Death Battle: Slayer vs Demitri Maximoff

Prelude here: https://brendansversus.wordpress.com/2021/03/04/prelude-slayer-vs-demitri-maximoff/

Alright, the combatants are set. Let’s end this debate once and for all! It’s time for a Death Battle!

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Slayer’s Mansion, Villa Vampir, January 2188

The full moon shone in the night sky, its light serving to illuminate the mansion set around the lakeside. Hundreds of vines and leaves covered the mansion’s sides, which were supported by a set of chains that vanished beneath the murky waters below. Under most circumstances, the appearance of this building would’ve led others to believe it had been abandoned for some time, but this couldn’t have been further from the truth. A bright light could be seen shining through its halls, and with its presence came the silhouette of a rather tall man.

Inside of the castle, the first of its two occupants could be seen making the rounds through his home. The way he moved gave off a sense of elegance and refinement, something that was also reflected quite well in his appearance. He wore a white undershirt beneath a professional-looking gray suit, the latter of which contained red, cross-shaped emblems across its sleeves. A red tie ran down his middle which, when combined with a red stripe that ran across his undershirt, formed another cross on his attire; though whether this was intentional was unknown. A pair of gray dress pants covered his legs, with brown shoes obscuring both of his feet. His brown hair was slicked to the side, accompanied by a thin mustache and well-kept beard. A monocle sat atop his left eye, and he held an old-fashioned, wooden pipe in his right hand.

This was Slayer, vampiric gentleman and semi-retired founder of the Assassin’s Guild. Normally he would’ve been enjoying himself this late at night, taking in the sights of the world as he wrote haiku. But tonight his attention was focused more on observing the structure of his own home. It had been one month since the mansion’s destruction at the hands of the narcoleptic hitman known as Bedman, and the attempts at repairing it had taken far longer than expected. Every framed painting, every repaired window, and every board of wood had been painstakingly replicated and put back into position, but Slayer still wasn’t pleased. Even with the assistance he had been given from his former associates, the vampire wanted to see for himself that his home had been returned to its former glory.

As he began to walk past a nearby bookshelf, Slayer noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning to face it with a surprised “Hm,” he found his attention drawn to a book in the middle of the third row. Its cover was mostly black, bound with cloth that was a deep shade of red.

Pulling it out, Slayer began flipping through its pages and found that there were ent sections dedicated to chronicling the history of Makai. As he skimmed through the book, he eventually stopped at a random page, and upon peering down he was met with a spread describing in detail the history of its rulers. Skimming through the chapter with a bemused expression, Slayer’s eyes brushed past the Aensland and Dohma Clans, only stopping when he came across a familiar name.

“Maximoff.” Slayer read aloud. It had been centuries since he’d heard that name, yet he vividly remembered all of the rumors and tales he’d heard regarding that particular clan.

Centuries ago, its leader, Demitri, had attempted to challenge Makai’s ruler, Belial Aensland, in a bid for power. Unfortunately, the vampire’s arrogance would be his undoing, and as punishment for his treachery Belial would have him stripped of his rank and exiled. According to the rumors Slayer had heard, the castle Demitri had lived in, Zeltzereich, had also accompanied him in his exile and was now located in the Romanian mountains. And if the local legends were to be trusted, Zeltzereich would only appear under the presence of a full moon.

A full moon, much like tonight’s.

As he stared out of the window, illuminated under the pale light, a smile slowly spread across Slayer’s face as he closed the book, placing it back in its original position.

“Perhaps I should pay this young man a visit, then. After all, it’s been some time since I’ve encountered another vampire in this world.” Looking over his shoulder, Slayer glanced at the raven-haired woman currently reading through her own book. “What do you think, Sharon? Would you care to take a stroll?”

“Of course. I’d love to accompany you, darling.” She responded, smiling as she closed her book and began approaching him. Wrapping his arm around hers, the two began to head toward the front door, casually making their way to Zeltzereich.

[Stop music]

Roughly an hour later, the two had approached the hillside containing the castle, staring up at the enormous structure that floated above them.

“Hm, it seems rather unaccommodating for our host to be so high up, doesn’t it?” Slayer mused as he took in the sight of Castle Zeltzereich suspended above them. “Very well then. I suppose I could use a bit of a warm-up before our main event.”

Wrapping an arm around Sharon, Slayer then shot into the air, his cloak billowing in the wind as he flew higher and higher. In only a matter of seconds, the duo had managed to reach the top, with Slayer gently allowing his wife to step down before holding the door open to escort her inside. 

Meanwhile, hidden deep within Zeltzereich’s throne room, the castle’s ruler slowly opened a glowing, red eye. Despite being miles apart from each other, the man had sensed two uninvited guests making their way into his home. One of them seemed to be human, but there was something about them that seemed… different somehow, something he couldn’t help but be intrigued by. As for the other, it was a scent he hadn’t picked up once during his time on this wretched planet. Not only did it seem to belong to one of the natives of Makai, but it also carried the distinct aroma of-

“A vampire.” Demitri said aloud, his breath visible in the cold chill of the night. With a pleased grin, the exiled Darkstalker rose to his feet. “If he’s chosen to approach me so early in the night, then perhaps I should reward his boldness with a proper greeting.”

As Demitri made his way toward these new visitors, his uninvited guests continued to journey through the halls. Their surroundings were wreathed in shadow, with the only sources of light being the Moon and the lit torches that lay along the walls. The wooden floor creaked beneath their feet, and the only other sound they could hear was that of their own breathing. But in spite of the chilling atmosphere that surrounded him, the two remained unphased. If anything, they seemed oddly comfortable with their surroundings.

“Well, he seems to have quite the flare for the dramatic, doesn’t he?” Slayer asked, a light smirk on his face as he looked over the area. The two were already making their way up the staircase to the next floor, but before Sharon could respond, a new voice called out to him.

“This is quite a surprise…”

Upon hearing the deep, Romanian voice call out from the darkness. Slayer froze in place for a brief moment, his right foot already resting on the next step. Craning his neck up to the end of the staircase, he spotted the figure of a man several inches taller than him, leering down with a pair of gleaming, scarlet-red eyes.

“I wasn’t expecting company tonight, much less one of vampiric origin.” The man said, the flickering torches revealing a clearer depiction of the mansion’s owner. His hair was brown, done up in a spiky, somewhat slicked back manner. A white cravat was wrapped around his neck, sitting atop a red dress shirt. Most of his body was covered in a gray cape, but as he stepped closer, Slayer could see that he was wearing a blue suit coat over his shirt, with a matching pair of pants that seemed to be tucked inside a pair of brown, shin-length riding boots.

“In that case, I suppose I should apologize for the intrusion.” Slayer said. “I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting you to notice our arrival just yet, but either way, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Demitri Maximoff.”

“No, no. The pleasure is all mine, Slayer.” Demitri said gratefully, with Slayer’s expression becoming more intrigued upon hearing his name. “After all, it’s not every night a fellow vampire chooses to grace my humble abode, much less one as famous as yourself.”

“I wasn’t aware I was so popular.” Slayer admitted. “But if you know who I am, then you must also know why I’ve come here.”

“Of course.” Demitri smirked. “Given your history, I assume you’ve encroached upon my domain in some misguided attempt to defend humanity?”

“A smart guess, and a correct one.” Slayer responded, giving a snap of his fingers. “Normally I wouldn’t make it a habit of interfering with another’s dealings. However,” his expression hardened, “your centuries of bloodshed have made you too much of a threat to this world. And anything that could disturb my wife or my peaceful retirement will be eliminated.”

“Ha ha ha! Such foolish sentimentalism!” Demitri laughed, shaking his head dismissively. “Alas, I’m afraid you’ve bitten off more than you can chew by coming here. But if you wish to so brazenly throw away your life, climb these stairs. Just know that your only rewards will be the utter humiliation of defeat, and a more permanent form of-“

FWOOSH!

“-retirement?” Demitri finished, his tone becoming more surprised as his eyes widened in shock.

[Stop music]

Somehow, Slayer had instantly closed the distance between them, his fist already in mid-swing. Though he had little time to defend against it, Demitri brought his arms up in an attempt to block it.

Unfortunately, even with his defenses raised, the impact of Slayer’s punch still passed through, causing Demitri to scream in pain as he was sent flying back. Like some sort of ballistic undead missile, the lord of Zeltzereich crashed through the wall behind him, his enormous frame creating a chorus of splitting wood as he flew into the next floor.

As Demitri’s body vanished into the darkness, Slayer, knowing that such a casual attack couldn’t have taken him out so easily, began striding toward the vampire’s current location. Meanwhile, on the next floor, Demitri hit the ground, his impact producing a pained grunt. Pushing himself back up, he noticed two servants approaching, but he quickly raised an arm to stop them.

“Interesting.” He muttered, a small grin appearing on his face. Even with what he’d heard of Slayer, he hadn’t expected the assassin to display strength of this caliber. Demitri chuckled as he rose to full height, watching as Slayer and Sharon entered the doorway. Cupping his hand to his chin, he mused, “Perhaps this will be more entertaining than I thought.”

Slayer and Sharon walked through the room’s entrance, taking four steps before coming to a halt. Noticing the interested glint in Demitri’s eye, Slayer gave a brief smirk before leaning closer to Sharon. For a split second, Demitri suspected the two were about to kiss, but these thoughts quickly vanished as he watched Slayer’s mouth widen, revealing a set of polished, white fangs. The ivory canine teeth plunged into Sharon’s neck, causing her right arm to go slack almost instantly. This sight by itself was nothing new to Demitri, but what happened next caused him to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

In the span of only two seconds, Sharon had gone from a perfectly healthy, beautiful woman to a shriveled layer of skin, almost as if contact with Slayer’s fangs had completely drained her of all nutrients. Once Slayer had removed his fangs, a sharp gust of wind suddenly blew through the room, picking up Sharon’s paper-thin remains and sending it flying.

[Start at 0:10]

“Now then, shall we begin?” Slayer asked, a smirk still on his face as he returned his attention to Demitri.

“Of course.” Demitri responded, grinning in anticipation as the two lowered themselves into fighting stances. “I’d wish you luck, but it would be a worthless gesture. Still, I do hope you’ll be able to entertain me!”

“Likewise.” Slayer nodded. “It would be a shame to spend so much time to tracking you down only to meet a man who crumbles under a single blow.”

“Oh, I assure you, I am no mere man!” Demitri said, his grin widening. “You stand before one of the nobles of Makai, a vampire whose power eclipses all others. And that power is one you will experience firsthand!”

As he said this, Demitri’s aura seemed to spike up in tandem with his emotions, glowing even brighter as it expanded around him. At the same time, Slayer cocked an eyebrow in interest, his smirk evolving into an eager grin of its own.

For what felt like an eternity, the two otherworldly vampires stared at each other, their bodies tensing up as they prepared to strike. Then, after several seconds of tension, one of them chose to act!

[Skip to 0:26 if you haven’t passed it already]

Eager to take revenge for Slayer’s previous attack, Demitri rushed forward, moving so quickly that Slayer didn’t even have time to register his movements. He’d only notice them once Demitri had landed a powerful left hook to the face, staggering Slayer long enough for a jab to hit him in the stomach. The strength behind it was enough to force Slayer to lurch over, and his punishment would only grow as Demitri leapt into the air, delivering an uppercut that forced the Slayer’s head to snap back. As his body ascended through the air, Demitri used his enhanced speed to continue the combo, unleashing a diagonal punch to the face, a diagonal left kick, a straight punch, a second kick, and upon hitting the ground-

“Demon Cradle!”

He immediately flew back up as he spun through the air, his cape morphing into a pair of bat wings that smacked Slayer across the face. The two vampires were sent flying, with Slayer briefly reaching further heights before Demitri closed the distance. With his opponent now in range, the head of the Maximoffs grabbed Slayer by the arms and pressed them against the sides of his body.

“You’re faster than I was expecting!” Slayer admitted, gritting his teeth in pain as Demitri squeezed him. Upon ensuring that he now had a firm grip on Slayer, Demitri rotated his body through the air and boosted forward! The otherworldly monsters were now shooting toward the ground at a rapid pace, but even when faced with the speed of their descent, Slayer remained calm. He even gave a confident smirk before stating, “But nothing I can’t keep up with!”

With nothing more than a flex of his muscles, Slayer unleashed a burst of energy from his body, freeing him from Demitri’s vice-like grip and knocking him back. After righting himself with a swift backflip, Slayer hit the ground with an audible CRUNCH and immediately lunged forward. At the same time, Demitri felt his back slam against the floor, but he proved quick to cartwheel back to his feet. Upon seeing the rival vampire flying toward him, Demitri only smirked.

“Are you sure about that?” He asked as he rushed back in. The moment they were about to collide with each other, Slayer swung his left arm, delivering a haymaker meant to knock Demitri back. The Darkstalker quickly reacted, ducking beneath the attack and countering with a punch aimed at Slayer’s gut. The fist flew forward at blinding speeds, but it would only meet the flat of Slayer’s palm.

“Our battle’s only begun, and already you’re being forced to rely on your defenses!” Demitri taunted as he threw out a swift series of punches and kicks. Each one was aimed at a different part of Slayer’s body, but all of them would meet the same fate as its predecessor. Despite this, the Darkstalker only seemed amused by this as his grin widened. “You haven’t even landed a hit on me!”

Teleporting above Slayer, Demitri wrapped his cape around himself and spun toward the assassin like a drill, with his target raising both arms in an attempt to block it. For three seconds Maximoff continued to try and break through Slayer’s defenses, but he quickly realized he was getting nowhere. Refusing to give Slayer a chance to exploit this mistake, Demitri kicked off of his opponent’s arms, righting himself in midair with a quick backflip. However, he wasn’t out of danger just yet, something he’d learn seconds later when Slayer called out to him.

“Then allow me to correct that mistake!” Slayer announced as he lunged forward, his body appearing as a blur. No sooner than Demitri had landed, he found himself struck by a-

“Mappa Hunch!”

Slayer’s energy-wreathed left fist smashed into his stomach, its impact forcing him to cough up spittle. With an amused smirk, Slayer ripped his fist free from Demitri’s stomach and followed up with a right hook to the face, causing Maximoff’s head to snap to the side. Immediately after this, a heel kick struck Demitri’s right temple, forcing his head to the other side. With a pointed glare, Demitri swiftly turned his head back and threw out a left hook, but just before it could connect Slayer leaned back. By the time Demitri realized he had hit thin air-

“Pilebunker!” Slayer declared, brushing past Demitri’s outstretched arm and nailing him with an energy-infused straight punch. The purple-coated fist struck Demitri’s sternum, causing him to let out a pained cry as he was blown across the room, causing his servants to gasp in surprise. After roughly three seconds of flying, Demitri managed to catch himself in midair, hovering only a few inches from the ground.

“Impressive. So that cheap shot on the stairs wasn’t a fluke after all…” He mused, cupping a hand to his chin. With an interesting glint in his eye, he said, “Still, for him to contain this much power in his casual punches, I can’t help but wonder… what would it take for him to start fighting seriously?”

Removing his hand from his chin, the B-Class Demon swung his arm outward, letting out a shout of “Chaos Flare!” In tandem with these words, a fireball shot out from his hand, barreling toward Slayer at blinding speeds. With a slight smirk, the assassin responded to this by charging past it shoulder-first, his body seeming to phase through it as if he were a ghost.

“Sorry. I believe that was supposed to hit me?” He asked jokingly.

“Oh, don’t worry. There are still more to come!” Demitri responded as he leapt back, throwing out three more Chaos Flares. Each one varied in size and pathway, but all of them flew toward Slayer at blinding speeds. Despite this, Slayer seemed to be more amused than anything else as he slid past the first one. Seconds later, he weaved past the second, noticing out of the corner of his eye what appeared to be a bat shape hidden inside of it, then proceeded to avoid the third. With the fireballs dodged and the distance between then lessening, Slayer swung his left arm out, preparing to throw a haymaker into Demitri’s chest, but then something odd happened.

Just when his fist was a millisecond away from embedding itself into Demitri, the vampiric noble suddenly vanished. For a brief moment, Slayer felt his fist pass through a pillar of flame before… something attacked him. They were moving too fast for him to see, but judging by their shrieks, the bite marks tearing into him, and the cuts left by their razor-sharp wings, he had a good guess as to what they were.

Once the last of the swarm of bats had passed him, Demitri reemerged, now sporting an arrogant grin. He threw out a right hook, aiming to capitalize on Slayer’s newfound injuries, but when it came time for his attack to connect-

BOOM!

Slayer proved quicker on the draw as he quickly turned around, striking Demitri with a fire-coated backhand. The instant it slammed into his cheek, Demitri cried out as an explosion suddenly erupted between them, sending him helplessly through the air.

‘How could he have recovered so quickly?’ He thought in shock. ‘Those wounds should’ve at least slowed him down!’

He would get his answer seconds later when Slayer leapt after him, allowing Maximoff to watch as the last of his opponent’s injuries were sealed shut. By the time they were in front of each other, Slayer was completely spotless, as if the Demon Blast hadn’t even hit him. To Demitri’s shock, even his clothes had reformed from the damage! But worst of all was the latest revelation he was about to receive.

As Slayer threw out a dunking punch to the face, Demitri’s cape morphed into a pair of bat wings and quickly folded themselves over him. Unfortunately, even with this added layer of defense, Demitri could still feel Slayer’s full strength slam into him, sending him careening toward the ground. With an pained, annoyed groan, Demitri backflipped through the air, his feet skidding against the floor as he planted his hand firmly into the ground. For several seconds the wretched sound of nails scraping against stone rang out, only stopping once Demitri had come to a halt.

Rising back to full height, he looked up to see Slayer descending toward him, throwing out a kick to Demitri’s face. With an arrogant “Hmph,” the Darkstalker countered by throwing out an uppercut, their collision causing a shockwave to rocket through the castle. Their surroundings shook violently for a moment, causing all of Demitri’s servants to stumble as they lost balance, but the two vampires remained unmoved.

With an outward swing of his arm, Demitri sent Slayer hurtling through the air, flying after him seconds later. Once he was close enough, the Makai nobleman struck his suit-clad adversary in the chest, eliciting a grunt from the former assassin. An underhanded claw slash immediately followed this, leaving behind four marks that ran across Slayer’s chest. As Slayer’s blood began to spill toward the ground, Demitri ascended past him, only stopping once he was above Slayer.

Bringing both hands in front of himself, the lord of Zeltzereich began charging a fireball in his palms, its size rapidly growing with each nanosecond that passed. By the time Slayer had begun approaching him, the ball had grown to the point of eclipsing Demitri’s entire upper body, and it was ready to be released!

“Go to hell!” Demitri shouted as he unleashed the full might of his Chaos Flare. The moment it struck Slayer, the fireball exploded outward, setting Slayer’s entire body ablaze and sending him crashing back toward the ground. Seconds later, Demitri descended toward him, calmly landing in front of the smoldering dandy.

“You put up a good fight, but I’m afraid this is where your life comes to an end, Noble One.” Demitri said as he grabbed Slayer‘s right arm and pulled him up. As he dragged the dandy closer, Demitri’s appearance underwent a sudden shift. His clothing vanished entirely, revealing that his skin had turned pitch-black, with longer, pointed ears. His hair seemed to have merged into his skin, taking on the same black color, and a set of bat wings were now flowing behind him. But the biggest difference was the one Slayer could feel. Demitri’s hands had also changed, now becoming a set of claws that dug into Slayer’s arm. As he was pulled higher Slayer could see that Demitri’s feet were now bare, revealing a pair of talons.

“Now, why don’t we see if your blood tastes as strong as you?” Demitri grinned as he opened his mouth, revealing fangs that were now doubled in length. And with a powerful bite, these same fangs sank into Slayer’s neck!

SKLURCH!

Slayer’s eyes widened as a sharp pain spread through his mind, followed by the sensation of blood spilling from his neck and into Demitri’s mouth. He watched as Demitri swallowed entire mouthfuls of his blood, feeling himself grow weaker with each gulp. But if Demitri expected him to accept this without putting up a fight, he was dead wrong!

In a sudden burst of movement, Slayer threw out a left hook, intending on attacking Demitri while his guard was down. However, it seemed he’d misjudged the Darkstalker’s attentiveness. Immediately noticing the approaching fist, Demitri quickly removed his fangs from Slayer’s neck and tilted his head to the side, allowing the fist to merely graze his cheek. Then, with an almost casual air, he tossed Slayer over his shoulder, as if the Guild’s founder were a piece of trash. Even though his attack had missed its mark, Slayer refused to let this discourage him, instead choosing to right himself in midair and land on the ground without any problem.

“It seems my suspicions were correct.” Demitri admitted as he turned to Slayer, his body reverting to his normal form. His eyes shone with interest as he stared at Slayer, whose body had just finished regenerating all of its wounds. With a grin, Demitri continued, “Your blood… it contains an enticing flavor, like nothing I’ve ever felt before! And this power!”

Clenching his fist, Demitri watched with glee as his muscles briefly swelled in size.

“If such a small sample grants strength of this caliber, then perhaps your blood is the key to accomplishing my goals! Already, I can feel my power rising!” He stated, his grin widening as he looked back up at Slayer. With his aura flaring up, he continued, “Once your body is fully drained, dethroning the Aensland clan will be child’s play!”

Upon hearing this, Slayer let out an amused chuckle.

“I’m afraid you don’t quite understand the current situation, Demitri. Our battle is still in its infancy, yet you think losing a few drops of blood would be enough to kill me? Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, but,” Slayer folded both arms over his chest, his expression darkening as he continued in a more serious tone, “I’m not so weak as to let something as small as blood loss impede me!”

Swinging both arms outward, Slayer gave a brief shout as an aura of violet energy suddenly surrounded him, causing the room to shake violently. With these tremors came a cloud of dust and debris that Demitri immediately put up an arm to block. Once the smoke and rubble had started to clear up, the nobleman quickly swung his arm, swatting aside the remaining dust to get a better view of Slayer.

Upon laying eyes on him, Demitri immediately took note of the sudden change in Slayer’s energy. Though the vampire’s physical appearance remained unchanged, he could sense that his energy was now completely different. What was once a calm and serene sensation had now picked up in speed, becoming more violent and restless. It was as if the vampire’s desire for a worthy challenge reached beyond his mind, spreading to the point where even his own spirit boiled with hot-blooded excitement!

“Now, if you still feel so confident in your superiority,” Slayer reentered his fighting stance and flashed Demitri a grin, “then go ahead and show me what you’re truly capable of!”

“With pleasure.” Demitri replied, his own aura burning intensely as he responded in kind.

With renewed vigor the two vampires rushed forward, Slayer throwing out a left hook and Demitri responding in kind. A resounding BOOM rang out as their fists collided, producing a massive shockwave that spread throughout the entire room. Furniture was sent flying through the air, servants were blown off their feet, and all of the castle’s windows exploded into shards of glass; yet even now both warriors remained unmoved. The two locked eyes, smirking as they took a moment to back off. After taking a moment to let their arms rest at the side, the two went back in!

Slayer swung his right arm, and Demitri copied the reaction, with the sheer power of their blows letting loose another shockwave. The floor began to crack as stone fragments flew across the room, and the walls rumbled with enough strength to shake loose any items or pictures it had once contained; however, neither man paid it any mind. The only thing they could see was the man in front of them: an accomplished warrior whose power could potentially liven up this otherwise tranquil night.

As the wave’s power faded, the vampires reeled their arms back, but rather than use their fists a third time, they instead threw out their legs. Both aimed at the other’s head, throwing out hook kicks that were meant to strike the other’s right cheek, but upon feeling their legs clash they immediately broke it off. The moment both pairs of feet touched the ground, Demitri immediately dropped down, swinging both of his legs as he attempted to sweep Slayer’s legs out from under him.

Unfortunately, Demitri would find that his efforts were in vain as Slayer leapt through the air, countering by descending toward him with a dropkick. For a moment it appeared that Slayer’s feet were about to bury Demitri, but the blue-clad noble proved quicker on the draw as he jumped forward, intercepting Slayer’s attack with an uppercut to the chin. The moment it struck him, Slayer’s head suddenly snapped back, and all of the momentum he’d gained from his descent suddenly reversed as he was sent flying across the room.

With his cape billowing in the wind, Demitri flew after his airborne opponent, landing a swift jab to the stomach once he was within range. As Slayer let out a grunt, Demitri followed up with a swift trio of punches, alternating between hands as he used each strike to climb Slayer’s body. Upon reaching the head, Demitri brought his fist forward, ready to unleash a dunking punch that would embed Slayer in the ground!

Unfortunately for the nobleman, it seemed that fate had other ideas in store. In the interval between punches, Slayer had managed to recover from his relentless beating, and as he noticed the latest punch heading toward him, he suddenly jerked his body to the right. Upon feeling his punch hit thin air, Demitri immediately turned to face Slayer, but a left hook to the jaw cut him off halfway. Its strength caused Demitri to flinch as he rocketed back, and before he could regain his wits, Slayer was already upon him!

With his opponent now paralyzed, Slayer threw a swift quartet of punches. Some were body blows aimed at Demitri’s chest and abdominals, others were aimed to strike at his face, but they all shared the same goal: weakening him to the point where movement was practically impossible. And judging by the Darkstalker’s pained expression, it was safe to say that they were succeeding.

Each punch sent Demitri flying back, filling his body with a paralyzing pain, and despite his best attempts to push through, he still couldn’t move his arms fast enough to block the next punch. It didn’t help that the interval between punches was growing shorter with each blow Slayer landed, making Demitri’s pain more constant, and this pain would only end when the final dunking punch collided with his forehead. Under its strength, Demitri was sent rocketing toward the floor, his impact with the stone surface seemingly imminent. It didn’t help that Slayer was descending toward him like a hawk, his arm already reeled back with the intent to slam the nobleman through the castle floor.

However, despite the seemingly unwinnable situation he was in, Demitri allowed himself a smirk, much to Slayer’s confusion. Though he wasn’t aware of it, the punch that sent Demitri flying toward the ground had given the Darkstalker a moment of reprieve. The feeling of the air brushing against his back had caused a surge of adrenaline to course through his body, and as his strength returned, Demitri suddenly vanished from sight. Remembering what happened last time this had happened, Slayer attempted to put up his guard, but it was too late.

In an instant, Demitri reappeared above Slayer, his cape wrapped around himself as he spun into Slayer’s stomach. Like some sort of undead drill, Demitri’s pointed feet rapidly tore into Slayer, forming into a gash that grew with each time the Darkstalker spun. With each inch they descended, another inch would be added to the wound’s length, causing more blood to spill out and stain the ground. By the eighth rotation, the two had hit the ground, finally breaking off their collision as Slayer was sent skidding back. Planting his feet firmly into the ground, the Noble One quickly forced himself to come to a complete halt, and upon looking up, he found that Demitri was already in front of him!

The disgraced nobleman had already thrown out a jab, and from its position, it was clear he intended to exploit Slayer newfound injury. However, if he believed that Slayer would just allow this, he was sorely mistaken!

Demitri’s fist was already in mid-flight, but then Slayer did something odd. With a sharp exhale, smoke blew out of his pipe, filling the space between them. At first, Demitri dismissed this as a cheap attempt at distracting him, but this attitude soon changed as he felt his fist connect, not with Slayer’s flesh, but… smoke?

To Demitri’s surprise, somehow the smoke from Slayer’s pipe had hardened in the air, taking the form of an enormous bat. Though he was somewhat confused by this at first, the Darkstalker quickly pushed it aside as he threw out another punch. His fist struck the barrier at full force, but even with his immense strength, it still held. At best, he only succeeded in pushing Slayer back an inch. Despite this, Demitri didn’t show irritation at this new development; if anything, he seemed to be amused by it!

“Well, this is a familiar sight, isn’t it?” Demitri chuckled as he threw out a quick barrage of punches and kicks, with each one slowly pushing Slayer back. “Once again, you’re back to relying on your defenses with no hope of fighting back. Come now!”

A left hook smashed against the shield, its strength sending Slayer skidding back.

“Isn’t this what you wanted-“

A right hook embedded itself into the smoke, adding further distance between them as Slayer allowed himself a slight smirk.

“-for me to showcase my full strength?“

Lunging toward the bat-shaped construct, Demitri performed a quick somersault before landing a dropkick onto it. Upon feeling his feet sink into the smoke’s surface, Demitri allowed himself a smirk before springing off. As his body soared through the air, fire began to build within the nobleman’s hands, and upon reaching the height of his trip, he placed the bottom of his palms together.

“Or is it too much for you to handle?” He asked as he unleashed a fully-powered Chaos Flare. The fireball shot toward the barrier at blinding speeds, striking it dead-on. A massive explosion of flame and smoke erupted outward, filling half of the room with a thick layer of fog and soot. As he hit the ground, Demitri maintained a confident grin, expecting that he’d find Slayer’s body defeated and covered in burns. This confidence would only last for a few seconds, however, as he heard Slayer respond.

“Don’t misunderstand me, Demitri.” Slayer’s voice suddenly called out, echoing entirely throughout the room. “I wasn’t going back on my word, nor was I being overwhelmed by your strength. “I merely needed an opportunity-“

Suddenly, Demitri could sense a familiar presence behind him, one that hadn’t been there a moment ago. It was as if the man behind him had just spawned out of thin air, and the shocked gasps from his servants seemed to support this notion.

“-to analyze the way you fight.” Upon hearing Slayer’s voice so close to him, Demitri whirled around, aiming to knock him away a backfist.

“And what I saw,” Slayer paused as he leaned back, allowing Demitri’s outstretched arm to fly through the air.

“Reminded me of a young man I sparred with years ago!” He continued as he lunged forward, striking Demitri’s flank with a hard left hook. The impact elicited a cry of pain as Maximoff staggered back, scowling at Slayer for the cheap shot. His mood wasn’t helped by the sight of Slayer’s body mending the last of its gash together, leaving the vampire’s body completely unharmed. Unfortunately, whatever thoughts he had planned to voice were quickly silenced as Slayer grabbed hold of his outstretched arm.

“Like you, he was brash and stubborn,” Slayer explained as he gave a sharp tug, pulling the B-Class Demon into a hard-hitting knee strike. The moment it collided, Demitri let out an involuntary wheeze as he doubled over. “Which blinded him to the flaws in his technique.”

As if to place emphasis on the word, Slayer followed up a swift axe kick, burying his heel so deeply into Demitri’s atlas that he bounced back up after hitting the floor. With his opponent still dazed, Slayer allowed himself a brief smirk before nailing Maximoff in the chin with a high kick, launching both of them through the air.

“He was so confident in his own speed that when the time came for him to face an opponent who could adapt to his techniques-“

As he spoke, Slayer took the opportunity to continue his assault, using one leg to kick Demitri in the chest while using the other to spring off and jump higher. This process repeated roughly five times, and as the two gentlemen reached the height of their ascent, Slayer took a moment to bring his leg back.

“He found himself thoroughly defeated!” The Guild’s founder finished as he threw his claws out, raking them vertically across Demitri’s chest. Demitri let out a pained, indignant cry as eight claw marks appeared on his skin, all of them opening and spraying out blood almost immediately. “And if you continue to fight like this-“

Slayer raised his right leg, hitting Demitri in the stomach with a knee strike before continuing to bring it upward, allowing the two to continue flying through the air.

“-those same flaws-“

Swinging his leg back around, Slayer used his momentum to deliver a swift backhand, his cloak flowing through the air as he struck Demitri in the jaw. The moment it connected, his unfortunate adversary was sent spiraling through the air, unable to stop himself as blood spilled from his wounds. In only a few seconds, Demitri hit the ground, his impact crushing and splitting the tiled ground beneath him.

“-will be your downfall!”

As he heard Slayer’s latest words, Demitri looked up, only to find that Slayer was descending upon him at breakneck speeds. Demitri wouldn’t even have time to defend himself before Slayer made contact, his outstretched feet hitting the lord of Zeltzereich in the chest and burying him in his own floors!

For a brief moment, Demitri felt his body become embedded in the tiled floor, but this feeling was soon ripped away as Slayer delivered a swift flip kick. The two vampires were sent soaring through the air, but Slayer soon dropped to the ground, leaving Demitri to continue his ascent until Slayer raised one of his legs. Placing his strength into his heel, Slayer quickly brought it down, slamming it into Demitri’s forehead. The Darkstalker let out a pained grunt as he suddenly hit the ground, but as he recovered, his expression morphed into a slight smirk.

“Ah, but you make one mistake, Slayer.” He said as he brought his arm up, using it to parry an oncoming jab. With his opponent now open, Demitri lunged forward, his hands morphing into a set of claws. “You assume that humans and vampires-“

Demitri threw out an underhanded claw strike, leaving four cuts that extended from Slayer’s stomach to his sternum. Slayer let out a groan as he staggered back, feeling blood gush from his wounds, but Demitri refused to let his pain end there!

“-are comparable in any way!” As he spoke these words, Demitri began swinging his arms like a madman, using his claws to deliver slash after slash to Slayer’s body.

“Humans are our natural enemies!” Demitri pointed out as his claws ripped into Slayer’s skin, forcibly spilling blood onto the ground. “They exist beneath us, only meant to serve as our food and nothing more!”

As if to punctuate this statement, Demitri delivered an upward slash, raking his claws across Slayer’s torso. The enigmatic vampire was sent flying through the air, letting out a displeased groan as blood gushed out of his like a fountain. Unfortunately for him, he would soon learn that Demitri had no intention of ending his suffering there.

Forming his cape into a set of bat wings, Demitri quickly took to the air, catching up to Slayer in less time than it took to blink. Just as Slayer had begun to register his opponent’s presence, Demitri shoved his right hand deep into the assassin’s stomach. Looking him in the eyes, Demitri gave a mocking, devilish grin as he asked-

“What could you possibly hope to gain-“

Whirling around, the leader of the Maximoffs swung Slayer around, allowing the wounded dandy to be sent flying in the opposite direction.

“-by mingling with such an inferior species?”

As he finished posing this question, Demitri’s body once again began to change, this time morphing back into a swarm of fiery bats. The flaming mammals quickly flew past Slayer, each one leaving burns and cuts across his body before converging behind him. Once they had morphed back into Demitri, the undead noble quickly stretched out both of his arms, ready to give Slayer an early end to his flight. Once the assassin was finally within range, Demitri wrapped both arms around him, ready to trap the rival vampire in a tight bearhug! But just when it seemed that Slayer’s fate was sealed-

TE-YO!

“What?!” Demitri asked in shock, his wide grin falling into a look of confusion as his opponent suddenly vanished into thin air!

“You’d be surprised what years of associating with a so-called ‘inferior species’ can teach you, Lord Maximoff.” Slayer responded, sounding somewhat smug as he reappeared directly behind the confused Darkstalker. Upon hearing the vampire’s voice so dangerously close to him, an alarmed Demitri turned to face him, swinging his claws in an attempt to put distance between them!

WHAM!

Unfortunately, it would be Slayer who accomplished this goal, as a right hook to the jaw intercepted Demitri’s attack. The strength behind it sent the Darkstalker spiraling uncontrollably toward the ground, but he proved quick to catch himself just before he could crash. Quickly descending on his own accord, the monstrous nobleman looked back up, narrowing his eyes as he watched Slayer vanish yet again.

Keeping his ears peeled, Demitri scanned the area for any signs of his opponent.

“Throughout the centuries-“

Slayer suddenly appeared in front of Demitri, causing the transformed noble to throw his right arm forward.

“I’ve met many humans-“

Slayer suddenly ducked beneath the claw strike, causing it to hit thin air.

“-and I can say for a fact-” he quickly leaned back in, striking Demitri in the stomach. “-that what they’ve accomplished-“

Two jabs suddenly nailed themselves into the stunned Demitri, with one striking his right flank and the other hitting him in the left pec. The swiftness of these blows elicited a surprised groan from Demitri, which would soon be cut off as a right hook caused his head to snap back.

With an irritated growl, Demitri quickly recovered, ducking beneath Slayer’s next attack and feeling the air brush against his cheek. Bringing his own arm back, Demitri proceeded to throw it forward, unleashing a powerful fireball that seemed poised to hit Slayer dead-on!

Unfortunately, those hopes would be dashed as Slayer swayed to the side, the fire’s heat briefly singing his suit before he lunged forward.

“-makes them far greater-“ he continued, hitting Demitri with a strong Mappa Hunch to the chest. Another cry escaped Demitri as he staggered back, only stopping once he’d firmly planted a clawed foot into the ground. Just as he’d begun grinding to a halt, however, a familiar black-and-brown blur suddenly streaked past him, reappearing directly behind the irritated noble.

Upon rematerializing in Demitri’s blind spot, Slayer wasted no time in charging toward him, hitting the Darkstalker with a Pilebunker to his thoracic. The strike sent Demitri flying forward, and before he even had a chance to recover, Slayer had already materialized in front of him.

“-than what your stubbornness claims them to be!”

As he finished speaking, Slayer lunged toward Demitri, his fist outstretched to deliver a blow that would continue the combo. Instinctively, Demitri brought his arm up, intent on countering once he felt Slayer’s blow connect, but much to his surprise Slayer seemed to see this coming. With a smirk, the Original Assassin pulled his fist back, causing his opponent to raise an eyebrow and let out a confused “Hm?” Had that merely been a feint intended to psych him out?

SCHLICK!

Maximoff would soon receive his answer as he felt five sharp objects plunge into his stomach. The attack had been enough to stop him mid-flight, and in an instant all of those sharp objects had been sliced across his stomach!

[Stop music]

Demitri staggered back, hearing his servants gasp in horror as he stared down at the stream of blood coating the floor. Placing his hand over the five scratches that adorned his chest, Demitri scowled, trying to resist the urge to scream in pain as he looked up at Slayer. When he craned his head, however, he was met with a sight that brought his blood to a boil. He watched as Slayer brought his arm back, allowing Demitri to see that its fingers were coated in blood. His blood!

With an angered grimace, the undead nobleman looked down at the bloodied claw marks that adorned his stomach. Clenching his fist, Demitri attempted to retaliate as he lunged forward, throwing out an overhead claw strike. As he expected, Slayer suddenly vanished from sight, but this time Demitri was ready! Listening out, his ears picked up the sound of shifting air currents, and as he heard them come to a stop-

“Demon Cradle!”

Leaping through the air, Demitri spread his wings, ensuring that he’d hit Slayer as he ascended. Within seconds the two had already carried themselves several feet through the air as Demitri continued to spiral through the air. By the time he’d decided to stop, Slayer was briefly flung back, causing him to let out an annoyed huff. Meanwhile, with his opponent now open to attack, Demitri wasted no time in flying forward, closing the distance between them almost instantly.

“Your devotion to humanity is both disgusting and amusing, Noble One.” Demitri admitted as he swung his arm, creating a set of diagonal cuts. As his opponent let out a grunt, Demitri went to work as he continued swinging his arms, moving far beyond the speed of light as he tore into Slayer. Of course, he wouldn’t be content with just tearing into him physically!

“Centuries ago, your power would’ve made you a contender for the Makai Seven, a worthy rival to my conquest!” Demitri said as his claws continued to rip into Slayer’s skin. “But your love of humanity has left you weak!”

Kicking him in the stomach, Demitri quickly sprang off with his other leg, launching him toward the ground. As Slayer righted himself in midair, feeling his feet skid against the floor, he was suddenly knocked back further by an enormous fireball. The moment it struck him, Slayer’s body was set ablaze, but his attention was drawn more toward Demitri, who was currently flying toward him at high speeds.

“You’ve wasted centuries in this disgusting realm, and what do you have to show for it?” Demitri asked as he threw his arm out, his claws sinking into the assassin’s stomach. Demitri grinned as he watched Slayer’s expression contort into one of pain, which only grew larger upon swinging his arm upward. An audible SCHLURCK echoed through the room as Demitri’s claws tore open Slayer’s stomach, spilling out blood as the two vampires soared through the air.

“A league of killers more concerned with obtaining profit than following your goals?” Demitri taunted as he flew past Slayer, using his claws to knock the dandy further into the air.

“Decaying combat skills as you’re forced to challenge mere ants?”

This time, Demitri blitzed past Slayer twice, his swings drawing more blood as he juggled the rival vampire higher and higher. Despite still reeling from the pain, Slayer couldn’t help but smirk upon hearing Demitri’s latest words.

‘A bit hypocritical considering your own lack of technique, isn’t it, Demitri?’ He thought to himself as a fourth slash sent him spiraling through the air. Though his mind was filled with pain from the Darkstalker’s attacks, Slayer forced it aside as he paid close attention to Demitri’s movements.

While it was true he couldn’t quite track Demitri at this speed, he could still feel the hand Demitri was hitting him with. The first slash had been dealt by using his right hand, the second was with his left, the third had been delivered with a right, and the latest one had been inflicted with the left hand. As these thoughts ran through Slayer’s mind, Demitri continued to assault him, unaware that the elder vampire was slowly beginning to figure him out.

“A lifetime of discontent as you wait for an adversary worthy of your full strength?” Demitri asked as he continued to blitz past Slayer, growing faster with each slash he threw out.

As the seconds continued to stack up, so too did the slashes across Slayer’s body, inflicting a pain that was only amplified by Maximoff’s spiteful taunting. By the time he had delivered his tenth slash, Demitri had had his fill of revenge. With a final lunge, Demitri seized his bloodied adversary by the face and hoisted him through the air.

“But there’s no need to worry, Nightwalker…” Demitri began as they descended toward the ground, holding Slayer in front of himself like some sort of vampiric meat shield.

“I’ll be generous enough to grant you the fight you’ve sought for so long, and the pleasure of an eternal slumber!” He declared as they slammed into the stone floor at full force, forcing Slayer to take the brunt of the damage.

[Stop music]

Upon their collision, a shockwave tore through the room, shaking everything in the room violently as the floor became covered in deep cracks. Demitri’s servants let out surprised screams as they staggered back, barely able to support their own weight against the tremor, yet their master still held his ground.

With a victorious grin, Demitri reverted to his more humanoid form and released his grip on Slayer, allowing the assassin to lay on the ground seemingly defeated. However, as he rose back to full height, Demitri heard a sound he wasn’t expecting. He had expected to hear Slayer let out a groan of pain, but his ears were instead treated to the Guild’s founder giving an amused “Hm.” Then, to his growing intrigue, Maximoff watched as the Nightwalker rose to full height, his body mostly unaffected by the beating he had just received.

Needless to say, it was an odd thing to witness. The impact of that landing alone should’ve been enough to crack Slayer’s skull, yet the vampire’s head seemed completely intact. At worst, he’d only received a sizable cut on the back of his head, but that was already healing itself. In fact, most of Slayer’s cuts had already regenerated by now. Only a few of the deeper scratches still seemed to be impeding him, but he didn’t seem to pay it any mind. If anything, he seemed amused as he got back up, nonchalantly popping his neck back into place and blowing out a puff of smoke as he grinned at Demitri.

“You’re quite the resilient one, aren’t you?” Demitri mused as he cupped a hand to his chin. “Even after all the punishment you’ve taken tonight, you still feel the need to stand up and challenge me.”

“Of course. When I said earlier that I would eliminate you, I meant every word, so no matter what sort of damage you inflict, I intend to hold true to my goal!” Slayer responded as he watched Demitri intently.

“Ha ha ha ha!” Demitri laughed as he crossed both arms across his chest. “Whether it’s dedication to upholding your word or devotion to the human race matters little. In the end, your ‘noble’ goal will only serve as mild entertainment for the night.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. After all, the night’s still young.” Slayer responded, still sporting his smirk as he suddenly vanished from Demitri’s sight.

‘This again?’ Maximoff thought as his eyes scanned the room and he listened out, waiting for some sign of Slayer’s reappearance. He could hear the air being disrupted behind him, and with a grin he quickly whirled around, throwing out a fireball that hit Slayer dead-on!

At least, that’s what he thought.

Almost as if he could see it coming, Slayer quickly formed a barrier of smoke in front of himself, causing the flames to explode against the shield. Believing this to be the opportunity he needed, Demitri lunged forward, intending to lay a beating on the defenseless dandy!

WHAM!

Instead, he would receive a fully-powered Mappa Hunch to the nose, the impact causing its bones and cartilage to emit a series of violent CRACKs!

“And with that youth-“

As he said this, Slayer delivered a hard jab to the stomach, forcing Demitri to double over. Before he could fully recover, a second energy-infused punch smashed into his forehead, sending him bouncing across the floor like a rock skipping across a lake. After roughly four bounces, Demitri grit his teeth before regaining control of himself as he backflipped through the air. With any luck, this would allow him to right his position and prevent Slayer from getting another leg up on him.

“-there comes enough time-“

Unfortunately for the battered noble, halfway through his arc he would find Slayer now in front of him and rapidly closing in! With his momentum carrying him toward the rival vampire, Demitri was given enough time to notice Slayer clenching his left fist.

“-for your defeat!”

As he lunged toward Demitri, Slayer’s body became coated in a cone of pink energy, with his fist rapidly approaching the Darkstalker’s chest. The fist embedded itself deep into Demitri’s sternum, its collision creating an audible CRUNCH, followed by a massive purple shockwave that rocketed through the room.

As he watched their battlefield once again be thrown into disarray, Demitri was launched across the room, his body creating an audible THOOM as he was sent through the wall. Much like before, the lord of Zeltzereich found himself soaring through the walls of his own castle, his body uncontrollably crashing through the rooms with no signs of stopping!

[Stop music]

Briefly taking his eyes off of Demitri’s shrinking figure, Slayer looked over at the castle’s servants, many of whom were only just getting back to their feet and staring at him distastefully.

“I suppose I should apologize for the intrusion. Had I known our fight would disrupt you this much, I would’ve convinced Sir Maximoff to find a more vacant space for our battle.” He said apologetically before looking over at his wife. “Oh, and Sharon,” the servants seemed to jump in shock as Slayer’s wife suddenly stepped out from behind them, “I’d suggest making yourself comfortable. This may take longer than I’d initially thought.”

With that, Slayer quickly leapt through the hole Demitri had left behind, bounding toward him like a predator hunting its prey.

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