Snow gently drifted in the cool night as lofty clouds roamed across the skies. Shafts of silver moonlight barely lit the Black Rabbit compound as the Watchers slid past the gates one by one. Within the frigid shadows, the ARO members strangled sentries with thin stretches of garrote wire and dragged their bodies into the woods. The snow was still light on the ground with little chance of making noticeable tracks. The Watchers were well-trained assassins and the Varisian War gave them experience with the Rabbits that no training could have provided.

At the center of the compound, the Watchers gathered in a circle, each member keeping a sharp eye out for additional Rabbits. As they kept their wits heightened, the door to the Silent Master’s quarters slid open. The Silent Master approached the center of the grounds. Scars criss-crossed on his imposing frame. His tattoos seemed to ripple as he moved forward. He wore only a long, dark leather kilt. His right hand was no more than a bandaged stump – a memento from his prior encounter with Elucard. Veins raised and pulsed down his left arm and over his only hand. By his side was a solemn looking Legion.

Elucard stared at the pair, raising his sword in caution, “This is the end of the Rabbits, Ryjin.”

A vile sneer lurked upon the Silent Master’s face, “Legion, it is time you dealt with your whelp.”

Legion stepped between his master and his student, drawing the long and heavy claymore in a single hand. The Watchers immediately surrounded the two Black Rabbits. Legion turned his head to look at each Watcher before turning his eyes back onto Elucard, “Withdraw your men. They don’t have to die tonight.”

Wiccer shuffled himself closer to the Silent Master, “Elucard, we’ll handle the Silent Master, you deal with your old master.”

“Be careful. I maimed him, but he’s still deadly,” Elucard said, nodding in acknowledgment to Wiccer.

Legion took in a long breath, “I want you to know that I am sorry it has come to this. You were never meant to be my enemy.”

“Somehow I believe you, but it’s too late for apologies now, master,” Elucard said softly. He gripped his blade’s handle tightly before lunging forward at Legion.

Legion shook his head and spun quickly to land a back kick into Elucard’s chest, launching him backwards. Legion ran headlong, twirling his large sword in his hand before dropping the edge in a chopping swing. Elucard held up his sword horizontally, watching sparks burst as the blades clashed together. Inching his arms upwards, Elucard struggled to push Legion’s sword away from him and jumped up to snap a kick under his master’s jaw. Legion’s head rocked backwards as he swayed sideways.

Dazed, Legion bent over as Elucard launched a flying knee into his gut. Elucard used his momentum to twist his body upside down and land a hard kick to the side of Legion’s face. The strike threw Legion off balance and he crashed into the stone ground.

Elucard stood over Legion’s crumpled body, pointing his sword at him. He used a foot to turn the elf over onto his back. Legion knocked the sword away, thrusting his body from the ground. He flew into his student, catching Elucard in a headlock. Legion’s fingers interlaced around the back of Elucard’s neck and he sent a series of devastating knees slamming into Elucard’s chest and side, with the final strike cracking Elucard’s ribs. Legion grabbed his student’s hood and let loose a brutal uppercut that clasped his jaw shut and flung him into the air.

Elucard landed on his back and tumbled several feet backwards. He sluggishly picked himself up and moved his hands in front of his body, readying for another painful round of attacks.

Legion picked up Elucard’s blade and wielded it alongside his own sword. He tossed the smaller blade to Elucard and shook his head, “We can fight until the sun comes up. We can beat each other into a bloody pulp. You can kill me, I can kill you. None of it will get us closer to peace.”

Elucard caught his blade. He spun it expertly in one hand before dashing at Legion again, “This is our fate—eternal damnation. Neither of us deserve peace!”

Elucard slashed a succession of attacks at Legion, half were parried to the side, while two found their mark. The swings carved into Legion’s upper arm and lower side. Elucard snarled and took a dagger from his belt, attempting to drive it into his master’s shoulder. Legion grabbed his wrist and his back into Elucard before throwing him over his shoulder. Elucard slammed down on his backside, his dagger clattered and slid across the snowy, wet ground. He tugged on his arm but found that his wrist was still locked within Legion’s grip. Legion pulled Elucard toward him and held his neck in his forearm, choking him.

“Look at them!” shouted Legion, tightening his hold and forcing Elucard to watch the other battle unfold, “My Silent Master will destroy them, and then you! Is this what you wanted? How many more will suffer? How many lives will you take until your hate and anger consume your entire world?”

The Silent Master sidestepped and countered as each Watcher leaped and dashed at him with blades glinting in the moonlight. Timber fired several arrows from the rear, each found their mark burying themselves deep into the Silent Master’s back, but it did not quell his fury. Instead, he shifted his attention to the Kanis and dove at her.

“Rulan, Elisa, use your weighted chains to slow him down! Lear, Calsoon, Essie and Blayvaar attack him while he’s bound!” Wiccer shouted, throwing out a flurry of commands.

Rulan and Elisa whipped a pair of chains with heavy iron weights attached to the ends. Together they ran circles around Ryjin and tied the Silent Master’s arms behind his back. They grunted as they pulled the chains tight.

As soon as the Silent Master was chained, Lear dashed in to cut at the Silent Master’s legs. Blayvaar jumped onto his back, wielding dual knives, and Calsoon and Essie dove to impale him through the stomach.

With a roar, the Silent Master flexed his muscles, popping the links of the chains until his arms were free. Wrapping the remains of the chains in his left hand, he pulled both Rulan and Elisa into his awaiting arms. Elisa and Rulan flipped head over heels as they collided with his muscular right arm.

Turning to Lear, he lifted his leg and nailed a solid kick into the yikahti’s jaw. Lear’s eyesight lit up and then faded to a blurred darkness as he smashed down to the ground.

Rocking his head back, Rjyjin bashed his skull into Blayvaar’s face. Blayvaar’s jaw snapped shut with a loud pop as the former thief reeled backwards, falling with a loud thud onto the floor.

With Ryjin’s free hand, he thrust at Calsoon’s neck. Clenching tightly, he lifted the elf up and smashed him into the ground, creating several cracks into the stone tiles. While the Silent Master was distracted by Calsoon, Essie managed to run her blade partially into Ryjin, however the large elf stiffened his abs, bending the sword until it buckled and snapped from the force. He savagely backhanded the young Windfoot into a frightened Timber. Both flew backwards, rolling into a mess on the ground.

The Silent Master turned to Wiccer and smiled, “Your clan lacks the skill to defeat me.”

Wiccer shot a worried glance to Elucard.

Elucard began to fall in and out of consciousness. His eyes rolled back into his head as Legion continued to squeeze Elucard’s neck. Elucard gargled out a response the best he could, “J…ust tw…”

“What was that?”

Elucard grabbed onto Legion’s arm and sunk a large bite into it. Legion yelped as he lunged backwards, holding onto his now bleeding arm.

“Just two,” Elucard wheezed. He smirked as he steadily got to his feet. He looked over his shoulder to see his Watchers strewn about, barely able to keep up with the surprisingly nimble Ryjin, “I need to end this.”

“Indeed,” Legion said sternly.

Both rushed at each other, swinging, clashing, and slicing. Elucard dodged right as a heavy strike came crashing down. Thinking fast, Elucard stomped onto the blade with one foot and jumped into the air as Legion pulled it upwards, struggling to free it from the ground. Elucard sailed up and over Legion, Plunging his sword deep into Legion’s shoulder.

Legion fell to his knees as his shoulder sagged, letting his arm fall limp. Elucard painfully yanked and rested the blade against Legion’s neck.

“I taught you well, Elucard,” Legion managed to say despite the overwhelming pain he was in.

“You taught me well? You taught me nothing but lies!” shouted Elucard as he swung Legion to face him, “You filled my head with delusions of honor and purpose – and for what? So that I’d turn my back on the real people who cared for me!”

Legion looked away from Elucard in shame. The drive to protect his clan and kill Elucard had eroded over time. He was now just a husk of the Black Rabbit he once was. He wanted only to die at the hands of the last person he cared for, Elucard, “I taught you only what I thought would keep you alive. I taught you to think and fight. I didn’t want to make you the perfect weapon, but a perfect man,” Legion turned to face Elucard once more and tears swelled in his eyes, “I am honored to say you turned out well; a good and just adult. You’ve grown into the leader I always hoped you’d become. You are my humanity, for I never had it on my own. I am proud of you…my son.”

Elucard brought his face closer to Legion’s, “You don’t deserve that huma–” he couldn’t finish the sentence. He clenched his teeth as the words choked in his throat. Tears formed as they dripped down his cheeks. Legion may have killed Jetta, but he still loved him like a father. Like the father that was there for him. Like the father that raised him. Like the father that protected him. Like the father he needed. That he would always love.

“You were always too weak, Legion,” Ryjin’s familiar low growl cut through the winter night. In his hand he held Wiccer by the face, dragging him on the ground as he walked over to Legion and Elucard.

Elucard gently laid Legion onto the ground and met Ryjin half way, “You are the root of all this! You take the innocent and contort us into vile killers! Bred to turn on our own world and do your bidding! You are the true reason why Jetta is dead! You will corrupt the youth of this world no more!”

Wiccer groaned as he was released from Ryjin’s clutches. Ryjin grabbed Elucard by the cloak and brought him close to his face, “I did not corrupt your mind! I merely surfaced your desires!”

Elucard squinted, holding his face slightly askew from Ryjin’s, “What desires?” he asked.

Ryjin flashed a nasty smile, “Your desire to serve and your desire to kill!”

Elucard let loose a blood shivering roar as he tried to strike out at Ryjin with his blade, but the Silent Master threw him aside. Elucard clattered onto the ground, weakened from his long battle with Legion. With his newfound rage rising, he mustered the energy to stand.

Ryjin barreled towards Elucard, punishing him with a punch to his gut, following with a hefty elbow to his upper back. Elucard lay flatten on the ground. As he struggle to stand again, Ryjin smashed his foot down onto Elucard’s head. Elucard’s face bounced off the ground as blood splattered into several directions.

Ryjin knelt down and lifted Elucard’s bloodied face by the tuft of his hair. He sneered sadistically as he spoke lowly into the elf’s ear, “You led a glorious life.”

Elucard gagged and spurted blood as he clawed at Ryjin’s grip.

“A shame that it ended so anti-climactically,” Ryjin continued.

“His life isn’t over yet,” Wiccer’s voice called out from behind Ryjin.

Ryjin dropped Elucard, turning around to face Wiccer, “You alone will not be able to save this one.”

“It’s a good thing he didn’t come alone,” Blayvaar said, limping to Wiccer’s side and flipping a dagger in his hand.

Ryjin jeered as one by one each Watcher came to Elucard’s aid, “I’ve already defeated you all. What makes you think you can win this time?”

ARO readied their weapons. Wiccer smiled, “Because now we are whole.”

Ryjin growled in confusion as a sword grew from his stomach, spraying a fountain of blood onto the snowy ground. Ryjin spun to find an exhausted Elucard smiling with half slit eyes.

“Watchers attack!” Wiccer called out as each ARO member hacked and sliced at Ryjin.

In a ballet of blood, the Watchers danced around the Silent Master as he desperately attempted to overcome the flashes of steel before finally falling to his knees. Blood flowed like several rivers from hideous wounds all over his body. His head slouched forward as his breathing became labored.

Elucard raised Ryjin’s chin with the tip of his blade, “The Black Rabbits are done.”

Ryjin grinned a ghastly smile, “The Black Rabbits were but one day in an endless winter.”

Elucard snarled and ruthlessly sliced Ryjin’s head off. He took a great sigh. He dropped his blade and stumbled backwards. He was lightheaded from exhaustion and the loss of blood. He took a knee and whispered a low prayer.

Alanna, tonight I have slain a man,

I have shown him no love, no remorse,

Alanna, take this man’s soul in one hand,

With the other mend my hatred’s source,

Finally sever our bond and give me my release,

So that I can remember those I’ve lost in peace.

Elucard fell silent after finding his atonement before making his way back to his resting master, “Essie, can you patch him up?”

“I’ll do what I can.”

Elucard cradled Legion in his arms. His nightmare was over and all he wanted now was to dream. Dream for a time of peace. A peace to share with his new family, perhaps even with his old one. To share with Legion, “Master…I…”

Legion winced as Essie examined Legion’s gruesome wounds, “You saved us all, Elucard.”

“Master…I…” Elucard started, unable to find the right words—much less the perfect words for this moment.

“She would be proud of you…” said Legion, as slowly fell into a slumber.

“Master…I forgive you.”