After Defeat
-One-
Ludwig and his party had returned from the demon realm after their encounter with Lucifer Black, who plans to start a war between angels and demons in which he controls both sides.
But the Party find themselves in a cemetery where they would encounter the demon who saved them from there fight with Lucifer where the demon before them is stand on a head stone as the rain pours down on them.
Jonathan draws his blade and points it at the demon, "What is your plan demon. You may have helped us, but that win our trust."
"I only came to save my former master's spawn, Lilith Black," The Demon said as he watches Ludwig helped up by Liam.
Ludwig was shocked to hear this demon speak of his mother, "You know of my mother?"
"I use to serve her before she left the demon realm for here. Where she meet that human and fell in love with him," The Demon would remove the hood of his ragged cloak on him.
He revealed his face to them his skin was grayish with white hair. His eyes were red with a scar over his left eye. He had horns on his head which were a red color.
"I am Baal, I once served the demon heir, Lilith Black before she rejected the throne. My only goal is to serve her spawn and slay Lucifer Black."
Jonathan glared at Baal till he put away his blade as he can tell this demon was telling the truth.
"So, what do you think we should do in order to stop him then?" Jonathan asked Baal.
"If I would suggest we should find Artorias Black, the true heir of demon king's throne. He is elder brother of both Lucifer and Lilith," Baal suggested to them.
"Very well, Jonathan. You have Jay help you search for information on this Artorias Black. Liam, you help me get to the hospital to get patched up from this hole in my chest," Ludwig ordered.
-Two-
Lucifer was still in the Jagged Palace as he summoned his major keys for this war. His seven demonic generals which were the seven sins and he would summon his seven angel general which were the seven archangels of virtue. They were reassembled as shadows for the sins and pillars of light for the virtues.
"I think it time we begin our plan to begin our war," Lucifer proclaims.
"It about damn time," said a shadow which was the sin of wraith.
"But I have one problem my children or maybe a bit of change of plan. I think we should begin by killing Ludwig Frye and Jonathan Dracul and of course a old but new target Baal has returned," Lucifer explained.
"Thats the spawn of Lilith, correct?" The light pillar of the light which was the virtue of Charity.
"Correct, my child," Lucifer said with a smile.
"So, your having a problem with a half human. I will take care of this, father. I will murder him real good," Wraith's shadow laughs like a maniac.
"Now I would not get cocky brother. I heard Jonathan Dracul, he is Dracula as well. I would not let them live easy now," The shadow which was Pride.
"Your wise as ever my son. You should listen to your elder brother, but do as you all wish. you kill anyone you want as long as you get those two," Lucifer letting them do as they wish as long he gets what he wants.
"I think I will go have some fun then," The shadow of Wraith would say before he leaves.
"Was that wise, Father? Plus, we have to deal with the traitor as well," said the pillar of light that was Humility.
"The traitor, my foolish son will get what is coming to him and he has been replaced by you as the virtue of humility. He will be dealt with soon enough," Lucifer confirms. "Like I said do as you wish just get done."
-Three-
The next day, Ludwig was in his office recovering a bit after the battle with Lucifer in the Demon Realm as he was patched up. It has been a rough few months but he has lived through worse at this point in his life. He was helping Jay and Jonathan trying to get info on Artorias Black.
"I need a little breather from reading, I am just getting a headache from this," Ludwig leans back in his desk chair.
"It might be a good idea to take a small break. How about I prepare a meal while you relax that way we could get right back to work," Jay suggested to them.
Jonathan sighs, "Very well. I suppose. The only information we have on it is that was during the dark age."
"Correct, my old friend, I feel it may be a tough task ahead of us now," Ludwig responds as he starts to move journals to crate which was his done pile.
"To think he planned for us to find him. This Lucifer is going to be a tough foe to defeat him he predicted like that," Jonathan leans back on his desk chair.
"I shall begin to make something to eat," Jay as he leaves the office.
"Yeah, It going to be tough especial if he can beat this old body up," Ludwig comments as he sits back down.
Ludwig sits down but hear a journal falls to the ground. He looks and sees by his right book which he paused for a moment as he saw it was the journal from his father the late James Jonathan Frye a man who when Ludwig was but a young boy would mysteriously disappear without a trace.
Ludwig would pick up and stares at it for a bit before Jonathan sees this.
"Perhaps, your father is telling you not give up from beyond, Ludwig. In our years of working together you rarely talk about your father."
"That's because I barely remember a lot of him. It been almost three decades since I last saw him. I can barely remember what he looked like only by paintings made by artist. If only he was here his guidance could truly help us in this time of need. I guess it time to begin to truly understand you father before something happens.
Ludwig would open his father's journal which he open to a date which was detailed when he was around when Ludwig was but a child which was read from perspective of his father, James Jonathan Frye.
May 30th 1969, today is very important day for our family, today was Ludwig's fifth birthday. it felt it was like yesterday since I held him for the first time in my arms. I truly never understood life until he came in Lilith's and I's life and it not just him now but we have a little girl as well. She is as beautiful as her mother. But let's get back on topic before I write a whole book on Lilith. She might like it but more important its my son's birthday. He loved all the gifts that his mother and I got him. But we also decide to go get a painting done by family that is located in Newcastle which was the final resting place by the great Relm Frye, who was painter and a mage and combined them into something that could be something out of this world. Well, that all I have for today. Happy fifth birthday, Ludwig.
June 6th 1969, We have arrived in Newcastle today to get a painting done by a family member which was painter here. It was a rough morning get Ludwig and Rebecca up early. But we manged well as we got on the airship and took off. Rebecca mostly slept all the way there. But Ludwig was so happy to watch the clouds go by as we passed them. But we made it and begin the process which was a pain as well standing for a long period of time could get tiring. But during a break we decide to take little tour of this estate and of course our painter was our guide. But Lilith would stop at this one painting which got her attention. I looked and I thought it was a normal painting with no color as it was all black. but to her it felt as if she felt a familiar presence or someone was calling her. The painting was called Artorias Black. It was strange because that was her former name...
Ludwig stops reading as he stares at that last entry as it was a key they have been looking for.
Jonathan looks at him and sees something off, "Is everything alright? You looked as if you saw a ghost."
"I think I have found what we are looking for," Ludwig gets up and hands him his father's journal and shows him that entry.
"My god. It really like your father has truly showed us where to go beyond this plain of existence. I think we have found our next task then. We must head to Newcastle and find this painting," Jonathan explains their next plan.
"I would not say anything better, my friend," Ludwig agreed with a smirk.
Jay would enter the room with a serving cart, "Alright, it ready for you guys."
Ludwig ordered, "Jay, please purchase airship tickets to Newcastle and get anybody who like to come with it seems we have found our next task."
"Very well, sir. I shall do that while you eat your food," Jay understood his next task.
-Four-
Ludwig and Jonathan stood on an airship with Alucard, Bon and Roe as they would be accompany them to Newcastle to find the Frye Family Paint Studio which belonged to the Great Painter Mage, Relm Frye.
"Thank you for inviting me on this trip. I think it could be good inspiration for me and young Roe here," Bon was happy to come as he was a painter.
"No, problem. How is mister Greese?" Ludwig asked.
"He is resting up since our encounter with that devil," Bon answers him.
"Good, he is a valuable hunter for me," Jonathan replied.
"Ah, he would love to hear that from you master," Bon seemed happy by that.
They soon would be joined by a man who had silver hair with light-colored skin. He had red eyes with a scar on the left side over his eye. He wore a black suit with a red tie with the Frye Order emblem on his right breast pocket. This was Baal in disguise as a human.
"My you dress well," Ludwig comments on his disguise.
Baal bows to him, "Of course, Lord Ludwig. I took this form to not alarm the humans in this world."
"Good, my friend. I think my mother would be happy to see you helping us now."
"Indeed it been a while since I came to this world and to think things would change in short amount of time that you humans live," Baal explained.
"How long?" Alucard asked.
"The last I was here was to find Lady Lilith to bring her hom. But she refused and I was told to bring her back. But I was stopped by her lover which would be your father. It this scar over my eye which was given to me by him. He was a strong warrior and I knew I could leave her to him and she would set me free to do what I want," Baal contunied. "It's time I help anyway I can to keep the peace."
"That sounds good for me. I just hope we can find a way before it to late," Ludwig responses.
"Tells us more on this Artorias. He must be very powerful if he can help us fight Lucifer," Jonathan wants more information on Artorias.
"Lord Artorias, he is probably one of the strongest demons in the demon realm. He is the true heir of the demon king throne. But he would go missing many years ago. But I feel he is still alive. You see I have made a pact with your grandfather which allow me to know how Artorias and Lilith well being is. I still feel his soul."
"I see, then he is still with us then," Ludwig comments as he hears this from Baal.
"Correct, perhaps something major has happened back in then which has trapped him," Baal responses.
"Then let's hope this is where we can help him out."
The party would relax a bit before the airship would arrive in Newcastle which was in the north part of England where they would continue their search for Artorias and unknown dangers awaits them.
