[ At the same time ]
N-30's face was befuddled, her eyes wide with disbelief at the strange sight unfolding before her.
She took a tentative step back, her muscles tensing as she tried to defend herself.
With nimble fingers, she hastily loaded her next shot, her mind racing to make sense of the impossible.
'No... It is absurd. A human, no matter how formidable, should die from such a wound. Yet, he healed before my eyes. This person cannot be human...' Her thoughts raced, grappling with the inconceivable reality that stood before her.
Kleir himself was not exempt from the waves of confusion that washed over him.
Earlier, his heart skipped a beat, a surge of fear coursing through his veins as the bullet pierced his skin.
Despite his profound indifference to life, an intuitive fear of death overtook him, briefly fracturing his calm exterior.
With a pang of realization, he scolded himself for his reckless abandon.
-
'How careless I've been! I mustn't let the reckless abandon of Kleir's vampiric nature overtake my own calculated approach.
Even though my soul resides within the vessel of the real Kleir, both his body and I are still adjusting to one another.
This body is too much accustomed to death.
As much as I would like to appreciate that, I still need to be alive to complete this shitty mission.
I can not die yet.
Moreover, I cannot afford to be reckless anymore. I must capture this woman.
Information is the first and foremost way to be a step ahead in any tense situation.'
-
Kleir clutched his sword firmly, holding it sideways as he leaned forward, legs extended.
He was well aware that unleashing his full power would result in the woman being killed, which was not his intention.
Kleir readied himself for the impending confrontation by taking a long, silent breath.
Meanwhile, the woman raised her flint gun, finger poised on the trigger, ready to fire.
Kleir dashed forward at breakneck speed, pushing his blade at the flint gun in an attempt to disarm her.
'This gun is weird. it probably has some mysterious abilities which allow it to be so powerful. I need to obtain this as well!' He thought.
Kleir was in front of her before she could react, his smiling mask and flashing red eyes peering right into her astonished stare.
Caught off guard and trembling, N-30 hastily pulled the trigger in a panic, cursing under her breath, "Shit!"
Kleir averted the shot by quickly manoeuvring behind her and executing a precise slice in the air with his sword.
N-30 quickly pulled a hidden knife from the palm of her hand covering and struck Kleir's sword with force.
The thunderous clang of metal caused a strong impact that forced her back, leading her to slump onto the ground.
"F-Fuck! What kind of power is this?!" N-30 reflected, her mind racing as she attempted to equal the overpowering strength.
For Kleir, every moment was filled with bewildering surprises.
The memories provided to him by the true owner of the body now appeared to be fabricated.
"Why...?" Kleir mumbled, his voice barely heard over the din of the commotion.
N-30 gazed up, unable to hear his words, her voice shaking with a mix of dread and defiance. "What exactly did you say?!"
Kleir retreated to his initial posture, his head filled with bewilderment and frustration.
He paused for a while, trying to make sense of what was happening in front of him.
Meanwhile, N-30 caught her breath, her confusion visible as she trembled beneath the weight of doubt.
Kleir shouted out in desperation, his voice filled with sorrow and frustration. "Why... Why are you humans so weak?!"
He charged forward, unleashing an unrelenting onslaught on N-30, striking her with rapid and precise blows.
Unable to fully comprehend the situation, N-30 struggled to parry Kleir's onslaught.
Every strike posed a serious risk, knowing that a single mistake could lead to her demise.
Kleir continued to express his sadness and dissatisfaction despite his continuous attack. "Why? Was it all a lie? If that's the case, then what was the point of making me fight them? Shit! Shit!"
Kleir realised this in the midst of the furious conflict, his eyes searching the chaotic situation as he recognised his anger-driven behaviour taking hold once more.
He made a conscious effort to restore his composure and quiet his frantic emotions as he delivered strikes with his sword.
When he realised he couldn't disarm N-30 like this, Kleir took a step back to his former position, giving him a brief break to rethink his strategy.
He was well aware that unleashing his entire might would result in the woman being ripped to shreds, which was not his intention.
Kleir realised this in the midst of the furious conflict, his eyes searching the chaotic situation as he recognised his anger-driven behaviour taking hold once more.
He made a conscious effort to restore his composure and quiet his frantic emotions as he delivered strikes with his sword.
When he realised he couldn't disarm N-30 like this, Kleir took a step back to his former position, giving him a brief break to rethink his strategy.
He reminded himself
-
'I was again letting myself be controlled by that sudden anger.
I promised to trust that guy.
If humans were really weak then there was no point in that person granting me this opportunity.
There must be something. Something missing here.
But for now, I must defeat this one.
Should I use it? I was always curious about that one anyway.'
-
Magic in Nihilim was a realm where supernatural forces intertwined with individual affinities and compatibilities.
Lesser-ranked vampires were adept at dark magic while higher-ranking vampires possessed the rare ability to wield both dark and holy magic through rigorous training.
Kleir, despite his amateurish grasp of holy magic, had no other option but to employ the trick he had learned in his past.
>Bang! Bang!
N-30 unleashed a barrage of shots and lunged at him with her knife in rapid succession.
Kleir swiftly evaded the attacks, swinging his sword in response before retreating to the side. He observed the situation before pushing his final attack.
She seethed with rage, relentlessly advancing and thrusting her knives toward him, aiming for his vulnerable neck. "Who the fuck are you, you bastard? A human?!"
The knife in N-30's hand pressed menacingly against Kleir's face, but to her surprise, he caught it firmly in his fist, rendering her unable to move it even an inch.
Shock and fear washed over her as Kleir's grip tightened, his expression twisted with mockery.
"Human? You must be joking. It is you who is the human here!" His voice dripped with contempt as he let out a sly laugh.
A strange shift occurred in N-30's eyes, her gaze turned hollow and consumed by a burning fire of hatred. A twisted smile spread across her face as she chuckled unnervingly. "Haha...haha..."
Baffled by her sudden change in demeanour, Kleir questioned, "Have you gone insane?"
"No... No, kekeke, you think I'm human? After all these years? Oh, you can see through it, can't you?" Her voice dripped with bitter sarcasm.
Perplexed, Kleir retorted, "What are you talking about?"
"You feign ignorance, just like a loyal dog of the Führer!" N-30's battle cry echoed through the air as she swiftly drew a dark, slimy, yet razor-sharp sword seemingly out of thin air.
With a savage motion, she drove it deep into Kleir's belly.
Kleir recoiled from the intense pain, his mouth filled with blood.
He collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his wounded belly, trembling uncontrollably.
N-30 let out a sigh of relief, her grip tightening on the sword as she pressed it against Kleir's neck.
Her voice carried an undertone of anger as she issued her demand, "I don't know how you managed to defeat that monster, but you're coming with me now. Refuse, and you'll witness your head rolling on the ground."
A mocking chuckle escaped Kleir's lips. "Heh."
"What? You can't do anything in your current state. Even if your wound starts healing, I'll stab you again! N-32 has already called for reinforcements. You're as good as dead," she retorted confidently.
"N-32, the boy?" Kleir questioned.
"Yes! What about it?!" she snapped back.
"Hmm, by now, he must have been caught by Irene, hahaha!" Kleir jeered, laughing even as blood spilt from his mouth.
Enraged, N-30 made a small cut on his neck, a droplet of blood trickling down, and shouted in fury, "Do you truly want to die so quickly? You were alone here! Now, reveal your face. I want to see what lies behind that mask."
"Haha, if you're that curious, go ahead and see for yourself," he replied, his voice sarcastic.
Frustrated, N-30 gripped her sword tightly and swiftly swung it, slicing the smiling mask vertically.
Her face drained of colour as the broken bits of the mask fell away, her eyes twitching with panic.
A pale guy with blood trickling from a little cut on his head was what she saw.
His eyes were a terrifying crimson red, and his twisted smile showed off his two sharp fangs.
His ears resembled sharp knives, and he had a sadistic atmosphere. He blushed, as if he were a madman revelling in the mayhem.
Kleir's smile widened as his body rapidly began to heal. "Gotcha!" he muttered triumphantly.
"What...?" N-30 struggled to speak as her instincts screamed at her to flee.
"Lumière sacrée!—"