Fate To Fake: Loved by the Fallen; Fated to Kill the Divine

"You think you can hold me here?"

Dracula's voice boomed, reverberating through the underground as dust rained from the ceiling.

Across from him, half-embedded into the jagged stone wall, the cloaked figure stirred. Blood trailed down her chin as she spit to the ground, her hand tightening on the hilt of her curved blade.

"It's not that I think…"

She stomped her foot into the rock and launched herself forward, cloak snapping like a whip.

"It's that I can."

In a heartbeat, she was before him. Her blade curved in a downward arc, ready to cut him off, but Dracula caught it with his clawed hand, and sparks flew as it touched the metal.

Ssll~

Suddenly, another curved blade appeared in her free hand as she slashed horizontally straight to his gut.

Chucckk!

It cut through his hips almost to the mid, however, Dracula just sneered, "Not bad", twisting his wrist, almost breaking. Bone creaked under his own strength, and his grin widened as if the pain amused him.

The floor cracked beneath his strength as he slammed her to the ground, not even caring for the blade that penetrated his hip, but before she could hit, she spun away, pulling her blade as she stumbled, landing on the ground.

Slucckk~

His flesh instantly healed. The wound knitted with a wet sizzle, closing under a faint crimson glow.

But then, the curved blade shot towards his neck. Dracula's eyes glowed as his wings sprouted out from his back as he flew up, missing the curved blade and he flew towards her at high speed, catching her neck like a toy.

The air boomed as he moved, wings carving the dust into spirals.

She dangled in his grasp like a toy.

Dracula's gaze burned into her, glowing dangerously. "Tell me one thing… what's your purpose here? Why invade my territory instead of rotting in your own pitiful field?" His fingers tightened around her throat, the audible creak of bones threatening to snap.

Almost… snapping her neck!

The figure flinched, her body trembling under his grip. "W-What the? How… how did you know?" Her voice cracked with shock.

But before Dracula could crush her, the curved blades that she had thrown earlier curved back, spinning back like a boomerang.

Hitting his back!

Chucckk!

Dracula staggered slightly, a low groan escaping between his teeth as his lips twitched in irritation. Before he could pull them out, she drew yet another blade from her sleeve and slashed across his hand in a blur.

Chucclkkk

The cut tore across his hand, forcing him to release her.

She darted back, retreating to safety. Dracula groaned, blood spilling from his palm as he glared with burning rage.

"You really do have tricks hidden everywhere, don't you?" His voice was amused, as his wounds closed with insane speed. He yanked the blade from his back, tossed them aside, and cracked his neck. Then he raised a single finger toward her, crimson eyes blazing like suns on fire.

^Crucis Sanguinem^

As he spoke the words, a three-layered magic circle erupted beneath his feet. Blood particles shimmered around them, red and crimson threading into sigils; the circles interlocked like turning gears, dripping light that crackled like lightning.

The figure growled. "I won't let you!" she shouted as she stomped the ground. Holding her curved blade, she leapt toward him with full force. She knew she could reach him before he finished casting the three-layered spell, and she gambled everything on speed.

Her blade was almost to his face, an inch away, the edge trembling with impact to come.

However,

"Got you~" Dracula smirked. In an instant, dozens of blood spears shot up from the magic circle like a rainstorm in reverse, a crimson light erupting toward the underground roof.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

The spears slammed into the cavern ceiling, skewering the cloaked figure and pinning her body high above.

Like a punching machine that punches upward, she was stabbed by the spear as she violently jerked.

Dracula's smile curved with cruel satisfaction. "Impressive… even in this state, you managed to twist your body enough to keep me from striking your vital points." His tone was almost mocking, yet there was acknowledgement in his eyes.

Indeed, what she did was really impressive... managed to react at the final point.

The figure gasped raggedly, blood pouring from the wounds riddling her body. Her chest heaved as she groaned, barely clinging to life. Somehow, in the final heartbeat, she had shifted, avoiding a deathblow.

With a flick of his wrist, the blood spears vanished.

Her body fell like a broken stone, crashing against the floor. Before she could even rise, Dracula pressed his boot down on her back, grinding her into the ground.

"Arrrrhhh!!"

Her scream echoed through the underground.

Dracula's grin deepened, eyes gleaming with delight. But then his expression shifted, noticing something unusual... her body was healing rapidly.

She was using the Mana to regenerate her wounds as the peircing hole slowly disappeared from her body.

"Well, well… your Master, is it? He must be powerful indeed, to connect you from so far away...Hmm.."

The cloaked figure clawed against the ground, straining to rise, but his boot crushed her again.

"Stay where you belong, you worthless mongrel."

"Arhh!!"

Her cry was raw with fury and pain. She turned her head, and beneath the shadow of her hood, two golden eyes flickered with unnatural brilliance.

Dracula flinched. For the first time, his crimson gaze faltered, his eyes flickering grey. A growl tore from his throat, but before he could steady himself, her heel snapped upward, kicking him across the face.

He staggered, and she rolled aside, body bouncing against the stone before coming to a halt.

Thud!

She staggered to her feet, her body trembling, her curved blade slick with her own blood. She stood swaying, drenched in red, her eyes locked on him with burning resolve.

Across her, Dracula straightened, shaking his head as though clearing away mind... as if pushing away anything invading his mind..