My Vampire System (WN)

The group had teleported out, and it didn't take long for Sil to reach the location they were aiming for. To their surprise they had ended right back where they were the last time, in the dark cellar.

The familiar smell had hit them straight away. It was a pungent damp smell, mixed in with a slight hint of iron, that was the blood from the wounds of the Chrono, the local inhabitants last time.

"Where are we?" Calva asked, he turned his head but he could see no one, no sign of anyone.

"Ah, now I know what happend." Russ snapped his fingers. "Don't you remember, we caved in this place last time, over there was where that pit was."

As they focused with their eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light, or using their abilities to help them see in the dark, they could see what Russ was talking about. He was the only one that had visited this place and had the full story of what happened last time.

"So, where would this champion be?" Sil asked.

"I don't really know." Calva said. "I only knew Shinto before I was tied up, and it has been a very long time since then. I didn't even know fully about the pit that had been made."

Which meant, they would have to trust Russ.

"It's a bit strange, there was the Chrono that were here with us last time. Some of them should have survived, and even if they died, I'm guessing they would have replaced them all with new participants. Can't you check and see if they're around here somewhere?"

'Aren't you able to go into my mind and see how that ability works and use it yourself?' Sil wanted to say but he wasn't the type to talk back like that, like Peter, and besides if Russ didn't want to do something he wouldn't.

Searching for signs of life, it didn't take long for Sil to find multiple that he was looking for. The image he could see was similar to a 3D scan. He was able to see the layout of the entire area and he could see the pit they were in before.

Another cellar had been built identical to this one, but was now located on the other side and in there he could count that there were at least a hundred lives on the other side. Wasting next to no time, Sil teleported the group there.

Immediately they were in a large cellar space and just like before there were Chrono spread out all around, only there were a lot more than before. Some had jumped back and were startled by the sudden appearance of the group.

They continued to take steps back avoiding them as if they contained a deadly plague.

"How did they get in here?"

"Are they here to take us away, is it starting now!"

"I've never seen demons like them before?"

"Wait, isn't one of them a Skully? They look a bit bigger than usual, but they have the same features."

"Still how did they get in here!"

There was nervous chatter among them all and news was spreading but none of them took a step forward. Ignoring the words of the Chrono since the layout was the same, Sil looked at the very back and he could see it.

"There it is." He pointed. "That's where the champion will be."

As soon as he finished his sentence though, just as the other two turned to look, they could see someone walking down the staircase. Similar to how all the Chrono had stepped away from them when they arrived, they started to move away from the staircase, huddling up close to each other as their backs rubbed against the wall.

It was a Chrono just like the rest of them, only this one had a larger upper body frame like that of a V, and single handed axes on their back.

"Shinto." Calva said, recognising him instantly.

When reaching the bottom floor, Shinto stopped and looked ahead, he couldn't believe his eyes as he blinked several times.

"Is this all a trick again?" he said, grabbing the side of his head. "Or have I just gone mad… damn it!"

Shinto immediately pulled one of the axes from his back and started to walk forward.

"Everyone, get away!" Shinto shouted.

They had already moved up against the wall but were trying to do their best to huddle in closer.

"Wait!" Calva said, standing in front of the others. "It's really me, I managed to escape from Immortui and the demons… we have come here to ask you, ask you about joining us."

Standing around 15 metres away from them, Shinto stopped again.

"Calva… you escaped, was it these strangers, were they the ones that broke you free? You know what will happen. They will kill you if they find you, no worse, they will torture the rest of the Skullys right in front of your eyes!

"How could you trust strangers like these!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Calva said back. "It's because I believe we can do it. These strangers, each one of them is strong, strong enough to go up against the demon kings, and there is one that has the power to take on Immortui… but there are few of them, they can't win this battle alone, we need to help them." Calva clenched his fist showing his determination.

"Help them?" Shinto laughed. "You are going to be the death of us all by doing this. You're lucky that I don't kill you and report you now for appearing in front of me."

Calva didn't know what to say, as Pultra had expected it would be harder to just simply convince Shinto.

"How are you helping the Chrono?" Russ spoke up.

Shinto raised an eyebrow and looked at the stranger. Who were they, who were they to speak to them, and about their own race, they were a stranger in all of this and had no right to say anything.

"Help the Chrono, all I have been doing is helping the Chrono! Because I joined Immortui, the Chrono get to live, all of these guys get to live!" Shinto shouted.

"You call this living?" Russ said. "Look at their faces. They are all afraid, wondering if they will even be able to survive the next sunrise. How can you take the high ground and say that you are the one saving them?

"When the truth is you're the one that is just watching them all die, day after day, you watch them all die. Do you think this is living? If they are going to fight in the pit for their life anyway, then you might as well actually fight for them instead, take their place and fight against Immortui!" Russ said.

The words from Russ seemed to be more effective than Calva, as Shinto had stopped talking, but he soon went back to his ways.

"No, a fight would just kill us all, at least the Chrono, the others get to live on, the ones that aren't here!" Shinto shouted.

Frustrated by the whole situation, Russ had decided to try another method, as used his powers, he had summoned Hinto right in front of him.

"Will you continue to let people like him die, people like your brother?"

****