The situation on Alucard's side was far from optimistic.
The Vampire King had finally succeeded in absorbing the blood belonging to Schrödinger.
The moment Alucard assimilated another life, his very form of existence began to shift. The blood pooling on the ground contained not only the essence of that strange cat-boy, Schrödinger, but also the blood of demons slain in the chaotic battle.
And now, the transformation had begun.
Countless eyes, many belonging to species far removed from humanity, opened across his body. Yet, one by one, these open eyes began to close.
Between existence and non-existence, recognizing one's own "self" is a task of insurmountable difficulty.
Having absorbed Schrödinger's blood, the Major's final objective had been achieved. Now, all that remained was to wait for Alucard to vanish into thin air amidst the paradox of his own existence.
Nearby, Anderson was locked in a fierce struggle with Mephisto, whose consciousness was being whittled away. But this stalemate would not last much longer.
Between the two wills of Mephisto, only one would remain. The victor was obvious: the true Prime Evil, the Lord of Hatred, Mephisto!
High in the sky, Bul-Kathos plummeted at terminal velocity. His dual weapons were held before him, aimed squarely at the Mephisto who had yet to fully regain his senses.
Bul-Kathos would not give this bastard a chance to recover. When a Prime Evil faced Bul-Kathos, their only destiny was to become a prisoner within the Black Soulstone!
"Lord of Hell? You're just a piece of trash that won't stay dead!"
With a thunderous roar, Bul-Kathos slammed heavily onto Mephisto's head. Under the crushing force, the demon instantly disintegrated into a cloud of flying ash.
The method by which Bul-Kathos dispatched Mephisto was so smooth that even he found it unexpected.
As one of the three Prime Evils—the strongest of the demon lords—Mephisto should not have been dispatched so easily.
"Hmph!?"
Bul-Kathos let out a nasal sound of confusion. The soul of the damned Lord of Hatred had not appeared inside the Black Soulstone.
Furthermore, Bul-Kathos could confirm with certainty: there was no trace of Mephisto's aura in the vicinity.
"King of Barbarians. The strongest of heroes. Bul-Kathos."
The heavy battle armor adorning Anderson vanished in an instant.
Imperius had already told him much. At this moment, Anderson felt no need to maintain a guarded stance before Bul-Kathos. Even facing an entity that could crush him like an insect, Anderson spoke without fear.
But Bul-Kathos was in no mood to respond to this man favored by Valor.
"Hahaha~" x2
The overlapping laughter of Andariel and Azmodan echoed within Bul-Kathos's mind, dripping with mockery.
As siblings, they understood Mephisto's movements perfectly. But they would not tell Bul-Kathos, even though they harbored just as much malice toward their brother.
The relationship between the Seven Great Evils had never been harmonious; given the chance, they would devour one another without hesitation.
Mephisto was the most cunning and deep-scheming among them. Seeing Bul-Kathos falter brought these Prime Evils a chilling delight. Nothing brought them greater joy.
They would tell Bul-Kathos where Mephisto was—but only when the time was perfect.
Trapped in their prison, they didn't just want to see Bul-Kathos fail; they wanted to see their brother join them in suffering!
Because they were not free, they would not tolerate their brother being freer than they were!
Beneath Alucard's feet, a stream of grey-black blood finally surged into his body.
The true essence of Mephisto merged into the vampire, who was currently losing himself.
"That monster's blood..."
"Mephisto is right there!"
Andariel and Azmodan roared loudly in Bul-Kathos's mind, their voices filled with anticipation—which quickly turned into shock.
"What is this bullshit!?"
Mephisto's voice erupted suddenly, and then, along with Alucard, he vanished completely.
The Rules. The Rule of Existence and Non-Existence, combined with the vampire's blasphemy against life, had swept Mephisto—the Lord of Hatred—away with absolutely no preparation.
None of the Demon Lords could have predicted such an occurrence. There were no longer any "insiders" who knew what was happening.
"What is this bullshit!"
Bul-Kathos swung his weapons, cleaving through the empty space where Alucard had stood.
To prevent Mephisto from escaping, he had put immense power into that strike. The ground beneath the blow cracked open, revealing an abyss leading straight to Hell.
Immediately, Imperius's Holy Fire sealed the passage.
Because the gateway between this world and Hell had not been fully closed, the separation between the two realms was particularly fragile here.
Bul-Kathos's inability to master Rules left him feeling exceptionally powerless when faced with them. Even with the power of Devour and Creation at his disposal, he hadn't had time to activate them.
He could only watch as Alucard's figure disappeared completely.
The only good news was that in this state, it was impossible for Mephisto to draw upon the power of Hatred to strengthen himself. He would not have a chance to descend into this world again until only one remained between him and Alucard.
But for now, Mephisto was gone.
Bul-Kathos was furious, his embarrassment turning to rage. His aura pulsed violently around him, expanding and contracting like a beating heart.
Maintaining the balance between self-control and rage was difficult, especially with two Prime Evils cackling in his head.
"Again! Once again, a damned piece of trash has escaped right in front of me!"
Bul-Kathos's beard and hair danced wildly in the energy storm. His fury was so palpable that Anderson deliberately kept his distance.
Rorschach arrived late to the scene. He looked at the ground, no longer covered in blood, and said nothing.
Then, he turned and launched a Leap Attack toward Rumlow's position.
If the Prime Evil's true body was gone, there was no need to linger. Justice urged him to continue the fight.
And this was a fight Rorschach undertook willingly.
The battle on the other side was not going smoothly. Although the Werewolf Captain's combat strength hadn't driven Matthew and the others to desperation, the skeletal Mina Harker was currently on a rampage.
Kaecilius had launched a charge against the crazed skeleton, only to be slammed directly into a wall, much like he had done to Rip Van Winkle earlier.
In this contest of raw strength, Kaecilius had lost miserably. Fortunately, he hadn't lost his life in the process.
The skeleton, stained a rusty yellow by the dim light, pressed its bony shoulder into Kaecilius's chest. His ribcage had already collapsed, and his internal organs were being punctured by sharp ribs.
Kaecilius seemed to have consistently terrible luck—the type of person who would laugh three times just for finding a generic yellow item in a Rift.
If a rare, unlucky soul like him wanted Legendary equipment, his only hope—aside from begging Bul-Kathos—was probably the miraculous power of Kanai's Cube.
"This monster... it's terrifyingly strong! Cough, cough!"
Kaecilius coughed twice, spraying blood onto Mina Harker's skull.
Rumlow swung his massive two-handed hammer, bringing down a Hammer of the Ancients.
Although it didn't shatter Mina Harker's hard bones, it at least saved the unfortunate Kaecilius.
"Matthew! Hurry up and finish off that werewolf! Don't tell me you can't even handle a guy who wants to die!"
Rumlow kicked Mina Harker's skeleton, using the recoil to distance himself from the terrifying undead.
He flipped in mid-air, adjusting his stance to welcome Mina Harker's second wave of impact.
"If you're so tough, you do it! Hah!"
Matthew knocked the giant werewolf flying with his flail, shouting back at Rumlow. Then, he followed up with a Furious Charge.
"Hrrrah!"
With a roar, Rorschach dove into the fray.
The moment he saw Mina Harker, his expression turned strange.
"Is that the Skeleton King? Why is he so small?"
As he spoke, Rorschach smashed his "Nutcracker" mace onto Mina Harker's head.
With a sound like cracking walnuts, visible damage appeared on Mina Harker's skull.
Having been carefully cultivated by Bul-Kathos, Rorschach's strength could no longer be underestimated. At the very least, a single Mina Harker was not enough to defeat him.
"Rorschach! You deal with that bone-bag, I'll help Matthew!"
Rumlow, hefting his heavy hammer, launched a Leap Attack at the giant wolf. The hammerhead descended with a massive whoosh, smashing directly into the werewolf's skull.
The fight with Mina Harker had exhausted him mentally and physically; only with the help of Steve and the others had he barely managed to stall the horrific skeleton.
With a muffled thud, the giant wolf staggered and reverted to human form. The Werewolf Captain, covered in wounds, stood there swaying, shaking his head.
"Damn it, this guy's head is hard!"
Rumlow glanced at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had been knocked down by the shockwaves of the battle. His muscles were trembling in spasms.
The continuous fighting had left their clothes in tatters; they looked incredibly bedraggled.
"I'm too weak... good thing I haven't been beaten to death yet."
Steve Rogers struggled to climb up. His twisted leg bone made him look particularly miserable.
As the symbol of America, Captain America had no "protagonist halo" here. Getting injured was the most normal thing in the world.
Fortunately, he still had a heart that would never give up.
"I can do this all day!"
Steve issued a challenge to Mina Harker's skeleton, though his current image lacked persuasiveness.
"Forget all day—if she gives you another set of military combos, you'll be down for good, Steve!"
Dum Dum Dugan lay on the ground. With his only functioning arm, he pulled a blood-stained cigar from his pocket and placed it in his mouth.
He couldn't reach the lighter in his other pants pocket no matter how hard he tried.
Yet, even in this state, he didn't forget to banter with Steve.
"At least we completed the decapitation strike."
Steve said casually, glancing at the mechanical wreckage of the war-mongering Major, who had been completely smashed to pieces.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. trio's main objective had been the Major who caused all this. Although, after completing the objective, they were mowed down like grass by Mina Harker's Musou flurry.
Now, John Wick lay nearby, his life hanging by a thread. Judging by the half-ribcage that had been blown open, his situation wasn't good.
"Call for backup, or I think that kid is going to die."
Dugan finally retrieved his lighter after a sickening snap came from his lumbar spine.
He was a tough bastard, willing to risk paralysis just to smoke.
He took a deep drag, accidentally inhaled the thick smoke into his lungs, and coughed violently.
"Dead men should lie still and stop yapping!"
Kaecilius, having used a potion but still dragging serious injuries, walked over. He sat directly on Dugan's legs.
His body, which had become much more muscular under Kanuk's training, caused Dugan's legs to emit the sound of fracturing bone.
Luckily, the tough-as-nails Dugan had already lost control of his lower body, so he felt nothing.
"I know what you guys did to Rumlow. I'll have a good chat with you about it later... after you heal."
Kaecilius snatched Dugan's cigar and took a hard drag.
Then he choked and coughed uncontrollably.
People who hadn't smoked cigars before always made that mistake.
Back on the Sacred Mountain, only Rumlow had paid any special attention to Kaecilius when he was being beaten to a pulp during training—perhaps out of sympathy from a fellow sufferer?
Regardless, their relationship was surprisingly good.
"Giving you a cigar is a waste! Give it back! Then get your ass back to the fight! When those magical little potions come off cooldown, pour one down that kid's throat and save his life!"
Dugan slapped the back of Kaecilius's head with all his might, causing Kaecilius's body to jerk violently.
Compared to Dugan's injuries, John Wick was in much more danger; his breathing was so faint it was almost invisible.
Kanuk always used a slap to the back of the head to tell Kaecilius to prepare for a beating. It had become a conditioned reflex.
Pavlov's Dog? No, Pavlov's Kaecilius.
During the previous battles, the Barbarians had shared health potions with these men more than once. Their relationship had become much friendlier through shared combat.
At least the previous dialogue could be considered banter.
"Dammit, did anyone see where that Big Head went?"
Steve slammed a fearless Shield Bash into Mina Harker, momentarily hindering the skeleton's movement. Immediately after, Rorschach's Nutcracker smashed Mina Harker's collarbone.
As Steve flew backward from the recoil, he shouted loudly about M.O.D.O.K.'s location, landing with a face full of anxiety.
"That guy knows about Hydra! Rumlow, you idiot, didn't you come here for Hydra intel? Go chase him! We can hold these guys off!"
Steve roared despite the severe pain, thinking of Rumlow's needs.
"Shut up! Give me two more minutes, and Matthew and I will skin this wolf to make you a coat!"
Rumlow began to spin, wielding his massive hammer. Although his footwork was a bit messy, it was undoubtedly Whirlwind.
The giant hammer smashed into the defenseless Werewolf Captain. The massive head of the hammer enveloped both the Werewolf's head and waist in its attack range.
Simultaneously, from the other direction, Matthew smashed his flail directly into the Werewolf's other side.
The Werewolf Captain was already missing an arm, so Matthew's strike was unobstructed.
Two immense forces caved in the Werewolf's body. A look of pain finally appeared on the face of the once-ferocious beast.
But in the next moment, he smiled like an innocent child.
"That Big Head is your closest chance to Hydra! You fool!"
Steve crawled up again. His shin, previously bent at an obtuse angle, was now approaching a right angle.
Yet, holding his shield, he charged toward Mina Harker once more!
"Hydra can't run! As long as I exist, Hydra will have to scurry like rats under my hammer!"
Rumlow's second rotation arrived. The giant hammer struck the Werewolf's head squarely!
However, this time his attack was blocked by the Werewolf's sharp claws. Under the impact, the head of the two-handed hammer cracked in two and fell to the ground.
The entanglement with Mina Harker had sent Rumlow's weapon to an early grave.
This was the second weapon he had broken.
"Your hammer is done! Go find that guy! Fuck!"
Steve was flipped over again. When he landed, his calf finally suffered an open fracture. Amidst the bone splinters, one could see his leg bone was incredibly dense, possessing the sheen of jade.
Under such injury, even he cursed.
Perhaps the influence of these Barbarians ran deep.
Mina Harker took another heavy blow from Rorschach. Several ribs were shattered, the broken bones clattering to the ground.
Yet, she launched another attack at Steve, who had not yet stood up.
The mad skeleton possessed no instinct to prioritize the more dangerous enemy; this thing only attacked whatever was within reach.
Her action caught Rorschach off guard.
"Steve!"
Rumlow launched a Furious Charge, stabbing the "long staff" (the handle of his broken hammer) into Mina Harker's chest. With a screech of grinding hard material, it slid off the skeleton's spine.
Rumlow was knocked to the ground, vomiting mouthfuls of blood.
Fortunately, Rorschach did not miss the opportunity created by this strike. The Nutcracker chopped heavily onto Mina Harker's head.
With a crisp CRACK, Mina Harker lost her head.
The force of the Nutcracker didn't stop there; it continued downward, shattering all of Mina Harker's ribs. The mad skeleton was finally completely finished.
"Drink a potion!"
Rorschach dropped a command, then turned and leaped to the Werewolf's side.
The Nutcracker struck the head.
With a smile of pure innocence and relief, the Werewolf Captain turned into a wisp of blue flame.
The battle in this cramped space was finally over.
Only M.O.D.O.K. had escaped, but that didn't matter.
As long as S.H.I.E.L.D. existed, the organization known as A.I.M. couldn't run.
Those guys had long exposed their origins. The rest could be left to S.H.I.E.L.D.
-------------------------------
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