The Prelude

[JUNE 18XX]

"Leon." The communication device inside Leon's pocket buzzed, a crackling sound muffled by the fabric of his coat. "I can't find the runner." There was a click, and he could hear ruffling from the other side of the line.

"Bastard!" The vampire in front of Leon cursed at him, razor-sharp teeth bared, crimson eyes wide with anger. He lunged at Leon with lightning speed, his claws making a sharp sound in the air.

With a swift sidestep, Leon dodged the vampire's frenzied attack. His pale blonde hair was swept by the summer winds as he distanced himself from the vampire.

"I'm busy, Liv," he replied to the device.

Another static sound grated in his ears. "Shit. How many are there?"

Leon's sharp eyes scanned his surrounding areas; ashen remains of other vampires were scattered about, with only one left that he was fighting with.

His lips curled into a thin line. "One."

"Hah?! Then help me?!" Liv's annoyed tone rang in his device. "I can't see shit."

Before Leon could respond, the vampire lunged again. His movements were erratic, consumed by madness as he snapped his jaws towards Leon.

Leon struck the vampire with a swift kick. His opponent staggered back, a grunt escaping his lips. This vampire was more impressive than others, despite their coven only being a few years old; his skills were more refined.

"Y-You killed our entire coven!" The vampire snarled. "And that woman companion of yours! My sire will kill her! She will die! She will!"

Leon's eyes narrowed at the vampire's taunt, his gloved hand already unsheathing his silver dagger. "Oh, you're lucky that I ran out of silver bullets. If I didn't, I would have shot that noisy head of yours."

With lethal grace, Leon lunged at the vampire. His opponent's claws continued to slash through the darkness, trying to parry each of Leon's strikes.

Leon heaved a deep breath as he dodged another attack from the vampire; this time, he was able to strike down the vampire with his fist.

The force of the impact pushed the vampire down to the cobblestone ground with a loud 'thud'. Leon's expression shifted for a second before he struck the final blow.

The silver dagger pierced through the vampire's heart. A guttural howl of pain echoed in the air before the vampire slowly crumbled into ash.

Leon kneeled on the ground, his chest heaving as he immediately sheathed his dagger back into his coat. He was not fond of having the silver blade out and about.

"Liv?" he focused his attention back on his communication device. "Olivia."

There was no response.

A sense of dread suddenly replaced the second of relief that he felt. With a sense of urgency, he sprinted to the higher parts of the forest.

The cobblestone roads stopped, replaced by dirt as the trees became more prominent.

How could they find Olivia's location?

Leon made sure that all attention was on him.

But before he could reach his friend's camping spot, a sudden force knocked him down to the ground. The impact was painful, driving the air out of his lungs.

"AUGH-" He groaned as he tried to struggle to his feet, his senses screaming at him. A shadowy figure was on top of him, its weight fully pinning him down on the ground.

The coven's sire. Its leader.

The vampire was an older-looking man, with black hair and glowing red eyes that loomed over Leon.

"You~" The vampire's lips curled into a sarcastic smile, dragging out his words. "You nuisance! Killing my family." he hissed at Leon.

Family; there was a cruel irony in that word.

Vampires were predators who only sought destruction and power. They did not see time as their enemy, for they were eternal creatures that ignored the advances of time.

However, the solitude and loneliness that came with eternity were replaced by them only seeking the company of their own blood.

Thus, they formed covens. A twisted form of familial bond.

Vampires who were superior based on their age, lineage, and power led the covens, making progenies with whom they saw fit.

Leon's chest heaved as he thrust his knee upward, trying to knock the vampire away from him. Instead, he was met with the vampire's claws piercing through his leg.

"No. You won't run away from me." The vampire leaned closer to Leon. "I'll make sure that your death will be slow, I'll avenge my family."

"F-Family?" Leon retorted, not even looking at the deep wound on his leg. This could heal easily, but the torn uniform could be harder to explain.

"Dirty hunters always ruining everything for us."

"Well, if you didn't kill innocent people and treated them like cattle, maybe we wouldn't have destroyed your coven." Leon's words were filled with sarcasm; he had to buy time for Olivia.

"You!" Another stab, this time on his other leg. Now, Leon was pinned on the ground with the vampire's claws embedded in both of his legs, reaching his bones.

The pain was bearable, not as bad as silver would injure him. Or maybe he was desensitized to these types of wounds. He had been relying a lot on his regeneration during these past missions.

"T-Tori will surely scold me." He muttered under his breath.

The vampire heard him as he glared furiously at Leon. "You are not taking this seriously, hunter!" He glowered. Leon clenched his teeth as he suppressed a pain hiss; he could feel his bones cracking under the vampire's force.

"I'll end your life." The vampire grabbed him by his collar, lifting him into the air.

Leon's blood splattered across the ground when the vampire pulled his sharp claws out of his flesh. "Your blood is not even worth my time."

With a swift motion, the vampire's claws pierced through his chest. As crimson pooled on the fabric of his clothes, the claws retracted back, leaving multiple gaping holes in his chest.

The vampire sneered at the sight.

Blood filled Leon's mouth as he spat out the liquid, the red dripping from his lips. His vision dimmed, and he could feel his ears ringing-

Then, like a tapestry, the wounds on his body quickly closed. Muscle by muscle, layer by layer, like silk being woven.

"Y-you...are..." the vampire's words shook as he watched Leon, his grip not loosening. "W-why..."

Leon's eyes snapped open, revealing icy pools of silver. The hue was different; it looked almost transparent, like a mirror that reflected everything in front of it.

It shone ominously under the moonlight.

"N-No...you...are..." The vampire gasped out. "N-No... I-I'm... I'm sorry..."

But his apologies went deaf in Leon's ears; his dagger was already unsheathed before he sliced the vampire's head off his neck.

Leon stepped gracefully back onto the ground, watching his opponent's lifeless body crumble into ash after he had pierced the dagger directly into the vampire's heart.

He stood there for a moment, his silver eyes flickering with emotion, his face a reflection of someone accustomed to the brutality of being a hunter.

Leon staggered forward as he ran towards Olivia's location; his partner was concealed among the trees.

"Leon!" Olivia's voice called out to him, and he could barely let out a sigh of relief when he saw the woman standing a few meters away from him.

"Thank god you're fine," he whispered, his voice stained with exhaustion. Olivia rushed over to him, her dark green eyes tinted with concern as she whistled, "Whoa~ You look like you've been through hell," she commented.

"I've been through worse."

Olivia scanned him and gave him a sour look. "Not your clothes," she remarked. "Any injuries?"

Leon managed a weak smile. "Who do you think I am?" The lie felt heavy in his throat; his body had long healed, mortal wounds did not affect him at all.

"Your clothes and the blood-"

"Not mine."

Olivia's expression remained the same. "...Huh."

"Make it a habit to respond, Liv," Leon reminded her.

Olivia scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. "My apologies, I was cleaning up my equipment," she excused. Leon's eyes darted to the scene behind him, finding that her sniper rifle had already been returned to its case.

Still, Olivia remained prepared, and Leon noticed her dual pistols were already loaded. She was preparing in case she had to fight vampires from a closer range.

Leon sighed and playfully flicked Olivia's forehead. "I was scared for a moment."

Olivia rubbed her forehead, a small pout on her lips. "Hey! It takes time to clean up properly, you know."

Leon chuckled, warmth reflecting in his silver eyes. "Admit it, you rely too much on me."

Olivia snorted. "Arrogant prick." She then turned to pick up her rifle; the weight of her weapon did not seem to affect her at all.

"We should go back to town; Ryu is probably waiting for us there."

Leon's eyes sparkled at Olivia's words as he nodded his head. "Oh dear, he's back already."

"A shame."

"Yeah."

***

[YEAR 18XX]

[ORDER OF THE SILVER CROSS]

[CONFIDENTIAL FILE]

[CLASSIFIED - LEVEL 8 CLEARANCE REQUIRED]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

FULL NAME: Olivia "Liv" Whitaker

DATE OF BIRTH: May 2 18XX

BLOOD TYPE: -A

AGE: 25

HEIGHT: 5'5 ft

HAIR COLOR: Brown

EYE COLOR: Dark Green

BACKGROUND:

Limited information is available about her early life. She joined the training academy at a relatively young age. Proved herself to excel in long-rage combat amongst her peers, a prodigy when holding a gun.

TRAINING AND ASSIGNMENTS:

The second member of Special Unit 2; assigned as the team's sharpshooter.

Trained at the academy when she was twelve years old. Exceptional skills with sniper rifles, one of the most reliable snipers in the field. Adapts quickly to situations and possesses a keen tactical mind.

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