Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Ambush (1)
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The raids continued relentlessly, day and night—now on the third day.
After smashing the seventh stronghold of the hardliners, the enemy finally began to play it safe.
They had pulled out all the stops in their countermeasures, but against such overwhelming difference in power, it was nothing more than futile resistance.
No matter how much they hid or fled, they couldn't escape the grasp of Hans, who could read their memories.
[Oh ho, quite creative indeed. Combining magic with unique skills, is it? If twisted just right, it could be applied in other ways...]
The vampire whose head Hans had grabbed trembled violently.
He had hidden away in a remote one-room apartment to evade the raids, but unfortunately, one of his comrades knew his movements.
If Heinz targeted those most likely to possess new vampire factors first...
Hans mainly went after those with substantial knowledge or suspected of holding new spells.
[That said, it seems like they're finally gearing up for a more aggressive response.]
Hans murmured softly after delving into the vampire's memories.
It was a bit late in coming, but understandable enough.
They would have needed time to assess the recent events, handle the immediate fallout, unify internal opinions within the Blood Alliance, and devise future countermeasures.
'Plus, we sent the moderates evidence of kin-devouring from the hardliners' strongholds. That'll make it hard for them to join forces.'
He had already collected research materials last time, so the new finds—complete with attached photos—were sent to Jin Solran.
Left in the villa's lobby interior, they had clearly been delivered properly somehow.
'Still, no new orders have come down yet. Just instructions to lay low while they prepare a plan.'
Well then.
He had no idea what countermeasures they might unleash...
'But before that, I'll squeeze them dry as much as I can.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Jin Solran was no fool.
The sudden assault on the Blood Alliance hardliners' strongholds by the Hahoe Mask, and the evidence of their wrongdoing delivered straight to her.
It was only natural to suspect Heinz's involvement in those incidents somehow.
'The attacks started right after I gave him their strongholds' locations.'
The very next day after she had moped over the loss of evidence against Gamma's crew, items were brazenly delivered to their base.
At this point, it seemed he had no intention of hiding it.
In truth, she had no desire to press him on it either.
'Because deep down, I feel the same way.'
Hadn't they forged their bond through the very same ordeal?
The only differences were that he was strong enough to handle crises on his own and had the drive to act immediately to resolve problems.
'Things with the hardliners are already beyond repair. If we'd continued on like that, we would've been absorbed by force.'
And the weaker moderates would've been the first to become fodder.
In name only did they share the same banner; they were no different from enemies preying on each other under separate flags.
'Even after presenting evidence, they responded like that.'
She had learned that lesson to her bones in this incident.
Her protests, relayed through upper channels, were neatly ignored by the hardliners' leadership.
Not even acknowledgment or denial—just utter dismissal.
That was probably only because the sudden raids had them in disarray; otherwise, they might have already mobilized force to swallow her side whole.
Because of that, Jin Solran had no choice but to agonize over future countermeasures.
She was one of the moderates' executives, after all, leading her own crew.
'I need to gather the fighters and prepare for contingencies.'
Over twenty years had passed since the Otherworld Teleportation Circles first appeared.
The Blood Alliance had endured in the shadows for more than fifteen of those years without collapsing...
'Infighting... I hope the sacrifices aren't too great.'
But they couldn't just sit idly by and take it.
In that sense, the blows to the hardliners were a huge boon for them.
It bought time to muster forces and prepare defenses, at least.
'It'd be nice if the hardliners just crumbled entirely, but that's unlikely.'
Regardless of what anyone said, they controlled the bulk of the Blood Alliance's military might.
Several times more powerful than the moderates, in fact.
The neutral faction's presence had barely kept the balance intact this long.
Even that wouldn't hold if the hardliners bore the losses and went all-in—they'd both crumble together.
For those reasons, Jin Solran quietly observed, waiting for Heinz to reveal his hand first.
So far, he had been helpful to her side, and even if he betrayed them midway, there wasn't much to lose.
'No idea what his connection is to that infamous black magic user.'
The Hahoe Mask hunted criminals with overwhelming power.
Whatever ties he had—be it coincidence or something more—...
He'd explain when the time came, surely.
'For now, focus on what I need to do.'
What she had to handle now was important too.
"Oh~ Taha~ Nice to see you all! Thanks so much for tuning into my stream today!"
Jin Solran—no, the internet streamer Orchid—flashed a bright smile and greeted the camera filming her.
A job that satisfied her hobby and paid the bills.
The moderates' motto was riding the waves of society, and money was something they could never have enough of.
Especially to procure blood packs.
Setting aside complicated matters for the moment, she energetically continued her broadcast.
They said hobbies turned into jobs lose their joy, but for someone starved of public attention like her, that was nonsense.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Leaking that hint to Jin Solran had been deliberate.
There was no gain in hiding it, and having suffered directly at their hands, she was already hostile to the hardliners.
'Above all, to swallow the Blood Alliance whole, these facts would have to come to light eventually.'
He couldn't just hand over the prey he'd so nicely prepared.
To make subordinates follow him, he first had to prove his capabilities.
'And crushing the hardliners' conspiracy and executing them would make for an impressive achievement.'
Of course, he'd reveal it openly once everything was done, but for now, this hint was enough.
He needed to watch how Jin Solran acted too.
Absorbing an entire organization wasn't easy; first, you had to turn people to your side.
As the most promising right-hand candidate, maintaining an appropriate relationship from now on was key.
'That aside, this place seems thoroughly prepared.'
Heinz was currently using Concealment to hide in the darkness, eyeing a luxury villa nestled in the mountains.
Thanks to the power of Insight in his eyes, the villa's defenses were laid bare.
'The barriers are one thing, but the alert level is high... and the ones inside are no pushovers.'
Of course, not to the point he couldn't handle it.
Especially since he wasn't alone.
[Keh heh, sneak in stealthily and swiftly, take out the leadership first.]
The reason Hans and Heinz had come to this villa together.
It stemmed from intelligence obtained quite recently by chance.
The hardliners' top brass were gathering there for a meeting to devise countermeasures against them.
The source had significant sway, and the info was heavily encrypted—making it highly credible.
If true, it was a golden opportunity.
'If we can wipe out the leadership in one fell swoop, things will go much smoother from here.'
Based on intel gathered so far, the two of them could handle the top brass easily enough.
Hans had always been strong, and now Heinz matched him.
But contingencies existed for a reason.
So he planned to scout first and decide on attack.
'At this level, it should be doable.'
His worries had been excessive.
Of course, wiping them all out would require some prep.
Hans first circled the villa widely, erecting a barrier enveloping the interior.
Adding Heinz's Concealment to Hans's stealth-focused detection magic made for a perfectly undetectable barrier.
'No way it'll be spotted before activation.'
Once finished, Hans melted into Heinz's shadow, shrouded in darkness.
Heinz then applied Concealment to himself and activated stealth.
A blood magic technique learned through Mixed Blood Evolution, not a skill.
Layered with Concealment, it rivaled top-tier invisibility, letting him approach undetected.
'Security devices everywhere. Pre-True Blood, neutralizing them this easily would've been tough.'
Infrared or whatever—his superhuman senses caught it all.
Not just camera ranges, but faint electromagnetic leaks from hidden gear.
Modern tech couldn't stop him now.
Weaving past patrolling vampires and security, Heinz arrived at the building... and looked up.
A large, ornate structure with flashy exterior.
...No open doors in sight, no matter where he looked.
'Ah... Normally, a door opens here, and you slip in with someone entering.'
That's how it worked in stories.
Reality was different.
He circled the building thoroughly, but security was airtight—no open windows.
No signs of anyone coming or going.
'Sigh, no choice.'
Heinz headed to a secluded window corner and maxed out Concealment around him.
'Good. Now, in this state...'
The shadow hiding Hans writhed.
One corner stretched long, seeping through the window frame.
Alarm on the window? Meaningless against formless shadow.
Thus, inside and outside connected via shadow.
Shhh—
Heinz's body on the outside slowly sank into the floor...
And silently rose from the extended shadow inside.
'No alarm triggers. No cameras here. Perfect.'
Hans's stealth magic prowess plus Concealment allowed seamless intrusion without black magic leakage.
'They're gathered in the room connected to the first-floor lobby.'
Rechecking positions, he quietly headed toward the vampires' presences.
Plan: Reach the leadership, activate barrier to trap all, then decapitate from the top.
Upon reaching the lobby interior...
'Hm?'
An alien presence pinged Heinz's senses.
His transcendent senses, honed by synesthesia, rang the alarm.
Hans in the shadow sensed it a beat later via shared info.
Response immediate.
Surge of blood magic, combat stance, scan surroundings—
Vmmm—
Simultaneously, an unknown barrier activated around the lobby Heinz had entered.
'Not just the lobby... it's built using the entire structure.'
Hans quickly diagnosed the activating barrier.
...Hans himself hadn't noticed pre-activation.
'...I thought I was on par with Hans's magic level. This stings my pride...'
Irritation boiled, but no time for complaints.
Barrier activation weakened the Concealment around him, fully exposing his form.
"Well, now~ I was aiming for the Hahoe Mask, but a vampire shows up instead?"
Atop the grand staircase in the lobby.
A man's voice leaning on the railing echoed through the space.
Clang!
Shhh—
Simultaneously, the target door Heinz eyed burst open, vampires swarming out to encircle him in seconds.
The numbers Heinz had pres sensed with Insight.
'This... feels like a proper trap.'
Black-masked figures now lined the second-floor railing, overlooking him.
These were the ones he hadn't detected earlier.
"So... who are you? What's your connection to the Hahoe Mask?"