Chapter 39
Even as the replicas charged at her all at once, Meloni calmly fired her gun.
She aimed precisely for their necks. Once the head and body were separated, the replicas turned to ash and vanished.
Glen’s arrows were just as sharp, piercing cleanly through their necks and erasing them.
“Hm….”
Kain, perched atop a tree in the village, merely watched.
“They work together way too well.”
“Isn’t that obvious, you bloodsucker? Meloni and I have been partners for years!”
Kain’s eyes gradually narrowed, his expression turning dissatisfied.
Glancing upward, Meloni kicked away a replica lunging at her side.
“Kain, can you see the owner of these replicas?”
“Do I really have to tell you for free?”
Even now, Kain didn’t give information easily. Meloni, who had already expected this, grew irritated.
Her irritation wasn’t because he wouldn’t speak easily—it was because she could already guess what he’d demand in return.
Should she just shoot him right now?
After a few seconds of deliberation, Meloni let out a sigh.
“Ah, fine.”
She was out of bullets. All she had left was her umbrella.
“Tsk.”
Clicking her tongue, Meloni roughly tossed the gun into her bag.
“Cooperate. I’ll give you one chance.”
Normally, she would never have spoken first. She would have simply slaughtered all the replicas.
But this time was different.
“Meloni! What are you trying to say? I’ll kill the replicas myself, so—!”
“You felt it too, didn’t you, senior?”
Meloni smirked as she fired shot after shot from her umbrella.
“These things are only targeting me. Their owner is after me.”
The cold witch with silver hair.
Among vampires, her reputation was well-known. Even if they didn’t know her face, they knew her epithet.
That was why there were so many who sought her.
“And for a village this small, there are far too many replicas.”
It was a tiny village—probably fewer than sixty residents. Yet replicas kept pouring out endlessly from somewhere.
“We need to kill the owner.”
“Damn it!”
“So, Kain, hurry up and tell me. Can you see the owner nearby?”
“Fine. Deal.”
Kain stood up on the tree. His red lips curled slightly upward.
That annoying bastard—what should she do with him?
For now, she had no choice but to trust Kain’s eyes. With a restraint collar on him, he’d obey her—for the moment.
“The owner is…”
Staring intently somewhere, Kain tilted his head side to side.
“In the ecliptic.”
“You can see that far?”
“Human, you’re really underestimating me.”
Kain soon descended and stopped beside Meloni.
“Mel, want some help?”
Meloni glared at him while continuously forming bullets with her holy power.
“It won’t be free.”
Thud—
She smashed two replicas’ heads with her umbrella. Infused with holy power, their heads and torsos separated with ease.
“You’re using holy power freely now? Is it because you’re free from that dream?”
“Shut up.”
By now, Glen had moved next to Meloni. He’d run out of arrows.
“The owner of these replicas stopped making them the moment our eyes met.”
“Then…”
“If we finish these off, it’s over. No more will come.”
No matter how many they killed, the number of replicas didn’t seem to decrease.
Even if the owner had stopped creating them, two hunters couldn’t perfectly clean them all up.
If even one escaped—
That’d be horrible.
With no arrows left, Glen drew a dagger and continued killing the replicas. At this rate, only his stamina would run out.
“There’s an easier way, you know.”
As he spoke, Kain climbed back up a tree. Meloni glanced at him and sighed.
“Meloni! What are you hesitating for?!”
Glen shouted.
“Don’t fall for his words!”
“Senior.”
Meloni handed her umbrella to Glen.
“Take this and get far away.”
“What? Wait—what are you planning to do…?”
“If you can, climb a tree.”
“Meloni.”
“You’re in the way. Go. Now.”
She forced the umbrella into Glen’s hands and looked down at her own palm.
She wasn’t sure she could use her power properly, like in her dreams.
She’d already given away her last weapon. To protect herself now, she had no choice but to use holy power.
“It’s been a really long time since I used this properly.”
Fortunately, Glen listened. He climbed a tree opposite the one Kain was on.
It was, of course, harmful to Kain. Avoiding it was the right call.
Even though it was power meant for humans, Meloni’s intense holy energy could harm people too. That’s why she sent them both away.
“Disgusting.”
Seeing the replicas rushing at her like mad, she couldn’t delay any longer.
Meloni swung her arm through the air. In that instant, sparkling dust appeared. When she lightly touched it, it ignited like fire.
“Now, go burn them all.”
As she scattered it with both hands, the flames instantly clung to the replicas. Strangely, the pure white fire didn’t burn the surroundings.
Brilliant, dazzling white flames.
They burned only the replicas’ bodies, erasing them completely without leaving even ash behind.
“Bigger.”
Soon, the flames spread throughout the entire village—ensuring not a single trace of the replicas remained.
“Graaagh!”
“Kgh!”
At last, the writhing bodies and shrieks of the replicas vanished.
Meloni walked through the flames. Perhaps because she had created them, they didn’t harm her at all.
She moved through the village, checking for any remaining replicas. After confirming they were all gone, she withdrew the flames.
At that moment, a breeze blew from somewhere. Meloni’s hair fluttered.
“…You.”
Suddenly, Kain stepped in front of her. He grabbed her fluttering silver hair.
His crimson eyes were fixed on Meloni, yet they seemed strange—like he was looking at something else.
Meloni met his gaze directly.
“You’re…”
Kain tightened his grip on her hair. Meloni frowned.
“You were here?”
“……”
“I found you.”
She was just about to ask who he thought she was—
The hand gripping her hair moved to wrap around her shoulder and waist. The strength of it made her body sway.
“Don’t ever go anywhere again.”
Trapped against Kain’s solid body, Meloni blinked.
He held her as if she were the most precious person in the world—never letting her go.
What is this now?
She should have pushed him away. But Meloni stayed still.
She was curious.
Just who was this vampire mistaking her for? Who was the person he held so dear?
“Meloni!”
Glen ran over, calling her name. Regaining her senses, Meloni reached out and grabbed Kain’s shoulder.
At the same time, Kain’s body jolted.
“Kain.”
She pushed him away, and he yielded easily. Light slowly returned to his hazy eyes.
It seemed Meloni’s radiance had blinded him.
“Wake up.”
“……”
Following her voice, Kain’s eyelids slowly moved.
“Still not with it?”
Meloni clenched her fist and slammed it hard into Kain’s shoulder.
Thud—
The impact was strong enough to echo through the village. Kain staggered, then fell backward.
Meloni looked down at him sprawled on the ground.
“Feeling clearer now?”
Blinking several times, Kain let out a soft laugh.
“Ha…”
He roughly swept his hair back and glared at Meloni.
“Couldn’t you wake me up more gently? Would it kill you?”
“That’s because you were hugging me. It was creepy.”
“I must’ve been out of my mind. I mistook you for someone else.”
“Who did you mistake me for?”
“There’s someone. A woman who looks nothing like you, Mel.”
Meloni took back her umbrella from Glen, who had come up beside her, and straightened up.
“Get up.”
“Couldn’t you at least lend me a hand? You hit me so hard my legs are shaking.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Meloni held out her hand and tilted her head as if telling him to take it. Kain’s eyes widened slightly, as though he hadn’t expected it.
Soon, he chuckled and took her hand.
“Why so kind all of a sudden?”
“Just because.”
Maybe it was the thought that Kain treasured someone—someone he cared deeply for.
Her feelings toward him softened a little.
Seeing him care for someone made him seem more human.
I’m a little curious.
Was the woman Kain cherished human—or a fellow vampire?
For the first time, Meloni felt curiosity toward Kain.
