The two warriors dropped into their fighting stances.
Paulo surged forward, light energy crackling around his right leg.
Alfie responded, Blood energy coating his hands. The battle ignited in a clash of raw power.
Paulo landed a Light Flash kick to Alfie's face, sending him hurtling through trees.
Without hesitation, Paulo sprinted forward, crouching low before launching into a slide.
He grabbed Alfie mid-motion, unleashing a Light-infused punch that sent his opponent sprawling again.
Alfie retaliated in an instant. His blood-coated fist crashed toward Paulo, barely blocked at the last moment.
Alfie pressed the advantage, uppercutting Paulo into the soft air before slamming him back down in a brutal sequence.
Paulo recovered, charging again, aiming for a knee strike.
Alfie effortlessly caught it with one hand, countering with a vicious roundhouse kick that sent Paulo flying through more trees.
Summoning his power, Paulo conjured Twin Light Serpents.
The glowing beasts surged forward, but Alfie leaped over them and executed a flawless backflip kick, nearly breaking Paulo's arm in the process.
The battle raged, blow after blow exchanged in rapid succession.
Paulo fought relentlessly, yet every strike he landed was expertly blocked.
Alfie controlled the fight with precision, every counter, every movement refined.
Paulo gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of the battle pressing down on him. He had to change tactics.
Alfie attempted to finish him with a devastating Blood Kick, but Paulo unleashed Dual Light Cannons, blasting his enemy back down.
The ground trembled under the force of the impact.
Yet, Alfie was relentless.
He rushed forward again, sweeping Paulo's legs out from under him before delivering another kick to his stomach that sent him crashing against the trees.
Paulo groaned, forcing himself to stand. His mind raced. This was not enough.
He needed more.
***
Back at the Cosmic Base, the corridors were quiet, bathed in the soft hum of energy flowing through the walls.
Tetsuya walked with Maki and Kuro, guiding them toward their rooms after an intense training session.
Their conversation was light, filled with laughter and reflections on the day's progress.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
A cloaked figure stepped through the entrance of the base, her presence immediately commanding attention.
The fabric of her cloak shimmered faintly, concealing her identity beneath its folds.
Her steps were slow, deliberate, and filled with purpose.
Tetsuya instinctively stepped in front of Maki and Kuro, his hand drifting toward the hilt of his blade.
"Who are you?" he asked, voice firm but laced with confusion.
The figure paused, her gaze hidden beneath the hood. "Where is Paulo Satoshi?" she asked, her voice calm but urgent.
Maki narrowed her eyes. "He is out on a mission. Why do you need him?"
The figure remained silent for a moment, then slowly reached up, and pulled back her hood.
The cloak fell away, revealing a face they had not seen in what felt like an eternity.
"It's been a while, Maki," she said softly. "Don't you recognize me?"
Maki's eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat. "No… it can't be…"
Kuro stepped forward, trembling. "Yuki? Yuki Fujimoto?"
Tetsuya's mouth dropped open. "You… you died. We saw you fall in the battle against Izumi. We thought you were gone forever."
Tears welled up in Maki's eyes as she stumbled forward, reaching out. "We mourned you. We buried your sword. We—"
Yuki gave a faint smile, though her eyes were heavy with memories. "I almost did not make it. Izumi's attack… it tore me apart. But someone found me. Rebuilt me. I am not the same as I was."
She turned slightly, revealing the metallic sheen of her left arm and the glowing circuitry embedded in her torso.
Her body was now half robotic, half human—a fusion of survival and sacrifice.
Kuro wiped his eyes, voice shaking. "You're alive… that's all that matters."
Yuki's expression hardened. "There is no time to explain everything. Paulo is fighting the remaining vampires. I can feel the energy surging from the mountain side. He is in danger."
Tetsuya nodded, already turning toward the exit. "Then we go. Together."
Yuki broke into a sprint, her movements fluid despite her mechanical enhancements. The others followed without hesitation, their emotions still raw but their resolve stronger than ever.
***
The battlefield was in chaos.
Dust and debris swirled through the air as Paulo staggered backward, barely able to keep his footing.
His body was battered, his energy nearly depleted.
Alfie Morningstar had revealed his true vampire form, an overwhelming surge of dark power that twisted the very air around him.
His wings were jagged and obsidian, his eyes glowing with crimson fury, and his aura pulsed with ancient malice.
Riku, Amy, Rajin, and Jack stood at a distance, watching with growing dread.
They could feel the pressure radiating from Alfie's transformation, and it was clear that Paulo was reaching his limit from this long and dangerous fight to the death between them.
"He's not going to last much longer," Rajin muttered, clenching his fists.
"We need to do something," Amy said, her voice trembling.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept across the battlefield.
Tetsuya, Maki, Kuro, and someone else, arrived at the edge of the mountain pass. Amy and Rajin turned, their eyes widening as they recognized the group.
"It's them!" Amy shouted. "They made it!"
But before anyone could speak, a shadow surged across the sky.
A massive dragon formed from pure darkness descended from above, its scales glistening like obsidian glass.
It roared with a sound that shook the valley, intercepting Alfie's next attack mid-air and hurling him with devastating force straight through three mountains in the distance that the shadow dragon goal was aiming for.
The impact echoed like thunder, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.
Everyone turned toward the source of the shadow dragon.
Standing at the centre of the battlefield was Yuki Fujimoto.
Her cloak fluttered in the wind, revealing her half-humanoid, half-cybernetic form.
Her eyes glowed with a soft, familiar light, and her presence radiated both power and warmth.
Paulo's eyes widened as he saw her, his breath caught in his throat, and tears began to stream down his face.
"Yuki…" he whispered, voice cracking. Yuki did not hesitate.
She sprinted toward him, her steps light and swift, and leapt into his arms. Her own tears flowed freely as she clung to him.
"Paulo, I missed you so much," she sobbed. "I am sorry I disappeared. I did not mean to make you worry. Please… forgive me."
Paulo held her tightly, his heart pounding. "You are alive… I thought I lost you forever."
Behind them, the others watched in stunned silence. Even Alfie, now climbing out of the rubble, paused for a moment as he saw the emotional reunion.
But the moment did not last.
Alfie roared with fury and charged toward them at full speed, his body a blur of motion and rage.
Paulo's expression shifted.
The sorrow in his eyes turned to resolve.
He gently released Yuki and stepped forward, his body beginning to glow with a radiant light.
He could feel her energy flowing into him, warm, steady, and familiar.
It was the same energy that had once saved him, and now it was awakening something deeper.
"I've had enough," Paulo said, his voice calm but powerful.
In an instant, his form shifted.
Wings of light burst from his back, his aura surged, and his eyes gleamed with celestial fire.
He had fully transformed into his tengu form, his true self, empowered by Yuki's energy and his own unbreakable spirit.
Alfie lunged, fangs bared, and claws extended.
But Paulo was faster.
In a blink, he vanished from sight and reappeared behind Alfie, his fist already clenched.
With a single, powerful, and devastating punch to the back of Alfie's head, the vampire's body crumpled to the ground instantly making it known that the vampire association was finally killed.
The force of the blow echoed like a sonic boom, and Alfie collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Just like Izumi before him, Alfie had fallen to Paulo's awakened power.
The battlefield fell silent.
Yuki ran to Paulo again, this time with a smile through her tears. The others gathered around, their hearts lifted by the victory and the miracle of Yuki's return.