Ryu,Ken and the rest of the gang raced across the crossway and past the front gate,and they found themselves in a vast,complex and frightening castle grounds of some sort.

There were sofas,furniture,suits of medieval armor and other decoratives and items placed in the numerous rooms.
And standing across in front of them was a fully painted portrait of someone very familiar.

"Hey,it's a painting of that Den creep!"said Ken.
"No,look at the plaque underneath it.

The gold plated plaque read:
"DIMITRI MAXIMOV,BELOVED FATHER OF DEN MAXIMOV AND THE GREATEST DARKSTALKER WHO EVER LIVED.

"I heard legends of a truly fearsome vampire who once lived in the far reaches of Romania."said Rose."This must be his father who existed before him.
"Huh,that's his father?"said Ken.
"Yeah,I can see where he gets his...gruesome looks and probably dresses just as gay."said Sean.

"To think there were actual vampires who walked this earth,long before my country's writers and novelists were inspired by the legends of Vlad the Impaler."said Dudley.
"Dracula himself almost seems like a pleasant suprise compared to what we've been facing."said Charlie.

"Well,we're not gonna get anywhere looking over his ancestory."said Ryu. "We've got to find and destroy him once and for all."
"Well,should we split up again?"said Sean.
"No,I think we've done enough of that already."said Charlie. "He and whatever else he's got could pick us off like flies if we seperated again."

"Yes."said Rose. "Except this time,i'd better lead the way."
"And why's that,rosy?"said Cammy.
"I am the only one here with enough power potential to match Darkstalker powers."she said. "You must all follow me until we get there."

"Like we got a choice."said Guy. "But I trust you Rose,as we all shall."
"Very well then."said Rose. "Follow me."

The heroes all gathered ibn single line behind Rose as the psychic herslef stepped delecately towards the open halls and corridors that will lead to their nemeesis.

Suddenly,a pair of giant axe blades swung out of nowhere at her.
"ROSE--LOOK OUT!"said Guy.

Rose simply raised her hands outward and blasted the two blades into dust by using her psyche powers.
"Amazing!"said Dudley.
"I've read that her power is on the same level as Bison's."said Charlie. "This should be a cake walk with her here."
"Let's hope so."said Ryu. "I have a gut feeling we may be in for more than we bargained for."

Suddenly,a set of spears fired at them.
Rose raised a finger and blasted them away as well.

Then,a set of black dressed and hooded gunmen came rushing out of a door that opened and were armed to the teeth with automatic uzzis!

"KILL THE INTRUDERS!"shouted the lead thug.
"BRRRT--BRRRT!"
Gunfire sprayed at them from all sides.

Rose then whipped out her scarf and did a soul reflect,turning their gunfire against them.

The gunmen all fell to the floor,but they all jumped back up again.
"You might wound us,but you won't kill us!"said one of them.

"More vampires?"said Ken.
"More vampires."said Rose.

The vamps all jumped at them.
"Allow us."said Dudley as he and Charlie aimed their wrist crossbows and fired.

"ZING--ZING---ZING!"

The group of vamp thugs fell to the floor,their bodies impaled with silver arrows.
"Good job."said Rose."Now,let's move on."

The heroes then made their way upstairs and found a door that led to a large bed chamber room.

"Wait!"she said. "I can sense---it's Chun-Li,she's in there!"
"Alright,we found her!"said Ryu.

Charlie then went up to the door,and shoved his boot right into it,knocking it down.
"It wasn't locked by the way."said Rose.
"Guile and myself----like to make dramatic entrances."said Charlie.
"So I see."said Rose.

Rose first entered along with the rest of the heroes.
They found themselves in a large peach and red colored bedroom complete with a large comfortable bed,paintings on walls,dressers,closets and a complete computer set-up of monitors and controls.

"Living large and lovin'it I see."said Sean.
"Yeah,even for a vampire,he's got taste....all bad."said Makoto.

And there in the middle of the room,was Chun-Li,tied up and bound to a sofa chair,she was unconscious.
"Chun-Li!"said Ryu as he rushed to her.

Ryu lifted up her head,and checked her pulse.
"She's alive."he said smiling.
"Thank heavens."said Cammy. "I was afraid Maximov would've used her as a snack or something."

Chun-Li then opened her eyes and saw Ryu looking at her.
"Chun-Li..."he said. "...are you all right? We've come to resuce you!"

Li smiled,but suddenly Rose sensed something terribly wrong.
"Wait!"she said. "Something's amiss."

Li then lowered her head,and when she raised it again,her facial expression completly changed to something else.
Her eyes turned a bright red and her mouth opened to reveal...a set of vampire fangs!

"HIISSSSS!"she replied and began to shake and squirm from the chair she was tied to.
"CHUN-LI---NOOOO!"said Ryu.

"GET BACK!"said Ken as he pulled Ryu away from her.
"I don't believe this!"said Charlie. "That's not Li,it's a vampire!"

"No."said Rose as he placed a hand over Li's head.
Purple and yellow auras flowed from her hand and rendered the vamp woman unconscious.
"I'm afraid...this is Chun-Li."

She then bent her neck to the right.
"Look."she said.

On the left side of her neck were deep puncture wounds and blood stains covered them both.
"No..."said Ryu. "...that bastard Den! He did this,didn't he?"

"I'm afriad so."said Rose. "He must've sunk his fangs into her neck,and used his powers to transform her--into one of them."
"THAT--MONSTER!"said Ryu.
"Easy there,Ryu,easy."said Ken. "Is there any way we can turn her back to a human,Rose?"

"The only way possibly known,"said Rose. "is to kill the one who infected her,and that has to be Den himself."
Ryu then pulled out a stake from his utility belt.
"Then let's go get'im!"he said.
 

Sean looked over to where Den's bed was and saw a door beside it.
"Yo,gang!"he said. "That's gotta be where blood-breath is hiding!"

"Yeah,and it may be a trap as well."said Sodom.
"We've got no choice,Sodom."said Guy. "Whatever it is that Den is doing,the fate of the world must be at stake."
"Ain't it always?"said Charlie. "Well then...nothing to do but move forward."

Rose lead the way to the door and paused before it.
"Is everyone ready?"she asked.
"READY!"said everyone in unison.

Rose then placed her left hand on the door,and pushed it open.
Once it was opened,they were greeted with a blast of light energy,momentarilly blinding them.

After a few seconds,the heroes then found themselves in another room.
It was a dark and green colored cavern room with pieces of electronic technology and ancient medieval devices affixed to it.

And there standing before them in a hooded robe was Den Maximov himself.
"Maximov!"said Ryu. "We've found you at last!"
"That you did,Ryu,that you did."he said. "And your young friend was right,this is a trap,and i've been expecting the whole lot of you ever since this started."

Ryu couldn'y contain himself any longer,seeing his beloved friend Chun-Li turned into a bloodsucker like them.
"YOU BASTARD!"he shouted as he ran at Den.

He then jumped into the air,preparing to do a flying kick.
Den saw it coming,removed his hooded robe and then jumped up to greet Ryu.

"Think again!"he said as he slammed a fist into Ryu's stomach,knocking him down to the floor.
"OOOF!"went Ryu as he crashed to the floor.

"RYU!"said Ken.
Den then landed on his feet,and was revealled to be wearing a new set of clothes.

He wore a grey tailcoat and matching pants with brown boots,a red vest a white silk shirt and a scarf tie and wore a red and black cape to complete his strange appearance.

Added with his spiked up red and brown hair and everything else,he looked exactly like the figure they saw in the painting.
"So..."said Rose. "...you really are the son of the evil Dimitri Maximov."
"And you must be Rose,the spirit guardian of the earth,and once sister psychic to M.Bison."said Den. "Haha,you'll all make a perfectly wicked addition to my army when i'm done with you all."

"Additions,army?"said Charlie. "Now what are you going on about?"
"This!"said Den as he pulled out a ruby red necklace.

"The spell for the Blood Ruby is now complete!"he said. "And with it,I shall use it to transform everyone in North America..into fellow vampires!"

"So,that's his game all along then."said Guy. "Well if we're gonna let you get away with it,you're as demented as those before you that we've fought!"

"That's right!"said Charlie. "We've gone through enough of your creature feature,monster mashing,nightstalkers from hell to last a lietime! We're taking ya down--NOW!"

Den laughed.
"Such bravery,such foolishness."

Den then aimed his right hand,and a huge blast of hellfire energy exploded forth from it.

Ryu and Rose managed to jump out of the way at the last minute,but the rest of the heroes weren't so lucky as the blast hit them dead-on,knocking them to the floor.

"NOOOO!"said Ryu.

Den then floated overtop the fallen comrades and aimed the blood ruby over them all.
A ray of red light shown over them all.

"Stop,you monster!"said Rose. "They are not your puppets for your control!"
"They are now,milady."he said.

Once he was finsihed,he spoke an order.
"Arise!"

The fighters all arose from the floor as if they were lifted by strings.
They then all floated towards Ryu and Rose.

"Uh...Ken..Cammy?"he said.

The heroes each opened their eyes,revealling the same thing that Chun-Li did.
Their eyes were all a blood red and their mouths were filled with vicious fangs.

"BLLOOOOOOD!"they all screamed.
"Stand beside me,Ryu!"said Rose. "We shall not be taken down so easily!"

Was the battle a hopeless one,or was there yet to be a ray of hope?