The River of Blood roared beneath the sisters' feet. The rocks glowed scarlet, and the air was thick as smoke.
Lucy and Nyra, now grow up, faced each other in silence. Each held her sword, their eyes filled with an ancient fury and a wounded love.
The tension was almost palpable.
Then, they both advanced.
Swords clashed at superhuman speed. Each blow made the ground tremble, the waters parting from the force of the impacts. Nyra's Lycanos left trails of blue energy, while Lucy's Dracallion cut the air in flaming red beams.
The sound of the blades thundered.
They spun, dodged, attacked — the duel was brutal, yet elegant in every motion. The twins fought as if they had trained together for eternity, anticipating each other's moves.
At one point, Lucy managed to disarm Nyra with an arcing blow and triggered part of her monster form — her veins pulsed red, her eyes became bestial, and black wings tore from her back.
The fight continued fiercely, with Nyra having a slight advantage, but the duel was practically evenly matched.
"I'm... being beaten?" Nyra murmured, gasping.
Lucy stared her down, cold and taunting.
"What's wrong? Is that the best you've got? Get up... you can do better than that."
Nyra looked at her reflection in the river — a face stained with blood and hatred.
With a wild, primal scream, her eyes blazed a fierce blue — two moons ignited in the abyss. Her fangs lengthened, sharp as silver blades, and her nails grew into black claws, capable of slicing through the very air.
Nyra's body began to change. The sound of bones shifting echoed through the underworld, each crack resonating like distant thunder.
Her silver hair rose like living fire, taking on shimmering blue hues as the ancient power of Ulisses awakened within her.
From her back, three lupine tails burst forth in a storm of spiritual energy — symbols of her complete mastery over the blood of the divine wolves.
Her skin became cloaked in an ethereal armor, forged from shards of radiant blue light, its design reminiscent of the old samurai — sharp-edged pauldrons, segmented helms, and tribal markings glowing with ancient runes.
Each step she took made the ground tremble. The crimson river around her twisted and recoiled, as if even the waters feared the beast before them.
Lucy stepped back, feeling the air grow heavier. Nyra's presence was now overwhelming — a wolf goddess of war reborn from the shadows.
Nyra snarled, her voice echoing like the roar of a thousand enraged wolves:
— You wanted to see what I'm capable of, sister? Then witness… the power we inherited from Ulisses!
And in the blink of an eye, she lunged at Lucy, tearing through the air with a speed that seemed to split time itself. Every strike of her claws sparked with blue energy, clashing against Lucy's blade in a storm of light and destruction.
The entire underworld trembled before the awakening of Nyra — her Monster Awaken.
The fight continued fiercely, with Nyra having a slight advantage, but the duel was practically evenly matched.
And then, during the sisters' relentless struggle, the monsters forms of the two were exhausted.
And seconds later, the ground shook. Fissures opened, and the red sky began to close in spirals.
"The portal..." Nyra panted. "It's closing, Lucy. The amulets... separated... they are breaking the bond!"
Lucy raised her sword, resolute.
"Then let's end this, Nyra."
She took a deep breath.
"Even if it costs you your life."
The two ran at each other, their pendants glowing in opposing lights — blue and red.
Flashes of their childhood crossed their minds: the laughter, the training, their mother's embrace.
At the moment of impact, Lucy spun Dracallion and swept past Nyra, blood flying in an arc.
Nyra staggered, her pendant falling to the ground as her sword drove into the earth. She knelt, clutching the wound.
Lucy sheathed her sword on her back, silent.
"No one can have it, Lucy..." Nyra said, her voice weak.
"It belongs... to a daughter of Ulysses."
She took a few steps back. Behind her, a cliff; the black abyss — the river's end — awaited her like a tomb.
Lucy approached, desperation rising.
"Nyra, no..."
The wolf raised Kaburami, pointing it at her own neck.
"Leave me and go. You don't want to be trapped here. I... I will stay. This is where it all began. The creation of monsters... Our father's power."
Lucy tried to get closer.
"You blame yourself for what happened, don't you?"
Nyra lowered her gaze.
Lucy continued. "It's okay. There isn't a single day I don't blame myself, too. But this obsession... it won't bring Mom back."
The words echoed off the underworld walls.
Nyra looked at her, her expression serious.
"I am where I want to be. I couldn't protect you... or my master." She smiled sadly.
"Go. I'm sure there are still people waiting for you."
Lucy extended a hand, moving toward her, her eyes full of sorrow.
"Don't do this, Nyra. I can't lose you again."
Nyra pressed her forehead against hers and whispered, "I'm okay..."
Then, in a swift motion, she struck Lucy in the stomach with the pommel of her sword — and threw herself into the abyss.
"NYRAAAA!" Lucy screamed, her voice lost in the echo of the shadows.
And Nyra fell, swallowed instantly by the darkness of the abyss, a final self-imposed sentence.
The underworld trembled, the portal sealing itself. Lucy knelt, sorrow mixing with the blood on the ground. She slammed her fists against the riverbed in fury and self-loathing.
She looked back, saw the sword Lycanos, and raised it.
Her reflection and Nyra's gleamed for an instant on the metal. And then the sword dissolved, sucked into her pendant.
Without hesitation, Lucy ran and burst through the portal, vanishing into the light.
Minutes later...
The castle ruins were now just mounds of stone and dust. Tory walked through the rubble, her body wounded, clothes dirty, and her soul weary.
Suddenly, Lucy emerged from the mist, her coat flapping in the wind.
"You're still here?" she asked with a smile.
Tory smiled back.
"I had to wait for my spear."
Lucy shrugged.
"Sorry, sweetheart... but your spear is toast."
"Hmph." Tory sighed, then smiled.
"That's fine. I will just have to think of something you can do to cover the expense."
Lucy stepped up beside her, observing the horizon.
"We're safe for now... but I'm sure they will be back."
Silence fell. A single tear escaped Lucy's eye, and she discreetly wiped it away.
Tory noticed.
"Are you crying?"
Lucy looked away.
"It's just the rain."
Tory raised an eyebrow and held her arm out to the air.
"But the rain already stopped."
Lucy took a deep breath and murmured,
"Monsters never cry."
Tory replied with a melancholic smile,
"I understand. Well... maybe somewhere, even a monstermaycry when they lose someone they love. Don't you think so?"
Lucy closed her eyes.
"Yeah... maybe."
A few minutes passed, and the horizon was starting to glow with the rising sun. Tory noticed it and immediately tensed.
"Lucy!" she called, grabbing her shoulder. "The sun, you need to get out of here."
"It's fine…" the redhead said with a soft smile, eyes fixed on the horizon.
"But you're gonna turn to ash…" Tory murmured, a hidden ache behind her voice.
"Just watch," Lucy said simply.
The sun began to lift over the city, the dawn painting the sky in shades of crimson, orange, and gold blending together.
The quiet moment shattered as a warm, gentle burst of light washed over them. A soft radiance appeared across Lucy's face.
The sunlight didn't burn her — it revealed her. As morning grew, her skin didn't char or smoke; instead, it bent the light like crystal. Not fire, but a cold, shimmering glow, like a precious gem catching the first touch of day. A sign of her curse and her gift, both at once.
Tory watched, amazed and confused. Then, like a curious kid, she asked:
"Lucy… how do you do that?"
Lucy laughed and tilted her head playfully.
"Well… it's one of my charms."
Tory let out a bright laugh, and Lucy joined in. They stayed like that for a moment, laughing together, then fell into a calm silence — side by side, staring at the horizon of a new day. A new beginning.
DAYS LATER
"What happened next? Nothing much.
We took care of the other monsters, that's all. I have a lot of work to finish.
The job is this: eliminate every monster that's left. I have to make sure monsters like my father never come back."
Tory watched the city from a high point. The streets were still marked by the recent battles, but they were quieter now.
"Lucy promised to help me hunt monsters.
Now I realize there are humans as wicked as any monster. Just as there are monsters who are kind and compassionate.
At least I found one vampire capable of shedding tears for those she loves.
That's enough for me to trust her."
Lucy had changed her look. Now, under the red trench coat she always wore like a statement, she wore a sleek black bodysuit, elegant and practical for combat. Her short red hair fell loose over her shoulders, and her eyes carried that determination that would never fade.
She entered her office — Harrison was there. The place had recently been remodeled, with organized shelves and carefully scattered documents.
Harrison looked at her, surprised.
"I tried calling you, but no one picked up," he said, frowning.
"Just handled a problem that popped up in the city," Lucy replied, short and direct, not glancing at the phone on the desk.
"And what about the name for the office?" Harrison asked, curious.
Lucy gave a brief, almost provocative smile.
"Already picked one."
Two days passed. Lucy's shop finally opened its doors.
A red neon sign flickered above the entrance:
"Monster Never Cry."
Lucy paused for a few seconds in front of the sign, admiring it. The red light illuminated the hunter's serious, yet calm, features.
She pushed the door open and settled into her office chair, crossing her legs on the desk.
"Now I can start my business," she murmured, confident.
At that moment, someone opened the door.
"Are you Lucy, the monster hunter?" a firm voice asked.
Lucy didn't turn, her gaze fixed on the papers on her desk.
"Who's asking?" she said, her tone challenging, but calm.
The door opened wider, and Tory entered, carrying a backpack and two suitcases, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"Who else, you dummy," she said, dropping her belongings on the floor.
Lucy raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"What's this? What's with all the luggage?"
"Duh, I'm staying here with you," Tory answered, casual but firm.
"Are you serious?" Lucy questioned, trying to hide the smile that was forming involuntarily.
"Definitely. Besides, you still owe me for the spear and... I've got nowhere else to go, and you're going to want an experienced employee for your business, right?!" Tory said, crossing her arms.
Lucy huffed, rolling her eyes, full of irony.
"Fine, fine. Put your stuff in the back. I'll try to find a bed for you. Because there's only one."
Tory smiled at the response.
"We can just sleep in the same bed. No problem for me."
Lucy laughed softly, pretending to hate the idea.
"Just go get settled."
Tory left, closing the door to the back room, and Lucy settled back in, observing the space with satisfaction.
The phone on the desk rang. Lucy picked it up with style, with the confidence of someone in control of every second of her life.
She answered, raising an eyebrow.
"Monster Never Cry?" she said, her voice firm, steady, ready for whatever came next.
The city could sleep, at least for now. But the hunt would continue, and with Lucy and Tory side by side, monsters of all kinds would learn, sooner or later, that no one got away clean.
The End.