The Most Merciless Hunter

~Fender~

Moonlight Hills at night, the town seemed more quiet than the previous nights, but not the big and lone mansion near the edge of the forest. The lamps shone brightly inside, as if they competed against how bright the moon shone above. The sound of dance music and laughter beat each other along in harmony. Happiness and cheerfulness filled the air in the house. That all night party made those teenagers forgot about everything. All they wanted to do was getting drunk, having fun, and even having sex.

Angelica Brownwood, the party holder, is the one and only daughter of the most important person in this town, the Mayor. The Brownwood is one of the founder families of this town. There are several founder families here. One of them is Damon family, Frank’s bloodline. Those families know that the Damons are vampires. They even know about vampires’ secret life in this town. Since long ago, the Damons took a part to protect this town from any dangers. That’s why they respect those vampires who live in town and keep the secret of their life.

I, Fender Luts, walked into the party and wandered around. Standing next to me, my girlfriend holding my hand and it was kind of annoying. I had no idea why Susan Brawley, the captain of cheerleader team and the most popular girl in school suddenly made me felt bored. We’d been dating since sophomore and it seemed like I’d already gotten through it forever.

I searched my friends, whoever they were, hoping that I could blend with them and moved away my boredom about my girl. But I hadn’t seen one yet, my sport team mates and even Frank. I began to wonder where they were at that time.

I hummed for a moment and then I began to talk, “Honey, why don’t you search for your friends?”

She furrowed, “What happen with you, Fender? Don’t you want to be with me?” she got confused. Perhaps she’d already realized about my changing behavior toward her.

I hummed again and tried to find excuses, “I want to look for Frank, there’s something important I want to talk to him,” I said.

She just sighed, “Whatever you want to do," then she went away.

It felt wrong to treat her like that, but it couldn’t be help. It was probably deep in my heart that I wanted to break up with her. But I didn’t know how to say that. I told myself to figure it out later and just focused to what I wanted to do then, finding my friends. It was better if I found Frank along the way.

But when I began to walk, someone forced me to stop again. It was not that he did something to me, but I just stopped. It was him, coming with his taller and seem-noisy friend. They were just like me and Frank. But I didn’t know the other guy. He looked older than us, maybe two or three years older. I bet he was a college student because I’d never seen that face around Moonlight High.

“Hey, Ino! I’m glad that you ask me to come along with you. I miss high school party,” he said excitedly.

Ino sighed, just like Frank did when I said something with so much passion. “Don’t embarrass me here, Sergey,” he said with a low voice.

Sergey seemed didn’t care about what Ino said. He just blended in with the party and began to woo all the girls he met, even though they liked it so much since that guy was quite handsome. But he looked like a pervert to me.

I saw Ino again and remembered about what Frank said about him in the morning. That was why I suddenly felt thrilled when I saw him. His look was sharp, just like eagle which wanted to hunt its preys. And when I realized that he was looking at me, I turned away my face from him.

Never mind him, Fender, I tried to calm myself. God, he was so scary, or maybe it was because how Frank set my mind about him. What if he was another vampire? No, I believed he wasn’t. All the vampires were always pale-looking guys, and he looked like a normal and alive human. What if he was something else?

Find Frank now, Fender, I told myself. But I didn’t know where he was then.

***

~Mystery Man~

“What is that idiot doing there?” Frank saw Fender from the balcony with his eyes furrowed, but he didn’t saw him. What he just did was turning around 360 degrees, searching for someone. But Frank seemed didn’t care about what he was doing until he went inside the house and lost his chance to saw him. What he cared so much at that time were Ino Rays and his friend. He didn’t stop looking at them.

Who’s with him? I felt some kind of power from his body. But I don’t feel anything from Ino except the danger aura around him, as if it’s telling me to stay away from him. But I can’t. He’s too suspicious. I must figure out what this eerie thing I feel when I see him. I hope I can prevent anything dangerous he may cause, Frank spoke in his mind.

He then whispered and began to communicate with someone, “Walter, you see the guy who comes along with him?” he asked.

Walter, who was standing 15 meters away at the corner of the park with Sam, said yes. They kept staring at those guys just like Frank did.

“He’s not an ordinary human for sure, but I still have no idea what he really is,” Sam explained, the he continued, “But that Ino guy, I feel nothing wrong about him.”

Walter saw Frank above, “Hey, Frank, I never doubt you, but are you sure it’s necessary to spy on him like this?” he said, but from that sentence it was obvious that he doubted Frank.

“Just believe in me, Guys. Keep an eye with that other guy, I’m going to follow Ino,” Frank said. He began to move as Ino walked inside the house.

Meanwhile, Sam and Walter kept doing what Frank ordered to them, spying on that guy. He seemed didn’t notice about the two vampires who stared at him, yet. He was too busy playing and wooing with those high school girls around.

“What is his name again, Walter?” asked Sam.

“I believe Ino called him Sergey before,” Walter said, “Sam, what do you think he is? I feel a tremendous power,” he whispered.

Sam nodded and agreed, “I know. Whatever he is, don’t worry. We have Frank. He’s strong enough to overcome everything,” Sam was sure or maybe he tried to cheer them up to put away the fear they were feeling.

Sergey took two glasses of cocktail from the banquet and gave them to a pair of girls who still waiting him on the sofa near the pool. He sat between them and gave them the glasses. Those girls happily received the glasses and smiled shyly.

“So,” he started to talk, “Who wants to go with me to the real fun?” he offered.

Those girls raised their hands together. Then Sergey showed his grin. He saw at the two pale-looking guys fast and then turned his face again toward the girls. “But first, may I ask you something? Do you know who are the guys standing there, those who look so pale and sick?”

“They are Sam and Walter. They’re Frank’s best friends,” answered one of the girls, “Do you know Frank Damon? He was a national swimming champion. They’re weird, but I do like Frank. He’s cute,” she added.

Sergey hummed for a moment, “Never heard of him,” he then stood up and talked again, “By the way, it’s better to go now. Those creepy guys make me feel uneasy. Are you with me?”

Sam and Walter saw Sergey took the girls and walked outside the mansion. Their suspicion about him grew larger. They knew that Sergey noticed them, but it didn’t stop them to spy on him. Slowly but sure, they began their move.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Sam asked.

Walter shook his head, “Just follow him, Sam!” he ordered.

They saw Sergey and the girls had already passed through the gate. They could hear those girls chuckling happily with that Sergey guy. They jogged though the road and to the forest near the mansion.

Sam and Walter ran though the gate and when they hit the road, they lost track of them. Their eyes were wandering around, searching the clue where those guys went. They set their ears to the fullest, and suddenly they heard something. They heard two bodies fell to the ground. The cracking sound of dry leaves was so clear when the bodies hit them.

“To the north!” Sam whispered.

Walter nodded, “I know,” he said.

They saw their surrounding and made sure that nobody saw what they were going to do. Then they ran fast like the wind through the forest to the north. Vampire’s fast movement is very incredible. At the moment they are in front of you, a second later you won’t be able to know where they may stand. That’s what makes them dangerous, even among those supernatural beings.

Just one second, as I said earlier, they’d already stood in front of the guy who already waited for their arrival. Behind him, two girls were sleeping in a sweet dream as if they were sleeping in their comfortable bed.

“Hello, Vampires!” Sergey greeted them with the wide grin on his face.

“Tell us who you really are!” Sam ordered.

But Sergey didn’t answer him. He just raised his right hand to the right and said something odd, “Vocatus magia, scutum magnus!”

Sam and Walter’s eyes bugged out when they saw a wand with an odd shape and carving made from wood suddenly appeared in his right hand. “Sagitta magica, ignis!” Sergey pointed his wand to those vampires.

“He’s a witch!” Sam yelled.

A second later, hundreds of fires shaped like arrows were shot by Sergey’s wand, moved fast toward Sam and Walter. With their super speed, they managed to dodge that witch’s attack. But unlucky them, those fires were following like aiming rockets.

I get to hit him first, Sam talked in his mind. While still dodging those fire arrows, he managed to sneak behind Sergey’s back. But he didn’t know that Sergey had an ace in his hands.

Something was blocking his hit toward Sergey, made his body thrown away. He fell to the ground and those fire arrows still followed him wherever he went. But still, his fast movement made him able to dodge those attacks. Some of those fire arrows vanished when they hit the ground where Sam fell, but some of them were still chasing him.

“Be careful Walter! He got a great shield spell!” Sam yelled. It seemed that Walter was still busy with the fire arrows. This is going to be bad. How can I beat that bastard in this situation, Sam talked again in his mind.

Sergey raised his right hand which was still holding his wand higher. He casted another spell again, and it seemed that the spell would be ridiculously powerful.

“Cerepusculum zona!” he whispered.

Sam and Walter was tremble in fear when they saw a black hole in the middle of them appeared and tried to suck them into it. That black hole only aimed to those vampires. With the situation where they were like a dust facing a vacuum cleaner, their movement became limited. Then bang….

One point to the witch when the remaining fire arrows successfully hit those vampires, made them paralyzed and then they flew away into the hole. A moment later, they vanished, and so did the black hole.

With his wheezing breath, Sergey fell, bended on his knees. The wand he was holding suddenly disappeared. He tried to hold his weight onto his bare hands. It seemed that the last spell costed him so much energy.

“Damn! I still can’t master that spell,” he whispered, thinking that he had to use it to get to Ino soon. Some blood came out from his nose. He touched his chest. His lips were moving. He tried to cast a spell to regain his power. But it was not an easy task to have his condition back to normal. “I think I won’t use that spell for a moment,” he whispered by himself, “Sorry, Ino, just wait for me a little longer.”

***

What is he doing here, Frank asked himself. He hid behind the wood, watched Ino who were still walking alone into the forest. Ino suddenly went out from that mansion and walked into the forest by himself. Frank curiosity forced him to follow Ino whatever the consequences. He realized that it could lead him into a trap, but it didn’t stop him. It even made him eager to face the danger he felt when the first time he met that guy, although he didn’t have any idea about the danger he felt.

Frank stalked him, hiding from one wood to another wood. Meanwhile, Ino still walked slowly without turning his head even once.

Is he a normal human? Still, I don’t feel any supernatural power from him. Does he know that I stalk him from the beginning of the party, Frank wandered. He moved carefully beyond the shadow, never let go of his sight from Ino. Then Ino suddenly stopped his movement when he reached the clearings so that the moon light could freely reach the ground. Frank hid himself again behind a wood. For a moment, there was no movement between the two of them, until…

“Aren’t you tired stalking me like that?” Ino suddenly asked.

So, he knows, Frank said in his mind. He slowly revealed himself from the wood, watching Ino’s back. Ino still didn’t show any movements even just a little. They were still in their position for several seconds. Then Ino suddenly moved his right hand, reaching a very small bag which pinned behind his hip. Frank bugged out when he realized that Ino were trying to take something from his bag.

“Damn!” Frank whispered.

Without any notice, Ino began to throw something small but sharp so fast toward Frank. His hand movement was beyond any normal human capable of. Frank’s vampire super speed made him enable to dodge Ino’s sudden attacks. But Ino didn’t stop, he kept taking those sharp things from his bag and threw them to Frank. Ino seemed calm, but he was annoyed when he had to deal with a vampire.

A shuriken? Damn! He’s a hunter, Frank began to realize who Ino was. It was clear why Frank felt Ino as someone danger. Hunter’s job is hunting all dangerous supernatural being and killing them. But he still felt that this one was different.

Frank rushed fast toward Ino and tried to hit him with his vampire super strength. But he was shocked when Ino was able to hold his hand before his hit reached Ino’s face. He was even more shocked when Ino successfully threw his body until he fell to the ground.

I can’t underestimate him. He’s so strong and fast. Who is he really, Frank began to wander. Then he stood up fast, be ready before Ino launched his attacks again.

Ino seemed not to use his shuriken again. It was maybe that he tried to save his remaining shuriken or probably he already ran out of them. But he had another thing in his hand. He took something from his pants pocket. A silver flat stick about 15-cm-length looked like a knife holder. But actually, it was not a knife. Suddenly, a long sword popped out from that flat stick. It seemed shiny in the dark, reflected the moon’s light.

“Oh, God! He’s not just an ordinary hunter. He’s a slayer,” Frank murmured.

And when the word slayer crossed his mind, he began to remember of something. He realized that Ino Rays wasn’t an unfamiliar name. I’m dead now, he said in his mind. How can I forget about that name? Ino Rays, yeah…I remember now. He’s one of the strongest slayers called ‘Four-Slayer’. And Ino Rays is the most frightening one, because he’s the most merciful hunter.

Frank knew what he had to do at that time. It wasn’t better to confront Ino since it was a suicide mission. It was his fault. His power just wanted to tell him to stay away, not confronting Ino. But he was too stubborn. He then yelled, “Stop, Ino! Stop this! We don’t have to fight! This is just misunderstanding!”

But Ino didn’t hear what Frank said. He ran fast and swung his sword toward Frank. Frank dodged and spoke again, “Please, Ino, stop this!”

“Stop? I don't know what you want from me,” Ino said, and then he swung again his sword, “But I’m going to kill you, Vampire! You know I’d love to do that,” he said without any expression.

I’d better run. It’s impossible to land a hit on him since he always knows my next movement, Frank said to himself. He planned to run away. He knew how fast Ino’s movement was, Ino still wasn’t able to reach him if he ran away. Without thinking any longer, he moved his legs as fast as possible to stay away from Ino. But something happened, something as bad as he even can’t imagine. He fell to the ground after an invisible thing blocked his way and threw him back.

“What is that?” he murmured. Not far away from his location, he saw a guy showed his grin. “It’s that Sergey guy,” he said with a low voice. Then another something bad happened. Frank screamed loudly when he realized that a shuriken pierced right into his neck. He began to bleed. Shit! I can’t pull this thing, he said in his mind.

“It’s impossible to take it off, Vampire!” said Sergey. He then approached slowly, “That shuriken is imbued with magic.”

Frank then realized that Ino’s sword had already pointed to his neck as he lied down powerlessly. “Any last words, Vampire?” Ino asked.

“Spare my life, please,” Frank said. His voice was a bit hoarse, bearing the pain.

“Sorry, it’s an impossible request,” Ino said.

“I didn’t mean any harm to you or anyone. I swear! We vampires live with peace among the humans here,” Frank explained. Ino looked at Sergey, and then they began to look each other. “Don’t you forget about your rule? You only kill dangerous creatures, right? I’m not dangerous. I even stopped drinking human blood since a hundred years ago,” Frank explained further.

“What’s your name?” Ino asked.

“Frank! Frank Damon!” he said.

Suddenly, Ino furrowed. He seemed thinking about something. He pulled off his sword, “Do you have any relationship with Bernard Damon?” he asked again. Frank said that Bernard Damon was his father. Ino then nodded. He hunched and tried to pull the shuriken from Frank’s neck, “It’s going to be hurt,” he said. Once again, Frank screamed very loud. But he relieved that he’s safe from Ino’s wrath and misunderstanding.

Frank stood up, still holding his neck with his hand to prevent the bleeding to get worse. He didn’t speak a word nor move. He just stared to both guys in front of him.

“You're lucky I have to stick with that stupid rule. But make sure you all vampires don’t cause any trouble in this town because I’m going to live here. I don’t know until when,” Ino said. He then looked at Sergey, “Come one, Sergey. Let’s go!” They turned around and then walked away.

“Hey, Frank! I’m going to release your friends tomorrow. Don’t worry. I didn’t kill them,” Sergey said. He waved his right hand high up while he was walking with Ino.