Chapter 80: Unleashing The Ebony Blade

*BAM*

Ricky's head snapped to the side as a violent, jarring sound filled the air, the sheer force of it causing cracks to splinter across his psychic barrier.

The oppressive pressure of Baron Blood's relentless attack pressed in, the vampire lord trying to plunge into Ricky's mental defenses with ferocious intensity.

Before Ricky could process, Baron Blood's real plan unfolded as he had casted a blood double to serve as a distraction when Ricky sighed.

Then while Ricky turned back, the true Baron Blood had already slipped outside the train car, swooping in like a predator through the chaos.

Baron Blood's efforts were feral, like a rabid dog tearing at a cage, his elongated nails clawing and scraping at Ricky's psychic barrier.

Each strike sent splinters of mental force scattering as Ricky, undeterred, focused with intense resolve, pulling back the arrow on his Solar Flame Bow just as Baron Blood's razor-sharp nails punctured the barrier, tearing through with a menacing hiss.

*BOOOOOOM*

Suddenly, a burst of searing fire erupted around Ricky, the explosion sending him hurtling through the air.

His body twisted mid-flight, instinctively stowing away the Solas Flame Bow into his inventory.

With practiced precision, he unsheathed his sword, its gleaming blade reflecting the chaos around him.

As Ricky landed, his boots skidded against the floor, but he quickly regained his stance, sword raised and ready.

His eyes locked on Baron Blood, who charged forward with renewed intensity, each step resonating with lethal intent.

'I can't believe I missed such a close shot.' Ricky frowned, frustrated at how he'd missed such a close shot as the weight of the missed opportunity lingered as he tightened his grip on the sword, preparing for the oncoming clash.

*WHOOSH*

The only real damage Ricky had inflicted was the lingering fire, which had seared Baron Blood but only caused minimal harm.

It wasn't nearly enough to slow him down as Baron Blood raced forward, his figure a blur of speed and fury.

Ricky squinted, locking his eyes on the oncoming vampire, muscles coiling in preparation as his mind raced as he calculated Baron Blood's movements, knowing the slightest mistake would cost him.

Then, with a sudden shift in direction, Baron Blood lunged, not at Ricky, but at Chores.

"FOOL, I SHALL FEAST ON THE BLOOD OF YOUR COMRADE-"

*TINK*

"Wh-What?" Baron Blood stammered, recoiling as his claws collided with an invisible force.

He stumbled back, eyes widening in shock as he saw a shimmering sphere enveloping Chores.

Inside, Chores lay incapacitated from the pain, but to Baron Blood's disbelief, his leg was already mending back in place.

"A timer-" Baron Blood muttered under his breath, his gaze shifting upwards to the 48-minute timer hovering above Chores before his eyes shrank in realization as he spun around, but it was too late.

Ricky's eyes blazed with intensity as he swung his sword down with ferocious power.

Baron Blood's nails glowed crimson, attempting to block the strike; however, to his shock, the legendary blade cleaved through the hardened nails as if they were nothing but butter.

The sword continued its lethal descent, forcing Baron Blood to kick himself back, narrowly escaping the full force of the attack.

A thin line of blood appeared on his chest, and though Baron Blood was shocked beyond belief, he didn't let it show on his face.

Baron Blood's eyes narrowed at Ricky, reevaluating the young knight with a new sense of caution.

His confident demeanor shifted, the arrogance he once displayed replaced by a sharper, more calculated intensity.

"Do you think I'd just let another blood-sucking bastard kill one of my guys?" Ricky's green eyes gradually deepened into a crimson hue, the blade in his hand vibrating with a dark thrill, feeding off the malevolent energy radiating from its wielder.

The air around them seemed to thicken, the sword pulsing as if alive, eager to taste the blood of the enemy before it.

The sheer hatred and bloodlust, a boiling rage ignited by the haunting memory of Rocco's lifeless body, surged through Ricky's veins, overwhelming his senses.

Those emotions gnawed at his sanity, each flash of Rocco's face fueling his fury as he locked eyes with another vampire who threatened to replicate that horrific scene.

Ricky's eyes darkened to a deep crimson, the ebony blade pulsating with a sinister energy that amplified his fury.

He fixed his gaze on Baron Blood, the ferocity of his intent radiating like a storm about to unleash its wrath as each heartbeat echoed with a primal urge to annihilate.

"Oh?" Baron Blood taunted, closing the gap between them with a confident stride, but Ricky seized the moment.

*Clang*

Ricky swung down with all his might, but Baron Blood deftly smacked the blade aside, narrowly avoiding the deadly arc of the sword.

The force of the missed strike sent a shockwave through Ricky's arms, but he quickly regained his footing, readying for another attack.

"That's a timer above your little friend there, isn't it?" Baron Blood mused, a sinister smile spreading across his face as his fangs gleamed in delight as the holy aura radiated from Ricky, pulsing with power.

"I wonder what happens when that timer reaches zero." Baron Blood taunted, his voice dripping with mockery as Ricky's grip tightened around the hilt.

But then, to Baron Blood's shock, eldritch dark flames engulfed the ebony blade.

The horrid warmth radiating from it sent a thrill of anticipation through the bloodthirsty sword, merging its sinister energy with the holy light.

Baron Blood could only watch in awe as this unnatural fusion of powers defied all he thought he knew about life, death, and the supernatural.

"I'M GONNA RIP OUT YOUR SPINE!" Ricky roared, his eyes blazing crimson with fury, his monstrous aura exploding all around him as he lunged forward.

Alexander, sensing the brewing storm, wanted to say something to Ricky but hesitated, knowing all too well how foolish it was to stand in the line of sight of a berserker.

"Foolish blood bag, this will not-ARCK!" Baron Blood's laughter faltered as Ricky swiftly shifted from dual-grip to a single grip.

Ricky lunged forward, thrusting the Gauntlets of the Damned, his claws sinking deep into Baron Blood's undead flesh.

Baron Blood's eyes widened in shock as he felt his life force being siphoned away, the cold grip of Ricky's claws draining his very essence.

Panic washed over him as he glanced upward, only to see the sword in his other hand glowing ominously, poised to strike with devastating power.

"BLOOD SHIELD-"

"DIE!"

*BOOOOOOOM*

A deafening explosion rippled through the train car, obliterating everything in its wake.

What once stood intact was now reduced to a smoldering ruin, the shockwave tearing apart the very structure as debris scattered everywhere.

Only the floor remained intact, shaking violently as the train hurtled towards a bridge, skidding dangerously along the rails.

*HUFF*

Ricky stood amid the carnage, gripping his head as the remnants of the explosion settled around him.

His eyes burned a furious red, reflecting the chaos, while the sword screamed in his mind, urging him deeper into his berserker state.

The intoxicating call of power surged through him, blending rage and bloodlust into an overwhelming torrent that threatened to consume him.

'KILL!'

The sound was horrid and grotesque, a cacophony that clawed at Ricky's mind, dragging him deeper into the abyss of his sanity.

Each dissonant note shattered his mental fortitude, splintering what remained of his composure as the relentless noise twisted his thoughts into a frenzy of rage and despair.

"Y-You cannot be left to dwell." Baron Blood huffed, hovering to the side while clutching his chest.

The wounds he bore, a direct consequence of his arrogance and complacency, weighed heavily on his superiority complex.

For the first time, he grasped why his master had deemed Ricky a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Baron Blood understood that while Dracula desired Ricky's head, it might be more advantageous to bring him to their side.

Yet, he never imagined that his underestimation would leave him so severely wounded.

'Furthermore, I'm not healing,' Baron Blood realized, staring at the gash in his chest that remained charred and unhealed.

He watched as Ricky struggled with his own sanity, oblivious to his presence in the air.

Seizing the opportunity, Baron Blood raised his hands, channeling all of his magic into a single spell.

A red mist erupted around him, billowing into the night sky and enveloping it in a crimson haze.

The mist swirled and thickened, forming ominous red clouds that darkened the atmosphere above.

"YOUNG RICKY, YOU MUST REGAIN YOUR SENSES!" Alexander urged, his voice cutting through the chaos as he noticed the immense power swirling at Baron Blood's fingertips.

*HUFF*

However, Ricky was too preoccupied by his own thoughts, more specifically, the memories of the blade wielders that were being forcefully injected into his shattered sanity.

"P-Poppa?" A child peeked through a door, stepping into a haunting memory that had tormented Ricky's dreams for so long.

Instead of observing from the sidelines, Ricky was now trapped in the child's perspective, inching closer with each fated breath to the lifeless body of Percival.

Lying limp on the marble floor, surrounded by a pool of his own blood, Percival's lifeless body seemed to beckon the child closer.

The small figure fell to his knees, reaching out as if the mere act could alter the course of fate.

"W-Wake up, Poppa," Ricky choked out, the words laced with a painful desperation as he gripped tightly onto his clothes.

Each sniffle echoed in the silence, amplifying the agony coursing through him, a heart-wrenching plea that only deepened the chasm of despair.

"POPPPPPPPPPPPPA!"

*CRACKLE*

The air crackled violently as a roaring streak of crimson lightning tore through the darkness, illuminating the child's terrified face.

Ricky screamed at the top of his lungs, a raw, primal sound that reverberated against the walls, blending with the chaos surrounding him.

The world around him blurred with his own reality into a whirlwind of agony and despair, each flash of red igniting memories he desperately wished to escape.

*BOOM*

The stunning wall crumbled under the impact of a sudden projectile, sending debris scattering everywhere.

Ricky instinctively turned, his reflexes kicking in as he reached out into the chaos as his fingers closed around nothingness, and in the next heartbeat, the hilt of the ebony blade settled into his grasp.

A surge of anger coursed through him, igniting a flame deep within his core, the dark power of the blade resonating with his rage and despair.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The cries of the boy and Ricky melded into a chilling symphony of anguish, echoing through the air.

Ricky gripped the blade tightly, the weight of sorrow coursing through his veins, amplifying the depth of his scream.

The sound was raw, a manifestation of the immense sadness and rage that intertwined in his heart, reverberating with every beat as if the world itself mourned alongside him.

"YOUNG RICKY, SNAP OUT OF THE TRANCE! HEAVEN CANNOT BROOK TWO SUNS NOR EARTH TWO MASTERS!" Alexander roared, his voice cutting through the chaos as he sensed the dreadful spell taking shape above them.

The swirling red clouds began to rain down blood, a grotesque deluge that spiraled upwards, defying gravity as it was drawn into the vortex forming over Baron Blood.

However Ricky remained lost in his memories, the anguished cries still echoing in his mind as the scene unfolded.

Shadows of his past wrapped around him like chains, while the crimson mist thickened, casting an ominous glow on his face.

"YOU CANNOT LOSE YOURSELF TO THE SWORD; YOU ARE ITS WIELDER, AND YOU ARE THE ONE TO SWING ITS MIGHTY BLADE!" Alexander cried, his voice a beacon of urgency amid the chaos. He knew that true mastery lay not in submission to the weapon but in the strength to control it.

The whirlpool above Baron Blood roared with primal energy, its violent spirals distorting the air and commanding the elements around them.

The atmosphere thickened, crackling with malevolent power as lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating the scene in stark, surreal clarity.

Ricky's scream cut through the cacophony, a raw expression of agony as his mind became a battlefield, besieged by the tumultuous emotions of his ancestors and predecessors.

Each memory, each echo of pain and rage surged through him like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him in despair and yet, amidst the chaos, a flicker of clarity fought to surface.

His consciousness was abruptly transported to a dark, oppressive room, the air thick with a suffocating silence.

He stood atop a pool of black sludge, its viscous surface reflecting distorted shadows that twisted like tendrils around him.

The smell was acrid, and the ground seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, urging him to lose himself in its depths.

Before him, a twisted reflection of himself stood, wearing a mocking grin that sent a chill down his spine.

Yet, it wasn't truly him.

"Ah, if it isn't my new wielder, Ricky Luciano~" The figure before him was a twisted mirror image of himself, warped by the influence of the Ebony Blade.

Dark, sinister energy radiated from the reflection, its presence suffocating the very air around them.

Black sludge oozed from its body, pooling into the dark abyss beneath them, thickening the oppressive atmosphere.

The headache pulsed around Ricky's mind, an insistent throb that threatened to drown him in darkness.

He pushed against the weight of despair, trying to step forward, but the sludge gripped him like a vice, cold and unyielding.

"Let me guess, you're the Ebony Blade," Ricky huffed out, a frown etched across his face as he fought against the mental tendrils wrapping around his mind as the presence of the sword slithered through his thoughts like a serpent.

"So it seems that you aren't that big of an idiot everyone preaches you to be~" The Ebony Blade hissed, its voice dripping with mocking amusement as it circled around Ricky like a predatory shadow.

"Why can't you be a good little sword and stop making things so f*cking difficult." Ricky's vision blurred as he struggled to regain his bearings, the oppressive darkness pressing in on him like a heavy shroud as the once-familiar room around him twisted and distorted.

"Did you think that I'd let you wield me without a proper approval-"

"But the Vatican-"

"ARE FOOLS!" The Ebony Blade screamed, the room shaking from his frustration.

Ricky's knees hit the cold, slimy surface, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him, but despite the fatigue, he couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto his face.

The sight of the Ebony Blade's annoyance at his mere existence, when it was in itself a twisted reflection of his own torment, provided a sliver of satisfaction in this dark realm.

"Well, it depends~" The Ebony Blade replied, its expression twisting into a mocking smile.

"Have you ever wondered why I allow Percival's descendants to wield me?" The Ebony Blade asked, its tone dripping with intrigue as Ricky rolled his eyes in response.

"I don't know, do you have some sort of crush on him?" Ricky sighed, his patience wearing thin, but the blade laughed in response.

"You could say that. However, it's more than just admiration; there's something about your bloodline that enables your family to chain me to your line." The Ebony Blade circled around Ricky, its presence both unnerving and compelling.

"Percival, that fool, somehow ingrained his ability to wield me within his blood, which was then passed down to his son, and subsequently to his descendants." The Ebony Blade continued, halting a short distance away from him.

Its tone was a mix of amusement and disdain, as if recalling the legacy of the family was both a point of pride and annoyance.

"It started with good intentions, using the idea of enduring my thirst to wield me for the goodness of the world." The Ebony Blade's smile twisted further, its hissing voice growing more sinister as Ricky realized where this was headed.

"Let me guess: they all failed?" Ricky's face was almost ghostly, huffing out shallow breaths yet the skepticism was still etched onto his face as the blade nodded in affirmation.

"Their original intentions of chivalry, the dream of making a difference in this rancid world, were consumed by my thirst, all while they deceived themselves into thinking they had not changed." The Ebony Blade loomed before Ricky, their eyes locking in a shared reflection of darkness.

"Now, for you, Ricky Luciano, what are your intentions of chivalry that compel you to wield my being-"

"I don't have any." Ricky's voice was flat, the truth of his selfish desires laid bare.

"You cannot be serious?" The Ebony Blade asked, laughter echoing in its tone, as if it couldn't believe what it had just heard.

"I don't care about living my life as a good person or doing the right thing at every turn." Ricky declared out weakly, unflinching in his honesty with the blade he sought to wield.

"I live my life for me, my goals, my desires, and I couldn't care less if others label me as selfish, as long as they don't try to disrupt my way of life." Ricky patted his chest, irritation bubbling beneath the surface at the blade's grip on him, as if it were forcing him to justify his very existence.

"If I happen to do the right thing out of my own selfishness, then fine, whatever. But I'm not going to stand here and be lectured by some f*cking sword that has a hard-on for my family's chivalry," Ricky shot back, jabbing a finger at the Ebony Blade's chest as he had far bigger things occupying his mind than seeking approval from a sentient weapon.

"You want to know what my intentions are? Well, they're whatever the f*ck I want them to be. There's no such thing as good or bad, just decisions that get judged by others!" Ricky ranted, diving deeper into his truth as the sword simply smiled at him, unfazed.

"NOW ARE YOU JUST GOING TO SIT THERE AND JUDGE ME, OR ARE WE GOING TO SLASH A VAMPIRE?" Ricky yelled, summoning the last of his strength, a surge of anxiety gripping him as he feared it might already be too late.

The blade merely smiled at the use of 'we,' an unsettling glint dancing in its dark essence.

"We shall."

*GASP*

" YOUNG RICKY!" Alexander tugged at his cheek, the red of Ricky's eyes fading into green as he looked up, swallowing hard.

"ARGH!" Ricky's eyes flared with crackling red energy, the same energy that threatened to tear him apart.

Alexander exhaled, a breath of relief escaping him as they both stared at the chaos wrought by Baron Blood.

Ricky's gaze finally lifted to the cataclysmic storm of blood engulfing the skies, a terrifying spectacle that seemed to blot out the heavens themselves.

Razor-sharp droplets spiraled within the fingertips of Baron Blood, slicing through anything they touched as they coalesced into a towering whirlpool unlike anything Ricky had ever witnessed.

What appeared to be a massive blob of blood was alive with waves of glimmering droplets, each poised to wreak havoc.

Baron Blood smirked, fully aware that Ricky could reflect his attacks, but how long could he maintain that defense?

Furthermore, could he even reflect what he could not perceive?

If Baron Blood's droplets moved fast enough, could Ricky still manage to redirect them?

The vampire intended to test that limit, preparing a massive spell capable of both defense and offense, aiming to gradually whittle down Ricky's strength before delivering the final blow.

As Ricky stared at the towering display of strength, a maddening fury swirled within him, threatening to consume his very essence once more.

The intoxicating allure of that overwhelming power beckoned, whispering promises of domination and retribution.

Ricky knew that if he allowed himself to lose control, everything could be his for the taking as his eyes began to hollow.

"Young Ricky." Alexander's steady and calm voice resounded amidst the rippling energies threatening to collide.

The sound cut through the chaos like a beacon, grounding Ricky in the tempest of his emotions.

"Remember that there is nothing impossible to him who tries. This power is but a tool; it does not define you." Alexander remained silent after these words, recognizing that this was a path Ricky needed to walk alone.

"YOU FOOL! DO YOU THINK I HAVEN'T NOTICED THAT YOU CAN ONLY REFLECT WHAT YOU CAN PERCEIVE?" Baron Blood bellowed, spreading his arms wide. The swirling whirlpool above began to thin out, transforming the already small droplets into microscopic shards that glimmered ominously in the dim light.

Eldritch flames erupted from the gauntlets encasing Ricky's hands, a holy aura wrapping around them as his eyes glowed a fierce red, yet the clarity in his pupils betrayed the berserk state.

Baron Blood's laughter echoed, a cruel melody mocking Ricky's desperate efforts.

However in this moment, there was no quip, no insult; Ricky merely fixed his gaze on the hovering vampire above, feeling the weight of the moment.

His hands tightened around the handle of the blade, a steadfast resolve coursing through him.

"I WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE PEST YOU ARE! FOR MY MASTER! FOR OUR DOMINANCE OVER YOU MERE BLOOD BAGS!" Baron Blood let out a thunderous roar, he hurled his arms forward, unleashing a torrent of deadly droplets toward Ricky, who stood defiantly amidst the wrecked moving train, heart racing and instincts screaming for survival.

In that moment, Ricky stood alone, devoid of any tools to manipulate time or shield himself, with only the Ebony Blade gripped tightly in his hands. The skies opened up, unleashing a barrage of razor-sharp droplets that hurtled toward him with deadly speed, each one aimed with ruthless precision.

With a fierce determination, Ricky raised the sword, it's dark blade gleaming ominously in the chaos.

Within the sword, the Ebony Blade loomed, extending its slimy, black sludge of a hand, fingertips shimmering with a sickly light, as if eager to draw him into its malevolent influence.

The air crackled with tension, the stage set for an explosive confrontation as Ricky prepared to face the onslaught head-on.

"Only this once, will I lend my help for free."

Then, without a moment's hesitation, Ricky's eyes flared with crimson energy as the raw power of the Ebony Blade surged through him, igniting every nerve in his body. With an instinctive grace, he raised the sword in a magnificent arc that caught Alexander's eye, glimmering with a fierce beauty that transcended the chaos surrounding them.

As the blood droplets descended, poised to pierce and obliterate him from every direction, Ricky stood resolute, ready to unleash the blade's might.

The air around him pulsed with energy, and he felt the weight of his lineage and the strength of his own resolve guiding his every move rather than the inherent chivalry.

This was his moment,his time to shine against the encroaching darkness.

His time to swing his sword.

The Ebony Blade sliced through the air with a delicate grace, embodying the elegance of the world even as it heralded unspeakable destruction.

Its movements were fluid and mesmerizing, yet each arc carried an undercurrent of dread, as if the very essence of beauty was tainted by the annihilation it could unleash.

Red blips of electricity crackled in the air, gathering intensity as Ricky completed his swing.

*THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Then, in an instant, a sonic boom erupted, sending a shockwave of crimson lightning cascading outward, illuminating the surroundings with an explosive brilliance.

Every object held together by the spell was cleaved in two by the vibrant red electricity, severed time and time again.

The blood droplets, once swirling with malevolent energy, disintegrated into nothingness under the weight of Ricky's heaven-defying power, obliterating the spell as if it had never existed.

Baron Blood stared in horror as his spells unraveled before the true might of the blade that had haunted the Black Knight's enemies for centuries.

However, this was the first time he had ever witnessed its power to cut through anything.

"How?" Baron Blood gasped, his defenses already raised, but his body was jerked back in an ugly manner as if struck by an unseen force.

Then, in the blink of an eye, every ounce of the Ebony Blade's power dissipated, leaving only Ricky's figure standing amid the chaos.

The strain of wielding such immense energy pulled at every reserve within him, draining his stamina and magic until he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath as exhaustion weighed heavily on his body and mind.

Holding himself up with the blade, the train barely carried onto the other half of the bridge that wasn't destroyed.

The aftermath left a gaping hole in the bridge they had been traveling on, a testament to the chaos unleashed moments before. Baron Blood hovered in the air, slowly descending to the other side, his mind still reeling from the events that had just transpired.

Both he and Ricky locked eyes across the chasm, each one drained of their strength yet still standing, their wills unyielding.

Baron Blood finally set his feet down on the far side of the bridge, his gaze fixed on the retreating train that carried Ricky away.

Baron Blood squinted, observing the train holding Ricky thundered down the tracks, painfully aware that he lacked the strength to leap or fly across the gaping chasm left by their clash.

However, despite the duel appearing to end in a tie, it was evident that Ricky was in far worse shape, a truth both combatants understood all too well.

Baron Blood, with his keen instincts, recognized the danger of overextending himself; he could feel the fatigue creeping into his limbs.

He knew that if he pushed himself too hard, he would find his own condition mirroring Ricky's by the time they crossed paths again.

Caution tempered his hunger for victory as he weighed his next move, acutely aware of the stakes that lay ahead.

Baron Blood watched as Ricky staggered away, a fierce vow forming in his mind: the next time they met, he would skin him alive and never again underestimate this blood bag.

As Ricky passed the clearing, his strength finally gave out, and he collapsed, unable to keep himself on his feet any longer.

"Young Ricky-"

Ricky's face slapped into the ground, his consciousness fading as the world around him blurred into nothingness.

His eyelids fluttered shut, surrendering to the weight of exhaustion, and he slipped into a deep, oblivious sleep, leaving behind the chaos of the battle and the looming threat of Baron Blood.

'F*cking vampires.'

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