King Drax looked around slightly as he walked down the halls of the castle silently, his mind still flowing with thoughts of the rebels he had been informed of as well as Alucard’s return and what it could mean. He gave a soft sigh as he entered the throne room seeing it empty for the time being, heading to the throne before he heard a portal opening behind him and he quickly gripped his sword from his waist and swung around to prepare himself. As he looked, the portal sent out a robed figure, hooded to hide his face as he looked, all the king could see was his mouth and chin as he smirked a bit. “Ah, King Drax Amadeus Adams, a pleasure. I’ve been waiting for this meeting.” He said as he was holding a weirdly designed blade, as the handle was golden with red jewels lining it, and the sword blade itself started simply as a silver blade but near the end it split off into three seperate pieces, all a different color and emitting a strange aura. “I am Arakah Derman, I’m one of the mages and I’m here to free the prisoner you’ve taken from us. Let him go or feel the wrath of the Institution!” He smirked wickedly as he readied his blade, looking at the king with fury and hatred.


“So you’ve compromised yourself just to get your hands on me? Pathetic. Your little group will be shattered at the hands of the royal family. We already have one of your men, why bother fighting us still? You harmed my family when they first arrived in town. You spied on us. And then your little group tried sabotaging someone in my ranks just to kill him and your own mage. What’s your game here?” He growled as he watched his movements as he carefully paced around watching the wicked being. Arakah just simply laughed as he watched him, his voice deep and echoing across the room. “No gain, no reason. We just wish to rule. We will eradicate this kingdom and the royal family around it. Why did you think we have been hunting, and watching? We don’t even need to fight, you just release the man, and we end here.” He smirked as Drax glared and got ready. Before anything could happen however, Arakah suddenly turned and sent his blade up in a defensive position, catching Alex and Nomad’s own weapons on the split of his blade.


“Clever little sneaks, trying to come and execute a man while he’s bargaining. Where is your honor.” He laughed and pushed their weapons up and kicked both in the side to send them away. Alex grunted and gasped as he tumbled into a wall and Nomad gasped softly as she hit her throne in pain, part of it cracking from the force. “If that is how things must be, long live the Royal Elderitch family.” He smirked and quickly swung at Drax, clashing blades with him. Both had equal force to their swings as they backed up and charged again,  Arakah ducking down and sliding behind Drax, swinging at his wing. Alex quickly rushed over and defended the hit to protect the king. The mage smirked and quickly formed a fireball in his hand as he swiftly shoved it against Alex’s stomach and blew him across the room, landing with a bit of smoke rising from his stomach as he grunted and carefully stood up, Drax and him still ready to push back. He threw another at them as Nomad leapt up finally and charged him, only to be deflected by the man and thrown down onto the floor, as he raised his sword to try and end her as she quickly shot her hands back and propelled herself off the floor, kicking Arakah in the chest to send him flying a little.


Drax took this attempt to fly up and grab the mage quickly and threw him down to the ground, where Alex was ready to charge. As the wolf got close, the man smirked from the ground and quickly raised his hands, a purple light shining off them. Before they knew it he was near Drax and Alex hit the ground instead, Drax swinging around to him. “You forget, the institute is nothing but skilled mages, you challenge us still?” He smirked and threw a horde of fireballs at the three, mostly deflecting them but some still hitting them as they grunt and gasp in pain. Nomad quickly grabbed her pendant and clutched it, an aura surrounding the trio as they were suddenly barricaded by an orb of magic. “You’re not the only one who knows Magic Arakah. You may fight well, but you won’t end us.” She said as he kept trying and ping them with a rain of fire. He was slowly growing nervous as he did, to distracted on them to not know what was coming. From behind him, a knife went flying into his back as he screamed in agony as he stumbled forwards, slowly opening a portal as Drax charged at him, before being stopped by the assailant who threw a dagger and Arakah escaped. “I’m sorry your highness, but this kingdom needs you, I can’t let you chase him. He’s wounded anyways so it’ll be a good warning.” A gentle feminine voice spoke from the panic.


The king and queen looked at the person to see a younger white wolf in a butler's outfit standing before them. “Kalione, you saved us.” Alex spoke in relief as he walked over to her. The three thanked her as she smiled softly. “It was nothing, just doing what I am meant to, protect and serve my royals. Inferno told me something felt off while I was accompanying him in his rest, cleaning and what not. So he sent me here to help and I’m glad he did so, that man was serious.” She said as she looked at where he once stood. “They’re definitely not an easy force to be reckoned with. Curious though, you think they are the same ones as our little prisoner, the one that was sabotaged?” She asked hinting back to the one Lynx and Marz confronted and the knife incident.


As she spoke, Alex nodded softly as he looked at Drax “She may have a point. We still have no idea what caused the knife to explode and that man seemed to be in similar clothing to him. They’re definitely not just a coincidental set of criminals.” He said as Drax wondered, but didn’t have much to say as he nodded and excused himself out of the throne room, Nomad following behind him as Alex and Kali remained, the two riddled with thoughts of what it could mean, and how Inferno also knew to send Kali to investigate. Alex didn’t dare question it out loud though due to his loyalty and trust but he still couldn’t shake the feeling. All he could do was wait.


-


In the rebel camp, Leblanc was pacing in her tent as she was thinking to herself, after speaking with Thanatos she wasn’t sure when a good chance of attack would be. Alucard stood idly by the entrance to her tent watching. “You’re questioning yourself again. We don’t have anything to worry about.” He told her plainly as a small portal opened in front of him and the demons from before rushed out, Alucard looking skeptically “You returned, and alive no less? You better have some worthwhile news.” He told them as they stood at attention in front of him, one speaking an unknown language Leblanc had never heard before, but Alucard seemed to understand perfectly what was being said, much to her surprise. “Interesting. His name was Arakah? And he’s a member of the institute. That’s quite an interesting bit of detail, wonder what they could want with the little royals we are up against?” He said to himself as Leblanc listened.


“This might just be our chance then. These institute freaks have terrorized the kingdom since prince Marz returned, so maybe we can use this to our advantage. If the institute remains such a threat, they won’t have a choice but to focus on them and we can easily come and end the royal family right then and there.” Leblanc vocalized her thoughts as Alucard glanced over, the demonic wolf smirking a bit as he loved what she had planned. He knew this could work had they played this right, and any doubts he had have since been alleviated as he gently gripped his dagger. “You still have that little thing? Haven’t you considered getting a proper sword or something?” She asked as Alucard chuckled silently to himself.


“Oh, I have no need for such things like weaponry. I have a power far greater than we could ever wish for, and it’s in these little monsters I’ve created. Once the royals are out of the way, we can lead in a new era of rulership with these demons, With us at the helm of it all!” Alucard said, one of his eyes once again fading like it had during his battle with Scathatch, as he looked away from her to keep his true look a secret, laughing a little as Leblanc watched him. “You really are putting a gambit on these little things here, but I’m not gonna doubt you, you’ve shown you’re quite capable after all.” She said, not realizing just how insane Alucard had become, the man slipping so far past a normal sane man. Alucard dismisses himself from the tent as he made his way to the nearby river, parts of his fur slowly changing into a bloody red color and some silver.


“That foolish woman, she truly believes she will make it out of this battle. Once she turns her back and we defeat that brat and his family, I’ll rip her to shreds, little by little. I’ll take my rightful place as king, now that Drazernon can’t hold me back and there will be no one to stop me.” He laughed, his voice slowly morphing into a demonic sounding yet soft voice. “If only these fools were smart enough to see what reviving me has done. I’ll take my rightful place and make this world MY perfect world!” He said, proudly as he sneered into the river, the reflection showing his other eye fading into a black void, and his fur fully changing to a mix of the red, silver and tan it once was. His thoughts however were cut short by the sound of someone’s voice.


“Quite the overconfident one aren’t you?” A voice said as it walked out of the bushes, Alucard quickly changing back to his normal self with fully tan fur and dark green eyes. He turned and was about to say something as he saw a dark brown wolf walking out, who raised his hand. “Spare me your excuses, I saw everything already. Neat little trick you did there though, changing your look just to deceive others, I would’ve never guessed honestly. But to bad I can’t praise you to much, because I can’t allow you to do such things. This world isn’t yours for the taking monster.” The man said.


“Such big words from such a lowly being. Who are you?” He sneered as his fur and eyes went back to their proper looks, as the man gently gripped a blade at his waist, the man showing a unique style of motion Alucard hasn’t seen before. “I guess I can honor you that much in your dying wishes. I am Lea Arizaki, and I’ve come to end any and all demonic presences I find.” He said and quickly drew his blade, which had enough force that sent a shockwave at Alucard, who quickly leapt up and landed away from it. Alucard glanced and in the slight shine of the sun, he saw that this man wielded a katana, uniquely crafted as it wasn’t made of typical materials, he could sense a greater power coming off from it. Alucard quickly landed and slashed at him with his claws, only for the man to quickly move his blade to deflect it, and send Alucard back against a tree. The demonic wolf grunted in frustration more than anything as he stood up and charged once more at the man.


Lea watched him carefully as he slowly and steadily strafed to the side in different directions, watching and studying Alucard. Alucard growled in anger as he noticed the man practically taunting him as he summoned a demon to lunge at him. Lea smirked seeing it and quickly sheathed his katana, before pulling it out rapidly sending a shockwave at the beast, as Alucard watched in shock that the demon was cut right in half and fell, vanishing into a pile of blood and ash, disappearing back to where it came from, Alucard lost to any words while Lea smirked wickedly. “Is that the best you got? Your little demons won’t work against me. This blade is crafted solely for the purpose of cutting down demons just like yourself. Just surrender your fate and accept death's embrace!” He smirked wider as he dashed at Alucard, only for Alucard to grab the blade. As the impact happened, a small crater formed around them from how much energy was released from both sides to plan their attacks.


Alucard took a break for a second before growling in pain as he forced Lea back, smoke rising from his claw as he released the blade, shocked as it had damaged him even just by grabbing it. Lea chuckled as he landed carefully on his feet, looking at the baffled wolf. “Seems you didn’t listen to warning. You won’t be able to even come close to this blade without feeling pain. This confirms my thoughts that you aren’t a mere mortal. You’ve sold your soul, lost it for the lust of power. Someone like you will never be king, solely because all you long for is control and power, and don’t understand compassion. You’ll end up just like Drazernon, burning alive in hell like he is.”


Alucard’s eye twitched a bit as he heard that name, before growing and lunging once more at Lea. “I am NOTHING like him!” He growled and slashed at him, Lea quickly blocking in surprise at the sudden attacks, backing up a little. “I will NEVER be like him! I WON’T believe it!” He screamed with an echoing roar as he kept attacking relentlessly, Lea falling back a little and screaming in agony as he felt Alucard’s claws dig into his back and pull down, leaving a large, bloody gash in his back as he yelled. Alucard pulled his claws out and was about to swing once more before a sudden force came over him, and he froze, a weird pain overcoming him as he yells and fell to his knees. “No… no! I am not him! I’m not going to lose! I will watch this world fucking burn!” He shouted as he fell back, a portal opening as Lea watched in shock, his heart racing some as he watched the man vanish. “What happened? What was that outburst?” He asked, flinching as he stood and carefully removed his robing and adjusting it so it was holding tightly against his back to stop the bleeding, at least as much as possible. “I can’t worry on that now, I need to get some help.” He said as he weakly started limping towards Elderitch, the pain making it hard to move.


-


Alucard gasped and panted as he landed in a pitch black room, falling to his hands and knees as he panicked. “What was that… how did he cause such an outburst?” He said as he shakily stared at what he could only imagine was the floor, his eyes unable to adjust to just how dark the room was. “Who was that man, why did he know so much.” He growled softly as he stood up. “Why did I react like that at being compared to that bastard? He failed, but why would I panic so much as being called as such?” He wondered to himself, feeling his powers fluctuating rapidly as he gathered his thoughts. “I have to figure this out. Who was Drazernon really?” He said and looked around “and where am I?” He asked to no one in particular. All he knew was that the room was a mystery and he felt a presence no one else gave off.