(Happy Christmas everyone.)
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The Blade Knight's sword halted just a hair's breadth from my throat, its edge gleaming under the flickering garage light. The air between us was so tense it almost hummed. I could see his reflection in the blade—eyes glowing faintly beneath the cracked mask, filled with suspicion and something else... recognition, perhaps.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice deep and edged with hostility. "You… feel like an evil dragon."
I raised a brow at that. "That's new."
His gaze shifted sharply to Shalltear, who was already tightening her grip on her parasol, her crimson eyes narrowing with clear annoyance.
"And you," he continued, his tone sharpening, "you feel like a vampire."
Shalltear tilted her head, her lips curling in a smile that was anything but friendly. "Oh? You have quite the nose, mortal."
Before she could take a step forward, Kate darted in front of me, spreading her arms wide as if to shield me from him. "Stop! Don't hurt him!"
The Blade Knight blinked, clearly taken aback by her reaction.
"He's the one who helped me," Kate said firmly, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "I'd be dead without him. He healed me. He's not your enemy!"
Behind her, Shalltear's fingers twitched at her sides, her bloodlust pulsing faintly in the air like a heartbeat. I could feel it—that instinctive predator's urge she had to eliminate anyone who dared threaten her master.
"Shalltear," I said quietly, my tone calm but commanding.
Her crimson eyes flicked toward me. "My lord—"
"Calm down."
She froze, then slowly exhaled, bowing her head in obedience. "As you wish."
The air felt like it was cracking under invisible pressure. Kamala, Melina, Yelena, and Red Guardian all stood frozen nearby. Their hands hovered near their weapons, but none of them dared move. The weight of the standoff was too heavy, too dangerous.
Finally, I turned my gaze back to the Blade Knight. "So… is ethnicity really the problem here?"
His blade trembled slightly. "What—?"
I smiled faintly. "Let's assume your instincts are right. Suppose I am an evil dragon. Suppose she's a vampire. Does that suddenly erase the fact that I helped your people survive? That I'm here, not as your enemy, but as someone trying to stop all this?"
The Knight didn't answer, but his silence told me I'd struck something deeper than pride.
"You talk about darkness like it's a disease," I continued softly, "but tell me, what makes you think your god doesn't use it too?"
That got his attention. His grip on the sword faltered slightly.
I tilted my head, eyes glinting with faint amusement. "Isn't that right… Khonshu?"
The name hit him like a hammer. His sword arm went rigid, eyes widening beneath the mask. The sharp breath he drew echoed faintly in the silent garage.
For a long moment, he said nothing. I could almost see the storm raging inside him—the fear, confusion, and disbelief twisting together.
"How… do you know that name?" He finally asked, voice lower now, almost trembling.
I didn't answer. I just smiled.
Before the tension could stretch any further, Yelena's voice cut through the air. "Uh, guys?"
Everyone turned toward her.
She was standing near the entrance, her gun already raised, eyes squinting into the darkness beyond the shattered doors.
"I think…" she said slowly, her tone shifting from concern to urgency, "the zombies are coming here."
And just like that, the fragile standoff shattered.
The low moans began to echo outside the base, followed by the unmistakable sound of shuffling feet and scraping claws. The metallic scent of rot drifted through the open garage doors.
The Blade Knight snapped his head toward the sound, sword flashing to his side. Shalltear hissed under her breath, eyes glowing crimson once again.
Kamala stepped back, panic flooding her face. "There are too many!"
"Then it's time to move," I said, my voice cutting through the rising noise like a blade.
~~~
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