The Phoenix's Legion

For years now, long before he invented the hellboken, Thomas Noble has tirelessly worked on a super armour that would not only perfectly protect him from harm but would conquer the vampire race, at least that was the theory. Kill-shot had just ordered Thomas to unleash one of his most successful prototypes, the super armour was made of very dense and heavy metals, it was so heavy that not only did it need more power than the hellboken but it also needed wheels to move. The model he activated was called the Buster, it was beyond powerful and it moved faster than it appeared, its only fault was that it had no weapons, Thomas would have to fight up-close. Thomas rushed to Vanessa's aid as Kill-shot ordered him to, at that very moment Johnathan had overheard that his sister was in danger, he immediately began to run to her location as well.

Kiva on the other hand was searching for Ragna deep in the shogun hive, fighting off every shogun that attacked her. Kill-shot, who had managed to create a narrow opening from the swarm of flying shoguns that had been relentlessly attacking him, flew to Vanessa's aid. His fast manoeuvre allowed him to get behind the swarm, giving him the chance to fire explosive rounds at the roof of the caves, the rocks that fell either smashed the shoguns or scattered them. Kill-shot was free to go and help Vanessa, Kill-shot knew better than anyone that there was no way the hellboken crew could face a vampire, especially when separated, he had to save her before it's too late.

Ragna on the other hand was avoiding the shogun queen's attacks but he was still badly wounded, he tried so many times to use his gun to get him an opening but the breeder's hide was so strong that a regular gun couldn't penetrate it. His only hope was the strange sword his father had given him but as he attempted to reach for it the compass, for the second time, started to pull Ragna to a specific direction. Understanding how bad the battle had got he decided to follow its direction, he believed that the compass was leading him out of the hive. For so long he ran around the hive with the shogun queen chasing after him relentlessly, without warning the compass stopped giving directions to Ragna, leaving him completely stranded. The shogun queen had cornered him, Ragna had no choice but to stand his ground and face her, he had been bleeding for so long that he could barely stay on his feet, he knew that at his current condition he didn't stand a chance, her next attack would surely kill him. With all the strength he had left, he wielded his father's sword and prepared himself for the queen's attack, at that moment time had begun to slowed down, the shogun queen with her long nails and teeth drew closer to Ragna. Ragna at that moment truly noticed the breeder, its long thick body, its alligator like skin, a face that was like the combination of a bat and a dog, to Ragna it wasn't just a breeder, it was the tool that would send him to the afterlife.

At a blink of an eye, a blue flash had passed him by and as he looked at the queen he saw that she had been cut into a thousand pieces. Ragna felt a presence close to his right, has he looked at that very direction he saw a man with grey hair who had three scratch scars on his left eye who wore a copper brown armour. Ragna couldn't believe his eyes, it was the masked prince Helios, he looked at Ragna and saw that he was wounded, Helios put him on his back and run at such a speed that it put the road demon to shame.

Helios: "in all my years I have never met anyone so stupid!!! Did you honestly think that you could face a breeder alone? You're not even an army slayer!!!"

"How do you know that?", Ragna asked in a weak tone.

Helios: "at this rate you won't get far, don't worry boy one of my allies happens to be magi he'll fix you up, just focus on staying awake."

Ragna: "I thought you travelled alone?"

Helios: "what? Don't be ridiculous, no one can do anything alone but I guess you learnt that the hard way. What the hell are you doing here anyway? A weakling like yourself shouldn't be anywhere near a shogun hive."

Ragna: "Vanessa…. she needs me."

Helios: "you're not making any sense boy whose Vanessa."

Ragna: "I heard Kill-shot on my communicator, he said she had found Acheron."

Helios: "what!!! What did you just say boy?"

Ragna: "help… help us…. Hel…."

Helios: "boy!!! Boy!!! Answer me dame it, don't you dare pass out, where is he, where!!!"

Helios tried to get an answer from Ragna but it was hopeless, he had lost so much blood that he could no longer stay conscious. Helios had taken his communicator, in hopes of finding Acheron through the aid of whoever would answer him on the other end.

Helios: "is anyone out there, is anyone out there!!!"

Kill-shot: "who the hell is this?"

Helios: "this is prince Helios of the phoenix's legion, to whom am I speaking to?"

Kill-shot: "so you are down here, this is Kill-shot of the hellboken crew, what happened to Ragna? is the boy alright?"

Helios: "he was badly injured by the breeder but his still alive, his with me but unconscious, he suffered a vicious beating from the shogun queen."

Kill-shot: "and the breeder?"

Helios: "in pieces, now tell me Kill-shot, where's Acheron?"

Kill-shot: "he currently has one of my people, her location should appear on Ragna's G.P.S on his arm."

Helios: "we must hurry before he makes his escape, if there are any other members of your group in the hive, tell them to leave the hive now."

Kill-shot: "right, with their queen dead the shoguns will go completely berserk, consider it done."

Helios: "I'll find your friend Kill-shot, no one dies today."

Kill-shot: "kiva, kiva do you read me?"

Kiva: "still breathing."

Kill-shot: "I found Ragna, get out of the hive and start heading to Vanessa's location now!!!"

With Ragna in Helios's care, Kill-shot, Kiva, Thomas and Johnathan all headed to Vanessa's location to save her from Acheron. Who would get to her first with all of them being so far from her? While the others were rushing to her location, Vanessa still remains at the mercy of Acheron, a cold and cruel vampire lord who is calmly thinking on how to torture the helpless Vanessa.

Acheron: "what to do, what to do, there so many things running on my mind. Should I bleed you dry and watch you slowly leave this cruel world no, that would be merciful, maybe I should drown you and watch you beg for air, no, maybe I should compel you to my will and force you to kill your friends. Yes, now that would be entertaining, wouldn't it? In fact, I think you might even enjoy it."

Vanessa: "I'll never hurt my crew, never."

Acheron: "never? Then why do I see so much hatred in you, what did this Ragna ever…. Oh, your lover died because of him, what a shame."

Vanessa: "how did you.... How did you know that?"

Acheron: "I see all my dear but don't be alarmed, am not looking at your whole life, that would shorten all the fun you and I are going to have, don't you agree, Vanessa."

Johnathan: "get your filthy hands off my sister you blood s.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard!!!!!"

Johnathan had managed to get to his sister first, without hesitation he shot as many arrows as he could at Acheron but this proved to be useless against Acheron. Without any strain, Acheron caught every arrow fired at him with a single hand, the vampire looked into Johnathan's eyes and saw the love he had for his sister, this love he saw in Johnathan gave the vampire a sick and cruel idea.

Acheron: "when I look at you Vanessa I can tell that this boy is the centre of your world, the very reason why you fight so bravely. Don't move Vanessa, not until the one you love more than anything in these world dies."

As Acheron said this to Vanessa he had cast the compulsion ability upon her, as he commanded her to, Vanessa remained completely still. As she stood as still as a statue, Acheron began to draw closer to Johnathan, Johnathan tried to keep him back by firing all kinds of arrows at him. From electric arrows to explosive arrows, nothing seemed to work, the vampire just kept walking closer and closer with a sinister smile on his face. As Acheron drew closer to Johnathan, a strange round shadow began to appear beneath the vampire, it continued to expand until it had finally reached Johnathan. Rain had started to rise from the shadow, green ascending rain, it began to levitate Johnathan into the air. The rain droplets started to turn into blades, long, thin blades, one by one the blades run through Johnathan's body. An endless number of blades run through the young archer, his screams of intense pain echoed around the silver caves. The sound of her brothers agonising pain slowly reaped Vanessa's very soul so deeply that she broke into tears, she stood completely still and helpless to save her baby brother, she simply couldn't make a single movement, not until her brother's heart and screams had finally stopped.

She got down on her knees and screamed to the heavens, she lost the will to fight, to live, to exist, the vampire Acheron had completely destroyed her world without effort. Acheron had now turned his attention on Vanessa once more, getting ready to finally finish her off, he started to laugh at her, the sight of her crying filled him with nothing but joy, so much joy that he started to slow dance towards her, perfectly following the rhythm of her sad cry.

Acheron: "such simple things you humans are, so weak, so frail, so vulnerable, so pathetic. Don't worry my dear Vanessa, it's time to put an end to your suffering, for what it's worth, I have had a marvellous time with you but now like all good things it must come to an end."

Just before the heartless vampire plunged his fangs into Vanessa's neck, a large sword had struck the ground, separating Vanessa from Acheron. It was Thomas, using the super armour, he lipped to the sky and punched Acheron so hard that the impact actually shook the very ground, shaking the silver caves as if it had been struck by a violent earth quake. As the dust cleared ted had realised that his powerful punch had been effortlessly blocked, the vampire was able to block the ferocious punch with a single open hand, a curious Acheron began to look through the armour that had attacked him, the vampire could easily see it's user. Acheron smiled as he looked at the face of the man in the giant armour.

Acheron: "black smith? You haven't aged a day, how did you…. What's that thing on your c.h.e.s.t? I must admit that I have never seen such a stone, its red actually matches my eyes, I don't suppose you could lend it to me, for old time's sake."

Thomas: "I'll kill you!!!! I'll kill you for what you did to me!!!!! For what you took from me!!!!"

Acheron: "am sorry black smith my memory is a little unclear, what did I take from you?"

Thomas: "what? You… how could you forget such a thing…. You…. You…."

Acheron: "don't be offended black smith I didn't forget you it's just, am having trouble remembering what I did to you, you wouldn't mind giving me a hint, would you? After all, we are friends, aren't we?"

Thomas: "die!!! You bastard, die!!!!"

Thomas tried to hit Acheron but the vampire's movements were too fast, Acheron began to slowly reap the armour to pieces with his b.a.r.e hands, he kept reaping it off until Thomas's very flesh was completely exposed. To think that such a thick and heavy armour could be torn apart like a piece of paper, is the difference in strength between man and vampire that great? After such research and dedication that Thomas had put into his armour he ends up finding himself at the mercy of the Acheron and his sick games.

Acheron: "now doesn't that feel better? I can't bear to think how uncomfortable it must be to be inside something so heavy. You see ted this is what happens next, I take that strange red stone in your c.h.e.s.t, then am going to kill you and this time I'll make sure to.... Well, this must be your lucky day, it seems more of your friends are on their way. I would love to entertain them all but I have such a tight schedule to keep and am afraid it can't permit a delay, so am afraid I must be taking my leave. Don't despair black smith, am sure will meet again, oh and tell Helios I said hello. I know he has just been dying to meet me, in time he'll have his chance, until then, I bid you farewell."

Acheron had summoned the round shadow again and sunk into it like it was made of water, the vampire was gone. Kill-shot, kiva and Helios arrived at the scene only to find Johnathan dead and both Thomas and Vanessa badly injured. Pain, helplessness, fear, these are the things that the fallen warriors who faced vampires faced before they died, the hellboken crew can now avow to that. The hellboken crew has lost one of their own to a beast that they were never ready to face but there was no time to mourn, Acheron has finally been found and Helios is so close to his trail. The opportunity was far too great to miss, the crew takes a moment to bury Johnathan after which they gathered themselves and headed back to the hellboken with Helios. What was meant to be the assassination of a shogun queen has now turned into a vicious man hunt for the head of Acheron, a man hunt that Helios is determined to burn everything to the ground to accomplish.

Helios's log: "I have never been so close to catching that bastard, to think that these weaklings actually got the chance to fight him. I can't give in now, not when am so close, not while I can still get to him. As much as it irritates me I might actually need the help of this strange crew, if we can kill Acheron together then this crew might be spared, I have heard of this Kill-shot mercenary and I know all about his unauthorized recruitment of legion warriors. If they fail to help me they will all undoubtedly be executed, I must prove their worth before my brother gets to them. Here I am caring for a bunch of idiots I don't know, then again I suppose in some way I relate with their pain, facing a vampire is nothing to joke about, one can only ready themselves for failure when fighting such monsters. Acheron, you have tormented my people for far too long, this sick game of yours shall come to an end and you will pay for what you did to my brother, this I vow, this I swear, prince Helios of the phoenix's legion signing out."