Bang! Bang! Bang bang bang!
The sudden attack triggered the Vampires' instinctual counterattack. Gunfire erupted in the confined space—but it was utterly useless.
The strange, unknown liquid slithering through the room was like the sharpest blade forged by unnatural means, slicing effortlessly through flesh and bone.
If not for their regenerative abilities and physical speed far exceeding that of ordinary mortals, the casualties would have been catastrophic by now.
Even so, five Vampires had already fallen—skulls shattered, heads severed—their blood pooling grotesquely on the floor.
Watching her remaining subordinates being herded and slaughtered like amateurs by a puddle of malicious liquid, Selene's icy blue eyes burned with frustration and disdain. The fury wasn't entirely directed at the enemy—but at the incompetence of her own kind.
The long life of a Vampire—blessing and curse alike.
Eons of existence allowed them to amass immense wealth, but also dulled their edges. Most became creatures of indulgence, obsessed with luxury and their stagnant immortality. Aside from a rare few like herself, the majority abandoned training and combat discipline, relying solely on their bodies' natural strength and instincts.
Fine for intimidating mortals. Useless when faced with true predators.
Selene's gaze slid toward the unassuming man who'd entered moments earlier.
That ordinary-looking Wizard—Kai Adler—was lounging comfortably on the faded leather sofa. Legs crossed, head resting casually on one hand, as if watching a mundane play unfold at the theatre.
Gunfire. Blood. Screams. It was as though they were part of an entirely different world from him.
Was this Wizard here to help? Or merely to observe their humiliation?
Their eyes met briefly, and Selene's stomach twisted with unease.
There was…something wrong with him.
Her sharp gaze swept the room. Amidst the chaos, Kai hadn't moved an inch. His breathing was unnaturally steady—practically nonexistent. Were it not for the telltale arrogance radiating from his expression, Selene might've assumed he was frozen in fear.
But the strangest thing—the liquid hadn't attacked him. Not once.
She watched as one of her men, frantically firing, had his arm reduced to pulp by the razor-sharp current. Yet the liquid slithered right past Kai without pause, as if he didn't exist.
A realization clicked into place.
Selene rose smoothly, leveling her pistols toward the ceiling. Her voice, cold as a winter storm, cut through the din:
"Everyone stop. Silence."
The Vampires faltered, surprised. But the first to react wasn't them.
The malicious liquid twisted in the air like a serpent, immediately changing course, forming a spear-like point aimed directly at Selene's skull.
The speed was blistering. If it struck, her head would be obliterated.
But Selene had already anticipated the retaliation.
Her slender body twisted gracefully, narrowly avoiding the strike—only losing a single strand of raven-black hair.
The others followed suit, freezing mid-movement despite not yet understanding.
The room fell into utter, suffocating silence.
The moment the noise ceased, the liquid faltered—hovering mid-air, confused, scanning the space as if searching.
Selene crouched low, moving soundlessly, the innate stealth of her kind making her practically invisible to hearing.
The liquid stilled, pulsing slightly, then rippled aimlessly through the air.
Realization swept through the Vampires, and their eyes collectively turned toward Selene—each of them grasping the truth:
Sound.
"It hunts by sound," someone muttered under their breath—Daniel, of course.
The moment the words left his mouth, every eye shot toward him—along with the rapidly returning water flow.
"Oh, Scheiße—!"
Daniel's eyes bulged in horror, slapping both hands over his mouth. Despite his injuries, he vaulted onto a ceiling beam with vampiric agility, holding himself motionless.
The liquid's assault halted mid-air once again, shifting forms—malleable, hungry, listening.
The seconds dragged.
Without sound, the liquid reluctantly trickled down into the cracks between the floorboards, vanishing.
But the tension lingered, palpable as ever.
No one knew whether the entity had truly retreated, or whether it lay in wait, coiled in the darkness like a venomous snake.
Time crawled forward.
Though Vampires possessed superhuman endurance, being forced into paralyzed silence by a sentient puddle of liquid was humiliating beyond words.
Frustration simmered beneath the surface, but none dared risk making noise.
Selene's gaze cut toward Kai once again—the one anomaly untouched amidst the chaos.
He returned her stare, calm as ever, the barest hint of amusement curling at the corner of his mouth.
Her lips moved in silent command: Help.
Kai shrugged lightly.
Truth be told, he had sensed something peculiar the moment he'd entered the basement.
A lingering, unfamiliar energy permeated the space—the same twisted force that clung to Jotaro Kujo and his ilk. There was a Stand User nearby.
He hadn't expected to encounter one here of all places. But it made sense now why these Vampires had desperately reached out to the Ebo Family for assistance.
Creatures built for physical dominance, reliant on brute strength and weapons—they were utterly ill-suited for battling the supernatural absurdities of Stands.
What intrigued him more was how the Stand had reacted to his arrival.
It became restless. Aggressive. As if the User had anticipated his presence—hoping to trap both Kai and the Vampires in one fatal ambush.
Nice try.
Tapping into the fragments of his own Obscurus-born detection abilities, Kai traced the malicious energy—its tendrils stretched far beyond the room, possibly originating outside the building entirely.
His refined magical senses, honed through both the Old Man's Black Magic and Berlin's underworld games, estimated the User to be operating near the outer limit of his detection—almost a hundred meters away.
Quite the impressive range—putting most known Stands like Hierophant Green to shame.
And within this basement, devoid of windows, the Stand still attacked with unnerving precision.
It could only mean one thing: Sound-based detection.
Kai hadn't warned them initially for two reasons. First, to observe—gather intelligence without exposing himself prematurely. Second? He had hoped this Stand might conveniently thin the Vampire ranks. Fewer witnesses meant fewer complications.
Ideally, only Selene would remain.
The others? Expendable.
But Selene was sharper than expected. Observant. She'd quickly deduced the truth—and now, finally, called upon his aid.
Well, turning down a lady's plea wasn't exactly gentlemanly.
A slow, knowing smirk curved across Kai's lips.
Maintaining his relaxed posture, he raised a hand to his mouth—fist loose, fingers curled.
"Ahem."
The exaggerated sound of him clearing his throat shattered the fragile quiet.
Tension detonated instantly.
From beneath the floorboards, the liquid exploded upward—forming a spear of glistening water aimed straight for Kai's skull.
And Kai Adler? His smile only widened.