The ground trembled as if Hell itself were breathing beneath their feet.
Lucy and Dracula stared each other down in the center of the ruined tunnel, both surrounded by cracks glowing bright red.
The dark energy Lucy had absorbed still pulsed around her, making her hair float as if she were submerged in a sea of shadows.
Dracula moved first.
And the final battle began.
Dracula morphed into a twisted shadow, lunging like a lightning bolt that split the world. Demonic claws erupted from the darkness, multiple, like the arms of some infernal creature.
Lucy raised Lycanos — now pulsing with dark energy — and blocked the first strike.
The impact made the ground explode beneath her feet.
"Interesting…" Dracula growled. "You really think you can defeat me?"
Lucy gave a cocky smile.
"I don't think. I'm sure."
She spun Lycanos in a spiral, releasing slashing waves of energy that formed circular shockwaves. Dracula dodged, his body dissolving into smoke, reappearing behind her.
Lucy ducked at the last second, avoiding an attack that carved a massive trench into the ground.
The Chiron gauntlets lit up in deep blue.
Lucy punched the air — and the impact formed a giant astral fist that launched Dracula against the walls.
He roared, furious, and spread his shadowed wings. The room grew darker, colder.
A sea of shadows rose behind him.
Lucy swallowed hard.
That was his final attack.
The world seemed to split as Dracula charged, all shadows converging into a single strike that could cleave continents.
Lucy raised her gauntlets, crossed her arms, and braced for impact.
The collision unleashed a cyclone of dust, stone, and dark energy.
Even so… Lucy remained standing.
Shaking.
But solid.
From behind the rubble, Drayven shouted:
"LUCY! CATCH!"
The ancestral amulet — Alyra's pendant — flew through the air.
Lucy caught it mid-flight.
It burned against her palm — but didn't hurt her.
It recognized the new strength inside her.
Dracula's blood weakened instantly.
The supreme vampire screamed, falling to his knees, his chest smoking and trembling.
"No… NO! HOW DARE YOU—?!"
Lucy dashed forward with ferocious speed. Drayven lifted her hand and released one final spark of her energy toward Lucy, who felt her body ignite with a final, dense, vibrant power.
Lucy's pistols materialized at her waist — both glowing with pure, black-and-crimson power.
Dracula backed away, desperate.
"STOP… LUCY… DON'T DO THIS… DON'T SHOOT!"
Lucy smiled with that insolent confidence that was hers alone.
She aimed the guns at the supreme vampire, now weak and falling apart.
And said:
"Game over, baby."
She pulled the triggers.
The blast echoed like a god's roar.
Energy tore through Dracula, making his body writhe in agony as it cracked in black light. The red circle opened beneath him, spinning like a vortex of malignant blood.
Dracula was dragged in.
"I'LL COME BACK! YOU WON'T GET RID OF ME! YOU— YOU WILL STILL SEE MY FACE! I—!"
Lucy twirled one of the pistols around her finger and holstered it.
"Goodbye, uncle. And if you come back, say hi to my kid for me, will you?"
Dracula was swallowed by the underworld with a final scream.
The circle closed with a thunderous crash — and everything fell silent.
Until the ceiling started collapsing again.
Drayven ran to Lucy.
They held each other tightly, as if the world could collapse and only one could keep the other standing.
Drayven's hands trembled.
She tried to speak… but her voice broke.
"Lucy… I… I…"
And then tears began falling.
Shy.
Warm.
Real.
Lucy held her face, gently.
"Drayven… monsters never cry.
But tears… tears are a gift only humans have."
Drayven's eyes widened as she touched her face, unable to believe she was crying.
Her chest ached — but in a sweet, new, almost… pure way.
Lucy felt it.
Drayven thought:
"She… she truly sees me. Even after everything…"
And Lucy thought:
"She deserves another chance. She always did."
But the ceiling was on the verge of collapsing for good.
Drayven took a breath.
"I think… it's too late for me."
They both looked at the falling debris above them.
Lucy squeezed her hand.
"No, Drayven. It's never too late."
Drayven clenched her teeth — her eyes gleaming.
"I know a shortcut. Hurry. Follow me!"
They ran through the underground tunnels, guided by Drayven as if she knew every inch of that hellish maze. The path led straight to the edge of the island.
The sea was furious, crashing against the rocks.
The boat they'd arrived in was still there, half destroyed, but functional.
Drayven jumped in and turned the key.
The engine roared.
They sped away from the island.
Behind them…
BOOOOOOOM!
A crimson explosion engulfed everything, lighting up the sky.
Lucy and Drayven watched the light consume the fortress that had nearly killed them.
Still staring at the red sky, Drayven sighed.
"The sky… so beautiful, so clear. You know… just like the sky… I feel like my heart became pure."
Lucy smiled — exhausted, but genuine.
"That proves you've changed, Drayven.
But we can't forget that the evil of monsters still corrupts this world. And people like Dracula… they always come back."
Drayven fixed her hair, confident.
"No need to worry, right?
After all… the world has the legendary monster hunter, Lucy…"
She gave a crooked smile.
Drayven finished:
"…and her sidekick."
Lucy glanced at her from the side, the wind sweeping her hair.
She said nothing.
But her faint smile said everything.
They looked out at the horizon as the boat sailed forward — free, alive, and more connected than ever.
Dayslater, the boat docked at the quiet pier of Salt Blake just before dawn.
The familiar fog embraced the city, and the lighthouse flickered as if welcoming them home.
Lucy took a deep breath.
Drayven too — though she didn't need air.
They walked side by side down the main street toward the worn-down hunter agency building.
The crooked sign still read:
MONSTER NEVER CRY
When they pushed the door open, the bell chimed.
Harrison looked up from his desk, his glasses slipping down his nose.
"You finally came back!" he said, smiling in relief. "So? How was the mission?"
Lucy and Drayven exchanged a look… one that hid many explosions, bloodshed, fallen gods, resurrections, and near-death experiences.
Lucy answered:
"Oh… all good."
Drayven added with a casual wave:
"Pretty chill."
Harrison blinked a few times, suspicious… but chose not to ask.
"All right… I'll prepare the report. Be back in a few minutes."
He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Silence settled — light, comfortable.
Lucy turned to Drayven.
"So… you can stay here. If you want. Not just stay… work with me too."
Drayven raised her eyebrows, surprised — then smiled. A real smile.
"I accept."
Days Later…
The bell rang three times.
Clients came and went.
Paperwork piled up.
And Drayven — now officially an employee — handled everything with an almost professional posture.
Almost.
Tory walked in, arms crossed, analyzing Drayven as if examining every molecule.
"Lucy… are you sure about this?" she whispered. "Hiring a vampire… after everything you've been through?"
Lucy sipped her coffee and shrugged.
"Just give it time, Tory. Trust me… and trust her too."
Tory sighed, defeated.
"Fine… if you say so."
Across the room, Drayven waved teasingly.
Tory almost growled — but let it go.
Later that night, the phone rang.
Lucy answered, feet up on the desk.
"Monster Never Cry? … All right, we're on our way."
She hung up.
Drayven and Tory were already grabbing their gear.
Lucy opened the shop door, and the three stepped out together — like a trio people would pay to watch on a TV show.
"Fast this time, please," Lucy said, locking the door.
"I don't want to miss the new episode of the series I'm watching. Ten-minute mission, max."
Drayven adjusted her sunglasses, Lycanos strapped to her back, the silver amulet glowing on her neck.
She smirked.
"Five minutes…"
Lucy smirked back, pulling Dracallion over her shoulder.
"All right then.
Let's go!"
And so, the three vanished into the city's fog, ready for another hunt — a new chapter beginning exactly where the last one ended.
The End.