DRACULA'S END

During the fight between Hannah and Dracula, Shu had finally found the River of Chanduln. He sprinted toward it, but was abruptly stopped—an invisible force barred his path. No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t break through.

Frustrated, Shu could still sense his mother’s kantar clashing with Dracula’s. Judging by the sheer intensity alone, Shu knew she had reached his level physically—and thanks to her kantar technique, she even had the upper hand.

Enraged, Shu struck the barrier repeatedly with his staff.

Then, a voice echoed through the forest. It was faint, feminine, and ethereal.

“Oh, mortal traveler whose fate has been sealed from birth… Only those who have the will to bend their fate are worthy of my gift. Anyone can manipulate kantar, but only a few can manipulate Namtaru. Prove to me you possess the power of Namtaru, and you may drink the water.”

Silence followed. Then, pure white energy gathered before him, forming a massive humanoid creature with glowing purple skin, white bull-like horns, and a muscular frame. Its nostrils flared as it charged at Shu.

“Seriously? I don’t have time for this,” Shu muttered, extending his staff to full length and charging in.

With expert timing, Shu swung his staff sideways, rapidly increasing its weight mid-swing. The beast roared in pain but didn’t slow down. Shu retracted the staff, morphed it into a red-hot katana using his fire-based kantar, and countered with a precise slash. It tore through the creature’s back—but the wound closed instantly.

It regenerated. Fast.

Still, Shu evaded the beast’s punches and kicks with sharp agility, but each of his own attacks barely made a dent.

“They’re in danger... I don’t have time to waste!” he shouted. “Fist of the Great Lion: Power increase tenfold!”

Kantar exploded from his body. Shu’s muscles swelled, his hair stood up, and his eyes glowed red. He rushed in again, his sword blazing.

But the beast didn’t dodge—it grabbed the sword and shattered it like glass.

Shu froze. His mouth dropped open.

“All staff wielders are the same,” the voice laughed, now louder and mocking. “You get a special weapon and think it’s unbreakable. Mortals are so predictable.”

“Shu,” Lumina’s voice came through, calm and resolute, “I’ve released the natural limiters on your kantar. At this point, we only have two choices—use that technique... or die here.”

“I get it.” Shu backed away, eyes narrowed.

He placed his hands on the shattered pieces of the staff, his kantar flaring as he briefly tapped into the Arcane State. The pieces dissolved into red light and merged with his body.

Shu’s appearance changed—red markings etched themselves onto his skin, his hair turned bright crimson, and a crown-shaped aura hovered over his head. Though no longer in the Arcane State, his power now surpassed even his previous boost—twentyfold what it had been.

The beast charged again, but Shu calmly countered with a punch that neutralized its attack. He formed a compressed sphere of high-speed kantar and hurled it into the creature’s chest. It tore a hole straight through and exploded—erasing the beast completely.

Red energy emerged from Shu’s body and reformed into the staff, good as new. He smiled.

“Well… that worked perfectly.”

He turned back toward the river. “I defeated the beast. The barrier should be down, right? Though… she did mention something about more than just kantar.”

Cautiously, he stepped forward. This time, the barrier let him through. He drank from the water—then instantly teleported to Dracula’s location.

He arrived to find his mother unconscious. Fury overtook him. With his fists wrapped in kantar, he punched Dracula—

—but Dracula didn’t flinch.

“Weakling,” he sneered. “I can sense the Lady of Chanduln made you her champion… and yet, you’re still so weak.”

He swatted Shu away effortlessly.

Shu, stunned, muttered to himself, “His power… it’s on another level.”

He didn’t hesitate. Shu tapped into the Arcane State again, fusing with his staff. Flames enveloped him.

Dracula’s expression finally changed. Before he could react, Shu struck him in the gut with a flaming punch. Dracula coughed blood.

Enraged, Dracula used his trigger words:

“Arise from the depths of the underworld and come to my aid!”

The earth cracked open and an army of pale, hooded figures emerged. They bore no faces—just dark voids beneath their hoods.

Shu smirked. “I don’t care how many you summon. You’re still dead.”

He tore through the army like a storm—until only one figure remained. Unlike the others, this one moved with skill and intelligence. It dodged and countered—but ultimately fell, incinerated by Shu’s fist.

Dracula began to sweat. “I-impossible… they were as strong as me...”

Shu stepped forward. “You hunted us like animals. Now you get to feel fear.”

He punched Dracula casually—sending him flying—then teleported behind him and struck again. Dracula dropped, dead.

But Shu didn’t relax. He knew it wasn’t over.

A red light engulfed Dracula’s body. He rose again.

“If you had killed me outside this summoning contract, it’d be permanent. But dying during it? Now I’m free. All restraints are gone.”

He summoned a red sword from the ground. “Behold—the Blade of Calamity. A demon lord’s weapon. With it, I once destroyed an entire continent.”

Shu didn’t flinch. “Am I supposed to be scared of that toy?”

He appeared before Dracula and broke the blade with his bare hand.

Then, staring him down, Shu whispered, “I would’ve spared you again, Charles… but you don’t even remember me. And after what you did to Kali—you will die.”

The name Kali triggered something.

Flashes of memories. Fear. Two figures: one was Kali—Hannah—and the other, her brother… the Celestial of Death.

Dracula dropped to his knees.

“Please… spare me—”

But it was too late.

The Celestial’s fury ignited. Flames engulfed Shu’s body. With a single, fluid strike, Dracula was decapitated.

His head flew into the forest—right where Tobi had been hiding.

Tobi screamed.

Before he could flee, Dracula’s head appeared at his heel. With the last of his strength, Dracula bit him.

The bite passed on Dracula’s kantar core and DNA—transforming Tobi into a vampire.

Not just any vampire.

A vessel for Dracula’s resurrection.