Verona Italy, Haunted peaks stronghold.

12:31 am Verona time, Daniels location.

12:31 am Florence time, Holly's location The Church western.

Daniel crashed through the window of the upstairs corridor, shards of glass flying in all directions as he rolled to his feet. The sensation of glass shattering around him, the rush of cold air against his skin, and the jolt as he hit the ground. Before he could catch his breath, his eyes locked onto Soul, who stood across the room with a predatory grin.

"You just had to make a dramatic entrance, didn't you?" Soul mocked Daniel "More like a painful entrance," Daniel muttered as he got up and rushed after Soul, his fists flying in a flurry of blows. Each strike was met with Soul's deft parries "I've only needed one hand this whole fight, not impressed," Soul boasted as he effortlessly blocked Daniel's attacks with one hand. Gritting his teeth, Daniel struggled to gain the upper hand, his frustration mounting with each failed strike. With a swift kick, Soul sent Daniel staggering backwards, his breath coming in gasps.

However, Daniel quickly ducked Soul's next punch, seizing the opportunity to coat his right fist in cutlery. In a split second, he landed an uppercut that sent Soul hurtling straight into the stone wall, the impact causing cracks to spiderweb across the surface.

Soul was caught off guard *"Finally the opportunity I've been waiting for"* Daniel thought as he pressed his advantage, raining down blows upon Soul with relentless fury. With each strike sending shock waves through the wall.

"Okay that's enough" soul said as he coated his whole hand's in cutlery and held Daniels fists, Soul then counterattacks with a headbutt leaving Daniel stumbling back and disoriented "I didn't expect that, smart faking being overwhelmed just to land that attack" Soul yelled out in joy *"I wasn't faking though"* Daniel thought but before he could get his bearings Before Daniel could fully recover, Soul delivered a knee to his gut with bone-jarring impact, sending him to his knees clutching his stomach. "I might have bitten off more than I could chew," Daniel thought to himself

"You blocked that with a cutlery barrier not bad if you didn't you'd be coughing out you're gut's right now" Soul taunted as he looked down at Daniel who was on his knee's "What! Why so silent? you talked all big before!" Soul yelled as Daniel struggled to his feet, his muscles screaming with exhaustion.

Daniel then smashed the ground with a cutlery punch and had them both land into the Dining hall, Daniel then quickly hit soul with two left jabs a heavy right hook, grabbed him and through him into a liquor store room.

"Ever tried one of these aged to perfection?" Soul quipped as he emerged from the store room, taking a moment to indulge in some liquor. "I'll have some after I take you down," Daniel retorted "Catch" Soul said as he tossed the bottle to Daniel and in that split second Daniel was distracted Soul grabbed him by the face and slammed him straight through the dining table. "What was that you were saying about taking me down?!" Soul said as he grinned.

12:56 am.

"You let your guard down," Daniel said with exhaustion in his voice, his muscles aching as he picked up a bottle of chili sauce from the table rubble. With a swift motion, he poured it into Soul's eyes, causing him to stagger back in pain. "Ah damn it, you little son of a..." Soul cursed, his vision blurred. "you got overconfident" Daniel said as he got up to his feet with blood dripping down his face. Soul then stumbled onto the rail's at the edge of hall and before he could move away, Daniel charged towards Soul, spearheading him through the rails at the edge of the hall. The momentum carried them both over the edge, and they plummeted from the third floor straight through a glass table in the lounge area below. as other vampires were shocked to see the two land.

# 12:31 am, 23 minutes Prior.

The flames roared around Damian as he dodged another blistering strike from Thirteen's scythe. "Damn it that's hot," he thought, desperation clawing at his mind. the heat grew more suffocating, "the air's so hot It feels like I'm inhaling fire" he muttered, his voice barely audible above the burning library. he scanned the blazing library for anything that could turn the tide,

His eyes fell upon a row of towering bookshelves, their wooden frames scorched by the relentless onslaught of fire. "If I can't match Thirteen's strength head-on, I'll have to outsmart her," Damian reasoned, his mind looking for possibilities. As Thirteen advanced, her scythe bursting in white-hot flames, Damian's gaze darted to a nearby fire extinguisher, he dashed towards it, his heart pounding in his chest. "This might just buy me the opening I need," he thought, his fingers closing around the extinguisher's metal casing.

But before he could deploy its icy spray, Thirteen was upon him,, she knocked the extinguisher from his grasp, sending it clattering to the ground. Damian stumbled backwards, his breath heavy as he struggled to maintain his footing his vision blurrying.

Thirteen raised her scythe poised to deliver the final blow. "You can't hope to defeat me, Damian, you're outmatched" she taunted,

"I'll find a way," he growled, he launched himself at Thirteen, his fists flying in a flurry of punches. "Is that the best you can do?" she mocked. As Damian fought, his mind raced with desperate calculations. "I need to find a weakness," he thought. But with each passing moment the air thinned.

And then, in the midst of the chaos, everything seemed to slow to a crawl. Damian's senses sharpened, his awareness heightened as he braced himself for the final showdown. "This is it," he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. "I have to give it everything I've got."

in that moment as thirteen prepared for the final blow all the fire in the room was absorbed by her scythe and the room went dark except for the moonlight coming through the windows.

# An 1 hour, 21 minutes Earlier.

11:10 pm Verona time location, Berwick.

Arch Bishop Michael strode through the deserted streets of Berwick, the acrid stench of blood thick in the air. The wet road gleamed under the street light's, a broken fire hydrant spraying water across the pavement. Each step he took echoed, through out the street. "It's too quiet," Michael mused as he stopped walking.

When suddenly 6 vampire's tried to ambush him "You're dead," one of them hissed menacingly as they closed in around him. But as they encircled him, one of the vampires hesitated "Where have I seen this man before?" he wondered and in that moment Michael quick drew his black blade and Before the vampires could react, five of them lay decapitated on the ground, their heads rolling to the pavement. The remaining vampire, panic-stricken, turned to flee. "I knew he looked familiar it's the Arch Bishop" the vampire said as he ran he turned around to see if Michael was chasing him and in that moment Michael speed blitz him grabbed him by the face and before he knew the vampire was slammed into the ground so hard he bounced off the ground.

In the second he was in the air Michael grabbed the vampire's head and slammed it into a wall the blow was so hard it shattered the wall. "Now tell me where did you take her?" Michael asked "Take who?" The vampire replied Michael then started to continuosly hit the vampire's head against a cars hood and between blows head ask the same question "Where is she?".

The vampire struggling to maintain consciousness answered "I'm not sure" he answered "let me jog your memory" Michael said as pulled out his black blade and cut off the vampire's left hand "your healing factor won't fix that" Michael as the vampire screamed out in pain "Now the left one" Michael said "wait wait wait... I'll tell you only if you left me live after" the vampire stated "Okay I'll let you live" Michael replied "She was taken to haunted Peak's strong hold up mountain area" the vampire said with desperation in his voice "Thank you for your time" Michael said as he sliced the vampire's head off, as the head rolled and started to catch black flames "But you said you'd let me live" it asked before it completely died "yes I said I'll let you live but I didn't say for how long" Michael responded as he walked off to his motorcycle he noticed a vampire watching from a few feet away.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Another bloodsucker lurking in the shadows," Michael growled, his voice, barely audible over the roar of his motorcycle. In a blur of motion, Michael closed the distance between them, seizing the vampire by the throat, he drove the vampire into the ground but before he could kill him a A little girl, clutching a teddy bear, bravely stood before Michael "Leave daddy alone, you villain!" she shouted, Startled by the unexpected interruption, Michael then loosened his grip on the vampire. "Nora, stop! Run away!" the vampire pleaded, but the girl stood her ground, her tiny fists pounding against Michael's legs.

Moved by the sight of the brave little girl who reminded him of his own daughter, Michael hesitated. With a heavy sigh, Michael released the vampire, "You're lucky" Michael Said to the vampire who wasted no time running to pick his daughter up, Michael then mounted his bike, casting a final glance at the girl walking off with her dad before speeding off towards Peak's stronghold.

12:31 am, Verona Italy, Haunted peaks stronghold.

Back in the Lounge Soul finally regains his vision and Daniel is surrounded by vampire's. "You put up a good fight for someone weak, I applaud you but now you're done." Soul said but as he was about to kill Daniel "Man the gate, everyone stop him" a random voice coming from outside the building "take him out" another voice shouted from outside. Then the door burst open "everyone let's go we need you we're under attack" someone yelled into the room all the vampires left to go help "Who's attacking, how many are they?" Soul asked the vampire responded "we're under attack by one man his already killed close a hundred men and it doesn't look like he broke a sweat".

"Guess fate has different plans for you." Soul told Daniel as he left him to see who's attacking. "Yeah you better ran" Daniel said as he fell to his knees.

Meanwhile in the library Damian made the strongest cutlery barrier he's ever made and thirteen charged up her attack before releasing it straight at Damian. "I can't block that" Damian said upon seeing the attack in the final moments he dodged it but the hot air it released scorched his left hand. The attack was so strong that it blew a hole straight through the whole building and made an opening straight towards the gate. "You dodged impressive, I'll give you that" Thirteen said but before she could do anything else Soul called her "Come over to the gate I might need your help" he said as thirteen left to meet up with Soul.

"That was a close, ouch" Damian said as he clutched his hand.

"Damian!!" Shawn yelled as he stopped battered and bruised Damian walking along the hallway "Well at least one of us had a good time" Damian said sarcastically upon seeing Shawn "what do you mean?" Shawn asked "Well.. for starters you don't have a scratch on you so seems you had a peaceful time" Damian replied "how do you know I didn't solo the guards on my way here" Shawn answered "Because you didn't" Damian said "by the way where is Emily, Don't tell me you lost her" Shawn asked "it's a long story but she's our enemy and that's how I got these burn's" Damian responded "Wait for real, I can't.. well I can believe it we didn't know her at all" Shawn said.

As they continued to walk they came across a hole in the ground and looking down was what looked to be a dinning hall *"What happened here"* Shawn thought as they couldn't walk any further they had to Jump down into the dinning hall. "Look's like there was a fight here" Damian said as he scouted the scene "yeah looking at the blood and damage i'd say the same" Shawn added.

Damian drifted to the broken rail's and saw Daniel laying on his back amongst broken glass covered in blood" Hey you guy's finally made it, ha though Damian look's like he took an ass whooping" Daniel said in laughter "Say's the walking punching bag" Damian retorted "Okay okay it's not a competition of who got there ass handed to them the most" Shawn yelled "Shut up" Daniel and Damian said in unison causing Shawn to quiet up.

They then went down to where Daniel was and Shawn helped him up. "So what's the plan now?" Daniel asked "we leave" Shawn replied "wait what about the girls?" Damian wondered "they aren't here, the time you too spent fighting I was searching and they aren't here" Shawn said in a saddened tone "Where are they then we'll figure that out later for now, let's get out of here." Shawn said. "Where are all the vamps though?" Shawn wondered "I heard they're getting destroyed by one man out there" Daniel replied "let's leave them to it then" Shawn said.

"Could it be..." Damian muttered "you saying something boldy?" Daniel yelled mocking Damian "I'm not bald and my hair is longer than yours!" Damian responded "why do you let him trigger you" Shawn asked while laughing "let's just move" Damian said "so how do we leave?" Daniel asked "while I was searching the room's I found something" Shawn said with excitement in his voice.

The opened the door's to a vehicle storage "Cool..." Daniel said "let's take the helicopter" Damian suggested "No let's use this" Shawn said as he pointed at Lamborghini Aventador Roadster convertible "Seconded" Daniel added "What! no that makes no sense it's a two seater and can't handle the mountain terrain" Damian responded. "Okay fine we'll use the helicopter" Daniel replied "I'm sorry my baby." Shawn whispered to the car as they went to start the helicopter.

Back in the main yard, Michael carved through his adversaries with ruthless efficiency. "That man's a monster," Soul remarked, watching in awe as Arch Bishop Michael decimated the vampire horde. "Arch Bishop Michael is no joke; I see how he rivals Valentine," he added, astounded by Michael's strength. Despite facing over fifty-five vampires single-handedly Michael barely took any damage.

"Do you think you can take him?" Thirteen asked Soul "I'm not equivalent to fifty-five vampires, so alone? Highly doubtful," Soul replied. "But to hell with it, I'll test myself," he declared as he charged at Michael but With lightning speed, Michael unleashed a shadow-coated air slash with his black blade, sending it hurtling toward Soul. "Ah, damn," Soul exclaimed as the slash struck him, sending him hurtling through the air until he crashed into the stronghold's walls.

As this was happening, a helicopter started to hover over the the battlefield. Daniel and the gang *"i knew it was him"* Damian thought as he piloted the helicopter "Hey Bishop Michael" Shawn shouted as "Where is Sofia?" Michael asked "None of them are here" Shawn yelled out as Damian started to fly off back to the church. "Wait we're leaving him?" Daniel asked Damian and he responded "yeah he'd prefer it that way".

As they departed, Thirteen unleashed a blast similar to the one she used against Damian, aiming it at Michael. To her surprise, Michael used his black blade to absorb the flames effortlessly. "How's that possible?" she wondered. After absorbing the flames, Michael released them from his sword, doubling their power and engulfing the stronghold in a massive fiery explosion. "Are you sure he'll be okay?" Daniel asked as he saw the massive fire "yeah he'll be good" Damian as they left.