The moon shone brightly in the dark sky, adorned with thousands of stars and distant lights.
Under its light, shadows swallowed the forest while thin rays slipped through the orange leaves.
Farther away, the ruins of a city added their own dark pillars to the landscape.
Deeper within the forest, an owl rested on a branch, searching for prey in the darkness below.
However, sensing a terrifying presence, it let out a hoo-hoo before retreating into the hollow of its tree.
Moments later, a humanoid figure rushed past the tree at high speed, followed by several shadows.
Dodging thick branches, rocks, and fallen trunks, the figure did not look back even once.
Even so, when one of the shadows caught up to him, he effortlessly avoided a strike aimed at his head.
Soon after, he burst into a clearing, bathed in moonlight.
Reaching the center of the clearing, the figure stopped and turned toward the place he had come from.
With a heavy jacket covering half of his face, his serpent-like eyes calmly watched the trees as he readied himself, a long knife held in his hand.
After a moment, as his eyes scanned different points along the treeline, something emerged from the forest shadows, laughing.
"Well? Tired of running, little rat?"
He simply ignored him, his mind racing as he planned his next moves.
|Kris POV|
How the hell did I end up in a situation like this…?
I was just walking through the forest.
Yeah, I know wandering around the woods at night is stupid, but how was I supposed to guess I'd get ambushed by these… creatures?
Well… that's not the real problem.
They're fast.
Faster than me.
If I had stayed in the forest, I would've been at a disadvantage.
But now… I'm surrounded.
I tried to figure out what they were by their shape and color, but they're unlike anything I've seen before.
Their shape is human, but their color is darker.
That makes them harder to detect with my infrared vision.
When the creature finally stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight fell over it, allowing me to see its appearance.
Pale skin, bluish eyes almost devoid of life, no nose, and fangs so sharp they protruded past its lips.
It's the first time I've ever seen something like this.
This reminds me of something…
A… vampire?
If I remember correctly, that was a creature from old fantasy stories.
So they actually exist?
How do you kill one? A stake through the heart?
All I have is this knife… it'll have to do.
And besides this one, there are still five of them hidden among the trees.
"Hey, freak."
The vampire in front of me said in a mocking tone.
"It's the first time I've seen something like you. What the hell gave birth to you, huh?"
What an asshole.
Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror, idiot?
Ah.
Then again… I guess you probably don't even have a reflection, right?
Guess I'll help you out then.
"Funny coming from the ugliest thing I've ever seen. And trust me—something has to be really below average to make that list."
Hearing my remark—which was completely true—laughter suddenly cut through the tension.
"Haha! He got you there!"
The vampire in the clearing, already grinding his teeth, snapped back.
"Shut up, idiot!"
Then he turned toward me, practically foaming at the mouth—disgusting.
"Ah, now I'm pissed. I'm really curious to know what something like you tastes like."
I simply raised my hand and lifted my middle finger.
"Try your luck, trash."
|3rd POV|
Having had enough, the vampire laughed irritably and put all his strength into his legs.
In a single burst, he launched himself forward, rushing toward Kris at high speed.
Idiot.
Kris thought, already dismissing the move.
Then, with a slight crouch, he used the vampire's momentum against him, driving his knife straight into his chest.
"Urgh."
He groaned in pain, arching his body.
The vampire hadn't died from that alone.
Hssss—
Yet steam kept leaking from the wound where the knife had pierced him.
As expected… I can't kill him without a stake. But what's this?
Then a quick idea formed in his mind. Kris ripped the knife out in a motion meant to maximize the pain.
Immediately afterward, giving him no time to react, he drove the blade back into the same spot in rapid succession.
Then, with one final stab, the vampire collapsed to the ground, motionless. His body slowly turned to dust.
After witnessing the brutal death of their companion, the other vampires merely kept laughing.
"Idiot. Didn't even think the knife might be silver."
Hearing that, Kris kept watching the body crumble as he thought, almost gratefully.
Silver, huh? Thanks for the tip.
"Alright, my turn now!"
"What do you mean your turn? It's my turn, asshole."
"The hell are you talking about, you piece of shit?"
"You'll see what I'm talking about!"
They argued like that for a moment.
Meanwhile, Kris was already working out ways to maximize his attacks.
Alright… five left. It took six stabs to kill one.
They're arrogant—easy to use that against them. But if more than one comes at me at the same time, things will get complicated.
"Alright, fuck it. Let's both go then."
One of the vampires finally said.
"Both of you…?"
However, they were interrupted by Kris' voice, dripping with mockery.
"You were calling me a little rat just a moment ago, and now you're coming at me two at a time?"
Then he gave a scornful smile.
"Pussies."
"What the hell did you—"
He was cut off by the vampire he'd been arguing with earlier, who suddenly launched himself toward Kris in a violent burst.
His eyes were wide open, staring at him with a mixture of deep hatred and contempt.
"Wait, you id—"
In a single instant, Kris pivoted to the side, slipping past him as he drove the knife toward the vampire's temple.
"Ghr."
Feeling the blade pierce into his brain, the vampire staggered, completely disoriented.
Kris immediately forced him to the ground, pressing the knife deeper. Then he ripped it out and stabbed him repeatedly, before being knocked away by an open-handed blow from the vampire who had spoken earlier.
"Are you stupid? He was already expecting an attack like that."
He said, looking at his "companion" with clear contempt, the other one twitching on the ground beside him.
"Ruat? Y zon rear u."
"Ugh, shut up. That's disgusting."
The others simply laughed again as he took a stance with his hands open.
Kris, after recovering from being thrown back, steadied himself while checking his knife.
I don't think this thing will last much longer… I need to think of something.
Then he turned his eyes toward the vampire lying on the ground.
Damaging the brain doesn't kill them, but it does incapacitate them. I don't think silver is necessary to hurt them—maybe it just slows their regeneration.
Which means… all I need to do is completely destroy their vital points.
Then he finally turned his attention back to the vampire from before.
An open-handed stance… Considering those claws, he's the type that relies on the speed and toughness of his own body to attack.
He won't charge in blindly like the last two. I won't win this one so easily in close combat.
Alright… time to test a theory I've been thinking about.
With his plan finally formed, Kris flashed the vampire a mocking grin.
"Had to help your little friend back there? In the end you really are a bunch of cowards."
The vampire only gave him a disgusted smile.
"Shut up, you piece of shit. You got lucky killing one of us and now you think you're hot stuff?"
Kris answered only with a motion of his index finger, beckoning him forward with the same mocking smile on his face.
The vampire, in a controlled burst, rushed toward him at high speed.
One of his hands shot toward Kris's face like a spear.
Lowering his head, the hand passed through his hair.
Right after, he tried to slide his knife toward the vampire's abdomen.
Sensing the attack, the vampire sprang back with a quick burst, then immediately swung his hand in a hooking strike.
But the hook struck nothing but air as Kris lowered himself even further.
Using his arms to support his body, he kicked his legs forward, aiming for the vampire's knees.
However, still having the advantage in agility, the vampire avoided the strike with a quick leap.
Before Kris could get back on his feet, the vampire drove a kick into his chest, sending him flying backward.
"Fuck…" he muttered, feeling the impact.
Getting back to his feet with a slight stagger, he turned his gaze toward the vampire, who hadn't even bothered to raise his guard while the others kept laughing.
His eyes, filled with complete boredom, fell on Kris.
"You're getting your ass kicked. What happened to all that big talk, huh?"
The provocation was met with silence.
"Oh? Cat got your tongue?"
Meanwhile, Kris closed his eyes.
They're stronger than they look… I'm at a complete disadvantage…
Of course…
That is—unless my theory is wrong.
The vampire smiled with satisfaction when he saw Kris with his eyes closed.
"So you finally realized how weak you are? Everyone figures that out after taking a few hits, haha."
"Nah."
The smile faded from his face.
"It's just that you're so weak… I can beat you with my eyes closed."
The vampire stood still for a few seconds, his face filled with complete confusion.
Then his teeth began to grind, his eyes wide open as veins pulsed across his face.
"I'm going to tear you apart."
In a sudden burst, he closed the distance in an instant, his hand already poised to pierce Kris's chest.
Only for Kris to open his eyes.
And, in a single movement—far faster than before—he slipped past the attack while driving his knife toward the vampire's neck.
The vampire reacted, but unable to move in time, could only watch the blade rushing toward his neck.
He got faster? What the fu—
Then the knife pierced his throat.
Driving the blade through, Kris tore the blade across the vampire's neck, ripping his head off.
The vampire's head flew through the air as both it and the body began to crumble into dust.
Just as expected, he thought, keeping his attention on the other vampires, who had finally fallen silent after witnessing the sudden turn of events.
In my original form, I can manipulate my body to increase my speed. I simply applied the same principle to this form—adjusting it to enhance my physical attributes.
Alright, nex—
He was cut off by a sudden attack and a burst of laughter.
"Well, look who's back!"
The vampire who had been incapacitated had finally finished regenerating.
Kris absorbed the blow with his knife.
"Not finished yet!"
Without pausing for a second, the vampire unleashed a flurry of strikes against the blade.
Crack.
The knife split in two.
"Haha! What are you going to do now?"
He mocked as fragments of the knife spun through the air, glinting under the moonlight.
But Kris remained calm.
Exhale.
In a single motion, he caught the broken piece of the blade midair, the edge slicing lightly into his palm.
"Hu— Urgh!"
Then he drove it straight into the vampire's heart.
"Fuck!"
The vampire shouted as he reached for it to pull it out.
But Kris was already in the air.
With a flying kick, he drove the shard even deeper into the vampire's chest.
"Aaaaargh!"
The vampire screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground.
"Shit! Shit!"
He shouted while desperately clawing at the spot where the blade had entered, his body already withering while steam poured from the wound.
"RAAAaa—"
His scream suddenly cut off.
Now completely still, his body began to crumble as it entered the familiar process of decomposition.
Meanwhile, Kris had already returned to the center of the clearing.
Three left… but now I'm without a weapon.
He turned his eyes toward the places where the remaining vampires were hidden.
Before, their laughter had filled the entire clearing, treating their "prey" with complete disregard.
Now, silence ruled the place.
I doubt they'll keep trying to fight me one at a time. Maybe I should run… it's the logical thing to do.
But then he remembered something he had written down.
"Which makes me wonder… am I truly using this body to its full potential?"
…
Heh… I still have a theory.
I might die for this, damn it.
After his monologue ended, the vampires began to move.
And just as he expected, the three of them stepped out at once.
"So now it's three at the same time? I didn't know I was that good."
One of the vampires merely scowled.
"We're not falling for that again. Do you think we're idiots?"
"Yeah. I do."
"Tch. Asshole."
Then they began to surround him, moving slowly around him.
While he kept watching each of them, waiting for the first attack.
You know what? Why wait for them to strike first?
In a sudden burst, he lunged at one of the vampires.
"Huh?"
Not expecting the sudden attack, the vampire took a punch straight to the stomach, doubling over.
Before he could react, he felt a weight on his chest. Opening his eyes, he found the humanoid standing on him, using his fangs for leverage.
"What happens if I pull these out, huh?"
Then, bracing his legs and arms in opposite directions, he ripped the vampire's fangs out.
The creature screamed in pain as blood burst from his mouth before he was thrown to the ground.
The other vampires were already rushing in at full speed, but one of them was struck in the eye by one of the fangs.
The last vampire lunged at Kris with an open-handed strike, but Kris slipped past the attack and drove the remaining fang into his chest.
Lowering his guard for a moment, Kris failed to notice the fangless vampire coming up behind him and grabbing him.
But with an elbow to the jaw, the vampire released him, dazed.
Still, it delayed him long enough for the vampire with the fang lodged in his chest to grab him as well.
Before Kris could break free, the dazed vampire recovered and seized his legs, throwing him off balance.
Shit.
"Go on! Bite this bastard!"
One of the vampires shouted to the one with the fang in his eye, who had already torn it out.
Bite me?
In a single instant, the vampire moved—yanking the hood of Kris's jacket down as he brought his fangs toward his neck.
Then they sank into his neck, under Kris's wide-eyed stare.
…
But Kris only smiled.
Idiot.
The vampire who bit him expected to taste the delicious metallic flavor of blood.
Instead, he felt pain.
An unbearable pain.
Before he could even scream, something burned inside him, destroying his vocal cords completely.
The other vampires could only watch in horror as he burned from the inside out, tearing apart as it happened.
Taking advantage of the moment, Kris returned to his original form, then immediately reshaped himself again—ripping the fang from the vampire's chest and driving it into his neck before kicking him away.
The last vampire, briefly recovering from his shock, lunged straight at Kris's back—only to be met with a kick to the face as Kris twisted his torso and struck.
Then he stood still for a few moments, his sharp pupils staring down at the vampire as a faint smile spread across his face.
The vampire, recovering from the kick, was sweating from head to toe as he stared back into those eyes.
"What the hell are you? You damned monster."
Kris only let out a scornful laugh.
"You're not so different yourself, you know?"
"Tch."
He scowled—then smiled.
"Hm? What are you smiling about?"
The moment he asked that, his arm shot backward like a spear, piercing the heart of the vampire that had been sneaking up behind him. Kris then turned to face him.
"Is that why?"
Cough.
The vampire coughed, staring in terror at the arm—now stretched in an unnatural way, covered in greenish cracks.
"W-what the hell…"
The other one muttered as he got up and pushed off the ground, trying to flee.
But he stopped.
His body suddenly felt far too heavy.
D-damn it… why can't I run?
Then he looked down.
Another arm—just like the other—was piercing straight through his chest.
"S-sh—"
Then he retracted his arms.
The bodies of both vampires hit the ground with a heavy thud before beginning to crumble into ash.
Checking his hands, he saw they had returned to their normal appearance—still marked by the familiar cracks.
That was easier than I thought…
I guess stretching is easier than keeping everything together.
Unfortunately, the more I stretch, the weaker the shell becomes.
He finished the thought somewhat dejectedly, before lifting his head again in contemplation.
But this is probably just the basics. My human form is far more complex.
So I should be able to manipulate this body on far more intricate levels.
Then he brought a hand to his neck, where the fang wounds were still open, a greenish fluid slowly leaking out.
Oh, right. I still need to test that regeneration theory.
Closing his eyes in concentration, he directed his energy toward the wounds.
When he felt something change, he opened them again.
The two punctures were slowly sealing shut, faint green flashes flickering beneath the surface.
Witnessing—and feeling—the process, he brought a hand to his mouth, adopting a thoughtful expression as he observed the reconstruction and considered whether it was reproducible.
Right… my interior is basically liquid, so the concept is probably just rebuilding the shell.
Which means the energy cost is minimal.
But then dizziness washed over him and he dropped to one knee.
The attribute boost, though… that's expensive.
I'm feeling the backlash now.
Then he rose with some difficulty before walking toward his clothes.
After dressing and pulling the hood over his head, he stepped into the shadows of the trees, heading back toward the ruins from before.
As he moved through the forest, his gaze wandered among the trees and their orange leaves.
Stepping lightly over the dry foliage, the crisp sound beneath his feet broke the silence of the woods.
Sigh.
With that quiet breath, his mind finally began to relax.
After some time walking in silence, the path grew shorter, opening once more to the moonlight—and to the sight of the city.
He descended toward the ruins, stepping into its cracked, moss-covered streets.
As always, his mind wandered through distant thoughts.
Dum. Dum.
But as he walked, his thoughts were pulled from their drift by the sound of notes.
Notes so deep—yet strangely lonely.
That sound… it's familiar.
But while his mind struggled to remember, his body had already reacted.
He rushed toward the sound, slipping between abandoned cars and peeking over them cautiously.
There, he saw a girl sitting with her back turned, perched on the hood of a car, playing to a small fire burning in front of her.
Her voice carried a quiet melancholy as it blended with the sound of her instrument, forming a beautiful image beneath the moonlight shining over her.
Kris could only watch, somewhat mesmerized.
Suddenly, she stopped.
Standing up, she turned toward him with a teasing smile.
"So… you planning to pay for the show?"
"I didn't know I had a fan~"
"Ah—"
I was so distracted I didn't even hide properly.
When she turned around, it allowed him to see her clearly.
Grayish skin, black hair, and pointed ears.
Could it be…?
"Sorry for watching you like that."
"You're… Marceline?"
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Author's Note:
Thanks for reading!
Writing this chapter was really fun, and I feel like I'm getting better at fight scenes.
I'd love to hear what you all thought about the battle—
and about the first encounter with a certain musician.
Also, next week we'll finally be entering a new arc.
See you all next week!
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