The ground trembled with a deafening roar. From the center of the ancient circle, the platform where Cletus stood began to rise slowly — like a profane elevator tearing through stone, metal, and time. The castle walls split open as the floor broke apart into spiraling columns.
The old summoning sigil expanded and blazed in shades of red and black, turning what remained of the castle into a colossal tower that ripped through the skies. Thunder cracked across the clouds, and the wind seemed to weep.
At the top, Cletus — standing upon the new altar — looked around with a crooked smile, his black cloak whipping in the storm. Around him, ten monuments emerged from the abyss, surrounding him in a symphony of ruin. Each one had its own shape and voice — living stone sculptures pulsing with the echoes of ancient calamities.
He raised his arms, his gaze lifted to the heavens.
"Finally… the stage is set," he murmured, his voice deep and satisfied.
"The Castle of the Twilight Eye… the Temple of the End."
Inside the castle, spiraling corridors stretched endlessly. The distant sounds of screams and crumbling stone followed Lucy and Tory. The two walked through debris, covered in soot and dried blood.
They stopped before a wide staircase leading upward — the path to the top.
"So?" Lucy asked, adjusting the Dracallion on her shoulder.
"You going up?"
Tory stared at the stairs. The candle flames flickered around them.
"Yes. I'm going to end this."
Lucy raised a brow, her gaze firm.
"Look, forget it. Drop it, kid. You're no match for him."
Tory turned calmly, her face half-hidden in shadow.
"Whether you like it or not, I'm going. I had the chance to stop him before and didn't. This is on me."
Lucy crossed her arms.
"On you? That bothers you that much?"
Tory took a deep breath, gripping her spear tightly.
"He's my father. And besides, who else could undo what he's done? A vampire like you… would never understand."
The sound of falling stones echoed in the distance. Tory then took the first step up the staircase.
Lucy remained still, watching her, her eyes cold and unreadable.
"Father and family, huh?" she muttered.
"Well… I'm coming too. But you better hurry if you don't want me taking all the credit."
She gave a faint, crooked grin and dashed down another corridor.
Outside, lightning tore across the sky. Lucy stepped out onto a ruined balcony and looked down — debris rained from above. Among the wreckage, something gleamed — the blue motorcycle that belonged to Tory.
Lucy smirked.
"Well, well… thanks for the ride, kid."
With a leap, she jumped off the parapet. The wind roared around her. In midair, she extended her staff — it stretched like a living chain — and hooked onto the bike's handlebar. With a fierce pull, she brought it to her.
Mounting it, she twisted the throttle, and the roar of the engine echoed like a beast's growl.
Hooded demons began crawling across the castle walls, shrieking with warped, unholy voices.
Lucy drew her pistols.
"An explosive exit, huh? Just my style."
She accelerated and opened fire. The bullets sliced through the wind, bursting the demons' heads. Sparks, black blood, and screams filled the storm as she raced forward at full speed.
A section of the structure collapsed in front of her. Lucy grinned, gunned the engine harder— and launched the bike across the abyss, soaring through fire.
The impact destroyed the motorcycle, but she stood up unharmed, spinning her staff.
"Damn… that was my favorite part."
In another tower, Tory was climbing the walls, driving her spear into the stone. Every pull was a battle — the wind nearly threw her off each time.
She looked up. At the top, a red light pulsed—the heart of the summoning.
"Wait for me… Father," she muttered, breathless.
At the castle's summit, the circle was now complete. The floor rotated slowly, floating above a scarlet void. The ten monuments around Cletus began to move, each emitting a deep, guttural sound.
He raised his head, and his voice thundered through the castle — grand, theatrical, like an insane priest.
"Listen, ancient calamities!"
"BLOOD IN THE WATER!
FROGS!
LICE!
FLIES!
PESTILENCE UPON THE BEASTS!
BOILS!
HAILSTONES!
LOCUSTS!
DARKNESS…
AND THE DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN!"
The monuments began to tremble. The sound of distorted trumpets filled the air, breaking reality itself into shards of noise.
Cletus threw his arms wide, laughing.
"The trumpet of chaos answering humanity's desires!"
A spiral of energy began to form in the sky —red, black, alive. The wind spun around him as if the whole world was being sucked into that center.
"After so many years… the sealed gate of the demonic world will open!" Cletus screamed, eyes gleaming with madness.
"Destruction, carnage, despair! Let your instincts guide you!"
A beam of red and black energy descended from the heavens, striking him full force.
Cletus arched backward, blood running from his eyes, but he smiled.
"Let this world tremble… as the Twilight Eye spreads terror into the hearts of men!"
Thousands of crimson bats erupted around him, spiraling upward.
"I shall be the last one standing upon this world of ruin!" he roared, as the ground quaked. "The demonic power of Ulisses —once sealed away — will be mine alone!"
His eyes split — one blue, one red. A crimson aura engulfed him, and Cletus began to levitate, veins of energy surging through his body, shadowy wings unfurling behind him.
The wind became razor-sharp. Stones floated in the air, and the entire castle shuddered.
On the horizon, Lucy and Tory looked up at the summit, ready for the final confrontation.
And Cletus's laughter echoed across the storm — an orchestra of death.
To be continued...