Chapter 13
"It's just a bit of pain, I will manage," he said with a smile. He wasn't smiling to put them at ease. No, instead, the reason why he was smiling was simply because he was right. With his recently damaged core, casting magic was painful and hurting his core, but it was also tempering it rather than just depleting and refilling it. It was much, much faster, and it was simply the reason why he was insisting on casting magic now. He could break through to the next core stage if he continued to wield magic in his current state, hence why he was happy. But it was unlikely that he would try this again, as this was extremely dangerous—unless he was in a life-and-death situation.
The moment they fully left the trove, they saw the castle, which was as huge as they were expecting. "Seeing it in person is entirely different," Sypha said as Levi added, "I am definitely creating my own moving fortress one day." He said this with a smile as Trevor chuckled. "That is going to put you in bed for 30 years," he joked as Levi sighed. "Hey, cut me some slack, okay? I am only a low-tier mage," he said as the trio suddenly looked at him.
"What?" Alucard asked as Levi replied. "What? I am a low-level mage. I still have eight more levels to go," he said as they looked at him, confused. "What do you mean that you are a low-level mage?" Sypha asked as Levi sighed. "If my magic was divided into ten levels, I would be at level two," he clarified as they looked at him, bewildered. "So what you are telling me is that you're just a low-level mage?" Trevor asked, shocked, as Levi nodded. "With the magic you've displayed, there is no way you are a low-level mage," said Sypha, who didn't seem to believe him. Alucard added, "If you are level two, then how strong is a level ten?" he asked as Levi smiled. "A level ten can create their own universe," he said simply, as the world fell silent for a second.
"And you can get to that level?" Sypha asked as Levi looked at her with a smile. "Yes. Why do you think chaos magic itself is trying to hunt me down? I am technically a baby god," he said, as they continued to look at him, too stunned to speak. "Don't worry, though. I am years away from reaching level ten, although I might reach level three soon. Who knows? I might be able to fight Dracula head-on at level three." He chuckled madly before the trio collectively decided to ignore the gigantic, mind-boggling piece of information that Levi had just dropped on them. As they headed into the castle, where battle was happening, inside, two groups of vampires were fighting each other. One side was wearing white silvery armor and the other black and red, with some noble-looking vampires from Japan, the Middle East, and Europe in the mix. The moment they saw the four of them walk in, all of the vampires froze before they ran at the four, ignoring their earlier conflict.
The tide of vampires surged forward, but the four of them didn't falter. They had already carved through dozens, yet more kept coming — and now, the stronger ones revealed themselves. The first was a striking Indian vampire woman, her dark eyes glowing with an unnatural light, her movements fluid and precise. She wore elegant silks, stained with blood, and the air around her thrummed with power. With a flick of her wrist, she sent razor-sharp golden chakrams spinning through the air toward Sypha.
Sypha barely had time to react, conjuring a wall of ice that shattered as the weapons struck, sending frozen shards flying. The vampire was already moving, closing the distance with inhuman speed. But Levi was faster. Enhanced by his magic, his reflexes kicked in, and he intercepted her before she reached Sypha. "Oh magic, bind my enemy!" he commanded, and chains of radiant light erupted from the ground, snaking toward her. She twisted mid-leap, avoiding most of them — but one looped around her ankle. Levi pulled hard, and she crashed to the floor with a snarl.
Before she could rise, Trevor was on her. The Morning Star cracked down, and she rolled aside just in time — but the weapon grazed her, and holy energy seared her skin. She hissed, her eyes narrowing in fury. "You'll pay for that," she spat, her voice like venom. "Get in line," Trevor shot back, striking again. Meanwhile, the Asian vampire emerged from the shadows — or perhaps as the shadows. His body flickered like smoke, shifting and reforming, making him nearly impossible to hit. Levi's spear of holy light passed through him harmlessly, and even Alucard's preternatural speed struggled to keep up. "Sypha!" Alucard called out, slashing at the vaporous form. "We need something solid!"
"I'm working on it!" she snapped, her hands weaving through the air. "Ignis Gelidus!" she cried — and a burst of fire and ice erupted together, superheating and then flash-freezing the air. The smoke vampire shrieked as his form crystallized, his shifting body suddenly slowed. Alucard seized the opening, his sword flashing — and this time, it found flesh. The vampire howled as the blade bit deep, but even wounded, he dissolved into smoke again, retreating out of reach.
The European vampire was on Levi in an instant. He was tall and gaunt, dressed in black armor with crimson accents, his eyes glowing like embers. His strength was monstrous — his first strike nearly broke through Levi's holy shield, sending the mage skidding back. Levi gritted his teeth, feeling the impact reverberate through his bones. "Oh magic, fortify my shield!" Levi commanded — and the barrier around him flared brighter. The next strike landed with a thunderous crack, but this time, the shield held. Levi retaliated with a blast of holy energy, forcing the vampire back. "You're annoying," the vampire sneered, his voice a low growl. "Get in line," Levi shot back, echoing Trevor.
The battle raged on. Trevor and the Indian vampire clashed in a deadly dance — her chakrams flashing through the air while the Morning Star cracked and whipped. Alucard pursued the smoke vampire relentlessly, waiting for Sypha to pin him down again. Levi faced the European vampire head-on, their magic and strength colliding in bursts of light and shadow.
Finally, the tide began to turn. Trevor landed a crushing blow, the Morning Star wrapping around the Indian vampire's wrist and yanking her off balance. She stumbled — and Sypha's ice surged up, freezing her legs in place. Trevor didn't hesitate. The Morning Star struck her square in the chest, and she exploded into ash.Alucard cornered the smoke vampire, Sypha freezing the air around him again. This time, Alucard didn't miss. His sword pierced through the creature's heart — and the smoke dissipated with a final, agonized wail.