CHAPTER 79: CHAOS IN THE PARKING LOT

The three men spread out, forming a loose half-circle around. Andrew stayed where he was, hands loose at his sides, weight balanced. His easy smile had vanished as he turned serious.

The biggest one moved first, lunging with a heavy swing meant to knock Andrew off his feet. Andrew stepped inside the arc of the punch as if he had all the time in the world, shoulder brushing the man’s chest.

His elbow shot up like a piston, smashing under the man’s jaw. The man’s head snapped back and he stumbled, eyes rolling, and fainted instantly.

"Next," Andrew muttered.

The two eyes flickered at each other first, realizing that he wasn’t a normal civilian they thought he was. However, they couldn’t just give up.

"Just give up! I don’t want to hurt you, man!" the skinny one said.

But Andrew just chuckled, "How could you say that after your friend fainted from just a punch? Come here, just let’s get this over with."

"You really make us have no choice!"

The skinny one darted in with a knife pulled from his waistband. Andrew’s gaze flicked to the blade once, then he caught the man’s wrist, twisted sharply, and drove his palm into the man’s nose as cartilage crunched.

"SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK!" He screamed.

The knife clattered to the asphalt and Andrew kicked it away, still holding the man’s wrist. A twist and a shove sent him spinning into the side of a parked car, where he slid down moaning.

"Damn it!" the last man cursed. "Listen—what the boy said is right. We’re vampire hunters, damn it!"

"We just want him on our side!" he continued, desperation creeping into his tone.

"Your side?" Andrew tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean? Vampire hunters have factions now?" His voice dripped with disbelief.

"I don’t care if you believe this or not!" the man barked. "That’s what happened! We wanted to get rid of the current chief because he’s working with vampires!"

Andrew’s brows drew together; his gaze flicked between Dylan and the man on the ground. Their story was starting to line up with the boy’s rant in the bar.

But no, he wouldn’t believe anything until he confirmed it himself and he also still needed Dylan.

"Nice. You almost made me believe your bullshit," he said dryly.

"Tch!"

The last man, short but fast, tried to circle behind. Andrew pivoted low, his movement smooth as water, and swept the thug’s legs out from under him.

The man slammed onto his back. Before he could scramble up, Andrew dropped a knee onto his chest, pinning him with the weight of a stone.

"You’re not taking him," Andrew said quietly.

His words weren’t shouted; they landed heavier than any punch. He drove a single, precise blow into the man’s chest, knocking the air out of him. The thug gagged and went still, eyes wide.

The biggest one, half-recovered, staggered forward again only to freeze when Andrew straightened and turned his gaze on him.

That look alone was enough. The man raised his hands and backed away.

"Good decision," Andrew murmured. He brushed dust from his sleeves, calm again. Around him, the three lay groaning on the asphalt, no longer a threat.

He opened the car door, slid behind the wheel, and started the engine. Inside, Dylan stared at him like he was seeing a stranger. Andrew didn’t look back.

"Buckle up," he said, voice steady. "We’re leaving."

They drove through the dim streets in silence until Dylan finally asked, "You... who are you?"

"A father," Andrew answered simply. "Tell me about that kid Seamus. He was your target. How could he suddenly become so strong?"

"That’s... something I wanted to know too," Dylan muttered. "He’s fast, so fast I can’t follow his movements. But he still bleeds. And I’m sure he’s the one who sent us that dream."

"After all, he was the last one we fought, the one who gave us the most trouble." Dylan’s words made Andrew tighten his grip on the steering wheel. "And I’m pretty sure he’s like that because of Velstrath."

"I see..." Andrew only nodded, steering toward his old house, safer than his own.

***

Seamus sneezed, losing focus for just a moment, long enough for Madeline’s kick to land hard in his stomach.

The impact launched him backward, slamming him against a tree. He gasped, clutching his ribs, shaking his head to keep the haze away.

’Damn, someone must be talking about me right now,’ he thought bitterly, glaring at Madeline, who now stood with her fan resting against her cheek as though she’d merely paused for tea.

"What is it? Tired already? Don’t want to train anymore?" she asked, voice smooth, teasing.

He coughed and forced himself upright. "Can you train me like I’m human, for once?"

"But you’re not human," she smirked. "At least not anymore. Your strength came from Velstrath’s blood."

Seamus only snorted. No matter how much time they spent together, he still couldn’t get Madeline to take him seriously, let alone into her bed. His blood didn’t stir her, and worse, she didn’t seem remotely tempted.

"At this rate, you won’t be able to fight Isolde."

The bluntness of her words made his eyes widen. "You said yourself, I’ve mastered nearly every bloodstyle in Velstrath, even Isolde’s. Why do you think I still don’t stand a chance?"

"Oh, darling," she said, her tone sharp as glass. "If you truly believed you could defeat her, you would’ve done it already, back when she murdered your lover."

Her fan snapped shut with a flick as she willed the ground beneath her to rise, forming a chair of stone. She sat elegantly, crossing her legs, watching him like a bored queen humoring a fool.

"It’s because she knows how to revive Viviane,"

"Excuse, excuse."

Seamus studied her, unsettled. The more she revealed her strength, the less he understood what her power was. But he bet it was something like all Bloodstyle fused into one.

"Speaking of human training," she drawled, "perhaps you should look elsewhere. There’s a man who once stood as the strongest vampire hunter alive. He’d be a far better teacher than I."

"The strongest?" Seamus scoffed. "Hunters are nothing against monsters like you. I lost hope in them long ago." He sank to the ground, exhaling.

Madeline chuckled, shaking her head. "Tsk, tsk. This man once defeated an S-rank vampire with a three-stage evolution. That’s why they called him the Hope of Humanity."

Seamus blinked. "You’re telling me a human actually did that? Then what happened? Dead?"

"Supposedly," Madeline said lightly, tapping her fan against her cheek. "But the circumstances of his death... are strange."

Her smile curved sharply. "His name was Damien Levine. Does that sound familiar to you?"