What a horrible night to bring back the curse. Regarding this story in terms of uploads, I had two plans.

Plan A was to get two chapters out this month and take a break for the entirety of November. Yes this was Castlevania month and it was. It just was focused on fanfiction because I was collected Castlevania games for platforms I do have, starting with the ones for with Nintendo and putting off the LoS saga. I did started playing Order of Ecclesia and may or may not have gotten another potential story. Also recently heard of a new Castlevania mobile called Grimoire of Souls is in development. I'll give that a view and chance when it's released.

Plan B, which I followed, means getting one chapter out by the end of October and getting the second chapter out preferably by November 9 which marks my one year was a writer and the anniversary of this fic which is still my most popular story. No uploads for the rest of November.

Lets see if I do better in December compared to this month. December is Xenoblade month.

I seem to be rather consistent with the update percentage on my profile so far so I may upgrade that part.

You are probably aware of the poll results by now. I decided to do top 3 (I didn't specify ties with this option). To those who may have correctly guess what RWBY x FE is based on, I guess you don't mind the kind of entry it's going to be. I don't consider it a story or a priority so I'll do that whenever if I get desperate to get something out. Other options may still be consider in the future.

Poll Results (1st, 2nd, 3rd): RWBY x FE, The World Ends With You x RWBY, Persona 3 x Xenoblade Chronicles 2

My top 5 : TWEWY x RWBY, P5 x TWEWY, P3 x XC2, NMH x Killer 7, (interchangeable between Bloodstained x Castlevania and XC2 X Skies of Arcadia)

My top 10 didn't matter. There is a chance that my urge to do an unlisted story will come up too.

The two teams played the final episode for the day.

While the intro played, Ruby spoke. "I can't believe we are already halfway through this season."

That's because you wanted us to binged watch the show." Weiss said.

"It true that we agreed to it, but it might have been a bad idea because the seasons are short even if each episode is at full length." Ren said. To be honest he was starting to think that they should have spaced out their watching sessions more.

At the base of some snowy mountain in the forest area laughter can be heard as a group of armed people were running away in fear of whatever was chasing them.

"Okay, terror scene first." Yang commented.

Whatever was following them had jumped into the air from its sprint revealing the purser to be Godbrand with a sinister smile on his face. He was wielding a broadsword in his left hand and a battle axe in his right hand.

Godbrand slashed the back of one the men just as he landed. The man fell to the ground while Godbrand slid down the small slope of the mountain's base to reach his next target.

One the the armed men turned around to face the vampire viking. "Godbrand is here." It proved to be a mistake because Godbrand shattered the man's sword with his battle axe and then cut the man's head off with his sword.

The viking pursued his next two targets, one of them looked back to see him following them. Godbrand quickly ran on the back of the who looked back and jumped off him to get to the bald man running in front while knocking down his footstool.

"The one time you turn around and don't see a killer slowly following you. You end up dying faster before you can get even more scared." Nora said.

Godbrand stabbed the bald man through the neck with his sword and then cut off the man's head with the same sword impaled through his neck. Godbrand then then went to the target he knocked down and killed him by jamming the hilt of his axe into the man's head.

"H-how many more?" Ruby asked a bit scared. These may be armed with classic weapons, but they stand no chance against the vampire.

"Second best scenario would be one more unfortunately." Ren answered. He usa8d "second best" because the best scenario for this scene would be no more deaths.

The last member of group of humans stopped running once he approached a cliff. Looking down below he saw a body of water and a boat sailing.

Two things ran in the mind of the viewers, jump into the water and possibly be rescued by the boat or stand his ground against the vampire. The former seemed likely to them.

The final target decided to stay his ground and readied his sword and dagger.

The viking vampire laughed. "Brave livestock." Godbrand ran past the man going off the cliff and cut his head off with his axe. "Look out!" He fell and did roll landing on the boat. He ran to the bow of the boat and hanged on the head of the boat laughing. "Godbrand!"

The next moment Godbrand woke up in a cellar in the castle with drool on his mouth and a happy smile. He then laughed. "Blood. I have dreamed of my legendary life and now I am thirsty."

"It's just a dream." Ruby was relieved.

"But was it a premonition or sign for something else to happen?" Ren questioned.

Godbrand slams his left forearm and right hand on the table which tipped over his empty mug. "Fuck your eyes, man, bring me blood and beer.".

The vampire zealots complied with the order and brought a source of blood to Godbrand, a live pig.

That's not what Godbrand had in mind for a blood source. "No, no, no, that's not fair." He them came to a realization and looked pissed off. "Damn it all. That woman was right. Some things must be done."

"Things are gonna get worse. Why couldn't just be satisfied with the way things are, not saying that the current situation optimal?" Jaune said.

"Plot progression, but things might not go well for him." Ren replied.

In the Belmont Hold, Trevor pulls a veil with revealed a mirror that was taller than himself, but it was cracked from two points of impact. "What the hell is this?"

"A sign of bad luck." Yang commented.

"You don't know?" Sypha asked, taking her attention away from a tome she was reading.

"I don't know." Trevor responded.

Sypha was in a bit of disbelief. "This is your house." She put the tome away and walks toward Trevor.

Trevor wiped away the accumulated dust from a part of the mirror. "Do you know everything in your house?"

"I don't have a house."

"She doesn't have a house." Alucard reiterated. He was sitting on top of the shelf behind the two humans with his sword resting in his shoulder while he was inspecting a tome. He then closed the tome and looked at the Belmont. "She's a Speaker. She's a nomad."

That did save an answer from the group.

"I was rhetorical." Trevor said.

Alucard jumped down from the shelf. "A rhetorical house that she doesn't have."

"They say they are not children earlier, yet they act like children with their banter. Sypha seems to be the only one with a brain." Weiss said.

"It what makes their comedy. Kinda reminds of an old school comedy dad had stored in the attic from his father's time. A leading trio with one having a certain degree of intelligence." Yang said.

Trevor decided directly respond to Alucards comment, so he focused on what he uncovered. "Just tell me what it is."

"It was a magic mirror." rSypha answered.

Alucard pointed at the mirror. "Also known as distance mirrors." He gave a more specific answer. Alucard then felt the engravings on the frame. "Some of them even allow matter to pass through them, but..." Alucard went silent for a moment from his inspection. Sypha looked at him waiting for a response. "No, this is a simple remote-viewing mirror. A little of the activating language is chipped." Alucard then turned to the Belmont. "A few of the runes need re-cutting but workable. You have a fascinating family junkyard, Belmont." The half breed added the insult at the end.

Ignoring Alucard's Jab at the last Belmont Weiss had an odd thought. If the name of the mirror was any indication then it could show a location, maybe even a person. She wonder if the mirror could show her… who is the loneliest of all.

That pissed off Trevor so the Belmont had to let dhampir know something. "You're a cockwart, Alucard." He said as he lend towards Alucard and pointed at him.

Sypha grabs Trevor's hand which forcibly dragged the hunter towards her. "Stop it!"

"I felt like she was only saying that to Trevor, not both of them." Pyrrha commented.

Sypha dragged Trevor to the far end of the book shelf. Trevor leaned on it while Sypha lectured him. "You are an adult. You do not have to rise to his every barb."

"He's pissing me off like it's his job, Sypha."

"Grow up, Trevor."

Even though Trevor is not a huntsman, he isn't acting like a respectable hunter either on top of being an adult.

Sypha stopped for a moment to ponder something. She now stood at his side rather then in front of him. "Why is your name Trevor, anyway?

Trevor gave her a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

"I understand the Belmont now, but Trevor doesn't sound very local either."

"It's not exactly an uncommon name, but this could mean that Trevor and his family is not native to Wallachia." Blake said.

"Oh, well… So, the story goes, a Celt rode out here with Leon back in the day and his name was Trefor, with an F." Trevor was unaware of Sypha smile.

The Speaker slid to her left making physical contact with the hunter and had a thinking pose. "Trefor, I like that." She said with a smile as she pointed to the Belmont for now knowing the origin of his name.

"Oh, it's terrible." Even though Trevor said that he couldn't keep a straight face and ended up with a smile smile on his face.

"Treff." Sypha said trying to come up a nickname. Once she came up with one she gave the Belmont a playful look. "Treffy?"

"Oh, my God, no." It was bad in a cheesy way that Trevor had to look away.

"You are Treffy now."

"Don't-" Trevor was interrupted by Sypha's laughter. He couldn't help but join her.

While this was going on Alucard was looking into the mirror. He raised an eyebrow at the interaction and turned around.

Everyone agreed that it was a cute moment. One that may have been need to in the dark and dreary world they are watching.

This time of piece would only last so long.

Snow fell upon Dracula's Castle.

A door on the upper level bridges opened with Hector and Carmilla going through outside.

"But Dracula respects my skills. And the human world cast me out long ago." Hector held his arms closed to his chest due to the cold weather. "Why would I go against his wishes?" He then turned to Carmilla who was following behind him, unaffected by the cold.

"Dracula has failed his own people. He believes that he fell in love with a human woman. He took a pet. You see that, don't you?" Carmilla asked Hector for his viewpoint.

"I believe he loved her." Hector stated which puts his stance on the matter against Carmilla and the views of other vampires. He is capable of love. That's the source of his conviction."

"I'm gonna have to agree with Hector. While Dracula is a monster, he does exhibit human-like qualities as if he was human." Pyrrha said.

"Agreed." Everyone else said. A monster feeling love is not just a rare occurrence, it's an anomaly.

The wind was blowing. "If you love something, you act t keep it with you for as long as you can." Carmilla said with her opened right hand. She then closed it as she pointed out the contradiction with Dracula. Instead, he allowed her to be killed by other humans." She explained.

"He wasn't there." Hector breathed into his hand to keep it warm.

Hector was right and if Dracula was present during the events leading to his wife death then things would be very different, but it would be worse than what the two teams actually saw.

If the teams had to be honest what they watched from that event could actually be the better choice and they hated that.

"He wasn't, no." Carmilla agree with the devil forgemaster at that part, but her reasons will set the difference of her stance and Hector's. "He was traveling, like a human, at her whim. Not once did he move to protect her. Not once once did he consider making her a vampire and bringing her into our community."

"She does bring up a good point. Why did Dracula never turned his wife into one of his own?" Blake asked.

"Perhaps as part of his wife's wish?" Weiss suggested. "I believe we need more information on that that matter. Perhaps we will get it in the second half of this season."

Carmilla closed her eyes. "You are loyal to Dracula and the night world, aren't you?" She caught Hector's attention by questioning his loyalty. "You would have protected her."

A pained look adorned Hector's face. "Of course of would have." He said as he turned around and walked ahead.

"I think Hector may have been the only willing and qualified person to do the job."

"Of course you would." Carmilla agreed and followed Hector to their destination. "But on some level… he considers us less important than the brief life of a mistreated pet." Yet a another thing she said to get a certain reaction from Hector and rethink things. "Does that sound sane to you?"

"Yeah, it sounds..." Hector opened a large double door "confused."

"From the perspective of the night community

"And now he has taken us to war." The door closes behind Carmilla as she followed Hector through the dark corridor."Should this war be prosecuted by a confused man?"

"I- I don't know.

"Has it occurred to you that you yourself," Carmilla appeared in front of Hector from the darkness of the corridor jusy before an illuminated area with a spiral staircase "a loyal servant of the night world," Hector headed down the staircase "a prized asset in our lives and wars, are in fact next to die?"

"What?" That caught Hector off guard.

"You're human, Hector." Hector scowled at Carmilla out of anger. He was certainly not next because he was allied with Dracula. He continued down until Carmilla appreared in front of him again. "You threw in your lot with us because it was your path to greatness and joy." Hector walked past her and Carmilla followed the Devil Forgemaster. "But your loyalty counts for nothing when a man who has decreed death to all humans, yet would not make his love a vampire, rampages across the face of the Earth in a mad fury." Hector stopped moving. "I ask you again, does that sound sane to you?" Carmilla repeated the question.

"Carmilla seems to have quite the silver tongue. I do hoper that Hector would not fall into her hands with that speech. It would give her momentum as well as a useful asset." Pyrrha said.

"It all depends on his answer."

"He promised me this would be a cull. That humans would be reduced in numbers and controlled."

Carmilla saw that an opportunity with the mention of a promise. "He is Dracula, Hector." She approached Hector and placed her hand on his shoulder from behind. "Why would he tell the truth to a human? Even you?"

Hector sighed. "I just want to do my work, Carmilla. I love my work." He walked away to do his business.

"I know you do. And I have a way of ensuring you will continue to do it." Carmilla persisted. "You just have to answer one question for me."

"And what's that?"

"Are you prepared to abandon Dracula to win the war?" Carmilla revealed the true reason behind her persistence.

"This will be a dangerous decision for Hector and it also questions his loyalty." Weiss can can clearly see the shackles closing in on Hector ready to ensnare him, but not yet. She could still see that he has some freedom, but that freedom will fade away depending on his answer.

Perhaps Carmilla chose Hector over Isaac would be because less ambitious of the two when it came to serving Dracula which made him an easier target.

What she said gained her a great reaction from Hector.

Hector grew angry by how the scheming vampire openly asked if he would abandon his leader to win a war. H forcibly grabbed her wrist and lead her to his forge.

It didn't need to be said that Carmilla could have easily broken out of that grip or decided not to be moved.

"You don't say something like that out loud in this place."

Carmilla now decided to break out of Hector's grip by pulling her arm away. "What matters more? Wiping the Earth of the humans you hate and submitting to your own death" her hands grew tense which made her nails look like claws "or coddleing a broken old man?" Carmilla glared at Hector.

"It's probably better to support a super senior citizen." Jaune commented.

"The castle must land at Braila, Hector."

"Why?" Hector asked.

"Because I wish it."

"A rather poor reason." Weiss commented.

Carmilla continued. "The Castle lands in Braila, by the river. Dracula's loyal forces will leave the Castle to take the town. My own forces will take the Castle and unseat Dracula. Saving your life. Going forward to control and surround the human race." She told her plan for the war with Hector carefully listening.

Hector slowly closed his eyes and sighed. He then opened his eyes. "Dracula is powerful. Your forces alone may not be enough." Hector informed Carmilla.

"It seems Hector has come to realize the truth regarding Dracula, but it had to be from a schemer. One who can see the truth and mix in a lie to proceed with her own agenda." Blake said. She could think of one person who can fit that description to some degree.

Carmilla thought about Hector's warning and then smiled now that Hector is starting to see things her way. "You're right. Brilliant, Hector."

The dead Bishop and night beast can be seen in the background.

"When will we stop seeing bodies, at least of the Bishop despite him… not being a good person?" Ruby nervously asked.

"I assume at the end of the season. For the Bishop, probably sooner than we expect." Ren answered.

"They may not be..." Carmilla, who stood face to face with Hector, looked at the corpses in the room with Hector doing the same "which is why you must do something for me."

"Conspiracy." Nora abruptly said.

A wolf howled during the night of a full moon. In that night the was a stone keep that had light showing through a window which signified that it was occupied. A figured walked through the front door and as the figure went in, it was revealed to be Dracula paying a visit to the keep.

Was this the past, present, or a dream? Chance were that this is the past everyone is seeing.

A familiar spiked belt dropped to the floor, but looked like it was being held.

"So this is when Dracula went to recruit Isaac… and it had to be when he was whipping himself." a rather dark welcoming sight for anyone in Jaune's eyes.

"I heard you moving across the sand." Isaac said.

Dracula smiled, impressed. "That's very good Isaac." Dracula partially turned around to see Isaac standing outside where he came from. "Most people can't hear me moving at all."

Seeing Isaac clothed made it seem that he hadn't been tearing at his own flesh this time which did make the teams relieved for not seeing a sight of self-mutilation.

"There is nothing out here but the sand. And even the wolves don't come close to my little home." Isaac explained ho he was able to sense Dracula coming near. "What brings you out here?"

"He must have studied and became very used to the environment he is living in." Ren said

"You." Dracula briefly answered.

"Recruitment." Everyone said.

"You have need of my work." The devil forgemaster said as he wrapped his spiked belt around his right hand.

"Invite me across your threshold, Isaac."

"Your sure you need him to invite you? You kind already walked in and your are his master." Yang believed that the invitation was pointless.

The two were now further inside Isaac's home. "Do you remember how we first met, Isaac?" Dracula asked.

"That would be difficult to forget." Isaac replied.

The two were now seen sitting at a table somewhere in Isaac's home with Isaac pouring Dracula a drink. "Say the words, so I know you are still my friend." Dracula requested from Isaac which stopped the forgemaster from fully pouring his own drink.

Isaac complied with his master's request. "I was being hunted by brigand magicians who wanted to kill me, cut me up and sell my parts to other magicians. Someone like me is, in parts of the world, a rich supply of ingredients for potions, spells, and even aphrodisiacs." Isaac raised his cup to Dracula. "And you saved me."

"I did." Dracula confirmed.

Isaac gave Dracula and offside look as he reminisced and pulled his cup back. "The only person in the world who ever lifted a hand to protect me from anything. And he was not human."

"You are still my friend." Dracula now confirmed.

"I am."

"That's a lot worse than what happened with Hector." Ruby said. Then again, when she first saw a part of each devil forgemaster's past she believed Isaac had the worst one. At least Hector somehow managed the hate and neglect towards him with… undead pets.

"Normal people wouldn't want anything to do with people like Hector or Isaac and simply despise their existence, but in the apparent magic and supernatural world people seek the two to exploit their power with inhumane methods." Ren said.

"I do have need of your work." Dracula extended his hand towards Isaac, palm up. "The human race has betrayed me for one final time," Draula closed his fist and then lowered it "and they must be punished."

"… War, then? You need an army of the night?" Isaac asked.

"You sound suspicious." Dracula observed.

"You're not human. Your passions are rare and pure. War sounds like a small thing for you. It's a word you choose, but it's not what you mean." Isaac analyzed his master's intentions.

It did sound small even which a select few people opposing Dracula.

"No. I mean to end the human race."

"And you want my help to do it?"

"Yes."

"Even though I'm a human being?" Isaac wanted confirmation that Dracula wanted to end the human race with human help.

"Yes."

"Even if the night community wins the war and you end up dying shortly after unless they get turned?" Yang asked.

"Yes." Blake said.

"Do these devil forgemasters lose their power if they lose their humanity?" Weiss asked.

Blake checked her reference material. "It doesn't say and their isn't that much info about them to begin with. All we know about them is what we've seen so far, but I'm willing to bet they don't."

"Do you remember my first words to you?" Isaac asked the dark lord.

"Yes."

"Indulge me, Master Dracula. So I may know you are still my friend." Isaac requested the same from Isaac.

"It's a fair trade, but Dracula doesn't have to." Nora said.

"It's a matter of trust to see if their friendship remains intact." Ren said.

Dracula indulged his host. "You said, "I have no fear of death, it always sounded peaceful to me."" He quoted Isaac who smiled.

"I will be loyal to the end. And beyond." Isaac now looked at Dracula directly in the eye. "Let us begin

With the context from Isaac's past that may have sounded more disturbing in the fact that he would want to die.

One thing the teams did know was that Isaac's loyalty to Dracula sound pure.

Now in present time at Dracula's castle under the full moon., a demon horse is growing restless in the stables. The door to the stables opened and the vampire generals walked in with Godbrand taking lead.

"Drinking fucking pig blood? Fuck, no!" Godbrand said outraged as he walked towards the same horse that was growing restless. "We are the generals of the court of Vlad Dracula Tepes and we deserve a proper fucking drink." The viking vampire grabbed a nearby saddle to put on the undead horse. "The maps say there's a town 20 miles away from here. They will never see us coming and fuck them if they do." The viking got on the horse's back. "Tonight, we feed."

Godbrand then lead the other generals outside of the Castle to their targeted town.

If Dracula acted, then those geanerals of his would be punished assuming we would bother with them.

Dracula was now in his study. He stood before multiple shards glass.

"You can kind of see a reflection in those glass shards." Ren observed.

"He must have some bad luck if he broke that mirror." Nora said.

A shard hovered in front of the dark lord. He used his long sharp nails to inscribe a rune on the surface. The glass then formed into a unified surface, creating a large mirror which Dracula then inscribed more runes with both hands. The text faded and showed Dracula an image of a forest somewhere during daytime.

"So that is his distance mirror. Is it a viewing one or a mirror that can transport him?" Weiss asked.

"I'm willing to bet it's the latter." Ruby said.

Dracula let out a breath and picked up a cloak lying on the floor next to him. He tossed the cloak at the mirror. Instead of just hitting the surface of the mirror, the cloak went through it and landed in the forest.

"Is he gonna go through or what?" Nora asked

"I'm gonna say no because of the sunlight or some other reason." Jaune said.

"Lame. Whats the point of showing us that anyway."

Dracula looked at the mirror for several seconds before leaving the room. He walked down his hallway and saw two of his zealots walking towards his direction. As the three got close the zealots stepped to the side with their heads lowered for their leader, but the action was not as it seems.

As Dracula passed them he felt the stare of the zealots and his eyes narrowed. He felt something was up, but won't address it now and continued along until he just passed the open door to Hector's forge with Hector doing he work with his hammer.

Dracula stopped at the door and Hector stopped his hammering. They could sense each others presence, but they didn't confront each other. Hector then continued his work and Dracula walked away from his forge.

The teams felt that was a large clue for Dracula to know that something in work and he may address it sooner rather than later… if he even chooses to.

Dracula walked down a spiraling staircase where an even greater number of zealots cleared the way for the dark lord to walk through the dark corridor.

In Isaac's forge, Isaac is sitting on the stairs in front of his work table reading something.

Dracula entered the forge. "Isaac." He called out to the Devil Forgemaster. "I feel like the tone of the war hall is turning against me. Even Hector looks at me as if he no longer knows me." He said in a slightly saddened tone.

"So he going to have some counsel with Isaac about the manner. Given the previous flashback, Isaac is Dracula's most trusted associate." Weiss said.

I have respect for Hector. But he is a gentle soul. He is still a little boy." Isaac rolled up the scroll. "Probably the same little boy who didn't understand why he was beaten for keeping pets."

Dracula let out a brief, soft laugh. "Well, his pets were reanimated dead animals." Dracula now sat down next to Isaac. "One can understand any parent's discomfort with a dead cat doing a dance in the living room."

Even now, Hector maintained his child-like ignorance. It was and still is an important factor for his alignment.

"He really only wants pets, you see? He really only understands pets. That's how he perceives your war. To cull humans back to a small population and then keep them in pens, he understands that."

Dracula adopted a pensive look regrading Hector's understanding of the war. "That is partly my fault. He's a child in a man's body. That does make him easy to lie to." The dark lord admitted.

"At least Dracula can admit it. We also knew about other man-children." Weiss said. The last part primarily referred to Trevor, but also Alucard in more recent events even though he is more of an adult than the Belmont.

"You are Dracula. No one has a right to your true beliefs." Isaac calmly said.

"So it's more like a privilege to know his true beliefs." Blake surmised.

"Not even you?" Dracula asked as he turned to his friend.

"Not even me." Isaac confirmed. "You've given me purpose and treated me with respect. A lie wouldn't change that. You are unique. You don't owe anybody anything."

"You, Isaac, are the only one I've told the truth to because I believe you are the only one who grasps the necessity of it all."

"Knowing the truth certainly makes Isaac important and possibly a formidable opponent later. We know that his powers are similar if not exactly the same as Hector's, but have yet to see either of them in combat." Ren said.

"That is true. Given Isaac's… self-discipline, it seems like he could make the harsher decision more calmly and with minimal hesitation. From their descussion about Hector, I don't think he could do the same." Pyrrha add.

"At least for now, until he grows up and mans up." Nora said.

"You rarely come to my working place. How can I be of service to you, Master Dracula?"

There was a moment of silence before Dracula spoke while making eye contact. "Are you still my friend?"

"Always."

"Then know that you may be alone." Dracula warned his friend.

"Betrayal or is he predicting his own death?" Weiss asked.

"But he is already dead." Nora said.

"If we are talking about his state of being then yes."

A village can be seen during snowfall. During the night, Godbrand was leading the other vampire generals armed on horseback to the village. The glow of their eyes can be seen as they emerge from the forest.

It's quite depressing to find out the end of a simple human village from a threat they didn't expect to happen at night, or at least that particular night.

While Carmilla did have some influence on Godbrand, he also lead the attack on his own impulse.

The viking vampire busted through the wall of a house on horseback which forced the residence to wake up in terror.

Godbrand laughed with a big smile as he launched himself to his first target in the house which was a man. The man's blood somehow managed to reach a woman's face who was some distance away while in the same room. The woman was to horrified to do anything as she watched the attacker slowly stand up and turned to her with a messy amount of blood on his mouth.

The other generals were slaughtering the villagers who were either already outside or trying to escape their homes from the attack. Whether its a live body or a freshly dead corpse, the vampires violently drank the blood of the villagers. Not all villagers ahd their blood drank by vampires, some were killed either by bare hands or dismembered weapons just for the sake of them being dead.

The last two residence of the village seen were a mother and her child cowering in fear as an oriental vampire formed from the mist gathering in their home which them fasted on them.

One thought came across the minds of the teams with varying levels of fear.

"A horrible and brutal night to have a curse."

Are there any Grimm similar to these vampires? Maybe.

It was dark in the Belmont Hold with only a candle providing dim lighting. Trevor is sitting on the floor near the distance mirror with his back against a chest immediately in front of a bookshelf on the wall and a blanket over his shoulders.

He was resting until he opened his eyes to see Sypha looking through a book despite the tired look on her face from his search in the Hold. "Are you okay?"

"Tired." The exhausted Speaker replied.

Trevor tilted his head downward. "Sleep then." He suggested.

"A bit lonely." Sypha said.

Trevor stared at the candle flame as he decided to spead open the sheet he was covering himself in. "My dusty old sheet is big enough for two. And nobody was ever lonely in this house." The Belmont invited the Speaker.

That put a soft smile as she walked to the Belmont and sat down with him. The Belmont's arm now lowered to cover Sypha with the sheet. "Thank you."

Trevor turned his head to his female companion. "Is Alucard asleep?"

"He says he's slept enough. He's still poking around your family's things with a look of faint disgust." Sypha said expressing her worry for Alucard.

Blake felt as that she understood what Alucard was feeling better than the rest of her friends, but the circumstances and species were different.

Trevor let out a breath, but didn't speak.

Sypha continued. "It's lonely even when you stand next to him. It's strange."

"How so?"

"I'm not sure." Sypha pulled her arms closer to her body. "He's intelligent, sometimes even witty, in his way. And he's certainly half-human." The screen now shows Alucard reading on the podium in the middle of the Belmont Hold as Sypha continued. "More than half-human. He's a person in his own right. But it's like he's a cold spot in the room." The camera is now back on the hunter and scholar. "It's not like your sadness."

"Perhaps because whatever side he would side with would only lead to death and destruction of one of the communities or species. It's like he had to choose which half of himself he wants to cut off. I'm not too sure." Yang said.

"Alucard's circumstances does make it a bit difficult to understand what he is truly feeling at this point." Weiss said.

"I'm not sad." Trevor denied.

"Yes, you are." Sypha asserted as her head finally turned to the Belmont. "But I can shout at you or tease you and get a reaction that lets me know you're still in there. His sadness is like an icy well. It's bottomless. And it swallows up your voice and anything you try to drop into it."

"He could just carry on alone." Blake commented.

"Am I really sad?" The Belmont asked.

"All the time." Sypha leaned in a bot towards the Belmont. "You don't even notice it now. It's just how you are." Sypha was visibly getting more sleepy. "And then, sometimes, you'll tell me nobody's ever lonely in your house, and offer me you stinky blanket."

Trevor chuckled at the last part. "In all honesty, that stink might not be my blanket."

"Should probably take a shower then." Yang commented.

Trevor look at Sypha only to find her sleeping on his shoulder. He decided to rest with her.

"I guess the shower could wait. You got this." Yang said as if Trevor was a real person.

Regardless, that was a rather depressing outlook about Alucard when compared to Trevor.

Godbrand decided to enter Isaac's forge where he found the devil forgemaster disciplining himself on the steps to his table with his spiked belt striking his back which is bloodied from the action. "I wish you would stop doing that. It's sick"

Everyone agreed with the viking which felt at least strange since they witness the slaughter he was responsible for. Recalling that had a greater effect on Ruby and Weiss compared to others.

"The body is sick. It must be purged. It must be focused." Isaac replied. He then tightened his grip on the belt. "This is holy work."

How?

"How did Dracula draft you into his service, I wonder?" Godbrand asked as he walked to the opposite end of the steps from where he came with his hands on his waist.

"I make purity from human corruption. Human corruption is a stain on the world. It was a simple choice." Isaac said the last part with his eyes closed.

Same could be said for all humans and faunus in Remnant who choose to spread corruption and promote conflict with each other. A blight that is forever present.

"Well, talking about choices… Carmilla is making a lot of sense to me." Godbrand walked to his previous position.

Isaac whipped himself. "In what way?"

"There's no plan."The viking had his arms spread open before he lowered them and turned to Isaac who was stil 'cleansing' himself. "Dracula doesn't act on our recommendations, he barely listens to you and Hector. We're just thrashing around the country randomly." Godbrand pointed out the flaws on their side of the war.

"There is an intent. We don't need strict battle plans. We simply follow his intent." Isaac defended.

"An intent that you believe that no one, not even yourself should thoroughly know which drags down your defense for Dracula." Ren said about Isaac.

"We didn't need to hit Gresit right away, you know?" Godbrand stood in fornt of Isaac. "We should have been made aware that Alucard was under the bloody city."

"Alucard is nothing." Isaac strongly stated. "A spoiled child." He tightened his grip on the belt even more.

"Maybe it's because Alucard had loving parents until the incidental that reopened the divide between humans and Dracula. Since Dracula is going for genocide, Alucard would side with the humans which go against Dracula's will in Isaac's eyes." Ren said.

"That or Isaac thinks he is more of a son to Dracula, but feels a bit jealous to Alucard." Ren isn't sure where Nora got that from. The relationship between the two characters are strict friends and master & servant. Directly stated and the strongest relationship in the castle.

"Alucard knows almost as much as Dracula himself, and is almost as strong." Godbrand balled his fist. "And, it turns out, violently opposed to the war because his human mother wouldn't have wanted it or some shit."

"I believe Alucard is right." Ruby commented.

"I'm saying it may be time for the old man to sit in his study and let the rest of us take care of this for him." Godbrand said with his arms spread wide. "Do it right. Set up livestock pens and pursue the war properly without him."

Isaac, who had his eyes closed for the majority of the time Godbrand was talking, finally opened his eyes. However, his eyes were now cold and brimming with controlled hostile intent. "You would betray Dracula?"

"That look in his eyes… it spells out death." Blake said since only she has also seen that look at least or at most one other time. It was with Adam, but even at that time she denied that she actually saw it.

"It's not betrayal." Godbrand leaned down so he was now face to face with Isaac. "Unless the old man decides to be difficult about it." The viking now stood up straight and started to walk away.

The visible dark look in Isaac's eyes remained until he closed them. "I see."

Only Godbrand's footsteps could be heard as the vampire walked. What was unexpected to the vampire was that a familiar spiked belt wrapped around his neck which caused him to bleed all around that part. He never heard Isaac coming.

That fact that Isaac managed this without a sound was quite scary.

Gobrand tried to remove the belt with his hands and use his superior strength to move around the forge to make Isaac loose his grip, but the devil forgemaster followed him while maintaining his hold. The human was physically stanger than what the vampire thought.

When in position Godbrand jumped back into Isaac which caused the human's back to hit the long side of his own work table. However, Isaac still maintained his grip.

Now Isaac to control of the stuggle and forcibly ripped the his weapon off the vampire's neck which deal grievous wounds to the vampire, but didn't immediately kill him.

Even though Godbrand was on his knees with his freshly inflicted wounds, he mustered his strength to throw at least one punch at the human who dodged the attack due to the vampire's hindered aim.

As soon as Godbrand fell to his knees from the sudden attack Isaac whipped him hard again which flipped the vampire to the floor on his back.

Isaac threw away his belt and entered a crouched position on top of the vampire. He then thrust his hand into the vampire's wounded neck which caused blood to splatter over his face. However Godbrand was still breathing.

"You girls okay?" Jaune asked Ruby and Weiss. To be honest, he wasn't faring to weel him self but he was at least better than those two.

"… Just… fine." They said with some difficulty.

Isaac pulled out his personal dagger."Thank you for revealing to me how the corruption of the world had made its way into Dracula's court. Thank you for showing me the truth."

As soon as Isaac finished speaking Godbrand shoved his long sharp nails into Isaac's wounded back from the self-discipline session earlier.

"That won't do much." Ren Stated. Isaac is too used to pain, especially on his back.

Isaac felt the pain, but didn't let out an audible reaction. Instead, he stabbed the vampires heart with his dagger. The effect was that Godbrand's whole body combusted into flames. The viking's screams of was loud enough to be heard throughout the entire forge, but didn't alert anyone who may or may not have been nearby. The vampire's skin and blood were consumed by the fire until bone remained for a few seconds. Even the bones were eventually consumed by the fire.

All that was left was ash.

"Damn, that was stone cold what Isaac just did. Best not to mess with him" Yang didn't expect that. Then again, no one did… completely.

"Once he got confirmation, there was no hesitation. He just purged a source of corruption." Ren said.

"What a way to end the night. I would be surprised if I got a nightmare of that last scene." Blake spoke the thoughts of some people.

As soon as Ruby stored the disc for the next watch session something crashed through the window and hit her. "Ow."

"Damn it." Blake heard an unknown voice from outside. She and Yang looked out the window while Weiss was complaining about some numbskull who was will to cause property damage at Beacon while also striking her leader with… another steel cased disc that said 'Extra'.

"Damn, nothing." Yang punch the wall. This little incident was only worth a minor beating.