The Vampire King's Toxic Consort (bxb)

Chapter 35 This Is How Villains Are Made

The vampire hunters fight differently from regular soldiers. They spent years studying vampires' and werewolves' anatomy, magic, history, traditions, values, and weaknesses and went through grueling, dangerous, sometimes downright lift-threatening combat training so that they could overpower supernatural creatures as humans.

They often fight in groups with tacit understanding and well-practiced cooperation, and when they hem in on one target, even the apostles, who were in their full power state and hadn't yet weakened by the virus, could fall and either be captured or even disintegrated by their high-energy weapons.

Anton was a formidable warrior and had a considerable amount of fighting experience, considering his younger age. However, he didn't have enough experience fighting the best vampire hunters in Anthor. He gained some advantage with his surprising attack, but soon he was losing ground. The hunters were much faster than the human soldiers he had dealt with on the battlefield, so fast that he began to suspect if they were indeed human. They took turns coming at him, quickly dodging and retreating the moment he tried to fight back. Within minutes, they had left several deep lacerations on him, and those weapons the hunters wielded were enchanted with archaic magic, preventing his body from healing.

Suddenly, a dark shadow swooped into the fight and tackled one hunter to the ground. Dorian pined the hunter to the ground and bit into her neck, quaffing her blood without holding back. The hunter thrashed and tried to push him off, but her struggle quickly diminished as Dorian's venom entered her body. The vampire didn't have time to drain the hunter's blood fully, so after he had just enough, he bit down hard, tore the hunter's throat open, and threw the lifeless body to the side. The blood gave him more strength, so he used it to attack the next target.

It was a rare thing for a vampire and a werewolf to fight together, and they collaborated surprisingly well on the first attempt. The hunters were taken out one by one, and within minutes, Anton dug his claw into the last hunter's chest and pulled out his heart.

Quietude returned to the bayou. Even the wind went still. Lucius came out of hiding, eyes darting around, trying to decide if they were safe.

"Florian is not here...This is not over..." Lucius said anxiously, "We have to move..." He didn't finish his last words as he took in the werewolf's condition.

Anton had returned to his human form, and he was wounded badly. Some of those wounds were deep enough to see bones. He probably got them before he found Lucius and Dorian.

Long, gushing sword wounds and bullet holes covered his body. Crimson almost drenched his entire body. A deep, piercing sword wound on his abdomen was still oozing blood. It was a miracle that he was still standing.

And as if the willpower that kept him fighting dissipated when he saw Lucius was safe and sound, Anton's towering, indefatigable body finally collapsed.

"Anton!" Lucius dashed to his side, trying to catch the falling body, but he was not strong enough and pulled to the ground. He pressed his shaky hand on that sword wound, and his mind was blank in shock as he stared into Anton's tender, bright eyes.

"Those bastards...They tried to capture me, but I made it out. Luckily, I found you in time..." Anton said exhaustedly. He winced as the adrenaline receded and pain overtook his senses.

"You shouldn't have come to find us you idiot! You should have run and saved yourself! Why did you come when you were hurt!" Lucius was utterly in panic. Too much blood! And the wounds were not healing!

Dorian came to their side and checked Anton's wounds, and his brows soon knotted together, and sorrow tinged his countenance. He looked at Lucius and didn't say anything, but Lucius recognized the woeful futility in his eyes.