The plan I outlined to Valerie and Xenovia was simple in its brutality: we would let our enemies come to us, allow them to spring their carefully orchestrated trap, and then demonstrate why overconfidence was often fatal in supernatural warfare.
"You want us to just... wait here?" Valerie asked, clearly struggling with the concept of allowing ourselves to be surrounded by hostile forces. "That seems incredibly dangerous."
"It is incredibly dangerous," I agreed. "But it's also the most efficient way to eliminate all three threats simultaneously. If we run now, they'll just regroup and try again later with better planning."
Xenovia was already checking her equipment, the familiar ritual of a warrior preparing for battle. "What about the innocent vampires in the castle? The servants, the guards who aren't part of Queen Carmilla's inner circle?"
It was a good question, and one that had been weighing on my mind since I'd overheard the Queen's conversation. "Most of them will survive if they stay out of the fighting. Cao Cao wants to minimize collateral damage—it's bad for his heroic reputation. And King Marius will be focused on capturing rather than killing."
"And Queen Carmilla?"
"Queen Carmilla will do whatever serves her interests in the moment," I replied grimly. "Which means she'll probably try to position herself as the reasonable voice trying to prevent unnecessary bloodshed."
The next few hours passed with agonizing slowness. We maintained the pretense of being unsuspecting guests, even accepting dinner delivered by nervous-looking servants who clearly knew something was about to happen. I found myself almost admiring Queen Carmilla's performance when she stopped by to check on our comfort—every word and gesture perfectly calculated to suggest a ruler genuinely wrestling with a difficult decision.
"I hope you understand that this isn't personal," she said, standing in our doorway with regal composure. "It's simply a matter of what's best for my people."
"Of course, Your Majesty," I replied, matching her tone of polite diplomacy. "I would expect nothing less from a responsible leader."
She smiled at that, clearly pleased by what she interpreted as my naive trust in her intentions. If she had any suspicion that I knew about her alliance with Cao Cao, she hid it perfectly.
It was just after midnight when the attack began.
The first sign was a subtle shift in the castle's magical defenses—ward systems going offline in a pattern that suggested inside knowledge of their construction. Then came the sounds of combat from the outer courtyards, vampire guards engaging with intruders who had somehow bypassed the perimeter undetected.
"It's starting," I said, moving toward the window to observe the battle below.
The Hero Faction had deployed in force. I could see Cao Cao himself leading a group of warriors through the main courtyard, his spear cutting through vampire defenses with surgical precision. Siegfried was there too, Gram's legendary blade carving paths of destruction through anything that opposed him. Other members of the faction spread out through the castle grounds, each demonstrating the kind of supernatural abilities that had made them infamous throughout the supernatural world.
From another direction, King Marius's forces were advancing with military discipline that contrasted sharply with the Hero Faction's more individualistic approach. Vampire soldiers moved in coordinated formations, using traditional tactics enhanced by supernatural speed and strength to overwhelm the defenders.
"They're not coordinating very well," Valerie observed, watching the two armies clash with Queen Carmilla's forces. "The Hero Faction and father's troops are getting in each other's way."
She was right. What should have been a perfectly executed pincer movement was turning into a chaotic three-way battle as competing objectives and tactics created confusion among the attackers.
"Amateur mistake," Xenovia commented. "They planned this assault without establishing clear command structures or coordination protocols."
I was about to respond when our door exploded inward, sending splinters of ancient wood across the room. Three figures stepped through the smoking entrance—Queen Carmilla, flanked by two of her most trusted nobles.
"I'm afraid our hospitality must come to an end," she announced, though her apologetic tone was undermined by the predatory smile on her lips. "You understand."
"Perfectly," I replied, not bothering to move from my position by the window. "Though I have to say, Your Majesty, your timing is terrible."
Her smile faltered slightly. "My timing?"
"Well, you were supposed to wait until I was distracted by the main battle before making your move. Striking now, when I'm fresh and fully alert, rather defeats the purpose of the whole elaborate trap." I turned to face her fully, letting a hint of amusement color my voice. "Unless, of course, you're no longer confident that your allies can handle me without your assistance."
The change in Queen Carmilla's expression was immediate and complete. The mask of regal composure dropped away, replaced by the cold fury of a predator who had just realized her prey knew about the ambush.
"You knew," she said, and it wasn't a question.
"I knew," I confirmed. "Advanced surveillance equipment is wonderful for overhearing private conversations. Speaking of which, how is Elmenhilde? I hope she doesn't take it too personally when she realizes you were using her as much as everyone else."
The vampire queen's eyes blazed with genuine rage now, her carefully constructed diplomatic facade finally cracking under the weight of her emotions. "You arrogant little—"
Her words were cut off as the entire castle shook from a massive impact somewhere below us. Through the window, I could see that the battle in the courtyard had escalated dramatically. Cao Cao was now wielding the True Longinus, its holy energy creating brilliant flashes that lit up the perpetual twilight like lightning. Whatever restraint he'd been showing was evidently at an end.
"Sounds like your allies are getting impatient," I observed. "You might want to hurry up with whatever you're planning to do here."
Queen Carmilla's response was swift and vicious. She moved with the fluid speed that only centuries of vampire evolution could produce, crossing the room in the space between heartbeats with claws extended toward my throat. Her noble companions followed a split second behind, clearly intending to overwhelm me through coordinated assault.
It would have been an effective strategy against most opponents.
I activated Incursio, feeling the familiar rush as the armor's systems came online. Queen Carmilla's claws, moving fast enough to cut steel, struck the adaptive armor and skittered harmlessly across its surface. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that her attack had been completely ineffective.
"My turn," I said.
What followed wasn't really a fight so much as a demonstration of the difference between supernatural political power and actual combat capability. Queen Carmilla was dangerous, certainly—centuries of vampire nobility had taught her how to use speed, strength, and supernatural abilities to devastating effect. Her noble companions were similarly skilled, each representing the cream of vampire military tradition.
But they were operating under assumptions that no longer applied. They expected me to fight like a human, even an enhanced one. They expected me to be limited by conventional tactics and strategies. Most importantly, they expected me to be impressed by their reputation and intimidated by their supernatural nature.
Instead, they found themselves facing an opponent who treated vampire royalty the same way he would treat any other enemy—as a problem to be solved efficiently and permanently.
I caught Queen Carmilla's second attack with one armored hand, my grip closing around her wrist with enough force to crack bone. Her scream of pain and outrage was cut short as I used her momentum to spin her into a collision with one of her companions. Both vampires crashed through the room's ancient furniture with enough force to splinter wood and bend metal.
The second noble tried to flank me, moving with the kind of tactical intelligence that suggested extensive military training. It didn't matter. Incursio's sensors tracked his movement perfectly, and I intercepted his attack with a backhanded strike that sent him crashing through the window in an explosion of glass and stone.
Queen Carmilla was back on her feet remarkably quickly, vampire regeneration already beginning to heal her injured wrist. But I could see the calculation in her eyes now—she was finally understanding that this wasn't going according to her plan.
"Impossible," she hissed, blood running from a cut on her forehead where she'd struck the destroyed furniture. "You're just a human. Enhanced, perhaps, but still—"
"Still what?" I interrupted, advancing toward her with deliberate steps. "Still bound by the limitations you assumed I had? Still operating within the frameworks you expected?"
The remaining noble tried to position himself between us, clearly hoping to buy his queen time to reassess the situation. I didn't slow down. A quick strike to his solar plexus doubled him over, and a follow-up blow to the back of his head sent him to the floor unconscious but alive.
Queen Carmilla had backed against the far wall, her earlier confidence completely evaporated. For the first time since we'd met, she looked like what she actually was—a political leader who had made the mistake of thinking she could personally match a dedicated warrior.
"This isn't over," she said, though her voice lacked conviction. "Cao Cao and King Marius—"
"Are about to learn the same lesson you just did," I replied, moving to the destroyed window to survey the battle below.
The fighting had spread throughout the castle complex now. Cao Cao's Hero Faction was systematically working their way through the building, overwhelming vampire defenses through superior coordination and supernatural abilities. King Marius's forces had secured the outer courtyards and were advancing methodically toward the keep.
It was time to end this.
"Valerie, Xenovia," I called without turning around. "Stay here and keep an eye on Queen Carmilla. I'm going to go have a conversation with our other uninvited guests."
"Be careful," Valerie said, though her tone suggested she wasn't particularly worried about my chances.
"Try not to level the entire castle," Xenovia added. "Some of us have to live with the diplomatic consequences."
I activated Incursio's flight systems and dropped through the shattered window into the chaos below. The courtyard was a battlefield now, ancient stone cracked and scarred by supernatural combat. Vampire soldiers lay scattered across the ground, most alive but unconscious—Cao Cao's forces had been precise in their assault, using exactly enough force to neutralize resistance without causing unnecessary casualties.
Professional work, I had to admit. Whatever else could be said about the Hero Faction, they knew how to conduct military operations.
Cao Cao himself was in the center of the courtyard, the True Longinus in his hands blazing with holy energy that made the perpetual twilight flicker like candlelight. When he saw me descending from the castle, his expression shifted into something that might have been anticipation.
"Finally," he called out, raising his spear in a gesture that was equal parts greeting and challenge. "I was beginning to think Queen Carmilla had actually managed to eliminate you quietly."
"Sorry to disappoint," I replied, landing with enough force to crack the stone beneath my feet. "Though I have to say, your coordination with King Marius needs work. Half his soldiers are fighting your people instead of the actual enemy."
Cao Cao glanced around at the chaotic battle, and I saw his jaw tighten slightly as he took in the evidence of the poor coordination I'd mentioned. "Growing pains," he said dismissively. "We'll sort that out after we deal with you."
"Will you, though?" I asked, beginning to circle him slowly. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you've committed every available resource to a plan that was flawed from the beginning. What happens if this doesn't work out the way you expected?"
"It will work," he said, but there was something in his voice that suggested he wasn't entirely certain.
Around us, the battle was beginning to shift as more members of the Hero Faction converged on our position. Siegfried approached from the left, Gram's blade still flickering with residual energy from his earlier fights. Jeanne appeared from the right, her holy sword casting its own aura of consecrated power.
King Marius materialized from the shadows near the castle entrance, flanked by his personal guard and looking grimly determined. When he spoke, his words carried the authority of someone accustomed to absolute obedience.
"This ends now," he declared, though it wasn't clear whether he was addressing me or making a general announcement. "My daughter will be returned to me, and this foolish rebellion will be crushed."
I looked around at the assembled forces—some of the most dangerous individuals in the supernatural world, all united in their desire to see me defeated. Under normal circumstances, it would have been an impossible situation.
But these weren't normal circumstances, and I was done pretending to be a normal opponent.
"You know what?" I said, my voice carrying clearly across the sudden silence that had fallen over the courtyard. "You're absolutely right. This does end now."
I removed the limiters I'd been maintaining on my power, allowing my true capabilities to manifest for the first time since arriving in vampire territory. The effect was immediate and dramatic—the air itself seemed to thicken with supernatural energy, while the ancient stones of the courtyard began to crack under the pressure of unleashed power.
Every supernatural being present took an involuntary step backward, their instincts recognizing the presence of something far beyond what they had expected to face.
"The question is," I continued, beginning to advance toward the assembled enemies, "Which of you wants to go first?"
. .
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