Chapter 200: Make A Wish

[A/N: I apologize I posted only half of the chapter and I didn't notice it until now]

BOOM!

"UGHHH!!!"

The sounds of battle were loud and chaotic as my creatures made sure that nothing still drew breath. The stench of blood and torn pieces was everywhere, painting the whole place crimson. It was like hell, a hell filled with fire and death, yet I didn't care.

BOOM!

"COME ON!!!"

Bomb after bomb, I didn't give the bloody bastard a chance to retaliate or a second to think, other than to scream in agony.

"UGHH... STOP...Please," the middle-aged man in his hideous form was barely alive. His entire body was charred, and the smell of burning flesh was pungent. A few more hits were all that was needed for the man to turn into a pile of ash. Sadly, I'm out of gunpowder bombs. Only one remained.

"Ughh...Ughh...." The man was crawling, his hands were burned, and his face was barely recognizable as his body reached its limit and he was no longer healing from the wounds.

"Done already, bitch?"

"Ughh... No please don't... kill me."

"Kill you? Why should I?" I said, grabbing his head and raising it, so he could look me in the eyes. What I saw was the true meaning of fear and desperation.

"Please..." the man muttered, begging. And honestly, he had no choice. I had no idea how he got this magic, but no matter what, he was still just a normal human. Yes, he transformed himself into a giant goblin-like creature, but the core was still human, and that could be broken with a little push.

"Beg for your life?"

"Yes...Please..."

"And what makes you think that I'll spare you?" I said, glaring down at the pathetic creature.

"I'll tell you everything," the man spoke, his voice was low, and his throat was dry. "Everything you want, please."

"Hmm, no, I'm not interested," I smiled, taking out the last gunpowder bomb from the bag, lighting it up, and shoving it inside his mouth.

"UGH!" The man groaned as his mouth was sealed shut.

"Have a nice trip to hell," I waved with a smile on my face before swiftly jumping backward.

BOOM!

The bomb exploded, and the man's head was blown apart. Bits of brain and skull were flying everywhere, some of it even landed on my armor. The bastard was dead, and I couldn't be happier.

"Finally over," I sighed, taking a deep blow from what remained of the cigar, and slowly exhaling the smoke.

"Sis?"

A faint voice came from my right side, a soft voice that was full of worries and anxiousness, a voice that belonged to a young woman who was about my age.

"Vicky!" I rushed to my sister, kneeling down, and carefully embracing her.

"Thank God you're safe."

"Y-Yes," my sister replied. Her arms were weak, but she did manage to return the hug. "What happened to you, sis? You look different."

"I'll tell you later," I whispered, hugging her closer, as the feeling of joy and relief washed over me. Victoria was safe and unharmed, and that was all that mattered.

"Come, let's go home," I rose, extending my hand towards my sister, which she gladly accepted and was helped up. "Everyone is waiting."

"Is Mom and Aunt okay? They were with me–...WATCH OUT!"

"!!!" It all happened too fast, and before I could understand what was happening, my sister jumped, pushing me out of the way and taking the blow for me. A sharp blade was stuck deep inside her chest, the same bone dagger that the man was holding before.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!" I screamed, rushing to my sister and taking her in my arms. "No... No... no, no... no... Vicky... sister. No... no no..."

"Sis..." Victoria muttered, struggling to breathe. Blood was dripping from the side of her mouth. Her face was paler than ever before, and it seemed as though her body grew lighter by the second. Then I spotted thin purple lines beginning to appear on her skin, ascending from her neck and hands until finally covering every inch of her. Her breathing was heavy. Her heart was slowly stopping, and I had no clue what to do—a first in my new life.

"Hold on," I cried, "Don't leave me."

"..." However, Victoria didn't speak a single word, nor made any sound. She was just there, looking at me silently and in the most peaceful way I had ever seen.

"Hello...again, Countess," suddenly a voice came from the side. Turning around, I spotted the middle-aged man, the bastard who kidnapped my sister, still alive. But I don't think it can be called being alive anymore. His appearance was ethereal as if he was a ghost.

"I won't die until I kill all of the Tepes family," he said, raising his right hand high. Despite being a ghost, he was able to carry the black staff, which led me to believe that the staff was the one giving him this magic and resurrecting him in this state.

However, before he had the chance to do anything, I couldn't take it anymore and simply let it all out.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Rage, hatred, sorrow, and grief—all those emotions came together in a single moment. And with a scream of anger and desperation, darkness burst out from my body and spread across the entire area, devouring the light, the air, and the very space itself.

"AAAAAAAAAARGGGHH!!!"

It was as if the night sky had fallen and covered the entire cave, leaving only me, my sister, and the ghost man, who was terrified beyond imagination.

"W-What the hell is this?" Long thin hands made out of black smoke and crimson markings appeared from behind me and quickly grabbed the ghost, dragging him to a deep, endless pit that formed behind him.

"NO! NO!!!" The ghost screamed, struggling to escape the hands that were pulling him down. However, it was pointless. The pit shifted into a mouth with teeth made out of red smoke and was slowly devouring the ghost man—his legs, then his waist, and the rest was gone.

"NOOOOO!!!" The ghost screamed before finally falling inside. The moment that happened, the darkness was gone, and the light returned to the cavern.

"Victoria?" I turned my head to look at my sister, who was still in my arms. Her body was now devoid of any color. Her eyes were closed, and the only thing I could see was the faint rise and fall of her chest and the slow, faint heartbeat.

"Sister... don't worry...I'm...here."

Without hesitation, I rose to my feet, slowly and carefully carrying my sister. My thought was to first leave this place and then look for a cure. But before I could even move a single step, the black staff that the man was carrying blocked my path, floating and rotating in the air.

"Shit," I cursed, preparing myself for any attack the staff had in store. Yet contrary to my belief, the staff began moving toward me, and instead of attacking, its form began to change into a lantern.

It was small and elegant, shaped like a teardrop with a broad, rounded base that tapered into a narrow neck. Its spout curved gently outward, ideal for pouring oil, while the handle formed an ornate loop that complemented the graceful design.

"Thank you for freeing me," a muscular voice came from the lantern, surprising me.

"What the..." I was stunned as I watched blue smoke begin coming out of the lantern and take a human shape—a handsome, naked blue man.

"Greetings, my lady," the man bowed respectfully, wearing a smile on his face. "I'm the genie of the lamp, and I'm here to thank you, my lady."

"..." However, I didn't say a single word. All I did was raise an eyebrow at the naked blue man and stare at him in confusion.

"My apologies, Countess," the genie bowed once again. "I'm a djinn or a genie, and my job is to grant three wishes. Two were already used, and only one remains."

"Great!" I exclaimed, seeing hope for my sister, no matter how unbelievable things seemed. "Please, save my sister."

"That is impossible, my lady," the djinn shook his head.

"WHAT?!" I snapped. "You said that you could grant me any wish. I wish for my sister to be healed. Do it now."

"That is impossible, Countess," the djinn repeated his answer, pointing to the bone dagger in my sister's chest. "That man was a stupid fool. Instead of wishing for the power, he wished for a way to gain a specific type of power—demonic one—and the only way to gain that power is by making a deal with the king of hell."

"I don't care! Save my sister!"

"It's not that simple, Lady Morgana," the genie shook his head. "This bone dagger is a powerful tool used to offer souls to the king of hell, hoping for a contract. The moment this dagger enters a living person, the soul is already in the grasp of the king."

"I'm terribly sorry," the genie bowed, lowering his head and closing his eyes. "The realm of the souls is beyond a simple Genie like me. I can heal her body, but it will be for nothing. The damage is too much and will kill her soon. Only healing her soul could save her, but I'm powerless against the king of hell."

"NO! I refuse! There must be a way!" I broke down, hugging my sister closer and crying on her chest. The idea that Victoria—the only person who stayed by my side—was about to leave me was more painful than anything I'd experienced. Trial or not, real or fake, I didn't give a shit. I loved my sister and I couldn't lose her—not like this.

"..." The genie looked at me with pity in his eyes. He felt sorry for me and truly sad, yet there was nothing that he could do. His powers were limited.

"There is a way," he said, kneeling down beside me.

"A way?" I asked, raising my head and looking at the djinn.

"Yes," the genie nodded. "There is a way, but the cost is heavy."

"I'm ready. What is it?" I looked at the man, determined and filled with hope.

"You have to become the queen of hell."

"Become the queen of hell?" I repeated the genie's words, confused.

"Yes," the djinn nodded. "Find a way to go to hell, kill the current king, and take his crown. Doing so, you'll gain authority over the souls in hell and save your sister's."

"But that could take me ages, and I don't know if I can do it or not," I muttered, understanding what he meant. "My sister won't be able to survive for so long."

"You're not wrong, Countess," the genie sighed, lowering his head. "However, there is a way for that."

"Tell me?" I asked, looking at the djinn.

"I'll have to break a rule," the man sighed, his eyes filled with guilt.

"What is it?"

"You're a Night Mother, right?" the genie asked, bringing his handsome face close to mine. His amber eyes and blue skin were shining under the dim light.

"Yes," I nodded, not hiding anything in order to save my sister. "My bloodline is the Night Mother."

"Interesting," the genie muttered, his expression of surprise and wonder. "A new Night Mother is born, and she's mortal."

"Is there a problem with me being a mortal?"

"Not really, not in our case," the genie chuckled, shaking his head. "Anyway, we don't have much time, so I'll quickly explain the details."

"The Night Mother is the first vampire—a progenitor and the originator of her species. One of the key powers of the Night Mother is her ability to consume souls."

"Consume souls?" I asked, confused.

"Yes," the djinn nodded. "Not just sucking blood but the soul as well if she wished. That's the main reason why the gods went to war against her in the first place."

"Alright," I said, trying to follow.

"And since you're the Night Mother of this age, you too have the ability to consume souls," the djinn explained, staring down at my sister.

"So you're trying to tell me that I have the ability to take my sister's soul?"

"Yes," the djinn nodded. "You'll have to consume your sister's soul. This way, you'll deny the king of hell from claiming her, giving you more time to work on your plan."

"I have to consume her soul?"

"Yes," the djinn replied. "Don't worry. She'll live inside you."

"How do I do it?"

"Don't worry, I'll help you with this," the genie smiled, gently placing his hand on my shoulder. "All you have to do is make a wish, and the two of you will be one."

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