Trapped And Locked

'That Umbrella…' Wang Chen gritted his teeth. 'She used it as cover to hide her transformation—is that why her speed exploded in that instant?'

Panting, he struggled to stand upright, watching Elara's vampiric form with wary eyes. His legs trembled slightly, but his will remained unbroken.

Then, without breaking eye contact, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, thumb-sized pill.

Without hesitation, he popped it into his mouth.

His lips curled into a weary smirk.

"What a cruel woman you are~" His voice was light, almost teasing, but the exhaustion in his eyes betrayed him. "You didn't hold back at all."

"You speak as if you even consider me a person." Elara's smile faded for the first time as she said coldly, "Do you think no one can see through your disgusting mask? It's so hypocritical when you have such dense killing intent towards me and you speak as if you are a saint and I am a devil."

Wang Chen's body froze; even though his laziness had faded, he still had a carefree air around him, but hearing Elara's words, that vanished too. His face rose, but his eyelids drooped; a frosty look appeared on his face, and his eyes flashed with unrestrained killing intent.

"Now that's better—much better—than your disgusting facade." Elara chuckled coldly, flexing her long nails.

Wang Chen exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "How did you figure it out?" Then, as if dismissing the question, he waved a bloody hand through his hair, streaking it with red. "Never mind."

Hiss!

White smoke started to seep out of his wounds as he twirled the black pistol engraved with golden patterns. With his free hand, he ripped off the tattered remnants of his shirt and threw it to the side.

Alvin, watching from the distance, sucked in a sharp breath.

The wound on Wang Chen's chest—completely gone. The white smoke dissipated, leaving behind smooth, unscarred skin.

Elara remained indifferent.

Bang!

"I will go next." Wang Chen pulled another pistol, identical to the first, and fired. The twin shots whistled through the air. Their aim was none other than Elara.

The bullets tore through the air toward her, but Elara did not move. She stood in the same spot, scratching the umbrella she was holding with her long, pointy nails.

Clank!

Ting!

She simply flicked her umbrella shut and waved it like a sword, deflecting the bullets away from her. The deflected rounds embedded themselves deep into the ground far behind her.

Wang Chen did not falter seeing this.

He continued his relentless assault on the woman, each shot precise, aimed at a different vital organ.

Elara weaved through them, sometimes deflecting, dodging, slowly closing the distance between them.

Watching her come closer and closer to him, Wang Chen's eyes sharpened. In a split second, he moved his right arm while keeping the left one in place.

His aim had changed!

One gun toward Elara and the other toward Alvin!

BANG! BANG!

Two shots were fired. Elara's gaze snapped towards Alvin, and her eyes shook in panic. She ignored the bullet coming toward her and ran toward Alvin, her gaze focused on the bullet that tore through the air, streaking straight toward her newly turned vampire and Pais.

Wang Chen's lips curled into a cold smirk. Checkmate.

…

On the other side…

Alvin's breath hitched as the bullet closed in. Panic surged through his veins. He felt as if time had slowed down; he could see the senbon-like bullet moving towards him slowly.

Move!

Feeling his body freezing again, he screamed in his heart, 'Come on, move!'

But his body remained frozen.

A scream of frustration rang through his mind.

'Move, damn it!'

He poured every ounce of willpower into his thoughts to force his body to move. And then—

A sudden warmth surged through his body like a fire ignited deep within him.

Woosh!

In an instant, Alvin vanished.

He reappeared beside Elara, who was stopped in her tracks when she saw him move and dodge the bullet on his own.

'He did it on his own.' She thought, looking at the young man in shock. 

The first time Alvin moved like this, he had acted purely on instinct, his mind clouded by rage. This time—this time, he had done it with willpower alone.

Ting!

Elara's brief surprise faded as she heard the unmistakable sound of a bullet striking the ground behind them. She moved her gaze and turned to look at the senbons that were now embedded in the ground a bit far away from them.

Then—

"Got you."

"Got you!" 

Alvin turned to face Wang Chen; his victorious smirk sent a chill through Alvin's spine. His thumbs tapped against the sides of his pistols. Alvin felt a light tingle running through his body as if his instincts were warning him of what was about to come.

Woosh!

But it was too late for him to act!

The fallen senbons lying across the battlefield suddenly pulsed with crimson energy. Wisps of red light slithered up from them, speeding toward the closest senbon thread to it.

Elara and Alvin turned, watching as the threads coiled and intertwined—

Until they formed an intricate, glowing pattern.

Elara knew at a glance what it was—a seal.

A blood-red seal that was made to trap them.

The red energy surged before the two of them could even move, locking them inside.

"I was contented with killing one of you today, but who would I have thought that I would catch both of you?" Wang Chen stepped forward, seeing the red patterns slowly surrounding the two vampires, and laughed out loud, throwing his head backward. His eyes flashed with deep hatred and killing intent when he looked at Elara and Alvin.

"Now... die!"

Ziiip!

As soon as he spat those words, the crimson threads contracted.

The senbons, scattered across the battlefield, shuddered—then shot toward each other like magnets.

Different angles. Different speeds.

But all converged on one point—

The exact spot where Elara and Alvin stood.