Ow... this hurts like hell.
Viktor really took my mother's words to heart.
She told him not to go easy on me during training, and he definitely took that way too seriously...
Fuck, my arms and legs are killing me!
And as if that weren't enough, now I've got these six bodyguards following me around everywhere.
Apparently, I can't even get a moment to relax when I'm out hunting.
Ugh... I can't wait to put an end to this whole mess once and for all.
Like I usually do when I'm in the mood for blood, I'm wandering through the run-down residential streets of Mott Haven in the Bronx.
Normally, by now, I would've already lured some prey into a trap.
But with those six gorillas glued to my ass every second, my potential victims are keeping their distance instead of following me.
So much for having fun.
I turn into a narrow, dimly lit alley where a few homeless people usually gather around a fire.
But after only a few steps, I suddenly stop dead.
My six bodyguards immediately move in around me.
What the hell happened here...?!
The alley is littered with lycan corpses — and a few human ones too.
The asphalt beneath them is completely stained red.
I barely have time to take in the scene before a savage growl erupts from the far end of the alley.
A split second later, the massive body of a black-furred lycan comes crashing to the ground right in front of us.
What the fuck...?!
Black-furred lycans are the alpha specimens of their kind.
The strongest of them all.
Even a top-tier vampire would have a hard time against one of them.
And yet, someone just brought one down.
I've got a really bad feeling about this.
From the darkness at the far end of the alley, a figure wrapped in white light emerges.
A tall, muscular man, probably in his forties, with a classic military buzz cut.
Around him glows the unmistakable white aura of a Monster Hunter.
His clenched right fist is dripping with blood — just like the jaw of the lycan lying at our feet.
Looks like I've stumbled right into the middle of a fight between the lycans and the Monster Hunters.
Better get the hell out of here before I get dragged into this mess.
I'm about to make a run for it when I suddenly stop dead the moment the lycan speaks.
"Y-You... damn you, John Hayes... you'll pay for this...! N-No one gets away with killing my comrades!"
John Hayes...?! Of course, the traitor Emily told me about yesterday!
And that's not all... that's Lars Nightclaw's voice!
He has to be talking about the seven members of the Nightclaw clan who were found dead in Hunts Point.
Which means... that man must also be behind the deaths of our five men!
Perfect.
A sword of solid blood forms in my hand.
"Young Master Bloodshade, what are you planning to do?" one of the bodyguards asks in alarm.
He's probably more worried about how Anastasia would react than about my safety if they brought me home badly injured.
But I don't care.
The source of all my problems is right in front of me, and I'm taking him down right here and now!
I slip past the bodyguards and immediately charge John Hayes head-on.
Definitely not the smartest move.
But it's the only thing I could think of.
His massive fist comes straight for my head.
I block it with the flat of my blade.
I'm already ready to counterattack.
But—
CRACK.
A deep crack runs across my sword.
It holds together, but one more hit like that would shatter it.
Making another one wouldn't be a problem. In fact, that's not why I immediately back away.
To damage a blood weapon with a single punch, that Monster Hunter has to be insanely strong.
Far more than Emily.
The moment I spring backward, John charges after me, but the six bodyguards immediately step in.
Two move between us, while the others attack him from above and from the sides.
At the same time, Lars gets back to his feet.
He looks badly beaten, yet he clearly has no intention of backing down.
"What the hell are you trying to do, Lars? Get yourself killed?"
"The only one who's dying now... is that bastard!"
He crouches on his hind legs and launches himself at John.
The razor-sharp claws of his forelegs gleam in the moonlight as they come crashing down on him.
With a single movement, John avoids both Lars's swipe and the attacks of two of my bodyguards.
A moment later, his massive fist drives into the lycan's abdomen hard enough to make him cough up blood.
At the same time, he swings his left arm out and hits the two vampires as well.
All three of them hit the ground, writhing in pain.
John, instead, has suffered only a few minor wounds and shallow cuts since the fight began.
Emily wasn't exaggerating... that guy really is terrifyingly strong.
Now I understand why even the Monster Hunters themselves are trying to stop him.
Fuck... I can't just stand here and watch my men get slaughtered one by one!
I'm about to charge John, but he seems to read my mind and beats me to it.
He breaks away from his attackers and rockets toward me like a white meteor.
Damn it, I have to use it again...
His deadly blow is inches away from smashing my skull apart when the two arms of red energy burst from my back.
The first catches John's punch. The second lashes out at him.
But despite the speed of my extra limbs, that damn Monster Hunter still manages to dodge them and come out completely unscathed.
The same can't be said for me.
The strain of keeping that mysterious power active is already damn near unbearable under normal circumstances.
As if that weren't enough, I'm still sore from Viktor's brutal training sessions.
On top of that, I haven't even had a chance to recover my strength with human blood yet.
All of that combined forces me to shut the power down almost immediately.
John takes a few steps back.
A nervous smile of surprise crosses his face.
"In more than twenty years as a Monster Hunter, I've never seen anything like that. I didn't think anything could still surprise me at my age."
Meanwhile, Lars gets back to his feet once again.
He keeps one paw pressed tightly against his stomach, blood dripping from his jaws.
Four of my men also get back into a fighting stance.
The other two remain motionless on the ground.
I fear the worst...
"Lycan. Vampires. Your days are numbered! This city will be mine soon. Mark my words!"
A moment later, he disappears into the darkness of the alley.
Lars immediately tries to chase after him, but his legs give out from the pain and exhaustion.
My four bodyguards, meanwhile, rush to help their fallen comrades.
Two bite into their necks in an attempt to give them a blood transfusion, while the other two take off like bullets.
They return a few seconds later carrying the bodies of four humans who had been nearby.
Probably drawn by the noise of the fight.
But by then, there's nothing they can do.
Their wounds are too severe, and they've lost too much blood.
Shit... shit!
One way or another, I'm going to wipe that bastard off the face of the Earth!
Even if it's the last thing I do!