Chapter 76

Dark red energy suddenly started entering my body.

"WHAT IS THIS SHIT!? IT F*CKING HURTS!"

I tried to take my hands off the coffin, but I couldn't.

*THUD*

I fell on my knees.

My eyes started slowly closing.

"Ken! Ken!"

I could hear Vlad screaming my name, but I couldn't react at all.

*THUD*

I fell on the ground, and my eyes closed.

"JUSTINA!"

I opened my eyes, and I suddenly found myself on the ground with a woman in my hands, who is covered in blood.

"What the hell is going on!?"

I tried to stand up, but my body suddenly moved without my control, and I started hugging her and crying. I also felt sadness. The same sadness when I was hugging my little brother before I lost him forever.

'What is happening, and what are all these feelings.'

"I'm so sorry, Justina! It's all my fault that this happened! I wasn't strong enough to protect you!"

She smiled at me.

"It isn't your fault. Even your father isn't strong enough to face that monster."

"What monster!?"

"I… I couldn't take a good look at him. I only saw his shadow. B… But the power he radiated was so dark and strong that I felt like an ant compared to him."

*COUGH*

*COUGH*

She started coughing blood, and I could tell that she is slowly fading away.

"Justina, Justina! Please stay with me!"

She touched my face.

"I'm sorry, Vlad, but this is where we have to say goodbye."

"No! I'll take you to Doc. He was always capable of doing miracles. I'm sure he can save you."

*COUGH*

*COUGH*

She started coughing more blood.

"There is no use. He is already dead."

"What!?"

I felt like all the hope I had left disappeared.

"Please don't worry about me. Your father said that you had to get to him right away."

"I can't leave you here!"

She smiled.

"At least I can die knowing I choose the right man."

"Please don't talk like that."

She wiped away the tears from my eyes.

"Please go to your father and keep living for the two of us…"

Her eyes slowly closed, and I now held her lifeless body in my arms. It felt like my heart just got ripped out of my chest.

"JUSTINAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

I started crying even harder.

"VLAD!!!"

I suddenly heard a voice booming through the castle.

"Damn it! I'm sorry, Justina, but I need to leave you here for now. I'll come back for you after I help my father."

I placed her down gently on the floor and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

'What is happening!? Why am I doing all of this? Wait, could this be Vlad's memories!? She did call him Vlad. That must be it!? I somehow am capable of seeing and feeling his memories. This must be the day everything went down.'

I suddenly stood up and started running In the direction where the voice came from.

After a couple of minutes, I arrived in the throne room with a huge throne in it. But the person I saw on the throne wasn't who I expected. I could only see his silhouette and a red eye, but there was no doubt in my mind who's sitting on the throne.

'IM!'

In the middle of the throne room is an extremely pale old man. He's even paler than Laffitte. He is missing his left arm, and he has a hole in his stomach. But the five people around him that he is fighting against aren't in great shape either.

'They are the Five Elders! If this battle really took place 300 to 400 years ago like Robin said, that would mean that the elders can live much longer than normal people. They look like they're 40 to 50 years old.'

"Vlad! You're finally here!"

*WOOSH*

He suddenly turned into a massive bat and appeared in front of me. He suddenly picked me up with his bat feet and flew out of the window.

"What are you doing, father!?"

"Listen, Vlad. You're our last hope, so I have to make sure you're safe till you are strong enough!"

We flew around the Castle, and the sight of war was much worse than I imagined. Unlike the skeletons we saw when we entered the castle, these guys died not too long ago. The smell of blood enveloped the whole island.

Children, women, elderly, no one was spared. I could even see the bodies of kids with World Government clothing.

I could feel Vlad's hatred for the World Government rise, and so did mine.

A little bit later, we arrived in the room where I was fighting against the metal giants who aren't moving now. There is also a giant wolf, spider, and a little rat in the room.

*WOOSH*

His father turned back to normal and took out the three gems, and opened the pathway. He then threw the gems to the wolf, spider, and rat.

"You guys know what to do."

They nodded and ran away.

"Let's go, Vlad! We don't have much time left."

He grabbed my arm and took me down the stairs. The smell of blood wasn't here this time. We quickly arrived in the room, and this time the coffin is open.

"What is this place."

*WOOSH*

*THUD*

He suddenly threw me inside the coffin.

"What are you doing, father!?"

I will seal you inside of here with my powers.

"What, why!?"

"I told you! You're our last hope! Survive and take revenge or rebuild our kingdom and live out a life in hiding and peace! It's all up to you now!"

*BITE*

"ARGH!"

His teeth suddenly became pointy, and he bit me in my neck. It hurt like a motherf*cker, but I felt myself become stronger.

"I transferred to you my Devil Fruit powers. You are now the new king of the kingdom. Survive and make me proud."

"FATHER!"

He put the lid on the coffin and sealed me off.

"Before my power completely disappears, I will make sure you're safe. Curse Seal!"

I felt a strange power envelop the coffin.

"To get out of here, you need to become strong enough, or someone with good intentions needs to release you."

*THUD*

"Father? Father! FATHER!"

"He is dead, boy."

"Huh?"

My hearing suddenly improved, and I could hear five people and somehow make out their shapes.

"YOU BASTARDS!"

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[Poor Vlad.]

Anime Quotes:

"I'll never resent you, or hate you, or hurt you. Not ever. Not you or anyone. I'd rather die. So If I'm killed, I'll face my killer with a smile. And I'll tell them that it's okay, because it won't be their fault for doing it. It'll just be that they don't know any better. I'll die hopeful, that my death might have helped them… to understand someday."

– Photo (Kino's Journey)

"Are you listening god? The thing is, mom and dad don't like each other anymore. And it's my fault for being such a useless daughter."

– Hatori Shikishima (Alice & Zouroku)

"They call certain methods of fighting good and others evil, acting as if there were some nobility to the battlefield. Such illusions, perpetrated by heroes throughout history, have led countless young men to their bloody deaths, all for the sake of this valor and glory."

– Kiritsugu Emiya (Fate Zero)