Chapter 666: The Warrior I Respect.
This was a first for Victor.
This was the first time he simultaneously used all the Bloodlines he'd gained on that fateful day when he turned into a Vampire.
The speed and the destruction of Lightning.
The strength and the power capable of reducing everything to ashes from Fire.
The resilience and the ability to turn everything, even your enemies, into Ice constructs.
The flexibility and the power to manipulate liquids derived from Water.
The power and the ability to destroy Blood and Souls.
All of the Bloodlines he'd obtained on that fateful day were being used at 100% capacity. He no longer needed to split his Powers; he no longer needed to use only one power at a time or even reduce Power so that he could use two or three simultaneously.
He felt ecstasy, he felt complete, and most of all, he felt unstoppable.
His entire body felt light, and with the slightest of intentions, his body responded perfectly. This was how things were supposed to be from the beginning, but the sheer power he received was too great, and he couldn't enjoy that feeling initially.
But... It was okay. If he had enjoyed that feeling, he would have acted like an idiot and wouldn't have focused on training, discipline, and dedication to reach greater heights, which made Victor who he was today.
With one attack, one slash, the Soul was damaged, the body was burned, and while Lightning electrocuted his enemy, Ice formed crystals within the body, then Water propelled the Ice and Lightning, causing even more damage.
All of his Powers were working in harmony. He was like a monster created with the strongest Bloodlines of all current Vampires in existence.
And in front of him was his opponent.
The Horseman of War, he was called. The one who was the strongest among his brothers and had reached a state that none of them could reach.
The Demon God of War, the first of its kind.
A worthy opponent.
Someone who had earned his respect.
Victor was ecstatic! He didn't care about anything right now but this fight.
And he could tell the same could be said for his opponent.
...
Alucard, his opponent, was overwhelming.
He could barely defend himself since he entered that Form.
He was the most formidable challenge he'd had so far.
A monster that broke common sense, he was called—someone who far surpassed most ancient warriors in less than a few years.
Monster, Genius, Youngest Vampire Count in History, Second Progenitor, Fastest Man Alive, Genocider, Rising Star.
The masses bestowed many Titles on him, and his infamy was recognized, as well as his fame.
But none of that mattered to War.
For Him, for the new Demon God of war.
Alucard was just... His opponent.
An opponent who deserved his respect.
An opponent who deserved his best.
With a thunderous war cry that made the whole atmosphere grow heavier, a war cry that made the Hellfire inside him grow even more furious…
War surpassed his limits.
War's blow landed, and in return, he received hundreds of slashes on his body.
His opponent was fast, incredibly fast.
CLANG!
The sound of two blades clashing echoed across the battlefield.
And with that exchange, the Ice covering his opponent's blade tried to surge toward his body; the Ice moved strangely and even looked like it was made of liquid.
A strange Ice that was capable of subduing even the hottest Hellfire.
But...
It didn't matter.
His Soul shone like a star that was just born into the Universe. It shone intensely! And with a thrust, the Fire grew stronger, thus negating the strongest Ice.
His body was in pieces. There were holes all over his body caused by his opponent's attack in his new form. Slash marks also spread over his body, wings, and left eye.
Blinded on one side, he could feel the weight of his recklessness bearing down on him. He was getting weaker; his physical body just couldn't take it.
But even so, his Soul shone brightly, and he never felt so alive as he did now.
The damage Alucard caused to his Soul was regenerated, a feat only possible because of his Ascended State. His body was destroyed, but his spirit still hadn't fallen. His heart was on display for all to see; long ago, his blood was scattered around them, but his eyes did not die.
The glow of determination was still evident as the Flames of Hell nourished his body; Hell itself was nourishing his body.
As a Demon God, the Hell he was born into was his home, and its existence was supporting him, supporting his recklessness, and supporting his spirit, the spirit of the new God.
'I'm War… And I won't fall that easily.' A name he had chosen for himself, which reflected his determination.
A name that made him who he was today,
Even if his body fell to pieces before an overwhelming opponent, he would still fight... Because he felt that he hadn't done his best yet.
And in the face of the slayer of his brothers he had come to respect as a great warrior, he proclaimed as he slammed into his opponent's blade one last time…
"... You are the strongest, Alucard... The strongest challenge I've had in my long existence..." He gripped the hilt of his Greatsword and lifted the worn blade that, like his body, was severely damaged. Even the most robust materials in Hell couldn't last that long in a fight as brutal as this.
Slowly, War lifted the Greatsword up and supported the weapon with both hands.
"The weight of my recklessness is punishing my body. I fear that soon, I will fall in defeat... But I refuse to fall now." He squeezed the handle of the Greatsword tighter.
"I still haven't done my best…!" War's remaining eye glowed brightly with the Flames of Hell as his entire existence burned, along with a pillar of Fire that rose to the heavens.
Victor pointed Junketsu's blade at War and said with a big smile on his face:
"Splendid!"
"Out of respect for that determination, I will respond in kind..." Victor's Flaming hair began to flutter as if defying gravity, his Blood wings expanded even further, and just like War, a pillar of red and black Power ascended to heaven.
At that very moment, everyone in Hell could feel the overwhelming Power of the two Beings.
Even those Demons thousands of kilometers away from the current battle could feel the rising Power of the two warriors.
"Insane... Won't Hell break open if they collide?" Vine asked with fear and admiration evident in her eyes. She could barely stand on her feet with just the pressure of the two of them.
"Hell won't break that easily… Probably." Vepar answered uncertainly as she held back from being thrown away like the other Lesser Demons.
Helena, who was silent, just watched everything, recording this moment in her memories.
The Flames of Hell collided with chaotic Power.
War faced Alucard.
The Progenitor of Vampires faced the Demon God of War.
The two warriors began to understand each other with each clash of blades, and words were no longer necessary.
Alucard understood War, his anger, his hatred for him, his determination, and most of all, his loneliness.
The loneliness he felt was hidden by all those Flames of Hell, born from not being closer to his brothers... Brothers in battle, brothers who had been by his side for a long time.
And from that solitude, Victor could feel his acceptance and his grief.
The Demon mentality that the strong were right and the weak were wrong was deeply imprinted in his psyche.
Victor didn't feel sorry for War. Instead, he accepted things as they were and surrendered his respect for the Horseman.
All those who take up a sword and point it at an enemy seeking their death must be prepared for the enemy to do the same too.
It was common sense.
War was a splendid warrior, and that could not be denied.
He would not let himself be denied by anyone. The Horseman's honor would remain eternal and unsullied.
War understood Alucard; he understood his desire to conquer, the determination that drove him to become so strong, the desperation he was trying to hide, and the fear in him.
The desire for conquest and power drove Alucard, but it was not that simple. Alucard's real motivation was fear, despair, and the discipline that was tempered in his body by force.
Desperation at the thought that he would be stuck here forever motivated him not to stay in one place.
The fear that he might lose himself in his obsession drove him to seek out allies.
The discipline that was forged in his body was the catalyst that kept him from giving in to these negative thoughts and the driving force that made him move in pursuit of his desires and goals.
Alucard was simple yet complex at the same time. He was complicated and, at the same time, simple.
War had never seen anyone so internally chaotic.
And at the same time, he had never seen such an honorable warrior as him.
And out of respect for that warrior, War would not allow anyone to tarnish that honor.
Alucard's honor was eternal and unsullied.
Even if he died in the next attack, he would ensure everyone knew that, even after his death. It was the least he could do for someone like him.
The two warriors positioned themselves in their own Martial Arts stances as the two's blades were glowing brightly with their respective Powers.
The look of determination and prominent smiles they both had were gifts for all to see, a smile that War didn't even know he was showing. Before he even realized it, he was having fun in this fight.
Suddenly, the two gigantic pillars of Power disappeared, and all that was left were two Beings empowered by their own abilities.
A hush fell around them, a hush of solemnity, a hush that was the harbinger of a brewing storm.
The atmosphere around the two Beings was chaotic and dense; it was like War and Alucard were in their own world, only they were allowed to step in. No one could get close, or the very presence of the two Beings would kill them.
And just as everyone expected, the silence was broken.
At that moment, no one dared to breathe, no one dared to look away, all of Hell was watching the fight, and all of Hell were watching as the two warriors leaped towards each other with speed never shown before.
And when they collided...
Hell flashed with a white light, followed by an explosion that shook the entire dimension.
Even Beings, who lived in the most isolated places in Hell, could feel the dimension shake. It was like a shockwave that the entire dimension could feel.
"Wha-… What's going on!?" Vepar screamed.
"Do I look like I fucking know!? Just hold on!" Vine replied.
"What is the outcome of the battle!?" Helena screamed while holding Vine's legs.
"If I could see it, I would tell you! They both have such great Powers that-..." Vine trailed off as she felt the pressure War was exuding drop considerably.
Something that Vepar and Helena began to feel as well.
The white light began to fade, and slowly everyone could see the result of the battle, and what they saw shocked them.
What was revealed was a crater so deep that not even the eyes of higher rank Demons could see the bottom. Furthermore, the entire location was isolated by red Lightning, and a thick cloud of Miasma was blanketing the area, Miasma strong enough to make even High-Rank Pillar Demons feel queasy.
It was as if the crater was a whole new kind of Hell. Probably no one, not today nor even in the future, would be able to go to that place without running the risk of dying.
"Holy Fuck …" Vepar completely lost her composure. The destruction caused was just insane; she had never seen anything like this in her entire existence.
"By Lilith … Are we still seeing the same Hell?" Helena spoke in disbelief.
"Look." Vine pointed up at the clouds of Miasma and red Lightning.
Helena and Vepar looked up and saw Alucard floating in the sky as if the very atmosphere of the location didn't bother him. He was back in his Base Form, his long black hair fluttered in the wind, and the Progenitor's trusty blade was floating alongside him in a completely new form, a Greatsword.
In Alucard's arms was War, defeated, his body bloody.
Victor Alucard, the Progenitor of Vampires, was victorious.
Alucard's strength was undeniable, and someone like him was moving. They couldn't stay still!
While all Hell broke loose as Victor and War fought,
On the battlefield, only silence was heard.
Victor didn't cheer or roar in victory; such a thing wasn't necessary for him. Instead, he just floated towards Vine, Helena, and Vepar.
When Victor landed on the ground, the three women looked at War.
"Is he alive?" Vine asked cautiously.
"...." Victor didn't answer, as he just looked to the side and whistled.
The whistle echoed throughout the battlefield, and two horses could be seen in the distance a few seconds later.
Despair, in all his rugged glory and black fur with green flames shooting out of his eyes, hoofs, and tail, stood beside a red, flaming Hellfire horse.
The Horse of War.
Despair and War's horse stopped slightly in the distance, and Victor walked towards them. He looked into War's horse's eyes for a few seconds.
And as if it understood Victor's intention, the horse lowered its head slightly as the Hellfire in its body seemed to grow much weaker.
Victor placed War's body on the horse's rump, then approached its head and caressed it briefly. Finally, Victor brought his face to the horse's ear and spoke in a language that only The Horsemen of The Apocalypse and their steeds could understand, a language of brothers.
A language that was born from a joke in the past and has remained as the symbol of the Four Horsemen.
"!@$%#"
The horse whinnied, and the Flames of Hell covered the horse's entire body; then it turned and started running in the direction he came from.
Victor observed the horse in the distance with an air of solemnity, and when he was no longer seen, Victor turned, patted Despair's head, who snorted in satisfaction, then climbed onto his back.
Victor took Junketsu, transformed the blade into a whip that was easier to carry, and said:
"Come; we have somewhere to be." The order was given, and they could only obey:
"Yes!"
Despite having a lot of doubts about Victor's recent actions, they weren't in a position to question it now...
Alucard's decisions? They weren't crazy enough yet to question them, he was their Lord, and when the Lord made a decision, only obedience was required.
...
In the distance, a horse imbued with Hellfire galloped through the hostile lands of Hell.
Some Lesser Demons who had observed the fight approached the horse.
"Hehehe, with War's body, we can-." But all that was left of him was ashes.
"Idiots, he's a Horseman's horse. Of course, it's not simple." The elite Demon spoke in disdain.
"What should we do?" A Lesser Demon asked.
"We should just follow him and see where he's taking the body." He ordered.
'I don't know why Alucard didn't consume him, but it doesn't matter. Consuming a Demon God's body will make us much stronger.' The Demon's eyes glittered with greed.
The majestic horse would stop at nothing. So even though Demons who saw the battle tried to approach it, they only got burned by the Flames of Hell.
There was a reason War could touch him. It was because he was strong and because they came from the same Hell... A Hell of Flames was his home.
With an even more powerful whinny, the horse's entire body was covered in Fire, and the next moment it disappeared in Flames, shocking its pursuers.
"What!?"
"Can he do that too!?"
"And what do we do now!?"
"I don't fucking know! But, for now, try to track the body! We must not miss this opportunity."
.....
