Priest : Rise of Project Nyx

As the campfire crackled, its warm glow danced across the faces of the group, casting a sense of tranquility over the scene. Two of the men sat around the fire, their masks removed, revealing their chiseled features and diverse skin tones. One had piercing blue eyes, while the other's were a deep, soulful brown.

Nearby, a third member of the group rested against a tree, his face hidden behind a mask adorned with a golden cross. The mask seemed to gleam in the firelight, its presence both ominous and reassuring.

One of the females sat with a Bible open on her lap, her mask identical to the man's, but with a white cross instead of gold. Her eyes scanned the pages, her expression a mixture of devotion and vigilance.

The last two members of the group sat together, one tending to the wounds of the other. Their faces were set in determined lines, their eyes narrowed as they worked.

Divine Hounds, majestic creatures with white fur and golden eyes, lay resting nearby, their presence a testament to the group's power and prestige. These hounds seemed similar to the Blood Hounds, but their white coats and golden eyes set them apart, imbuing them with an aura of divine authority.

As the group rested, the two high-ranking Van Helsing hunters suddenly looked up, their eyes locking onto a specific direction. They exchanged a weighted glance, and without a word, they began to prepare for battle.

The woman, her movements fluid and deliberate, drew a cross-like blade with a golden hilt. The metal seemed to shimmer in the firelight, its presence both beautiful and deadly.

The masked man, his movements economical and precise, picked up a spear that had been leaning against the tree. He rose to his feet, his eyes scanning the surrounding area, his gaze piercing the darkness.

The others, sensing the sudden tension, looked up, their faces set with a mixture of curiosity and concern. The atmosphere around the campfire had shifted, the air thickening with anticipation. Something was coming, and the group was ready.

The two hunters stood frozen, their gazes fixed on a specific point in the distance. The air was heavy with anticipation, the only sound the soft whisper of the wind through the trees. The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the distant howling of wolves.

The Divine Hounds, sensing their masters' tension, rose to their feet, their eyes fixed on the same direction. They growled low in their throats, their hackles raised, as if daring whatever was out there to come closer.

The rest of the group, sensing the growing unease, readied their own weapons. The two females notched arrows in their white and golden bows, their faces set in determined lines. One of the males hefted a mighty axe, its blade etched with intricate golden patterns, while the other drew dual blades, their white and gold surfaces glinting in the fading light.

Unbeknownst to the group, 2 pairs of emerald green and silver eyes watched them from the darkness above. High above the trees, two figures perched, their gazes fixed intently on the group below. The wind rustled through the leaves, masking any sound they might have made, as they observed their prey with an unblinking gaze.

As the group's attention was focused on the distance, a sudden movement caught their attention. Two daggers flashed through the air, hurtling towards the two males. They reacted swiftly, deflecting the daggers with their axe and dual blades.

But the daggers did not fall harmlessly to the ground. Instead, they began to glow with a dark, malevolent energy - black and red magic that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.

As the group watched in horror, a figure materialized before them. Kael, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination, slashed at the group with his father's daggers. The blades bit deep into the air, mere inches from the hunters' faces, their passage marked by a faint whisper of death.

The group's eyes widened in shock, their faces pale in the fading light. They stumbled backward, their weapons at the ready, as Kael's gaze locked onto them, his eyes burning with an unholy fire.

The two women, their beauty belied by their deadly intent, drew back their bowstrings, ready to unleash a hail of arrows upon Kael. But before they could release their shots, two arrows whizzed past them, grazing their cheeks and sending them stumbling backward.

They looked up, their eyes narrowing as they took in the figure standing above them. Lyra, her face hidden behind a mask, stood poised, her bow glowing with an ethereal green light. Two arrows were already notched, ready to fly, as she gazed down at the two women with an unyielding intensity.

The two males, sensing their companions' distress, charged towards Kael with a fierce battle cry. But before they could reach him, Arin leapt into action, jumping down from the trees to take down one of the males. The other male stumbled backward, caught off guard, as Arin launched a swift kick. The male blocked the kick with his twin blades, but the force sent him skeeting across the ground.

The brief reprieve allowed Kael to face the two high-ranking Van Helsing hunters. His eyes grew intense, glowing with a calm, calculated bloodlust. The hunters exchanged a weighted glance, then charged towards Kael with a fierce cry.

Kael readied his mother's blade, sheathing his daggers as he prepared to meet the hunters head-on. The air seemed to vibrate with tension as the three clashed, their blades exchanging blows in a deadly dance. The sound of steel ringing against steel echoed through the forest, punctuated by the heavy breathing of the combatants.

The battle had begun, and only time would tell who would emerge victorious.

The battle raged on, Arin's movements a blur as he clashed with the two males. They stumbled backward, their faces etched with pain and frustration, as Arin's blades seemed to dance across their defenses.

But then, in a flash of steel and shadow, Arin spoke a single, shocking word. The air around their blades rippled and distorted, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate the dark magic that Arin had unleashed.

A dark mist erupted from the blades, phasing through the axe of the axe-wielding hunter then reappearing and slicing through his throat, cutting him in half from the waist horizontally. The other combatants froze, their eyes fixed on the gruesome spectacle before them.

Kael and the two high-ranking Van Helsing hunters showed no emotion, their faces impassive as they paused for a brief moment. But then, they continued their clash, their blades ringing out in a deadly cadence.

The other male, however, was not so composed. He bellowed with rage, charging at Arin with a fierce cry. Arin met him head-on, their blades clashing in a shower of sparks.

The two female hunters, momentarily stunned by Arin's display of dark magic, paused in their battle with Lyra. Lyra took advantage of the reprieve, sending an arrow hurtling towards one of the females.

But the females quickly recovered, turning towards Lyra and firing their own arrows at the same time. The arrows collided in mid-air, Lyra's arrow shattering beneath the impact. The females' arrows continued on, one striking Lyra's thigh, while the other grazed her cheek.

Lyra's eyes widened in pain as she stumbled backward, her hand reaching for the arrow shaft protruding from her thigh. The females began to close in, their eyes blazing with a fierce determination.

As the two females closed in on Lyra, her right eye ignited with an ethereal green glow, as if the iris itself had transformed into a shining emerald. With swift, precise movements, Lyra notched and fired her arrows, but they seemed to miss their mark, whizzing past the females with a soft whoosh.

The females retaliated, their arrows flying towards Lyra with deadly precision. But Lyra dodged and weaved, her agility and quick reflexes allowing her to evade the attacks. She danced amongst the trees, her feet barely touching the ground as she leapt and spun, avoiding the arrows by mere inches.

Despite her agility, Lyra couldn't avoid all the attacks. She began to accumulate cuts and wounds, her clothes torn and bloody. The females pressed their advantage, their faces twisted with anger and satisfaction.

Lyra led them on a wild chase, racing through the trees with the females hot on her heels. But just as they thought they had her cornered, Lyra suddenly stopped in her tracks, a chilling smile spreading across her face beneath her mask.

Her eyes blazed with an intense, emerald green light. The air around her seemed to vibrate with anticipation, as if the very forest itself was holding its breath.

And then, in a burst of green light, the arrows that had missed their mark earlier exploded into action. A terrifying gust of wind blades erupted, bombarding the two females and sending them crashing to the ground, bleeding and battered.

Lyra raised her bow, her eyes still blazing with green light. Two arrows flew towards the females, seeming to materialize before their faces. The arrows exploded in a maelstrom of wind blades, mauling the females' faces beyond recognition.

The females' bodies went limp, their lives extinguished in an instant. Lyra walked back towards the others, her eyes still aglow with green light, her expression serene and unyielding.

As Lyra walked back towards the others, Arin was finishing his battle with the dual blade user hunter. Both combatants were wounded, but Arin's injuries were superficial, while the hunter's wounds were more severe.

Arin's eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire as he decided to end the battle. His body began to glow with a dark mist energy, his eyes turning jet black with fully white irises. He dashed forward with frightening speed, his movements almost supernatural.

The dual blade user hunter, undaunted by Arin's transformation, charged forward with courage and pride etched on his face. The two combatants clashed in a flurry of steel and shadow, their blades ringing out in a brief, deadly melody.

The sound of clashing steel was abruptly silenced, as if the very forest itself was holding its breath. The hunter's body seemed to hesitate in mid-air, before falling into two separate parts - head and torso - as if sliced apart by an invisible force.

Arin stood tall, his chest heaving with exertion, his eyes still burning with the dark mist energy. The air around him seemed to ripple and distort, as if reality itself was still reeling from the ferocity of his attack.

Arin's knees buckled, his body crashing to the ground as his nose began to bleed profusely. He gazed up at Kael and the two hunters, his eyes cloudy with pain and exhaustion. The battle had been fierce, lasting mere minutes but feeling like an eternity.

Kael stood tall, his chest heaving with exertion, his eyes fixed intently on the hunters. He had accumulated a few cuts, but they seemed to be mere scratches compared to the severity of Arin's injuries.

The female hunter spoke up, her voice tinged with admiration. "You're quite durable, I'll give you that," she said, her gaze roving over Kael's battered form.

Kael didn't respond, his expression unreadable. The male hunter, however, felt compelled to intervene. "Hey, appreciate the compliment, kid," he said, his tone dripping with condescension.

Kael's gaze flicked towards the male hunter, his eyes flashing with a hint of amusement. "Is he your lap dog?" Kael asked, his voice laced with disdain, nodding towards the male hunter.

The air seemed to thicken with tension as the hunters exchanged a weighted glance. The female hunter's eyes narrowed, her expression darkening. "We'll see who's laughing soon enough," she spat, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword.

The hunters and Kael clashed once more, their blades flashing in a deadly dance. The hunters' synchronized attacks seemed almost unbeatable, but Kael refused to back down, matching their speed and ferocity with his own.

However, the hunters' superior training and experience soon began to tell, and they started to gain the upper hand. The female hunter delivered a vicious kick to Kael's knee, forcing him to kneel, and the male hunter followed up with a fierce kick to Kael's jaw, sending him crashing backward.

Kael struggled to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he gazed fiercely at the hunters. The male hunter removed his mask and hoodie, revealing a stoic face with fierce, jet-black eyes and a scar above his left eye and the corner of his lip.

"You should have taken the compliment," the male hunter said, his voice low and even.

Kael's response was calm, but laced with disdain. "And who are you to tell me what to do?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

The male hunter's expression remained unreadable, but a hint of pride crept into his voice. "This is Elara, one of the 20 hunters of Van Helsing Academy. You would do well to show her the respect she deserves."

Kael spat out more blood, his eyes flashing with contempt. "Van Helsing?" he repeated, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're just wannabe priests with no real power or potential."

The hunters' faces darkened with anger, their eyes blazing with indignation. Elara's hand tightened around the hilt of her sword, while the male hunter's jaw clenched in fury.

"How dare you," Elara spat, her voice venomous.

The male hunter took a step forward, his eyes burning with anger. "You know nothing about us or our order," he growled.

Kael smiled, a cold, mirthless smile. "I know enough," he said, his eyes glinting with challenge.