This is such a shitty day.
Like seeing Kimberly walk into a church of the God of Light wasn't bad enough, now John Hardley's thugs are trying to drag me into their pathetic gang.
This time it's Hank Dalloran's turn — one of John's top guys. A bald, hulking wall of muscle with basically no brain cells, easily over two meters tall. And of course, he's a demon too.
I ran into him earlier in an alley in the Bronx — though it wasn't exactly by accident, and I know for a fact it wasn't.
I swear, one day I'll kill them all, every last one of them — John, Hank, and every single bastard in that criminal den who refuses to leave me alone for even a second!
At least John Hardley is a demon with at least some class and education. He gives me chills, but at least the guy can form a coherent sentence.
Hank can't. I doubt he's ever opened a book in his life, and even a three-year-old kid would probably sound more educated than him.
«Are you planning to stare at me all night while I feed, or what?!» I snap nervously, sitting with my back to the wall.
I'm sipping low-grade blood straight from the severed head of the guy I just decapitated, while that bald idiot Hank keeps staring at me like a circus freak.
«Why don't you want to join us? You'd get a lot of benefits working with Mr. Hardley,» Hank asks in his usual caveman grunt.
It's weird that he managed to form a coherent sentence — though honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if John made him memorize it.
«Oh yeah? And what kind of benefits would those be?»
Hank mutters something — random, incoherent grunts.
Did he forget already? What an idiot…
But I don't even have time to complain before that… FLASH!
A burst of white light floods the entire alley for a split second. I jerk my head upward.
What the hell was that?
But my concern turns into pure panic the moment that idiot Hank says two very clear words:
«Monster Slayer!»
Shit.
Luckily, vampire reflexes are way faster than human ones — that's the only reason I manage to dodge, just in time, the diving slash that slams into the asphalt.
Even worse… that's no normal sword. I have no fucking idea what it is, but it's definitely not made of metal. It looks more like… hardened light.
Yeah, I know — absurd. How the hell can light be solid? Don't ask me — that's just what it looks like. Some glowing material that doesn't even look solid, but the crater it left says otherwise.
I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if it had hit me.
And the one wielding that sword… she's definitely a woman. I can't be wrong about this kind of thing. She's covered head to toe in a long black cloak and even wears a completely white mask, but those hourglass hips and those firm, well-toned thighs showing under the tight suit leave no room for doubt.
But the worst part is that her entire body is glowing with the same blinding light the sword is made of — she looks like a fucking lightbulb!
Some idiot would say, «Hey, there's two of you and one of her, it'll be easy!»
Hell no! That son of a bitch Hank bolted the instant he saw the angry lightbulb woman drop down on me!
The only time he could've been useful, he runs for his life!
He didn't even think to yell something like, «I'll help you — but only if you join us!»
If he'd said that, I'm not saying I'd have agreed — but I would've at least considered it. Too bad he's too stupid to think that far ahead.
The Monster Slayer, standing a short distance away, swings again. I manage to intercept her strike with my axe, but… CRACK!
My weapon shatters instantly on contact with hers.
Shit — this woman is ridiculously strong and fast! How the hell is she even human?! I need a plan — anything!
If I survive this, I swear I'll stop hunting random junkies for blood!
Even though, honestly, they ought to be thanking me — I'm cleaning up the garbage infesting these streets. I'm a fucking superhero fighting crime! And this is the thanks I get?! Getting chopped up by a Monster Slayer?! Fuck off!
She lunges again, aiming straight for my heart — the one part of my body I can't regenerate, and my neck — and I dodge by the slightest margin.
The problem is… I'm in a goddamn dead end.
My back hits the wall.
Fuck — why did I run into a dead end?!
Mental note: never again run into a dead end.
Oh right, I already swore that if I survived, I'd stop hunting humans. Fine, then — no more hunting humans… in dead ends.
And now, Vampire God, please don't let me die! Wait… is there even a Vampire God? I guess there must be… anyway, whoever you are, save me!
Just as I finish that ridiculous prayer…
PEW! PEW!
Two beams of black light rain down from the sky a split second before the Monster Slayer can take my head off with her glowing blade.
The first crashes down between us, forcing her to leap back. The second hits the wall behind me, blasting it open and giving me a way out.
A golden chance that I grab without hesitation — and I bolt, more explosions echoing behind me.
I guess the Monster Slayer and whoever saved my ass are fighting now, but that's not my problem.
The only thing that matters is that… somehow, I'm still alive.