Back at the Campsite, the girls who had joined Zemrite on this trip were fast asleep in their tent with one another. However, Zemrite was still wide awake and on guard with his hand on the hilt of his trusted blade, Demon’s Demise. The first was slowly starting to die out as he stood nearby. This was good for him at least show any predators try and make their way here, he’d have plenty of shadows to hide in as the moonlight had issues peeking through the thick canopy of leaves above. It was quiet, quiet enough to where Zemrite could he the light and rather adorable snoring of Twilight and others in the tent from the distance he was at. All he could do was just smile to himself.

“Without a care in the world…”

He said with a soft chuckle as he returned his attention to be on full alert. Just when he was about to lean against the tree nearby and close his eyes for a moment. A new smell came across his nose. His eyes glow brightly in the darkness as he reopens them, the soul blue aura fuming from them as he looks around them as he scans the immediate area. He sees the papers that he had created the ward with start to pulsate with soft light, indicating that something unholy other than himself was near. That and combined with this new smell suggested that it may be another of the vampire’s victims or the bloodsucker themselves. He sinks into the shadows quietly as to hide from the oncoming intruder hoping to get the drop on them should the have the ability to break his ward and make their way into the camp.

Zemrite waited for a while longer before catching movement off in the south direction. He carefully peeked his head out from the shadow he was hiding in to take a look/ From what he could tell, the figure was in a rather noble looking cloak. And from what he could tell about the physical form, they were female. He watched them approach closer to the camp, footsteps almost as silent as his usually were. Once the figure came within inches of the ward, she stopped and let out a low quiet hiss.

“Cursed holy magic. There must be some kind of cleric nearby with this soft, furred equines. I need to find them and dispose of them quickly. I have already lost the two I have made into thralls. I need to build an army if I am to become the queen of the night…”

Zemrite’s eyes narrowed at the voice and the russian accent that came along with it. He knew who he was dealing with now. Vlalka Bathory. The cold-blooded countess of Lestat Manor back in his world. A vampiress who commanded a legion of undead warriors and wizards be it other vampires, zombies, skeletons or ghouls. Perhaps she found her way here by the same means as all the other enemies Zemrite has fought to protect his home and loved ones. As she walks off to go and find the source of the ward magic that had prevented entry for her, Zemrite followed still enveloped in the shadows.

Soon enough, the vampiress found her way into a clearing far enough away from the campsite, her eyes still roaming for that supposed cleric. Zemrite saw this as a good time to reveal himself since they were far enough away from Twilight and the others. He rises from the ground slowly, now making his presence known to the vampiress who turned around to see the hybrid now standing there with eyes of disapproval. She offers him a wicked smile, thinking she had found an ally in darkness and a rather handsome one at that.

“Well well, look what we have here. I did not know that another from my world was here either. And what brings you out tonight, handsome? Doing a little bit of hunting yourself?”

She said as she began to walk with a sway of her hips around Zemrite while eyeing him up and down. She took into account at what kind of armor he was wearing and made note of any physical traits he possessed. So far, she couldn’t really tell what he was other than the shape of his ears and the paleness of his skin. However, the soul blue aura flowing from his eyes interested her. Her form was a rather generous hourglass shape. And her skin was as pale as his with her eyes being ruby red and her hair long and raven black. She had black eyeliner and eyeshadow and her claw-like nails were just as black. The typical vampire of the night of noble blood. What sealed the deal about her were those trademark fangs that gently pushed against her plush lips as she smiled at him.

“You won’t find who you are looking for to dispel those wards, countess Vlalka. There is no cleric around here.”

She tilts her head in confusion before attempting to lean in against him with her soft form. Bringing a hand up to caress his face along the underside of his jaw.

“Oh? Did you already end his miserable god-serving existence? If so, then I think I can…really take a liking to you~.”

Zemrite’s gaze met with hers. She was using her power ‘dark seduction’ to win over the hybrid. Unfortunately for her, that power did not work on one who already belonged to someone they cared deeply about. And in his case, that would be two others. Zemrite only took hold of her wrist before her hand could reach his cheek. He squeezed hard enough that the metal claws he wore sank into her flesh.

“There is no cleric because I set those wards up. You will not be harming my friends or any other pony here in this realm because I am going to tear you apart. You already claimed two victims who I had to put to eternal rest. Besides, I don’t feel like dying should I be found out I am having an affair with you. The princesses who I love so dearly would kill me on the spot.”

He pushes her back with a fair amount of force before pulling out his blade. Now realizing that he did not intend to help her, she draws out her own weapon with was a black rapier with a rose on the top of the hilt. She glares at him with an evil smile, bearing ehr teeth to him.

“You have given yourself to the pastel animals who walk on two legs? I can only imagine that you have already bedded these princesses you speak of. Disgusting, revolting, equines. Which makes you no more like them.”

Zemrite got into his fighting stance with his dagger and suddenly bear his own full sharp teeth to her. Once she saw those teeth, she knew exactly what he was now. This was going to be a tricky battle for both of them.

“Well, I am a garou after all. So fucking another animal is nothing unusual for me.”

He said in a mocking tone of voice. Vlalka only scoffed at him before they both started sidestepping in circles as they stared with intent to kill at each other. The wind starts to pick up in the clearing. The branches of the trees start to sway and the grass flows side to side as both of their auras start to spike and make a physical appearance. Zemrite’s a mixture of soul blue and black while Vlalka’s was pure crimson red.

“Once I kill you, those wards will fall and I will feast well and have three new toys to bend to my whim. Then I will proceed to bring every single one of these pitiful creatures to their knees~.”

“You won’t get the chance to touch them. I’ll snap that pretty neck of yours and show you what a real bite is…”

They both suddenly rush forward, Vlalka making the first move with a flurry of straight thrusts towards Zemrite's upper body. He reacts quickly with pinpoint blocking with his blade as he circles around her. He reacted to her attack by slashing up and down and left to right with quick movements. Short and rapid but in multiple successful hits. The way he moved and the way his cloak and lower armor flowed showed just how much of a shadow he resembled as he danced around her with ease. For someone as large as he is, he could move quickly. Then again, Vlalka while a master with the rapier rarely had to fight her own battle because of her legion of the undead. While Zemrite has been in the middle of the fray from the get-go and has faced enemies of all shapes and sizes. Vlalka starts to get angry at Zemrite as he continues to jump around her and slash small but many wounds into her flesh, essentially wearing down her regeneration abilities piece by piece, but quickly at the same time. Zemrite noticed the look on her face as well.

“What’s the matter, countess? I am a much larger target. You have that advantage. Maybe it’s because you are so used to having others do your dirty work for you, that you choose to wear so little clothing that doesn’t protect you.”

“Shut up you filthy mongrel! I am of noble blood and you will show me the respect I deserve! You are nothing but a mutt who need to learn their place and bow to their masters!”

She shouted as she started coming at him with precise slashes with the tip of her sword which gave off a dark purple glow after each swing. This indicated she was using a form of magical poison on her blade now. Should this strike Zemrite, it would cause the wound to bleed profusely and it’s target to become dizzy and vomit uncontrollably. Thankfully, Zemrite possessed visions of how to defeat this boss most likely from when his human self was playing him. So long as he continued to avoid her attack and keep striking her from behind, he was sure to wear her down and give the final blow

“Face it vampire bitch. You are outclassed here. This is MY territory you are fighting in. And I’ll be damned if you will ever get to sink your fangs into my friends.”

He said as he cuts deeply at the back of her knees which makes he fall to them. He appears behind her and leans in quickly as his jaws open wide and his sharp canine-like teeth sink into her cold flesh. She lets out a scream of pain as he starts to pull off the flesh leaving a gaping wound that starts spurting her precious blood all over the fresh green grass. He spits out the flesh he tore from ehr body and wipes his mouth clean of her blood after spitting out the rest of it from his mouth.

“You taste foul...no man in his right mind would ever want to be with someone like you. Now then, to rid this world of you so that no more of you kind can plague it…”

Zemrite was going to get ready to stake her heart just as he did with her fledglings earlier that night. But something took hold of him. Something inside him made him stay his hand for the weapon, but instead, his right hand was surrounded in a blue flame which immediately reached through Vlalka’s chest and began to pull on...something. Once he pulled it out, it was her...soul! Dripping of phantom blood and black as night. Once he pulled it fully free, her body stopped moving entirely. Suddenly, Zemrite opened up his mouth as wide as possible and the soul while trying to escape, was consumed and sent to...no one knows where never to be seen again.

Once the soul was consumed, Zemrite’s mind was riddled with visions of undead, warriors, wizard, and clerics being slain by them and the drinking of their blood by the countess herself. And one thing that truly set him off was that she bathed in the blood of the innocent. But human servants and humans from other villages. Once the visions fade away, he places a hand to his head and shakes it lightly. What he had just witness are all the horrible things she had done in ehr life and was now given a choice on what to do with her soul. Either to consume fully, lost in damnation forever, or to send it to the paradise afterlife. It was clear to him on where to send it. He chose to consume it fully. Once he did, the aura around his eyes flared up and he felt a small surge in power grow within him. Suddenly, a fully cloaked figure appeared in front of him, holding a scythe and gave a low chuckle

“Well done, new reaper. Soon enough, you will be taking over my position as this world’s grim reaper if you keep this up. And I will finally be able to retire after an eternity! But as of right now, you are on your probation period. Should you send the wrongs soul to the wrong place, you will be marked by the divine ones for death yourself. Good luck out there!”

Before he could protest, the figure disappeared into a puff of black mist leaving Zemrite in a confused and dumbfounded state.

“What the nine hells…?”

Was all he could say to this whole thing. Becoming this world’s grim reaper? Hell no! That was not on his career track at all! He lets out a sigh of annoyance before he crouches over the now lifeless body of Vlalka and places a hand over her corpse. Suddenly the shadow wraps around her and pull her into the ground burying her without even having to dig up the dirt to do so. Once he had finished with that, he leans against a large nearby tree and slides down until he is sitting as he finally has the time to catch a break. The sun was starting to peek through the small openings of the top of the trees before too long which annoyed Zemrite slightly. He gets up and makes his way back towards the camp.

Once he got there, he saw that Twilight and the others were refreshed and packing up the site to head back home. Applejack was the first to lay eyes on Zemrite with a wide smile, happy to greet him on this fine morning.

“Good mornin’ Z! Sleep wel-...?”

Once she gets a better view of him when he steps into the light, she sees that he was covered in blood and looked like he was completely exhausted. She drops her bag and runs over to him with a look of concern on her face, trying to find any wounds on him.

“What in the hay happened to you, sugarcube?! You are covered in blood from head to toe!”

She exclaimed. Twilight and Dash hearing this and quickly making their way over to him as well. All three of them began patting him down trying to find any injuries that could be severe. They were happy to not have found any. But he looked so...tired and burnt out of energy. They could definitely see it in his eyes. He finally offers them a light smile and responds.

“Hunting. Keeping you three safe. Thankfully there is nothing else to worry about for now...I am just ready to head home and get some rest. Let’s get out of here. I am ready to crash and snuggle with my two favorite ponies…”

The rest of the way home, Zemrite was quiet. With both exhaustion and the worlds of the cloaked figure on his mind, what was he supposed to tell Luna and Celestia? That he will soon become the one who claims the souls of the deceased and taking life as an eternal duty?

“I need sleep...lots of sleep when I get home.”

He said as he just vanishes into the shadows once he and the girls parted ways.

Author's Note

Finally got around to posting another chapter on this one. :D

May the darkness grant you peace.