"It looks like he's doing me a favor," Blade mocked, his lip twitching unhappily at the Grand Duke's evident disgust. "Maybe I should send him a paycheck."
Blade felt an inexplicable connection to this creature named Chadnomah. The Grand Duke was correct: both of them were Alien Species among the Vampires. Though their physical characteristics weren't identical—Blade thankfully lacked that bizarre, blooming-chrysanthemum grin—they were fundamentally the same anomaly.
"You are missing the critical point, Blade!" Nysha, still stiffly guarding her father, interjected on his behalf. "My father mentioned this Alien Species because he is a new form of cancer within the Vampire race itself."
"The Vampires he feeds on don't die; they transform into new carriers, and at a dramatically faster rate!"
"And the situation is far worse than with ordinary Vampires," Kaelo added, his professional demeanor returning. "Their craving for blood is amplified, far worse than a Vampire's bloodlust—it's similar to an addictive insanity. They need to feed almost every single day."
Kaelo manipulated the holographic device, showing attack images across multiple locations. "This individual, Chadnomah, has been active for over seventy-two hours. The most conservative estimate is that he has already generated at least a dozen new variants. Although you and he are both Alien Species, his reproduction rate is exponentially faster than yours."
Kaelo's voice rose with a morbid, severe amusement. "Within this week, hundreds of new variants could emerge. Within this month, thousands. They are uncontrolled, undirected. Think about this: if you do not intervene, how long will it take them to consume all of New York? Three months? Half a year?"
Kaelo's chilling projection was not a joke to the humans present. New York City, the largest and most densely populated city in the United States, is home to nearly nine million people. The thought of this hyper-contagious Vampire strain spreading throughout the metropolis—a city of ugly, rabidly bloodthirsty monsters—was terrifying. A City of Death under the sunlight would trigger a global catastrophe.
Zhou Yi turned to look at Blade, realizing the hunter was already watching him. The two men, strangers until this moment, nodded in silent, immediate agreement.
Blade was the first to address the Grand Duke. "I want to clarify one thing first: Did you invite us here because you want us to hunt him for you?"
The Grand Duke glanced at the watchful Dawn Knight. "No, it is not for me, but for you."
"Consider who they will hunt once the Vampires are crippled and forced deep into hiding? Your precious humans? Unlike us, ordinary mortals facing these Alien Species will not be able to escape. Not a single one of them."
His words were threatening, yet undeniably true. If ordinary humans struggled against regular Vampires, they stood no chance against these more powerful, rapidly infectious variants.
Seeing the solemnity on both hunters' faces, the Grand Duke played his final card.
"I have an elite guard under my command, the Blood Clan Guard. A cutting-edge tactical unit composed of our most precious pure-blood Vampires. They are the top protective force of this Empire, and I will task them to assist you in rounding up these Alien Species."
He patted his daughter's shoulder. "Furthermore, I will have my most beloved daughter, the future ruler of my Empire, the future Vampire Duke, Nysha Makinos, join you as a pursuit team member. I believe this demonstrates our complete sincerity." He finished, looking directly at Zhou Yi, the greatest variable.
"I'm in." A steady voice came from behind the mask, confirming the Dawn Knight's participation. The Grand Duke let out a deep, labored sigh.
"Then I'm in too. Hunting Vampires—that's my specialty," Blade smiled coldly, revealing his bright fangs. In his eyes, everyone present was potential prey, even if they were future prey.
"Very good," the Grand Duke smiled, hobbling toward his high seat. "Excellent. I believe we have reached an agreement. Nysha, please escort our guests out. I think I need to rest."
"Yes, Father!" Nysha walked up to Zhou Yi, her face cold, and stiffly gestured for the man—the physical manifestation of the Dawn Knight—to follow. The Vampire beauty was vibrating with barely contained anger toward him.
Zhou Yi felt a slight sense of helplessness. While he found Nysha attractive, his keen senses were instinctively repulsed by the decadent Grand Duke and his kind. He was not willing to suppress his nature for a woman, regardless of her beauty or bravery.
He silently followed Nysha. Blade, unwilling to linger, gathered his two deputies and followed close behind.
On the way out, Zhou Yi remained silent. Blade, however, didn't care for the strained atmosphere and asked a question that genuinely interested him.
"Blood Clan Guard. I've been hunting you creatures for a long time. Why have I never heard of this unit?"
Nysha, since their hand had been forced, didn't bother to hide the truth. "Three years ago, when you went to Russia, we gathered the elite fighters from across the United States and formed this tactical team. The sole objective was to hunt you down."
The hatred between the hunters and the hunted was absolute. Without this existential threat, a negotiation would have been impossible.
After escorting the two hunters to the roof, Nysha turned and left immediately, exactly as Zhou Yi expected. She made no gesture of cordiality. However, she hadn't forgotten the core task. Before disappearing, she informed Blade that she would bring the Blood Clan Guard to his base the following night for the rendezvous—a message intended for the Dawn Knight as well.
Blade looked at the retreating figure of the beautiful Vampire and curled his lip at Zhou Yi, a teasing light in his eyes. He recognized the slight hesitation in the Dawn Knight during the confrontation, noting the hero harbored some favorable impression of Nysha.
Ignoring the teasing, Zhou Yi looked up at the night sky. "Do you think these guys are reliable, Blade?"
"I will never believe the silver-tongued lies of a Vampire, but the gravity of this situation might genuinely require cooperation," Blade responded, revealing his white fangs. "The situation is bad."
"What are your plans now?"
"Since the fighting is paused, I don't have to hunt yet. I need to go back and prepare gear. Those creatures won't be easy to deal with," Blade said, stretching his neck. He anticipated confronting an army of the mutated species.
"I'm going to survey the city to find any early signs of the spread," Zhou Yi decided, sensing the urgency. "Blade, where should I meet you?"
Blade recognized the advantage of having the Dawn Knight scouting. "The abandoned tram terminus in the Brooklyn district." Leaving the address, Blade waved his hand, his two deputies falling in behind him as they melted into the night.
Zhou Yi leaped into the air, the Dawn Knight beginning his patrol, investigating the hidden sins and emerging secrets of the massive city below. Both men knew the coming days would be fraught with danger, and they were preparing for the worst-case scenario.
Meanwhile, in the most chaotic district of Manhattan, where the city's underbelly—thugs, prostitutes, and drug dealers—congregated, a new, far more literal parasite had arrived. The figurative leeches of the night were about to meet creatures that truly fed on blood.