TTTRRRRRRRRR!!!!

The Relic was being dragged along the ground like a piece of metal as Leo, holding the metal rope that connected to the relic, ran through the streets.

His breath tore out of him in harsh bursts, teeth clenched as his lungs burned heavily while running with everything he had, every muscle screaming under the weight and pressure of the chase… being hunted by Dracula.

"YOU MONGREL! STOP THIS INSTANT!"

Dracula shouted furiously, seeing the ancient relic being dragged like a piece of shit. He couldn't help getting even more furious as his wings fluttered, beating the wind violently as he zoomed even faster while trying to reach the Relic.

Leo, whose one hand held the metal rope while the other held his katana sword, glanced back and noticed Dracula's hand almost reaching the Relic. A chill crawled over his spine at how close it was. He clenched his teeth, inhaling even more mana before stabbing his sword into the corner of a building and turning hard to the right, sparks flaring at the sudden pivot.

Dracula's fingers were about to graze the Relic when the Relic suddenly yanked away, dragged by Leo's violent turn, spinning out of Dracula's reach. Before Dracula could even react to the sudden change in direction—

Thud!

Dracula hit the road before rolling down and crashing into the garbage, debris exploding around him as if the street itself rejected his presence!

"GRRRLL!!!"

Dracula growled furiously as a piece of a black banana fell from his forehead. His face twisted with humiliation and hatred.

"FUCKER!!" he screeched furiously before spreading his wings again and flying with even more intensity, his body slicing the air with murderous intent.

Leo, meanwhile, smirked with an amused expression as he glanced at the building.

"Left and right… Then, straight," he muttered, as he focused on the tallest building as if it were his final anchor point.

He clenched his teeth as he leapt to the side before turning left, cutting the fuel bank and running faster. The Relic carved the ground beneath it, dragged by him with violent force as he turned left and right, making harsh zig-zags through the city.

Dracula followed him furiously. "STOP BREAKING THE RELIC, BASTARD!" His voice echoed in horror, desperation leaking into his tone.

He almost trembled at the thought of Leo breaking the Relic. After all, the Relic was already in a broken state, and now Leo was treating it harshly… who knew when it would shatter into pieces.

As he reached Leo again, Leo leapt to the side, kicking the building to turn again. His boots scraped the wall violently as he pushed off. Dracula, who was about to reach it again, slid away as the relic abruptly shifted direction once more.

"Hehe! Catch me if you can, blood-begger~" Leo chuckled in an amused tone, a wild grin stretching across his face. He ran faster and faster. His legs were bleeding heavily from the friction and impacts, the veins bulging visibly under the strain.

Each step felt like a needle driven through his bones. He knew his body was reaching its limit; he had to stop to rest, otherwise he might lose his leg if he kept this up.

However, Leo didn't have a choice. He had only one last plan, a plan that might work… or might not.

It only depended on how he executed it. As he looked up, he saw the sky turning slightly lighter. A faint blue smeared across the horizon… it looked like morning was almost here.

They had been fighting since last night, leaping across rooftops, tearing through alleys, shattering streets, and dragging an artifact that should never have been touched by mortal hands.

Talk about persistence!

"I hope everyone gets far from this place—" Just as he thought about others, his eyes widened when he saw Camazotz before him, appearing out of nowhere like a phantom ripping through the shadows!

"Shit!"

Leo made a hard halt that caused him to strain his leg and fall down before rolling on the ground, hitting the buildings as the Relic dug into the ground before coming to a halt. The violent stop sent dust and chunks of stone scattering like sparks around him.

"Grrrlll!" Camazotz growled, slightly furious, as his hollow socket eyes stared at the fallen Relic. The creature's body twitched with an unnatural rhythm, like muscles pulling from a world that didn't belong to flesh at all.

Leo groaned from the debris as he slowly tried to stand up, but his legs trembled like they were shaking on their own.

"Arh!" he clenched his shin and calves… they basically couldn't feel anything anymore. Blood leaked from his pores, running down his legs like hot streams. He tried to use the last of his white rune crystals he got from Essa and the others. He had used everything already, and now he barely had three left.

The wounds on his legs suddenly healed up, his skin tightening around fresh muscle with a faint glow, and just then—

Chucckk!

"ARHH!!"

Leo shouted when a sharp claw clenched onto his legs. Turning up, he saw Camazotz appear before him, its leg claws gripping his flesh. The talons cut deep into his legs, black sludge dripping from its claws.

Leo's face turned horrified. "N-No, no!" he shouted, terrified at the thought of turning into one of them very soon.

What the hell was he going to do now?

He tried to raise his sword against the monster, but his body swayed, the blade slipping from his weakening grip.

Clang!

As the claws clenched even tighter on his leg, Leo screamed, clenching his teeth as the pain soared through his body. The monster slowly lowered its big mouth, black saliva dripping from its jaws like thick tar.

Leo panted as he looked at the horror before him. Yet there was no ounce of fear in his eyes, only pain and fury boiling like a flame ready to lash out.

The monster slowly parted its big mouth, unwinding like something unhinging itself from the inside, opening wide enough to swallow Leo's head in one massive bite. Each stretch of that jaw made a sickening crack that echoed through the empty street.

Leo jerked his hand as he clenched his eyes for a second and—

Chuckk!

No, it wasn't his head. Rather… the sound came from someone else. The monster turned back and saw Dracula trying to sneak in and take the Relic. Dracula's fingers almost grazed it. He blinked like a thief who got caught, then quickly grabbed the metal rope and started to fly away with desperate speed.

"KKKYYRRRRRR!!!"

Camazotz screamed before flying toward Dracula, ignoring Leo completely as it launched itself like a living nightmare through the air to chase him down.

Leo, who was clenched and prepared for death, slowly opened his eyes… only to see his hand holding the broken, sharp glass he had grabbed earlier as a last resort.

But there was no monster above him.

Leo sighed for a second, panting slightly as his body sagged with exhaustion.

"I hate this," he muttered with a painful expression as he let go of the sharp glass. He took a short breath to calm himself, but then he remembered what happened to his leg. His face turned horrified as he looked down. "No, no, n—" his voice trembled, expecting corruption spreading through his body.

But he was surprised to see those black sticky liquids actually didn't harm him.

He blinked. "I didn't change, right?" he muttered with a confused expression as he looked at his leg one more time. Only the wounds from the claw remained, nothing else.

"So it's not harming like other Darkness?" he muttered with a confused tone before shrugging with a small smile. The reason he ran from the monster was because its black liquid could harm him, but now… if it didn't, then he didn't need to worry about confronting it head-on anymore.

"Only if I have fucking energy," he muttered with an almost broken voice as he slowly stood up. The pain hit his body again in a cruel wave. His leg nerves were actually cut again. "Fuck," he clenched another white stone, healing his body as he took his sword from the ground and slowly walked out of the debris.

THUD!

Leo flinched as, before his very eyes, Dracula's half body fell down from the sky, slamming into the ground with a heavy crash.

Dracula shouted with furious eyes, "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!" as he glared upward toward the sky where… Camazotz hovered, holding the Relic in his possession while his mouth had Dracula's remaining half. The monster chewed him like bubble gum!

"…" Leo blinked at the monster and at Dracula… before a sly expression appeared on his face. He wiped the dust from his cheek with the back of his hand, eyes narrowing with a dangerous spark of opportunity.

Meanwhile, Essa and the others slowly walked through the streets.

"Are you sure it was a good idea? I am worried about Leo," Raphael muttered with a concerned expression. She was already having second thoughts about this plan. Her fingers twisted together anxiously.

Not just her. Everyone looked worried about him… and there wasn't any sound since then, just pure silence swallowing the space around them. But they had no other choice but to believe him.

"…" Valra glanced behind them and then up at the sky. Her face twitched with worry and fear. The faint tremble in her lips showed the panic she was trying to hide.

Back to Leo,

"Hey, how about teaming together?" Leo looked at the half body of Dracula, who was slowly healing up, flesh stitching back with unnatural speed.

Dracula blinked as he looked at Leo with a disgusted expression, lips curling like he smelled something rotten. But before he could say anything, Leo uttered,

"That thing will kill us… We have only one option. Either face that thing together and later we fight for the Relic, or… just get killed by that thing." Leo said as he looked at Camazotz, who was holding the metal rope connected to the Relic while hovering in the sky, chewing Dracula's body slowly with calm satisfaction.

"Look at him. Even after all this… he looks just like before. Do you think he doesn't have the power to kill us?" Leo said with a serious tone. From the looks of it, Camazotz really had the power to kill them instantly, yet…

"He playing with his prey?" Dracula muttered with a cold tone as he realised what was going on. His eyes blankly watched how his half-remaining body was being chewed by the monster, who enjoyed it with a haughty expression, like eating a snack.

Veins popped on Dracula's forehead. "Once Pride comes here—"

"Oh? I forgot to inform you, Pride is dead," Leo said with a huge smile.

Dracula was utterly shocked. He didn't know that.

Leo nodded without Dracula even asking. "And it's done. Yours truly~" he said as he raised his hand with a mocking casualness.

"Enemy's enemy is friend, right?" he muttered with an almost sly expression.

Dracula looked at Leo… then at Camazotz… then back at his own body. Where the monster's bite had been, that small darkness that touched his skin was slowly spreading inside. He didn't have enough time. He could feel it eating him from the inside, corrupting flesh like ink spreading through water.

He glanced at Leo before raising his hand. His eyes tightened with reluctant acceptance, the realisation that he had no other ally left, even if that ally was a mongrel he hated.

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