Chapter 75: After the Battle

“Damn it, we've been discovered. Run!” The two figures in the distance, realizing their cover had been blown, fled at astonishing speed.

“They’re blood hunters. Interesting. Not long ago, they tore up the truce and declared war on our kind, and now they dare show themselves before us. I can’t decide if they’re fearless or just brainless,” scoffed Duke Wind with disdain.

“Pay them no mind. Our top priority now is to look after Liliana,” Xuelan commanded Duke Wind.

“Humans—wretched creatures,” I muttered dully, my eyes vacant. Then, to everyone’s shock, I vanished in a blur, and moments later, two agonized screams echoed from some distant place.

“It’s those two blood hunters. Go! We can’t let the young lady out of our sight,” Ang urged the group, racing toward the source of the screams. The others exchanged glances, left the three fallen Judicators and the two subdued ones behind, and hurried after him without hesitation.

The illusionist watched them leave with a wry smile. “Looks like we’re the unpaid labor this time. Hey, you lot should be grateful—if it weren’t for us, you’d probably have turned to ash in the sunlight by now. Shadowblade, Vivian, take them back to the Blood Clan’s castle. The rest is none of our concern,” he said to the twin assassins of the Night.

When the group reached the scene, they found the two fleeing blood hunters sprawled on the ground, terror frozen on their lifeless faces. Each had a gaping hole in their chest—hearts gone. I stood blankly to the side, blood dripping from my right hand, two still-beating hearts lying at my feet.

“Young lady?” Ang called out to me.

Hearing his voice, I turned, my crimson eyes still glimmering with bloodlust. “Who are you? Who are any of you?”

“Young lady, I am your loyal servant. Your command is my will. Please come with us—we will protect you until your memories return,” Ang replied respectfully.

“Memories? I have no need for such things. Who I am now is enough,” I said coldly. “Don’t follow me. If you do, I’ll kill you.” My voice was icy, devoid of feeling.

“Liliana! It’s me, Xuelan. Don’t you remember me?” Xuelan’s voice shook as she faced my frosty indifference.

“Xuelan? I don’t remember. It has nothing to do with me. Stop following me. Don’t let me see you again.” With that, I turned away without a trace of reluctance and vanished in an instant.

“What should we do now?” Liliel asked Ang in despair.

“There’s nothing we can do. The young lady’s teleportation means we can’t catch her. All we can do is try to follow her and not lose track,” Ang said to everyone. “Princess Liliel, please return to the Blood Clan castle and awaken the Prince. Only he can help the young lady regain her memories now.”

“No, I’m not going back. I want to stay with Sister Lilith. Ashius, you go and wake Father, then come back and find us,” Liliel commanded.

“But, Princess, I can’t possibly awaken the Prince. I’m not even permitted near his resting place. There’s no way I could do it,” Ashius replied with a bitter smile.

“I don’t care. I’m never leaving Sister Lilith again. If Ashius can’t do it, then Ang, you go. You’re allowed into Father’s resting place, aren’t you?” Liliel insisted.

“You’re right. I should go. The young lady’s condition is partly my fault—I failed to protect her. I ought to seek the Prince’s forgiveness. I’ll leave the young lady in your care. Protect her—don’t let anything else happen to her,” Ang said.

“Don’t worry, we understand. I always swore I’d protect Liliana, yet every time, I could only watch as she was hurt. And this time, she became like this protecting us. It’s so… so frustrating,” Xuelan said, clenching her fists. “So this time, no matter the cost, I won’t let her be harmed again.”

“Then I’ll leave her to you. The most likely place she’ll go is that human boy Xingyu’s home—if there’s any memory left in her heart. But for her, that’s also the most dangerous place. The Blood Hunter Guild surely knows of their connection and will set an ambush. With the truce broken, if she goes to him, she’ll be in grave danger,” Ang said gravely.

“We’ll have someone keep watch on the boy’s house, and the rest of us will stay as close to Liliana as possible to protect her. We must hurry, or she’ll slip out of my sensing range,” Xuelan replied.

“Then I leave it to you.” With that, Ang tore open space and returned to the Blood Clan castle. Xuelan and the others took off after Lilith, keeping a discreet distance behind her.

As for me, now separated from Ang and Xuelan, my mind was a blank slate. I didn’t know who I was or what I ought to do—only that a faint, indistinct voice in my heart urged me in a certain direction. Not long after, I saw a glow ahead: city lights, and the wretched humans gathered together. Hunger gnawed at me, bloodlust curling in my chest. Yet, strangely, I felt no desire to drink the blood of these base humans. In fact, it was more than that—I recoiled from it. Their blood seemed filthy—unbearably so. I would rather starve than let their blood pass my lips.

I wandered the streets, stomach growling, moving toward some vague destination. Dawn was breaking; I had to find shelter from the sun.

After searching for some time, I finally found an abandoned building—lonely and derelict, standing alone in an empty lot, uninhabited for years. Though unfit to live in, it would suffice as a daytime refuge. I decided to hole up in the lowest floor, making it my temporary hiding place.

Some distance away, Xuelan and Liliel’s group halted their pursuit.

“Why are we stopping? Sister Lilith is right ahead! If anything happens to her, what will we do?” Liliel complained.

“We have no choice. If Liliana sees us, she’ll teleport away again. If we lose track of her, it’s over,” Xuelan explained. “Besides, when it comes to sunlight immunity, Liliana surpasses us all. If anything happens in the daytime, we’re powerless to help. At that point, it’s up to you, Ashius—you’re the only one among us who can move freely in the sun.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll take care of things during the day,” Ashius answered respectfully.

“Damn it, I forgot about the day. I shouldn’t have let Ang go back,” Liliel grumbled.

“All right, everyone, we need to keep a low profile. If the Blood Hunter Guild spots us, we’ll be in danger during daylight,” Xuelan instructed.

“Yes, let’s find a place to rest. Dawn is near,” said Duke Wind.

“Agreed. Let’s find a nearby hotel. If we stay in a dark room, we can still fight if we have to.”

As another dawn broke, Lilith—lost to her memories—was on the run, with Xuelan and Liliel in pursuit. Xingyu, the human boy who knew nothing of these events, and the Blood Hunter Guild, sword drawn against the vampires, all moved toward an uncertain future. What would become of them when their paths inevitably crossed?