-----------
The hooded figure chanted softly while drawing circles on the ground, then stepped toward the center of the grave. There, she stood motionless. A few moments later, red lightning streaked down from the sky, striking the ground and causing it to crack.
From the fissure, an army of skeletons emerged, their empty sockets glowing with eerie light as they gathered around the hooded figure. Just then, Conrad leaped from the tower, descending into the graveyard with his sword raised in both hands.
Slaaaam!
His impact shook the earth, sending a shockwave that hurled the skeletons away. The hooded figure was also thrown back, crashing into a massive tombstone that cracked upon impact.
Crack… crack…
Dark energy seeped from the ground—demonic in nature. The sinister force slithered into the skeletons' bones, repairing their broken bodies. The hooded figure rose, her hood slipping off, revealing a woman with flaming red hair and two curved horns. She locked eyes with Conrad.
"Who dares interfere? You'll regret crossing me, mortal!" With a sneer, she gathered the demonic energy in her palms and hurled it toward him.
Pling!
Conrad deflected the attack with ease before dashing forward. The demoness raised her hand, summoning three coffins from the earth. The lids creaked open, revealing skeletal warriors clad in full black armor.
"Let's see how you fare against the former Knights of Paisley. Soon, you'll be mine as well. Kill him!"
Clank! Clank!
At her command, the skeletons surged forward. Conrad remained still, sword poised. Then, with a swift motion, he slashed, pulling his blade behind his hip before executing a horizontal spinning cut. His sword shimmered with a blue aura, leaving a luminous arc in its wake.
Swish… swish…
The energy wave expanded outward, slicing through the lesser skeletons, reducing them to dust. The knight skeletons, however, blocked the attack with their swords, though the sheer force sent them skidding backward.
Watching this, the demoness pulled a purple staff from thin air. She slammed it into the ground, and a chasm split open beneath her.
"The festival will be drenched in blood. You can't stop it alone. Glory to the Abyss!" With a wicked smile, she disappeared into the abyss, followed by her knights.
Conrad considered jumping after her but was interrupted by the arrival of five soldiers bearing the Count's insignia.
"Stop right there! What have you done to the cemetery?" the leader demanded.
The graveyard was in ruins. Tombstones lay shattered, trees were severed by sword energy, and the aftermath of battle was evident.
Shing!
The captain unsheathed his sword, the others following suit. Surveying the destruction, he barked, "Drop your weapon and surrender. You are under arrest for disturbing the peace and desecrating the cemetery!"
Conrad didn't comply. Taking this as defiance, the captain activated his sword energy and lunged, aiming to sever Conrad's sword arm.
The blade slashed upward—
Clang!
—but Conrad parried effortlessly, deflecting the strike to the side before ramming the hilt of his sword into the captain's forehead.
Bang! Thud!
The captain collapsed instantly. Seizing the moment of hesitation among the remaining soldiers, Conrad dashed forward, knocking them unconscious with swift, precise strikes.
He turned toward a shadowed tree and spoke in a quiet voice.
"Is this how Paisley treats its guests?"
"That's how Paisley handles criminals who defect from the Minoan Empire," a voice replied from the darkness. "But that's not how I treat my friends."
A figure emerged, stepping into the moonlight. His silhouette was difficult to make out at first, but as he approached, he pulled back his hood, revealing a striking man with silver hair and a knife scar above his left eyebrow. He wore a blue assassin's robe with a silver-trimmed hood.
Grinning, he extended a hand toward Conrad, attempting to pull him into a hug.
Conrad didn't move. "No skinship. It's uncomfortable."
"Still the same Dracula I knew from the academy," the man chuckled.
"How does the prodigious heir of Paisley allow a demon to run rampant on his own land? Getting soft, Icarus?" Dracula asked.
Icarus smirked. "I've been busy hunting someone who's been avoiding my letters. And as for her? I noticed her long ago. I was curious about her motives, so I let her roam free for a while."
"There! That's where the commotion comes from "
As more troops approached the cemetery, they swiftly relocated, climbing to the top of the grand clock tower in the entertainment district.
"So, what brings you to Paisley? I thought you'd go straight to the Abyss Crack," Icarus asked, his tone light.
"Do you want me to die? The Empire has been watching the Weeping Plane for nearly a year. I came to explore the ruins near Addams Apple Orchard. After that, I heard rumors of a high-ranking demon crossing Titan Pass."
"From the mountain rangers?" Icarus raised a brow.
"Yeah. Their intel is solid. They have real skills," Dracula replied.
"I've always heard they're a bunch of riffraff, but if you call them capable, the rumors must be wrong. According to my father, the demons are searching for the Orb of Order in the Ancient Ruins near the Lonely Temple in Duke Rahman's territory."
Dracula frowned. "You mean their territory?!"
Icarus laughed. "Yeah. The 'Untamed Beauty' and the 'Narcissist Swordsman'—that's what people call them now."
Dracula sighed. "Dealing with them is going to be a pain."
As the clock struck midnight, they bid each other farewell.
"If you need me, find me at the Rising Sun Inn," Dracula said before vanishing into the night.
Icarus watched him go, then turned his gaze toward the ruined cemetery, deep in thought.
------------