The Final Battle (Part 1)

Third Person's POV KYLE obliged to what Nicole wants. All of them inside the room almost held their breath at the unexpected sight. Nicole's parents couldn't help but cry. They knew that this would happen, but not this soon. When Kyle fulfilled Nicole's request, everyone was startled by a sudden loud explosion from outside. 'What's that?" Miley asked, her eyes alert. The door of the room they were in swung open forcefully, revealing Nick— the leader of the Vampire Hunters. 'They're here already. There are too many of them." His worried expression is evident on his face. The king simply nodded, clenching his fist. It seemed like their original plan didn't work. They had planned to attack the place where Hans Croven was conducting experiments on the newly converted vampires. They had known about his resurrection for a while now. Two can play this game. If he knew about them, they also knew about him. But they were too late. They failed to stop the evolution of the new form of the fledglings. Queen Cassandra then turned to Kyle. 'Son, take Nicole away from here. We'll take care of the other things." Nicole quietly listened to their conversation. She was still weak from being bitten by Kyle, so she couldn't move much. She remained supported by him. However, her forehead wrinkled, oblivious to what was really happening. Meanwhile, Kyle just nodded and lifted her without hesitation. 'Wait! Where are we going?" she asked. Kyle kissed her forehead and whispered, 'Somewhere safe, babe." Confused by her beloved's actions, she simply nodded. 'Okay. Now is the time. We need to end this war now," King Zach said, and they all nodded in agreement. They started to take action and gather things that would help them in the upcoming battle. However, at that moment, each of them was vigilant, watching each other's movements, alert for a possible attack from the traitor. 'I'll take care of Reiri. I promise that I will protect her," Hiro solemnly assured Vince as he took his sister from his grasp. Her eyes were still closed. Vince gave Hiro a murderous look. He wanted to be the one guarding his sister as much as possible. He was used to it. But it seems that the situation is different now. 'Okay. I trust you. But if anything happens to my sister, you know what will happen to you, Collins." His voice carried a hint of threat. Vince knew that the real enemy was just around them. He just hoped it wouldn't be his close friend. Hiro locked eyes with him. 'I will not let anything or anyone harms her, I assure you that," Hiro said, then lifted Reiri up. He also took some daggers for her. After reaching an agreement on what they needed to do, they all left the mansion simultaneously, greeted by a chaotic battlefield. Gunshots from the protectors filled the air, accompanied by flying knives and arrows from the vampire hunters. Some of the royal guards engaged in hand-to-hand combat using their swords. However, their attention was drawn to the flying fledglings that they had never seen before in their entire lives. 'What the hell are those creatures?" Kira exclaimed. They all kneeled down as one of the flying converted vampires headed in their direction. Jacob approached them, gasping for breath. 'Our dear king, I received a letter from the royal guards at the palace. They're also under attack." Worry etched across his face. Everyone froze upon hearing the news. They had no choice but to split into two groups. They couldn't allow the palace to be defeated, nor could they let chaos ensue, risking innocent lives. 'Leave. We'll handle these creatures," King Zach said to the young royalties, creating a large hole where he could transport the converted vampires into another dimension. He knew it would consume a great deal of his strength, but they had no other option. They all nodded. Then he turned to Jacob. 'Once I've dealt with all the converted vampires, we'll head to the palace." 'Understood, Your Majesty!" Jacob gave a quick glance to his daughter, Steph. He didn't want to leave her if possible. But they both had their own responsibilities. Steph nodded with understanding and smiled at him. The king believed that whoever among those surrounding them was the traitor, they would never succeed. They can't outsmart a pureblood, especially this group. He needs to trust them in this battle. 'We'll join you at the palace," Nicole's parents said with determination. Then they approached Kyle with a smile on their faces. 'We entrust her safety to you." Kyle nodded, his eyes starting to turn crimson red. 'I will." 'I'll go with you. I'm her protector," Steph said to Kyle, but he shook his head. 'I'll take care of her. It will be better that way." Steph wanted to protest further, but she knew she had no other choice once the prince had made up his mind. They had no one else to trust with Nicole except Kyle. That was a sure thing. Meanwhile, the other royalties and their friends still had lingering doubts, especially since they no longer knew who they could trust. However, they soon went their separate ways to finish what the enemy had started. They needed to split up. That way, they could easily identify the traitor. VINCE and Steph faced the attacking rogues together. Fortunately, Steph always had her gun with her. The bullets were specially designed so that when they hit a vampire, it gradually weakened their systems until they turned to ashes. Three rogues approached her, and she quickly ducked under them while firing shots one after another. She didn't mind the blood splatters on her anymore. But when she stood up and looked up, she realized that there were still two opponents waiting for her. She quickly lay back down and grabbed another gun. As they approached, she immediately thrust both guns into the mouths of her adversaries. Simultaneously, she pulled the triggers, causing the heads of the rebellious vampires to explode. ON HER back is Vince, who is concentrating on controlling all the arrows scattered from the sky and aiming them at the enemies around them. With the multitude of arrows raining down from the vampire hunters, many of the rogues were killed. However, there were still a few who managed to get closer to them. Vince swiftly ran and struck the back of a converted vampire who was with the rogues. In one fluid motion, he turned its head and beheaded it. Their eyes briefly met. He was momentarily taken aback when he noticed that Steph's gun was aimed at him. 'Steph? Don't tell me..." He couldn't finish his sentence as she suddenly began firing shots. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard what sounded like someone falling behind him. 'I thought..." He shook his head and chuckled. He didn't think he could handle being betrayed by the woman he loved for the second time. Steph's face twisted while she blew the top of her gun. 'To be honest, I already have a suspicion about who it is." Vince's demeanor darkened. 'I think we have the same suspect in mind." HIRO continued his relentless attacks against each rogue in front of him, while protecting the still unconscious Reiri, who was lying on the ground behind him and oblivious of the battle. He couldn't allow her to be captured or harmed by the enemy. Besides, it was the promise he made to Vince. He couldn't leave her safe at home or even in the secret room. He had no idea what might happen. But there were too many enemies. Far more than they had faced in the past. He wondered who their master was now. 'Shit!" Ten rogues were about to attack him. With all his strength, he leaped into the air and spun around before kicking them all at once. Because of the force behind his kick, they flew into the others who were charging forward. But he paused when he noticed scattered daggers around. He turned his back and saw Reiri giving him a weak smile. She was slowly getting up. 'Sorry. Am I too late?" She chuckled. Hiro winked at her. 'You just woke up in time." They continued fighting back-to-back. REIRI discarded the three daggers, and they flew straight towards the three rogues, hitting their hearts with precision. She had trained herself to be proficient in various weapons, and she had developed a fondness for daggers. As she brought down the three rogues, the daggers swiftly returned to her direction. She deftly caught them and held them between her fingers. She was now prepared to throw them again for another round of attacks. But Hiro quickly pulled her down when he saw a converted vampire about to land near them. He swiftly pursued it and struck it down. Using his strength, Hiro pulled the vampire's wings and extracted its heart from behind, causing it to turn into ashes instantly. Hiro leaped back, but due to the force, the ground beneath him cracked open. 'Well, what can you say?" Hiro wiggled his eyebrows at Reiri. But before she could respond, Reiri slowly sat down, her expression changing. 'Rei!" Hiro hurriedly approached her. 'Are you seeing something again?" A tear unexpectedly fell from Reiri's eye. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, and she never expected that the traitor would be someone they trusted the most. 'I-I already saw it. I saw who betrayed us." Her voice trembled with a mix of emotions. 'Who?" Hiro tightened his grip on her shoulders. But before she could even answer, something fell near them and caused a massive explosion. 'Rei!" Hiro quickly moved her away. He held her tightly as if afraid she would disappear. Both Hiro and Reiri looked up and saw the converted vampire retreating. It was likely the one responsible for dropping the bomb towards them. Gradually, Reiri's eyes turned a crimson red. It was an unusual sight for her, as she had never displayed such a form to anyone before. She broke free from Hiro's embrace and stared at him intently. 'We need to catch up with Kyle." MILEY and Kira held hands as they approached the beach. Miley took out her knife and threw it into the wind. It spun in the air and caused all five fledglings surrounding them to fall simultaneously. Kira moved with such speed that he seemed like a gust of wind to their enemies. They couldn't attack him because they couldn't keep up with his movements. One by one, their heads fell as Kira decapitated them, his hand dripping with blood from the hearts he tore out. Their eyes turned red, and their fangs protruded. They rarely took on this form, much like Reiri, but they did so when consumed by rage. They were about to attack another group of oncoming fledglings when, in an instant, all of them turned to ashes. Kira and Miley paused, sensing an invisible assailant they couldn't see. They nearly jumped in surprise when someone appeared before them out of nowhere. Their eyes widened in disbelief. They never expected to see her at this moment. 'Mikan," they both whispered. When Mikan had defeated all of the enemies, she faced them. Confirming their conclusion, Mikan smiled weakly at them and said, 'I'm sorry." Those words immediately came out of her mouth. 'Mikan! What are you doing here? And how were you able to fight them without us even seeing you?" Miley asked, confused. She raised her left arm, where a bracelet was worn. 'Dave gave this to me before. He said that this can help me a lot, since it has the power to make someone invisible. That's why I was able to escape from him." 'To whom? Tell us, Mikan! Are there any remaining followers of Marcus from the previous battle? Who is leading the enemies attacking us now?" Kira asked, gripping her shoulders tightly. Mikan sighed. 'Before that, there's something you need to know. There's a traitor in your group. You shouldn't trust that person," she said straightforwardly before scanning her surroundings as if searching for something. 'I know it sounds suspicious coming from me, but you need to hear me out for now," she added. 'Who?" Despite feeling doubtful, Miley still wanted to hold onto Nicole's belief that there was still goodness in Mikan's heart. 'It's—" Before she could continue, Mikan slowly collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood. 'Mikan!" Miley rushed to her side, while Kira slowly lifted her gaze to see who had just arrived. 'Victoria," Kira muttered under her breath upon seeing the woman standing in front of them. Victoria Seige. She was a black witch known for her strong envy towards Sapphire Almed, who led the black witch coven. 'You're the—" 'Right. It's me. I was the one who helped Marcus back then." Victoria smirked. 'Mikan, hold on!" Kira's attention shifted to Miley, who was crying and filled with despair as she saw Mikan's eyes closing. She knew that Mikan had been stabbed in the back, and the wound seemed deep. 'She deserves it. She's too talkative and meddlesome. She's no different from her brother." Before Kira could even react, Victoria vanished into the wind. Kira clenched his fist and hurriedly approached the two. 'Mikan, tell me. Who is the traitor?" he desperately asked. Once again, blood emerged from Mikan's mouth. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. 'Damn! What's happening to her?" Kira shouted in frustration. 'Mikan is under a dark spell. Victoria muted her." Miley's hands trembled with anger. Yes, Miley had held some resentment towards Mikan in the past. But it doesn't change the fact that she had been a part of their group too. Kira lifted the still unconscious Mikan. She knew that Mikan was still alive due to her heavy breathing. 'Let's go find them. We need to warn Kyle," he said determinedly. KYLE was running at full vampire speed. In his mind, he couldn't let Hans see Nicole, especially now. This was not part of the plan. He hadn't expected Nicole's desire to become one of them again. Because if he remembered correctly, Nicole had previously wanted to be a human and live a normal life. Especially since she had a significant responsibility as a pureblood princess from the strongest pureblood lineage. So now that she had been reborn as a human, he hadn't considered the possibility that she might want to become a vampire once more. 'Kyle? Where are we going? We should help them," Nicole whispered, but he still managed to hear her words. 'Don't worry. I just need you to bring me to that place," Kyle reassured her. But Kyle cursed in his mind when a group of rogues blocked their path. He briefly stopped and surveyed the area. Seconds later, a flame started to spread around them, burning each of the rogues. Once all the enemies around them were consumed by the flames, he continued running. However, he stopped again when they encountered something in their way. Throughout his entire run, they were the only ones they had come across. The royalties were nowhere in sight. He could feel Nicole's body tensing at what she saw. 'Brother! Athena!" Nicole shouted. 'What happened here?" Kyle asked as soon as he reached them. ALMOST everyone Athena encountered fell to the ground as she put them to sleep. She would then chant a spell, and in an instant, all the fledglings turned to ashes. Meanwhile, Gino rained bullets upon their enemies until they turned into dust. He and Steph had matching guns specially made for the protectors. But they stopped in their tracks when they noticed that Althea seemed to be simply watching the ongoing battle. What puzzled them even more was that none of the enemies were attacking her. 'Althea!" Athena called out to her sister as she approached. Althea slowly lifted her gaze in their direction. And they were not prepared for the sinister grin they saw on her lips. 'Althea, what—" Athena couldn't finish her sentence as in an instant, Althea was in front of her, choking her. Meanwhile, Gino, from a short distance, stopped and briefly looked in their direction. He was completely shocked and almost dropped his gun due to what he witnessed. 'Shit!" He was about to run towards them when a group of fledglings blocked his path this time. 'Damn!" He grew frustrated due to their seemingly endless numbers. As for Athena, she still couldn't believe what was happening. 'A-Althea... It's you..." Athena couldn't help the tears streaming down her face. 'Yes, it's me. I'm the traitor. Surprised, dear sister?" Althea grinned from ear to ear, her eyes piercingly focused on Athena. 'W-why?" Athena felt like her breath was being taken away. No matter how hard she tried to free herself from Althea's grip, it remained firm. Althea was the last person she suspected within their group. That's why her mind was in turmoil, unable to comprehend why her sister had turned against them. She couldn't think of any reason why Althea would betray them. 'You're asking why?" Althea laughed demonically, as if Athena's question was a great joke. Her eyes glared at Athena. 'Since we were children, it has always been you! You're the talented one, the beautiful one, the smart one. And on top of that, you quickly learn all the spells taught to us, and most of all, you're the one everyone loves! There's nothing left for me!" Her grip on Athena tightened even more. Then, unexpectedly, Althea slapped Athena hard. The force and unexpectedness of the blow almost deafened Athena. She had never expected that her sister had been harboring such anger towards her. 'And because of the Clarksons, our parents died! They died in a battle that we shouldn't have been involved in!" It was true. Their parents died protecting the Clarksons. But Athena had never been able to feel anger or resentment towards them. It was their parents' decision to help them. 'And now, you want to take away the man I liked too? Aren't you satisfied with what you have? Do you also want Gino?" Althea drew a knife from her waist and was about to aim it at Athena when a bullet struck her leg. As a result, Althea released her grip on Athena. She glanced at her wounded leg, blood flowing from the gunshot. Without hesitation, Athena chanted a spell to heal the injury. 'Athena!" Gino quickly rushed to Athena's side, struggling to catch her breath. Althea glared at the two of them. Throughout her life, she had done everything to be noticed and loved. She had been a kind witch, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. But despite all that, it seemed she still meant nothing. That experience had turned her into a villain. And she blamed no one but her sister and the Clarksons for it. 'If I can't have you, I'll make sure you won't be happy either. But before I finish both of you, let me tell you a story first." Althea stood up and walked around them, waving the knife she held. It seemed that she didn't mind the wound she had received, which was slowly healing due to the spell she had used. 'On the night when you were supposed to meet in the cottage, it wasn't Athena who was with you, Gino. It was me." She laughed maniacally, seemingly going insane. Gino furrowed his brow as he tried to recall what had happened. 'What are you talking about?" Athena, on the other hand, seemed confused. She hadn't been able to attend that night because she had forgotten about their arrangement. That's why she had apologized to him earlier. 'I pretended to be Athena. I copied all her physical attributes. And while we were drinking, I slipped a little spell into her drink. I knew my power wouldn't fully work on her, so she only forgot it temporarily. But those few hours were enough for me to do what I wanted. Then, boom! Something happened to us. You know what, it is one of the memorable nights of my life." Althea sat down to bring her face to the same level as Gino's before gently caressing his cheek. However, Gino harshly swatted her hand away. He still couldn't believe what she was saying. So, it wasn't the woman he loved who was with him that night, after all! 'Well, I guess this is goodbye." A ball of fire started to form in Althea's hands, and she was about to throw it at the two of them. But surprise marked Althea's face as the fireball suddenly disappeared upon her throw. That's when she noticed a small barrier surrounding the two of them, while her sibling slowly rose to its feet. She knew that despite her actions, they had still been affected. The evidence was Gino's fall to the ground and the small wounds scattered across Athena's body. She was about to throw another fireball when she sensed two presence from afar. She cast a spell, and Athena did the same. She attempted to break the barrier, and an evil smile formed on her lips when she succeeded. Now she had proven to her sibling that she had surpassed them. She darted near Gino's location, who was now visibly weakened. As she felt Kyle and the others approaching, she quickly approached her sibling and shed a fake tear. Athena and Gino exchanged confused glances, both pondering what Althea's next move would be. 'Brother! Athena!" Nicole shouted as soon as she saw her brother lying on the ground. 'What happened here?" Kyle asked. Althea continued to shed her fake tears. Nicole knelt down, weakly approaching her brother. 'It's Steph! She did this to them. She's the traitor! Vince is after her right now!" Althea screamed while sobbing, her face showing a mixture of anger and concern. The two were momentarily stunned. Her words felt like a bomb exploding in front of them. Althea mentally smirked. She never thought she could be such a convincing actress. Gino and Athena wanted to shake their heads and objects, but something seemed to be holding them back. And at that moment, Athena realized that Althea was employing a dark spell. She couldn't undo it, no matter how hard she tried. Her sister was using one of the forbidden spells, and breaking its effects seemed impossible. 'Yes. She's telling the truth. Leave, Nicole. They shouldn't see you. Take Althea with you. We can manage it here," Gino said, unable to believe the words coming out of his own mouth. He was being controlled by something. The opposite of what he wanted to say came out instead. Nicole let out a series of whimpers. She couldn't bear to leave her brother behind. 'Take my hand," Kyle commanded her firmly. Nicole didn't want to take his hand at first. But when she heard her brother's pleading voice, she quickly reached out and grabbed Kyle's outstretched hand. She didn't want to leave them behind, but she also couldn't ignore what had happened. She would make sure to kill the mastermind behind this war, whoever it may be. 'We are running out of time. We need to leave before they catch up to you. I can open a portal where you can hide," Althea said, and Kyle nodded in agreement. Althea continued to cry as she slowly released her sibling, as if making a heavy decision. She secretly sneered at the two of them, and before she turned her back on them, she created a barrier that covered the entire area, preventing anyone from pursuing them. Athena watched the three of them gloomily until they disappeared from their sight. She could also sense the dark spell's effects fading away as its controller was no longer present. She quickly stood up and cast a spell, attempting to break the barrier with all her strength. However, she was forced back as if she was being burnt upon contact with it. 'A-Athena..." She paused and remembered Gino. She hurriedly went to him and helped him stand. 'We need to go after them," Gino whispered audibly. Athena sighed heavily. 'The barrier is too strong. Even a spell can't break it. Only someone with too much power can bring it down." With that, they were about to lose hope. But Athena slowly regained hope when she saw the royalties running towards their direction. 'It's Althea. She's the traitor!" Steph said, and Athena simply nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes once again. 'Yes, and she's with Kyle and Nicole right now. We need to go after them. But the barrier..." She trailed off and glanced at the barrier. 'Don't worry. We can manage." Kira briefly set Mikan down and stood alongside Steph, Vince, Miley, Rei, and Hiro in front of the barrier. 'Too much power," Gino said and reached for Athena's hand. She smiled. 'Well, I guess having three purebloods, two royal bloods, two protectors, and a witch here is beyond too much." They both lined up. They all looked at each other and did what was necessary. Eight different kinds of powers, strength, and weapons had been combined, and their strong force created a big impact.