Chapter 74: Duel Of Blood

Next Day,

"To think, today's the day I actually beat up a racist dwarf. Who would've thought?" Ricky chuckled from across the circle, the same spot where he'd battled Percival just the day before.

"Spare me your impure words." Ernst growled at Ricky, who swore he saw one of the veins in his eye darken to black.

However, his observation was cut short by a sudden ringing in his ear, making him wince.

'Kill them all~' The words pounded through his skull with a relentless rhythm, each syllable like a hammer striking his temples. 

A sharp, throbbing pain spread behind his eyes as Ricky gritted his teeth, trying to push through the haze of discomfort. 

'Kill~'

'YOU MUST KILL!'

Ricky felt like he was losing his grip on reality as voices swarmed his mind, growing louder with each passing second. 

The chaotic whispers, fragmented and unsettling, echoed inside his head, threatening to drown out his own thoughts. 

Desperately, he clenched his eyes shut, forcing himself to imagine a barrier, a mental dome forming around his brain, shielding him from the invasive noise. 

He focused on that image, a protective shell hardening with every breath, pushing back the relentless barrage of voices. 

Slowly, the chaos began to dull, muffled behind the walls of his makeshift defense.

'Wait, that worked?' Ricky blinked in surprise as he opened his eyes, having done it instinctively in the heat of the moment, then gave himself a small nod.

'Neat.' Ricky rubbed his neck, lost in thought, until his gaze settled on the void-black stone beneath the monolith, where the so-called ebony blade lay in wait.

"The Duel of Blood will commence. Is there any opposition to this battle that will determine who will bear the title of the next Black Knight?" Father Sebastian inquired, addressing the crowd, but silence hung in the air; no one spoke.

Ricky stood facing Ernst, shirtless and clad in oversized shorts as the rules of the duel dictated that he could bear only a single sword and a pair of pants, leaving him feeling exposed yet determined. 

While he wasn't allowed to use his powers in a conventional sense, he knew he could tap into the full potential of his new eyes, a secret advantage he was ready to exploit.

'I mean, is it really cheating if I don't get caught?' Ricky pondered the situation, his mind racing with possibilities, when he noticed Ernst drooling slightly at the corners of his mouth.

"BEGIN!" Father Sebastian announced, but neither Ricky nor Ernst moved at first as he rested the sword on his shoulder, sizing up his opponent. 

Compared to Ernst, Ricky was incredibly muscular, likely weighing over sixty pounds more than him, and it was clear he held a significant physical advantage. 

Still, Ernst felt a surge of confidence as he met Ricky's gaze, ready to prove that strength wasn't everything.

From an early age, Ernst had been trained in the art of the sword, his skills honed and sharpened like a finely crafted blade. 

With unwavering confidence, he charged forward, rushing at Ricky, who met him with a steady, knowing gaze. 

Ernst feinted an arc before swinging horizontally, but Ricky merely yawned, his movements relaxed as he effortlessly countered the strike with a swing of his arm, deflecting the attack with surprising ease.

*DING*

"Urgh." Ernst grunted as the force of one of Ricky's swings knocked the sword from his tightly gripped hand, sending it flying across the arena.

*BAM*

Ricky followed up with a powerful Spartan kick that sent Ernst tumbling backward, a wide smile spreading across his face as he watched his opponent struggle to regain his footing. 

The shock from the blow forced Ernst to one knee, and Ricky felt a surge of triumph; he knew he had already won. 

While Ernst's skill with the sword was undeniable, Ricky understood that even the most refined techniques could only do so much against the raw power of the Emperor's eyes.

" Just surrender man, you can't beat me." Ricky glanced to the side and gave Father Sebastian a thumbs up, remembering the warning not to kill Ernst.

However, Ricky had no intention of allowing his enemies to linger any longer as he now understood all too well the risks of letting someone like Ernst survive, even in his weakened state. 

Keeping him alive now would only plant the seeds for future chaos, the kind of trouble that could grow into a massive headache and a complication Ricky had no interest in dealing with later.

Ricky could already sense that Ernst would likely come back for revenge or try something desperate. 

That's why he planned to offer him a chance to surrender, though deep down, he doubted Ernst would ever take it.

It was to give the illusion that he tried in front of these priests and holy men so when he refused, Ricky would find a way to 'accidentally' finish the job, ensuring that the threat was permanently eliminated.

"NO, THIS IS MY DESTINY!" Ernst roared as he charged forward, but Ricky swiftly raised his hand into the air, a signal to halt the reckless advance.

"YOU HAVE NOTHING BUT PIG'S BLOOD FLOWING THROUGH YOUR VEINS-"

*SLAP*

Ricky backhanded Ernst as he tumbled to the ground once again and Ricky sighed while looking towards Father Sebastion.

"Is this really necessary-" Ricky maintained his composure, playing his part, when his peripheral vision caught something out of the corner of his eye.

*BAM*

Ricky instantly kicked the air in front of him, the force of the blow colliding with Ernst once more, sending him crashing to the side.

"Just end it father-"

"That is not how it works child." Father Sebastian shook his head as Ricky turned his attention to the center, sensing the tension in the air.

"Only when the sword shows itself will the next Black Knight be decided." Father Sebastian hinted at something, and the subtle implication turned Ricky's smile into a frown, a flicker of concern crossing his face.

'Don't tell me those creepy whispers were coming from the sword-of course they were. Why wouldn't they be whispers that invade my f*cking mind?' Ricky interrupted his own thoughts with a sigh as he deftly dodged Ernst's attack. 

In one fluid motion, he flicked Ernst's forehead before delivering a sharp kick to his shin and finally finishing with a kick to his stomach and sending him backwards.

'Okay, so this guy seems pretty reckless, like me, but way angrier-....kind of like a little Christmas elf trying to convince a Jewish kid that Santa is real, getting more pissed each time he's not believed.' Ricky tilted his head, genuinely analyzing the thought since if Ernst had pointy ears, maybe the comparison would make even more sense.

'Whatever, I'll just drop the mental barrier holding back those weird whispers, summon the sword, and when it appears, he'll probably say something like 'I'm not worthy' and rush to kill me from behind. Then I'll just turn around and 'accidentally' finish him off.' Ricky thought, mapping out his plan mid-fight, knowing it wasn't ideal to strategize on the fly, but he figured it was still progress.

Despite his reluctance to let his mind be penetrated by weird whispers, Ricky decided to drop the mental barrier he had maintained until now. 

As soon as he did, he clamped his hands over his ears and dropped his sword as a tidal wave of whispers flooded into his mind, overwhelming his senses and threatening to consume his entire thoughts.

'COME TO ME!'

'COME TO ME!'

'COME TO ME!'

'COME TO ME!'

'COME TO ME!'

'COME TO ME!'

"Fucking hell, how does anyone get used to this?" Ricky gritted his teeth, his palms clamping over his ears as if that would help stave off the chaos.

The words echoed furiously in Ricky's head, drowning out everything else, while Ernst took a step back in surprise. 

Just then, a sword began to lift out of the ground, its void-black blade glimmering ominously as it broke free from the earth.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO-"

*WHOOOOSH*

A wave of air shot out as Ernst lunged for the hilt, but he was violently rejected as a powerful gust sent him crashing into the wall, while Ricky remained completely unfazed, caught in a slight trance. 

He stumbled toward the red and black sword, its colors dancing along the blade, eagerly anticipating his touch. 

Without hesitation, he reached forward, mesmerized by its captivating glow as the dark hue seemed to stretch out, eagerly anticipating his touch.

"No." Ernst whispered, his eyes widening as Ricky's fingers brushed the hilt of the blade. 

A vibration resonated within the sword, forging a connection with its new wielder. 

Black residue began to seep onto Ricky's hand, trailing down his body and spreading across him like a dark ink. 

With the mere touch of the sword, armor began to materialize, enveloping Ricky in its ominous embrace.

Clad in black armor, the ebony blade rested comfortably in Ricky's grip though no light shone upon him as instead, an intense, building power radiated from his being, seeking to ensnare all around him in a murderous glow.

"I give myself to the darkness; I surrender it all for one request." Ernst slowly rose to his feet, his eyes beginning to darken, swirling with black. 

"Kill that man."

Abraham's head jerked to the side, a familiar sensation washing over him, a feeling he thought he could never experience atop holy ground.

"KID, KILL HIM NOW!" Abraham screeched at him, Ricky gazing back at Abraham in confusion who was charging forward until he was stopped by the barrier.

"I was going to after he charged my blind spot-" Ricky whispered to himself, only for his senses to suddenly scream at him, freezing him in place.

"Oh, how I missed these grounds." A deep, garbled voice echoed from behind Ricky. 

He turned to see Ernst floating in the air, his eyes completely devoid of color as Ernst reveled in the eerie presence of the place, his expression twisted with a sinister satisfaction.

"SEB. TAKE DOWN THE F*CKING BARRIER, DO IT NOW!" Abraham reached for his old friend, but Father Sebastian shook his head, a look of concern crossing his face.

"I-It's impossible the trial isn't over yet-"

"Abraham, is that you?" Ernst called out toward the side, causing Abraham's breathing to quicken. 

His horrified eyes turned to the floating figure of Ernst, a mix of fear and disbelief flooding his expression.

"It really is. When was the last time I saw you? It's been what, twenty years?" Ernst grinned madly at Abraham, who balled his fists in immense strain, blood trickling down his palms.

"When was it? Oh yes, it was when I slaughtered your son and daughter-in-law right in front of you while you begged me to stop-"

"DRACULA!" Abraham screeched in pain, rushing forward, but he was abruptly halted by an invisible barrier before him.

"Oh sh*t." Ricky, confused by the whole scenario, muttered to himself as he looked at Ernst with a questioning look.

"You're Dracula?" Ricky asked, tilting his head as Dracula, within Ernst's form, regarded him with a curious expression.

Now clad in the black knight armor, the armor effectively blocked Dracula from piercing into his identity or probing his soul, keeping his true self hidden, a significant advantage for Ricky in this tense confrontation.

"Yes, and I see you're the new Black Knight." Dracula rubbed his chin thoughtfully, while Ricky responded with a smirk.

"Pretty cool, right?" Ricky bragged nonchalantly, waving his newly acquired sword as Dracula let out a slow, amused hum in response.

"It is indeed 'pretty cool'." Dracula nodded, laughing at Ricky's relaxed expression as it had been a long time since someone had looked at him with such casual confidence.

"So, hey, I get that you probably have some ill will toward the Church and a bad history with the old man over there, but do we really have to fight?" Ricky asked honestly, hoping to defuse the tension. 

His thoughts flickered to the reality of the situation as he hadn't wronged Dracula personally.

Until a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.

'Oh sh*t, I forgot I killed his son.' Ricky's own thought process was abruptly interrupted by the realization that he had indeed killed Xarus.

'Nah, it's not like he knows-'

"You're hiding something," Dracula frowned, observing the shift in Ricky's demeanor and immediately probing further.

"Well, yeah, I mean, everyone has secrets," Ricky replied, looking around and spreading his arms as if to question whether he was wrong as even Percival shrugged in agreement.

"No, you fool, the way you looked at me for a split second suggested that a topic involving me somehow implicated you in wrongdoing. Do you truly believe I haven't noticed?" Dracula, a vampire who had mastered the art of observation, read Ricky like a book and let out a hearty laugh.

"Yeah, I don't know, that seems like quite a stretch," Ricky replied, outwardly skeptical as even for him, it felt like a leap to assume so much from a brief glance at his behavior.

"YOUR HOLINESS, A LITTLE HELP!" Abraham shouted, pounding on the barrier. 

Pope Pius, sensing the urgency, advanced swiftly, his hands radiating a brilliant holy glow as he prepared to intervene.

Gold sparks flickered against the barrier as Pope Pius focused his energy, essentially drilling into the very arena that contained one of the swords of God. 

The air crackled with divine intensity, each pulse resonating through the barrier as he sought to breach its confines and assist those trapped within.

"Well, it doesn't matter. The condition for ownership of this body is to kill you, and with that, I'll claim the blade as well." Dracula had a plan in mind, one that involved turning Ernst into a ghoul and using him as a fearsome undead warrior.

All the priests paled, along with Abraham, realizing that their secret weapon, the one they had hoped to train in hiding to combat unholy creatures, had already been exposed to one of the most notorious undead beings on Earth.

"However, this isn't good since it seems like there is a threat, I mean, your equipment, not you in particular." Dracula said, furrowing his brows at the potential consequences of allowing Ricky to leave alive after observing his armor.

Throwing caution to the wind in front of the actual Dracula, Ricky donned his trench coat and gauntlets. 

Even the sword seemed to understand his intentions, freeing his hands to allow the gauntlets to merge seamlessly with it.

"!" Ricky's eyes widened as warning bells blared in his mind at an intensity he had never experienced before. 

He pushed his mental barrier to its limits, desperate to shield himself from the impending threat.

"I'll snip out your bud right now, to eliminate any headaches that may bloom in the future." Dracula intoned, as Ernst's body convulsed under a dark, ominous red energy.

The towering wave of magical energy loomed over Ricky as he strained to keep his eyes on it, reinforcing his mental barrier with all his might. 

"KID, COME OVER HERE NOW!" Abraham yelled from behind Ricky, his voice strained with urgency as he watched Pope Pius manage to pry open a tiny hole in the barrier.

"I-...no, I can't." Ricky then turned back to the floating husk of Ernst, whose very presence distorted the air around him with an unsettling energy. 

The atmosphere crackled with tension, the malevolent power radiating from Ernst felt almost tangible, wrapping around Ricky like a chilling shroud.

"I see you are a courageous fool, how amusing." Dracula chuckled venomously, his hands pulsating with an eerie red glow that cast ominous shadows on his face.

Dracula aimed to eliminate him in an instant, preferring not to exhaust this husk of a body only for it to be accidentally destroyed. 

With a flick of his finger, the immense tide of energy warped and twisted, coalescing into a horrifying spell that crackled with dark magic. 

It surged forward, a swirling vortex of malevolence, each pulse resonating with the promise of devastation. 

Ricky felt the raw power of the spell as it hurtled toward him, time seeming to slow as he braced himself for impact, adrenaline coursing through his veins as his eyes surged to time it exactly right.

'Full counter.'

*THOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The area shook violently as Dracula's eyes widened in shock as his conduit, Ernst, was being enveloped by his own spell, which swelled to an overwhelming volume. 

Dark energy crackled and roared, distorting the very air around them, as the spell threatened to consume everything in its path. 

The intensity of the situation escalated, leaving Dracula momentarily stunned by the unexpected backlash of his own dark magic.

"Interesting, I did not expect that." Dracula uttered his last words, just before the spell completely engulfed his conduit. 

A massive explosion erupted, sending shockwaves through the barrier and illuminating the area with a blinding light. 

The pulsating energy radiated outward, distorting everything in its wake, leaving behind a deafening silence as the dust began to settle.

*HUFF*

Ricky collapsed to the ground, unable to fully evade the backlash from the explosion as he fell to one knee, holding himself up with the ebony blade, cold sweat dripping down his face at the strain of redirecting such an overwhelming power back at Dracula.

The blinding light began to wane, revealing Ernst's body, now completely devoid of blood and flesh. 

Only his bones remained, scattered across the ground, a grotesque reminder of the spell's destructive power.

As the barrier fell, Abraham seized the opportunity and with a fierce determination, he charged forward, dagger drawn and glinting in the fading light, ready to confront the horror that had just unfolded.

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE*

A loud screech resounded from Ernst's body as it showed that even with his skeleton state, he had survived as his being slowly turned into ash.

"ERNST!" Bishop Thomas screeched, rushing forward as he sought to grab the black ash with a pale expression.

"LOCKDOWN THE VATICAN, WE HAVE BEEN BREACHED!" Pius sounded as the priests flinched before standing to their feet.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT!" Abraham turned to Ricky who wiped the sweat from his forehead as Alexander and Henry scurried to his side.

"Well, right now but I'm already thinking about ways to overcome that-"

"DAMMIT KID, YOU'VE THROWN YOURSELF INTO THE SIGHTS OF DRACULA!" Abraham pushed RIcky as he stumbled backwards.

"Uh, come again?" Ricky asked out, huffing out a breath and wiping his forehead.

"HE KNOWS YOU EXIST HE-"

"HOW THE F*CK WAS THAT MY FAULT, HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE WOULD JUST APPEAR!" RIcky yelled back at Abraham, laughing since he couldn't tell the future.

"You should've ran to us, broken the barrier and-"

"I wouldn't have done that anyways so it doesn't matter." Ricky shrugged, Abraham showing a livid expression as he pushed him back.

"You don't get it, you should've played dead and-" Abraham hurried after him, lecturing Ricky who was adamant about facing it head on.

"Listen, we can have a full conversation about all the things I did wrong later-"

"NO!" Abraham stepped in front of Ricky, prompting a frown from him. 

Ricky recognized the recklessness of confronting Dracula directly, yet he couldn't shake the feeling in his heart that compelled him to take this stand.

"I get I was reckless okay, I admit it." Ricky appeared Abraham who couldnt' but laugh.

"You don't understand, do you?" Abraham exclaimed, gripping Ricky's shoulders tightly and shaking him, his eyes wide with desperation.

"Can you imagine a figure so monstrous that he instills this level of fear even through a conduit?" Abraham pressed, his fingers digging into Ricky's shoulders as his arms trembled violently.

"You've never met Dracula; I have. He's not just some human, he's BRUTAL!" Abraham's breath quickened, the intensity of his heartache spilling over into his anger, leaving Ricky speechless.

"Tell me why, why did you reveal your capabilities to a man who takes pride in obliterating anything that stands in his way?" Abraham's voice dripped with desperation, while Ricky's expression gradually transformed into a stoic mask.

"It may sound stupid to you, but I don't want to run from my problems any longer." Ricky said, exhaling a heavy sigh as he pushed Abraham away.

"What-"

"I just figured out that I'm exhausted from running and if I didn't kill Ernst right there it might have snowballed into a bigger problem." Ricky let out a resigned shrug accompanying his words, scratching his head as he tried to put it into words. 

"But he could've killed you-"

"I think I finally realized that if taking a step forward leads to my end, then it's whatever." Ricky continued, his words only deepening Abraham's exasperation.

"But I don't want to be afraid of making a mistake or doing something wrong anymore. It looked stupid to you, but I really thought confronting him head-on was the best choice." Ricky genuinely spoke to the completely jaw-dropped Abraham.

Ricky understood that he wouldn't always make the right decisions, no one could, but he refused to let fear hold him back from moving forward. 

He wasn't about to apologize for attempting to make the right choices and in his mind, he could only imagine the havoc Dracula would unleash if he managed to seize Ernst's body or roam freely around the Vatican. 

At that moment, Ricky saw this path as the best choice available to him and if it turned out to be a mistake, that was acceptable too, because unlike before, he genuinely wanted to learn from any missteps he might take and actually start on the road of self improvement.

"Even if he did kill me and I died right then and there, at least I can die knowing that I didn't run away like I always do." Ricky then walked off, leaving the baffled Abraham standing there, speechless.

"YOU IDIOT! THAT ISN'T JUST SOME RANDOM BLOKE ON THE STREET, BUT THE GODDAMN LORD OF BLOOD!" Abraham yelled in frustration, but Ricky simply waved him off, dismissing the urgency in his voice.

"Seemed like a dork to me." Ricky insulted the infamous vampire without a care in the world as he nonchalantly walked with Percival in tow.

"What are you still doing here?" Ricky asked, his gaze shifting to Percival, who was looking down at Alexander, squeezed into the translation ring while wearing it as some sort of belt.

"Alexander and I have come to an agreement for me to help train you," Percival said gleefully, flashing a grin as Alexander raised a paw in approval.

"Hooray." Ricky grunted, his voice laced with distress, mirroring the frustrated expression on Henry's face but couldn't turn it down since in all honesty, he needed all the help he could get.

"What just happened? Seb, please tell me I'm hallucinating and that it was some sensible person who just happened to look exactly like that kid!" Abraham exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief. 

Father Sebastian merely shook his head, his expression turning serious as he moved to assist in securing the Vatican.

Meanwhile In Transylvania,

On a stone throne, constructed from the ruins of slaves who were falsely promised freedom, sat a solitary figure. 

His name was notorious throughout history and mythos, a symbol of terror and the very embodiment of the threat against humanity itself, Dracula.

"My lord?" A vampire knelt before him, glancing up in surprise; it had been at least thirty years since he had seen Dracula so deeply lost in thought.

"There is a saint within the vatican." Dracula uttered words that his humble servant never imagined he would hear.

"We must-"

"No, they would anticipate a night raid. We'll bide our time and observe their situation more carefully, then strike." Dracula declared, raising his hands, his outrageously long fingernails glinting in the dim light.

"Yes, my lord," the servant replied, ducking his head in submission as Dracula leaned his chin on his hand, his piercing gaze fixed on the trembling figure before him.

"So, Baron Blood, how goes the cooperation with those humans who call themselves the 'Nazis'?" Dracula inquired, his voice smooth yet edged with curiosity and Baron Blood finally dared to look up, meeting the ancient vampire's intense gaze.

"The research will take a step forward once we receive more test subjects-"

"Didn't that blood bag, Hitler, want to exterminate the Jews?" Dracula yawned, his indifference palpable as he lounged on his throne. 

Baron Blood nodded in response, sensing the gravity beneath Dracula's casual demeanor.

"Then support it, encourage it even." Dracula commanded, his voice dripping with authority, as he traced the sharp edge of his fingernail along the arm of his throne, leaving faint scratches in the stone.

"Inform them that I'll send more vampires to fulfill his bidding, provided he agrees to allow the capture of additional subjects for testing. This research is essential for the future of our race, after all."Dracula continued, indifferent to the suffering his orders would inflict upon the humans, as long as it served his own interests. 

Baron Blood nodded vigorously, a glint of eagerness in his eyes, desperate to curry favor with his master.

"Now leave; I have much to ponder," Dracula commanded, flicking his wrist dismissively. 

Baron Blood vanished instantly, the air shimmering in his wake as the vampire lord was left alone in the cavernous throne room. 

The silence settled around him like a shroud, allowing his thoughts to spiral into the depths of his dark ambitions.

Dracula tapped his long, bony fingers against the cold stone of his throne, each rhythmic sound echoing in the vast chamber. 

Lost in thought, he examined the new chessboard slowly laid out before him, the usual game that always brought him great entertainment against his old so-called nemesis, the Van Helsing family or what was left of it. 

Strategies whirled through his mind like shadows, each move calculated as he contemplated how to exploit Abraham's weaknesses and turn the tide of their eternal one sided conflict to bring about more amusement for him.

'Oh Abraham, I cannot wait to see that look of despair when I crush this new acquaintance of yours.'