The moon hung low in the sky, casting silver shadows through the thick trees as a young man in a warm, heavy cloak the hood up hiding his appearance, as he crept silently through the forest, his senses sharpened and his heart racing. He was a hunter, a Vampire Hunter, and following reports of bloodsuckers, he had come to the forest near his village.

Now, Lucan stood vigilant, watching for any sign of movement in the oppressive darkness.

There, in the distance, smoke and a dim flicker of light. Probably a camp of some travelers, he thought, caution tugged at his instincts. He decided to check it out anyway.

Moving swiftly and silently through the dense woods, he approached the camp. As expected, it was just a simple site, a small fire with three people huddled around it. Their faces were marked with sorrow. He was about to turn away, ready to continue his search, when something caught his eye. Something unmistakable... fangs.

As the travelers spoke in hushed tones, too low even for him to hear, his eyes locked onto the sharp, glistening fangs in each of their mouths. Not travelers after all. Vampires, his targets.

Out of the small bag strapped to his waist, he retrieved his trusty silver dagger, a weapon he had slain countless bloodsuckers with. Silver, one of the only weaknesses vampires, made this dagger a tool crafted to rid the world of these monsters.

His silver eyes lock onto his first target, an old looking vampire, radiating experience in his eyes and each of his movements, he was obviously by far the most dangerous, so he needs to be taken care of first.

Then with a hushed mumble of *quick step*, he rushes out of hiding at inhuman speed.

The old vampire didn't have enough time to react, his throat was cut. The silver burning his flesh, preventing his healing abilities from kicking in to save him.

*May you rot in hell, * he growled, venom dripping from his words as his sharp gaze fixed on his next target.

The second vampire, a middle-aged one, had already drawn his sword. Fury twisted his features, a weakness Lucan knew he could exploit, and he would make sure this vampire regretted letting that anger consume him.

With an insane speed expected of a vampire, the bloodsucker lunged at hunter, his movements wild and reckless, only for Lucan to simply sidestep avoiding the attack. The vampire, blinded by rage, failed to notice the hunter's poised strike until it was too late.

In one swift, precise motion, the silver dagger sliced through the vampire's neck. The cold metal burned through flesh and bone, severing the head cleanly. Death followed instantly.

His silver eyes shifted to the last of the vampires... a young woman who sat motionless, her gaze cast downward, sadness etched into her expression. She didn't flinch or attempt to flee, simply watching as her comrades were slaughtered with a detached, almost apathetic demeanor.

She was strikingly beautiful, raven black hair falling loosely over her shoulders, and the signature crimson eyes of a vampire, staring back with a depth that unsettled him. A red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, paired with a vest and skirt, her feet clad in heavy boots built for rugged terrain. At her waist, two elegantly crafted blades rested, one black, one white, both gleaming in the firelight.

Lucan had thought the old vampire was the most experienced, but this girl... her eyes. They told a different story. They carried the weight of centuries, hundreds of years of wisdom, cruelty, and survival.

Lucan's muscles tensed, his grip tightening on his dagger as the realization settled in. This one was far more dangerous than the others.

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Then, in a voice colder than the night air, monotone and devoid of emotion, the vampire finally spoke *... I am Aria, what is your name human*.

Lucan's breath hitched at her unexpected composure, but he answered her nonetheless, his voice sharp with venom, *I am Lucan, the one who will rid this world of the monsters you are*.

Aria's gaze swept over him, her expression remaining as unreadable as ever, before she slowly reached for one of her blades. The sleek, black sword gleamed as it left its sheath.

*Let's end this ... swiftly*, she replied, her tone cold, carrying an air of finality that sent a chill through the night.

Lucan tensed, his entire body coiled like a spring, before lunging at her with deadly intent. But Aria was quicker than he expected. In one fluid motion, she blocked his attack effortlessly and moved to counter, her blade aimed precisely for him. Lucan, anticipating her strike, narrowly deflected the blow, metal clashing against metal with a sharp ring.

Lucan's heart pounded in his chest as he moved, every muscle burning with focus. Aria's strikes were as graceful as they were deadly, each one coming at him with a speed and precision that tested his every move. Steel clashed again, sparks flying as their blades met in a fury of calculated blows and evasions. She was faster, stronger even, but Lucan had fought too long to let fear dictate his actions.

She pivoted, bringing her blade low in an arc meant to slice through his legs. Lucan barely leaped over the sweep, twisting in mid air to counter with a powerful downward slash. Aria met it head-on, blocking his strike with a cold, calculating expression. But even as she defended, Lucan saw something shift in her eyes a flicker of curiosity or perhaps admiration at his tenacity.

*Impressive for a human*, she muttered, her voice still emotionless.

Lucan gritted his teeth, twisting his body as he broke the deadlock between their blades. He spun to her side, swinging his silver dagger in a blur of motion. But Aria, anticipating his movement, sidestepped with inhuman speed, dodging the blade by a hair's breadth. Before he could react, she was upon him, her white blade thrusting forward like a serpent.

Lucan barely managed to parry, the force of her strike sending a shockwave through his arm. He stumbled back, breath ragged, eyes narrowing as Aria stood poised, her red eyes gleaming with the confidence of someone who had fought and killed for centuries. She was toying with him.

Aria lunged again, her strikes now relentless, pushing Lucan back further into the dense trees. Her movements were fluid, every attack more precise, every step calculated to corner him. He parried desperately, his muscles burning from the effort, but he refused to falter.

*This ends now!*, Lucan growled through clenched teeth.

His mind raced, looking for an opening, something to exploit. He couldn't outmatch her speed, but he could use her confidence against her.

In a feigned moment of weakness, Lucan stumbled, making it look as though he had overexerted himself. Aria's cold gaze sharpened. She saw an opportunity, one final strike to end this dance. She darted forward with a deadly thrust aimed at his heart.

But Lucan was ready.

In that split second, he sidestepped her blade with a swift pivot, using her momentum against her. Aria's eyes widened ever so slightly, realizing her mistake too late. Lucan brought his silver dagger up in a sharp, brutal arc and plunged it deep into her gut.

Time seemed to stop. Aria's body froze, her crimson eyes staring into Lucan's, surprise flashing through her calm demeanor for the first time.

*It's over*, Lucan whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of triumph and bitterness as the silver blade buried itself deeper into her abdomen, its touch burning her from within.

Blood dripped from her mouth as Aria staggered, her lips parting as if to speak but no words came. The mighty, vampire warrior, fell by the hands of a mere human.

In a last desperate move, Aria's form flickered as her body dissolved into a thick, dark cloud of smoke. The black mist swirled around Lucan, escaping into the dark woods, vanishing into the shadows as if she had never been there at all.

Lucan stood still, gripping his silver dagger tightly as he watched the smoke disappear into the night. His chest heaved with exhaustion, but a grim smile tugged at his lips. He knew, no matter how far she fled, there was no surviving the silver wound he had inflicted. She would bleed out, or the poison in the silver would burn through her like fire.

Satisfied, Lucan sheathed his blade, his heart still pounding but filled with pride. He had faced one of the most powerful vampires he had ever encountered, and he had won. Even if she had escaped into the woods, it didn't matter. She would die alone in the darkness.

With that thought, he turned away from the clearing, his steps steady as he began his journey back home to his village, the moonlight guiding his path. Another victory for the hunter. Another step closer to ridding the world of these monsters.

Little did he know that letting that Vampire escape will cause him more pain than he will have ever felt before.