My Blood Legacy: Reincarnated as a Vampire

The passage newly opened before them seemed to pulse with a strange energy. It was cold, lifeless, yet vibrant in a way that made Dante feel as though he were being watched by unseen eyes. He exchanged a brief glance with Morgana before following her, both stepping into the glimmering darkness of the obsidian corridor. Alice walked ahead, her figure straight and imposing, as if she were accustomed to leading through the unknown.

"We're close," Alice said without looking back, her voice echoing slightly. "Eveline isn't your typical prisoner. She… hasn't been herself. She screams constantly and has fits of—"

"Envy?" Dante interrupted, already anticipating the answer.

Alice gave a small nod but offered no further explanation. They moved forward for several minutes until they reached a massive door etched with glowing runes. Each symbol seemed to hold a fragment of reality itself, pulsing in sync with the shadowy surroundings. Alice raised her hand and traced a pattern in the air; the runes responded immediately, flickering before vanishing.

The door opened with a deep groan, revealing Eveline seated at the center of the chamber. She appeared deceptively relaxed, her hands resting in her lap. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, a stark contrast to her pale skin, which seemed almost translucent under the green flames illuminating the room.

Dante approached cautiously, his eyes scanning every detail of the woman before him. Despite her imprisonment, there was something about her that exuded power—not the overt kind, but the kind that resonated in the deepest corners of one's soul. Eveline lifted her head and met Dante's gaze, her green eyes glowing like emeralds set ablaze.

"So… you're Dante," she said, her voice low and melodious but edged with something sharp. "At last, the 'King' decides to pay me a visit."

"You tried to assassinate Lira," Dante replied bluntly. "And you've caused enough chaos to justify a cell like this. I needed to understand who you are and what you're planning."

Eveline let out a soft laugh, but there was something sinister about it, something that made the room feel even more oppressive. "Me? Planning something? Oh, King… I'm just a victim of circumstance. You know how the world works, don't you? The strong crush the weak, and I was merely… crushed."

Dante narrowed his eyes. "Surviving? Is that what you call trying to kill someone?"

She tilted her head, her lips curling into an enigmatic smile. "You don't understand, do you? It wasn't my choice. There's something inside me… something that never stops whispering, never stops demanding. It's like an insatiable hunger."

Alice stepped closer, her footsteps silent but deliberate. "You're talking about the demon, Envy."

At the mention of the name, Eveline visibly trembled, her eyes widening in fear. "Yes… him. Always present. Always watching." She began to laugh, but the sound quickly morphed into something else—a distorted, guttural noise that echoed through the chamber. Dante and Morgana exchanged uneasy glances, and Alice stepped forward, her hand already glowing with containment magic.

"Don't resist," Alice commanded, but it was too late.

Eveline arched her back as a scream tore from her lips, though it didn't sound human. The air around her began to warp, as if it were being consumed by a force beyond comprehension. The green light in the room flickered erratically as Eveline's body began to change. Her pale skin shifted to a sickly green hue, and her eyes blazed like twin slits of molten light. A grotesque, wide smile stretched across her face, now fully possessed by the demon of Envy.

"Well, well…" the guttural voice echoed through the room. It was no longer Eveline speaking. "Finally free of these chains. You mortals underestimate what it means to imprison me."

The demon began to grow, its body morphing into a monstrous form. Massive claws emerged from its hands, while sharp horns jutted from its forehead. The obsidian cell, designed to contain even the most dangerous beings, began to crack under the pressure of the power radiating from it.

"Dante, prepare yourself!" Alice shouted, already conjuring a magical shield around them.

With a deafening roar, the demon shattered the walls of its cell, sending debris flying in every direction. Dante instinctively pulled Morgana back, shielding her from the impact as he drew his blade. "Morgana, stay behind me!"

"I'm not that fragile, you know," she retorted, already channeling her own magic and creating a protective barrier around herself.

The demon laughed, its voice reverberating like thunder. "You think you can face me? I am the embodiment of Envy! Every desire you hide... every shadow of jealousy... I will turn them into weapons against you!"

Dante didn't hesitate. He charged forward, his blade glowing with a golden light as he channeled his divine energy. With a swift motion, he struck directly at the creature, but the demon dodged with surprising agility for something so massive. It retaliated with a swipe of its claws, forcing Dante to retreat.

Enjoy new tales from empire

Alice, meanwhile, unleashed a series of binding spells, conjuring chains of energy that sought to restrain the demon's limbs. However, the creature was too strong, shattering the chains effortlessly and advancing toward Morgana.

"Not so fast!" Morgana shouted, summoning a magical circle that erupted into blue flames, forcing the demon to recoil momentarily.

"He's draining the environment!" Alice warned. "The prison is saturated with years of accumulated magic. If we don't stop him here, he'll only grow stronger!"

"Great, he can siphon anti-magic," Dante quipped, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he dodged another attack. "Because it wouldn't be fun if this were easy!"

The demon laughed, a deep and cutting sound that resonated in Dante's very core. "Anti-magic? No, hunter. I am more than that. I am the reflection of your weaknesses." It raised one monstrous hand, drawing on the residual energy in the air. Green flames danced around its fingers, forming an ethereal spear that it hurled at Alice.

"Shield yourself!" Dante shouted. Alice quickly conjured a shield, but the spear struck with such force that it exploded into fragments of energy, throwing her backward. She tumbled across the rough ground as Morgana stepped forward.

"I've got him!" Morgana declared, tracing complex runes in the air. A sphere of bluish energy enveloped the demon, restraining its movements. It thrashed and roared with rage, cracks already forming in the sphere.

"This won't hold him for long!" she warned. "Dante, we need a coordinated attack!"

Dante gripped the hilt of his blade tightly and looked to Alice, who was beginning to rise. "Alice, can you channel a destructive spell? Something big?"

Alice nodded, still catching her breath. "I'll need time to gather the energy. Keep him busy!"

Dante rushed toward the demon, his blade humming with divine energy. "Let's see how you like this!" He unleashed a flurry of rapid, precise strikes, each emitting golden flashes as they clashed against the demon's hardened skin. Despite its near-impenetrable defense, each attack seemed to weaken it slightly, disrupting its attempts to drain more magic.

"Is that all you've got?" the demon taunted, its claws slashing in a powerful arc. Dante narrowly dodged, feeling the wind of the strike rush past him.

Morgana, still maintaining the barrier, felt the strain increasing. "I can't hold him much longer, Dante!"

From a distance, Alice began chanting in an ancient tongue. The room flickered as magical circles formed on the ground around the demon, glowing brighter with each passing second. "Ready!" she shouted. "Get back!"

Dante leapt backward as Alice unleashed her spell. A pillar of radiant light descended from above, striking the demon with full force. It roared, its form warping as Alice's magic engulfed it, draining its energy. But to their horror, the demon began to resist, absorbing part of the spell's power.

"You fools!" it bellowed, its voice shaking the very foundation of the room. "Your magic only feeds me!"

"He is draining even my purest magic!" Alice exclaimed, the tension evident in her voice. "I can't keep this up for long!"

The demon roared, its monstrous form expanding as it absorbed magic from the room. It now appeared more imposing than ever, a formless figure of pure darkness and envy. Dante, watching the chaos, felt a dangerous idea begin to form in his mind.

"If he wants negative energy..." Dante started, his voice filled with determination, "...I can give it to him. But all at once."

Alice looked at him, alarmed. "Dante, do you know what you're suggesting? Your demonic energy is not something we can play with. It could make him even stronger!"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Or it could be what destroys him." Dante raised his hand, and a red glow began to radiate from within his body. "This thing is draining ordinary magic. What would happen if it tried to absorb something much more corrosive?"

Morgana widened her eyes. "Dante, you know the risk. You could lose control!"

"I've dealt with worse." He smirked, a bold glint in his eyes. "Besides, if I don't do this now, who will stop this thing when it grows even stronger?"

Alice hesitated for a moment, but then nodded, knowing there was no alternative. "Alright. But we'll do this together. If it tries to consume you, I'll reinforce your inner barrier. Morgana, prepare a spell to seal any leftover energy from it!"

"Understood!" Morgana began tracing runes on the floor, preparing a magical circle to contain the explosion that would inevitably happen.