Following Nysha, the two hunters and the Blood Clan Guard entered a space that looked like a defunct underground warehouse.
"All other access points are sealed with concrete; this is the only entry and exit," Nysha stated, leading them through the warehouse door into a structure resembling a massive sewer pipe.
"A very clever idea. I will definitely remember it for future reference," Blade said with a serious nod, mentally filing away the structural weaknesses.
"It's entirely useless," Zhou Yi's invisible voice cut in. His style was the antithesis of Blade's. Blade meticulously scouted and infiltrated; Zhou Yi preferred to fly in, drop a colossal payload, and fly out. For the Daywalker, this sealed structure was a tactical challenge; for the Dawn Knight, it was just a target for aerial bombardment.
The surrounding Vampires visibly bristled at the casual discussion of how to destroy their largest sanctuary.
Used to their relentless, tag-team verbal assaults, Nysha continued, unperturbed: "We will split up now. If you need us, use the headset. As for you, Dawn Knight..."
The armored hero obviously couldn't wear the standard comms. Zhou Yi saved her the trouble. "Don't worry," his voice filtered directly into their headsets, "I've already cracked your signal. You'll have no trouble calling for my help!"
"Understood!" Nysha clipped the pointless banter short. "You are entering our world. You may see certain customs, particularly concerning feeding. Remember the goal of your presence here."
"Don't worry, I won't forget," Blade replied dryly.
Zhou Yi added, "Of course. You are the host, and we shall follow the host's rules."
Getting the assurances she needed, Nysha waved her hand. Two Vampire guards moved to open the final barrier. The House of Pain was finally unveiled.
The music was a deafening roar, the strobe lights blinding. Bodies writhed in a chaotic frenzy; the air thick with the coppery sweetness of blood and the sharp scent of hormones. It was a scene of unbridled, visceral heavy metal, but this was a Vampire den, New York's primary blood nest.
"We split up!" Rehart, still nursing his injured ego and knee, slapped Chuba's chest and plunged into the mob first.
"No problem, I'm going to say hello to an acquaintance," Blade smiled, a flash of white teeth, and walked off purposefully. Whatever unfortunate Vampire qualified as an "acquaintance" of Blade in this hellhole was surely about to have a very bad night.
Watching her Blood Clan Guard disperse, Nysha felt a wave of resignation. She was the Grand Duke's heir, but her title meant little to these centuries-old creatures who expected their current ruler to live indefinitely.
"Dawn Knight, what about you?" Nysha called out to the invisible space beside her. Receiving no answer, she tried again: "Dawn Knight? Dawn?"
After several calls, Nysha confirmed her suspicion: the invisible hero had already left. She sighed softly, then chose a quieter path to begin her solitary search.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yi had shed the bulky armor's invisibility, blending into the throng in his civilian clothes.
He had to admit, viewing this scene not as a Superhero or a god, but as a human observing an alien culture, the Vampires were a bizarre and fascinating species.
He witnessed a couple feeding each other razor blades, then kissing, a bizarre fusion of self-mutilation and romance. Was it a competition for tongue flexibility? Was the reward the blood drawn from the cuts?
He saw a middle-aged Vampire posing like a Terminator before two females, using a small knife to slice the skin of his arm. It was terrifying, certainly appealing to the Vampire chicks, but he noticed the male Vampires nearby were drooling over him—not the women.
Even more extreme was the bald female Vampire lying prone on a low table, her back exposed. A colleague was using a scalpel to slice the skin along both sides of her spine, peeling it back to reveal the pale white spinal cord, muscles, and nerves.
This body modification/feeding ritual was intense. Zhou Yi momentarily regretted not bringing Tony (Stark). Then he realized Tony would either accuse the scene of having terrible special effects or simply go insane on the spot. He settled for abandoning the tempting idea.
Waving a nearby waiter over, Zhou Yi took a glass of absinthe and continued to stroll through the madness.
A group of aggressively dancing male and female Vampires converged on him. Zhou Yi had no problem with beautiful female Vampires offering themselves, but the men were a different story.
He casually put his arm around the waist of the prettiest woman in his vicinity—a petite Vampire with bright blonde braids and a heavily-pierced face. She had a delicate, sweet face that retained a trace of youth, but her slender waist and alluring curves spoke of a matured body. He turned, then kicked the shins of the male Vampires trying to push between them.
Amidst the unrestrained laughter of the woman, they began to dance.
The blonde Vampire, writhing like a snake in his arms, looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. Her rebellious punk hairstyle and heavy makeup couldn't entirely mask her youthful features. It was a rare combination—a juvenile face paired with a mature figure. Zhou Yi felt a flash of pity that such a cute girl had become a Vampire. If she were human, he wouldn't mind trying to mold her into a Hollywood star, following Tony's playbook. But she was a Vampire, a forbidden fruit.
The girl, oblivious to his thoughts, clung to him, twisting wantonly. Though slightly inexperienced, she was enthusiastic.
She began leading Zhou Yi toward a quiet corner of the dance floor. But along the way, other Vampires repeatedly tried to block their path, attempting to cut between them—a blatant act of rivalry. The girl grew visibly indignant, her facial muscles twitching. Without Zhou Yi's presence, she would likely have snarled like a puppy guarding its food.
Zhou Yi quickly resolved the issue, smashing the ribs of two male Vampires and kicking them into the path of others, scattering the rest. His sudden violence drew immediate, hostile attention. Several Vampires bared their fangs, only to be met with hammer-like punches that crushed their fragile noses and shattered their fangs.
"Someone causing a ruckus?"
Blade, having just "chased away" his unfortunate acquaintance, slowly walked into the area. He ignored the terrified crowd and looked at the unconscious Vampires littering the floor.
"Not bad skills, pal," Blade said with genuine surprise.
Although the victims were mere hybrid Vampires—cannon fodder to the pure-bloods, slaves in the eyes of the Grand Duke—they were still stronger than any ordinary human. Their strength and speed matched that of the most elite human special forces. The pure-bloods, of course, were far beyond human capacity.
Zhou Yi maintained his poker face. "Your trench coat is also very good, pal!" he replied smoothly.
Life is a performance, and Zhou Yi was a master actor. Blade, completely failing to recognize the powerful civilian in front of him as the Dawn Knight, was entirely convinced he was speaking to a capable, stylish fellow Vampire hunter.