‘Yes, a demon,’ the woman replied.
Dean slowly made space for her. But the woman teleported behind him.
‘But what are you? You're not human, yet you don’t give me the feeling of an immune one. Weird.’
Dean struggled to his feet. He shook out his hand and fingers, then rolled his shoulder.
‘Come on,’ he mumbled to himself.
The woman gave him a wide smile—then teleported again.
Dean was on guard. He didn’t know where she would appear, but she had to show up. He spun quickly, peered over his shoulder, then to his right and left—but no woman.
Only when he looked up did he see it—a leg came flying toward him, smashing him to the ground.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk5ith4DK3
The woman stepped back from his bleeding face.
‘Yes, you’re not human. I went for the kill with that attack—yet you're still alive. For now at least. Before I end you, tell me who you are.’
Dean chuckled as he stood up. He raised his arms.
‘Well then—die!’
The woman summoned two grey daggers. She bounced in place and inhaled deeply. The moment she emptied her lungs completely—she vanished.
Dean braced himself to face her head-on.
But ten of her appeared at once, pouncing on him from all directions.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXNWMflglU
There was no way he could survive the assault.
The woman closed in, and Dean had no idea which one to focus on.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEEfB54S3W
Then he felt it.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpt6H7dYVVx
A raging storm inside him.
The storm surged into his fist, which began to glow golden.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJm1MAdWeDy
Dean suddenly knew what to do.
The light slowed the woman for a moment—but she pressed on regardless.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcRVKgI9vg
All the afterimages went for a thrust.
Dean slammed his fist into the ground. Energy burst out of his hand and shot into the enemies.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNALukgaNdL
All the clones vanished—leaving only the real woman before him.
She was stunned.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJovEnaRjh
A blessing.
Dean wasted no time. He lunged forward, gathered all the energy into his fist, and struck her.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7kJnLtjHl
Light exploded from the impact—destroying the woman completely.
Nothing remained.
Dean collapsed, gasping hard.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KiMAgRMt2
Before he blacked out, he saw men in suits rushing toward him.
In the Forest
Fighting such a number of ghouls turned out to be harder than Nicole had expected.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYgkHrioJs
Luckily, she'd already been possessed once—so when a ghoul bit her, it only wounded her. Still, better not to get bitten at all.
Meanwhile, the commander and Dracule had taken the fight to the skies.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFPKPMUdmS
The commander went for a slash—Dracule deflected.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBXNLdcCpP
Another slash—this time it grazed Dracule’s arm.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb1cfwIuFf
And another.
The commander didn’t stop. He became faster, each strike aimed closer to Dracule’s heart.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMI6D4oAc4e
Dracule chose to put more distance between them.
Immediately, the commander gave chase—unaware of the tiny blood droplets surrounding him.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsKFauxKjI
They morphed into long spikes and pierced his body.
At the same time, the blood that had entered him coursed through his veins and paralyzed him.
‘You lacked patience! Look where that got you,’ Dracule taunted.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFtiZRvBGm
‘You’re a beast, no doubt. But I know there’s more inside you!’
He gathered demonic energy in his palm and let the orb grow before firing it at the frozen commander—booooom.
When the smoke cleared, the commander was wounded but still standing.
Dracule fired again. And again.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN14HT1DJ1m
His laughter echoed through the sky.
Nicole noticed. But her hands were full—ghouls surrounded her.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qslSwXY4Y
Tears formed in her eyes, but she couldn’t run to help.
‘Fuck!’ she cursed, beheading a charging ghoul.
She formed a giant scythe and swung it in a wide arc, slicing the ghouls before her in half.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYncHtljqqV
From behind, she shot blood blades at ghouls trying to flank her.
A powerful attack—but it came at a price.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBek2joSBUf
Nicole collapsed for the first time.
She gasped for air.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIiF51DRrH
When she raised her head to the heavens, it felt as though a force was pressing it down.
She needed a break.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3IXS6yiHA
But Dracule was toying with the commander.
Then the commander screamed.
It wasn’t a war cry.
‘He’s in pain!’ Nicole realized.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWNzfpDIDu
‘You bastard!’
Forget the ghouls. She was going to tear that bastard apart—even if he was a Celestial.
Fueled by rage, she launched upward.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz58YG2CSYW
She didn’t notice the giant ghoul that had emerged.
It leapt—landing above her—and slammed her back to the ground. Baaaamm.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2c4T06GfO
It landed hard.
Nicole’s head bled. She coughed up even more.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NkEpGEcd0
Her right arm was mangled—useless.
Another giant ghoul emerged behind her.
Still, when she heard the commander’s tortured cry, she rose again.
She wasn’t done.
But she was unlucky.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtKRXn82i1
She was only facing ghouls—meaning she couldn’t drink their blood.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MjDBeV8JG
It was rotten. Foul.
Vampires grow stronger by drinking blood. Depending on the quantity and compatibility, their power can double—or more.
The ghouls closed in.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlzmIxYCjb
Their grunts were drowned out by the commander’s howls.
Peng, peng, peng…62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uCtASOi22
One after another, ghouls dropped.
Soldiers had come to help.
One ran to Nicole and held her upright, reporting:
‘Some of the soldiers—and Dean’s group—they made it out. They’re heading to the White House!62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRO9t4aGEp
We need to finish up here and join them!’
‘Yes… we should,’ Nicole said, breathing heavily.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8a4ZGFbTz2
She hesitated, then added, painfully:
‘I doubt we’ll make it out alive.’62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PYpV2hr7r
