Abraham's breath hitched. The small wheels of his mechanical body rolled backward uncontrollably with a 'gulu gulu' sound, accidentally carrying him to the edge of the high platform. He lost his balance and tumbled straight down!
"Great-grandfather!"
Below the platform, Erica, who had been nervously watching the situation above, let out a cry of alarm and instinctively rushed forward.
Dracula sighed softly, elegantly raising a pale finger. A wisp of dark red magic swirled at his fingertip.
A gentle yet powerful force, like an invisible net, instantly caught the falling Abraham, lowering him slowly and steadily onto the ground before Erica.
Abraham steadied himself, still shaken. He looked up at Dracula—the being he had dedicated his life to opposing, whom he had nearly killed moments ago—his aged eyes filled with incomprehensible confusion and bewilderment.
"You... you saved me?" His voice was dry and hoarse. "But... why?"
Dracula walked to Erica's side, naturally taking her hand. His crimson eyes calmly regarded the exhausted old hunter.
"Abraham."
His voice was low, carrying an ancient authority, yet strangely tinged with a sense of relief.
"Times have changed. As Erica once told us, the era of monsters hiding and being enemies of humanity is over."
He glanced around—
The symbiote had already retreated back into Victor's body. Victor's enormous demon form was slowly shrinking as he, Wednesday, and Enid huddled together, laughing and joking.
In the distance, the Kraken was carefully using its tentacles to tend to its wounds, occasionally stealing a glance at Victor, its eyes filled with reverence, not a trace of ferocity remaining.
More monster passengers peeked out from their hiding places, their faces showing relief at having survived the ordeal and curiosity about the future.
"We desire world peace far more than humans do."
Dracula's gaze returned to Abraham, his tone sincere.
"Because a peaceful world is the only world where we can live in safety. The Van Helsing family's mission, carried on for centuries—to prevent monsters from harming humans—has, in a sense, been accomplished."
He paused slightly, glancing at the tearful Erica beside him who was tightly squeezing his hand. His voice grew softer, yet more resolute:
"It's time for you to retire, Abraham. Lay down your weapons, let go of your obsessions, and rest properly. And..."
He took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, and said clearly in front of everyone:
"I love Erica. This feeling has nothing to do with my identity as a vampire, or the Van Helsing family's destiny. It's simply because she is Erica."
"Oh, Dracula..."
Erica could no longer contain her emotions. Her sapphire eyes shimmered with tears of happiness as she tightly embraced Dracula's arm, resting her head lightly on his cold shoulder, her face radiant with immense joy.
Abraham stared blankly at the embracing couple before him, then looked down at his own body—constantly modified for demon hunting, covered in mechanical parts and scars.
For so many years, he had been like a wound-up machine, driven by his family's mission and ancient hatred, embarking on journeys again and again. He had almost forgotten the taste of rest, even forgotten his own feelings as a 'human'.
Many times, in the dead of night, alone, he had felt bone-deep exhaustion and thought of giving up. But the heavy sense of duty and deep-rooted wariness towards monsters always pulled him back onto this endless path of battle.
But this time, with his plan a complete failure, the overwhelming disparity in power, and Dracula's unexpected rescue and... these words that struck at his very soul...
The string in his heart that had been taut for centuries, almost rusted shut... *snapped*.
The near-fanatical belief that had sustained him to this day melted away like ice under the sun.
In its place was an unprecedented... emptiness, and a hint of relieving lightness.
The anger, resentment, and stubbornness on his face slowly faded, leaving only deep exhaustion and a trace of bewilderment.
After a long while, he let out a long, deep sigh. His shoulders slumped completely, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted.
"Alright..."
Abraham's voice was as light as a sigh, carrying resignation and also liberation.
"It seems... I really should retire."
He raised his wrinkled, calloused hand and gently stroked his cold mechanical arm, his expression complex.
This failure... didn't seem so bad. At least, he could finally stop.
"He's probably just afraid that if the father-in-law dies, it'll cause marital discord later."
Victor muttered this precise Make complaints under his breath as he watched Dracula save Abraham.
"Victor! Don't ruin such a romantic moment," Enid chided, gently bumping him. She meant to pinch his waist, but her fingers touched cold, slippery, dark blue scales instead.
She looked up, a hint of barely perceptible worry in her sapphire eyes, and softly reminded him, "Victor, everything's settled. You can change back now, right?"
"Oh! Right!"
Victor's crimson eyes blinked. He deliberately used an excited tone to change the subject, his claws rummaging through the seawater beside him like he was showing off a treasure, stirring up a whirlpool.
"Enid, look! While I was fighting underwater, I scooped up a bunch of shiny stuff! Probably the legendary Atlantis treasure! We're rich!"
He opened his palm, revealing several pieces of gold and gemstones shimmering with a strange light.
"Victor?"
Enid's heart sank slightly. Her voice grew even softer, a tentative call.
She keenly sensed that Victor seemed to be avoiding the matter of 'changing back.'
"Ah, maybe I didn't get everything. Let me check again! There might be better stuff!"
Saying this, Victor flicked his fish tail, making as if to dive back into the deep sea. His posture carried an almost instinctive attachment to the immense power and the deep-sea environment.
"Victor! Change back! Now!"
Wednesday's cold, firm voice suddenly rang out, carrying an undeniable tone of command.
Almost the moment she finished speaking, she activated the rabbit talisman's power. Her figure appeared beside Victor like a ghost. Her pale, slender, yet surprisingly strong fingers clamped tightly onto his scaled wrist!
"Why change back?"
Victor slowly lowered his head, tilting it in confusion.
The red light in his pupils didn't diminish; instead, it grew more intense, swirling with an ominous, pure sense of demonic power.
His voice rumbled forth, carrying a naive cruelty and absolute confidence:
"With this power, I can do anything! I can protect you all better, make sure no one can hurt us! Isn't that good?"
"It's not good at all! Victor, please~"
Enid immediately stepped forward, wrapping both arms tightly around Victor's other wrist, pressing her cheek against his cold, hard scales. Her voice was choked with tears and filled with desperate pleading.
"You promised me and Wednesday you wouldn't make us worry... We're really scared seeing you like this..."
Wednesday didn't speak, but her deep, pool-like eyes locked onto Victor's crimson ones.
There was no fear in them, only a stubborn determination and resolve, as if saying: If you get lost, we will definitely pull you back, no matter the cost.
Victor's chest heaved violently a few times. A wave of inexplicable irritation and violent impulse surged in his heart, almost making him want to shake off these two small figures 'hindering' him from embracing this power.
Powerful demonic energy roared within him, tempting him to fully unleash it.
However, the moment he stirred his power slightly, he clearly saw—
Reflected in Enid's and Wednesday's pupils was not a handsome human youth, nor a reliable symbiote host.
But a ferocious, enormous, ominous... demon.
That reflection stabbed at his heart.
Damn it, what am I doing? I almost used this power to scare the very people I most want to protect?
A chill instantly extinguished the restless demonic fire in his heart.
Without any hesitation, Victor focused his will, channeling the full power of the sheep talisman!
*Hummm—!*
A warm, peaceful, white light symbolizing'soul' lit up from his chest, like the purest moonlight, rapidly dispersing the dark blue demonic energy clinging to his soul.
That ominous dark blue color receded like a tide, peeling away from his massive form and shrinking back into the ancient gourd.
The enormous demon body began to shrink rapidly. The covering symbiote also withdrew obediently into his body.
A few seconds later, the familiar black-haired youth—wearing bikini briefs and a floral shirt, with a hint of lingering fear and apology on his face—reappeared on the spot.
Seawater gently lapped at his ankles. He let out a long sigh of relief, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted.
He extended his arms, gently pulling into a hug the still-shaken Enid, whose eyes still held tears, and Wednesday, who was expressionless but whose fingertips trembled slightly.
"Sorry..."
Victor's voice regained its usual clarity, carrying sincere remorse, as he whispered in their ears.
"I... got a bit carried away just now. It won't happen again, I promise."
Feeling the real warmth and familiar scent in her arms, Wednesday's tense body finally relaxed. Enid hugged him back tightly, letting out a nasal "Mmm."
After a brief silence, Victor's face broke into his familiar, carefree, brilliant smile again. He released them and stretched exaggeratedly:
"Wow! Finally done! This adventure was... way too intense! I need to have Mavis make me something good to eat to calm my nerves when we get back!"
Seeing his familiar, clowning-around self, Enid smiled through her tears. A faint, relieved smile also flickered deep in Wednesday's eyes.
"Welcome back, Victor," Enid said softly, tightly squeezing his hand.
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