Chapter Nine: Blood Hunt

As the night descended, I bathed in moonlight as gentle as water, gazing at the distant city lights.

"Miss, reports say there are feral vampires hunting indiscriminately," Ang informed me.

"Those wretched creatures again, filth that tarnishes the nobility of our kind," I replied with disgust.

Feral vampires—commonly referred to as vampires—are those who have forsaken the dignity of the bloodline, fallen completely into the indulgence of bloodlust; they are scorned by both humans and vampires alike. Like rats, repulsive yet tenacious, they scurry across the world, and to hear of them even here surprises me.

"Ang, let us depart. The hunt begins," I commanded.

"Yes, Miss," Ang answered respectfully, a bloodthirsty gleam flickering in his eyes.

In the subtle hues of night, I stood atop the city's highest point, overlooking the sprawling urban landscape. Behind me, black bat wings unfurled, and blood-colored bats swirled around me like a crimson cloud. Ang stood quietly at my back, guarding me in silence. I looked up at the pitch-black sky, layers of clouds obscuring any trace of stars—a perfect night for hunting. My gaze swept over the myriad lights below, searching for the presence of that rat.

"Found it," I murmured with a smile, and then commanded the bats to carry me swiftly toward the target. Ang, with a burst of power, launched himself from the rooftop, leaving a web-like crater in his wake, closely following behind.

In a secluded park, I located the quarry, though we seemed to have arrived late—someone else had beaten us to the hunt. The park was deserted, not a soul in sight; the streetlights had long since lost their glow, plunging the area into darkness, yet it did not hinder my vision of the battle unfolding before me.

Within the park, aside from my intended prey, two figures stood. A man and a woman, both clad in black cloaks adorned with large crimson crosses on their backs, were locked in combat with a vampire—black bat wings stretched from his back, razor-sharp claws, pallid face, eyes blazing with unnatural red light. The man wielded a silver greatsword for close combat, while the woman fired a pair of silver pistols from the perimeter.

"Blood Hunters," Ang whispered in my ear.

I nodded in acknowledgment. "Since they found it first, let them deal with it. Such a rare hunt wasted," I said with slight annoyance. "Well, then, let us watch their performance."

As we observed, the battle shifted. Under the relentless assault of the male Blood Hunter, the vampire finally exposed a weakness; the female Blood Hunter seized the moment, her bullet striking the vampire's arm. The silver burned, smoke curling as the vampire screamed in agony, breaking from the man's attack at the cost of being stabbed by the greatsword, and darted into the shadows, hatred flashing in his eyes.

"After it! We cannot let it escape, or it will become a threat. Injured, it will seek to feed and heal—likely preying on civilians," the male Blood Hunter shouted, racing after the vampire, the woman following closely behind into the darkness.

Despite their desperate pursuit, the hunters' speed paled in comparison to the wounded vampire, and the gap between them widened.

"Damn it," the male Blood Hunter roared in frustration as the distance grew. Just as the vampire was about to slip through their grasp, a black flash cleaved down from above, slicing the fleeing creature in two.

The two hunters stared at the vampire, which disintegrated into ash without spilling a single drop of blood, their weapons gripped tightly as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

"Who are you?" the male Blood Hunter asked, his voice low.

"Senior, over there," the female whispered, trembling as she pointed. Following her gaze, the man saw a girl emerge from the darkness.

She wore a black dress; golden hair cascaded down her back. In her hand was a massive black scythe, blood-red bats swirling around her, violet eyes radiating a bewitching glow as she smiled down at them.

"Vampire!" The male Blood Hunter tensed, gripping his sword for attack.

"How rude," I retorted, displeased by his address. "Do not equate me with those wretches. The noble bloodline is nothing like those self-indulgent, degraded vampires." I scrutinized the hunters—the man, in his thirties, his greatsword and robust build commanding respect; the woman, barely twenty, her hands trembling as she held her guns.

"Blood Hunters are increasingly useless, unable to handle even a lowly vampire. Still, this was my prey, though it was so weak it hardly amused me."

"Curse you!" The male Blood Hunter glared at me. "Damn vampire, you don't belong here—go back to the demon realm!" With that, he swung his sword at me.

"Foolish," I sneered, unmoving. As the blade neared, a powerful hand seized its edge. Ang stood before me, eyes cold upon the hunter.

"Blast it," the male Blood Hunter grunted, straining, but the sword in Ang's grasp did not budge. This was no contest of equals; to Ang, the man was nothing more than a clawing ant.

Bang, bang, bang—the female Blood Hunter, seeing her companion in peril, emptied her bullets at Ang. He cast her a cold glance, then ignored her attack; the bullets sparked off his body, inflicting no harm.

"Ang, that's enough," I said.

"Miss?" Ang asked, puzzled.

"I am here to enjoy human life, not to invite trouble." If I killed them, the Blood Hunter Guild would surely pursue me. There was no need to ruin my peaceful existence for their sake.

"Yes, Miss," Ang replied respectfully. He released the greatsword, instantly closed the distance, and punched the man, sending him flying. Though he would not kill them, Ang would not forgive their offense against me.

Coughing, the male Blood Hunter struggled to stand, supporting himself on his sword, blood trickling from his lips.

"Senior," the woman said anxiously, helping him up.

"Damn you, who are you?" The man glared at us, furious.

"Remember my name: Liliana Lytis Dracula. Tell your leader—if anyone dares disrespect me again, I will show no mercy." With those words, Ang and I vanished into the darkness.

"Dracula? The first princess of the bloodline, the Night’s Tulip. How could she possibly be here!" the male Blood Hunter exclaimed in horror.

"Let’s go," he said, dejected after a long silence.

"Senior, what should we do?" the woman asked nervously.

"What can we do?" he answered with a bitter laugh. "Never expected to encounter such a figure. She is far beyond our power; until the leader arrives, all we can do is wait."

"But…" The woman fretted over our appearance.

"No need to worry. With her pride, she will not harm civilians," he reassured her. "Our duty is to protect the innocent from vampires, so with those proud nobles, we try to coexist peacefully. That’s the current state of Blood Hunters. After all, the powerful bloodline is not something humanity can contend with." He gazed after us, eyes filled with helplessness.

Back at the manor, I lay quietly in the bath, restoring my weary body.

"I didn’t realize I was so weak," I murmured. A day without feeding, extensive activity during daylight—even with overcast skies sparing me from sunlight—had left me depleted. Tonight’s hunt took far longer than I had anticipated.

Immersed in water, a memory flashed in my mind: Xingyu’s smile.

"Xingyu," I whispered. Someday, you will belong to me.