Training

The holograms act accordingly to how they're programmed to be, acting like normal students and interacting with the hunters as well. The intruder is currently on the move, heading towards the second floor. With his speed, he won't be noticed by just ordinary people. Tyler and Li track him down using the cameras within the dorm. Their sensors are very sensitive, and the cameras can capture movements even at top speed.

"Hunters on the second floor, intruder incoming," Tyler informs them through the special watches every hunter has.

"Copy." A girl from room 206 slowly gets up from the bed, making no sound if possible. Her roommate is asleep, and it's better if she doesn't know anything. She moves toward the door and readies her dagger. She successfully gets out of her room and heads toward the stairs. Two girls are already waiting for the intruder. She runs to their side and finds a place to surprise the intruder with a sneak attack. They can hear footsteps that are almost faint.

"Phase 1 of the training: open your senses. Vampires can move at unimaginable speed, even feeling like a gust of wind. As hunters, you should know the difference between the two." Li finds it better to train them in actual combat while reminding them of all the lessons Carolina discussed with them. The three girls look at each other and signal one another to be more alert. Within just a few seconds, they feel a sudden gust pass by them. They follow him and call on the other hunters on the third floor.

"The intruder's going up. We lost him."

"Got that, we're on the move." Hilda resides on the third floor. She witnessed how Carl fights back against the vampires when they're attacked. She can hear the vampire getting closer. She wears night-vision goggles that Tyler upgraded, which can detect movements and locate how far they are. The intruder is just 17 meters away from her. She runs toward him as he heads up the stairs and stabs him with her dagger. The vampire blocks her attack and pushes her against the wall. She groans in pain but is still able to stand up. The other girls arrive and help her deal with the vampire.

"Phase two: observe your enemy's movements. Know when an enemy attacks."

"Yes, Miss Li." One girl slowly steps back to keep her distance from the intruder. The intruder no longer runs away but is now ready to fight. He transforms into his vampire form and attacks instantly. The girls fail to block or dodge his attack. He pulls the hair of one of the girls and tilts her head, exposing her neck. Before he can do anything to her, Hilda fires a silenced gun, hitting his back. He's obviously hurt and lets go of the girl. He suddenly stands beside Hilda and takes the gun from her hands. He chokes her, but Hilda just smiles instead of showing fear. Erica stabs the intruder's heart with a katana made of silver. The vampire loses his grip on Hilda and drops her to the floor. The others help her while Erica deepens the katana inside him until it finds its way out the other side. He grips the blade, trying to push it back, but it only causes him to bleed even more. To make sure he won't survive, Erica twists the katana before pulling it out. The intruder doesn't disappear instantly, unlike the first-generation vampires. Just like Carolina suspected, third-generation vampires turn into ashes when they lose enough blood to sustain their bodies. Later on, they slowly turn into ashes and disappear. Hilda's injuries are not severe. Having trained their bodies to endure pain really helped. But still, they lack skills when it comes to combat.

"Phase three: don't ever bleed in front of the enemies. Blood will make them rage, making them unable to think straight. They're not used to their bodies yet, so it will be troublesome for us to counter them in that state." Li appears in front of them, transforming from a bat into her human form.

"Miss Li, I'm sorry I failed." Hilda looks down with tears falling from her eyes.

"You did great. But this kind of fighting skill won't do when we're up against an army of them. We really need proper training grounds."

"Not just training grounds but trainers as well. Carolina already taught them everything there is to know about the enemies. Her combat skills suit her style perfectly but not the other hunters. If Volton finds out we're having trouble with just one vampire, he'll take this opportunity to wipe us out entirely." Nicholson shows up, gasping for breath after walking up the stairs.

"You're truly right, Mr. Dean. By the way, Erica, where did you learn to use a katana?"

"Oh, my grandfather had a dojo once, and I grew up with him in Japan. He taught me everything until my parents decided to migrate here to the US." Even though Erica is shy, she's very fierce when handling the enemy.

"By any chance, is your grandfather still alive?"

"Yes, do you want me to convince him to teach here at Sun University? He's also quite a disciplinarian. I'm sure we can learn a lot from him."

"If you can convince him, of course."

"I'll do my best. Can I tell him every detail as to why we need him?"

"Sure, but it'll be much better if we can tell him directly." Slacovich arrives at the area as well, together with Diego and Ara.

"President Demonfire." They all greet him.

"I'll book a flight there by tomorrow. I'll bring along Erica and Ara. Li, I need you and Tyler to negotiate with the blacksmiths I've hired. Bring them along to the facility. The island is filled with silver ores which can help us with the gears we need. As for you, Diego, I need you to gather information on Volton's accounts, his latest transactions and his asset market value. If one's market value sinks, grab it immediately."

"What if it's a trap?"

"We'll figure it out when we get a hold of it."

"Okay." Everyone returns to their rooms to rest. They still need to train harder. If they need to suppress the enemy's power, they should be more capable and skilled to defeat them. Nicholson, Slacovich, and Carolina stay in the university field to take some fresh air.

"President Demonfire, any news on Queen Sofie?" Nicholson lights a cigarette and takes a few puffs.

"Nothing yet, but I'm sure she'll figure out a way."

"I don't want to be rude, but can't you just ask her straight away to deploy the legendary Black Knights here to help train the hunters?" Carolina seems irritated by the thought.

"It's not that simple, my dear. The legendary Black Knights will do as the Queen orders, but the Queen and the Black Knights should be one."

"What do you mean, Father?"

"The Queen's orders are only absolute if the Black Knights accept her as their Queen."

"What's the purpose of the coronation then?"

"It's just a formality, but the real deal lies after that. Even if Sofie holds the title and the ring that serves as an indicator, only the Black Knights' approval and recognition will allow her to take full control over them."

"So her title as Queen is currently useless."

"Not entirely. The title plays a great role, as does the ring. The two serve as requirements for them. Her judgment day is about to come. Let's just wait for her news. Pressuring her will only confuse her heart's desire."

"You really know a lot about it, Father." Both of them look at Slacovich's expressionless face. He may seem cold on the outside, but they know he's been missing Sofie that much.

"Nicholson, Sofie. When I leave, please be in charge of the matters here at Sun University."

"We will."

"Let's just hope Volton won't make a move yet."

"He won't. Knowing that his men never returned will give him the thought that we're prepared for whatever he throws at us."

"But if you leave, then we will be left open."

"Quite the opposite. When I leave, he'll be more anxious. He'll think I'm that confident in my own army's capabilities. He will take matters into consideration first before taking action. Maybe he'll keep producing new armies. For now, let's just be on total defense mode."

"Reverse psychology, huh? You really know him too well."

"Sometimes I think knowing him too well will put us all in danger. That's why I'll always have a plan B for anything." The three of them go inside as the breeze gets colder and colder as the night deepens. Wondering what will happen tomorrow keeps them on guard every moment. Slacovich is in the position where one simple mistake can put the people he wants to protect in danger.