Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I refuse to accept this mission.”

“Denied.”

“At least pair me with a different hunter.”

“Also denied.”

Land sighed. He was called to the headquarters of the Demon Hunter Association by none other than the headmaster herself, Master Serie. Being one of the first-class hunters, Land had to fulfill the direct summons to receive a mission directly from the headmaster.

The mission sounded simple enough: hunt down the Alpha vampire that was heading to the Northern Plateau. It sounded simple. But the journey would take them weeks, even by a car. And they would have to fight off countless supernatural creatures on the way there. Wendigos, banshees, lamias, arachnes, and perhaps other vampires. It would be such a drag battling them, really.

But that wasn’t the main reason Land didn’t want to accept this mission. He didn’t mind taking down an Alpha vampire who had hunted endless humans and, according to records and rumors, possessed power equivalent to an entire army of demons. Even though he didn’t have enough confidence to say that he was strong enough to face such a creature, with careful calculation and strategy, he could find a way.

The problem was that he had to be paired with someone he despised. See, Land was a man of few words and many thoughts. He wasn’t particularly open about himself to anyone, nor did he like engaging in mindless chitchat.

Meanwhile, Übel. A woman with many words and few thoughts. She talked as if she’d die if she stopped. And it never came off as friendly, either.

She was, however, a proficient hunter. Another first-class hunter at that. She showed no mercy in killing demons, and in fact enjoyed it to the fullest. She was rather bloodthirsty in battle. Perhaps that’s exactly what made her strong.

Not only that. Their approach to things, especially in battle, were stark contrast. Land was a careful man and preferred most things under control. Übel? She was a literal definition of chaos. A violent-craved woman. A maniac.

“Land. You passed the test along with her. You have experience working together with her,” Serie explained.

“That doesn’t mean I enjoy her presence. I am clearly incompatible with her.”

Serie blinked. “I understand how you feel. However, you two are the only ones available and capable in doing this mission. Besides, she has accepted the mission and agreed to be paired with you. She seems thrilled.”

The blond man sighed again. Of course Serie had already spoken to her. Of course Übel had agreed and accepted the mission. Even if he hid himself after this, Übel would eventually find him and drag him along anyway.

Sneaky headmaster.

“Fine. It seems that I no longer have a choice in the matter,” Land conceded.

“Perfect,” Serie grinned. “Don’t worry. I have great confidence that you two will do well in defeating the Alpha. Take your time getting there, though I have to set a deadline.”

“How long?”

“Three months. Enough for you, is it?”

Land fell silent for a while. Fighting an Alpha required careful strategy and extensive information. Not to mention the journey itself would be dangerous. But Land understood that if it took too long, the Alpha would already eradicate the whole city before moving to his next destination.

“Alright,” Land nodded.

“Good,” Serie nodded back. “Now go along and get prepared. You must depart by tomorrow.”

Land slightly bowed to the headmaster and walked toward the exit. Well, no use whining about it any longer now. All he could do was focus on the mission and start planning how to defeat this Alpha vampire.

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“Glad to be working together with you, four-eyes~” Übel chimed as she waved at Land, standing at the gate of his house. She looked all prepared, with her gears and baggage ready.

Land exhaled. No use in imagining how the travel would be like with all of her blabberings and her antics now (he already had enough stress about it all night and even thought about how to just go by himself). He’d just accept his fate.

The man walked toward his car and opened the passenger’s door for Übel. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

“Say, four-eyes,” Übel started, sitting on the passenger seat, “where are we going to go first?”

“To Kranz. There’s a hunter guild that has information regarding the target,” Land answered as he was steering the car.

“I see.” Übel took out her phone, “Isn’t searching the internet enough? You know there’s an official website for lists of demons and info. We could even ask the forum or group chat about it.”

“I don’t particularly believe in online articles. Besides, information about the Alpha vampire is pretty much strict that we need to provide our IDs and Serie’s verified letter to get it from the guild.”

“Hmm,” Übel hummed as she scrolled her phone. “Well, it doesn’t hurt to read it firsthand, does it? Let’s see, the Alpha vampire…” She paused for a while to read an online article she found. “They said that he’s huge and can destroy a building with a single hand.”

“Is that so.”

“He can turn humans into a vampire and command them at will.”

“I see.” That was already said by Serie herself.

“Some even want to be bitten and join his army, because they think he’s hot.”

And that’s why Land never believed the internet. He even wondered if the people there were sane.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Übel chuckled. “Now it makes me wonder how it feels to become a half-vampire.”

“So are you willing to submit yourself to the Alpha vampire once we meet him later?” Land said dryly.

“Hmm,” she hummed, touching her chin with her phone. “If that happens, I’d have to follow the Alpha vampire commands, wouldn’t I? I can’t walk freely under the sun either. That would be boring.” She shrugged, “I’m only interested in vampiric power.”

Then Übel glanced at the man driving beside her, “Does that mean a regular vampire can’t transform humans into the likes of them?”

“No, only the Alpha can do it. Based on the verified information I’ve gotten from Sense, this Alpha is the last of his kind.”

“I see. So once the Alpha is killed, it’s only a matter of time that the vampire will go extinct, huh?”

“Yes.”

Demons hunted humans daily, living everywhere across the land and sea. Some were capable of speaking human language; vampires among them. Not all of them were able, though. The stronger the demons, the more intelligence they had as well.

Vampires hunted humans for blood. They originated from biting humans and turned them into one of their own. However, only the Alphas could create more vampires. They were the strongest of their kind, and it was proven difficult to kill them by just ordinary means, even though their weakness was one: sunlight.

Intelligent and deceptive, vampires were dangerous opponents. They could blend in as humans at night, preying easily on anyone unable to sense mana or danger. A bite from a regular vampire meant certain death from blood loss, unless treated quickly.

Demon hunters weren’t made only to hunt vampires. There were other kinds of demons out there. But throughout history, demon hunters had successfully killed and reduced the number of Alpha vampires, though of course not without casualties. It took centuries to whittle their numbers down, from hundreds to just one. Not to mention that humanity was fast in researching and developing technology dedicated to hunting demons as well, and numbers of hunters were also increasing. One can find at least one hunter guild in every city.

“Well, this is gonna be fun,” Übel smiled widely. “I get the chance to get closer with four-eyes while doing this mission.”

“That is, if you won’t get killed on the way,” Land replied, eyes still focused on the road.

Übel chuckled. “I know well enough that you won’t let that happen~”

Land glanced at Übel for a while at that for a second, then back to the road. “As long as you won’t cause trouble.”

“Hmm,” Übel took out her short dagger and twirled the handle. “I can’t promise you that. But,” she held her dagger and looked at her reflection on it, “I also don’t want you to die.” 

She turned her head at Land and smirked, “So no need to worry, four-eyes~”

“Right.” He wasn’t assured one bit from that.

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They finally arrived at Kranz’s hunter guild. Land parked his car and went into the building along with Übel. They were met with a crowd of hunters. Some sat at the counters and tables, others stood near the notice board, scanning for targets available.

“So merry~ All these people are hunters?” Übel asked, looking around the building.

“Most of them, yeah,” Land answered as he walked towards the counter. “Some people are here to hang out, as well.”

“Well, this place does look like a cozy café,” she commented, trailing behind Land.

“So it seems.” Land stood before the counter and called one of the guild staff. When the staff approached him, Land spoke as he nudged his glasses, “We’re here for information regarding the last Alpha vampire.”

The people around him perked up at what he said. The staff nodded, “The last Alpha, huh? Master Serie told you to hunt it down?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, give me your demon hunter ID card and Master Serie’s letter, please. I’ll send the information to your account.” Land took out his card and letter and gave them to the staff. Then she took her seat at one of the computers and started to browse.

The other hunters started whispering. One of them even started talking to Land. “You’re hunting the Alpha vampire?”

Übel took the only vacant seat beside Land. (Did he stand beside this seat intentionally?) “Yes, we are~” Übel answered rather smugly. “Master Serie asked us both to kill him.”

“I see, you’re demon hunters,” the other hunter commented. “You know no hunter has ever survived going after the Alpha, right?”

“Hmm, I guess they’re not strong enough against him, huh?” Übel replied nonchalantly.

The hunter’s eye twitched. “You think you are?”

“Way stronger than you,” Übel said, still with a snobby smile. “Four-eyes here is also powerful, too, even though he can be a coward, sometimes.”

“Heh,” the hunter scoffed. “A coward hunting down an Alpha vampire? It’s not too late to turn back now, you know.”

Land glanced at the rather annoying hunter. What was he trying to get from this?

Übel chuckled at the stranger, “Guess you’re the coward one here, huh?”

“What did you say?!” The hunter stood up with a scowl.

Übel smirked at that. One of her hands was about to take out her short dagger.

Land turned his attention to the woman beside him. He was about to stop her from provoking the man further, before the staff interfered. 

“Hey, no physical fighting inside the guild building, or else I will kick you all out,” the staff warned.

“Übel,” Land warned her as well.

“I know, I know~” Übel shrugged and put her hands on the counter. “No fun.”

The stranger hunter growled. “That Alpha is mine! I’ll kill him and claim the bounty!”

Ah, so that was why. Land merely stared at the hunter with a judging look. Übel just giggled mockingly.

“Look, mister,” the guild staff spoke again. “They are chosen specifically by the demon hunter headmaster to hunt the Alpha. It means they are capable of defeating this demon. They’re certified first-class demon hunters, so stop having the idea of picking a fight with them. You won’t stand a chance.”

The hunter clucked his tongue before he sat down again.

The staff finally turned her attention to Land and gave his ID card back. “Sorry about that. I’ve sent the information to your demon hunter account. Anything else you need?”

“Hey, miss staff,” Übel raised her hand, “are all of these people certified hunters?”

The staff blinked. “Well, I guess it’s just right for you to ask such a question,” she sighed. “You see, while this place is called a hunter’s guild, it’s not strictly for demon hunters. Some people here are ordinary bounty hunters.” She gestured her chin towards the earlier hunter.

“Huh, I see. That explains a lot.”

If that man was a certified demon hunter, he should’ve noticed the strength difference just by reading their mana. Land already knew that the man was just an ordinary person with unpolished mana. If the staff or Land hadn’t interfered, Übel would’ve sliced the poor hunter to pieces in a second, even if she also knew.

“The Alpha vampire is all over the internet, isn’t he?” Übel said. “He’s quite popular. A lot of people are after him, even though there is no official mission or bounty about hunting him down.” She leaned her chin on her hand. “I guess that’s the power of the internet.”

“It really is,” the staff sighed. “Countless bounty hunters came here to ask info about the Alpha. I couldn’t give them since they don’t have a certified demon hunter ID. Alpha vampire is strictly a target for first-class demon hunters.”

“Hmm,” Übel hummed. “Such preventive measures. So we’re the first ones to get it?”

“That’s right.”

“Convenient, huh,” Übel commented with a smirk. “Not bad at all. I feel privileged.”

“Well, I won’t worry too much about you both since you’re first-class hunters, but,” the staff gestured her eyes to the people around them, “you will become targets for them, soon.”

Übel smirked wickedly at that.

Land put a warning hand on Übel’s shoulder. When Übel turned to him, Land looked back at her with a deadpan look. “We are well aware,” Land said to the staff. “We’ll make sure this information is safe with us.”

“We’re counting on you,” the staff nodded and smiled.

“Let’s go,” Land said. His hand hadn’t left Übel’s shoulder.

Übel rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. I wouldn’t want to pay for any broken stuff here, anyway.”

“Good.” He wouldn’t want to be responsible for any victims falling under her havoc, as well.

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“Why are we stopping here?”

“It’s evening. We’re going to get some rest and resume the trip tomorrow morning.”

“Ehh? But we haven’t done anything yet. Can we just continue until late?”

“Übel. I do not want us to engage in unnecessary wild encounters, especially at night.”

“That’s boring.”

“I don’t care what you think. We still have time to get there, anyway. We need to assess the information we got from the guild, as well.”

Übel huffed. “Fine. Can I hunt down some demons after that?”

“I told you–” Land stopped midway. “You know what, fine. You have your own room, so do as you wish.”

“That’s more like it,” Übel smiled. “Or else I’d be dead bored. Thank you~”

Land stepped out of the car and went inside the hotel building, as Übel trailed behind him. The male hunter had made an online reservation for two rooms on the way, so he only needed to check-in at the counter.

Night was a dangerous time to wander around, even within the city. There weren’t only vampires that could disguise themselves as humans. Intending to preserve energy and avoiding any risks, Land planned to stay the night at the city hotel and discuss the info they got from the guild earlier with Übel.

They hadn’t gotten dinner, either, anyway.

Chapter Text

“Wow, we can even track the Alpha’s movement with this, huh. How convenient~” Übel commented, peeking at Land’s laptop from beside him.

“You’re right,” Land replied dryly.

They were in the hotel restaurant, discussing the info they got from Kranz’s hunter guild after they had finished with dinner. They were sitting at a table for four, with long sofa seats on both sides. The place was quiet at this hour, with only a few other guests lingering over their meals. A faint gurgle came from an aquarium from Übel’s side of the wall, its soft glow washing the room in blue light. “The fish look like toys, so cute.” Übel had commented on the small, colorful fish swimming inside the aquarium.

Land had brought his laptop with him and opened his hunter account to access the Alpha vampire info. It contained his current location, latest activity, latest seen, his power and ability, as well as his picture.

“Hmm he looked a bit different from what I imagined,” Übel said as she saw the photo of the Alpha. “I thought he’d look buffy and monstrous, based on the description from the internet. But here he looks like… just a normal human.”

From the photo, the vampire indeed looked like a normal human. He had shoulder-length black wavy hair, a face that seemed like a man in his mid-twenties, and a tall, lean body. His eyes, though, were strikingly bloody red and had slit pupils like those of snakes. Two upper fangs slightly protruded from his mouth as well.

“That’s why I told you,” Land said as he scrolled the screen, “never believe anything on the internet.”

“But the internet is so much fun, you know,” Übel said, flashing her default smirk. She leaned her elbows against the table, and she was close enough that Land could smell the faint fragrance of her perfume. There was still a lot of space on Übel's side, yet she sat way too close to him. It felt like she was deliberately invading his space. “Your social media is pretty dusty, there’s barely anything there. You should post a status update or something~”

Land stared back at Übel. “I don’t remember ever sharing my social media account with you.”

Übel chuckled, “It wasn’t that hard to find, four-eyes~ Your profile looks so boring, though. But I guess that’s exactly what I should expect from you.”

The glasses man sighed, “Right.”

Land was never a fan of conversing on the internet. He didn’t even understand the point; typing away at strangers, shouting into the void, waiting for likes that meant nothing. To him, it was merely a nest of noise: arguments, gossip, oversharing. All things he had no patience for. His account existed only because he had to make one for work.

Although… he did browse the internet for other things.

Like watching cat videos.

Anyway.

“Hmm, it says he’s transformed forty-three people this year. On average, fifty to sixty humans a year.” Übel leaned her chin on her hand. “I thought I’d see higher numbers, considering he’s an Alpha. Like hundreds.”

“Not all humans he bites successfully turn into vampires. The numbers here only count the successful ones,” Land explained.

“Huh, I see. Not all of them, huh…” Übel hummed in thought. “Guess the rest just die, then?”

“Seems like it.”

Übel tilted her head, “What’s the criteria there, for a human to turn into one?”

“Let’s see,” Land said as he scrolled the page. “It records that humans with refined mana will turn into vampires when bitten by the Alpha. Otherwise, they end up dead.” Land blinked then, reading the next passage. “And it’s not only dead from blood loss. It says they’re poisoned as well.”

“Poison, huh? So does that mean an Alpha vampire is venomous?”

“Apparently so.” Land leaned back to the sofa chair. “And this venom is what makes humans transform into vampires.”

“Hmm.” Übel leaned closer to the laptop, taking over the scrolling. “People who have refined mana, huh? Then that means both of us could get transformed.”

“I guess so.”

Übel touched her chin, “If it’s a venom, then is there an antidote?”

“Does it say there?”

“Hmm,” Übel scanned the info article shown on the laptop screen. “It says there is, but it’s quite expensive. But,” she scrolled further, “if we show our first-class demon hunter IDs, they’ll give it for free.” The green-haired woman moved back and smiled, “Ehh, such a lot of privilege we get as first-class demon hunters. Guess passing the test was worth it, huh?”

“It has to be.” Land sighed, reminded by the time they went for the gruesome first-class hunter test. The test had three phases, and he had to get stuck with Übel in all of those phases. Well, at least he hadn’t been there the entire time, technically speaking. It had been his clone who went through all of those tests.

Still, it had been a hellish process; in the first phase, they had to capture a Boggart, a creature that could transform into anyone’s fear who looked at it. Then they had to fight off a Skinwalker, a creature that could disguise itself as human almost perfectly, even copying the amount of one’s mana. 

Surprisingly, in the last phase, it had been merely an interview with Serie.

“Besides, they don’t want to lose any more proficient hunters, I’m guessing. It’s part of the association’s responsibility, too,” Land continued his words.

“Hmm, you’re right. Probably also part of their experiment and research.” Übel turned her head to look at Land, “Well, now that we know we’ll need antidotes, is that what we’re going to do next?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright~.” Übel looked back at the laptop screen. “It says that Riedel’s hunter guild has it in stock. That’s the nearest city from here, about four hours.”

“I see,” Land took out his phone and opened his GPS app, “I’ll set it up now for tomorrow.”

“Then we’re done for now?”

“Yeah. We’ll continue tomorrow at Riedel.”

“Okay~.” Übel leaned back to the sofa chair and stretched her arms up. “Now that we’re done, wanna join me to hunt down some demons?” Übel smiled at Land.

“I’m not interested.”

“C’mon~ it’s gonna be fun,” she poked his arm. “Think of it as our practice before we face the Alpha. How about it, hmm?”

Land sighed. “You know what? Fine. We’re going to work together anyway, so I guess it’s a good idea.”

“Hehe, perfect~”

Land closed his laptop, picked it up and stood up. “I’ll be back in five.”

“Going to make a clone, aren’t you?” Übel suspected with a smirk.

Land didn’t respond and just kept walking. He needed to put away his laptop first, anyway.

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Land and Übel went out to the nearest small, dark forest to hunt some demons. Since this was Übel’s request, she got to drive. Contrary to her chaotic personality, Übel was actually a proper driver, even though she tended to go above the speed limit especially when the road was empty. And surprisingly, she never drove against traffic. Well, probably because the situation was still normal. Who knows what she could do if the situation wasn’t as normal.

She had to convince Land first, though. Land was skeptical when Übel asked him about it, since it was his car. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, Land granted Übel’s request and handed her the wheel.

Thankfully, they made it safely to the forest without encountering any accidents… or police.

“See? I wasn’t so bad, was I?” Übel smirked at Land.

Land just sighed and nudged his glasses. “I’d prefer you keep the speed under maximum.”

“Ehh, it’s night already, the road is pretty much empty. There were no police, too, so no need to worry, right~?” She said merrily, taking off her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

“If you don’t follow my terms, then I will not let you drive my car again.”

“Fine, fine. Sorry, I’ll keep that in mind then~” Übel shrugged and tilted her head. “Let’s go, four-eyes.”

Land also stepped out of the car and walked towards the dark forest with Übel.

The area was pretty much a nest for demons to lurk. There were several abandoned houses and there were barely any lights. This place was devoid of any humans, but demons were cunning and dangerous, so they were easily lured here to become prey.

Some of them could cast some illusion magic. Some of them could sing to hypnotize. Demons had been humans’ mortal enemies, hence the existence of demon hunters in the first place.

Fortunately, most of them could only be active at night. And as years went by, their numbers were decreasing, by eliminating the elites of each demon race. The Alpha vampire was one of them.

“Should we light up a torch?” Übel asked as they were already in the middle of the forest. It felt like she was walking in complete darkness.

“Since we’re here to hunt random demons, fine. They will be lured by the light.” Though he preferred to keep it dark to avoid numbers of encounters, Land felt that the demons that lurk here didn’t pose any significant danger for them, at least. Even without light, they could fight properly through their mana detection ability. And Land had already checked the area that the demons here were fairly… manageable.

“Alright~” Übel took out her torch, lit it up and made it float with her magic. Then she materialized her lance-like staff, getting ready to fight.

Meanwhile, Land merely scanned the area as he nudged his glasses. He didn’t need to summon his staff here.

Land and Übel were hunters who utilized magic, hence their weapons. Some hunters were warriors, who relied entirely on their heightened five senses. Meanwhile, mages like them relied on their mana detection. But even so, they were exceptional mages with sharpened senses than the others.

Übel swung her staff and smirked, “It’s here.”

A long pale arm came out of the dark towards Übel at high speed. Before it reached her, the arm was immediately sliced to pieces. A high-pitched scream echoed shortly after.

“A Wendigo,” Land said nonchalantly.

A Wendigo was, by average, a formidable opponent. It understood human language, had high intelligence but was unable to speak. It was immune to bullets and capable of regenerating lost limbs within minutes. It was fairly quick and had high agility as well. The only way to kill it was to burn it.

“It’s not only one,” Übel said as she took her stance once more. “This is gonna be fun.”

Two other oversized hands reached for the hunters. One was sliced apart, while the other was electrocuted and stunned in place. Another scream filled the forest.

“C’mon, come out, come out~ It hurts, doesn’t it?” Übel spoke, provoking the Wendigos. “Let’s come and play~”

A low growl was heard before multiple roars broke out. Two Wendigos appeared in the hunters’ visions, and they charged toward them at high speed. Their appearances were humanoid and huge, their eyes were devoid of eyeballs and huge antlers grew from their hairless heads. They were one of the most vicious demons that feast on human flesh.

Übel grinned widely, “That’s it, that’s more like it~.” She swung and stabbed her sharp staff to one Wendigo that charged toward her onto its head deeply, then she threw and slammed the creature to the ground hard. The Wendigo quickly recovered and jumped onto her again. Übel swung her staff once more and threw an invisible slash toward the demon, but it swiftly dodged and kept advancing forward.

The Wendigo opened its giant maws, then Übel parried and held the jaws with her staff. The Wendigo’s push was so strong that her arms trembled. She grinned, “Rather hungry, aren’t you?”

Seeing an opening, the Wendigo swung its giant hand to Übel. The woman hunter saw that, so she casted a shield before it made contact. However, the impact was so strong that the shield broke and threw Übel away.

Übel rolled on the ground and got separated from her staff quite far. She quickly got on her knees before the Wendigo charged toward her again with its hands reaching her. With quick reflexes, Übel took out her dual daggers and stabbed the Wendigo’s hands, preventing them from grabbing her.

“Heheh,” Übel scoffed, rather amusingly. “You are indeed a formidable opponent. A perfect training dummy.” Then, the Wendigo’s hands were torn and sliced into small pieces, and the Wendigo stepped back and screamed in pain.

Taking the chance, Übel swiftly ran towards her staff, and without wasting any second, she swung her staff towards the Wendigo’s giant body, slicing it into two.

Before it had the chance to regenerate itself, Übel charged towards the halved Wendigo, stabbing its chest to the ground and glared at it.

“Sorganeil.”

The Wendigo was surrounded by golden threads and no longer able to regenerate its body. All it could do was screeching now.

“Ah, what a short fight,” Übel said with a complaining tone. “You are such a huge creature, so in order for my Sorganeil to work, I have to slice you half. Otherwise I can’t see your entire body.” Übel chuckled, “Well, at least you gave me a little bit of a thrill there~.” 

She pulled out her staff from the Wendigo, then pointed her staff to its head. “Thanks for the entertainment. Now, begone~” She casted a simple fire magic, and the flame quickly engulfed the Wendigo whole. It kept burning until it left to ashes.

As for the other Wendigo, it kept reaching and slamming its hands in an attempt to catch Land. But Land avoided every advance with lightning speed so that it irritated the demon. On the last slam, Land swiftly teleported behind the Wendigo with his lightning magic, then he put a hand to its back. Land released a strong surge of electricity from his hand, and The Wendigo was electrocuted and stunned in place.

“It seems you’re not immune to electricity,” Land commented, nudging his glasses. “That’s fortunate for me. I can end this fight now. Goodbye.” Land summoned his staff and pointed it to the Wendigo–

Only for the Wendigo swiftly turned around and swung its humongous hand. Land saw that, so he flashed away before it made contact, leaving a trail of electricity.

Land nudged his glasses. So it recovered in just under a minute, Land thought. As he thought of ways to stop the Wendigo’s movement before burning it, the Wendigo charged toward him with its maws opened.

Seeing the opportunity, Land thrust his staff into the Wendigo’s mouth and immediately casted another strong surge of electricity. The Wendigo screamed in pain, and without further ado, Land followed up with fire magic, burning the Wendigo to ashes.

“Ehh~ you’re quite fast, four-eyes. How very strong of you~” Übel drawled at Land.

The man turned to the green-haired hunter, “Übel. You had the chance to kill it immediately the first time you stabbed its head. Why didn't you do it?”

“I just want to have fun~” Übel shrugged with a wide smile. “It would be boring if I end the fight short, wouldn’t it?”

“You got injured,” Land stated.

“Ehh, you’re worried about me, four-eyes?” She teased. “Don’t worry, it’s not too bad. It’ll heal by tomorrow.”

Land sighed, “If you hadn’t casted a shield, your ribs would’ve been broken now.”

“I know. I’m glad I was able to cast it on time~” Übel took back the floating torch. “Now that we’re done, let’s head back, yeah?”

“I’ll drive this time,” Land said with a deadpan look.

Übel giggled, “Sure, four-eyes.”

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When they arrived at the hotel, Übel was already fast asleep. Land sighed and shook his head. “This is what you get for lengthening the fight.” Land shook Übel by the shoulder, trying to wake her. “Hey, wake up. We’re at the hotel now.”

But she didn’t wake up. Land sighed before he stepped out of the car and carried Übel on his back.

He walked to Übel’s room, opened the door with the card key he took from Übel’s pocket, and laid her down on the bed. To be sure, Land hovered a hand over Übel’s ribs, trying to detect any wounds on her. It seemed that there were no grave injuries such as broken bones, just a bad bruise. Standing up, Land exited Übel’s room and went to his own room.

Good thing he’d joined her in the hunt. Otherwise, it might not have ended with just a bruise.

Chapter Text

“Huh… I think my rib still hurts,” Übel said, pouting as she touched her rib.

“That’s on you for being reckless last night,” Land said dryly as he was taking care of checking out of the hotel at the front desk.

“I’m sorry~ But at least I had fun,” she perked up with a smile.

The man turned around as he finished checking out and walked toward the sliding entrance door. “You’ve always been seeking fun that leaves you injured or nearly killed. Do you really want to die that much?”

“It’s exactly what makes battles thrilling, you know~” she said, trailing behind Land.

Land stopped walking, turned his head around and stared at Übel with a deadpan look.

Übel stopped as well and blinked. “What?”

“Should I remind you that we’re still on our way to kill an Alpha vampire?”

Übel fell silent for a few seconds. She knew what Land meant.

Übel was a woman who always sought fights to the death. With that in mind, she could do anything she wanted, going all out with no care in the world. That was how she became so strong. Even against a stronger opponent, she would always find a way to kill. She had great confidence in her skills.

Though. She knew how chaotic she could be. She was aware of her own capability and her limits. She wasn’t that stupid to just mindlessly go into a fight she couldn’t win. She knew when to restrain herself and stay level-headed in certain situations, like when in a test and in a mission like this.

Übel also knew how reckless she could be. She knew that her luck was horrendous as well. That’s why when it came to rules, Übel had no choice but to follow them for her own sake.

Honestly, Land could be a little nuisance sometimes. However, she had ulterior motives for why she kept following Land around and accepted this mission: she wanted to copy his clone magic. 

It was one of her perks; by understanding and empathizing with someone’s feelings, Übel could instantly use their magic without going through the learning process.

So Übel would try to follow Land’s line of thoughts for the sake of it.

Übel chuckled and shrugged. “I know what you’re trying to say, four-eyes. Alright,” Übel walked, passing the blond hunter, “if you don’t want me to die that much, then you gotta stick with me all the time~”

“We’re on a paired mission,” Land said, looking at Übel walking past him. “Has there ever been a time that we’ve been separated since we departed?”

She stopped beside Land’s car. “Hmm, probably when we're having a good night's sleep?” Übel glanced back at Land, hands enjoined on her back, posing innocently.

Land just stared at her. He just couldn’t with this woman.

“Hehe, don’t look at me like that~” Übel drawled with a teasing face. “I promise I’ll behave, okay? Well, as long as you’re around, that is.”

“What am I, your personal reins?” Land muttered dryly as he unlocked the car and got into the driver seat.

“Eh, I guess you could say that~” she chuckled, climbing in as well.

He didn’t remember ever agreeing to that.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

When they arrived at Riedel’s hunter guild, it was crowded. Land frowned slightly at the sight, while Übel smirked widely. “Just as we thought, huh?”

On their way there, they had speculated that bounty hunters might come after them. It was common knowledge among hunters that vampire antidotes (and other rare, expensive goods) were available in several guilds, and one of them was in Riedel. 

Words spread quickly within the hunter's community. With just a chat on social media, the entire hunters would know the news.

“Übel, stay here,” Land said as he put his car into a stop.

“Ehh, I don’t wanna. Let me fight too~” Übel whined.

“Didn’t you say your ribs were still hurt? Besides, I won’t let you turn the guild entrance into a pool of blood.”

“Hmm,” Übel leaned back on the chair. “I guess you’re right. Fair point,” she shrugged.

“Good,” Land replied, but his voice came from the backseat. His clone stepped out of the car and walked toward the crowd of bounty hunters.

The bounty hunters stared at him. “Huh, they’re here.”

“What, you’re alone, kid?”

Land nudged his glasses. “Could you let me in, please? I want to buy some gears.”

“Sure. But first, give us something we want.”

Land merely blinked.

One of the male hunters snickered, “Alpha vampire’s whole official information. We’ll take him down for you.”

“Why do you think I have such a thing?” Land asked.

“Don’t fool us, kid. We all know you have it. We know it’s you.”

Land was quiet for a moment before he sighed. “Hunter’s community is really amazing, huh. Very well. Who should I send the information to?”

A tall hunter with a greatsword on his back came forward, “Send it to me. I’ll share it with my fellows here.”

“Alright,” Land took out his phone from his pocket. “Though you have to promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

The blond hunter nudged his glasses again. “The moment I send you the information, I want you to stop bothering us. We’re still on the mission given by the headmaster Serie, after all. It would be troublesome if we head back soon without completing the mission.”

The tall hunter smirked, “You have my word.”

Land stared at the hunter solemnly for long seconds, then to the other hunters surrounding him. As he finished quickly scanning around, he spoke to the other hunter, “Tell me your hunter’s account.”

“Here,” the tall man showed his phone screen to Land. 

The blond hunter typed on his phone screen, and showed his phone back to the tall hunter. “Done.”

The tall hunter snickered with a wide suspicious smirk. “Thanks. We got it, boys.”

Seconds after, the bounty hunters charged toward Land with their weapons.

Land stared at the tall man, who was seemingly the leader of this crowd. The tall hunter laughed mockingly at Land, “Sorry kid, can’t let anyone steal our bounty any longer.”

Land sighed. “I expected this would happen, so–”

He vanished in a burst of lightning.

Unified shocked gasps filled the area and the hunters stopped charging. “W-where did he go?!”

There was only silence, and the hunters frantically looked around, searching for a certain hunter with glasses.

Thud.

A short gasp was heard from behind the crowd, followed with a sound of something falling to the ground.

Thud. Thud.

Another gasp and thud sounds, along with zapping noises as well. It kept coming, and it was fast.

The hunters looked behind them, and they just realized their numbers were decreasing. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they looked at their comrades already fell down to the ground, unconscious.

The leader bounty hunter gritted his teeth and growled, “Catch him! Someone stop him!”

The hunter gripped their weapons, ready to attack Land. But the moment their eyes caught Land, they were shortly blacked out.

None of them could catch Land on time. All they could see was trails of lightning in quick movement. It happened in mere five minutes, and all the hunters except the tall man with a greatsword fell unconscious.

The leader was ready to swing his greatsword, but before he did, his body fell down to the ground hard. Land pinned him by his neck.

“Last chance to make up your promise,” Land said with a dry tone, yet stern face. “Don’t bother us anymore.”

The leader gritted his teeth. “You're tough. I guess that's a first-class demon hunter for you.” 

Then he stabbed Land with a dagger on the stomach. The blond hunter grunted and winced.

“Bahaha! And that's what you get for messing up with a first-class bounty hunter like me!” The leader barked.

“Huh, I didn't know there's a classification for bounty hunters, too,” Land said dryly.

The leader scoffed. “Don't underestimate bounty hunters, kid. Or else–” he punched Land away from him.

Land rolled away on the ground, making a trail of blood from his stomach. He laid on his side, staring at the standing up tall hunter.

The leader walked toward Land and stepped on him. “This is for your own good, you know? You don't know how terrifying an Alpha vampire can be. I'm saving your own life.”

“I see,” Land said, unfazed. “So you think you can kill the Alpha vampire?”

“Of course. I'm the best bounty hunter around here. I’ve killed tons of demons throughout my years of living.”

“Hmm,” Land hummed. “Years of experience, you said. But it seems brute force is your only expertise. You see, I’m not a fan of violence. But I’ll win this battle soon enough.”

The leader scowled and stepped on Land harder. “Being too cocky, aren't you? I’ll cut your head off.”

Land sighed. “So be it. By then, you’ll black out, too.”

“Stop blabbering nons–”

The leader felt a nudge on his back.

He widened his eyes and glanced at his back. He saw another Land pointing his staff at him. He frantically looked back and forth, utterly confused. “W-what’s going on? There are two of you?!”

Land didn't answer him. “Since you won't agree to my terms, I shall put you to sleep. Good night.” Then he shot a strong basic spell to the taller hunter, blasting him far away. With just that, the taller hunter fell unconscious.

The wounded clone disintegrated, leaving the other clone standing with unconscious hunters around him.

Unbothered, Land nudged his glasses and started walking towards the guild entrance.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

When he opened the entrance door, it was rather quiet. There were several hunters, both demon hunters and bounty hunters, minding their own business. Most of them were unfamiliar… except one person. A particular white haired man with a fur coat.

It was Wirbel. He was one of the first-rank test participants, in the same batch as Land and Übel. Apparently he passed the interview as well. He was sitting at the table near the counter with other hunters, who looked unfamiliar to Land.

But Land didn’t bother to greet him and just walked past him, toward the main counter.

“That is cold of you. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about me?” The man named Wirbel spoke.

“I don’t. I just don’t think it’s necessary to say hello,” Land replied as he sat down at the counter. “Besides,” Land glanced at Wirbel, “I also don’t forget how your team attacked mine.”

Wirbel smirked and shook his head, “Come on, it was two years ago. It was for the test. They didn’t forbid us from stealing a Boggart from other teams, anyway.”

“Right.” Land took out his demon hunter ID and Serie’s mission letter and called the staff. “May I ask for two Alpha vampire antidotes, please?”

The staff took his card and read the letter. The staff nodded, “Very well, please wait for a moment.”

“Hunting down an Alpha vampire, huh?” The white haired man commented. “Is it a paired mission?”

“Yes.”

“With who?”

“Übel.”

“Yikes.”

“Care to replace me?”

“No thanks. As much as I want to have a battle with one of the strongest demons out there, I don’t want to be paired with such a maniacal lady.”

Land snorted lightly. “So it seems.”

Wirbel looked back at the entrance door, then at Land. “I heard an awful lot of noises out there earlier. Was it you?”

“Yes.”

“Bounty hunters, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“They’re such nuisances,” Wirbel shrugged. Then he smirked, “But you dealt with all of them alone?”

Land merely silent at that.

“No wonder my team got so beat up against yours. Your team was filled with monsters. All of you passed the interview, right?”

“I guess so,” Land replied dryly.

The first phase of the demon hunter test was to catch a Boggart, and the participants were divided into teams. Each team consisted of three members. Land’s team was fortunate enough to catch Boggart off guard way earlier than other teams. The one who caught it was another team member named Fern.

On the way to refill their drink, they had been ambushed by Wirbel’s team. They had fought one-on-one; both Land and Fern had won the fight unscathed. Übel, on the other hand, almost had gotten herself killed by Wirbel. Even though she had the chance to, she hadn’t. When Land had asked her about it, she had reasoned that she had empathized with him, saying that she was like Wirbel, too, in terms of preparing themselves to kill.

As Wirbel said, on the third phase of the test, the three of them passed Serie’s interview. Though it was hardly called an interview, honestly speaking. Übel didn't even need to utter a word and Serie just said “you pass” to her.

“Well, if Serie chose both of you to do this mission, I don’t wonder,” Wirbel snickered.

The staff came back and placed a box on the counter table in front of Land. “Here are your antidotes. Since you are on the mission of defeating the Alpha vampire, they are free of charge. Please be careful and good luck.”

“Thank you.” Land took the box and turned around, making his way to the entrance door.

“Say hi to the lady for me~” Wirbel waved his hand to Land.

“I thought you didn’t like her.”

“Well,” Wirbel shrugged, “I don’t. Still, I’m wishing both of you good luck. You’re on your way defeating an Alpha vampire here.”

Land stopped on his tracks. “...perhaps you’re right,” he replied before walking away again and exiting the guild building.

“Don't get killed by either of them, yeah?” Wirbel said one last time.

Land hoped so, too.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

“That was such a show-off, four-eyes~” Übel drawled when the clone Land got into the car. She had been staying still in the car, since the real Land had been with her the whole time. She hadn’t had the chance to get into the scene at all.

“I didn’t intend to. I was hoping that they agreed to my terms,” the real Land replied to her and drove away from the hunter guild area.

Übel chuckled. “But even if they did, they wouldn’t get what they wanted anyway. Where did you direct them to?”

“A roaming Chimaera near Rohr region.”

Übel’s smirk shrunk. “...that’s so scary of you.”

“At least if they really defeated it, they would get a lot of bounty, as well.”

“If they couldn’t even beat you, how do you think they’d be able to kill that thing?”

Land’s lips turned upward slightly. “That would be a lesson learned for them.”

“Hee,” Übel seemed amused with Land’s reaction. “I never thought you have this kind of side, four-eyes. Where did you learn this from, I wonder?”

His face immediately went blank and he blinked. “I’m wondering that, as well.”

Übel snorted. She leaned back and started to browse her social media on her phone.

“By the way, Wirbel said hi to you.”

“Did he, now?”