"I didn't expect your participation this late. What held you back?" El Márquez looked at Anton, who was walking alongside Akira, followed by Jack and his men.
"I was taking a shower. There are too many mosquitoes on the way, so I needed to change clothes."
The response was calm; there was nothing calmer than responding with lies.
Akira glanced at Marquez's expression; he seemed very nervous, so she said, "It's colder than I expected."
"Tell me, Mr. ShadowBane, what exactly do you kill?" El Márquez addressed Anton, who was sitting next to the man who would oversee the duel.
"Vampires, monsters you've heard of, spoken only in legends, and humans who have been possessed." Anton said as he took out a silver bullet from his pocket.
"It's said that silver kills any supernatural being, not including possessed beings that shouldn't normally be harmed. We use silver for practically everything."
Akira looked at the silver bullet in his hand but didn't say anything; even the most knowledgeable people usually don't get involved in a world they don't usually control.
Wisdom is painful; the more you know about a world over which you have little control, the more madness increases. That's why many have preferred to live in ignorance; nobody has the strength to immerse themselves in worlds where they couldn't survive.
"I wonder if anyone has had sex with a vampire. There have been many things I've always wanted to do since I was young, but all have been fulfilled. Now that I know more about your world, I wonder what wonderful things a few have done." El Márquez was rarely this type of person, but in a way, he hated Anton.
Anton, on the other hand, didn't react; he poured himself another drink and said, "It's a pity..."
"A pity?"
"I lament the fact that you haven't been tortured by a supernatural being. If you truly knew my world, you'd know that simply saying those words is a sign of bad luck. Evil deserves respect; if you offend it as you are doing, death will come to you sooner than you can imagine."
Akira knew well that death was unpredictable; everyone knew they would die someday, but few knew when. It comes uninvited, and regardless of your age, it comes swiftly.
El Márquez didn't understand this, so he said, "Certainly, you consider darkness something to be very careful of. I apologize for my lack of respect."
"Do you want to see my world?" Anton set his empty glass aside and asked Márquez in a serious tone.
"Is it different from mine?"
Anton nodded and said, "Completely. Do you know what makes my family so special to the extent that your organization adheres to our requests?"
Without waiting for Márquez to respond, Anton said, "Power, strength, authority, and will."
There are only two ShadowBanes nowadays, so Anton is very important to the whole world. Everyone knew that when the last ShadowBane died, the world would be shrouded in darkness, and all those who have never witnessed supernatural events would be spectators.
"Members of my family die very quickly because they are killed by demons. Only the most powerful beings survive and raise someone suitable for the next generation." Anton said as he looked at the tattoos on his hands.
Anton wasn't lying; they were employed in many complicated situations but focused on the most complex cases due to their great skills.
This doesn't mean they are unique; what makes them special is their connection to the supernatural. There were good shamans in the world and skilled witches, but the ShadowBanes were special because of their connection to the layers of reality.
"I prefer not to know more." El Márquez, as the explanations became increasingly profound, didn't want to hear them anymore.
Akira was very interested in Anton's world; she had studied many things, but not as deeply as she was hearing.
"Well, it seems the final event is about to begin."