Kael had the stats to defeat a vampire, at least by numbers. In his world, people classified vampires as mere monsters, creatures hunted only by specialized monster hunters. Kael, however, was a Shadow Hunter. In that field, his experience fighting vampires was absolutely zero.
And worse—the vampire standing before him had already transformed.
[Warning: Danger level has slightly increased. The enemy has unleashed massive energy.]
Yeah, yeah, system. I can tell!
The vampire, Derelia—stood tall in her true form. Kael didn't know what the Letruish term was for such a transformation, but Yurim's words returned to him like a whisper:
"When a vampire ascends into their true form, victory with basic skills is impossible. You'll need tactics, Kael. Don't rely solely on the system. If you want, I can teach you one or two techniques."
At the time, Kael had only scoffed.
"You know I can just save your skills to my list, right? Why bother training?"
Now, regret stung. Looking back, since his arrival in Letruish, his battles with Shadows had been scarce. More often than not, he faced bizarre beings like this instead.
"Prepare yourself, human!" Derelia snarled, a hiss that vibrated in the air. Her fangs, newly elongated, gleamed with a wet sheen. Her sharpened nails clicked against each other. Her ears, now pointed, twitched.
Blood-red eyes blazed, the crimson light reflecting off the faint sheen of sweat on your brow. He could almost feel the black veins crawling under her skin, throbbing beneath her eyes.
Disgusting.
Behind her, another vampire Kael didn't recognize flinched slightly at the sight—Lullaby. Though she masked it, he caught the trace of unease leaking from her aura.
Activate Ultra Instinct.
[Activating Ultra Instinct.]
BLAAR!
Derelia lunged, her transparent strike resembling a phantom's blade as it cut through the air. Kael, unable to see her, reacted instinctively, his body guided by the system. He twisted aside, and her claws sliced through empty air.
"Shadow Manipulation: Act 2 — Movement Lock."
Black tendrils surged from Kael's feet like liquid night, wrapping around Derelia in mid-motion. She froze, her body stiff as though carved into a statue.
"What the hell is this?!" she spat, thrashing uselessly.
Kael's voice dropped into a distant murmur as he approached. "Honestly, I hate using this. It reminds me too much of that f*cking Shadows…"
"You bastard! What trick are you using?!"
"Shadow Manifestation: Gluttony."
Kael's palm met the crown of her head. A blinding blackness exploded, consuming her. The air crackled with a scent of ozone as her life force vanished. The shadows pulled back, revealing her fallen form. Empty, shrunken skin draped over bone, cold and brittle on the floor.
Eugh… when Gluttony drains a human, the person turns into a skeleton. I didn't expect a vampire's shell to stay intact.
Kael's stomach churned violently, and bile rose in his throat. He always despised the aftertaste of Gluttony, the sickening, impure mana that flooded his veins. This left him nauseous, almost poisoned.
Lifting his gaze, Kael found Lullaby staring wide-eyed, shock painting her face pale. She hadn't expected her comrade, Derelia, to fall so quickly, nor had she anticipated the man before her wielding such merciless power.
She wondered if they had made a terrible mistake by making him their enemy.
"Don't look at me like a victim," Kael said flatly, his sword lowering to her. "I'm sure your kind killed before, only to feed their thirst."
There was no mercy in his tone. His eyes were cold steel.
"Prepare yourself. You're next."
Kael raised his blade; its black edge aimed straight at her throat. Lullaby flinched, but before he could strike—
TANG!
Sparks showered as another blade intercepted his.
Lullaby blinked in shock. Orcha stood between them, steel braced against Kael's strike.
"Go, Lullaby. You're not a fighter," Orcha said firmly.
She hesitated, then nodded quickly and retreated, vanishing from the battlefield. Escape was all that mattered now.
Orcha's lips curled into a smile as his blade pressed against Kael's. "Now then… let's clash properly. Sword against sword."
Kael sighed, annoyed. "Tch. Another one." He leapt back, resetting his stance.
"You're not bad, human," Orcha chuckled. "My blade touched yours, and yet you didn't falter." His grin faded into a grim line. "You even reduced Derelia to… that. Rest in peace, sister."
"Save your speeches, old man. Is that all you've got?" Kael snapped.
"You'll regret making me your opponent."
Orcha's narrow eyes widened suddenly, glowing a furious red. His killing intent rolled over Kael like a crushing tide.
"Phase Two," he growled—and then he blurred forward.
"Shadow Manifestation!"
Black energy engulfed Kael's blade, and their swords collided. The clash birthed a violent shockwave, a gust of wind that tore across the mansion's edge, scattering debris like leaves in a storm.
"So? Do you still underestimate me?" Orcha sneered.
Kael touched his cheek, where a thin cut now dripped warm blood. He licked the crimson from his finger, smirking.
"Not bad," he muttered. "Not bad old man!"
---
Alira stood before the Warp Gate, her golden eyes reflecting the flickering lights of chaos beyond. Explosions rumbled inside the mansion; that meant Kael and the others had already broken through.
At her side, Bandi returned, his voice steady as he coordinated with the scattered werewolf squads tearing through the vampires on the outer grounds.
To be honest, she felt at ease with the assignment; she wouldn't have to engage in direct combat. In fact, she had volunteered to stay behind and protect Ronovan, only stepping in to deliver her potions when the moment was right.
"How's Unit One holding?" Bandi asked into the small device in his ear. A static crackle, then a reply. "Good. Start by sweeping the area surrounding the swamp."
Alira's lips curved faintly. She didn't want to boast, but it was her creation that allowed this coordination to exist in the first place.
She had designed and distributed those communication devices in a matter of days before the war began, building on a framework she had read in Terasvari's book. Refining it had come naturally.
After all, Lylith and Penny had once built a holographic archive security system back at the Mideway library. If they could accomplish that, then surely something like this was child's play for me.
Taking another sip from her long-distance vision potion, her irises glowed like molten gold. The world sharpened and stretched—Kael clashing with Orcha, Rodeo struggling against Rosalina and Tivulin, Terasvari grappling with Agusta and Oscar. The battlefield was a blur of blood, steel, and crimson aura.
But… Lumino and Clementine… where did they vanish?
Her gaze snapped upward as a shadow leapt from the upper floors of the mansion, too swift for her to identify clearly.
Suddenly, Bandi shouted, "Lady Alira, look out!" and yanked her down.
Sending them both crashing to the dirt. Something landed heavily in front of them, causing the ground to shake.
Alira rubbed her aching backside, scowling and muttering, "Ugh… What the hell!" Her eyes adjusted and widened in surprise.
The silhouette straightened, small yet sharp, framed by the Warp Gate's glow.
"It's been a while, Alira."
Her breath caught. "Geh… Rosaria…"
--
Rodeo roared, his claws scraping against steel as he fended off not one, but two relentless opponents. Rosalina's chainsaw blade screamed through the air, sparks showering in every direction, while Tivulin's transparent threads slashed with surgical precision.
He wasn't built for tactical duels like this. Worse, the risk of losing himself to full beast mode gnawed at his focus, so he forced himself to remain in hybrid form.
'Save the actual strength for Clementine. That's the only fight that matters.'
"You look cornered already!" Rosalina jeered, the saw's teeth glinting as she drove it forward.
Rodeo dodged, a blur of motion against the dim light. Suddenly, he materialized behind her, claws raised, a killing strike poised.
Snap!
Threads sang, biting into the air, snaring his wrist. Tivulin's trap sank deep, the scent of ozone filling the air.
Rodeo snarled, a low growl rumbling in his chest, and twisted, kicking towards Tivulin's leg.
The chainsaw shrieked, centimeters from tearing through his skull. He recoiled three steps back, blood running down his arm where the threads had sliced.
Pain throbbed, hot and raw, but he didn't have a second to breathe. A blade whistled past his cheek—Kael's duel with Orcha had drawn dangerously close. Sparks erupted as their swords clashed, shockwaves rattling the mansion.
"Where are you looking?" Rosalina spat.
Whirrr—Screeech!
Her chainsaw lunged again, but Rodeo leapt high, claws embedding into a cracked platform overhead like a beast clinging to a cliff face.
"You damned lizard!" she growled.
"No more games!" Energy surged around her, blood-red aura thickening as the chainsaw fused grotesquely into her own flesh.
Rodeo's pupils narrowed. She's awakened her phase two…
The platform shattered beneath his claws, threads weaving like a spider's nest beneath.
"Got you!" Rosalina lunged upward, murder in her eyes. Too late for him to evade—
Boom! Slash!
Two detonations thundered at once, the shockwave scattering dust and stone. Rosalina faltered, her focus broken. Tivulin hastily reeled back her threads to catch her before she plummeted. Rodeo, heart pounding, found his footing again.
Through the smoke of the first blast, Terasvari emerged, her massive frame carrying the unconscious bodies of Agusta and Oscar dangling like ragdolls in each fist. Muscles bulged, and her grin split wide.
"You looked cornered, Rodeo," she teased, dropping the limp vampires onto the rubble.
From the second explosion stepped Kael, his coat shredded, blade dripping crimson. The severed head of Orcha rolled across the ground until it stopped at Rosalina's feet.
Every hair on Rodeo's body bristled.
"A worthy foe," Kael murmured, his voice low with grim respect. "I'll remember your name, Orcha."
Then he turned, meeting Rodeo's wide-eyed stare.
"Can I leave now?"
"Y-yes… of course," Rodeo stammered.
Kael lifted a hand in silent acknowledgement, then pivoted away, vanishing into the chaos. Searching—for Clementine. For Lumino.
"Bastard!" Rosalina screamed, rage boiling, but Terasvari stepped into her path with a mocking grin.
"Long time no see, Rosalina. You've been well?"
Rosalina's glare could have cut steel. Behind her, Tivulin lunged at Rodeo, threads flaring with a crimson aura.
"Your opponent is me!" she roared. Her second phase erupted, strands multiplying, invisible blades filling the air like a deadly web.
Rodeo braced himself, claws gleaming. At least now he faced only one.
"Come on, then!"