“Wait! WHAT?!” That was Naomi, who shouted at Kenji’s ear.

“Oi! You don’t need to shout! You egghead!”

“BUT THERE’S A LITERAL COUP GOING ON!”

“So?”

“AND YOU’RE SIMPLY EATING SOME BEEF JERKY?! LIKE NOTHING IS GOING ON?!”

“Yeah?”

“YOU DUMMYYYYYYYYYY!”

This was right before the 2 arrived close to the last gate. Kenji had asked Naomi to help him by healing his injuries, and also his stamina. Even with that skill that allows me to stay up, my brain can’t keep up. She helps a lot… should I steal her from Goldguard?

While musing that, Naomi was hitting him on the back, all the while healing him.

“Hm?” Kenji got up quickly. “Oh. Sirius’ presence vanished… Anyway. Let’s go.”

“Eh?”

“The last gate. We, I mean, I need to set up the charges to destroy it.”

“Why do you need to destroy these gates, anyway? It would be more helpful in the battle than here.”

“It would not. Because-” He started explaining everything to her.

“So this Vampire Lord is invincible if the gates are ON?”

“Precisely… I just noticed I gave a full on explanation, without thinking bout that. I’m an idiot.”

“Uhmmm… What are these weird waves?”

“Waves?”

As they were walking towards the last gate, strange waves of mana were coming from the gate. This is different.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah! Okay!”

As the 2 moved, they reached the last gate in no time. They hid behind a wall, while Kenji lowered himself, and glanced over the gate, while Naomi looked from above him.

“T-Those…”

“...are Demons.”

Kenji’s left eye instantly picked up the mana signature of the demons. While in the capital, with that invasion that was going on, he had analyzed one of the demons he fought in the air, and found out about the most difference between a demon and a human.

“You noticed without much trouble…”

“I have my ways.”

Appearance wise, besides the usual horns, Demons looked EXACTLY like humans. The main difference, lied in its wavelengths. Demons have a pulsing and strong wavelength, while humans have a continuous increasing of wavelengths.

In short, Demons were stronger than Humans. A human could catch up with a demon, but only after going through a very long and arduous training. And even then, they might lose to the demon.

“But… why is a demon out?”

“Wait…”

Kenji focused his hearing sense. And as he did.

“Are you sure that Victor will fail?” The demon asked.

“Chances are high. That kid is going around destroying the gates. But he’ll be tired. I can take care of him, and take the spot away from Victor.” The other man answered.

“I expect you to do so, Donovan. The Sovereign will be expecting good news.”

“Everything, is for the Sovereign.” The man, Donovan bowed down.

As the Demon vanished into the portal, Donovan turned around, grinned, and spoke out loud.

“You should come out now.”

“Hunh. Should’ve seen that coming.” Kenji got out of cover. “Right… Ayla said that you have good senses.”

“I am humbled.” Donovan said mockingly.

“Cut the bullshit, will ya?”

Donovan grinned once again. He looked delighted. And his next words actually proved that.

“The Pure Mana source, and a meal.”

“Right… Actually, I’ll use this opportunity. But… what the fuck is a Pure Mana Source for you guys, anyway?”

“Oh. You still don’t know?” Donovan was baffled. “A Pure Mana Source, is, as its name implies, a source of mana, so pure, that other cannot be found in this world.”

“I already heard that.”

“Then why did you ask?” Donovan scowled.

“I dunno. Thought that I would hear a different answer.”

“Enough talking. This will be easy.”

“You wish.”

Both men assumed fighting positions. Donovan brought out his claws, while Kenji activated his Agility Mode.

Both glanced at each other for about a minute or so, and Kenji was the first to advance. Donovan grinned nastily, moving his claws upwards, creating a crimson blood claw upwards. Kenji stepped forward, and jumped to the right, spinning.

As he landed, his gauntlets were charged. Will I be able to test this out? Kenji punched with his left hand, and Donovan grimaced, while opening his palm to stop the punch. His thoughts?

What? Where is this strength coming from? (This is Donovan)

As Kenji kept punching, the energy of his gauntlets would slightly diminish. But as he did so, there was a small delay in his exchanges between Donovan, and so, he used this to charge his gauntlets.

“Tch!”

“What’s the matter? Wasn’t this supposed to be easy?!”

Kenji punched the floor, making Donovan jump backwards. As he did so, he glanced over at Naomi, who was only watching. Playing dirty, huh?

Donovan motioned his hand slightly, and smiled. But, before whatever he made move could even reach Naomi, a rectangular thing fell in between Donovan and Naomi.

What is that? - Donovan

And as he asked that, it exploded.

“WHAT?!”

“YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE TO FIGHT DIRTY!”

As Donovan was confused, Kenji tried to use this opportunity to hit him. Donovan did defend the incoming punch, but he was launched backwards by the blow.

“I SEE YOU HAVE YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT!”

“I’M FLATTERED!”

The 2 punched against each other. The exchange between the 2 made them take distance from each other. Even making the 2 look at their hands, and start to open and close them.

“Interesting.”

Donovan seemed interested, but Kenji?

“Wow. I can reach the same level of strength of a Vampire if I do this. Nice!”

With that taunt, Kenji advanced again. The 2 punched each other, over and over. When not punching, they would avoid, or defend against.

A punch, a duck, a feint, a tumble, another punch, a kick, a defense stance, and finally they grappled each other.

“Ugh! How can a mere human-GAH!”

“Enough…! With the damn…! Human thing! You-GUH!”

Kenji headbutted Donovan, and Donovan did the same to Kenji. Donovan nose was bent slightly, and Kenji’s mask cracked.

Taking distance once again, Donovan opened his wings, and Kenji followed suit. Jumping through the thin platforms, he even reached Donovan, and even further above, but…

“HAHAHAHA! YOU FOOL!”

“Come on…”

A Magic Circle made out of blood was in motion right above Donovan, and Kenji had fallen for his Trap. But luckily…

“Hou~ A shield?”

Kenji was around 3 meters away from Donovan, holding his shield up. As for what was going inside his head… What the fuck was that? The Kinetic capacity almost blew up… and only after the first hit.

“An interesting instrument.”

“Oh shut, UP!”

As he was falling, Kenji brandished his shield, and an enormous wave of energy traveled towards Donovan, but he simply used his wings to block it.

No matter what you do, the energy from the Demons cannot be-!

“Surprise, motherfucker!”

As Donovan used his wings to defend against the incoming shock wave, Kenji appeared behind him, piercing his left shoulder with one of his blades. Sadly, the blade had cracked from a previous battle, and so, Kenji broke it off, and jumped away.

“Tch! You caught me off-guard, but- Huh?”

The world from Donovan’s eyes was gone. At least, from one side of his eyes. A moment ago, he was glaring at Kenji, surprised at the sudden appearance of Kenji behind him. But he thought nothing much would come from it.

What? What happened? He pierced me with this blade… then what?

As Donovan fell to the ground, rolling and his flesh was regenerating, he tapped on the left side of his body. It was gone. His arm and wing were nowhere to be seen.

What is going on?!

“Surprised?” He glared at Kenji. “I’m quite the bastard when it comes to people like you. Smart ass.”

Donovan’s breathing was ragged. He clenched whatever remained of his teeth.

“Turns out Zerstörer charges are useful, specially against people like you.” Donovan’s rage was at it’s peak. “Now then, by-!”

As Kenji pointed Satz towards Donovan, a spell was launched at him, from certain hooded figures that he saw above the wall.

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“The fuck?”

As Kenji landed close to Naomi, he glared at the figures, even holding Schicksal towards them.

“We ask for you to stop now, Technomaniac.” One of them spoke.

“And why should I?” And why did you call me that?

“Your task, if I am to guess, is to take care of the Vampire Lord, correct?” Kenji didn’t answer, narrowing his eyes. “Then this battle is meaningless. Destroy the gate. But this Vampire, will come with us.”

Kenji glared at the 5 hooded figures. They’re strong. More so than Donovan. Dammit, and my body can’t take the toll of Anarchy for such a long period of time kindly. And there’s also Victor to take care of. FUCK! I wanted to kill this guy!

Grinding his teeth behind his mask, Kenji stored his guns.

“Get the fuck out of here then…” Kenji spoke, and the hooded figures turned around. “But…” They stopped. “I’ll make sure to kill Donovan at the Theocracy later on.”

One of the Hooded figures was about to turn around and grab a sword, but the one that talked to Kenji stopped him.

“We will see each other in the future then… Technomaniac.”

They vanished, just like that.

“What? The Theocracy? More importantly, how did you know they were from the Theocracy?!”

Kenji glared at the spot they were.

“Honestly… I guessed.”

“What?”

“Look at the gate.”

Kenji walked towards the gate, and Naomi walked behind him. As the 2 reached the gate, Kenji glanced at her, and pointed towards the gate. And then she understood.

“Holy symbols.”

“Yeah… Those bastards… they were involved in this shit.” Kenji rotated his arms.

After a small analysis from Naomi, Kenji placed the charges all over the gate, and walked away. Towards the now battle that was going on. What is this energy? Kinda like of a demon, and another of a monster… The monster I know, but the demon? What is this?

The 2 started to run towards the fortress, and reached a high building. Kenji’s eyes were wide in surprise. Because more than half of Vermivia’s troops were nothing more than husks, and his companions, were injured. Close to heavy injuries.

----------------------------------------

Spheres of black lightning and fire crashed against the Khnum, as Vernichter smashed the left side of the Blood Fiend.

A dust cloud arose from the elemental spheres hitting the giant Minotaur, and the clawed beast got on one knee. This won’t be hard, thought Kasumi and Lucy, as the 2 smiled without seeing the full result.

“Kikikikikiki!”

“Grrrrrrrr!”

From the dust cloud, red eyes glared at Kasumi from within, and the clawed beast laughed as its flesh mend itself together.

“What?”

“How is it still up?”

The Khnum was uninjured, and the Blood Fiend glared at Lucy (it doesn’t have eyes, so).

“Raaaaaah!”

Ayla swung her sword at the Blood Fiend’s arms, as the beast guarded itself to her swings with her claws. The Khnum, who was about to advance towards Kasumi, was stopped in his tracks, as Amara coiled around him, in her Plant Viper Form.

Ayla’s blades cut through the arms of the Blood Fiend without many problems, but as the beast fell on one once again, its limbs regrew. What the fuck is going on?!

“Oh daughter. It is so simple, yet you are a fool.” Remarked Victor, chuckling. “Not only that, but the Khnum also hadn’t had its movements restrained.”

And as he spoke those words…

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

The Khnum, who was presumed to have its movements restrained, simply grabbed Amara’s form, and pulled apart. The vines that formed her body were ripped apart, and the head of her Viper Form was stomped and swept away. She was still alive, but extremely weakened. Why?

“This energy…” It wasn’t something a monster should have.

Kasumi looked at the Khnum’s hands, emitting an ominous green energy. A green sphere of mana materialized in his hands, as he tossed the energy towards Kasumi. She avoided the spheres, as they passed below her.

But as she did that, her instincts were screaming at her.

She glanced behind her, just to see the spheres coming towards her again. However…

“Guh! MOVE DAMMIT!”

Suzuki jumped in, and slashed at the 4 first spheres, as the 5th one almost hit Kasumi. Her Katana received the full hit on it, as she swiftly landed on her feet. My arms…

Her arms felt dulled due to the pain of slashing at the spheres. She was with her back to Kasumi, but feeling something tingling on her back, she jumped away. And just as she did that, the Khnum’s hooves stepped where she was just a second ago.

“Tch! |Thousand Cuts!|”

Suzuki rushed towards the Khnum, utilizing a Sword Art she learned from the Colonel. She moved at high speeds, slashing several times at the Khnum, opening several cuts on the beast’s skin, making the body of the beast to be covered slightly in blood.

“I did-!!”

As she landed happily, the Khnum’s giant hand grabbed her, and she saw, by just a split second, that all the cuts that she caused on the Khnum, were already regenerating by the time she landed. As she saw those, the world around her, was spiraling crazily fast, as she blacked out.

“Dammit! Will you help or what?!”

Kasumi spoke towards Vermivia, who was in a daze. Upon seeing the Blood Fiend and Khnum, she simply stayed in place, not moving a single inch. We lost… A Great Fiend, and a Godly Beast… How can we win?

While Kasumi was hurling elemental spheres at the Khnum, and avoiding its giant hands, Ayla and Lucy were trying to take care of the Blood Fiend.

They had tried everything, cutting its limbs, smashing its head, but no matter what they did, it would always regenerate. And it would always feint like it was about to die, only to get back up once again, and try to get to Lucy and Ayla.

As Lucy smashed its head partially, the fiend fell on its 2 knees, and Ayla was about to cut its neck, only for the monster to try and impale her with its four clawed hands. And it would always laugh.

“Kikikikikikikiki!”

“Tch! Stop laughing you bastard!”

Ayla advanced, and avoiding its claws, and cutting off its arms, the Fiend noticed that the same tactic would not work the same again. As she slashed its arm, the Fiend used the other 3 to kill her. And when Lucy would swoop down and smash him, the Fiend targeted her.

“SHIT!”

She avoided by a hair's breadth, so to not hurt her body, but her wings did not receive the same treatment. My right wing… NO!

She saw the Blood Fiend piercing Ayla’s stomach, and tossing her aside. And was coming towards her. As it was about to pierce her body, Kasumi hurled some of her Spheres towards the fiend. To which, in surprise, the Fiend howled in pain, as the lightning and fire hit its skin.

“Kasumi!”

“I got it!”

Kasumi jumped away, as Lucy got up, and advanced towards the Khnum. With her mace in hands, she struck at the Khnum’s knee, making it fall on it. She jumped upwards, and hit the neck of the giant beast with all of her might, and the beast finally stopped moving.

Kasumi moved the spheres of Lightning around her tails, as the Blood Fiend whimpered away. And seeing that, she simply hurled the spheres at the Fiend, making it catch on fire, and scorching its face to blackness even.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

“Bravo! Bravo!” Victor clapped and said in awe. “I did not expect you two to notice the weakness of the 2 beasts. But do you really expect that to put an end to it?”

The 2 got on their guard again, but were not on time. The blood fiend slashed at Kasumi’s tails, as the Khnum swung its arm on Lucy, pinning her on the wall.

“Gah!”

“Urgh!”

3 out of her 6 Tails were cut off in half, and Lucy could feel the crack of her bones.

“|Overdrive|!”

A loud shout, and a slash of purple energy surged forth, cutting off the Khnum’s arm, as it passed through, reaching the wall of the fortress, almost breaking the walls, and reaching the city. A blur passed, grabbing Lucy and Amara, and putting them on the side of Vermivia.

“Oh my~ That was unexpected.” Victor chimed in, impressed. “To think a human can survive the effects of Overdrive. Color me impressed. How’s your body, hm? What was it again? Suzuki Mari, is it?”

Suzuki was in shambles. Her hair and clothes were tattered, and her breath was ragged. Purple energy emanated around her, as her body trembled, from the impact Overdrive had on her body.

Overdrive was a skill, the same one that Kenji had used previously. The only difference as to why he wasn’t AS affected as Mari, is because the Odyssey Outfit offset the effect of Overdrive on the clothes, instead of his body. On Mari’s case, that was not.

Overdrive would put the body of the user on its limits, for a set amount of time. The time would depend on each user. For Suzuki’s case, it was less than 5 minutes.

“But that won’t be enough, will it?” Victor grinned.

The Khnum’s arm was halfway regenerated, and five green spheres of mana flew towards her. She easily deflected, or cut the spheres, and rushed again, cutting the legs of the Khnum’s, and as the beast fell…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

She imbued her sword once again, and purple energy surged forward, creating a blade of mana, that surged towards the sky, cutting off the head of the Khnum.

“Oooooooh~ Impressive! But there’s the other one, you know?”

“Shi-!”

She felt her vision spin, and her back to the wall. An open mouth full of sharp teeth, and a disgusting tongue rushed towards her, as she tumbled away on the ground. Mari got up, feeling her arm hurt strongly, as she swung her blade, cutting through the claws of the Blood Fiend easily. However… This thing won’t stop!

The Fiend did not care about one of its limbs being cut, and started to simply thrash around, hitting whatever was on its way.

“Blood Frenzy~ It happens with newbie vampires, that cannot control the insatiable hunger for blood, or when a vampire decides to fast. Then they can’t control the urge to see blood, or, when they are hurt badly. But Blood Fiends are different in that regard.” Victor said while glancing at the black fox, that was on the ground, with its tail cut off, and one of its paws torn apart. “Also, daughter…”

Victor caught a blade that was aimed at his neck.

“Don’t be shy now. You don’t need to be this feisty with your father!”

Throwing a punch, the blade shattered, and Ayla jumped backwards. She was almost okay. After the Fiend pierced her stomach, she was severely weakened, but with her Bloodline, she was able to stay alive, and regenerate, just to attack Victor.

“I’ll kill you…”

“You’re still dwelling in the past.”

“She was my mother…”

“Oh, and it pained me. Because I could have left her alive.” Ayla faltered. “To take more sips of her blood that is!”

With its claws out, Victor rushed to Ayla, swinging at her, scratching the blade, and cutting Ayla slightly, over, and over. She could do nothing besides defending. He’s too fast! Kenji! The gates! Why they’re not down yet?!

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I AM DELIGHTED DAUGHTER! BECAUSE NOW I’LL GET MORE BLOODLINE SKILLS! WHEN I’M DONE, I’LL HAVE YOURS, AND VERMIVIA’S BLOODLINE, AND THEN I WILL BE IMMORTAL!”

“Ugh!”

Ayla felt her body weaken, and Victor held her face, tossing her away towards the ground, close to Vermivia.

“Gah!”

And Mari had her left side cut deeply, and retreated towards the group.

“But really? A coup? Ha! That is bad comedy! Did you seriously think that it would be enough, to just simply acquire some men, and think it would be easy to take me off of my throne?! I HAVE RECEIVED THIS THRONE BY GOD! NO ONE! CAN TAKE IT FROM ME!” Victor howled. “Kill the others. Bring me my daughters. Oh, and that fox too. I’ll have a good meal tonight.”

The Blood Fiend rushed towards the group, delighted to tear apart the girls. But as it approached them…

“Kiki?”

“NOW!” (Like Snake’s NOW in Smash Ultimate)

The Blood Fiend upper body was gone.

“Hunh… So you are here.” Victor spoke without much thought.

As the body of the Blood Fiend was about to regenerate once again, something landed on it, and exploded once again, leaving no traces of the monster.

“Mari!”

“Heal them up.” He said. “I’ll take it from here.”

Cracking his fingers, and his neck, he glanced at Victor.

“You’re earlier than I expected. Kenji, was it?”

“Does it really matter?” Kenji asked. “Now then, old man… LET’S DANCE!”

Victor rushed towards Kenji who just arrived, and he held up his shield. The collision made Kenji falter a bit, as he glared at Victor through the transparency of the shield.

Victor used his left hand, and prepared a claw attack, and as Kenji noticed that, he activated his Agility Mode, and did almost the same thing as Victor. Except a shockwave tossed Victor on the air, while Kenji slid through the ground to where Vermivia was.

“We can’t win.” He would have rushed ahead, but Vermivia’s murmur caught his attention.

“Wow… Did I invest so much time, just for you to say that bullshit?” He was actually angry at her.

“He’s too strong… Even with the gates destroyed…” As she said that.

“What you mean, gates destroyed?” Kenji asked with a frown.

“Eh?”

“My gates stand strong. In fact, you didn’t destroy all of them, did you?” Victor asked.

“Course not!” Ayla glared at Kenji. “After all, I wanted to test you out.”

“Test?”

Victor was slightly angry. No one could see, but Kenji was actually grinning behind his mask.

“Yeah. I get it. You’re strong. No doubt, about it. But that’s it.”

With those words, a transmitter appeared on Kenji left hand.

“Let’s even the field, shall we? IT’S SHOWTIME!”

As the button was pressed, explosions rang out around the entire city, and specially Victor felt that. The reverberations of the Gates were gone. He could not feel any energy anymore. The only energy he felt, was the one accumulated in his body.

“YOU!” Victor said, grinding his teeth.

“That’s me.” And Kenji answered sarcastically.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

As Victor screamed, Kenji’s eyes were wide in shock. Sonova… He still has this much? Alright.

“I’ll take care of him. And as for you girls… defeat them.”

As Kenji spoke, a few more monsters came out of the 2 pillars that the Blood Fiend and the Khnum came out from. Not on the same level as the other 2, but there was still a lot.

“You said we lost!” Kenji said to Vermivia, while taking Fujin out of his Digi-Storage. “I said we were handicapped!”

As he climbed on it, and floated to the same height as Victor, Kenji pointed towards him, and pulled his finger, taunting him.

“Come on!”

And he flew it away from there, above the city, with Victor on his tail.