Firth was furious. It felt as though bad luck had cursed him.
Not long ago, Quinn had reported a hunter storming his operations, massacring his vampires.
Now, before that situation could even be handled, another slaughter had erupted—inside his own base.
First the hotel, now his headquarters.
Even worse than his past clashes with the Daywalker, this time it felt personal.
Someone was targeting him.
"Sir, the surveillance feed is up!" a nervous vampire reported, rushing forward.
"You'll want to see this."
The screen flickered to life, revealing chaos.
A man with an Eastern face—Kurogai was cutting through his subordinates with impossible precision.
But what unnerved Firth most was that he couldn't see how the man was doing it.
Kurogai didn't swing, punch, or strike; he simply moved, and the vampires around him were torn apart—bodies crushed, bones twisted, entire torsos sheared in half.
The sight was grotesque, but Firth didn't flinch.
He'd seen plenty of blood.
What burned in his eyes wasn't disgust—it was rage.
"That's the one Quinn mentioned," he growled.
"That damned hunter."
Even with Quinn dead, Firth immediately recognized the man.
"Lord Firth, what should we do?"
A younger vampire asked, voice trembling.
"Arm everyone. Prepare the weapons—and get the helicopter ready."
Firth's tone was sharp.
He wasn't foolish; this wasn't an enemy he could underestimate.
He'd fight, yes—but he'd also be ready to flee if things went wrong.
His opponent was powerful, unpredictable, and far too calm.
While Firth gave his orders, Kurogai was finishing his work below.
The last screams faded into silence.
The Seventh Pupil Ring on his hand pulsed with crimson light.
[The Seventh Pupil Ring is full. Evolution available.]
"So soon?" Kurogai murmured, mildly surprised.
"Maybe this ring's capacity increases faster than the others… Still, I won't waste the chance."
He let the energy flow.
A surge of heat ran up through his arm, into his eyes.
The world shimmered for a moment—then stabilized.
When he opened them again, the vortices within his irises had deepened, darker and sharper than before.
"Twist Attack," he whispered.
"Now that's useful."
The upgraded ability enhanced his power of distortion.
Incoming attacks could be deflected, twisted, even sent back toward their source.
A perfect counter to any who dared confront him head-on.
"Well then… Firth's next."
A faint grin touched his lips.
The Space Stone embedded in him pulsed faintly as he turned toward the elevator.
Vampires were valuable prey—the purer the bloodline, the stronger the gain.
And Firth, one of the elders, was the prize he wanted most.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding.
"Open fire! Don't let him step out of that elevator!"
Firth's voice bellowed through the corridor.
Gunfire erupted immediately.
Dozens of vampires, armed with modified rifles loaded with silver dust and ultraviolet rounds, unleashed a storm of bullets toward the elevator.
For a moment, the hallway became a blazing tunnel of light and metal.
But before any of the shots reached their target, they twisted in midair—bending, curving, scattering harmlessly against the walls.
"What the hell?!" one vampire shouted.
Firth's eyes widened as every bullet curved away from its mark.
It wasn't magic.
It wasn't speed.
It was something else—something that warped reality itself.
"Twist Attack," Kurogai murmured as he stepped through the smoke, untouched.
The air around him rippled like water disturbed by a stone.
Firth's rage turned to dread.
On the screen, Kurogai had looked dangerous.
Face-to-face, he was terrifying.
No heartbeat.
No scent.
Just power—unnatural, suffocating power.
"What is he?" Firth whispered under his breath.
The gunfire died down.
The vampires hesitated, uncertain whether to reload or run.
"Done already?" Kurogai's tone was almost casual.
"Then I suppose it's my turn."
He raised his foot and pressed it against the floor.
The ground buckled—then imploded with a thunderous crack.
The entire level distorted, walls twisting like wet paper.
The structure screamed as if alive.
Every vampire within range was crushed instantly, their bodies warped and buried beneath collapsing debris.
When the dust settled, silence filled the room.
Only one heartbeat remained.
Kurogai's gaze turned toward it.
"Only you left, Firth."
Firth stood frozen amid the wreckage—pale, trembling, eyes wide in disbelief.
_____
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