked him aside like a broken doll.
"Sigvard—now!" Akira shouted.
Sigvard turned intangible, phasing through the air as he gave chase.
From a distance, Varin watched silently, eyes narrowing. Tears streamed down Dracula's face as the crimson light still burned in his blade.
Oh my… was he always hiding that power? Varin thought.
Yukiko appeared behind Dracula in a burst of frost.
"Saku!"
A massive wave of ice surged forward, swallowing him whole—
CLANG!
Half of Yukiko's blade flew across the field. She froze, stunned.
"Why… can't I forget?" Dracula murmured.
A sharp hiss cut through the air.
Psssh.
Blood poured from Yukiko's abdomen.
When… when did he slash me? she thought, collapsing to her knees as the frost dissipated around her.
"Yukiko!" Edward yelled, conjuring his weapon—but before he could fire, Dracula snatched the broken half of her blade and hurled it.
It pierced Edward's abdomen.
BOOM!
A surge of dark mana rippled across the field, splitting the air.
Dracula and the twin horns turned toward the source their eyes wide as Dracula stood amidst the chaos, the crimson light fading, his aura now fused with something darker… colder.
Varin smirked, his crimson eyes glinting with excitement.
"Oh my… one of them still had a trump card left," he murmured, voice carrying a trace of amusement.
Beside him, Lilith watched in silence, her face as unreadable as ever.
"You finally worry for Dracula?" Varin asked, his tone half-teasing, half-genuine.
Lilith turned her gaze toward him but offered no reply.
"Don't worry," Varin continued with a sly grin, "unlike back then, we're free from the curse. We can intervene if things get out of hand."
Lilith gave no response, only shifting her focus back to Dracula and the swirling surge of mana ahead.
Let's see if you can still recreate the fire that tore through the Phantom Veil, Dracula, Varin thought.
Dracula exhaled in quiet annoyance. "They never learn to stay down," he muttered, raising a hand. From the blood-soaked ground, two serpents of crimson erupted, hissing as they lunged toward the mass of dark mana.
A black flash tore the sky apart. The slash split the air and the earth alike, eviscerating the blood snakes in an instant before streaking toward Dracula with unholy speed.
His eyes widened—his body unable to react in time.
But before the darkness could reach him, Varin stepped forward. The air cracked as he swung his hand, shattering the attack into harmless wisps of shadow.
Dracula's gaze hardened. "How were you able to step in?"
Varin gave a faint smile. "The curse you placed on us has served its purpose… and withered away. Now, focus on your fight. Take it seriously. He's somehow breached C-tier. As of now, he stands on par with you... and the power you're using is a far cry from your prime."
Dracula clicked his tongue. "I'm well aware."
Varin's eyes flickered. "Are you aware he's right behind us?"
Dracula's head snapped around. His eyes widened as he realized Yukiko was gone—and in her place, a figure clad in armor woven from darkness stood over Edward's body.
"Hold still," Akira said, his voice layered with another—Sigvard's—echoing beneath it.
He grasped the broken blade lodged in Edward's abdomen and yanked it free.
"Agghhhhhh!" Edward screamed, clutching his side. "Couldn't you be more gentle?"
Dark tendrils coiled over his stomach, sealing the wound.
"No time," Akira replied curtly, hoisting Edward onto his shoulder. He tilted his head toward Dracula. "Wait right there. I'm coming for you."
In a blur of shadow, he vanished.
Varin chuckled softly. "Take this fight seriously," he muttered before turning away.
Moments later, Akira reappeared beside the wounded. He gently laid Edward down among the others.
Trixie's eyes widened in disbelief. "I–is that you, Akira?"
Akira glanced at her, the dark armor hissing as his helmet receded—the obsidian plates melting into his skin until his face was revealed. Veins of black pulsed faintly along the sides of his cheeks.
Trixie reached out, her hand brushing his face. It's almost like the armor is fused to his body, she thought.
"I hate to interrupt," Sigvard's voice echoed in Akira's mind, calm yet strained, "but we can't maintain this form for long. It's unstable."
"You're right," Akira said aloud, gently taking Trixie's hand off his face.
"I'll be back soon," he said, his tone steady but heavy. "Try to reach Mr. Oliver. The Phantom World has been destroyed."
Trixie froze, her eyes wide. Someone destroyed a Phantom World? Was it you, Akira?
Before she could speak, Akira vanished into the shadows once more.
She looked around, confusion filling her thoughts. Wait… if the Phantom World is gone, normal people should be able to see this. So why does everywhere feel deserted?
Far ahead, Akira and Dracula stood facing one another—two titans in the storm. The air itself grew heavy as mana thickened around them. Tremors rippled across England, shaking the earth as they raised their swords.
Their eyes met. No words were needed.
The final act had begun.