chapter 65

In a safe zone away from virus infection in the New Federation of China.

“This is as far as we can take you. There’s a checkpoint up ahead, you’ll be safe for now if you pass it.”

Some soldiers in marine uniform said to the young girl standing in front of them in a bloodstained high school uniform…

“Thank you very much…” she really didn’t know that she had been able to survive all this time.

“It’s fine, we happened to meet along the way, and this was the task entrusted to us before the death of Chief Petty Officer. This way, I think his spirit in heaven can also rest in peace. Please take care of yourself, Miss Xia Ying.”

“……..”

Xia Ying watched as the marines left with guns on their backs, waving her hand and breathing in the cold air to clear her mind. Too many things had happened recently. Virus, zombies, the news that her father had been killed had made her cry. But fortunately, when she escaped, she met her father’s subordinates who brought her here. At least it’s safe now.

Almost instinctively, Xia Ying touched the throbbing pain on her neck.

“Please calm down… there are no zombies here!”

Xia Ying followed a group of survivors towards the checkpoint. As long as they weren’t infected by the virus, they’re allowed to pass. They would have warm beds and food.

The weather seemed to have gotten a little colder as Xia Ying exhaled a white breath from her mouth, looking at the checkpoint and the soldiers that were separated by barbed wire.

Hmm? Among the survivors, a hooded figure caught her attention. The soldier at the checkpoint was about to examine the figure, but the soldier’s movements suddenly stopped, and the figure just walked in.

Did no one notice? But… it was strange…

After getting permission to enter through the checkpoint, Xia Ying followed the figure and began to run.

It was in a city close to the capital of the new federation. Since it was in extraordinary times, the streets were filled with armored vehicles, so the average person wouldn’t dare to linger much. And it’s close to midnight now.

‘Is that you?’ Xia Ying ran through the streets, looking for the figure. She found him, the back of that man was slowly walking down the streets. But it seemed that she wasn’t the only one looking for him.

“Hey! It’s past curfew time! What are you running around, civilians?!” Finally, someone noticed the discordant presence on the street.

A curfew?

Right, it seemed that the authority instructed civilians not to go out now. They were very strict in such extraordinary times. Xia Ying hid in the corner of the street and poked her head out to observe the situation.

Did they walk into the alley?

Xia Ying saw 5 soldiers running after the figure into an alley.

“….”

Xia Ying hesitated, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she ran towards the dark alley. But this alley was a dead end, and…

“!!!”

Xia Ying covered her mouth, so she didn’t scream and stared at the scenery. Blood, blood littered the alley. The menacing soldiers had just sliced into pieces and fell. The scattered corpses were too gruesome for her eyes, and the thick smell of blood permeated the air. Causing Xia Ying to fall down into her knees. Even after going through hell, she still couldn’t get used to this kind of situation.

How could this be? Xia Ying’s body stiffened as she suddenly felt a cold breath behind her.

“Ah, there’s a stranded kitten here.”

Xia Ying felt a hand on her shoulder.

“….”

Terror spread in her heart as her whole body began to tremble.

“What is it? You’ve been looking for me all this time?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Xia Ying turned her head and found a pair of scarlet eyes locked in her gaze.

“Lu…cius…” She slowly muttered the name of the person behind her. During her escape, she finally discovered the name of the person who left her with a special wound.

“Correct.” Lucius’s hands-on Xia Ying’s shoulder slowly stroked across her neck, feeling her accelerating heart, before crossing her lips, causing what Xia Ying choked on her words.

“You look delicious. It’s dangerous for a prey to consciously seek out its hunter.” Lucius softly whispered in her ear, petrifying her.

“Why is it? Your body is trembling…”

Lucius originally wanted to spread the Back Light virus in this city, but he stumbled on her instead. Maybe she’s lucky or something, to have actually survived a zombie attack 3 times.

But this was probably the end of her luck.

“Please… don’t continue.”

Xia Ying finally gathered her courage to speak.

Don’t continue?

Xia Ying broke away from Lucius’ grasp and stood up to face him.

Interesting. This was the first time Lucius met a normal human who wasn’t afraid when facing him.

“What are you trying to say?”

Right, he had to listen to her last words.

“Those people are innocent, Lucius…” said Xia Ying, looking at the soldier behind her, “Don’t continue hurting those innocent people…”

Was this girl an idiot? She struggled and miraculously escaped from the zombies. But instead of enjoying her final moment of peace, she followed Lucius. A vampire who would absolutely kill her, just to say these things?

“Do you think it’s possible?” Lucius held up his hand, his slender fingers entwined with blood threads, “For an evil monster like me and feared by you, humans…”

“No!” Xia Ying didn’t know where she got her courage, “But Mr. Lucius is not a monster!”

Her body was trembling. She’s trembling because she feared Lucius, and yet she denied it.

“Don’t lie, human… you can’t hide your fear, though.” Blood wrapped around Lucius’s hands spread to Xia Ying’s feet, draining the corpses behind her.

“I’m not lying…” she looked at what happened to the corpses and realized that it would be her fate next if she hadn’t run away. But she didn’t.

“Are you telling me you’re going to call me a good person? Me, the one that once tried to kill you?”

“That’s what you have to do as a vampire, right? Feeding on humans and all that… but Mr. Lucius didn’t kill me…” recalling the voice she heard between her vague consciousness that night. Xia Ying knew the reason why Lucius did this. “So, please. Stop hurting those innocent people, if Mr. Lucius is doing it for your sister…”

My…sister? Dammit, did she hear me at that time?

“…..”

This was the reason why Lucius hated these persistent humans.

“Innocent? Who’s innocent?” Lucius pointed his fingers and looked straight at her.

“Those men didn’t harm you. They didn’t hurt your sister. So why would you do that?”

“Then let me ask a question, girl.” Lucius held up a finger and looked at her. “Do you think pigs, cows, sheep were evil towards humans?”

Xia Ying pondered and answered subconsciously.

“What? Of course not…but Mr. Lucius.”

Those animals weren’t evil towards humans. But why did he suddenly ask that?

“What about the things humans do?” The Yamato Blade appeared in Lucius’ hand. His hand rested on the hilt of the sword, and then for a split second, he sliced through that wall of the alley…

A cold air emanated from it as the wall crumbled open.

Xia Ying looked at the broken wall and realized it was a cold warehouse. Stocked with all kinds of meat, which was the most important resource for now, for their survival. But these tender red fresh represented dead livestock.

“And what have you humans done to them?” Lucius withdrew the Yamato Blade from its sheath, “You breed them, tame them, and then slaughter them one by one. They feel the pain too. Aren’t they innocent? Of course, they’re innocent, right? But why did you kill them? Do you even understand the most basic laws of nature?!”

“I’m a vampire, that’s why I hunt humans!!!! It’s the same reason you brutally kill those animals. You who stand on top of the world. Need their flesh and blood to keep you alive, so you take it for granted…”

“Humans hunt us, and we hunt humans, and it’s the same way around. If I were to sympathize with humans, would they sympathize with me? If I let them go, maybe tomorrow they’ll try to kill me with their weapons!!!”

Lucius remembered.

Remembered it bitterly!

What those humans said after sending his sister to the stake.

‘Burn the creature… show no mercy…’

“There’s… there’s always a way for us to live together.”

Xia Ying no longer knew how to argue with him. He was right, they took everything for granted.

“It’s impossible.” Lucius stepped forward and reached out to touch Xia Ying’s cheek. His cold arms felt the warmth of her face. But for a vampire, body heat was a burden. “It’s impossible. That is the rules of this world.”

Xia Ying didn’t resist. Perhaps she was so numb with fear that she forgot to run away. It’s about time to end her life. As Lucius was going to end the poor, fragile girl’s life…

“Really? What’s a man doing in a dark alley with an underage girl? Mr. Lucius?”

The familiar voice rang behind him.

“Since when did you become a pawn of the New Federation of China, Tokisaki Kurumi?” Lucius turned around to see the human army had gathered around him.

They were drawn here by the Yamato Blade’s attack.

And standing in front of the army was the spirit that Lucius had met before…