The dark, large tail rattled in the air, raising Lisvern's corpse waving up above. And with movements so quick that Alucard could barely even perceive, it dragged itself back within the shadows from which it emerged.

Alucard witnessed it all, yet still, he stood unmoving. Any man would have been mortified at such gore and feeling of imminent death, yet, that was far from what lingered in Alucard's mind…

'L—Lisvern?' He thought to himself.

His perception was shattered.

Although they had only known each other for mere days, Alucard could not fathom that the sorry excuse for a man running for his life was indeed the selfless, unyielding adventurer he had envisioned in his head.

It was to the point that he began to doubt everything he had told him as mere fairy tales.

Alucard blinked several times, and refocused his gaze ahead… Now, there was only one hollow slayer left standing… The man Lisvern had abandoned to save his own life.

He was a man who could not be even compared to his lowly peers, nor maybe any human.

The ways he moved were demonic… His eyes were stained in red, like a blood-shot beast. Veins popped building from every inch of his body, and his teeth possessed cracks, slowly crawling towards his bleeding gums.

He only spoke in cries and grunts, yet he could still be understood nonetheless. Those were not cries of fear nor dread… Rage would not even do it justice. They were the whales of his unbridled, primal wrath.

His movements were so quick, and his attacks so powerful that the ground began trembling, and the sharp rocks on the ceiling began tumbling fighting that same large stinger that had taken Lisvern's life.

Yet, despite it all, Alucard knew the outcome with but a mere glance… The fight did not even last ten seconds before it was over…

Yet, the end did not come at the hand of the stinger, nor his piercing rapier, but instead, it came at the cost of his own hands…

Out of every orifice, blood leaked and exploded, gushing like a bursting dam. And with one final cry… Vernon, the final member of the Hollow Slayers fell, undoubtedly dead…

Yet, unlike the rest, his death face was not the same. It did not harbour any fear, any anguish, nor even any anger… To the stiff, gazing Alucard, that face… Those tears… were without a doubt, those of regret and sadness.

Like a beast, he fought, but in the end, his death was more noble than the most dignified of humans.

"..."

Vernon's dying expression lasted in Alucard's mind, deeply ingrained. He did not move and simply continued watching until suddenly, he woke out of his stupor by a shriek echoing from within his armour.

"MY LORD!! RUN AWAY!! NOW!!"

"Huh!?" Alucard snapped, regaining the light of his crimson red stair.

Quick Sprint [ tier 1 ]

Camouflage [ tier 1 ]

Dampen [ tier 1]

Odourless [ tier 1]

He cast all the spells he needed, retreat was now the only thing present on his mind.

But before he could move even a single limb, that same tail once again emerged, and this time, he was the target.

It was so swift, so poignant that despite his superior senses, and the massive distance between them, he only barely managed to avoid fatal injury…

Yet, imminent death was still looming over through the umbral, rigid shadows…

The tip of the stinger had missed his core, but instead landed directly on his collar bone. He was pinned to the ground. No matter what spell he used, how much effort he conjured, he could not break free… The tail would not budge, and its exoskeleton would not burn, nor even be scratched.

All he could do was gaze towards the darkness, as the large, tapping sound of the steps from his grim reaper slowly encroached, ready to deliver destined death…

Yet even in such peril, Alucard's eyes still glowed with hope.

"Luck… when whatever that thing comes… Flash it with your light, that's our only hope…"

"..."

Luck did not respond, and the unease began to set in within Alucard's heart.

"Luck?"

"M— My lord… It's too dark… I can't… I'm sorry it will never—"

Luck's words abruptly ceased, like he had lost his breath.

The shadow looming above Alucard had suddenly become denser, and the weight pushing Alucard dug even further in.

Alucard knew, the monster was finally here…

Any delusion of escape instantly evaporated from Alucard's mind. Without a doubt, he wanted to survive… But, more than anyone, he understood that was no longer an option.

The being above him was simply far beyond his comprehension.

He thought he had finally understood the nature of this world… How to exploit it… How to live an easy life… But… This world is far too unexpected… He even began to harbour thoughts that someone like him, could even form allies, maybe even friends… 

In this unknown world, as a nameless, lowly vampire, in a dark, barren cave, on his very first escapade, he would die with nothing, none even to know his name.

Had he fled the moment he witnessed Adam's corpse, or even trusted his own intuition before entering this death trap, he may have been able to escape…

Now, his previous thoughts were even more solidified. He now more than understood, that all he needed in life, was himself…

'What a joke… At least it was better than my old life...' He could not help but inwardly chuckle.

"I lasted longer than I expected… I'm proud," Ren Silver thought to himself.

The spiral of dark emotions continued to set… And a smile overcame Ren as he flowed back into his memories…

But that was when the darkness began to fade… Not within his mind, but from his own eyes.

The weight began lifting off his shoulders, and a sound, one that seemed unlike the language the common people spoke, nor the speech of his own world echoed within his heart.

"You… Those bloody eyes… Thou art a Vampire… No? A fellow being born of the Abyss… Why hast thou come encroaching upon our domain… Why hast though come with humans in tow…"

Indeed, this world was without a doubt, an unexpected place…

Ren had finally accepted death.

But it seemed like death, was not yet ready to accept him…