The Way of a Warrior

"Miya... Listen to me. They are here." Estes started putting his arms on his beloved daughter's shoulders. "Grab your bow and go to your room. Hide and don't go out until you're absolutely sure you're alone and its safe. Be careful." He said and placed a soft kiss on her forehead with all the love he had for her.

"B-but father... I can't leave you here. We can defend this place if we fight together!" Miya said not wanting to sit aside while other people are in danger.

Estes sighed. "Miya, there is much in this world you yet have to find out. You're still young and I want you to live for that. For what I've seen yet you haven't. Don't fight, not yet." He then turned to Alucard and spoke in still soft and calm tone.

"I know you came here to trade, not fight but I have one more request for you before you go. I beg you, take care of my daughter and make sure she doesn't get in trouble." He asked the warrior with a huge blade in hand.

He nodded in understanding but not in agreement. "Sir... I understand what you're saying but it's crazy. The three of us easily have beaten that girl and her friend, why do you think the three of us would fail?"

Miya nodded. "Exactly. I can fight! I can beat them."

But Estes just took a deep breath before saying: "I couldn't hurt my niece. And besides, she is guided by bloodlust and envy. That is the most dangerous combination." He picked up a scroll from moon altar.

"Wait..." Alucard started. "Your niece?! Her? Are you kidding me?" He asked rising an eyebrow just when there was a loud bang and the door opened.

Miya gazed at her father once again with a gaze filled with sadness but he was still as sure in his decisions as ever before he turned to the door where three figures were standing, two high ones and one small short figure with a long curved figure. The elf princess then grabbed Alucard's hand and said: "Run!"

The two quickly dashed upstairs leaving the king alone. He rose his scroll and made a ring of moonlight that surrounded the three. They felt heavy and slow but the effect soon wore off. Although, it gave his daughter enough time to escape.

Karina smirked as she walked closer. "Hello, uncle. Have you missed me?" She asked while spinning her blades in her hands. She then sped up, turned into a physically shapeless form and ran to him knocking him to the ground.

He said nothing, just groaned in pain so Karina got up and said: "Tie him up, I'll go get the rest of my dear family." She then turned into spirit form again and ran upstairs in the direction where she had seen Alucard and Miya running.

***

Vexanna was still standing in front of the undercowered couple who pretended to be normal people living their everyday life. Their little act couldn't trick them. "Well, well, well..." The necromancer started. "What do we have here? A young couple of elves, huh? Or maybe some intruders?" She asked with a grin.

"Who are you?" Hayabusa asked fearlessly, stepping in front of his protected girlfriend. He didn't know who was standing in front of them but in front of girl's eyes was only one image. Screaming figure getting banished from our world, pain in her voice, vengeanceful look in her eyes just like the redish gleam in eyes of the person standing in front of them.

No question - that's the same girl she had seen being banished into dungeon when she was little. She doesn't know how so that she remembers it but the image was cut into her mind, she additionaly tried to hide behind her man feeling at least a little safer than she felt before.

"Ask the girl behind you. I'm sure she will gladely tell you who I am. She will have enough time though, once I put you where her ancestors put me. They and those stid elves." She said grining. "Actually, I though it'd be harder to find you but the fate brought you to me."

Kagura just winced in fear. "No... Get away from me! I did nothing to you!!" She yelled, leaning on Hayabusa who was still confused. He just put a hand on her and said: "Calm down..." He whispered.

Vexanna just rose her hands, still having chain rings around her wrists and said: "No you didn't. But it hurts more to see those we love in pain, doesn't it? Your parents will see how it feels..." She said with a grin before shooting a ghastly hand at them. The hand grabbed Hayabusa and forced him to move towards the witch.

Kagura screamed: "No! Let go of him!" She threw her umbrella at her but before it could hit her, she moved the boy in the way of umbrella and it hit him instead of her.

"Oh, poor boy... Such a pitty I have to use him as a shield." She said before pinching his cheek. "Why do you keep resisting? There is no use of trying to beat me." She said before creating a toxic pond under Kagura and making a powerful drop of magic fall onto her. That drop was almost as powerful as the tear that was dropping down Kagura's cheek

***

Miya ran to the room where her bow and quiver were, she picked them up and was pulled to her room by Alucard. She then stopped him. "Wait! I know a better spot." She whispered and ran to a long spiral staircase leading to the top of a watchtower.

They started climbing but they weren't even half way there and Karina was already at the bottom. It took her a while to find where they were going but in the end, she finally found them and started running up.

The demon hunter saw this as a opportunity to beat her once again. "Look, she's alone. We can get her if we fight together." He said pulling out his sword.

"A-are you sure?" The young elf asked. "My father said we hide." She mumbled. In a moment, there came a reply: "We can't hide. She knows we are here, you have to trust me. This is our only way out." He said taking the girl's hand before he left it and prepared his sword.

Karina was already close so Alucard took the opportunity and jumped to her. It came to a surprise when his sword just passed through her not leaving any sign of being hurt. She just grinned and went in for a sting with her shiny blade leaving the spirit form so she could hit him.

Much to her surprise, there was an arrow flying to her direction. She didn't have hard time missing it but it destroyed her try to attack the man. Instead of showing anger, she just grinned and said: "Two on one, isn't very fair, what do you think?"

She then jumped quickly to Miya, it looked like she teleported so within a blink of an eye, she was trying to take Miya down with her blade. The teenage girl was surprised by the blink so she put her bow under her blade. It was a silverwood blow so it wasn't a light nut to crack.

Alucard meanwhile ran upstairs again. "Miya! Watch out!!" He yelled but too late, she was already struggling to push her away. Before he could strike at Karina's back, she turned around and swirled her blades kicking the guy away. She kept switching her targets and it was very hard to successfully hit her with the speed with which she was dashing between her targets and wielding her blades around.

Just when Alucard was about to get her with his sword which was glowing bloody red, he felt a sharp object hooking him and pulling away. Ruby stood there after climbing up with few uses of her scythe as a grapling hook and didn't waste time. She helped her friend and pulled Alucard to her before pushing him against the wall. There was a deadly grin spreading across her face.

"You've been a bad boy, Alu. How could you do this to me? You should be with me, not her." She said, sounding pretty kinky. He tried getting away from her but she just grabbed his arms and tackled him to the ground. "No, you won't run away, sweety. Stay here with me." She said.

***

Kagura then used her umbrella to shield her from deadly toxic rain. She looked at the woman who was holding the one who should be holding her. She knew she had to do something but what? She knew she couldn't really do much with her umbrella because it would hurt either both of them or only him.

She had to weight it, was it worth hurting both of them for sake of getting away? She bit her lip and moved umbrella closer to them again before making connection with Vexanna and her umbrella that automaticly connected Hayabusa too. It drained their energy as always when she'd do that. Eventually, the necromancer's ghostly hand had to drop him yet they both ended up on the floor unable to break the connection.

"W-what is this...?" Vexanna hissed. "I've never seen this power since... Semei umbrella..." She groaned.

Hayabusa was already blacked out due to how much energy Kagura needed to drain from them to weaken the deathbringer to the treathless state. She stood there weakly even after her umbrella absorbed that much energy.

Seeing what she did to Vexanna, Moskov didn't even want to go challenge the girl, it wouldn't end up well for him anyway.

Just like that, Kagura picked up her umbrella and and used all the energy she drained from the two to deal a finishing blow to the witch. She kicked her back and then tried dragging Hayabusa away from potential danger.

Moskov did the same, Vexanna underestimated power of the girl, although she was young, she could pack a punch and she learnt it the hard way.

***

If only the three in palace were as lucky to have Kagura watch after them all the time, they might not be in a situation they found themselves in. Estes and Miya were tied up and left to sit aside. The princesses's cheek was decorated by a bleeding cut on it made by Karina's blade. Ruby snuggled herself against a tied-up Alucard whose expression was truly giving away how uncomfortable he felt.

Karina then stood in front of them all and said: "Okay. Now make my job easier and just tell me where Codex of Apocalypse is." She crossed arms and tapped her fingers looking serious. "Come on, I'll find it sooner or later, there is no use of resisting."

"If you'll find it anyway, then why should we bother telling you where it is?" Miya asked with an unamused look. Karina just stared her down. She didn't expect any less from her cousin.

She just wanted to tell her off before Lancelot stood in between them and said: "I'll take care of this." He approached Miya and knelt down in front of her. "Listen, if you keep that attitude, you could get seriously hurt or worse. I suggest you to cooperate and I promise I'll stand up for you when we reach the boss, okay?"

Miya frowned. "So you're saying that I should show you where the book is or your boss is going to kill me, huh?" She still didn't look like she was about to give in which made Karina fairly impatient so she said: "Let's just go find it."

Lancelot chuckled and stood up. "There are much worse things than death but if you want to experience them, go on, I won't stop you." He then turned to Karina and said: "Right. Let's find it."

Ruby didn't care for the two, she was too busy cuddling with Alucard who wasn't allowed to complain although he was dying inside.

Miya watched them leave. Just before they left the room, Estes spoke: "Wait. I'll show you where it is but promise me you'll take good care of my daughter." Right after it, Miya gasped. "D-dad?! Why--" She asked.

Instead of Estes's reply, Karina just grinned, walked up to him and rose him up by collar. "Sure, uncle." She said while Lancelot waited for them. The last thing that could be heard from him before leaving the room was: "See? I told you it would work."

***

The following morning, after Hayabusa recovered some of his strength, they returned to the palace but it was empty. There was nobody inside and the Codex of Apocalypse was gone. Due to some blood on the floor and battle markings, they concluded that the rest was attacked.

Kagura sat down in the middle of main hallroom and concentrated trying to find remainings of magic in the air. Flashes of past came into her mind revealing flashes of battle scenes and few well-known figures.

"Now everything makes sense..." Kagura mumbled drawing the ninja's attention. He turned his head to her and listened carefully as she continued: "You remember those people that attacked Alucard before? When we jumped in help?"

Hayabusa nodded: "Yes, why?"

"They stole the book and took others as prisoners... but they aren't doing it for themselves! There is something, somebody who's making them do that for him. I could bet that is who Estes was talking about during the healing session... the fallen angel."

"Slow down! What are you talking about? What fallen angel?" The boy asked rubbing the back of his head. He didn' understand what was she talking about.

"I'll explain as we travel. For now we have to move. The evil is coming and we'll need backup if we want to stop it. Luckily, I know exactly where we can get it..." She said. "We've been hidden for too long, don't you think?" She asked.