Battle of Archenemies

Van Helsing had come here bracing himself.

Although he had usually dealt with those monsters alone in the past, this time, to be honest, he had no confidence at all.

Besides a vampire over four hundred years old, there was now another demon lurking in the shadows. Either one of them would be extremely difficult to handle.

He had no idea what the outcome of this trip would be, so he had not even brought Carl along. He only told Carl to keep an eye on the news and report to the church if he died.

However, once he truly entered the castle and found Dracula, he realized the situation was even worse than he had imagined. He saw Anna and Viken's corpses. In the brief two hours he had been delayed, the Villeris Family had truly been wiped out!

At that moment, amid the thunder and lightning, Van Helsing vaguely sensed an immense pressure, as though the gaze of a god were Staring Intently at this place.

Inside the castle, Dracula was seething with frustration. He had attacked Roy, only to be easily Knocked Away once again. When he crawled out of the Brick and Stone Debris, he found that Roy had Disappeared again. Though he could faintly smell the Demonic Aura, proving Roy had not left the castle, Roy's abnormal behavior gave Dracula a Bad Omen.

Sure enough, Van Helsing appeared soon afterward. The moment Dracula saw him, he recognized this former archenemy of his. At last, he understood—Roy intended to have him deal with Van Helsing!

"Meeting again, Gabriel!" Dracula was not flustered in the slightest, watching Van Helsing with a gentlemanly smile.

Logically, how could someone who had become a Monster by making a deal with a demon dare speak to the legendary Archangel Gabriel in such a tone? Dracula was not putting on airs. He knew that while Van Helsing's origins sounded impressive, he was actually only one of Gabriel's countless incarnations! And one of the weaker Angel Incarnations at that!

Otherwise, Dracula would have died four hundred years ago. How could he possibly have lingered on for so long?

"What did you call me?" Van Helsing looked utterly bewildered. He could not remember his identity at all.

So Dracula patiently explained his own past and Van Helsing's true origins: an Angel Incarnation that had lost its wings...

Van Helsing was not particularly concerned about his true identity. He walked over to Anna's body, gently reached out, and closed her eyes. Then he asked Dracula in a cold voice, "Were they... killed by you?"

"No, no, no!" Dracula shook a finger. "I would never claim credit for someone else's work. The one who killed them was a real demon! You should be able to smell him too. He's in this castle—perhaps watching us from somewhere right now..."

At that, Dracula felt deeply frustrated. Roy was perhaps the strangest demon he had ever seen! Any other demon, faced with a Noble Soul, would never have been able to restrain his Greed. Even if there was little hope left, he would not have killed Anna so cleanly and decisively. Yet Roy had done exactly that.

And now, this demon had hidden without a word, leaving him here face-to-face with the arriving Van Helsing. Dracula simply could not understand what this demon wanted. Everything he did was so mysterious and unfathomable...

Van Helsing carefully sniffed the air, but unfortunately, it had begun pouring outside. The Fishy Smell of the Rainwater mixed with the Strong Wind blowing into the castle, diluting the scent. All he could smell was a faint trace of Demonic Aura coming from the pile of rubble in the corner by the wall.

That was coming from Lucius, who had been unlucky enough to get smashed into it when Roy had sent Dracula flying...

A demon lurking in the darkness gave Van Helsing a Feeling of Unease, but all he could do was take a deep breath, suddenly pull out the Repeating Crossbow hidden on his back, and open fire on Dracula!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Silver Crossbow Bolts shot toward Dracula with a Whistling Sound. The instant Van Helsing Made a Move, Dracula swiftly transformed into his vampire form and flapped into the air. The bolts Van Helsing fired kept adjusting their direction with Dracula's movements, but they were always a step too slow and failed to hit him.

After a while, the crossbow in his hands clicked empty. It was out of bolts! Van Helsing hurriedly threw aside the Crossbow Mechanism and drew his pistol, firing at him!

The charging Dracula was hit squarely by Van Helsing's bullets. The Pure Silver bullets sank into his body, making Dracula let out a pained roar, but Van Helsing's gun was also swept away by Dracula's Claws.

The bullets embedded in his body were slowly forced out. Dracula extended his Claws, seized Van Helsing by the throat, and pulled him close, roaring, "Do you think the Villeris Family never used these things? How laughable!"

With that, he exerted force and violently flung Van Helsing away!

Dracula did not actually excel in strength. At least, he had been utterly unable to resist Roy. But against Van Helsing, his strength seemed terrifying. That was the essential difference between a Monster and a human. With that throw, Van Helsing was sent crashing directly into the pile of rubble in the corner.

Amid the swirling dust, Van Helsing felt every bone in his body aching. Yet to his surprise, someone nearby was in even greater pain!

Before he could get up, a weak, fading voice sounded beside his ear. "Save... save me..."

Turning his head, Van Helsing discovered it was Lucius. Lucius was in terrible shape. The right side of his chest had been crushed inward, and his broken Ribs had pierced directly into his Lungs, so Blood Foam kept pouring from his mouth.

Hearing Lucius's plea for help, Van Helsing frowned but ignored him completely. Why would Van Helsing save someone who had made a deal with a demon?

He climbed to his feet and took a Wheel-shaped blade from his pocket. It bore the emblem of the Sacred Order Knights. The Wheel Blade began spinning rapidly, and Van Helsing gripped it as he lunged at Dracula.

Swinging the blade, Van Helsing launched his attack. Dracula seemed somewhat wary of the Wheel Blade. After dodging twice, he carelessly let it slice open his abdomen.

But that was all. Though he had injured Dracula, Van Helsing was also sent flying by a vicious kick!

The wound on Dracula's abdomen slowly began to heal. A cruel smile appeared on his face as he slowly walked toward Van Helsing.

Van Helsing bent over, coughing violently. But when Dracula approached, he suddenly pulled out a cross and pressed it against Dracula's chest. The moment the cross touched Dracula, raging flames erupted, burning his body and making Dracula howl in agony.

However, as the flames slowly faded, the cross itself softened and melted away. Dracula's howls gradually quieted as he Stared Intently at Van Helsing with his evil eyes, full of smug satisfaction.

These common Exorcism Tools could at most cause Dracula pain. Thinking they could kill Dracula with such things was truly far too naive...

With a soft thud, Dracula extended a finger and easily pierced the area beneath Van Helsing's collarbone with its long, sharp nail, pinning him against the wall at the same time.

"Ho ho ho, my wish of four hundred years will finally be fulfilled today!" Dracula said to Van Helsing. "I told you that one day I would kill you, Gabriel!"

Watching the battle from hiding, Roy could not help feeling like rolling his eyes when he heard Dracula. If you can fight, then stop talking! Villains who die from talking too much could circle the globe if lined up. Why does none of them ever learn their lesson?

Sure enough, perhaps because Dracula's face had moved too close, the next second, Van Helsing, who had still been screaming in pain, suddenly pulled out something with The Other Hand and shoved it forcefully into Dracula's wide-open mouth.

It was a bottle of Holy Water!

Sorry, I went tomb-sweeping with my family today, then had dinner outside afterward. I only just got back, so I'll post a saved draft directly. There'll be another chapter shortly.