In the castle entrance, two vampire were guarding at the entrance. Unlike the others, these two were different they were larger, stronger, and their thirst for blood was far more savage.
"I'm starving," one of them growled, licking his lips. "Once our shift ends, let's go hunt some humans."
The other chuckled darkly. "Children. Their blood is sweeter."
They both burst into cruel laughter, but their amusement was cut short by the sound of footsteps approaching from the castle's outer gate.
The vampires exchanged a quick glance and nodded. Without hesitation, they leapt toward the source of the sound, eager to taste blood once more.
At the gate, a girl walked calmly toward them.
Without warning, both vampires lunged at her, their claws slicing through the air with such force that shockwaves rippled across the ground.
But just before they could strike, the girl dashed from the ground into the air with inhuman speed. she drew a small knife from her pocket and hurled it downward.
The blade pierced one vampire's skull cleanly, killing him instantly. His body collapsed with a heavy thud.
The remaining vampire snarled, snatching the knife from his fallen comrade. He charged at her in a frenzy.
"How… How can a simple knife throw kill him?!" he shouted, eyes burning with rage. "What did you do to him?!"
In the next second, she leapt high into the air, twisting mid-flight and landing behind the vampire with deadly precision.
Before he could react, her hand plunged straight into his chest flesh tearing, bones cracking.
With a calm, merciless expression, she pulled out his heart and crushed it in her bare hand.
Blood splattered across the cold stone ground.
"These aren't the vampires Karlos wanted revenge against," she muttered, letting the crushed heart fall.
"They're nothing but weaklings… should I go more deeper."
Duke Heon, with his superhuman hearing, caught the distant sound of bloodshed.
He narrowed his eyes, amused. "Impressive… someone just took down our gatekeepers. And so effortlessly," he muttered.
Turning slightly, he said, "Ignis, you sensed it too, didn't you? A human… heading this way. Their footsteps are soaked in killing intent. Should I go myself and rip them apart? Haha…"
Ignis, already steadying his rifle and preparing for a hunt, replied coldly, "Calm down, Sir. You hired me for a reason. it's my job to eliminate anyone who dares to stand in your way."
Duke Heon gave a sinister smile curling on his lips. "Do as you wish, Bounty Hunter of the Underworld."
The scene shifted at the hallway. The girl with hoddie walked forward, calm and composed, her dagger dripping with fresh blood. All around her, the floor was littered with vampire corpses.
"This castle is huge… filled with many traps, but I've managed to disarm every single of them. Whoever laid them… knew what they were doing. A professional hunter is here."
Her steps echoed in the grand hallway, leading her to a massive door adorned with luxurious gems, crimson rubies and ancient carvings glowing faintly with cursed energy.
As she reached out to push the door open.
CRACK!
A bullet tore through the air at lightning speed, aimed straight for her skull.
With a single motion, she tilted her body and slashed upward with her dagger slicing the bullet clean in half mid-air. The halves clanged against the walls.
With a cold smile, she turned her head to the right. "That's a cheap trick, isn't it, Bounty Hunter?"
From the shadowed corner of the hallway, the Bounty Hunter stepped into view. A long, rare rifle rested confidently in his hands.
"Oh? You survived that?" he said with a smirk. "Only a few have ever managed to dodge that shot. You're different from the others I've hunted. Don't disappoint me."
Without warning, he pulled the trigger. Once, twice, then a flurry of times.
Bullets shot out in multiple directions, each one were calculated to anticipate her movement. The air cracked with their speed. The girl didn't panic instead her dagger moved like lighting and precise slicing through each bullet as they followed her.
Metal clashed against steel as shards fell around her feet.
The Hunter's eyes narrowed with genuine interest.
"Impressive…So, normal bullets won't work on you."
He reached into his coat and began reloading. A faint click, then a chilling grin.
"Then it's time I changed the game."
The girl hurled her dagger straight at the Hunter, but with swift reflexes, he deflected it by using his rifle. The dagger spun in the mid-air.
In a flash, she dashed forward, snatching the weapon back mid-spin and launching a flurry of rapid strikes at him. Each time the dagger moved, the rifle perfectly deflected all her strikes.
"Are you scared of my new bullets?" the Hunter sneered. "You charged at me because you feel the danger, don't you?"
He took a step back and fired multiple rounds in rapid succession.
The girl slashed through every bullet with precise movements but the moment her dagger made contact, each bullet exploded on impact.
A chain of blasts lit up the hallway, shaking the walls and throwing debris in every direction. Smoke and rubble swallowed the space, leaving behind a chaotic mess.
"Is she dead?" The Hunter lowered his rifle as if the fight was already won.
But before he could finish the sentence, a powerful strike slammed into him. He raised his rifle to block but this time, the blade sliced clean through the weapon, splitting it in two.
"Damn it! How did she survive?" he growled, stumbling back.
His eyes hardened. "Fine. I will end this with my last resort ."
From his pocket, he pulled a bomb, gripping it tightly. With a swift motion, he hurled it toward her, keeping his distance.
"Playtime's over. The Hunter always wins."
The bomb exploded at her face, unleashing a massive blast that tore through the hallway. Dust and debris filled the air, swallowing everything in its wake.
When the dust settled, there was nothing left only a cloud of smoke and silence.
"Such a pain... I'll remember your face, kid."
The Hunter turned and strode toward the council room, confident the fight was over.
As soon as he took a step, a faint footstep echoed behind him.
He hadn't realized it yet but he was already dead. His head fell to the floor, severed cleanly from his body.
In the shadows, the girl stood tall, her silhouette ominous.
With a demonic smile, she whispered,
"One down. You're next."