Azrael lunged forward, his greatsword slicing through the air like a black comet.
One of the remaining vampires, a young noble with sharp golden eyes, reacted on instinct.
Without hesitation, he stepped between Gudras and the charging human, raising his blade.
"Lord Gudras, step ba—!" He tried to say, raising a blood barrier. But…
…He never finished his sentence.
Azrael didn't slow down.
Instead, he launched a deadly glare to the monster in front of him.
It was just an instant.
His greatsword met flesh.
For a brief second, time itself seemed to freeze.
Then… a sickening, wet sound filled the atmosphere.
In the blink of an eye, the vampire's body split apart from shoulder to hip, cleaved in two effortlessly.
Azrael didn't aim to the head.
He went directly trough his body.
A perfect , single hit.
So strong to pierce a magic vampiric barrier.
Blood sprayed into the cold night air, his eyes still frozen in shock.
But , at least , lord Gudras was safe… for now.
The corpse hadn't even hit the ground yet when Azrael let out a sharp, almost irritated whisper.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!!" He whispered angrily, while gritting his teeth.
It seemed like Azrael wanted to end this as fast as he could, like he had to do something.
The aura from his voice boomed across the battlefield, filled with raw authority.
The sheer force of it sent chills through the remaining vampires.
It wasn't a request.
It was a command.
The two halves of the vampire's body finally collapsed to the dirt as Azrael twisted his body, pivoting into a defensive stance.
His instincts screamed.
He barely had time to react.
Gudras was already in front of him.
A pale hand, claws extended, lunged for his throat, taking advantage of his dead pawn to hit the hunter.
Azrael barely dodged again, tilting his head back at the last possible second.
He dashed back to his starting place, with the greatsword in his right hand.
Azrael touched his neck, feeling the scratch that landed on him.
"That was… close." He thought.
He then looked Gudras again in order to analyze him.
"Mmmh… this monster is… strong…" Azrael thought.
Meanwhile, his neutral expression faded, replaced by a more serious one.
Azrael wanted to end the fight.
Gudras, on the other hand, kept scanning his enemy.
"So… close…" Gudras said, while looking his at him with cold-calculating eyes.
The vampire lord's fingers brushed against his skin… just barely missing.
If that grip had landed, his windpipe would have been crushed instantly.
Azrael was still a few meters distant, his boots grinding against the dirt as he halted his momentum.
For a brief moment, the two warriors locked eyes.
A single glance spoke more than a thousand words.
Azrael wanted to kill him.
Gudras… wanted to test him, despite his unexplainable fears in his rotten heart.
The vampire lord slowly pulled his hand back, inspecting it.
His fingers were stained with blood.
Azrael's blood.
The vampire lord stared at it for a moment, then lifted it to his lips.
He let his tongue flick over the crimson droplets.
Then—his pupils dilated.
A sharp, animalistic gasp escaped his lips.
His eyes widened in shock.
"This taste…" Gudras said.
A slow shudder ran down his spine.
His pawns looked at him, worried.
"My lord!! Is everything alright?" One of them asked, but he was ignored.
He remained silent, while his body was slightly trembling.
Gudras had lived for centuries.
He had tasted the blood of warriors, kings, sorcerers, and even holy men.
But this…
This was different.
This was pure.
This was perfection.
His breathing grew erratic.
His fingers twitched slightly as his entire body tensed with unnatural energy.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from his throat.
Azrael narrowed his eyes, adjusting his grip on his sword.
"I knew it… he's the one I was searching…" Azrael thought, while looking at him and preparing himself to any kind of attack.
He knew that he was about to act.
Gudras took a shaky breath. Then another.
Then—he laughed.
At first, it was soft. Then, louder.
Then, it became a manic, monstrous cackle.
"Hahaha…" the Lord laughed.
Azrael tightened the grip on his sword.
"AHAHAHAHA!!" He laughed more loudly and his voice… became different.
Heavier, Deeper, a monstrous out…
… a monster was awakening…
…his noble composure shattered as his muscles bulged unnaturally, veins thickening beneath his pale skin.
His elegant, pristine white coat ripped apart as his body expanded, bones snapping and reshaping.
His fingers elongated into massive talons, his jaw unhinged as fangs doubled in length.
His once refined features twisted into something monstrous.
Gudras was no longer a noble.
He became a beast.
Or, to be specific, he showed his true self.
Vampires around him became more scared.
Other than Azrael, they also had to fear their lord.
Gudras' red eyes, once filled with sharp intelligence, burned with nothing but hunger.
"H-His Majesty…" one of the remaining vampires whispered in horror, watching their once-composed leader transform into a demon.
Gudras lifted his massive, clawed hand and pointed at them without even turning his head.
"STAYAWAYFROMTHISBATTLE." His voice was distorted, deeper, almost inhuman.
Gudras spoke.
His orders were absolute.
The vampires stiffened.
"LEAVE. NOW. OTHERWISE YOU'LL PERISH. THIS MAN IS MINE." He shouted angrily.
They hesitated.
Then, they obeyed.
One by one, they turned and fled into the shadows, disappearing into the forest.
"Yes… it's totally him. Maria's general… he slaughtered entire villages of innocent humans… just for the sake of nothing…" Azrael thought, with a feeling of anger raising deep from his soul.
Maria. The vampire Queen.
The true descendant of Ludwig the hero who defeated all the demon kingdom in the name of God.
His bloodline ended with a curse.
And so… Maria was born.
A vampire, the original vampire.
The beginning of everything.
Azrael was born for the sole purpose of killing her.
Only a human can defeat a vampire.
Azrael tightened the grip on his sword and raised his guard.
He closed his eyes and started thinking.
Only two warriors remained on the battlefield.
Azrael Noctis.
Lord Gudras, Maria's necromancer.
A monster against another monster.
Who's the good one? Well… it depends on the point of view.
Azrael exhaled slowly, shifting his stance.
His body felt lighter. His breath steadied.
The world around him slowed.
He closed his eyes.
And then—he began to breathe.
Deep. Slow.
Deliberate.
The wind around him shifted, moving in sync with his inhalation.
The air grew still.
The trees stopped rustling.
Even the faint whispers of distant creatures faded into silence.
Azrael became one with the nature around him.
Then—something shifted.
The earth beneath him stirred.
A single leaf, floating down from a nearby tree, suddenly froze in midair.
The ground pulsed.
As if something deep within it had just awoken.
It seemed like the time had stopped for him.
Gudras' primal hunger faltered for just a moment.
His instincts—his deepest, oldest instincts—screamed at him one single word.
Danger.
Azrael's body relaxed completely, his shoulders lowering, his grip on his sword loosening.
And yet—his presence only grew stronger.
Gudras felt it.
Something was flowing into him.
Not magic.
Not ki.
Something else.
The energy of the land itself.
It was as if the earth, the air, and the sky had chosen to obey this man.
Gudras' lips curled into a mad grin, saliva dripping from his fangs.
"HAHAHA… SOYOU'REFINALLYGETTINGSERIOUS, HUMAN? I'M GONNA TASTE AND EAT YOU… YOU'RE GONNA BE AN AMAZING MEAL." Gudras said, with a menacing voice.
Azrael slowly opened his eyes.
They no longer looked human.
Instead of irises, they were now two endless voids of deep, piercing blue.
He took a rapid look at Gudras, noticing his aspect.
"At the end, monsters reveal themselves for what they truly are… disgusting abominations only guided by an insatiable hunger… living a life based on their instincts… no matter how much someone can be different… a monster is a monster… a crime against nature and his gifts… that's why you must eliminate them all, Azrael. You were born for this. God gifted you the strength, don't disappoint him."
The hunter remembered the words of his dying father on his deathbed.
He was born. To kill.
Also him… was a monster, but a good one.
After thinking about these words…
…Azrael exhaled.
Then, he stepped forward.
The earth trembled beneath his feet.
Gudras roared.
Then, the two monsters clashed….