Editing in progress.
The False Vampires smiled maliciously, showing their venomous fangs and rotting gum, as they stepped out of their hiding place. There were more than two dozens of them. Jonathan's trio was severely outnumbered. Jonathan would not worry so much if those were the regular undead, because they were usually mindless puppets who only knew how to destroy; but those False Vampires are Death's elite, each of them having deadly arsenals of Death magic under their control. Suddenly, Jonathan saw something that made him gape in astonishment, utterly dumbfounded.
"Mavros?!"
Indeed, the leader of the False Vampires before Jonathan resembled his traitorous uncle, Mavros. But this Mavros was completely different at the same time, no longer a True Vampire of Darkness but a False Vampire of Death. He was clad in a macabre purple cloak and gray bone armor, the poisonous blade Arsenic in his hand, dripping venom; his hair was still jet black and slicked down, and his eyes were still as black, deep and bottomless as the abyss. "Surprised, Nephew?" Mavros said with his signature mocking sneer.
"B-But I killed you!" Jonathan stuttered. "How can you still be alive?!"
"As I have said before, Nephew, the answer to eternal life is unlife," Mavros said. "With help from Lord Morte, I have now found life in Death!"
"What is the meaning of this?!" Kain suddenly exploded beside Jonathan, his red eyes blazing with rage. "That pathetic imitation of a Vampire is your uncle, Jonathan?! Explain yourself!"
After the initial moment of shock, the reality began to sink into Jonathan's mind. He realized that Mavros had become a False Vampire, completely forsaking his original race. Strangely, Jonathan felt no anger, no hatred. He only felt apathy and contempt. "No, Kain, he is not my uncle," Jonathan said emotionlessly. "He is nothing but a corrupted soul of undead."
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Mavros laughed maniacally. "Deny it all you want, Nephew, but I am still the uncle you once admired!" Twisting his deathly pale face into a grotesque sneer, Mavros raised his bone saber. "But too bad, Nephew. Lord Morte has ordered me to terminate you, and thus I will have to rescind the offer I had given you to join me in unlife."
If it was before, Mavros would have sent Jonathan into a berserk rage with those few lines, but not today. The Mavros standing before Jonathan had no more ties with Darkness, and no more affiliations with Jonathan. He was no longer Jonathan's uncle. He was the enemy, nothing more. "Silence, imitator," Jonathan looked at Mavros coldly. "By the name of Incarnate, and the Vampiric race, I shall banish your soul to the Abyss for eternity."
Mavros's right eyebrow twitched. "You can try, Nephew!" He shouted. "Destroy them!"
The two dozens or so False Vampires immediately cast bolts of poison and death, but they were already too late. The third eye on Jonathan's forehead had opened, and the obsidian demonic mask materialized in an instant and was already morphing into the black war helm. The shadows beneath Jonathan's feet twisted and contorted, then turned pitch black; they formed a solid circle of darkness, protecting Nyxia and Kain. All bolts of Death energy intruding into the zone of darkness instantly turned black, dissipated and was assimilated into the shadows.
"Learned a few new tricks, eh Nephew?" Mavros cackled. Jonathan said nothing, and simply looked at him with cold, blood-red eyes. For an instant Mavros shuddered, but he immediately regained his demented appearance. He plunged his sword into the ground, and the other False Vampires did the same. Then, there came a cacophony of tortured moans, as the restless undead were pulled out of the depths of the marsh. Numerous skeletons, of humans and beasts alike, burst out of the muddy, toxic ground, and walked toward Jonathan.
Jonathan simply stood there, proceeding with his transformation. Nyxia and Kain raised their weapons, ready to defend themselves, but that proved to be unnecessary. As soon as the first skeleton stepped into the zone of darkness beneath its feet, it collapsed back into a pile of lifeless bone, as the Death elemental energy animating it was transformed into Darkness and absorbed.
In the center of the black shadows, Jonathan changed. He now resembled a humanoid black dragon, over two meters tall, limbs ripping with powerful muscles and protected by obsidian scales. The black war helm was now transformed into the head of a vicious black dragon with three blood-red eyes, and sanguine fire leaked from his razor-sharp fangs. He was no longer holding the Vampire Gladius, but the Soul Eater. "I have learned more than just a few tricks, Mavros," Jonathan/Bloodshadow spoke. His voice echoed in every corner of darkness.
Beside him, Kain's eyes widened while Nyxia smiled in triumph. Nyxia had seen Jonathan's humanoid dragon form from his memories, but Kain only witnessed that demonic beast for the first time. "Quit gaping like a fool," Nyxia gently slapped Kain on the shoulder. "We've got a battle to fight."
Gathering power to themselves, Nyxia and Kain began their own transformations.
