"That would be perfect, Alura. Go ahead and use it as you please. Oh, and if you would, can you ensure they definitely won't wake up until the ship is long gone? A few hours ought to do." You don't want the possibility of them waking up and wandering around to become a reality and ruin everything. You'll just have to hide them away so they don't get found before you're well on your way.

"Very well. Then they won't remember a thing about this cruise, I can guarantee you that." As she looks at the bound victims however, she pauses. "Though, actually, you three might want to go ahead and try to get aboard the ship while I find a place to hide them so they don't get discovered before they wake. It'll be easier to do so by myself however. Eight people is something of a crowd." I'll be needing a pass if I'm to enter without incident myself though" She yawns and holds an empty palm towards you as she finishes talking.

You quickly hand her a pass as she turns to face the four would-be holidaymakers. "Don't be too long, Alura, the sooner we're all aboard, the better I'll feel about all this. And the safer we'll all be." There's no telling just how long it will take Shirley or her organization to locate the four of you, and you'd rather not be forced to fight her, at least not now, you've had quite enough fighting for one day at least. It's really a wonder that you haven't collapsed from fatigue from how much you've been forced to exert yourself. There should be a limit to how far adrenaline can carry somebody and you're pretty certain that you passed it already. Perhaps this lack of fatigue is Alura's doing then? She did mention healing you, and you have technically rested for however long that took.

"You needn't worry about me, Arthur. I might be a lady, but I can take care of myself you know. Besides, this shouldn't take more than a few minutes to deal with. " With a parting comment, she walks away both from you and the people she's meant to be taking with her to hide. Except before you can ask her just what she's doing, you notice the vines binding the people have begun to recede. You expected the four to have simply dropped to the ground, but instead, each of them land squarely on their feet, heads slumped forwards.

Things get stranger still, when they begin to slowly stumble forwards following after Alura, one clumsy step after the other. As you wonder just what on Earth is going on, you see Anna with a look of satisfied curiosity staring at one of the women drunkenly trudging out of the alleyway. Following her gaze, you quickly notice a thin green vine wrapped around the ankle of the unconscious woman and you realize just what Alura is doing. Her control of plants really is incredible, even if the movements on her impromptu puppets are a little clunky. It really is far less suspicious than dragging four bodies around and dumping them somewhere inconspicuous.

It doesn't take too long for the puppets to pick up some strange shambling speed as they are manipulated by the vines binding them into pursuing Alura, vanishing out of the alleyway one by one. The three of you left in the alleyway stand there in a moment of silence till you take initiative. "Let's get going then, there's no point in just standing here, is there?"

"Right." Anna gives a quick affirmation, while Coller only seems to stare in the direction that Alura left in. Thankfully she does however follow, as you can hear her footsteps behind Anna as you walk back out of the alleyway.

As you take a brief look at your surroundings upon leaving the dark alleyway, you notice that the ship has begun to allow passengers to board it, Reading through the boarding pass and confirming it is indeed the correct ship, you set off towards it with Anna and Coller following closely behind you.

As you approach the ship, you see that there is a crowd beginning to form as the crew begin to check the boarding passes of the passengers. You leisurely walk towards one of the entrances of the ship with the three passes in hand. A man wearing a suit that doesn't quite fit him standing by the opening hurriedly takes the three passes, and uses some sort of scanner to verify their authenticity, the man raises an eyebrow as the device lets out a shrill electronic warning tone. "Ah, it says that there should be four VIP tickets for this booking. I'll need to s-"

Before the man can even begin to question you, he is cut off by an impatient Anna. "Of course there are four tickets, my sister just forget something in the car is all. I do hope you won't delay us any further than this." Her tone is authoritative, and seems to have the intended effect of answering the question the man was about to bring up. "Oh and of course she has her own boarding pass with her, I assume there will be no problems in this?" The man looks at the device in his hand and then back to Anna before shaking his head.

"O-of course not. Welcome aboard, and I hope you enjoy your stay aboard the Elizabeth." He finishes his shaky statement with a clearly rehearsed line. He seems hesistant for a moment, but eventually allows the three of you to pass unimpeded. "You'll need to get the keys to your cabins from the main reception, it's, uh, just down the hallway ahead of you." It seems you managed to avoid the trouble of having to go through any security checks by disregarding visiting the cruise terminal entirely, convenient, because explaining your own weaponry and why Coller keeps setting off their metal detector would be an enormous problem.

"Thank you for the help, really." The thanks Anna gives to the man couldn't feel more hollow and empty if she tried, the man seems to flinch away from the venomous words as Anna scowls in his direction, apparently irritated at being delayed by the man.

A few minutes of walking finds the three of you at the main reception, you think back to how similar this situation feels to yesterday at the hotel. Hopefully this won't end up in the same way as that failed endeavor did. The receptionists are incredibly busy here, and you hardly even get a response from the woman you hand the boarding passes to except for a cursory nod and two sets of keys. One labeled '11-C5' and the other '11-C6', seems that you'll have to find your cabins by yourself. Asking a crew member for directions when it's this busy would be completely pointless, seeing as they are already quite swarmed with the rush of passengers as is.

It's fortunate then, that you find a map of the ship near one of the stairwells, and find that your cabins are on the eleventh deck, in the C-wing. Taking the stairs up would be quite a walk, but there are thankfully elevators right next to the staircase for passenger use. One of them is even open and free for your use!

Even with the elevator and the directions you managed to gather from looking at the map of the ship, it still takes a good ten minutes before you stand in front of Cabin 11-C5, with C6 directly to your back. Turning the key in the lock, you are greeted to the sight of quite an extravagant looking room. The furniture is obviously high quality, and the technology that has been built into the room looks to be brand new. You sit on a leather sofa as Anna seems to inspect the room in further detail for whatever reason.

Just as your are about to allow yourself to relax however, there seems to be some sort of commotion going on in the hallway outside your cabin. There's shouting from a voice you don't recognize telling somebody to stop moving and you can make out soft thumps of an object colliding with the wall every once in a while.

>Check the commotion out, it clearly isn't for you, but you are intrigued nonetheless
>Ignore it, you don't want to bother getting involved in anything that isn't your business.
>Write-in?

>Dropped my trip when making a new thread.
Physical pain right here.

File: g.jpg (225 KB, 1440x1080)

225 KB JPG

>>4048474

>Check the commotion out.
I reckon Arthur would be very, very paranoid right now, so he'd definitely be interested in this.

>>4048478
Power of Distraction

>>4048474
>>Check the commotion out, it clearly isn't for you, but you are intrigued nonetheless
No reason not to at least peek. If it's bad juju we just hide in the room and cry in a corner until all our problems go away.

>>4048474
>Check the commotion out, it clearly isn't for you, but you are intrigued nonetheless
I've had it with passing over plot hooks, damn it!

>>4048474
>Check the commotion out, it clearly isn't for you, but you are intrigued nonetheless
Give plot hook.

File: 8bc.png (345 KB, 500x560)

345 KB PNG

Aren't we still wearing that contact lens thing?

Somewhere in Japan:
October 12th 2019 - Saturday: 8:50 AM

He sat there with his head in his hands. One of the worst case scenarios had occurred, looking through the letter on his desk once more, the black suited man sighed deeply.

'To whomever it may concern,

In light of information given to us by Operative #0431, it has been concluded that Subject DL-02 has broken his seals and in addition potentially lost control over his dark powers, Operative #431 has lost track of Subject DL-02, and Safehouse #36 has been compromised. Therefore it has been requested that a retrieval team is to both locate and capture DL-02 before he is able to become an even greater threat. If you can read this letter, you have been deemed vital to the success of the mission and have thus been assigned to it. Any assignment you are currently on will be handled by substitute operatives up until the time the mission has succeeded. While it would be preferable for the DL-02 to be captured alive, you are authorized to use lethal force should the situation call for it. Please report to the HQ to meet up with the rest of the retrieval team and for more in-depth information on the matter.

Sincerely,
Amelia Dorin.'

This was really just the worst thing that could've been sent to him. While his current mission was of utmost importance to the point that he had to go undercover, even going so far as to seal the majority of his powers, there was also no way he could really ignore these summons. Despite the fact that he was officially the organization's head, he was still outranked by that woman on account of her actually owning the organization. Regardless of rank though, there was no way he would have been contacted unless the situation was incredibly dire, so while it wasn't like they could actually force his cooperation if he simply ignored the order, he knew things wouldn't be so simple. Amelia is quite a good judge of risk, after all, and a lot of their success two decades ago could be attributed to her talents.

He looked out the of the window, looking at the boy so carelessly playing, unaware of the darkness that existed around every corner wishing to claim him. This boy was one he was charged with protecting, there's just no telling what could happen if the forces of evil got their hands on him, especially now, before he is even able to defend himself or tell evil from good. He shook his head. He couldn't worry about what might happen here in his absence, if he didn't act, it's possible that something even worse might occur with this other Dark Lord Candidate.

File: Spoiler Image (491 KB, 560x770)

491 KB PNG

But at the same time there was no actual guarantee that any of the people that had been identified by the Dorin Organization as potential inheritors of Dracula's powers could actually attain his true power. Well, with the exception of the boy he was guarding, of course, but he was a special case. Their possible inability to claim the title did not however mean that they couldn't be extreme dangers capable of depopulating entire cities with only the powers they had received, if not create an even worse disaster. A fake Dark Lord might end up just as dangerous as the real thing.

Getting up from his chair, he really had no choice. He would travel to the meeting point and assist in the capture of this rogue Dark Lord Candidate, it shouldn't take very long to deal with somebody so inexperienced. Not for him.

He quickly steps out of his room, only to be greeted by the incredibly conspicuous sight of the girl he was training trying her hardest to look inconspicuous and failing quite spectacularly, as she pretends she was in fact looking though a bookcase. She'd obviously been trying to peek through the door to see what exactly the letter was about. He couldn't blame her though, it's not often he got mail.

"Um, Genya-Sensei..." Her face was quite apologetic, she obviously knows that she's been caught out on trying to find out what the letter was about "...Sorry, I just haven't ever seen you look so irritated as you were when that letter was handed to you."

There was no real point in getting upset with her, besides, she'll be taking part in this retrieval too. "We've received new orders, Kokoro. We'll be leaving Japan tomorrow."

"H-huh? Where are we going?" The girl asks in a confused tone, she clearly hadn't been expecting anything like new orders, and especially not something like leaving Japan entirely.

He clicks his tongue before he gives his answer, it's a country he has a lot of memories of, the vast majority of them bad at best. "Romania."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh1qqLbuBww

And there's the interlude.

To clarify, this takes place in 3 days time.
It's currently around 8pm on the 9th for you.

Time should pass by quickly on this cruise anyway, and there's no way to prevent that interlude from happening now.

and I've been waiting to post it for like a week.

>>4049251
>spoiler
Geez, how many hooks have we been avoiding?

>>4049267
More than I would like.
At least you went for the most interesting travel option.

>>4049213
>Alucard
Holy Christ, we're getting into things now.
>>4049251
I'm hoping from the early-morning timing of this interlude that you'll have another choice update for us today. Any chance of that?

>>4049417
I'm starting work on the update now, actually.

As for Alucard, you're quite lucky that he's far weaker than he normally is while he's Arikado due to sealing the majority of his powers.
Nevermind that he can unseal them anytime he wants. He'll only do that in a proper emergency though.

Funny thing about Alucard is that he's technically a Dark Lord Candidate himself.
Just not in the same way the others are.
I don't mind revealing this because there's no way Alucard would ever tell you. Or anyone, really, and it's quite easily inferred.

>>4049444
I mean it makes sense. He is the only legit inheritor of Dracula. Only thing he lacks from his old man is the soul. Every power Dracula has ever shown Alucard has also shown to a lesser degree. Even the whole "turn into a big dumb monster" thing. Thanks petrification for showing how scary Alucard could be. That is a neat easter egg, though.

>>4049474

Would Alucard make a good dark lord - that's the more interesting question. He's got the know-how for it, and he's far more benign than pops. Vote Alucard?

The noises coming from outside might not concern you, but it's probably better to be on the safe side, especially given just what sort of situation you are in right now. Willfully remaining ignorant of matters going on just outside your room would be an awful lapse in your judgment, and you certainly wouldn't want to develop it as a habit

So, with a sigh, you get up from your seat and walk over to the door, the sounds of commotion growing louder as you approach the hallway once again before it stops entirely. Slowly, you open the door and peek out into the corridor.

As you look outwards, you spot the rather unusual sight of two exhausted looking cabin crew, a man and a woman. The man is leaning heavily on the wall, while the woman accompanying him is holding a broom upside down for whatever reason. Frustration is etched into her features as she stares down the corridor at something out of sight. It's good for your heart at least, that the matter is one so completely mundane as two of the employees merely acting foolish.

"Excuse me, but is everything alright out here? I heard some noise from my cabin and was wondering what was happening." You are the very model of politeness as you attempt to draw some information from the tired out looking crew members, walking out of the room to speak with them better.

"Oh, well, you see..." The man is obviously trying to hide something from you, but before he can finish his sentence, his companion does so for him, hastily cutting him off as she does

"Somebody lost their pet! And, we're... tracking it down to get it back to them." A likely story, but it's not exactly like you can pressure them for too much more information. However...

"And why exactly do you need to wield a broom like some sort of weapon in order to catch it, then? There's obviously something you aren't telling me here, so, mind explaining what's really happening?" While the situation is thankfully a harmless one, you still don't appreciate being lied to to your face.

The woman looks a little guilty about her obvious lie, but just as it looks like she might reveal the truth behind the commotion, the man behind her points at some place up the corridor. "Over there! Quickly!" You turn to look at the direction the man points in, although you see nothing out of the ordinary. He takes this opportunity to grab the woman by her arm and run off down the corridor with her following. She at least has the decency to look somewhat apologetic about what just happened as she's made to run along with her fellow crew member in pursuit of... something. How unprofessional. If you hadn't stolen your tickets, you would be sure to file a complaint.

What could've gotten those two so worked up, anyway? The obvious answer would probably lead you to believe it was some sort of rodent they were chasing after. There's no telling how much damage that a rat infestation could do to the cruise line. Still, something doesn't feel quite right about any of this, a strange foreboding feeling chills you, but you can't exactly place it as you remain standing in the hallway. You decide to head back into your room, you've had an incredibly long day, and it wouldn't do for you to start jumping at shadows.

As you try to open the door back to your room, you suddenly realize that you can't actually open it! Did it lock automatically when you closed it? It's not a problem though, you can just knock and have Anna or Coller let you back in. Just as your knuckles are about to make contact with the door once again, you freeze. That foreboding feeling is back, far stronger now. It feels... close, even, as you involuntarily shiver.

>Ignore the feeling and head back into your room after knocking.
>Try to find the reason behind the terrifying atmosphere, alone.
>Knock on your cabin door and have Anna and Coller accompany you in this search.
>Write-in...

>>4050768
>Try to find the reason behind the terrifying atmosphere, alone.
We really can't go five minutes without getting stalked by some apparition, huh?

>>4050775
It's not an apparition this time, I promise.

>>4050765
Dead Pirate and Student Witch?
>>4050768
>Try to find the reason behind the terrifying atmosphere, alone.

>>4050768
>>Try to find the reason behind the terrifying atmosphere, alone.
It's a fucking bat I see right through you.

>>4051033
Why would bats be flying around a cruise ship?
Arthur isn't afraid of bats anyway, he'd be a poor excuse for a Dark Lord Candidate if he was.

>>4051447
Maybe they booked the cruise

>>4051447
It could be a bat acting as familiar to that vampire girl, and Arthur's feeling the energy from her connection to it.
I mean, what are those employees trying to hit with an upside-down broom if not something that can fly?

>>4050768
>Knock on your cabin door and have Anna and Coller accompany you in this search.
>splitting the party
I shiggy diggy
Watch as we now get eaten by Sirens or Lorelai or something.
We pushed our luck once already with Alura.
>>4051700
Maybe a really zippy fleaman?
God help us all if it is a vampire.

>>4051799
>splitting the party
Quests are not TTRPGs!

>>4051811
Try completing PoR without using both characters.
Why wouldn't we want to confront spooky feeling with a gardener and a killing machine?

>>4050768
>>Try to find the reason behind the terrifying atmosphere, alone.

And just when you thought things were going to simple aboard this voyage, it seems as if fate has something else in mind. Whatever this feeling you're getting is, it can't be anything natural. For a moment you consider getting Anna and Coller to assist you in finding it's source, but as you think about just how to go about dealing with this potential danger, the feeling begins to grow fainter... more distant, even.

There's simply no time to waste in trying to amass your allies, If you're going to get to the bottom of this, you need to move now! Disregarding the cabin door, you do your best to follow after the feeling. Somehow, you know just how to discern the sensation from it's surroundings as you follow after it.

As you follow the presence around the corridors, your suspicions that something is terribly wrong only grow, the stray passengers walking the corridors seem to break into coughing fits whenever it passes them. This is clearly of supernatural origin.

You follow the invisible force all the way to the bottom decks as it swerves about the corridors at walking speed. Whatever it is, it's either unaware that you are following it, or it simply doesn't care. Eventually, the feeling of dread seems to dissipate just as you reach a slightly ajar door.

You try to push the door open, hopefully the actual inhabitants of this cabin aren't still within. Simply entering the home of another without an invitation is quite an unsavory action to take just on a suspicion, but it is one that you feel necessary to take regardless. If this really is some sort of supernatural entity that you've detected, then their privacy should be the least of their concerns.

As you push the door, it stops. Caught on a chain of some sort, you are unable to push the door fully open. It would seem then, that there is definitely somebody inside the room. While you could simply try to force matters and break the chain with brute strength, a method far less likely to draw attention quickly springs to mind.

You attempt to draw upon the Power of Destruction, thankfully, the attempt is a success. You can once again feel the connection to it, more clearly than ever before. Drawing the power out of you and into your palm, you decide to make only a thin slither of energy in the form of a wire. To your surprise, the energy takes a form beyond the invisible destructive energy from before, creating a pitch black string instead.

You quickly run the side of your hand down the door, covered by the unstoppable cutting edge of the wire created with your power, the chain is immediately slashed through with no resistance, allowing you to open the door unopposed.

You decide to keep the wire manifested on the side of your hand for now, just in case you are forced to defend yourself as soon as you open the door. You push the door once again, this time it swings open with little effort on your part.

Stepping into the room, you find that the red decoration is really quite striking. Almost everything in the wood has a red tinge to it, the carpet, the open curtains, even the wallpaper is a deep red. Whoever was in charge of this room's interior design would do well to not rely on a single color.

Trying not to jump to conclusions, even though it is beginning to grow more and more obvious just what happened in this room, you spot a few things in the room that seem out of the ordinary. First is an old looking laptop sitting on the table, awfully at odds with the red focused decor of the room, contained in some sort of black metal briefcase that it is set into. Second, the bright red curtains that seem to move quite vividly in the faint night wind. The open curtains give you a sight of the port, a fair distance away now. It seems that the ship set off sometime while you were wandering around the ship.

You briefly wonder whether Alura made it aboard without being stopped before another aspect of the room catches your eye and draws your thoughts away from the Alura Une. A pile of luggage haphazardly discarded in the corner of the room, with absolutely no regard as to where anything ended up, clothing and other personal effects spill out onto the floor next to a large oaken wardrobe.

>Inspect the laptop more closely, see what you can learn from it.
>Examine the curtains, the wind doesn't feel heavy enough to cause them to move in the fashion they whirl about in.
>Check the pile of luggage in the corner of the room, there's something strange about the idea of throwing carefully prepared clothing about.
>Search the rest of the cabin in an attempt to find it's owner, you wouldn't want to startle them.
>Write-in...

>>4052867
>Examine the curtains, the wind doesn't feel heavy enough to cause them to move in the fashion they whirl about in.
1v1 me Killer Mantle.
Also, is this red shit blood?
It's totally blood right?
What the fuck is going on and why don't we care?

>>4052971
Who would bother painting an entire room in blood?
The notion is so absurd it doesn't bear thinking about too much.

>>4052867
>Examine the curtains, the wind doesn't feel heavy enough to cause them to move in the fashion they whirl about in.
I feel like we should be able to do all of these, but sure. Let's start with the curtains.

>>4052867
>>Examine the curtains, the wind doesn't feel heavy enough to cause them to move in the fashion they whirl about in.
A HA! I knew it. The bat must have flown in through this window.

>>4052988
>Who would bother painting an entire room in blood?
Demons, vampires, elves. A painter if he's paid enough. Lots of stuff.

>>4052867

>Say "Hello there." in our most charismatic voice, hoping to bluff anyone that's hiding into revealing themselves.

>>4053424
You are a bold one.

>>4052867
>>4053424
That is so stupid that it might work. Supporting.

>>4053425
Hey as long as it leads to another happy landing.

>>4053424
Yeah sure, let's run with it.
It's a mimic isn't it?

File: Friendly Skeleton.jpg (15 KB, 480x360)

15 KB JPG

This is a nice tie.

>>4053997
look, my name is different, so it counts if i vote, right

>>4054001
Oh I don't think so.

Come on now. >>4053424 is ridiculous. Let's just go through investigating the room normally, alright?
If someone's been running from us already, as seems to be the case, they're not going to just come out because we say hi.

File: sketch24.jpg (146 KB, 800x600)

146 KB JPG

>>4054008

>>4054008
Nice try, Drac

File: Waiting.gif (75 KB, 90x282)

75 KB GIF

Still tied huh?
Are you going to make me get the dice?

>>4054393
Hey, I tried.

>>4054393
Fuck man, I already voted.

15 minutes to break the vote before I just roll a Dice on it.
Either way, the outcome will be amusing.

File: Coin.gif (1 KB, 25x25)

1 KB GIF

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Fine then
1: Examine Curtains
2: Attempt a bluff.

File: LaughingBelmont.jpg (60 KB, 1250x712)

60 KB JPG

>>4054456
Ok then.
If that's how it's going to be.

>>4054467
This is where the fun begins.

This is not in fact where the fun begins.

Taking a look around the room, you quickly come to a conclusion as to what you want to do. Examining the things strewn about the room can come later, for now, you'll attempt to bluff whoever else is in the room with you into coming out of hiding.

You clear your throat. There's no response but the fluttering of the curtains. "Hello there." You calmly speak to the empty room, confidence in your voice. Once again, the room remains dead silent. You walk further into the room, you know that the presence disappeared into this room, but where is it? Somebody has to be in the room unless they either climbed out the window for some reason, or they could fit through a gap only an inch wide!

Could it be trying to hide from you? Does it have a physical form or is it purely invisible? Thinking on the strangeness of the events, you once again you find your eyes drawn to the crimson coating the entire room. The odds of it being simply paint are nearly zero, especially given the supernatural presence.

You decide to change your approach, hopefully they are actually listening to you and are still watching. "I know you're there you know, there's really no point in hiding." Hopefully they buy the lie and reveal themselves, you're getting tired of trying to converse with an empty room. You're just about to give up in the attempt and go searching the rest of the cabin until the light flickers.

The curtains seem to draw themselves shut as the lights flicker on and off at random. Ok, now this is definitely bad. You draw your magical dagger with your left hand and ready your right to strike anything with the deadly wire coating it's side. Whatever is about to happen, you're ready for it. Or so you think.

The lights completely shut off, only for a few seconds, but that time is enough for a screaming pain to assault your left shin as what feel like four surgical scalpels are drawn across your skin, cutting deeply in the flesh and tearing the muscle. You barely even have time to react to the pain before you feel a sharp point of a blade just slightly touching your throat, threatening to slash your neck open instantly.

Then, the light in the room returns just as quickly as it disappeared, whatever was about to slice your neck open seems to have disappeared in the same instant the light flickered back on. You are forced to fall to fall to one knee as your left leg refuses to take any weight after the injury it just sustained, four nasty cuts effortlessly cut through the reinforced suit Alura made for you and left terrible wounds on the shin. Curiously enough, you can see the blood soaked clothing begin to knit itself back together. Unfortunately, there's no such relief for your leg itself, as blood continues to flow from the wounds.

Then, a haunting giggle seems to fill the room, ringing in your ears, before a feminine voice replaces the laughter. "Are you quite sure? You don't show your awareness very well, you know." The voice goes quiet for a moment before it quickly starts speaking once again in a jubilant tone. "I know! Let's play a game! If you can guess where I am, I'll reveal myself to you! But for every wrong guess..." You feel the urge to look back down at your bleeding leg. "...well, I think you get the point. So, what do you say?"

>Accept the offer to play this dangerous game of Hide and Seek and guess the voice is hiding: (Pick three in the order you wish to look.)
>>In another room.
>>Behind the curtains.
>>In the wardrobe.
>>Behind you.
>Refuse to play along with this twisted game.
>Write-in...

This is why you don't try to bluff feelings of dread.
Better hope your guessing skills are on point.

>>4054727
>Accept the offer to play this dangerous game of Hide and Seek and guess the voice is hiding: (Pick three in the order you wish to look.)
I'm terrible at this sort of thing, but let's give it a shot anyway,
>>Behind you
>>Behind the curtains.
>>In the wardrobe.

>>4054727
Has anything changed in the room?

>>4054832
Other than the fact the curtains are no longer moving about, nothing

>>4054727
>>Accept the offer to play this dangerous game of Hide and Seek and guess the voice is hiding: (Pick three in the order you wish to look.)
>look up
>Behind the curtains.
>In the wardrobe.

>>4054727
>Accept the offer to play this dangerous game of Hide and Seek and guess the voice is hiding: (Pick three in the order you wish to look.)
>>Behind you
>>Behind the curtains.
>>above us
I much preferred them when they weren't cutting us to ribbons.
Dumb vampires.

>>4055170
I mean, this is probably the Bunker Vampire, right?
Why is she not more grateful?
We indirectly saved her and are connected to Dracula himself!
Cutting us to shreds is nor how you say thank you!
Vampires suck.
I miss Theresia.
I miss Team Neutral too.

I guess Holly died then.
This vampire is clearly pure evil.
Arikado, tasukete!

Then again, how did the vampire get here so quickly if it is them?
Oh god can they teleport?

>>4054727

>"So uncivilized."

>>Behind you
>>In the wardrobe
>>Behind the curtains

>>4055176
Considering that the vamp was let out whilst Arthur was mid-mission in the manor I don't see why the superhuman monstrosity wouldn't be fast enough to get away from the bunker and make it here in time. Especially since Arthur was taking a nap for a while with Alura. And they stopped on the way to play sovereign citizen bingo. And hiked through the woods.

You get what I'm saying.

>>4055203
>sovereign citizen bingo
Let this be known as a lesson not to try to arrest cosplayers.
You never know when one of them will turn out to be a bad tempered Terminator waifu apparently created by an Anarcho Capitalist.

I hope those police officers didn't have Body Cams.

>>4054727
>Accept the offer to play this dangerous game
>>In the wardrobe.
>>Behind you.
>>In another room.
The curtains are no longer moving, though that may be a red herring.

>>4055208
>I hope those police officers didn't have body cams
Whoops.

>>4054727
Proposing the boldest option possible only for the most daring of waifufags, just so somebody says it
>Ignore the game, climb into the bed, invite her in

File: Arikado yelling at an idi(...).png (15 KB, 860x758)

15 KB PNG

>>4055281
I cannot say that this is a good idea.
At all.

>>4055281
we should've done this upon entering desu

>>4055281
But seriously, no.

I thought about going to the computer and acting like we found something scandalous on it.

>>4055281
There's such a thing as going too far!

And on the first date, too!

inb4 each wrong guess prompts her to change her location, so we really only have one chance of guessing right.

>>4055461
>first guess is wrong
>it relocates
>directly into our second guess by coincidence
The power of the dark lord compels you.

>>4055176
I miss Theresia and Holly too.

>>4055176
>Vampires suck.
>I miss Theresia.
>I miss Team Neutral too.
>This vampire is clearly pure evil.
How can one anon be so blind?

>>4055609
But anon vampires do suck. It's their shtick. Just like how werewolves take vacations in london and creatures live in black lagoons.

>>4055461
Do you really think somebody would do that?
Use super speed to cheat at Hide and Seek?

>>4055598
It's a shame you never got the chance to speak with Theresia before leaving the mansion.
Though that would've required you confront Shirley.

Oh well, reintroducing her into the story later on isn't impossible.
You damn plot hook dodgers.

>>4055730
So you're saying that we should stop time?

>>4055736
Not that we could, obviously.

>>4055736
>>4055743
Yes, stopping time would be a viable solution if you figured out how to do so.

>>4055761

Speaking of powers: is coating ourselves in a thin veil of the PoD a viable use? That would be mighty useful.

>>4055761
Can we do anything cool with the PoD yet or are we still newbie tier?

>>4055761
Or you could risk it by chugging one of your potions.
You've got them in your bag still.

>>4055766
Yes. But an absolute defense is something that will drain your energy incredibly quickly and leave you unable to move.
It might even kill you from energy overuse.
Also, unless you learn to levitate, it would have a weakness on the soles of your feet.
Otherwise you'd just fall through the floor.
>>4055770
Your manipulation of it has improved quite a bit, you might be able to access the enhanced version again with enough effort and use the more conceptual abilities like the removal of space.
Of course, if you attempted to remove space that is occupied by somebody, they would be deleted too.
Felt that I should point that out.
But I'm not revealing the other uses until you find them.

>>4054727
>>Write-in...
Try to access the higher powers of the PoD and remove the space between us and her.

>>4055786

Alright. I'm gonna need my fellow anons to support me with this one, then.

Let's use the PoD to perform absolute defense right before she hits us. That means we mentally prepare to do it, check the first location as voted otherwise, then spring it up immediately if we don't find her.

Who's with me

File: Spoiler Image (6 KB, 186x158)

6 KB GIF

While you figure out what to do about things.
Please appreciate this Sailor Venus Weed.

File: 754865e754.gif (622 KB, 500x228)

622 KB GIF

>>4055890

How did we kill the plant thing again, by sensing its life force then destroying it? Which thread was that?

File: unnamed.jpg (57 KB, 512x380)

57 KB JPG

>>4055890

>>4055949
You grabbed on to it and generate the PoD within it, causing it to explode Hokuto Shinken style.
You aren't able to target lifeforce to destroy just yet.

>>4055991
Could we make piano-wire thin tendrils and slowly sweep them across the room?

>>4056014
You could certainly try if you wanted to lose an arm.
They probably won't appreciate you trying to cheat.

>>4056016
Well, what guarantee have we that she wouldn't do whatever she's doing to cheat?

>>4056018
You don't.
But she's the one in the position of power here.

Any reason the majority are checking the curtains?

Accept
>>4054799
>>4055170
>>4055138
>>4055187
>>4055224

>Invite to bed
>>4055281

>Try to remove the space between you and presence
>>4055809

>try to shield self
>>4055820

You'll be looking behind yourself first.
The curtains second.
The wardrobe third.
Now it's time to see how good your intuition is...

Rolled 39 (1d69)

>>4056193

>>4056193
Fools. Bats fly, it is obviously above us.

"Ok then, I'll play along with this little game of yours. So all I need to do is find you, right?" You call out to the voice, while you don't really want to be forced into playing this game, you don't really see any other option. There's no telling how it would react to you attempting an escape.

"Fantastic! I knew you weren't going to disappoint me like those others did! Maybe you really will be worth my time." The voice quickly switches from overjoyed to sinister for a just a moment. "Now, all you need to do is find me. But you best get looking, I'm not a very patient girl, you ought to know."

With that parting comment, the voice ceases echoing about the room, leaving you feeling alone in the room once more. But you know now that you aren't alone at all, this strange presence wants to hide itself from you? Fine, it will simply make the revenge you'll extract for what it just did to your leg all the sweeter when you drag it out of hiding.

But where could it be hiding? There are only a few hidden places in the cabin, unless they are hiding in another room entirely. Assuming that you're looking for a person, then only the curtains or the wardrobe could obscure their person wholly.

Before you check either of the obvious places though, there's one thing you feel like you should check. You walk forwards two paces before turning around as quickly as you can manage!

As you finish your rapid movement, you spot something incredibly unusual, a black bat perched on the handle of the cabin's door, looking directly at you. It seems somewhat stunned, as far as animals can look stunned, at least.

Your eyes lock onto the bat. "For somebody who wanted to play hide and seek, you aren't very good at hiding. And really? You were a bat? No wonder you kept out of sight, you aren't exactly intimidating." You lightly mock the creature that just a moment ago was threatening to kill you. It's hard to take the harmless looking creature seriously

"Y-you cheated!" the female voice's source is now evidently the bat, as it squeaks out it's response while the voice of an adult woman flows from it's tiny mouth. "Nobody ever looks behind them first!" Anger fills it's voice as it chastises you for winning it's little game. "Don't you know how these things are supposed to go? You look around the room for a while, you're unable to find me, and then, just as you're about to turn around, your fear rising, I appear!" The bat puts a wing to it's forehead and... sighs? "But now you've really killed the whole mood I had planned. But I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything else from somebody who darkness clings to so fiercely." The bat suddenly leaps free from the door handle and springs into the air, flapping it's wings as it regards you. You've half a mind to reach out and grab it, but in a single instant, the bat disappears. The voice switching to one that seems to reverberate from the air in front of you "Now, seeing as you're so good at this game, I'm going to make it a little more challenging. If you can find me on this ship by the time this cruise is over, I'll give you something nice." You're about to protest at being forced into another game before being cut off by the echoing voice. "Farewell for now, mortal."

It's only then that you take note of how difficult it is becoming to breathe, a feeling of lightness assaults your head and your eyes strain to stay open. You can't last long against whatever is attacking your body, and you soon collapse onto the floor, slipping into blissful unconsciousness.

You don't dream of anything, instead you float alone in a gray void. The silence is deafening.

Gasping for air, you wake up on a soft bed, a man standing over you wearing a white and light blue outfit is looking at you with concern on his face. It doesn't take long for your eyes to readjust to see the man is clearly a doctor of some kind. "Ah, you're awake. That's good. You collapsed in the halls along with a few other passengers. Some kind of gas leak apparently, and you must've gotten caught on something because you had a nasty cut on your shin. The engineers have assured us that any problems with the ships pipes has been fixed now, though so it shouldn't happen again." The doctor looks through a clipboard as he continues. "I made a few examinations while you were out, and fortunately, other than those cuts, you're perfectly fine. You might feel a little short breathed for a while and you shouldn't put too much weight on the leg, but it's not serious, despite how it looks." You get up from the sick bays bed and notice a crutch to the right of you. A quick examination of your body finds you missing all of the weaponry you were carrying! But... the doctor doesn't seem concerned about it, nor have you woken up in the brig. Then... did it all get taken from you before you were found?

You walk towards the crutch, grabbing it and using it to help walk, the pain in your leg is dull, but present. Looks like it's been treated and bandaged, thankfully. Thankfully, the Doctor is satisfied with you at this point and he leaves you to examine another patient, of which there are dozens being treated only by a single doctor and two nurses, the three of them looking terribly overworked. Seems the people you passed while chasing that bat had more than just coughing fits.

You don't know what the time is, but you're pretty certain it's getting fairly late, you left your cabin without a word, and you're slightly worried about whether Alura got on board the ship or not.

>Head back to your cabin immediately, you shouldn't leave them waiting.
>Head back to that cabin the bat was hiding in, there has to be some clues hidden in there!
>Ask the doctor about the other patients, see what their condition is like.
>Write-in...

...
Lucky Guess.

>>4056541
>Head back to that cabin the bat was hiding in, there has to be some clues hidden in there!
I knew it was a bat in her service! We're finding that vampire ASAP!

>>4056538
>A quick examination of your body finds you missing all of the weaponry you were carrying!
What?!

>>4056541
>Head back to your cabin immediately, you shouldn't leave them waiting.
Let's get healed up; it'd probably be suspicious for somebody who doesn't look like he drinks to be wandering around at this time.

>>4056577
>What?!
A HAHAHA!

>>4056541
>>Head back to your cabin immediately, you shouldn't leave them waiting.
First thing's first, make sure Alura doesn't have to float the whole fucking ocean on a fat lily pad. Second gloat about being right about it being a bat. Wait that was on my list of things to do not Arthur's.

File: 569.png (1.79 MB, 960x854)

1.79 MB PNG

>>4056541

>backdash into your cabin stylishly

>>4056541
>Head back to that cabin the bat was hiding in, there has to be some clues hidden in there!
Give back our weapons you damn vampire.
Who do you think you are?
Death?
We need that dagger for holy damage you damn bloodsucker.
God what a bad loser.
>"Find me."
>"You weren't supposed to look behind you! Aaaaaaargh!"

Also I think they have mist form.
And a bad case of being worst girl.

>>4057009
>And a bad case of being worst girl.
Damn a vampire was bitten by Shirley? What a terrible night to have a curse.

>>4057026
You shut up!
Shirley is a good girl!
It's not her fault her organization sucks.
Or that we kept acting like we were possessed by a demon.
We just need to explain things to her and maybe have her betray her retarded vampire hunter group.

She was a massive jobber though.

>>4057048
Hey man just because it was her job to lie to us and make sure that we never really got to experience a truly normal social life and also be ready to kill us at a moment's notice doesn't mean she's a bad person.

It's the fact that she acts like she's a good person and holier than thou whilst doing it. She lies to herself and that's why she's worst girl.

>>4057068
>it was her job to lie to us and make sure that we never really got to experience a truly normal social life and also be ready to kill us at a moment's notice doesn't mean she's a bad person..
I mean.
Yeah.
It doesn't.
At all.
She's stuck between a rock and a hard place there.
We still should've confronted her to find out the truth in hindsight.

>>4057079
Yo remind me to never let you teach my children about morality.

Poor Shirley...
All she wanted was to protect you.
It's not her fault she's the way she is.

File: Spoiler Image (505 KB, 400x222)

505 KB GIF

>>4057128
>All she wanted was to protect you.
I'm not trying to be that guy but

>>4057133
Oh, don't worry. I had her act this way entirely on purpose.
If you spent more time with her, you probably would have figured it out.

You didn't have to believe the person that obviously loathes the people she works for, either.

>>4057135
Oh I meant Shirley. She is absolute ass at protecting things. Good thing Arthur almost never smiles so she won't want to protect that, too. And inevitably make Arthur's face immobile.

>>4057163
>She is absolute ass at protecting things
She did a pretty great job at it up till yesterday.
Sometimes, everything just goes wrong all at once.

There's a few reasons behind her not doing so great when she was fighting by your side too.

>>4057172
She should have just said "No" to Arthur wanting to come along. Slap him asleep with some magic. Literally anything would be less dangerous than letting him walk into the lion's den. Except opening the vault of course. And that happened anyway. That's gotta be like a triple whammy.

>>4057172
I'm guessing she's usually way more destructive and works better alone, when not trying to look out for other people.

I'm just hoping that when we encounter her again, she actually listens if we try to talk it out instead of going all edgy on us.

>>4057068
Any vampire hunter would've been worst girl, honestly; but yeah, her hypocrisy does make it that much worse.
>>4057135
>the person that obviously loathes the people she works for
Anna is a good girl! She's just trying to be loyal to her family and the Dark Lord. Under our circumstances, that's a loyalty we can appreciate a lot more than Shirley's.

File: Kokoro_Belmont_-_10.jpg (21 KB, 479x572)

21 KB JPG

>>4057178
She didn't really want to keep having to protect Arthur and lie to him at the same time. She felt really kind of guilty.

>>4057282
>Any vampire hunter would've been worst girl
Even Kokoro?

It's funny that it's not impossible to have Shirley join you if you fully take the Dark Lord route anyway. She's not nearly as loyal to her organisation as she makes herself out to be. But anything more than that is heading into big spoiler territory.

>>4057304

Especially Kokoro.

I hereby nominate Eric as our new laughing stock hunter.

File: Eric Lecarde Young (Non a(...).jpg (1.62 MB, 4032x3021)

1.62 MB JPG

>>4057330
>Eric as our new laughing stock hunter.
He did his best you know.
It's not his fault that he ended up an absolute failure to an unbelievable degree.
He was just too old to be fighting against vampires.
For all we joke about him, Eric was a pretty decent hunter. We can't all be Julius Belmont and remain strong enough to kill Dracula even at an advanced age.

Also his daughters are much bigger failures than he is.
At least he only died after what can be assumed to have been an extended battle against Brauner.
Loretta and Stella just show up and instantly get turned despite both being extremely skilled in either magic or swordplay.

He did beat Dracula with John Morris in his own time too. Along with teaching Johnathan everything he knew about hunting

He's suffered enough.

>Especially Kokoro
How could you be so heartless towards the poor girl?

>>4057304
>Even Kokoro?
Alright, you've got me there. She's too dojikko to be worst girl.

>>4057339
>How could you be so heartless towards the poor girl?
I don't like fanservice in my shmups beyond a cool intro/ending. Her name is also urghhhh. If you can make her into a good character, props to you.

>He did he best you know.
Okay. Okay. These are some fair points. I hereby relegate the dunce hat to Maxim.

>>4057478
>I hereby relegate the dunce hat to Maxim.
>dunce hat
>On the dude that can kill Dracula in 20 seconds.

>>4057495
what does power have to do with it

>>4057670
Because the main reason he got possessed wasn't due to him being an idiot, it's because he was the biggest threat so the best way to deal with him was to play on his insecurities, duh.

>>4057684
>not having mental fortitude
>when you're going to fight vampires
>known tricksters and seducers
Yeesh. That's like saying having biceps means you should become a psychologist.

>>4057745
Last I checked psychology doesn't have a significant physical combat element.

>>4057776
It sure helps to be fit when the guy turns out to be a psychopath and wants to wear your stomach skin as a hat. But you're right. It still stands that going to fight something that likes to talk shit and tempt people without properly steeling your mind is foolish.

>>4057784
You're forgetting that Dracula and his goons are extremely good at tempting and mind controlling vampire hunters. I mean it happened to Richter, the greatest of all Belmonts.

>>4057800
>these dudes can brainwash anyone
>so lets just not bother trying to make ourselves hard to brainwash
bruh

>>4057808
When guns made their advent on the battlefield, the smart leaders weren't the ones who invested in heavier armor.
Same principle here.

>>4057816
>the smart leaders weren't the ones who invested in heavier armor.
There's a reason why soldiers today wear body armor. Better armor is still better than nothing. And breastplates could still turn aside a bullet back then, too. Anything is better than literally nothing.

>>4057824
>Better armor is still better than nothing.
Unless the armor does nothing. All your armor won't save you from getting hit with a tank shell.
We've only ever seen Dracula's mind control get broken by outside forces. Either by attacking the tether using special glasses or an extremely strong bond of friendship/love.

I guess there was also that time they had a spell that could de-vampire a vampire that they used entirely once and then never again ever.

>>4057866
>Unless the armor does nothing. All your armor won't save you from getting hit with a tank shell.
So instead of wearing the armor to stop other shit you're bound to find when looking for the tank you should just go into battle naked? That's lunacy. Fat lot of good your "other methods" will do when you get shanked by a skeleton because you didn't want to take basic precautions.

Also Dracula didn't mind control Richter, Shaft did. I'm starting to think that the "Power of a Belmont" just makes them immune to specifically Dracula shit and not everything else. Also why the power of plot lets Juste save Maxim. Because Bellmondo > Dragura. Maybe if Richter learned how to stop a dank wizard from bouncy balling on his skull he wouldn't have been such an easy target.

Castlevania is such a shitshow when it comes to consistency.

>>4057800
>Richter
>greatest of all Belmonts
With the exception of Julius, this is true.
That "supreme among Vampire Hunters" line was made before Julius was born and Julius has also been referred to as the "Most powerful Vampire Hunter".
And even then, I'd probably say Juste is also a contender against Richter for his magical and interior decor skills.
As for the mind control, the only reason it worked on Richter is because of a lust for battle that was building in the Belmont Bloodline allowing for mind control to exploit that aspect of his mind.
That's why the Belmont Bloodline disappears for nearly 3 centuries after Symphony.

>>4057808
That's what Shanoa was for.
A girl raised as a weapon with no desire other than to kill Dracula.
All that happened here is that the leader of her organization got mind controlled instead.
And so did her adoptive elder brother.

>>4057866
The Sanctuary Spell?
Well, only Charlotte could ever master it, it's a ritual that takes way too long to use in combat and it only works on the recently turned.

>>4057883
>So instead of wearing the armor to stop other shit you're bound to find when looking for the tank
Nice work moving the goal post. We were never talking about the other shit, we were talking about the mind control.

>Also Dracula didn't mind control Richter, Shaft did
>>4057800 >Dracula and his goons
Nice reading comprehension.

File: Untitled.png (49 KB, 3288x124)

49 KB PNG

fukkin saved

>>4057886
>we were talking about the mind control.
Yeah, like the mind control anyone except Dracula could have. Like Brauner. Or Shaft. Or an ancient egyptian thot. Who you might encounter on the way to Dracula.

And attributing all of the actions of his minions to Dracula is disingenuous. Just because someone does something for Dracula doesn't mean Dracula is doing it. Shaft succeeded in reviving Dracula early, that doesn't mean Dracula just pulled himself out of the ether early because he wanted to. Shaft mind controlled Richter, not Dracula. It is important to make that distinction. Otherwise Celia making Soma turn to the dark side was Dracula's success and that's just not true.

>>4057905
Dracula empowers his minions and even if you want to attribute it to Shaft it's still the same style that requires an outside source to break.
Celia making Soma turn was technically Dracula's success, since Soma literally flips out whenever anything happens to Mina. He has trouble controlling it and can only manage to do it with that strong bond to love, even then it's barely.

>>4057905
>Brauner
I mean, if you count turning people into vampires as mind control, sure.
Pretty sure biting a Belmont would make a vampire explode though.

>or Shaft
His magic preys on insecurities.
Richter was an anime character who liked fighting so it could exploit his bloodlust.

>Astarte
She's literally an ancient Goddess of Love and her charm works on any male character in the series. Alucard, Richter, Julius and even Soma himself.
The only counter to Astarte is not being a man.

>>4057923
>The only counter to Astarte is not being a man.
What is a man?

File: broken-red-wine-tasting-g(...).jpg (104 KB, 1300x956)

104 KB JPG

>>4057925
A miserable little pile of secrets!

>>4057923
>The only counter to Astarte is not being a man.
>laughs in transsexual vampire hunter

>>4057934

QM, is using the PoD to destroy our own sexual identity a valid move

>>4057987
Why use the PoD to cut off our dick when we can find a jewish doctor to do it for us. We don't even have to pay him, he'll take a tip.

>>4057992
>he'll take a tip.
>*the tip

where the fuck do we find a jewish doctor

does shaft qualify

>>4058032
Probably.

File: Gesshi Hanafuuma.jpg (78 KB, 480x640)

78 KB JPG

How did we go from talking about mind control to scheming about getting your penis cut off to avoid being magically charmed?
Right.

I'm changing the topic.
How do you feel about Ninjas?

File: Ryukotsuki.jpg (115 KB, 554x652)

115 KB JPG

>>4058051
Ninjas are fine. The real question is, how do you feel about ancient evil skeleton dragons?

File: ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵.gif (582 KB, 220x220)

582 KB GIF

>>4058051

>>4058051
>How do you feel about Ninjas?
I've never seen one before. Just the way I like it.

File: Ryukotsuki true form.gif (47 KB, 1090x1550)

47 KB GIF

>>4058056
I'll have to think about that.

File: Burn in a fire.jpg (61 KB, 1024x576)

61 KB JPG

>>4058072
Alright, thought about it.

As much as your curiosity claws at you to go investigate that cabin that had the bat in it once more, you hold yourself back. They obviously won't have remained there, and it's doubtful they would leave behind anything that reveals their location. The only reason you can think of for going back other than searching for clues would be to look for your weapons, and It's likely that whoever it was that moved you into the corridor took those with them too.

As you walk back to your own cabin, you turn your mind back to the bat in that room, and the strange abilities it seemed to show off. For one, it certainly isn't actually big enough to have dealt the claw wounds on your leg, so it was either working with somebody else, or the far more likely option is that it can shapeshift.

Thinking for a moment, inspiration strikes! You aren't sure just what powers they might have in reality, but transformation into a bat, that speed she struck you with, those unbelievably sharp claws that sliced through the suit Alura made like paper and even when it seemed to disappear into thin air! Those are all powers that could be attributed to vampires!

The realization that you likely were just face to face with a vampire is one that shakes you to no small degree. You can't help but wonder just what a vampire is doing aboard this ship. Could they be pursuing you for your link to Dracula? No, that can't be it, can it? Why would they act in such a whimsical manner in regards to a potential Dark Lord, if the role is as important as you've been led to believe, acting in such a way would be tantamount to treason, wouldn't it?

Or perhaps they care little for your candidacy, and would only recognize you if you truly were the Dark Lord? Of course, you have mixed feelings on the idea of going through with this Candidate business. There's no telling just what would happen if you actually attempted to become the Lord of Darkness. But if there is one entity with the power to control their own fate, you suppose it would be the one with the power to oppose God. You'll have to find more about the matter before making any real decision on this though. For once, you find yourself disappointed that your dreams were so plain when you were unconscious earlier. It would've been immensely useful for that shadowy figure in your dreams to have revealed more about things... perhaps that shadow is some sort of remnant left of Dracula himself? Could his soul still be clinging onto the world even despite having been slain for good? The implications are quite unsettling.

Your pondering is put to an end as you finally get back to your cabin, as you search through your pockets, you remember that you left both sets of keys inside the cabin. Gingerly, you knock on the door, you don't know just how long you've been gone but you know that it must have been at least a couple of hours.

It takes less than a second for the door to swing inwards, Alura standing right in the doorway, "And where have you been?" a look somewhere between that could best be described as indignant concern is on her face. Though her expression quickly changes as she examines you more closely, becoming one wholly of concern as her eyes seem to focus on your injuries, even though the bandages are covered "Arthur! You're hurt, aren't you? What happened?"

You scratch the back of your head awkwardly as you think how best to answer her, before eventually you sigh, exhausted. "When I checked what was going on in the hall, I felt an evil presence watching me. I decided I wouldn't have time to get Coller or Anna to help me chase it, so I pursued it alone." The look of concern is slowly being replaced by fury as you continue your explanation while walking into the room, taking a seat on one of the sofas while Alura mirrors you action. "Eventually, I tracked it down to a cabin on the lower decks, where it attacked me without warning. After a fashion, I managed to escape from it, but it managed to deal quite a nasty cut. On cue, you lift your pant leg and show Alura your newly gained bandages.

Alura remains silent for a moment, considering your words deeply before she gets up. "Where is this cabin you visited, Arthur? I think I should pay them a visit." Her voice is cold.

"There wouldn't be much point in that. They are probably long gone by now. Besides, I'm not sure how powerful they are. I think they are a vampire of some kind." As you say the word 'vampire' Alura seems to pause for just a moment, her mounting rage being replaced by muddled confusion.

"A vampire? Here?" There's an underlying tone of fear in her voice. Is she afraid of vampires or something? "Then... did you figure out how old they were? A vampire of sufficient age could kill all of us."

"It's age? No, it didn't give any clues as to how old it was. In fact, I didn't even see it take human form. It remained transformed into a bat for the entirety of our conversation." It's unfortunate that you have barely any information against this new enemy.

Alura drops down and slumps back into her chair "You're lucky to have escaped with your life, Arthur. I should probably tell you that among supernatural entities, vampires reign supreme, this is a basic fact of life." This is the same sort of worry Alura had about facing Shirley, either this vampire was far more powerful than it was letting on, or Alura is an awful judge of strength.

"Well, let's change the subject. We'll deal with this vampire when we get to it. For now though, where are Anna and Coller? I would've thought they would have waited here." The absence of your two other allies has been notable throughout your explanation to Alura.

At the change of subject, Alura laughs slightly. "Those two? I shooed them into the other cabin after I arrived, I don't want to have that automaton in my presence any longer than is required after all." Hopefully there wasn't a disagreement in your absence. Alura's loathing for Coller is something you don't really understand, maybe the two just naturally can't get along? "You should forget about those two and rest. I can make sure that wound you've taken is healed in an hour or two."

>Decline for now, first you'll go explain the situation to Anna and ask what she thinks should be done about this vampire problem.
>Agree to rest, exhaustion is beginning to set in and being healed would be very useful.
>Say something else to Alura (What?)
>Write-in...

>>4058595
>Decline for now, first you'll go explain the situation to Anna and ask what she thinks should be done about this vampire problem.
We really should all be on the same page.

>>4058595
>>Decline for now, first you'll go explain the situation to Anna and ask what she thinks should be done about this vampire problem.
The super organic plant lady doesn't like the mega artificial robot girl, who'd'a'thunk it? It was also a werebat. Because just being a bat isn't batty enough for this flying rodent.

>>4058595
>Agree to rest, exhaustion is beginning to set in and being healed would be very useful.
We can tell our allies in the morning.
We're getting tired and should sleep to avoid consequences of a bad nights rest.
I mean, we wouldn't need to sleep if we became a vampire, but we'd need the Crimson or Ebony Stone for that.

Actually being turned by an existing vampire is a one way ticket to being enslaved.

>>4058595

>Agree to rest, exhaustion is beginning to set in and being healed would be very useful.

I think we need it by now. We could always try and meditate in hopes of contacting Drac, too.

>>4058595
>Decline for now, first you'll go explain the situation to Anna and ask what she thinks should be done about this vampire problem.

I'm honestly surprised there isn't more advocating taking a trip to Japan.

I mean, not that you know the relevance of Japan in character yet.
But it's probably where you'll end up.

Man, the Sorrow characters are all kinda young right now.
Hammer is 18
Soma and Mina are 2
Yoko is about 8
Celia is about 9
Even Julius is only about 40 right now, young enough to only just be out of his prime.
Of course, the Dark Lord Candidates are all the same age as Arthur. Obviously.

>>4059098
>But it's probably where you'll end up.
You just want us to bone the bone dragon.

>>4059105
I was speaking more about the Hakuba Shrine, but if you want to go resurrect a Bone Dragon Demon you can do that too.

>>4059098
>I'm honestly surprised there isn't more advocating taking a trip to Japan.
>I mean, not that you know the relevance of Japan in character yet.
>But it's probably where you'll end up
For my part I'd like to spend as much time in Europe as possible, given it's a Castlevania quest.

>>4059269
Well, of course.
But there are some things I can't really change.
Like Dracula's castle being sealed in an eclipse that can only be accessed from Japan.
So you'll probably need to end up heading there if you keep on the path you're currently on.

>>4059457
Ah, right.
That.
Fair point.
Still, that isn't until 2035, right? We've got some time to kill.

>>4059458
>that isn't until 2035, right?
Unless you find a way to somehow mess with the moon so you can force an early eclipse, that's correct.

>>4059472
>I have created a giant tractor beam.
>Why?
>So I can lock the moon in an eclipse visible from a shrine in Japan!
>Uh.. why?
>So I can unlock the way to Dracula's castle!
>... why?
>Ugh come on dude stop being such a killjoy.
I want to revive Dracula so he can be a bro. But he's not a bro. So I guess on the revive that's a no.

>>4059520
Reviving the castle wouldn't necessarily revive Dracula. I think he's permanently dead after 1999. It'd just give us the chance to step into our destiny and become the Dark Lord.

>>4059520
He seemed pretty helpful to me! Considering Drac can't come back anymore, maybe he's become more reasonable.

Probably a tough nut to crack, though.

>>4059520
There's a couple reasons to go to the Castle.
One in that you can become Master of the Castle if you sit on the throne, meaning it will somewhat obey you.
Two is the Portal to Chaos you can access if the Castle truly recognises you as it's master. This is how you go about becoming the Dark Lord for real or denying it by either creating a new contract with it or by uh...
Attacking the universal concept of Chaos.
Really no idea how Soma defeated it.
Especially considering it's the source of his powers
Maybe it just let him win.

>>4059528
>I think he's permanently dead after 1999
True enough, though Soma's reincarnated soul will revert to Dracula if Soma ever becomes the Dark Lord for real.
You'll want to be careful to avoid that happening.

>>4059550
>maybe he's become more reasonable.
Maybe.
>Probably a tough nut to crack, though.
Definitely

>>4059566
>No idea how Soma defeated it.

Defeat is the keyword here. Chaos can't be slain and likewise, it can't be confronted directly.

What Soma fought is an avatar of Chaos, which is probably as powerful as the Dark Lord himself if not somewhat more. Soma won and Chaos thus fucked off for a while.

So presumably, to properly attack Chaos, we'd need to become the Dark Lord, set up the confrontaton, which is extremely difficult, and defeat whatever abomination it chooses to manifest as, which is probably the single toughest opponent we could face outside of holy avatars.

Yeah, it's way too soon to discuss it. How did you know? X)

Tal

>>4059793
Oh no, I *know* how Soma defeated it.
It's just it makes no sense for him to have been able to defeat it phsically, so he probably didn't actually do so.

It would be like Julius beating up God.
Beating up the source of your power doesn't make sense.

And it wasn't an avatar of Chaos he faced, he actually went straight into the Chaotic Realm to face off against it's true form.
This was Alucard's master plan which really relied on too much luck.
Anyway an "Avatar of Chaos" would in actuality just be something like Death, who serves the Dark Lord, who Chaos created.

Of course, as it's Chaos, it doesn't have really have an actual defined "true" form at it's core, being a near infinite number of possibilities that are sometimes able to win out over the others, this causes Soma to have a trippy as fuck fight. But I'll cover Chaos properly when we get to it.

The real reason Soma managed to defeat it was because it wasn't actually a physical battle at all, it was more like a struggle to reclaim his soul from Chaos. Which he managed to accomplish by confronting it directly.

>>4059839

The whole "defeat the source of your powers" thing is quite interesting just because it could work in so many ways. Is it actually just a fight of wills that we went through because video games? Does Chaos give a fair battle to the Dark Lord out of respect? Is it unable to strip powers away once it gives them?

Out of the above, I have to say that I like the idea of the Dark Lord having Chaos's powers, but also being the owner of them the most. It's the least cheesy approach, and makes the title more meaningful. In this model, Chaos could try to influence the DL, but unless they yield, it can't control them or strip the powers away.

It would also explain how Soma keeps the Chaos powers after leaving. They'd be 100% his after the victory, and Chaos would lose authority over him.

imo that's way better than having an anime mind battle.

One thing, tho:
>And it wasn't an avatar of Chaos he faced, he actually went straight into the Chaotic Realm to face off against it's true form.
It had two forms, the first of which was based off the soul system, too, and it had a snake thingy in the 2nd form as well if i remember correctly. To assume it has a 'true form' is silly in my opinion. It's a primordial power - it can probably appear as just about anything. Maybe avatar was the wrong word - manifestation is a better one, perhaps.

>>4059875
>Chaos could try to influence the DL, but unless they yield, it can't control them or strip the powers away.
It literally takes away Soma's ability to use his souls at the start of the battle, it just leaves them in a place he can get them back.
Instead of say, A million miles in every direction.
You know, in the universe sized dimension it resides in and controls?

The only way to explain that fight is that Chaos was holding back on Soma for whatever reason.

>They'd be 100% his after the victory, and Chaos would lose authority over him.

This is again, false. As Soma can still become the Dark Lord and thus wholly an Agent of Chaos even after the battle against it ends in his "victory".
Defeating Chaos was only ever a thing to stop his descent into fully becoming the Dark Lord/Dracula.

>>4059888
>To assume it has a 'true form' is silly in my opinion. It's a primordial power
When I say true form, I meant it's "core" if you would.
As the true form of a being of chaos would in fact be an ever shifting form. It doesn't have a defined true form, but what Soma faced off against WAS the true Chaos and the centre of the Chaotic Realm.

I literally said it doesn't have a true form and is an infinite number of possibilities anyway.

I'm of the opinion that Aria's use of Chaos was kind of dumb and came out of nowhere anyway, it should've played a heavier role in the plot.
If I do use it, expect it not to be a complete non-entity.

>>4059897
>This is again, false. As Soma can still become the Dark Lord and thus wholly an Agent of Chaos even after the battle against it ends in his "victory". Defeating Chaos was only ever a thing to stop his descent into fully becoming the Dark Lord/Dracula.
I thought that Soma lost control of himself in that route, which allowed Chaos to take over because nothing else was in charge. What's your source for otherwise, if any? (Not opposing you, genuinely curious)

>It literally takes away Soma's ability to use his souls at the start of the battle, it just leaves them in a place he can get them back.
This is true, but it only does it after Soma enters its dimension. I was under the assumtion that it can't just remove its powers while the DL is outside of it.

Then again, there's still no way that Soma should be capable of winning against Chaos. Something's definitely up and the more I think about it, the more I realize it's just a badly written fight.

Bonus: Chaos in Space www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj376opK68s&t=20m40s

>>4059839
>Oh no, I *know* how Soma defeated it.
Yeah, he stabbed it with a sword. Also a spear and sometimes a particle laser.

>>4059914
>What's your source for otherwise, if any? (Not opposing you, genuinely curious)
After defeating Graham:
>Soma Cruz: Yes. It started not too long ago, and it's slowly filling me up... I'm doing all that I can to keep from being consumed by it.
>Genya Arikado: Once you have finished absorbing all of it, his powers will be yours. You will then become the evil count... I do not want to let that happen!
>Soma Cruz: Neither do I!
Soma is still in control even after officially becoming the Dark Lord, but because of the nature of his soul being Dracula's own, he will eventually lose his own personality and be subsumed into Dracula.

If he loses against Chaos, he doesn't die either, despite the death animation being played.
He instead becomes the Dark Lord and you get the bad ending.
Further reinforcing the point that it was more a battle of spirits than it was a physical battle.
It's weird.

>This is true, but it only does it after Soma enters its dimension. I was under the assumtion that it can't just remove its powers while the DL is outside of it.
Why would there be a difference?
The Dark Lord gets all their power from the Chaotic Realm, it's just usually they aren't trying to actually kill Chaos.
Which generally doesn't care what it's Dark Lord does.
The whole reason Soma is kind of fucked with the Dark Lord thing is that unlike the other candidates, when he becomes the Dark Lord, "Soma" dies and is replaced by Dracula, so he doesn't want that at all.

It's also why they can't just go "Hey look! Mina is ok!" In Dawn.
Dracula wouldn't care.

>>4059935
>>Soma Cruz: Yes. It started not too long ago, and it's slowly filling me up... I'm doing all that I can to keep from being consumed by it.
>>Genya Arikado: Once you have finished absorbing all of it, his powers will be yours. You will then become the evil count... I do not want to let that happen!
>>Soma Cruz: Neither do I!
Why does this sound like lines from a bad porno?

>Dracula wouldn't care.
That's why you need soma's WWJD bracelet.

File: sfzx.png (2 KB, 137x81)

2 KB PNG

>>4059935
>It's weird
And far less cool. Pity.

>Why would there be a difference?
It would allow Chaos to have far more leverage over candidates. As it was in the games though, it didn't do jack shit (other than just existing as a looming threat) until confronted. I do wish it was more of an entity, as you put it. Oh well.

Also, it appears that i have unintentionally become the master of cloaking.

>>4059935
>Further reinforcing the point that it was more a battle of spirits than it was a physical battle.
It was a battle of spirits that took place beyond a door in the castle in a physical realm with your physical body and physical pointy stick.

>>4059566
>You'll want to be careful to avoid that happening.
I'm thinking the best way to do this is to use our position fifteen years before the events of Aria to meet Graham early and ensure his cult never kidnaps Mina (or whatever it is they do to get Soma involved in that game).
Hopefully we can also gain access to his information about Dracula's Castle and the eclipse in the process.

>>4059971
Ah, back to business.

Why stop there. Regardless of whether we go evil or not, I believe that we should assemble all the candidates as well as henchmen and supporters like Celia, and start our own organization. Name Pending.

>>4059966
>castle in a physical realm
Last I checked literal Solar Eclipses aren't exactly physical realms in the first place, but alright
It took place in the chaotic realm, where one can assume that the lines between mind,body and soul are blurred anyway.

>>4059962
>And far less cool. Pity.
I mean, it's far less Final Fantasy, what with actually killing a Godlike entity in physical battle and all. It being a spiritual battle makes more sense.
>far more leverage over candidates
Chaos itself doesn't really care too much about what it's Dark Lord does.
It just likes having a Dark Lord for whatever reason.
Even Dracula played happy families for a decade or two.
The problem with being an entity without a set form is that you also don't really have a set will.
What Soma did was break the connection temporarily to stop the flow of Dracula's power into him, which would have turned him into Dracula.
Soma obviously didn't want to become Dracula.

>>4059971
>ensure his cult never kidnaps Mina (or whatever it is they do to get Soma involved in that game).
Actually, the events of Aria are all Alucard's fault.
He organizes for Soma and Mina to go to the shrine on the day of the eclipse so the two get trapped inside the eclipse and Soma has to go through the castle with nothing but a knife.
He's kind of a dick.

>>4059987
>like Celia
She's still 9 by the way.

>>4059995
Literal solar eclipses also can't hold magic castles in them and shit doesn't need to be blurred to stab it in the eye. Which Soma totally did, he took that sword he found in the castle and started poking Chaos in the eye until it said fuck this and tossed Soma back into the castle without the whole being Dracula thing.
It's alot like how Gilgamesh got a physical body from the grail in Fate, honestly.

One thing I'd like to point out about Chaos stealing the souls from Soma is that even though it took the souls he collected away it didn't take away his power of dominance. Process that how you will.

>>4059995
>Actually, the events of Aria are all Alucard's fault.
Well, that changes matters. Picking a fight with someone who can defeat Dracula is something I'd rather avoid.
Then again, considering that last interlude I don't suppose we have a choice. Better get to training that Power of Destruction...

>>4060071
>it didn't take away his power of dominance.
That would kind of defeat the point of everything.
If it took away the power of dominance, it would also take away Soma's qualification to be the Dark Lord, and it would thus lose.

>>4060093
Don't worry, he can't risk unsealing his true powers outside of a space sealed off from the real world anyway.
For reasons that he is never going to really explain.

>>4060099
Hey man when someone is trying to delete you from existence anything is fair game. It's not like it couldn't give it back afterwards. If it could take it away in the first place, that is.

>>4060107
I mean, he does pretty well with having his OP powers for the phone game, until the magic time travel books turn him into SotN Alucard.
Which he takes surprisingly well.

>>4060111
>It's not like it couldn't give it back afterwards
That completely deletes the point of the fight.
And of Aria as a whole.
Chaos can't just hand out power as it wants, that's why the Dark Lord Candidates are even things that exist.
It can't make Dark Lords by itself, it's sort of a... mutual agreement?

The Power of Dominance was what was making Soma into the Dark Lord. So deleting it would simply cease his transformation into Dracula and there wouldn't be a point to Chaos keeping Soma there.
And Soma didn't delete Chaos either.

>>4060124
How does Mathias Cronqvist fit into that then? He turned a dude into a rock and then ate the rock and declared he was now the Dracula.

>>4060131
Death probably set it up so that Dracula would become the Dark Lord through some long dumb ritual.
Death is primarily Chaos' agent, this is why he doesn't care for Soma if Soma doesn't want to become the Dark Lord.

>>4060124
>And Soma didn't delete Chaos either.
He sure as fuck would if he could though.
If you had to want to become a dark lord then Soma and every other candidate shouldn't have been born with candidacy then. Even as the reincarnation of the previous one. Since it comes about by telling God to fuck off. Everyone therefore could be a candidate. I find the idea that you need a piece of drac to become the evil one to kind of defeat the purpose of how chaos is presented.

I think we should be separating Dracula from Chaos. Because they aren't actually intertwined in such a way that necessitates the other. Because Chaos was a really fucking stupid concept. It also lessons the sheer fuckery of Dracula being so assmad at God that he just exists to spite him.

>>4060147
Wow
>lessens*

>>4060131

Wasn't the rock an ancient vampire artifact?
That aside, drac's fucking ooooooold. The rock gave him immortality and an unknown dosage of power. His true mastery over Chaos could've come later.

>>4060145
So what you're saying is Arthur should find the Magic Gauntlet and then eat a rock.

>>4060163
I wonder if Arthur can use the power of destruction to allow his stomach to digest anything.

>>4060147
Only Dracula was ever assmad at God enough to have forged the contract in the first place.

It's therefore much easier for Chaos to forge a new contract with people that have remnants of that contract, rather than just waiting for a couple thousand years for somebody to reach peak hatred again.

>He sure as fuck would if he could though.
This would be a terrible idea.
Chaos is required in it's own way.
It is required for something to oppose the Order of God.

I mean, Chaos is literally the origin of Death.

>>4060178
In my thesis i will explain how seducing death is the key to our success in the occult underworld

>>4060178
>This would be a terrible idea
Soma is very good at pursuing bad ideas.

>>4060163
As jokey as your presentation is, I think it would be a good goal for us to have, to find the artifact that enables you to become a true ancestor.

"I'll rest later, first I need to tell Anna and Coller about what I found, alright? We can't just leave them uninformed if this vampire is half as strong as you think it might be. Regardless, I want to tell the two of them I'm fine... mostly." You don't want to leave the two of them completely in the dark about matters anyway, they should be told of the threat on board the ship, at least.

Alura frowns. "Fine, I suppose. I'll just have to sort your leg out when you've done talking with the two of them." As you get up, you notice Alura doesn't follow.

"You're not coming?" You can tell from her relaxed posture that the girl has no inclination to get up, unfortunate, as you'd really like for all of your allies to be on the same page about dealing with this issue.

"I already told you, I don't exactly enjoy the presence of... 'Coller' and I assure you, the same is true of her towards me." You suppose it can't be helped then, if the two can't get along, you'll just have to go alone for now. You briefly wonder about what the result of ordering Coller to get along with Alura would be, before shelving the idea. That would be a gross abuse of power, and likely wouldn't work to solve the issues Alura has on her part.

"Alright, then I shouldn't be too long. I just don't want the two of them unprepared should this vampire try attacking us while we sleep." It's solid enough reasoning, and Alura doesn't raise any more complaints about you going to check on your other allies. It seems her problem is with Coller, not you or Anna, thankfully. You aren't quite sure what to make of the robotic girl just yet, but from her nature, you are at least fairly sure she's not hiding an ulterior motive. Anna's relationship with Alura is unclear however, other than the fact that she appears slightly uncomfortable around Alura you don't know just what those two think about each other.

You step outside of your cabin after picking up the keys to actually get in the cabin. You find yourself quickly peering down both sides of the corridor as you do. Thankfully, there's nobody there to ambush you or any strange feeling of dread watching you. For now, it seems that this vampire is content with just hiding away. You knock on the door of the cabin opposite and wait for a response.

It takes a good forty seconds or so before any response comes, but eventually, the door slowly creaks open, revealing a very tired looking Anna, still wearing the uncomfortable looking gown. Coller is absent from the room, however. "May I come in?" You ask the tired looking girl politely. Her face is giving away no real hint of emotion other than how tired she looks.

"Of course." She responds quickly, as if to not waste any time, and steps aside to allow you to enter the room properly. As you take a seat, she begins quizzing you "Just why did you take so long to check out that commotion earlier? I had half a mind to send Alura looking for you, you know." While she does a better job at hiding her emotions than Alura, you can detect a hint of concern in her voice, hidden behind a tired mask of exasperation.

"I have reason to believe that there is a vampire on board this ship. The cause of that commotion seems to have been that same vampire. I pursued them through the ship and eventually found them, but it was too fast for me." You lift the pant leg up and show off your bandages. "Luckily, it seemed to be rather whimsical, so after it attacked me, it let me go after I fulfilled it's condition to find where it was hiding."

"A vampire? Interesting..." Her reaction to the presence of the incredibly powerful monster aboard the ship is the exact opposite of Alura's own. "While there's no doubt that a vampire could kill me, or you, it remains that they didn't kill you. In fact, they didn't even drain you of your blood!" You fail to see what she's getting at. "You see, vampires don't tend to leave any survivors, be they toying with their prey or just simply feeding. They are typically quite adept in ensuring their target is quite dead by the end of any encounter though, they don't like dealing with witnesses. As it is though, it might be the case that this vampire is merely testing you."

"Testing me?" You echo her words.

"Yes. Depending on just how powerful this vampire was, it's highly likely that they could somehow sense your connection to the previous Dark Lord and were simply seeing how you would react to them." It's an interesting theory that you hadn't considered yourself, though you aren't sure how likely it is to actually be correct.

"And what, the fact that I'm still alive is proof I passed this test?" You ask her as she yawns.

"That might be the case, yes. Anyway, I'll make sure Coller get's the appropriate information about this, but for now. I really do need to sleep. I feel like I haven't really gotten much since Alura decided to tie me up, you'd be surprised just how bad being put to sleep is for your sleep cycle."

>Stop her and ask her one more question before you go, asking just where Coller is, you haven't seen her throughout this entire conversation.
>Stop her and ask if she knows if Vampires have any weaknesses you can explot
>Stop her and ask her something else (What?)
>Go back to your Cabin to rest
>Write-in...

>>4060613
>Go back to your Cabin to rest
She probably has eyes and ears everywhere, so let's not ask about weaknesses.

>>4060613
>Go back to your Cabin to rest
Once we're healed up, though, we've got to go looking for that vampire ASAP. Alone.

>>4060613
>>Go back to your Cabin to rest

>>4060613
>Go back to your Cabin to rest
Better prepare ourselves for hide and seek part two.
After all, if she's so strong that makes her more of a prospecting target to bully

>>4060613
>Go back to your Cabin to rest
Can't we just have the vampire turn us?
Vampire Superpowers would really help us out.
What could possibly go wrong?

>>4061260
>looking for that vampire ASAP. Alone.
You're really looking for private time with her, huh?
Well, just so long as you know that confronting her alone really lets her control the encounter and act however she pleases.

>>4061329
>more of a prospecting target to bully
You wish to play a dangerous game.

>>4060626
In fact, she could be in this very room!
I'm joking.

>>4061418
No comment.

>>4061418
>Can't we just have the vampire turn us?
That makes you a slave of the vampire who turned you. BAD idea. We want to find the stone if we're looking to become a vampire.

>>4061434
>You're really looking for private time with her, huh?
Absolutely! We've got to make a good impression, after all.

>>4061434
Bullying is a time honored tradition. Its pursuit in the face of great risk is always a worthy thing. Also she'd be the easiest to bully.

>>4061641
>That makes you a slave of the vampire who turned you
"You steal men's souls! And make them your slaves!"
Ah, couldn't help it. But yes, should you find yourself turned by another vampire, your only hope for independence of their control is their death.
Well, that or falling under the control of the Dark Lord instead.
Which is something all but the most powerful of vampires and demons are susceptible to.

>We've got to make a good impression, after all.
You've made a... fairly decent impression so far.
At least you didn't invite her to bed, as funny as that might've been to write, it was guaranteed to anger her quite severely.

>>4061874
>You've made a... fairly decent impression so far.
All the more reason to capitalize on it by continuing to undergo her "test" alone! I'm not giving up on that "something nice".

File: Leila.jpg (96 KB, 431x655)

96 KB JPG

>>4061874
This vampire is suck, I demand Leila girlfriend.

File: Albus.png (319 KB, 625x640)

319 KB PNG

>>4062158
This Leila is suck, I demand Albus girlfriend.

>>4062253
He has a look of perpetual constipation.

>>4062425
How would you describe Leila's look

>>4062461
It's like she's looking at walking garbage.

>>4062461
"Nintendo box art from the eighties."
It's a very particular style.

>>4062461
Absolute disgust.

>>4062461
"Full Blooded Vampire wearing crosses in setting where holy imagery harms Vampires."
What.
>>4062253
Albus is for Shanoa only.
He also had his soul straight up erased from existence so he doesn't even get an afterlife or the possibility of reincarnation or resurrection.
>>4062158
If you want a vampire hunter girlfriend like Leila you might want to adjust course.

File: Leila2.jpg (24 KB, 295x224)

24 KB JPG

>>4062461
Cute and from the eighties, but if I had to give her a drawback her hair isn't poofy enough.

File: 1571973813495.png (397 KB, 486x3155)

397 KB PNG

>>4062523
>If you want a vampire hunter girlfriend like Leila you might want to adjust course.
I want to. I miss Theresia.

Also, all this talk about girlfriends reminds me of one of the best castlevania comics.

>>4062571
Still an easier story to follow than Simon's Quest.

>>4062582
Imagine if we ever get cursed by a vampire and there's seemingly no effect but everyone starts talking to us like they're crazy and the quest gets hard for all the wrong reasons

"I see, well then, that's all I came to say. Just don't let your guard down, alright? This ship is already far more of a danger than I'd have liked it to have been. But if you are right, then the presence of this vampire might end up quite fortuitous for us." The question does remain though, did you stumble into a vampire's den, or did this vampire in fact somehow follow you? Neither option is appealing. One implies that your luck is so tremendously poor that of all the cruise ships in the world, you just happened to sneak aboard one containing a monster who might just decide to kill you. The other is more unsettling than the implication of bad luck, and means that this vampire has simply been following you for whoever knows how long, and if they can track you, it's likely the same is true for Shirley and her organization.

Anna holds a hand to her mouth to suppress a yawn. "I'll see you in the morning, Arthur." She smirks. "Don't let the bed bugs... or bats, bite... and I'd keep an eye out for rogue houseplants too if I were you." Telling jokes is obviously not one of her strong points. As you walk back out of the room, you notice her sit back in a chair as she starts tapping the arm with a finger impatiently. She's not focusing on you, so it doesn't appear that she's waiting for you to leave the room. Setting her behavior aside, you quickly leave the cabin and return to your own, only to be shocked by a rather drastic change in decoration.

A corner of the room is now occupied by a huge blue and red petaled rose flower, on which Alura, still wearing her petal dress, lounges lazily. Her skin once again has a green tinge to it, and her hair has regained it's crimson glow, though it seems a just little lighter than it did last time you saw it. She sits up a little upon realizing you've returned. "Well? How did the two of them take the news of this vampire?" She expectantly awaits your answer, obviously imagining Anna's reaction to a vampire on board to be similar to her own.

"Surprisingly well, actually." Alura blinks in surprise. "Anna theorized that this vampire might just be testing me somewhat. It might be connected to this Dark Lord business I'm now involved in. But she seemed quite tired, so she ended up cutting the conversation short."

Alura leans forwards. "Really? A test for you? That's her theory as to this vampire's business on this ship? Well, it might have some merit, considering you survived your encounter with it. But I wouldn't but too much stock in this little theory of hers. It could be testing you, or it could simply be toying with you. Immortality tends to make most of their accursed species more than a little whimsical." Alura stretches as she gets up from her reclined position on her plant and walks over to you. She grabs onto one of your arms as she leans in to you and speaks softly, nearly whispering into your ear "Now then, I think it's about time that you took a rest yourself."

Her words make your legs turn to jelly as it feels like the power to control yourself slips away almost immediately after she utters those words. Has Anna's joking warning about trusting Alura come to pass so quickly? You fade in and out of consciousness once or twice, first spying Alura as she to the side of you while you lie on a bed in an unfamiliar room, all of your suspicions are allayed when you she her applying some sort of strange bandage to your leg before the room goes dark again however.

You open your eyes once again to a room lit only by the meager illumination provided by the moon. You catch sight of Alura in the corner once again, sleeping on that flower she seems to be fond of growing.

But then, the intermittent flashes of reality disappear altogether, plunging you into the world of your dreams. Instead of the single tone of black you are used to seeing, the world now seems made up of swirling black, white and gray. Platforms of brick seem to construct themselves and then deconstruct themselves at completely random intervals. There's no true floor to speak of, instead you find yourself standing on one of the unstable platforms, quickly taking action to leap to another when it starts to fade away to avoid falling into the swirling void of gray below.

As you look around the newly changed world, you can see that there is a long stairway that seems to emerge from the depths of the world, leading to what looks to be a partially built room high above all else in the world, but at the base of the stairs, you can instead see a sliver of purple in direct opposition to the lack of color in the dream.

>Follow the stairs upwards, you need to confront the shadowed man and ask him just what he knows about your connection to the Dark Lord, and if he really is Dracula.
>Head down the stairs towards the sliver of purple, the contrast to the rest of world is far too intriguing
>Ignore both and refuse to move.
>Write-in?

>>4063390
>Head down the stairs towards the sliver of purple, the contrast to the rest of world is far too intriguing
Mystery Box!

>>4063390
>Follow the stairs upwards, you need to confront the shadowed man and ask him just what he knows about your connection to the Dark Lord, and if he really is Dracula.

>>4063390
>as she to the side of you
Pardon?

>Follow the stairs upwards, you need to confront the shadowed man and ask him just what he knows about your connection to the Dark Lord, and if he really is Dracula.
Curious as I am about the purple thing, we need some direction on how to become the Dark Lord. Drac might be able to clue us in to the vampirization stones or give us some advice on this current vampire, too.

>>4063524
"Stands to the side of you."
Arrrrgh.
This is the result of editing when tired.

>>4063485
>>4063524
>wanting to speak with mouldy old Dracula instead of taking the mystery box.
I'm hoping it's the ability to access another of the powers we were offered.

>Follow the stairs upwards, you need to confront the shadowed man and ask him just what he knows about your connection to the Dark Lord, and if he really is Dracula.

We will not be baited.

>>4063390
>Ignore both and refuse to move.
Y'all are already being baited.

>>4063659
>>4063681

You really think I would bait you like this?
There are certain benefits/consequences for going either direction.
Who knows? Maybe it will be a nice surprise for you if you go downwards...

File: 469907-goro.jpg (119 KB, 1000x562)

119 KB JPG

>>4063682
Now THAT is bait.

>>4063689
You wound me.
It's not like it's totally impossible for you to figure out what that sliver of colour might be.

>>4063708
How about a hint?

>>4063747
The color of the dream world and what it is taking the form of is the biggest clue I can give you.

>>4063708
>>4063777
Seems pretty impenetrable to me. The light/dark thing we've been dealing with is clear enough, but what the fuck does purple mean in Castlevania? Is this some deep cut reference I need to have 100%'d the 3D games to get?
If it's just color vs monochrome it could mean that the thing is some kind of upgrade (color is life/power) or something to give us more independence (monochrome dream is a place where outside forces mess with us, color is at odds) or it could be some new outside force intruding on our mental landscape and looking out of place. It could even be that vampire girl! Her portrait had purple in it, didn't it?
Point is, I'm at a loss.

>>4063777
>what it is taking the form
It's the steps to the last boss in CV1, that's obvious, but what do you get from going back down them? The previous level?

>>4064010
>Is this some deep cut reference I need to have 100%'d the 3D games to get?
Nope.
>what the fuck does purple mean in Castlevania?
Approach it and find out.
>I'm at a loss
A pity.


>>4064013
>It's the steps to the last boss in CV1, that's obvious
Well, the steps are a feature in a lot of the games leading to the last battle, but true enough

>but what do you get from going back down them? The previous level?
You're thinking too literally about this.

>>4064027

I think I may have figured it out and am changing towards approaching the purple.

If I'm right about this, this could lead to big things and possibly as much info as approaching drac would.

let's gooo

>>4064027
>Approach it and find out.
Nah, I already voted. We have plenty of reasons to want to talk to Dracula. I was just laying my thoughts out in case any other anons might get some clever idea from reading them.

Well Death and Shaft wear purple. So does Olrox. So does Amduscias or the Hell Demon whichever one you want to call it. One of the flying demons in the Sorrow games is purple. Oh yeah Gaibon is purple, too.

Clearly it is the Byzantine Emperor down there. Born in the purple, after all. I've got it all figured out.

Oh, Hell. Fine. Since we're tied, I'll change my vote.

>>4063390
>Head down the stairs towards the sliver of purple, the contrast to the rest of world is far too intriguing