The wind howled through the ancient ruins of the sanctuary as if the walls themselves were grieving. The sky, veiled in heavy lilac clouds, looked ready to collapse at any moment. Lucy walked across the shattered courtyard, her eyes sharp, scanning for any path that might lead her out.
The cold cut through her like a blade. Every doorway she found—every stone arch, every rune-carved gate—felt alive, reacting to her presence. When she drew near, the gates slammed shut with a thunderous echo that rolled through the empty halls.
"Tsk… great," she muttered, twirling Nosferion between her fingers.
"Trapped in a gothic graveyard in the middle of nowhere. That's what I get for trusting mysterious women."
Her footsteps were the only sound. Until the ground trembled.
A deep, monstrous rumble shook the pillars around her. Stones fell from above, and a colossal shadow swept across the courtyard.
Lucy looked up — and there was Bastius, perched atop a crumbling tower, his wings stretching open like sheets of living flesh. But something about him had changed.
His pale skin was now covered in crimson scales, black veins pulsing beneath the surface. His face — once a grotesque vampiric horror — had twisted into a demonic blend of bat and dragon.
He dropped in front of her, cracking the ground with the impact. A grin of razor teeth formed across his warped features.
"The break's over, little brat!" Bastius roared, his voice echoing like thunder.
"Out here, we have plenty of room to really play. This time, I won't hold back!"
Lucy let out a low, mocking chuckle and rested her sword on her shoulder. "Oh, good. I was getting bored."
Bastius lunged first — a violent sweep of his wing that sliced through the air like steel. Lucy twisted aside, the gust alone ripping stones from the walls.
She countered, slashing Nosferion through the air. Blue lightning arced out, striking Bastius square in the chest and drawing a furious bellow from him. But he didn't slow —he rushed her even faster, his eyes burning.
He leapt and crashed down upon her, burying his claws into the ground. The earth erupted, and Lucy rolled clear by inches.
"Aw, what's this? A few scales and you're playing dragon now?" she taunted, lashing out with a sideways strike that carved a glowing gash across his ribs.
Bastius roared, and a wave of crimson fire roared from his mouth.
Lucy drove Nosferion into the ground, erecting a shimmering blue barrier that absorbed part of the flames — but the blast still hurled her backward, tearing the floor beneath her boots.
"Argh!" She hit the ground hard, the ends of her coat catching fire.
"This coat was new…"
Bastius crashed down in front of her, the mere weight of his wings cracking the stone.
"You'll burn with this sanctuary!" he thundered, swinging his tail. Lucy vaulted upward and brought Nosferion down on the base of his tail, severing it with a single clean stroke.
The beast screamed, dark blood splattering across the ruins.
Lucy landed atop a broken column, flashing a sharp, provoking smile.
"Pretty. Now let's cut off the rest."
She launched herself forward again, channeling raw power into her blade. Blue light surged into crackling bolts that coiled around her. When she struck Bastius's chest, the impact exploded outward, shattering stone in every direction.
The earth quaked. Bastius fell to his knees, wheezing, his chest split open.
Lucy spun her sword lightly, her gaze cold.
"Recess is over."
She struck him with a diagonal slash — deep, precise, final.
The ground beneath Bastius gave way, revealing a cavernous pit lined with jagged rock.
"N–no…!" he howled before plummeting.
A spike of stone surged upward from the depths, impaling him with a sharp, sickening crack.
His blood hissed as it hit the air.
Lucy approached the edge of the chasm, Nosferion resting casually on her shoulder.
Bastius lifted his fading eyes to her, his voice trembling.
"You… you're no ordinary human… What… are you…?"
Then, behind Lucy, the reflected moonlight revealed a figure — a knight's silhouette clad in ancient lupine armor, white cloak flowing, serene eyes gleaming.
Ulisses.
The reflection of the Moon Knight lingered for only a breath.
Bastius's eyes went wide with terror.
"N-no… the legendary… Ulisses…? It can't be…"
Lucy smiled, cold and sharp, her red eyes glowing.
"That's right. I'm his daughter, Lucy. Sweet dreams."
She turned away, sheathing her blade as the monster's body dissolved into dust within the abyss.
Silence followed.
The wind picked up, carrying the scent of blood and smoke.
From the darkness below, something stirred.
A figure emerged from the shadows — tall, graceful, her long black hair drifting in the cold breeze.
Drayven.
She surveyed the battlefield, her expression composed yet intrigued.
"She… defeated Bastius," she whispered. "What incredible power…"
She vanished into the darkness as moonlight washed over the broken stones.
Far ahead, Lucy continued her path, unaware that her steps were being shadowed by the very woman who had awakened her past.
And the sanctuary — living, breathing —sealed its gates once more, as though the island itself refused to let her return.