Beyond the Old Ones

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Time*

Chapter 5: That's Just Crazy

Hours later*

I stare at the night sky, admiring the twinkling stars and soft light of the moon. Then, I turn my eyes to the grassy field in the castle's backyard.

I look at the large Swiss army knife-like weapon in my hands—given to me by Walter recently—which has many different fold-out and pop-out blades.

Who the hell was the previous Chikao?! Some kind of crazy, powerful assassin or something?! The mere thought of his skills to use something like this is beyond bizarre.

Luckily for me, I have the Card of Twilight Giant to wield this multi-blade weapon.

I spin the multi-blade weapon, and following my instinct, a detachable short sword pops out in midair. I catch it with my free hand, feeling its balanced weight as I twirl it for a few seconds. With a precise motion, I toss it back into the rest of the blades, where it seamlessly reattaches itself.

With a flick of my wrist, I use the multi-blade weapon's handle to slap away a bullet that nearly hits my right kneecap. The impact sends a sharp vibration up my arm, but I remain focused, ready for the next attack.

"Impressive as always. It's like I'm seeing Walter in his prime again." Alucard smirks at me, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. His Casull handgun remains aimed in my direction, smoke curling from the long barrel after the recent shot. "How about I give you some pointers? I'm sure Integra wouldn't mind me helping you out."

"It's not like you're giving me much of a choice here." I frown, annoyed by how Alucard didn't hesitate to shoot at me just because he could. His casual disregard for my safety is infuriating, but his smirk only grows wider, clearly enjoying the situation.

"Of course, you have choices. One: you can run away. Two: you can face me head-on. Simple as that, right?" Alucard says calmly. He tilts his head slightly, eyes gleaming with expectation. "I'll give you three seconds before I start shooting."

I feel the Beyonder Energy coursing through my body, enhancing my speed and strength. My muscles tense with supernatural power, and my senses sharpen, allowing me to perceive every detail of my surroundings.

Without warning, I spring into action, moving at a high speed that blurs me into ordinary eyes. My surroundings blur as I close the distance between us, but I can see the glint of amusement in Alucard's eyes, showing he can easily track my movements.

Blades flashed in the moonlight as I attacked with the precision that would have overwhelmed any lesser foe. Alucard, however, was no ordinary opponent. With supernatural reflexes, he dodged and parried; his handgun fired out shots that I deftly evaded by increasing the speed of the Beyonder Energy coursing through me. My movements became a blur, matching and even surpassing Alucard's speed, as I pressed the attack relentlessly.

With an axe blade popping out from the multi-blade weapon, I hurled it at Alucard, who let it hit him squarely in the chest, spilling blood everywhere. I followed up by stabbing two detachable short swords from the multi-blade weapon into his eyes, their blades sinking deep. Another axe blade soared through the air and landed on Alucard's neck with a sickening thud, yet even this didn't make him drop dead. He remained standing, an eerie grin spreading across his bloodied face.

"Good! Show me what you can do! Show me the strength of a human that can face a monster!" Alucard roared excitedly. Blood trickled down his face, but he showed no sign of pain or concern. He continued to shoot at me with his Casull, each shot ringing out in the air. However, he held back from drawing Jackal, knowing its power would obliterate all my blades with any bullets from that handgun.

I swing the multi-blade weapon at Alucard, slashing him with the ceramic blade hidden within it, its small size rendering it nearly invisible. The blade cuts across Alucard's stomach, but instead of his gut spilling out, I witness a startling transformation. Alucard's body morphs into a corporeal humanoid form composed of a highly variable, otherworldly substance. The substance is deep black at its core, while its edges shimmer with a reddish hue, creating a surreal and menacing appearance.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Alucard shouted excitedly as he pulled out Jackal, the ominous handgun gleaming in his hand. He began firing at me with deadly accuracy. "Keep at it! I want to see what you can do!"

I toss the multi-blade weapon into the air, its usefulness weakening and accelerating the flow of Beyonder Energy. With enhanced speed, I appear behind Alucard in a blur of motion. Swift and precise blows rain down on him from seemingly every direction at once, overwhelming him with a flurry of attacks.

Yet, I appeared to be walking casually and didn't touch Alucard physically. Despite this, the relentless onslaught of attacks persisted as I circled around him, my movements smooth and controlled. With each pass, I prevented him from taking even a single step, and any emerging 'limbs' from his transforming body were swiftly pushed back deeper with every strike.

I frowned and continued attacking Alucard; with each strike, I could feel that I wasn't causing actual damage but rather keeping him from fighting back; even his handguns were knocked away. The intensity of my assaults made it clear that this stalemate wouldn't last long. It seemed that Sequence 9: Warrior from the Card of the Twilight Giant isn't enough to deal with Alucard.

Just like in the series, each Sequence has its limitations. One is merely acting, never truly reaching the desired goals despite the effort.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

I came to a sudden stop, my gaze fixed firmly on Alucard, evaluating his next move.

"Oh, I was just helping Chikao here test out his new weapon." Alucard says with a charming smile directed at Integra, who glares down at him as she briskly walks over. His form returns to its original appearance, showing no signs of the intense battle moments ago. Not a single injury is visible on his body.

I look around for said new weapon. It's clear now—it's as good as useless, save for the ceramic blade. The other blades have been either destroyed by Alucard or rendered ineffective under my strikes infused with Beyonder Energy.

Luckily, it wasn't a complicated weapon; it was simply a holder of multiple blades with no complex mechanisms or advanced technology. So it shouldn't take Walter much effort to make a new one.

"Yeah? Well, it looks like you were planning on killing Chikao! I saw everything as I was preparing to go to bed!" Integra looks ready to punch Alucard, frustration obvious as the moon in the cloudless night sky. "Honestly, sometimes I don't know what to do with you, Alucard." She rubs her forehead, then turns her attention to me. "It seems my bet was right in recruiting you, Chikao. I wasn't expecting you to come out unscathed facing Alucard, no matter how much he held back."

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't stay unscathed much longer if you hadn't shown up, Integra." I said with a hint of relief, grateful to see her presence here.

Honestly, I might have done something stupid, like entering the castle and bursting into Integra's bedroom to stop Alucard. Though I have no idea where her bedroom is located within the castle, it shouldn't take much effort to find it, either through the Card of Wheel of Fortune or the Card of Fool.

"Yeah, no offense to you, Chikao, but if I hadn't shown up in time, you might have been badly injured or, worse, dead." Integra sighs. "Anyway, you can go back inside to rest. I'm going to have to give Alucard here a lecture. Again." She pauses and gives me a thoughtful glance. "Unless you want to stick around and hear me tear into him?"

"I'm good. Thanks for the offer, though." I said dully as I made my way into the castle to rest. Despite having Beyonder Energy to sustain me longer, I preferred not to take any chances at the moment, uncertain of how far I could push myself or what consequences might arise when I eventually switched out the Card of Twilight Giant for another.

20 minutes later*

So far, I am still confused about what kind of person the original Chikao is like. However, I can at least say that I'm a reckless fool who is willing to face Alucard head-on, thinking that having the Card of Twilight Giant would be enough to put me on an equal level with Alucard in battle.

In fact, I should have just escaped and found Integra in the first place rather than engaging in a fight with Alucard as he demanded. If anything, it's just dumb luck that saved my ass, and Alucard's curiosity about me played a significant role in how events unfolded in the future.

Anyway, it's time to decide which Card of Blasphemy to work with next or finish those that haven't reached 100%. I could use the Card of Fool or the Card of Wheel of Fortune to make this decision, but after my recent experience with the Card of Twilight Giant, I'm hesitant to rely on them blindly.

After careful consideration, I've decided to complete the Card of Fool next, knowing its abilities will significantly strengthen once it reaches 100%. Tomorrow, I'll focus on the Card of Wheel of Fortune.

The Card of Fool appears in my right hand.

[Fool Pathway - Sequence 9: Seer]

[Randomized Acting Method: 3x Boost]

[Input Acting Method (1 Word): Normal Boost]

[Equip Items: Empty]

[Potion's Ingredient Collection: 0%]

[Acting Progress: 57%]

[Adventuring (1): Not Used]

[List of Items: Meatpie | 1% of Sequence 8: Archaeologist's Potion's Ingredients | Teleportation Charm]

Intilizating... Idle S9Seer begins its journey.

Skip Function Active.

Finalizing... Idle S9Seer survived for 8 months.

Idle S9Seer brought back 1% of Sequence 8: Melee Scholar's Potion Ingredients.

Acting Progress... 38%. 3x Boost in effect... 100%.

Further progress requires collecting all the Potion's Ingredients for Sequence 8: Clown.

Well, that was anticlimactic. I expected that the Card of Fool wouldn't reach 100% today, but I was proven wrong by its unexpectedly swift completion.

Nonetheless, it is time to test out the 100% Card of Fool compared to its 57% completion. The best way to compare is to go through another Dream Divination. This reminds me that I still don't understand why Integra kissed me. Does she have a romantic interest in me, or did I do something in the future that would make her kiss me as a reward? Why is kissing considered a reward? The vision left me with more questions than answers, and perhaps the 100% Card of Fool can provide some answers.

Nonetheless, I will just go with the flow and hope that through Dream Divination, I'll get some answers rather than another frustratingly unclear semi-lucid dream. Maybe this time, the visions will be less riddles and more telling.

I get into bed, reflecting on how crazy my life has become. It's not even a week in, and I'm already doing things far beyond what an ordinary human should be able to do. The events of the past few days have been a whirlwind of supernatural encounters and intense battles, leaving me both thrilled and confused.

Although I do wish I could remember more about what kind of person I was before being isekai.