Lucius Alfoy was almost glad that his head was bowed so the monster before him would not see how he was gritting his teeth.
“So,” a voice said from above him, young and unperturbed. “Not only did you fail to kill Athelstan de Britannia, but you let Anthony Amasius interfere with our operations elsewhere. Am I getting this right?”
“I was not--”
“It was your underlings who were in charge of the operation in Russia,” the voice interrupted. “I gave you control over that operation after my previous thrall failed me because you said that you would do a better job. You were so certain. You had so much confidence. Was all that bravado?”
It was our operation to begin with, Lucius thought with gritted teeth. And it was your fault we were caught!
The operation in Russia was not one this monster had created but one Custodes Daemonium had been performing for years. They had been researching how to create superhumans through gene splicing. It was a highly illegal activity and not something Trinity would approve of, but under the directives of Hendricks and Chloe, they had worked on this project with the utmost secrecy.
They sadly had no luck. Every attempt ended with the human who was experimented on turning into a raging beast that had to be put down. That was not what they were looking for. They wanted humans who retained their humanity but possessed characteristics of other races--the magic of vampires, the strength of beastmen… their goal had been to create true paragons of humanity.
Then Chloe and Hendricks died.
Then this creature showed up.
He had turned most of Lucius’ compatriots into ghouls, then began turning all of their experiments and test ingredients into ghouls.
It galled him, but he was forced to put up with it because this creature was far too powerful for any one to deal with. Maybe Hendricks and Chloe could have defeated it… but that was a big maybe. This monster had arrived shortly after Hendricks and Chloe were killed by that blasted incubus, during a meeting of those who believed in the pair’s ideals, and he had proceeded to decimate all of them in combat--at the same time.
Viktoria Puten was originally in charge of the Russia branch. This monster had killed him, then turned him into a ghoul. Satoru Ganjo had also been turned into a ghoul. After that, he and Mike Dundee had capitulated, offering to serve this creature in exchange for their lives. It was galling, extremely so, but they did not have a choice. If they wanted to find some way around this, they had no choice but to play nice for now.
“Are you not going to answer me? I am waiting. How do you plan to fix this?” asked the voice.
“The heads of UENO are holding a summit right now,” Lucius said, licking his lips. “Everyone of import is there.”
“And you are going to attack them?” he could almost hear the raised eyebrow in this monster’s voice.
Lucius shook his head. “We would never be able to deal a decisive blow like that. Our plans would be over before they began, especially since they are in New Babylon. We will attack them separately while they are on their way home.”
“Ah.” A soft hum echoed around them. “A good idea. You will need to act swiftly. Hmmm. I know. I shall lend you a hand--just this once. You were attempting to create a race of superhumans, yes? I shall turn you into one.”
“What?!”
Lucius attempted to stand, but a pair of hands clamped onto his shoulders and held him down. The hands were dried up and slowly rotting like a corpse’s, but he recognized the rings on their fingers. This hand belonged to Mika Dundee.
“Wait… you don’t want to do this! I--I can still be useful to you!” Lucius shouted.
He finally looked up at the young man who, having finally stood from his throne, was walking down toward him. Each step rang in his ear like the sound of his own death. His heart began hammering in his chest.
Lucius struggled for everything he was worth, but he was nowhere near strong enough to escape the grip of these hands. With a grunt, he used magic. His mana swirled within his body as he physically reinforced himself, but the ghoul holding him down suddenly did the same. Lucius’s eyes widened. However, he did not stop. His mana surged again, this time to use a spell--when his mana fizzled out.
“What--impossible!” Lucius shouted.
He looked over to see Satoru Ganjo--now a ghoul--standing some distance away with his hand outstretched. The man had used magic unique to him. Negation. But this man was now a ghoul! He should not have been able to use his magic like this!
What… is going on?!
“Why do you struggle? Are you spurning my gift?” asked Kane, kneeling before the man.
“I… have no interest in becoming a ghoul!” Lucius shouted.
Kane tilted his head, confused, but then he looked behind Lucius, and then over to Satoru Ganjo. He appeared to be pondering something. Then he smiled and turned back to Lucius.
“Ah, you seem to misunderstand. I am not going to turn you into a ghoul like these two. You see, it took me a while to get used to this new body, but now that I have fully mastered it, I can use the technique I had originally perfected to use on Lilith. Yes, you will retain your humanity, but you will become so much more. Now…”
It did not matter what this man said. There was no way Lucius would trust a monster. No one in Custodes Daemonium would trust a vampire, much less the single most evil vampire to have ever walked the earth. He struggled even as Kane drew his mouth closer to Lucius’s neck.
“Remain calm. This won’t hurt at all,” Kane said.
And then he clamped down, fangs sinking into flesh, and blood flowing in reverse.
Lucius screamed.
***
While the people who knew Anthony did not look at Vlad favorably, there were just as many present who suddenly turned suspicious glares his way. He could already see the gears turning in their heads. He might be a spy allied with Kane. Even if he wasn’t, Anthony was a powerful man with a strong nation backing him. They would love for the chance to knock him down.
This world was cut-throat. Only the ruthless were able to rise to the top. Every person here had risen to this position by either possessing overwhelming power or by destroying all of their competition through less than moral means. Anthony didn’t delude himself into thinking these people were good just because they were opposed to Kane. They were simply the safer option to ally with because they wanted to maintain the status quo.
“Vlad brings up a good point,” someone said.
He looked young, but it was no doubt the result of massive genetic modifications and cybernetics. His straight profile and well-defined, angular facial structure made it clear he was from somewhere in the Mediterranean. He had the famous Greek nose that was prominent among people who lived there. He also spoke with a strong elongation of certain vowels.
Anthony frowned. “And you are…?”
“Ah, where are my manners,” the man said with a mocking smile. “I am Damon Alectos. Your… former lover was quite well-associated with my father, the former Prime Minister of Greece.”
Anthony immediately knew who this man was. “You’re the son of Alexander Alextos.”
“The one and only,” Damon said.
Anthony’s frown only deepened. “I don’t remember Alexander having kids. What happened to your father?”
Damon smiled mysteriously. “Let us just say that he tried to create wings of beeswax but flew too close to the sun. In either event, we were talking about you, not me. I do not believe someone related to Kane should be allowed in this meeting.”
“Are you stupid?” asked Secilia.
Brianna facepalmed.
Damon’s smile turned into a frown as he glared sharply at the woman. “Excuse me?”
Secilia crossed her arms and grinned. “What? You need me to repeat my question? In that case, I don’t even need to ask it.”
A growl escaped Damon’s throat. “I do not like being insulted.”
“Neither do I, but you did it anyway.” Anthony gave him a cold smile before turning to everyone else. “Many years ago, I fought Kane alongside Lilith and we succeeded in killing him at the cost of everyone’s life save my own--or so I thought. It’s now clear to me that Kane’s spirit left his body and inhabited my brother. Kane has and always will be my enemy. Now, more than ever, he is my greatest enemy, and I will stop at nothing to see him dead for possessing my brother’s body.”
“Words are cheap,” Damon tried.
“And your words are cheaper than most,” Anthony countered. “I would love to see who’s words hold more weight; some nobody from a small nation that can’t even protect itself without help, or the President of a powerful island nation well-known for its technological achievements?”
Damon’s face puckered like someone had shoved a lemon into his mouth. He struggled to speak, but he could not.
Trinity coughed into her hand. “I will personally vouch for Anthony’s integrity.”
“You do seem quite intimate with this young incubus,” another person said, a woman of perhaps Spanish descent.
Trinity smiled. “Of course. Anthony is my mate. I have bonded to him.”
“All the more reason we cannot trust your words,” a gruff man with a beard said. He was short and stout. A dwarf maybe?
“If you’re bonded to him, that means you are in league with him!” another shouted.
More shouts erupted from just one side of the room, those who were against Anthony. Even Damon raised his voice once more. The only one among them who did not join in was the man who had started it all. Vlad calmly watched the proceedings with a blank expression on his gaunt face.
“Will you trust mine then?”
Everyone fell silent and turned to Ivan. The Beast King of Russia was a presence none could ignore, even just sitting there without releasing a single hint of his power.
“I do not know if we can trust your words after…” one person started.
“After what?” Ivan glared at him. “After Anthony bested me in combat?”
The man went silent.
“Ahem.” Svetlana coughed into her hand. “It is because Anthony has bested my husband that you should believe in him. You all know my husband. He is not the type to vouch for someone he does not trust completely. If he has decided to place his faith within Anthony, do you not think there is a reason for that?”
Silence permeated the room, and a tension so thick it was almost visible caused the silence to extend for several seconds longer--until brawny laughter echoed around the room.
“Gya ha ha ha ha! Well, if my rival says this man can be trusted, then I suppose I can’t say anything! Ivan is a man of few words, but he knows how to judge people,” said Shuten Doji, speaking for the first time.
Known by many as the Oni King, Shuten Doji looked almost human, with wild hair like a lion’s mane, crimson eyes, and pale skin. He was… big. Anthony would say he was about as big as Ivan if not a tad bigger. His manner of outfit also made him look out of place among all these delegates. He wore something that resembled a barbaric kimono with fur lining the top. Resting against his chair was a fierce-looking club. What really stood out were the horns jutting from his head. They looked like they were made for gutting someone.
He looked at Anthony and grinned.
“I’ll vouch for you as well… provided you entertain me with a match some time soon,” Shuten Doji said.