Chapter-24 Mysterious Hunter

After walking away from Jason, Daemon noticed something glinting on the ground near the house it had dropped from one of the vampires that he killed before. When he picked it up, he realized it was a dark cloak, moving like a shadow and emanating a powerful Nyx energy when he touched it.

'This is quite strong,' Daemon thought to himself intrigued by the unique properties of the cloak.

He decided to use his system to examine the cloak. It was called the Whisper Shadow, and the system's analysis surprised him it belonged to the Whisper.

"How did a vampire have this... Whisper, do you have something to do with the Blood Bankers?" Daemon muttered pondering over the implications. "I will keep this for now. Maybe at some point, I could use it to get answers from him, to slowly make him open up."

Daemon then placed the Shadow Cloak into his system's inventory and continued towards the house, he was determined to explore why the vampires had attacked this particular place if not for revenge then for some other sinister purpose.

Walking into the completely dark house, Daemon strained to see anything despite his enhanced night vision, it had strong smell of fresh blood filling the air leading him to discover the brutally ripped apart bodies of a young girl, an older man, an older woman, and finally, the young boy he saw running passed the window he seemed to have been the last to be killed.

"Their bodies are ripped apart with such brutality... it seems like they were just out for fun," Daemon muttered emotionless.

"So, you're the one who led this killing" a deep, croaky voice suddenly echoed in front of Daemon, his heart skipped a beat because hadn't heard any footsteps or breathing, and as he looked up towards the voice he saw crimson red eyes piercing through the house darkness.

Before Daemon could attack or speak he felt a heavy fist slammed into his chest, sending him flying back it even caused him to crash through the house wall and landed outside, his Tenebris Lacerna preventing him from being thrown further.

'What just happened... who's so strong to punch through my Tenebris Lacerna?' Daemon thought trying to regain his bearings.

"I thought you Iron Cartel would stay away from my city," the voice continued getting closer to Daemon.

"Your city?" Daemon asked incredulously.

"Yes... I have control over half of this city, and this town belongs to me," the vampire declared confidently.

Daemon's mind raced. 'This wasn't supposed to happen. The Whisper hadn't warned him about a Blood Lord controlling this city... I assumed there were only rogue vampires roaming the area.'

"Who are you... Blood Lord? You're encroaching on our territory, and I'm here to take it back," Daemon said firmly, recognizing the role of a Blood Lord a commander responsible for specific regions or cities, enforcing directives and maintaining the Blood Bankers' influence and power.

The Blood Lord eyes glinted dangerously in the darkness. "I am Velthaneus, Blood Lord of this domain. You and your cartel have no place here."

Daemon stood before Velthaneus, who had emerged from the wreckage of the house. Velthaneus exuded an ancient power, his towering figure 6"5' and eerie appearance casting a chilling presence. His skin, deathly pale with a silvery sheen, contrasted starkly against his deep, abyssal black irises rimmed with veins of red and purple. Elongate three inch claws and razor-sharp fangs protruded from his mouth and his long, bone-white hair cascaded down his back.

All Blood Lord's attire was striking a crimson hood blended with silk and leather, a matte black mask covering the lower half of his face, and a flowing cloak adorned with gold and black embroidery. A symbolic sash bearing the insignia of the Blood Bankers wrapped around his waist, equipped with small, sharp blades. His black leather trousers and knee-high boots, all accented with crimson.

"You're here for territory; I'm here for the hunt," Velthaneus declared with a voice that resonated ominously through the night.

Daemon was unfamiliar with the concept of the hunt in vampire culture, quickly asked the system for information. 

-A vampire hunt...is A traditional practice where young vampires prove their worth by hunting dangerous prey. This serves as a rite of passage and a demonstration of their powers-

'So, the Whisper knew about this and didn't tell me why?... also If they're trying to prove their worth, then this Blood Lord must be high in their hierarchy,' Daemon deduced, a revelation dawning upon him. "So I have to kill you to regain control of the city," he declared.

Daemon raised his pistol, aiming it at Velthaneus which he scoffed in response. "You think those toys will save you, mortal?"

"Let's find out," Daemon replied coldly.

Daemon fired his pistols with precision, each shot aimed at the Blood Lord's heart. However, to Daemon's astonishment the bullets pierced Velthaneus's body without effects his wounds healed almost instantly it caused the Blood Lord laughing ominously.

"Why aren't these bullets working now?" Daemon muttered in frustration.

Velthaneus smirked, his yellow sclera glinting in the darkness. "Silver won't save you. You'll need more than that," he taunted.

Daemon's mind raced, realizing that Velthaneus's regenerative abilities far surpassed those of lesser vampires, e discarded his empty pistols assessing the situation swiftly. Facing such a formidable opponent required a different approach with a surprise attack.

At the same time Velthaneus's lunged at Daemon with supernatural speed and ferocity, each step leaving a trailing shadow, Daemon reacted by swiftly ducking under the initial swipe of the Velthaneus's claws, then countered with a powerful knee strike to the their midsection. The impact reverberated through the air, but to Daemon's dismay, Velthaneus's barely flinched.

With astonishing speed, Velthaneus's seized Daemon by the throat, effortlessly lifting him off the ground, Daemon struggled for breath landing rapid strikes to the vampire's arm with precision, but the grip around his throat remained unyielding.

"Is that all you have?" Velthaneus's sneered.

Daemon twisted his body and delivered a forceful roundhouse kick to the Velthaneus's wrist, it was an unexpected blow that broke Velthaneus's grip, and Daemon dropped to the ground, rolling away and swiftly regaining his footing in a defensive crouch.

Velthaneus's snarled in fury and charged again, unleashing a flurry of slashes with his razor-sharp claws. Daemon deftly parried and dodged, using his Tenebris Lacerna to reshape itself into cloth-like form into shields that blocked and deflected the deadly strikes, despite his defensive maneuvers, a claw swipe from Velthaneus's caught Daemon across the chest, tearing through his shirt and leaving deep gash the gushed of his blood.

Just as Daemon and Velthaneus's prepared to clash once more, a shadowy figure materialized at the Blood Lord's side with startling precision. Before either Daemon or the Blood Lord could react, the figure launched a series of swift and vicious attacks sharp slashes targeting the Velthaneus body, arms, and face, drawing blood with each strike. Then, as suddenly as they had appeared, the figure vanished and reappeared near Daemon, leaving both him and Velthaneus momentarily stunned.

Velthaneus, now visibly enraged and bleeding from multiple wounds, looked up at the mysterious figure with a mixture of fury and bewilderment. "Who the hell are you?!" he roared, his voice echoing through the night.

Daemon was taken aback by the sudden intervention, cautiously stepped back. 'Who the hell is this now... They aren't attacking me,' he thought, his mind racing because he never had any allies and no one know the real him.

The mysterious figure was clad entirely in black, revealing only dark skin, piercing blue eyes, and held a karambit knife, after Daemon spoke, the figure remained silent, they eyes focusing intently on the Velthaneus.

'Mysterious Hunter' Daemon decided to Seize the opportunity presented by the distraction caused by the mysterious hunter as they swiftly moved forward Daemon acted swiftly, he summoned his raven sword through the air, the blade materialized and flew towards him, guided by his will.

Because Velthaneus was forced to split his attention between the two of their attacking together, with the mysterious figure swiftly moving around Velthaneus attacking him before he could attack back.

 Daemon seizes the moment, ,slicing his raven sword into Velthaneus shoulder easily cutting deep and causing him to snarl in pan when he pulled it back out,

 "You will both die for this!" Velthaneus roared

Velthaneus because he was close to Daemon he swings both fists downward, aiming to crush him down by his shoulder however Daemon was able to leap out the way at the same off him with a swift, powerful slash, Daemon cuts deep into the Velthaneus back with his raven sword.

The mysterious hunter moved with blinding speed faster than Velthaneus, delivering a flurry of slashes to Velthaneus legs, arms, and torso, wounds health rapidly, but the combined assault from Daemon and the hunter kept him on the defensive, Velthaneus roared of anger and pain echo through the mill, mingling with the sound of their relentless attacks landing on his body.

After a couple moments Velthaneus movements become more desperate, his attacks wild and unfocused when he was about to reach for his side Daemon and the hunter take advantage of this, moving with a synchronized grace, Daemon landed a powerful knee to Velthaneus midsection, while the hunter slashed across his chest leaving deep bloody gashes.

Velthaneus regeneration was slowed down under the relentless attacks, Daemon and the hunter switch tactics, focusing on disabling Velthaneus limbs, by Daemon delivering a slash cutting off Velthaneus hands from the elbow, while the hunter sliced through the tendons in his knee, forcing him to collapse.

 "This... this can't be..." Velthaneus said.

With the blood lord weakened and unable to fight back effectively, Daemon and the figure deliver the final blows, Daemon grabbed Velthaneus, slamming it into a metal pillar, and the hunter drives the karambit knife into Velthaneus heart, which caused him to let out a final agonized scream before disintegrating into ash.

Daemon still standing after Velthaneus, his chest heaving with exertion looking at the mysterious hunter.

Daemon his breath ragged managed to utter, "Who are you?"

"A friend, for now. We share a common enemy," the hunter replied cryptically.

Daemon though still wary sensed an underlying truth in the hunter's words. Despite their abrupt and unexpected assistance.

"I suppose I should thank you," Daemon said cautiously.

"Save it. We have more work to do," the figure responded.

"What do you mean?" Daemon pressed the hunter.

"In the Blood Bankers clan, there is an ancient evil awakening something more dangerous than the vampires," the mysterious hunter revealed.

Before Daemon could delve deeper into his questions or learn more about this new threat, the Hunter vanished into the shadows with an unsettling ease, leaving Daemon alone with his thoughts and a sense of urgency.

"One less monster on my path," Daemon whispered to himself.