Corpse Party... And Dinner (Ardere/Job)

The hall seemed to go on and on forever, but they appeared to be making no real progress. This did not deter Ardere, but it caused his to question the nature of their host and the house they were standing in. After several minutes of walking, they all seemed to have come to the conclusion that there wasn't much left to do here. Stopping his stride, the fire mage leaned up against the wall. His phoenix companion chose to crouch down for the time being, allowing her legs to rest up a bit. The group was at a stand-still, but they could only keep going. Then again, if they did such they would likely lose their energy before they got to where they needed to go. Hmmm. Perhaps I have an idea. I'll look for an exit, you guys see if you can find any hidden passages. There has to be something here. Cracking his shoulders, the guild master made sure his sword was strapped on tightly before activating his spell. Inferno Drive. A black aura began to shimmer across his body, covering it entirely. His hair almost appeared to darken, and the aura coated him like a thick corrupt flame. His speed was massively increased, and he then took off like a lightning bolt down the hall. Dashing side to side, he scanned the area with his eyes. Running as fast as he could, the hall still seemed to have no end. He went over quite a distance before he slowed down for a moment. Examining the hallway, it appeared to be the same section of hallway over and over. The paintings and tapestries began to repeat, it was almost annoying. Dashing back at full speed, he slid to a halt as the hallway began to shift. It was moving back and forth, until it began to restrict. 

Being drug back, the hallway would reform to it's original state. In doing so, it would bring the fire mage back closer to his original location. He was now just meters away from his companions. Letting out a slight sigh, he rubbing the back of his neck. Well, I guess that's that. His phoenix smiling and patting her knees before hopping up, joined her friend. I guess so. Ardere placed his hands on his hips for a moment, before he sensed something coming their direction. A cold breeze blew through the hall, causing some of the plants to flicker. A few of the paintings swung back and forth, making it quite obvious what they were soon to encounter. They just never seemed to get a break in this horrendous mansion. Their brows slightly sweaty and their muscles already tightening, it was now apparent what kind of journey they had ahead of them. Perhaps some of the secrets of this place would be revealed. From what he could tell, the ghouls coming after them had once been mages. If they had been mages, then it was likely they had a guild and family in the afterlife waiting for them. It was an unfortunate circumstance, but it was likely what was happening. The doors had returned to the hall, and from what he could tell, this was where most of the family stayed along with some guest rooms. Now something even more malevolent had inhabited the estate. He could hear the crackling of thunder and whistling of wind outside. The night had only just begun.

Rather than unsheathing his blade and engaging in battle, Ardere let his companions take on the impending ghouls. They seemed rather keen to jump into battle, and they got the job done. Standing there with his arms folded, his phoenix stood there for a moment before growing bored of the situation. If there was one thing he loved about her, it was her attention span. Celica charged into battle after waiting for their friends' attacks, and dished out an array of fiery strikes to compliment their attacks. During this time, the guild master stood there with a smirk on his face, before his eyes widened. Something had appeared right behind him, and every hair on his body seemed to stand up. During the barrages and slashes, the ghouls were beaten back but something remained. Instinctively unsheathing his sword and turning around, he was in the presence of a man a few inches taller than he. A man in all black, but his skin and hair were whiter than the moon. During the time he turned around, a massive claymore was already coming towards him. He had no sense of fear, but his danger radar was off the charts. If he hadn't possessed the black aura around his body, being his Inferno Drive, it was likely he would have been slung across the hall. But instead, he blocked the strike with his bastard sword. To rather large swords clashed, resulting in a large gust of wind being sent throughout the hall. Orange eyes being pierced by yellow ones, there was an absolute silence for a moment. Who the hell are you? His feet were digging into the wooden floor, scraping it up. This was the high amount of force coming from a seemingly armored man. A samurai and from what he could tell was some sort of evil entity or man, were sword to sword. He was holding his own, but the amount of strength behind the claymore was pushing him back slightly. When the clash broke, his boost skid across the wooden floor. 

Well I'm your host, of course. A bewildered look on his eyes, Ardere arched a brow. You invited us here? A devilish smirk crossing the man's icy lips, he promptly responded while holding his sword towards the ground. There was almost a sense of respect and proper manners about this man. That would be me. I go by Lord Sombra. Gritting his teeth, the guild master held his arm out so no one from the group charged in and attacked before they got wind of who they were actually dealing with. The Sombra family hasn't lived here in years, vampire. The scent, it was all too familiar now. Vampires. He had faced lycans and beaten them, but vampires were a different kind of enemy. This was perhaps the strongest magical presence he had felt other than Heero's and Shuhei's. Whoever this man was, he was hellishly strong. Luckily, his Inferno Drive could provide some defense, and he had Elyx guarding his back. The two could surely fight this man. Clever....well I suppose you aren't exactly human, but close enough. Your scent is quite distinguishable, fire mage. He kept his back straight, and his armor reflected some of the lights within the room. I am known by many names; Upeer, Nosferatu, but my favorite would be Dracula. Boom. Adrenaline began to rush to the guild master's veins. He was in fight or flight mode, and ready to take down his enemy. The years of reading books and stories, he had never imaged Dracula was still alive. Celica, Ignite. Let Elyx and I handle this. Make sure no ghouls sneak up on us. This fight was far too much for the other two, it would take skill and the strength of a high ranking mage to get this job done.

Ardere's heart raced for a moment, was this man really Dracula? Judging from Elyx's reaction, he either hadn't heard the tales or didn't care. But he was correct in one sense, it did not matter. The two mages would end him one way or the other, but it would take a lot of effort. Readying his sword as Celica and Ignite were left to fend off against the incoming ghouls, who would likely be upon them at any second. The man before him was quite the opponent, and very proper. Unfortunately that would not save him from the barrage of attacks he was going to receive. Waiting for the Black Rose wizard to make his move, he dashed in behind him. Dark magic. It appeared the dark vampire lord possessed some strong magic, but dark flames would soon be upon him. Gritting his teeth and still moving in, he kicked it into overdrive. He had only used a small portion of his magical energy, as his signature techniques did not drain much if not any at all, only his Inferno Drive had taken up some mana. A strange suspicion that he was going to blast out some right now was coming over him. And then, it was time for him to strike. Leaping behind the attack Elyx had launched, coating his blade in a large amount of flames. The King's Blade! The barrage of attacks landed upon Dracula, who seemed to block it with an energy covered blade, but the force of the combination of spells would knock him off his balance for a moment, allowing his arms to be grazed by the attacks. His black leather was ripped, prompting a moment of anger. The two large swords clashed for a moment as the smoke scattered across the hall, and the Samurai felt his body being drug across the wall. Breaking paintings and leaving a dent in the wall, he had suffered minimal damage, but he was pinned for the moment. 

Elyx, now! During the clash with the vampire lord, Ardere called out to the other mage. While doing so, he drug some of the flames on his blade into the shoulder of the underworld dweller, scorching his pale skin and turning it black. Hissing in pain, the lord summoned an array of bats at that moment. If the Violinist was going to take this as an opportunity to attack, then he would have to get through a horde of bats. His back was beginning to feel some pain being crunched against the wall, so he dug his foot into the wall and pushed him back. Two black auras began to collide, creating a strong magical presence.You will regret that, god slayer. Gritting his teeth and staring into the yellow piercing eyes of his opponent, his own orange ones were full of flames. A hand came off of the blade to strike at his heart, but he removed his own and caught the hand. Struggling to keep it at bay. The vampire was strong, but he had grown quite strong over the years. He was well beyond an S rank in strength, and the glowing necklace dangling from his neck would help that. The Fire King held off Dracula, and hopefully by this time his partner could make it through the bats and attack. Holding him down was not easy, but it was their best chance to lay in an attack on someone of this power. If all went well, they could land a solid hit on him. But there was always the chance he would spin his blade around repeatedly like a top. During this scuffle however, Ignite and Celica would soon find something coming their way, looking for a fight.

Ardere held off Dracula while Elyx came in, but his phoenix had her own set of problems. One of the mirror demons had escaped it's reverse prison, and come to fight the two she-phoenixes. As Ignite ran in and began her barrage, Celica charged up all of the energy she had into her arms and legs, bursting with flames. Spiraling, she scorched a majority of the bats with her A ranked flames. She was almost like a spinning top, using the martial arts experience she had gained over the years to deal with them. Her speed and strength were increased, and as the ball of fire went towards the demon, she exhaled a large amount of flames to accompany it. The mirror demon was not done yet, but he had been scorched. The same could be said for the halls turned black, scorched by the powerful flames of two phoenixes. Flamethrower! Dashing in between the other lady's strikes, she would dish out her own with flaming palms and kicks. Diving underneath her high strike, the phoenix warrior with her red flowing hair slammed her blazing foot into the chest of the demon. The combination of strikes and flames would cause the beast to shatter just like a mirror, leaving shards scattered across the floor. In the meantime, the fire mage readied his sword once more. Dracula had been slung back, with a large cut across his cheek. But during the Black Rose wizard's dash, he noticed something. The cut seemed to heal instantly. The vampire lord's body was still damaged, obviously somewhat fatigued, but the damage they had dealt had healed. It almost reminded him of some form of slayer ability. It was now that he noticed the energy being sucked into the vampire's mouth, in the form of souls. This was no ordinary vampire, not the kind that sucked blood. He was one of the olden vampires, one of the first that ate souls.

Elyx watch out! Just as the Violinist came in to deliver a heavy strike, the vampire lord used his new found strength to attempt to send him backwards with an energy embued swing. During this time, Ardere took it upon himself to dash under Elyx's attack and kick the metal plate on the man's stomach and chest. Dracula slid across the ground, seemingly unharmed. Then, he merely smiled at the two before disappeared in a horde of bats. Farewell for now. I'm sure we'll meet again soon. Gritting his teeth, crunching and grinding, the guild master looked to make sure his companions were okay. Is everyone alright? Elyx, Celica, Ignite? His phoenix would not, rubbing her wrists a bit before joining them. Perhaps we should get moving. That right prick made an oh so flashy exit. I say we find him. Nodding in agreement with his phoenix, he turned to the other two mages. Let's do it. Keeping his blade out, the dark aura that surrounded the god slayer would now disappear. Taking a deep breath, they had to continue moving. There would be many traps and ghouls lying in wait, he had a hunch. But all of these things would not stop them from finding the vampire lord. Tonight, was the demise of Dracula. Clenching the sword tight, he had an array of flames to take on this man. But now, he had an idea of where he would be. He's most likely in the basement or dungeon of sorts. We need to head down.

Dashing from his current position down the hall, it was now evident to Ardere the amount of damage they had caused in the area. Paintings were scorched and torn to shreds, the segment of the wall in which his body had been drug across was near destroyed. His brows reforming from their slant, as his look became expressionless. The only thing on his mind was taking out Dracula, and making sure everyone got out safely. The group of mages burst through the doorway and onto the stairs, ready for a fight. This guy is different from other vampires. He doesn't eat blood, he uses souls for sustenance. Be careful, and don't let him feed on your energy. It's likely he invites strong mages here to devour their powerful energies. Let's make this his last dinner party, shall we? Leaping onto the banister, his black boots took his body across the wooden surface. Sliding down the railing quickly, he could feel a cold wind brushing against his face. Something was coming for them, likely another squadron of ghouls to prevent them from easily reaching their commander. The vampire lord had to know they would make it through these hordes of ghouls and demons. The reason for sending them must be to weaken them, and make the group expose their magical power. He was a clever immortal, but his last night was tonight. The fire mage was not fond of killing people, but this was no person, this was a monster. A monster that fed on the souls of great mages, likely imprisoning them in this house. He could not speak for the rest of the group, but Ardere Kasai would not allow this to be his final resting place. 

Landing down on the first floor, they had come a long way since first setting foot in this house. He had no idea where the basement's current positioning was, but their best bet was to follow the cold wind. He could not smell spirits, but a vampire had a scent. He had no heart beat to listen to, but he did smell like death. Their cold flesh was easily identifiable, perhaps not as much as Lycans, but close. A familiar feeling crawled across his skin, that of souls surrounding him. A ghoul or demon was on it's way, but he could see what appeared to be a basement entrance. A massive breeze was coming from it, enough to stop a normal person from entering. Alright, we're getting close. It's likely we'll receive a lot of resistance before we make it to his chamber. So keep your senses keen. Gripping Clarent tightly, the red bastard sword shimmered for a moment. The blade in his hands had never failed him before, and tonight was the night it would lay waste to a vampire lord. He was honored to have the Black Rose mage by his side, and perhaps together they could accomplish something worthy of the history books tonight. Slaying Dracula. And to think he had been invited to a mere dinner party, or so they thought. What a fucking night. A slight smirk crossing his lips, he lived to fight the forces of darkness. Tonight was another in an endless amount of dark nights. 

Cracking his knuckles, Ardere nodded. Take all the time you need. Celica, keep watch over her. Taking the opposite side of Elyx, there was only one thing standing between them and the entrance to the basement, and that was the horde of bats flickering towards him. One the side of the Black Rose mage, came ghouls. But on his side, came an army of bats. These bats just so happened to pour out of the entrance to the basement, presumably the vampire lord's doing. I'm slowly growing to dislike running into bats. Readying his sword, he had one attack that could rid them of the bat problem. Lifting the crimson blade into the air, he began to charge black fiery energy within it. The blade turned almost black from the corrupt energy filling it. One thing that made Clarent special, was it could adapt to the flame type of the user, meaning his god slayer flames were channeled through it. The red tint to his flames made it shine bright, giving the room an almost bloody color. Unfortunately for you batsies, this is the Sword of Power. Bringing his blade down, a massive blast of flames scorched across the ground. Pummeling towards the bats, a few were able to narrowly escape, but the majority were caught in the blast. In doing such, he in a sense widened the entrance to the basement. The once doorway was now a bit more of a gaping hole, but the stairs were still intact and it was quite usable. The remaining bats were in for a surprise, the edge of his blade. Dashing between the bats, he sliced them in half. Killing animals was something he dreaded even more than killing humans, but these were no ordinary animals, they were dangerous beasts controlled by Dracula. It was either kill them, or be devoured.

In the meantime, Celica caught a stray bat with a right hook, pummeling it into dust with a flaming punch. She was quite the tough cookie, and it was her duty to ensure that Ignite got her rest. It was most certain that Elyx would take care of the ghoul horde and protect her, but it was always better to have backup. Ardere sheathed his crimson blade, a clinking noise signalling it's positioning being secured. Tightened the leather bracers he wore, his armor was a bit battered from the previous fights. It seemed being drug through a wall would do a number on one's armor, especially of the leather and wood variety. Fortunately this leather and wood was enchanted, far better than walking around naked. Allowing his partner to finish up their enemies, he stood close to the doorway. The phoenix made sure their companions were safe and ready before motioning for them to join back up. I hope you know what you're doing. Shifting his position, the fire mage responded to her inquiry. I always know what I'm doing. Receiving a shifty look, he shrugged a bit. Alright, at least half the time you must admit. 

Looking down into the abyss that the stairs led to, Ardere presumed that this would be the basement. In a mansion like this, any manner of rooms could stand in there way. For all he knew, there could very well be a dungeon down there as well. Only one thing was certain, their enemy was down there. The main indication of this was when they got to the entrance, the gushing wind seemed to stop. There was no howling or screeching of wind, the house was silet for the moment. Snapping his pale fingers, the guild master summoned a small flame in his had to provide a sort of torch. Celica would end up doing the same, as her flames were a bit brighter in the dark than his. Into the abyss we go, friends. It was a winding set of stairs, sincerely giving him that dungeon feeling. It was not the most ideal situation, but they had to find the vampire lord before he caused any more harm. He felt a slight obligation to help the souls of the lost mages here, and the only way to do that was to defeat the creature and sever their ties to him. This was no easy task, but it was one he was confident in completing. The world of darkness they had entered below appeared to be a combination of a few things. This is where the family had stored wine, at least the first part, but several other things lied in wait down in the basement. He was quite curious as to how large this was, and if it went into the mountain. It was likely the answer to that was yes, but there was not much time to stand around and ask. The group needed to find Dracula, and something was coming their way. A slight cold breeze was coming over the room, meaning another group of ghouls was likely on their way.

Unsheathing his blade once again, the red headband between his thick brown locks flickered in the breeze. During this time, Celica lit a few torches on the wall to provide some light. Now that they could see, their opponents would be a bit easier to fight. Generally Ardere could use his other senses to fight, but ghouls had no scent and made no noise other than screeching. It was hard to predict their movements, but fortunately they would not have to worry about that with the fire mages they had. Looks like we've got company. They're not gonna let us get to this guy so easily. But I say we dont let that stop us. Placing his other hand on the grip of Clarent, he was ready for battle. Gritting his teeth slightly, the howling of wind and ghouls seemed to return. It was one hell of a night, running across all of these beasts. This truly was the Cursed Lands he had heard about, hopefully he would not have to return here any time soon. The uneasiness he got here was not something he wished to experience on a regular basis. It was not the fear, but the ominous feeling he got here.

Twirling his sword between his hands, Ardere took a battle stance. Guard my back Celica. Dashing forward, he moved at such an intense speed, he blurred slightly. While he was not on the level of someone like Heero, his physical stats were within the S rank range and above, giving him a daunting physical presence at times. But this did not matter to the ghouls, punches and kicks did nothing to them. However, the fire mage did possess one thing that could harm them, an overwhelming magical presence. His magic power was beyond that of his own rank, making all of his spells more powerful than they should be. These ghouls would soon learn that, as he scattered them with his blade. This was mainly to serve as a form of a stun or send them into a state of disarray if even just for a millisecond. For when he turned back around, flame was all they would feel. Flame God's Bellow! A burst of flames was exhaled, black and corrupt. He positioned himself, so that the flames scorched the ghouls like a bonfire, but funneled out back up the stairs. The black fire could have harmed his companions, but he knew how to position his attacks. Once they entered the room with Dracula, this grace would be off. For now, he had dealt with the ghouls. Twirling the blade once more, he held it by his side. Once the smoke and the flames had cleared, he turned to check on Elyx. Judging by the frost in the room, he imagined his fight had gone swimmingly. There was only one thing left for them to do; move onward. This was a basement after all, and there was only so much to it. It would not be long before they found Dracula and dealt with him. 

Now that that's dealt with, let's see where our gracious host is. Something was irking him, and it was how the ghouls just attacked them. They possessed magic from their old life, but there was no real will to it. It was as if they were giving just enough to do their master's bidding, meaning his control over them was absolute, but they were still aware of what they were doing. It had to be horrible, living or..not living that way. You alright? Breaking his deep thought, Ardere nodded at Celica. Yeah, I just wanna get this over with. Patting him on the back, the phoenix warrior walked alongside the fire mage as they entered the next room. It was a dark room, but there were some torches lit. A few mirrors hung, but the man at the back of the room did not appear in any of them. I must say, I'm quite impressed. But this party is far from over, mages. Arching a brow, it was now that he noticed the coffin in the back. The vampire lord sitting there, snapped his fingers. It was at that moment, they were surrounded. I thought that coffin thing was just a rumor, and it seems we have something else to make it through before we fight our enemy. Be careful guys. Not only had the hordes of ghouls descended upon them, but a trap was lying in wait for them. Deal with the trap first, then worry about the ghouls.

The hordes of ghouls surrounded them, but there was no time to waste. Ardere dashed forward, assuming Elyx would take the other side of enemies. He began to slash at the ghouls, as his blade heated up with a corrupt flame. During this barrage, Celica re-entered her battle form. Flames wrapping around her fists and lower legs, she provided some cover fire. The odd thing about this situation though, was that he kept seeing flames of apparitions in between each ghoul. It was almost as if his mind was being messed with. From the best he could tell, he was taking on one of the groups of three while a mirror demon lurked behind. But every now and then, he would get a glimpse of figures, dark ones. He could almost see snakes on the floor, as if they had been miraculously summoned. But he did not view it as a miracle, rather it made him a bit more angry. Furiously slashing at the ghouls, the fire mage incinerated what he could. His phoenix partner was beginning to notice his frantic actions, but she was also encountering a problem. Flashes of bright lights and creeping darkness around her legs prompted a volatile reaction, as she punched the remaining ghouls away. Once they were defeated, the mirror demon began to move forward. The two were so distracted by the apparitions and figures, that they were knocked back with severe force. We gotta get our heads in the game. Nodding, his partner took a deep breath and so did he. The mirror demon was no joke, and they could not afford to be so distracted during their fight with him. So they charged in from opposite sides, like a pincer attack. Whatever was around them, had to be some conjuration from Dracula but his body kept responding to it as if it were real. There was not much avoiding it. 

Swinging his sword around, he still had quite the bit of magic left. Perhaps this was the time to use it, or at least a portion of it. Dishing out a barrage of punches and slashes, Ardere and Celica were blinded for a moment by the impeding darkness. Then, they were knocked backwards. Ugh. Gripping the handle of his sword tightly, he swung it horizontally. A blast of black flames scorched forward, smacking into the demon. Flame God's Infernal Swipe! During the burst of flames, he kicked forward to dish out a powerful strike. In doing so, he saw a horde of snakes burst towards him. Flailing around, he cut the snakes to pieces. Celica attempted to help him, but she was knocked back by the mirror demon. No! She did not appear heavily injured, but she had been hit nonetheless. Turning to the mirror demon, he plunged his blade into it's chest without even thinking. Destroying it's armor and revealing it's true form, he took no time in slashing him to pieces. He was covered in cuts and some bruises, but the guild master was far from done with the fight tonight. He slashed right through the demon, before running back to his phoenix. Helping her up, he rubbed his eyes slightly. The apparitions and snakes kept appearing and reappearing. Hopefully Elyx and Ignite were having an easier time. Whatever these conjurations were, it almost messed him up.

His fire body sealed up all of the scratches on his body, being a useful trait of his. Unfortunately it did not work as ell on the ghouls as it did the demons, perhaps it would prove more useful against Dracula. Ardere was a bit battered from the energy fueled attacks, but he could still stand just fine and that meant he could fight to his fullest. Celica was able as well, but the enemy before them was far too strong for her. Twirling his blade, the ground beneath him was cut slightly just by sheer force. The world around him was still strange, shadows moving past his eyes and snakes across the floor. But the bottom line was; he could not stop now. Celica, stay back. The phoenix narrowed her eyebrows, placing a hand on her partner's shoulder. I can't just let you fight him alone. The fire mage placed both hands on his sword before taking a deep and slow breath. I'm not alone, I carry everyone with me. Plus, Elyx can bail me out if need be. Now get your butt back before the flames start flying. Bursting forward, the full extent of his speed was now seen. Moving at slightly beyond S ranked speeds, a trail of wind was left in his wake as he brought his sword up. Bringing it back down, his cold red Ca-Elum steel was blocked by the wicked claymore. Dracula stood there, holding his sword up to block. The sheer force displayed caused the vampire's feet to sink into the ground, cracking the concrete he stood on. For a moment, he seemed surprised by the amount of force the Fire Kind had unleashed. It was a little known fact, but his strength was even greater than his speed. Twirling in mid air, he brought his leg into the side of the demon's armor, bringing his sword back around. The lord was quick enough to block the sword strike, but he did not expect what came next from the kick. While it did not deal as much damage as he had hoped, it did dent the armor slightly, causing a burst of black flames to appear on the armor.

The fire mage possessed a special ability, to be able to light his opponent on fire with a physical strike. Using his pyrokinesis ability, he lifted his hand up. The black flames on the armor knocked Dracula right on his chin, knocking him as if he had been hit with a full force uppercut. A perk of having such corrupt flames was that they could be quite physical if he wished them to be. Dishing out several strikes, the claymore was coated in a dark energy, knocking Ardere backwards. He was not severely injured, but he slid across the concrete floor. By this time, it was likely the Black Rose mage would have joined the fray. Let's finish this guy off Elyx. A black aura formed across his body, blazing around him like a dark flames. Powering up, he clenched Clarent rightly. Sinking his feet into the ground, this would not be an easy fight, but it was not one they could afford to lose. I say we rush in at the same time and barrage him, then you blast him low. I'll jump up and blast him high. Then we'll wing it from there. A smirk crossing the lips of the vampire lord, he brushed his white long hair back. I may be older than  this country but I am not short on hearing. Giving a counter smirk, the god slayer straightened up. Oh, I know.