Blood Hunt : Project Zero

[2.]8. A deal

[Cyrene]

"I know that you're not going to live as a vampire, nor lie low as a hunter. Tell me your goal, I'll help you with everything I can— just do one thing for me."

And with that, I knew that I'm right. She just showed her true colors, or should I say, she just showed what her goal is. She already showed me her true colors.

What a sly vampire, this Kira.

I looked at her, my expression didn't changed. After hearing her story, I admit, I had the sympathy even for the slightest. But that's that. Naramdaman ko lang 'yon dahil alam ko kung ano ang pakiramdam niya bilang isang hunter din na naging isang bampira.

Pero hanggang doon na lang ang kaya kong maramdaman para sa kaniya. Wala na 'kong pakiramdam pa para maawa para sa mga pinagdaanan niya o nila.

"You talk big as if you can really help me," sagot ko. Though, I know that she really can help me.

She have the resources, the man power, the skills. She really can help me. But of course, I won't show her that. Tho, I know that she knows she have the upper hand here.

"I can though, and you can mark my words. I'm a woman of my words," sagot niya.

Tinignan ko ang wine glass sa gilid ko, alam ko kung ano ang laman nito. "You don't even know what my goal is."

"Then tell me."

Bumalik ang tingin ko sa kaniya. Nangungusap ang mga mata namin sa isa't isa. "If I tell you that my goal is to kill every vampire living in this land right now, would you still help me?"

I felt the sudden tension. Naging alerto ang mga kasama ko sa silid, pare-parehong tumalim ang mga tingin sa akin. Even Kira is slightly taken aback, but she then showed a smirk.

"Does that include yourself?"

"If I already wipe out all of the vampires, then I have no reason to live."

Bumuga siya ng usok mula sa pipe. "Interesting. But that might take you a while. Or might be never."

"You're right. So I'm setting it aside for now." I can see some of the vampires were relieved after hearing what I said. "I have a different goal for now."

"What is it?"

I paused for a moment, once again glancing at the wine glass. I suddenly had the vision of that vampire again.

"I'm on a hunt." Mariin kong tinignan si Kira. "I'm looking for a maverick to pay back a favor, and a genus pureblood to pay a grudge."

I caught her attention. "The maverick, is that-"

"The crown." Her face popped in my mind. Her face is engraved in my brain, her voice is like a broken recorder that continues to play in my ear. "I have to give her my thanks." For turning me into this.

"And for the genus?" Kira asked.

"I don't know him yet, that's how you'll help me," sagot ko. "I just need to find where he is, I can take it from there."

Kira took a sip from her wine glass. "Hmm, that's kind of hard. He's a genus, do you think that you can handle a group of purebloods on your own?"

"That's not for you to worry. There's a reason why it's my hunt."

She looks amused. "Indeed, you exceed my expectations. I can help you with that."

Napunta sa kaniya ang buong atensyon ko. "Are you really sure about that?"

"Even though we're already vampires, we still have our pride and ego, miss hunter. Consider it done."

"Then, what do you want me to do?"

Once again, she really knows how to catch me off guard. She said it too casually, that I thought it's not a big deal.

"I need you to kill a pureblood for me."

Hindi lang ako ang nag-react, maski ang mga nakabalibot sa amin. Na para bang alam na nila kung saan papunta ang usapan na 'to.

"Kira," ang malalim na boses ni Noir ang pumagitan sa pag-uusap namin. Pero hindi siya pinansin ni Kira, bagkus ay pinagtaasan niya lamang ito ng kamay, hudyat na pinapahinto siya.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "You're asking me. . . to kill for you?" pag-uulit ko sa sinabi niya. "It's not that I can't, but honestly speaking, you're way stronger than me at this very moment. Are you testing my skills?"

Kira chuckled, smoking again. "I'm pleased to know that you're aware that I'm stronger than you."

Pasimpleng naningkit ang mga mata ko. Bago ako sumagot ay inunahan na niya na 'ko agad.

"But you're also right. It's only at the moment. An hour from now, a day from now, a week from now— you can already be way stronger than me." Bumuga siya ng usok. "And this pureblood that I'm asking you to kill, it's already been a century, but I can't, I still can't kill him."

"Him?"

"Yes, him." Our eyes met. "The Ballist pureblood who goddamn bit me." The look on Kira's eyes changed, it showed despair and grudge.

"That fucking Tsubaki."

A silhouette of that man appeared in my head, based on the story Kira told me. 

Tsubaki, the vampire wearing a kimono from the Ballast bloodline. A vampire that can't be killed with silver, nor gun. 

Naisip ko ang armas na ginagamit ko, baril. Wala itong epekto sa kaniya.

"I'm his Eve," muling ani Kira. "It means, I'm his. I came from him." Tinuro niya 'ko. "You're the crown's Eve as well."

Eve. . . that's what they call us, huh.

"So you also hold a grudge against him, your— I guess, Adam?" I guessed.

"You guess it right." She smirked. "But it's more than that." Kira's expression is still dark. But so as the other vampires here.

As if something happened not just to Kira, but to them as well.

"That bastard Tsubaki kept all of his Eve in touch. Including me." Hinawakan niya ang wine glass.

My forehead furrowed. "For?"

"For anything. Pleasure, food, entertainment." Dumiin ang pagkakahawak niya sa wine glass. Kita ko ang kaunting pag-crack nito. "There's no problem if it's just me, but he's asking for my people as well!" Tuluyang nabasag ang baso, ang natirang laman nito ay kumalat sa kamay ni Kira. She lost her composure, her elegant side is gone.

I see. . . that's why everyone have this reaction.

Kira clicked her tongue. I can see her fangs when she opened her mouth, licking her hand like a cat. "If I could, I would've killed him a long time ago. But that bastard is literally fucked up. I know that if I kept assassinating him, he might harm the people here."

"That's why you're asking me."

"Yes, that's why I'm asking you," walang pag-aalinlangan niyang sagot.

"I'll do everything that I can to help you, so kill Tsubaki for me. And we have a deal."

━━━ † ━━━