Blood Hunt : Project Zero

[2] 3. Was a hunter

[Cyrene]

Despite my new abilities and heightened skills, I'm sure that at this moment. . . I can't kill this vampire in front of me.

Hindi pa sapat ang lakas ko para harapin ang katulad niya. Pasimple kong hinawakan ang nakatago kong baril. For now. . . I need to go-

"If you move an inch, I'll kill you."

She said it in the calmest way possible, without even trying to intimidate me. But my body moved on its own, and immediately stopped. Hindi ako gumawa ng kahit anong kilos.

"I need to know what happened first, and I need you here since you're a witness," dagdag niya. She glanced at me with her cold eyes, before looking back at the guy next to her.

"Hunter," may tonong pagtawag niya.

Nanlilisik ang mga mata at nag-iigting ang bagang ni Hunter habang nakatingin sa akin. "T-That Nate!" His voice is getting louder. "SHE KILLED ANDI!!" 

Hindi siya natinag at nagsimula siyang maglakad papalapit sa akin habang hindi nawawala ang tingin. "SHE'S A NATE! A FUCKING NATE! SHE DIDN'T JUST KILLED ANDI, BUT SHE TRESPASPASSED OUR TERRITORY!"

He's about to kill me, I'm sure of that. But still, I remained standing and not moving an inch.

"THIS NATE NEEDS-"

"Tell him. . ." Nahinto si Hunter sa pagsasalita at paglapit sa akin nang magsalita ako. Hindi nawawala ang tingin namin sa isa't isa, pero hindi para sa kaniya ang mga salitang binibitawan ko. "That if he move another inch. . . I'll kill him."

Hunter was taken aback, while at the corner of my eye, I can see the woman slightly smirked— It looks like I got her attention.

"Y-YOU BITCH-"

"Hunter, don't move."

I'm about to do what I've said, fortunately, or not, Hunter didn't moved an inch when the woman instructed him.

"B-But-"

The other vampires tried to protest, but with a raise of her finger, they immediately stopped.

"You Nate. . ." Parang hindi ilang metro ang pagitan namin, at nakaharap sa akin ang bagong dating at kaswal akong kinakausap. "You're pretty good for a new born, you have a good control and flexibility. How many did you killed?"

She said it casually, too normal. I glanced at her. "I didn't kill anyone."

"LIAR!-"

"Hunter, if you talk again, I'll be the one who'll kill you."

Kahit hindi ako ang kinausap, kinalibutan din ako. Agad na natahimik ang lalaking kaharap ko sa narinig, nanlambot.

"Then, Nate. Make a believable excuse now, it doesn't mean that I'm not killing you yet, it means I won't." Nagtama ang mga mata namin. Parang may dumagan sa dibdib ko sa bigat ng tensyon.

Hindi ko siya talaga kakayaning kalabanin ngayon.

"I'm saying the truth," I answered with a straight face. Her expression changed. I knew what about to happen, so I avoided it in an instant.

"I was bitten. . . by a pureblood."

The whole atmosphere changed. The expression on their faces are kind of hilarious, at the same time, creepy. Hindi man lang nila tinago ang pagkabigla nila, maliban sa babaeng may katana. Rather than being surprised, her forehead furrowed— almost irritated.

"Hey." Nagbago ang tono ng pananalita niya. "I told you to make it believable, not the other way around."

Hinuli niya ang tingin ko. "Ginagago mo ba 'ko?"

I'm nervous. . . it's funny though, I'm not sweating. My heart is beating fast, but I'm not having trouble breathing.

"You're asking me, and you're deciding if my answer is right or wrong?" sarkastikong sagot ko. "Baka ako ang ginagago mo?"

I'm really proud of myself at this moment. I maintained my serious expression, despite me about to die cause of tension inside.

"Huh?" she groaned.

"Bullshit!" Mukhang hindi natiis ni Hunter ang pagkumento. "You?! That's impossible!" dagdag niya.

"But that will explain things, right?" kalmadong ani ko.

"Indeed," the woman replied. "It will explain things." She started walking towards me. "But the thing is, the last case of a Nate, bitten by a pureblood, was 2 centuries ago. . ."

"The question is, if you really was bitten by a pureblood— who are you to survive their venom?"

The tension didn't disappeared, instead it got heavier and heavier. Everyone. . . is waiting for my answer, I didn't let them wait any longer.

Napabuga ako ng hangin. "I was a hunter. . . A captain, Project Zero— the Associatio-"

"The Association's strongest. . ." pagtapos ni Hunter sa sasabihin ko. He looks less tense now, and he slightly calmed down. The look on his face shows that everything adds up, and it all makes sense.

"Project Zero. . ."

"Kalokohan!" sumali sa usapan ang isa sa mga lalaking bampira na nakikinig at malayo sa akin. "May patunay ka ba?!"

I glanced at him. That's one of the stupidest things I've heard so far. "It's the fact that I'm here right now. . . alive after getting bit by a pureblood, don't you think?"

Hindi siya nakasagot, bagkus ang isang babae naman ang nakisali.

"But she still killed Andi! Andi was one of us!"

Kita ko ang pag-ismid ni Hunter sa gilid ko, pero hindi siya nagsasalita.

"You attacked me first, without hearing my side. What do you want me to do? Let myself killed?"

"Fair enough," ani ng babae.

I lower my guard for a second, thinking that the misunderstanding was cleared. Only then I felt Hunter jumped away from me, as if giving a way. Dahil doon ay naging magkaharap na kami ng babae.

Ngayong magkaharap kami, mas lalo kong nakikita ang pinagkaiba naming dalawa. Masasabi kong matangkad na 'ko para sa isang babae, pero itong kaharap ko, ilang pulgada pa ang tinangkad niya sa akin. The proportions of her body is perfect, she looks like a model if it weren't for her red eyes and fangs.

"But I haven't seen the association's strongest yet, nor them." She smirked. "You might be lying, about being bitten by a pureblood and being a project. . .  we don't have a reason to believe you."

Hinanda ko ang sarili ko. Mabilisan kong kukunin ang baril ko kung sakali. If she makes a move-

"But you can prove it."

I was taken aback. Hindi ko pinahalata ang pagkabigla ko. "Huh?"

Ilang talampakan na lang ang pagitan namin. Kapag nilabas niya ang katana niya, kaya na nitong tumama sa akin.

"Do you know? A Nate is a new born vampire, or someone who had only been a vampire for a year."

"When they first bite someone and drinks their blood, their body will know that they're already a vampire. The second time they bite someone and drinks their blood, they will be awaken and their crimson eyes glows. . ."

Lumapit pa siya sa akin. Alam ko na ang gusto niyang iparating. 

Hinarap niya ang mukha niya sa kanan, at tinapat sa akin ang leeg niya. Kaunti niyang binuka ang suot-suot niyang yukata na may ngisi sa labi.

"Let's see that crimson eyes of yours. . . and make sure that they won't glow."

━━━ † ━━━