'Clearing' the Station

"A-a-aah!" a heart-wrenching scream echoed throughout the area, and if it weren't for the strange magic, strange for the squad, all the vampires in the city would have heard it.

"How does this even work?" Yuichiro murmured in surprise, taking a step forward, causing the scream to stop and silence to fall. He took a step back, and the vampire's cries could be heard again.

"I don't know," the pink-haired boy said with a furrowed brow, clearly pondering the situation. Next to him, on the side where the screams were not audible, stood Yoichi and Mitsuba. Mitsuba placed her hand on the girl's shoulder to reassure her.

"Where could Shinoa have even met this... free hunter?" Kimizuki asked aloud. " He appeared out of nowhere and quickly dealt with two vampires... I think our entire squad would have taken longer to defeat them in a direct fight, considering they had second-class gear," he continued his speculation.

"I don't care where he's from or who he is. He's not a vampire, and he kills them. That's all that matters to me," Hakuya replied, stepping out of the area affected by the strange magic once again.

"Shinoa has a lot to tell us..." the blonde girl whispered, glancing towards the location where this... Anthony was now.

***

"Without this ring that shields them from direct sunlight, they're like torches," I commented, watching the vampire burning and screaming in pain. Creating a small stone canopy to protect the vampire from the sunlight, it abruptly stopped burning.

"Administrator-kun, you've become more ruthless," she remarked.

"No, rather I have accepted myself and the path I've chosen," I said. I didn't like what I was doing, but I needed to ensure their weakness. Stark's experience showed that it was necessary, as did Albedo's. Perhaps because of the latter, I didn't feel repulsed by the situation, nor did I feel nauseated by the sight of charred skin and the unpleasant smell of flesh.

"Alright, I'm done. Although, if I recall correctly, ripping out his heart would turn him into a demon," I mused thoughtfully but dismissed the idea for now. " Do you want to finish him off?" I looked at Shinoa.

"With pleasure," she nodded and activated her scythe, driving the blade straight into his head, causing him to crumble into dust. This time, I was able to witness the soul being effortlessly consumed by my medallion. Moreover, these souls carried a peculiar shroud of darkness. " Well, what do we d

" Well, to be honest, I just need to kill vampires, and this artifact will absorb their souls. I can sense three souls there at the moment, so it's working," I said, deliberately touching the medallion around my neck.

" I see. In that case, will you help us with the mission?" she tilted her head to the side.

" Of course, let's go to your squad," I smiled in response. Her squad wasn't far, and everyone except Yuichiro stood outside the soundproof barrier.

" Here we go again!" Shinoa exclaimed. " Tony-kun has already found the vampires, but..." Her gaze fell on the girl, who, for some reason, squeezed Yoichi's hand a little tighter. " ...Don't worry, we won't abandon you. We need to take her back to headquarters, and they'll take care of her there."

" Won't the vampires scatter during that time?" Yuichiro expressed some doubt.

" No, you fool, they won't scatter... probably," Shinoa added a little quieter, then looked at me with a hint of amusement. " Or will Administrator... I mean, Tony-kun, help?" She was used to calling me the Administrator.

" Can you show me where your base is from above?" I asked, and she nodded. After that, Shinoa cheerfully circled around me and leaned against my back. " Don't worry, little girl, I'll get you to the people quickly," I tried to say as gently as possible to the child, but she was still clearly worried. " Alright, we'll be back soon," I moved Shinoa and myself into the sky for a moment using a quickly formed magical seal. Where?

" Phew, Administrator-kun, the view from above is even more depressing," the girl commented, then pointed in the right direction with her finger. " See that building next to the huge iron fence." After those words, I moved back, and the squad members shook their heads in shock.

" W-What was that? How did you disappear?" Yoichi asked.

" Magic," I gave a brief answer and created a magical seal beneath our group's feet, instantly transporting us to the desired location. " Take the girl where she needs to go; I'll join you later. Shinoa, you can get off me."

" Well, you used my body and now you're dismissing me," she " pouted" and jumped off my back.

" Hey, wait, I need to explain... she's gone? Shinoa!" the blond girl shouted at the violet-haired one, while the rest of the squad had no idea what to think.

***

Rias Gremory: It all looks like a light novel about the apocalypse.

Hermione Granger: It looks very desolate... a dead city, but at least people are still fighting! But Tony's actions...

Winter Schnee:They make sense. Finding out the enemy's weaknesses is vital by any means necessary.

Rias Gremory: I felt sorry for that vampire... even though he called humans livestock, so maybe it's just my kindness.

Hermione Granger: You're very humane for a demon, Rias. I couldn't even watch as he...

Hermione Granger: Finding out a vampire's weakness... it felt more like torture. Winter Schnee: If everything I've learned about Shinoa's world is true, then they deserve it. They consider humanity as food, livestock that requires minimal care to keep them alive so they can drink their blood. At least Grimm kills without hesitation, but these... they torture their victims and keep them on chains.

***

" The magical aura here is strange," I said aloud.

The information obtained from the " analysis" spell revealed that vampires are... experiments, preparations for something greater. It's as if someone created them with a specific purpose, testing to see if they would function, and then it all spiraled from there. So they multiplied and reproduced, turning others into vampires.

Their physical structure is the same as that of a regular human, except they have no pulse and their hearts don't beat, but their souls are still within their bodies. They sustain themselves with the blood of humans to avoid aging and remain powerful. However, they can also become demons, semi-spiritual beings.

But it's too early to draw conclusions. I need the body of the progenitor, one of the strongest vampires that originated from the very first turned humans. As far as I know, they are many times stronger than regular vampires. As for the First Vampire, who is now a sealed demon in Shinoa's scythe... things aren't so simple. I don't know what to expect from him. Until I sort out other matters, it's best not to meddle with him. But if needed, a sword infused with Divine Metal particles will help me deal with him, as well as with other resilient vampires.

As I leaped from building to building, pondering the information about vampires and their souls, I noticed a message from Shinoa in the chat. She wrote that they had already questioned the girl and confirmed that vampires are located where I indicated, under the Omotesando Station. Specifically, they are under it. I don't really need help in exterminating the vampires, but I do need to keep an eye on Shinoa, as well as on Yuichiro.

***

" Look, Hīragi Shinoa, these 'hunters' can strike from behind! How well do you even know him?" Mitsuba couldn't calm down as their squad made their way to the designated station. Since they hadn't engaged in much combat, they decided to return immediately to the mission.

" Better than any of you," the violet-haired girl simply said. " We've known each other for a little over a month. Mi-chan, are you going to say you're afraid?"

" Me?! No, I'm not afraid, hm," she replied, turning away and crossing her arms.

" I don't know, but I like your acquaintance," Hakuya gave a brief recommendation. " Besides, he knows some kind of magic... that's how they create cursed weapons, right?"

" Yes, but I haven't heard of magic being used like that," Kimizuki responded.

" You guys don't know a lot," Shinoa replied with a meaningful smile on her face. " And here's the Omotesando Station. The girl mentioned seven vampires, and we all have cursed weapons, so we should be able to handle it. Although Tony-kun said there are nine," she paused for a moment and then turned around with a smile. " You came?"

" Yeah," I nodded.

" Oh, shit!" Hakuya jumped back, quickly turning his gaze backward. Just two meters away from them, I stood. " How do you do that?"

" I just move quietly, and with magic, I can mask any sound," I shrugged. " And yes, there are nine vampires, so be prepared."

" Aren't you going to help?" Shinoa caught something in my tone.

" No, now I need the progenitor, and these ordinary vampires aren't that interesting. Besides, I want to see what you can do when you're not fooling around," I smirked back at her.

" The progenitor? You're crazy!" the blonde accused, pointing at me.

" Sigh. " Shinoa sighed in disappointment and activated her cursed weapon. " Tony-kun, if anything happens, will you cover my squad?"

" If you're asking, then of course. " I nodded... I would still be examining Yuichiro's body during that time. After all, he is the Seraph of the End, albeit still dormant. I sense something strange in him, most likely the Seraphim's curse.

The station looked like a typical subway entrance... where people in white uniforms stood out, indicating that they were cattle, walking blood barrels for vampires. No one was keeping them here, and they could easily reach the exit of the station. The only obstacle they might encounter would be the Horsemen, so they resigned themselves to their fate.

" Horrible sight, but that's the reality of this world, right, Tony-kun?" Shinoa glanced at me.

" You'd better keep an eye on the situation." I snickered, and the girl pouted her lips.

" For once, I agree with this rogue hunter." Mitsuba interjected, and soon the first vampire appeared, wearing the same uniform as the previous three. The squad immediately tensed, and Hakuya lunged into attack. He quickly closed the distance and pierced the unfortunate opponent through, causing him to crumble into a pile of dust.

" This one's mine." Shinoa sang and, much faster than Hakuya had done before, closed the distance with another vampire, decapitating him with a swing of her scythe. But she didn't stop there; she twirled around and plunged the blade of her scythe into the glass behind which the vampires stood, waiting for an opportunity to attack.

" It's a trap?!" Blondie exclaimed, realizing that the vampires had been waiting for them to attack from behind.

" Less talking, more killing those bloodsuckers!" Yuichiro exclaimed, attacking a leaping vampire. Another vampire understood that he wouldn't taste life-giving blood anymore unless he did something, so he lunged at Mitsuba to take her hostage.

" W-What..." The blonde noticed the vampire too late, and his hand was already at her throat.

" Scared of humans, you pathetic rabble?" I smirked and stomped my foot, causing the blonde to exclaim... as a stone spike grew next to her, impaling the vampire through his eye, and then his head turned into a terrifying composition of spikes, dozens of smaller ones sprouting right inside his skull.

... The blonde girl continued to stare with wide eyes at the spectacle, especially at my hand, which had pulled her back slightly.

" Administrator-kun, are you already seducing a new maiden?" Shinoa managed to notice, amidst the heat of battle, how I helped Mitsuba. " Oh, maybe I should also play a damsel in distress?" she suggested.

" That was the last one." Pink-haired Hakuya said a little tensely after killing the last vampire. " Shall we contact the headquarters?"

" There's no place for all these people in the city," the blonde said.

" There will be. " Shinoa shrugged, and she was right. Soon enough, military vehicles arrived at the location, and the squad, assured that the people would be fine, hurried to Shinjuku. They found a small hammer, and the pink-haired guy tried to start it, surprisingly doing everything correctly.

" Not bad skills," I told him, causing him to flinch and stare at me. Stark's experience clearly showed that he was doing things the right way... not perfectly, but still.

" Uh, I was taught by an acquaintance. And in school, they taught us how to survive," he averted his gaze from me and continued his task.

" Tony-kun, there you are!" Shinoa's body crashed into me. " I'm free and ready for some adult stuff," she winked at me.

" Shinoa... your perversity knows no bounds."

Hermione Granger: Indeed.

Rias Gremory:Absolutely.

Winter Schnee: I can't disagree.

" Tsk, you wouldn't understand me... poor, poor virgins. Heh-heh, but I'll soon become an adult, right, To-o-ni?"She pressed herself close to me. " What are you thinking about?"

" I'm thinking about progenitors, vampire aristocracy, " I confessed, and for a fraction of a second, I noticed a flicker of fear in the girl's eyes. Well, she lives in this world and can't help but know about them and their power. 'Knowing' that they are truly the strongest among vampires and can easily deal with even the elite forces of the Imperial Army.

" Well, you've ruined my mood,"the girl exhaled. " Will we... encounter them?"she asked softly, clearly hinting at her knowledge of the 'plot' of her world.

My silence was interpreted correctly, and she squeezed my hand a little tighter. Vampires were going to attack Shinjuku, and they wouldn't be weak. From this moment on, I would begin what I had planned. Twelve vampire souls in my medallion were not enough... well, I couldn't just kill all of them.

I could try to 'fix' some of them, meaning using magic to change them and restore their emotions. Vampires lose their emotions and are left with nothing but pitiful remnants. Nevertheless, to rebuild society anew, such physically strong and resilient beings would be very useful.