Manhattan, 10:30 a.m.
Safe atop a skyscraper, carried there by Zaira, Officer Tomson can’t take his eyes off the carnage unfolding in the streets.
Hundreds of n and won in tight blue uniforms and long white cloaks fight with swords of light against the monstrosities infesting the city. It’s so absurd that he still struggles to believe it’s real and not just a nightmare.
But more than the primordial vampires themselves, what horrifies him most is this: so of those creatures are completely naked, while others still wear clothes, now reduced to blood-soaked rags. So in casual outfits, so in elegant suits, so even in pajamas. Others in firefighter uniforms, nurse uniforms, or NYPD uniforms — the very sa one he’s wearing.
And realizing that so of those creatures were once his friends and colleagues breaks him, making him burst into tears of despair.
But as he watches in horror, the skyscraper begins to shake dangerously.
Not just the one he’s on — every skyscraper in sight is shaken as if by a sudden earthquake.
The streets crack open, and both the Monster Slayers and the primordial vampires stagger.
But this is not a cataclysm caused by nature.
◇◇◇
Bronx, 10:30 a.m.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
With a battle cry, Levreeshka and Isabelle charge at each other. Fist against fist.
The impact is so devastating it shakes all of New York, triggering violent earthquakes for miles. But despite the shockwave bursting from the clash of their blows, neither of them moves an inch.
Isabelle allows herself a faint, satisfied smile.
"You’ve really gotten stronger, Levreeshka — you wouldn’t have taken a hit like that before."
"I don’t give a fuck about your empty complints — shut that damn mouth, bitch!"
Driven beyond her limits by rage and the urge for revenge, Levreeshka catches Isabelle off guard with a violent kick to the ankle, throwing her off balance.
Isabelle plants her foot and stops herself, deflecting a punch to her face with her forearm. In the sa motion, she counters with a lightning-fast slash, but... crack!
Levreeshka intercepts the blade and shatters it with a sharp strike of her knuckles against the flat. She imdiately follows up with a powerful punch to the stomach that sends Isabelle flying.
But even before she has ti to regain her balance, Levreeshka is already on her. It’s a constant exchange of incredibly powerful blows and perfectly tid parries as the two vampires, wrapped in a crushing aura of energy, dart across the battlefield.
Chris watches the fight in stunned disbelief — or at least, he tries. They move so fast he can only see two red bolts colliding and separating, leaving behind deep craters and violent shockwaves.
Finally, after one last thunderous boom, they plunge to the ground like red teors, crashing in opposite directions several ters apart.
Two deep craters open in the ground as a dense cloud of dust rises, engulfing the entire area.
Chris is forced to hold his breath for a few monts and keep his eyes tightly shut. When he opens them again, an unusual stillness settles over the battlefield.
Both won rise where he saw the two red cot-like figures crash. They’re both badly injured, fractures, wounds and bruises marring their half-naked bodies — most of their clothes torn apart by the blows they’ve taken.
But while Isabelle’s injuries fully regenerate in an instant, the sa isn’t true for Levreeshka.
By now, she’s exhausted even that last burst of energy she managed to draw from her pride and her desire for revenge. Of the swirling scarlet storm that once enveloped her, not even a faint breeze remains.
She can barely stay on her feet now, and sharp waves of pain tear through every muscle. She pushed herself far beyond her limits, and now she’s paying the price.
Isabelle looks at her with compassion and pride — the sa look a parent would give their child after they’ve failed despite giving it everything they had.
"S-Stop looking at with those pitying eyes! I’m a general of the Scarlet Army, not a wounded puppy!" Levreeshka snarls, her breath ragged from exhaustion.
"Yeah... general of the Scarlet Army. Back then, I really thought making you my successor was the right choice. But in hindsight, it was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made."
"Eleven years. It took you eleven fucking years to finally admit your faults!"
As she speaks, Levreeshka steps back cautiously, one step at a ti. She makes it look like the unsteady staggering of soone who can barely stay on her feet, so Isabelle won’t suspect anything.
"And now that you’ve admitted it yourself, I demand an apology! You ruined my life, Isabelle! I was so young, so inexperienced... and you dumped responsibilities on I couldn’t handle! Eleven years of disrespect from everyone is too much to bear! Apologize. Now!"
All the while, she keeps staggering backward.
"You really are a fool, Levreeshka. Look around you. The greatest city in this world, reduced to rubble by the very humans who live here. You brought one of the most powerful HESPARC divisions to its knees and pushed them to harm the very people they’re ant to protect. Thousands of Monster Slayers — if I hadn’t told them — would still think there’s so mysterious virus to eradicate. Think about it... you even fooled . If I’d realized even a minute later what was happening, you would’ve won. And you did all of this on your own, Levreeshka. Just with your genius and your Innatus — and guess what, those are exactly the two reasons I gave you my position eleven years ago."
"And you just said making a general was a mistake. You should make up your mind."
"The only reason I regret it is this — if you hadn’t beco a general, I wouldn’t have to kill you."
Isabelle forms a new blood sword and points it at Levreeshka. But her grip on the hilt isn’t steady — it trembles, just like the rest of her body.
Her eyes well up, and a thin tear runs down her face.
Chris and Levreeshka are stunned. Neither of them has ever seen Isabelle in tears. Truth is, they didn’t even think soone like her could cry.
Seeing her like that, despite all the hatred and resentnt, Levreeshka’s eyes start to well up too. She grits her teeth, her lips trembling as she fights to keep herself from breaking down.
"I-Isabelle... what the hell does this an?!" Levreeshka mutters, taking another step back.
"Soone like you who calls herself a genius shouldn’t ask such stupid questions! You were my dearest friend, Levreeshka! No — more than that, you were like a sister! I would’ve given my life for you, and now... now I’m the one about to take yours. Believe , this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I have no choice. And yet..."
Isabelle’s deep sobs make it hard for her to even get the words out.
"And if only you had listened to ... I told you a thousand — no, a million tis — that sooner or later you’d pay for never having an escape plan. It sounds absurd, but I kept hoping until the very end that you’d pull sothing out of your sleeve. I’m such a fool, aren’t I? I’m trying to kill you... and I’m still rooting for you. But... it’s over. You’ll always be in my heart — I promise. Goodbye, little sister."
Isabelle readies herself to strike, but a tired grin spreads across Levreeshka’s face. She takes one last step back, stopping right above a manhole.
"Since you were so eager to see pull out an escape plan, I guess you’ll love this!"
Three quick heel taps echo in rapid succession against the manhole cover.
Isabelle lunges at her, but just as she’s about to reach her, dozens of rock columns and towering walls erupt between them. She smashes through them one after another, but when she finally reaches Levreeshka, she’s gone.
The manhole cover lies pushed aside, and the hole beneath it is completely sealed with rock.
"Shit!"
Isabelle slams a powerful punch into the ground to break through the stone blocking her, but there’s more behind it.
She’s about to dive into the manhole and force her way through, but she stops at the edge.
For a mont, she completely forgets that behind her, Mia, Zaira and Brianne lie unconscious on the ground, while Chris is barely conscious.
Chasing after Levreeshka could be the worst choice she can make. For all she knows, she hasn’t really escaped — she could be lurking nearby, waiting for Isabelle to leave the four defenseless. When it cos to Levreeshka, anything is possible, and it’s a risk she’s not willing to take.
She shrugs and lets out a long, resigned sigh as her sword dissolves. Then she gives a faint, satisfied smile.
"Ah, damn it... you got again, huh? Well, whatever. Who knows — next ti we et, we’ll still be enemies... or side by side, like in the old days..."
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