Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

The air still carried that strange weight when Lysandra finally broke the silence, shifting her gaze from Kael just enough to spot Irelia beside them, who was still observing the scene with a mixture of irritation and uneasy attention. There was something in the way Lysandra breathed before speaking—subtle, calculated—that indicated that this next action wasn’t just logistical, but also... strategic.

"Irelia."

Her voice was firm, but not harsh, carrying that natural authority that didn’t need to impose itself to be obeyed. Still, there was a slightly more directed tone there, as if she were steering the situation where she wanted it.

"Go to your uncle and ask him to send a royal escort here. I want this perimeter reinforced and someone trustworthy coordinating the final retreat."

Irelia blinked once, absorbing the instruction, and then nodded without question. To her, it made sense. It was exactly the kind of response expected in the face of something of that magnitude.

"Right."

She answered, already turning partially, but then paused for a second and looked at Kael.

"Don’t leave here."

The phrase came almost automatically, as if it were more of a reflex than a real order, but it still carried a certain disguised concern.

"I’ll be right back."

Kael raised his hand slightly, making a small farewell gesture, a simple, almost unassuming wave.

"Go ahead."

He said, in his usual calm tone.

Irelia nodded once more and then left, her quick steps disappearing among the men and trees, blending into the movement of the clearing until her presence was no longer perceptible.

Kael followed her with his eyes until she turned the natural corner formed by the trees.

And then—

He turned.

Slowly.

Without haste.

Because he already knew.

Lysandra was no longer looking at the field. She was looking at him.

And her expression had completely changed.

There was no more lightness.

There was no trace of humor.

The woman who was now there was different—colder, more direct, more... truthful.

The kind of expression someone only shows when they decide to stop measuring their words.

"How are you dealing with this?"

The question came bluntly, but it wasn’t aggressive. It was... precise. The kind of question that didn’t seek a superficial answer.

She didn’t look away from him while she spoke, but she wasn’t trying to pressure him either. It was more as if she were assessing not only what he would say... but how he would say it.

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

He looked away from her for a moment, observing again the bodies being removed, the men working, the constant movement trying to bring order to the recent chaos. His eyes calmly scanned the scene, as if that question was being answered there, not within him.

Then he let out a small sigh.

"I’m dealing with it."

The answer came simply.

But not empty.

He ran his hand through his hair again, a gesture that was beginning to repeat itself whenever something bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

"I’m exterminating every vampire I find."

He continued, his voice low but firm.

"But this..." he made a small gesture with his chin towards the clearing, "this has gone beyond that point."

There was a short pause.

Enough for the weight of the words to settle.

"It’s time to go to the Vampire Kingdom personally."

Lysandra showed no surprise.

She simply nodded slightly, as if that conclusion had been inevitable from the start.

"Probably."

She replied, maintaining the same controlled tone.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing him more deeply now, not just as someone useful, but as someone central to what was happening.

"And, to be honest..." she continued, crossing her arms elegantly, "you’re probably the only one who can do this and get out of there."

The statement didn’t come as a compliment.

It came as a fact.

"Especially being a Scarlet."

There was a slight added weight to the way she said the name.

"Doors open for you where they wouldn’t open for anyone else."

Kael made a small sound through his nose, something between recognition and slight disdain.

"If they open."

He corrected her, with a hint of irony.

"Or I’ll open it."

Lysandra let out a slight, corner-of-the-mouth smile.

Brief.

Almost imperceptible.

"That works too."

Then she became serious again.

Completely.

Kael looked away for a second, thoughtful, before continuing.

"I wanted to do this discreetly."

He said, more honestly now.

"Go in, understand what’s happening, nip the problem in the bud..."

He paused.

Shortly.

"...and get out."

Lysandra tilted her head slightly.

"But?"

Kael looked at her again.

Directly.

"But I’ll probably start a war."

The sentence fell without dramatization.

Without exaggerated weight.

But that didn’t make it any less serious.

Lysandra held his gaze for a few seconds.

Silent.

Assessing.

And then nodded.

"Probably will."

She agreed, without hesitation.

And, unlike what many would do...

She didn’t try to soften it.

She didn’t try to avoid it.

She simply accepted it.

There was a brief silence.

But this time not filled with doubt.

But with decision.

"It doesn’t matter."

She said then.

Simple.

Direct.

Her eyes returned to the bodies being carried, to the men working in silence, to the concrete reality before them.

"People are dying."

The sentence was spoken firmly, but without needing to raise her voice.

It was truth enough in itself.

She looked back at Kael.

More intensely now.

"If this turns into a war..."

She paused briefly.

"...then let it."

The wind brushed between them, gently moving her blonde hair, but not breaking the firmness of her presence.

"The sooner this ends, the fewer people die."

Kael watched her silently.

For a second.

Two.

And then nodded.

Slowly.

Because, deep down—

He agreed.

Lysandra then took a deep breath, as if solidifying that decision within herself.

"And a war..."

She continued, now with a slightly more strategic tone returning to her voice,

"...also means that others will move."

She crossed her arms again.

"Other kingdoms. Other forces."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"More allies."

She paused.

And then concluded:

"Or more trouble." Kael let out a small sigh.

"Both."

He said.

Without hesitation.

Lysandra let out a slight sound of agreement.

"Fair enough."

...

The room where they were was silent in a way that was different from the mansion; not welcoming, but controlled. Every detail seemed calculated to maintain balance and authority, from the heavy curtains to the perfectly arranged table where tea had been served. Amelia sat with an erect posture, her hands delicately resting around the cup, while the steam rose slowly, dissipating into the air like thoughts that had not yet been fully formed.

In front of her, Hela maintained a much more direct expression.

There was no gentleness in her at that moment.

Her eyes were firm, attentive, and carried a weight that went beyond a simple strategic conversation. This was not just politics. It was a decision that would change the course of entire nations.

Hela rested her elbow on the table, her fingers close to her face, observing Amelia with calculated intensity before finally speaking.

"We need to stop treating this as something that can be circumvented."

Her voice was low, but firm, carrying a conviction that left no room for light interpretations. She wasn’t suggesting. She was leading.

Amelia brought the cup to her lips, taking a small sip before replying, as if she needed that extra second to organize exactly how to disagree without escalating the situation.

"I imagine you already have a solution in mind."

The reply came calmly, but not neutrally.

Hela didn’t hesitate.

"Kael."

A single word.

But enough.

Amelia didn’t react immediately, but her fingers lightly gripped the porcelain of the cup before carefully placing it back on the saucer. Her eyes then slowly rose to meet Hela’s.

"No."

Simple.

Direct.

No room for maneuver.

Hela arched a slight eyebrow, not surprised, but clearly expecting resistance.

"You didn’t even let me finish."

Amelia tilted her head slightly.

"No need."

There was a brief pause, but the silence wasn’t empty. It was a contained tension, carefully kept within civilized limits.

Hela then leaned back slightly in her chair, crossing her legs elegantly as she let out a short sigh, like someone who had already expected that answer.

"Then I’ll say it anyway."

She rested her fingers on the table, tapping lightly once before continuing.

"I want to ask Kael to go to the Vampire Kingdom... and kill the king."

The words were spoken with the same naturalness with which someone would suggest moving pieces on a chessboard.

But their weight was immediate.

Amelia didn’t raise her voice.

She didn’t show exaggerated shock.

But her eyes visibly hardened.

"That’s impossible."

The answer came quickly, firmly, laden with a logic that didn’t need explaining—but she explained it anyway.

"This isn’t a mission. This is a declaration of war."

She leaned slightly forward now, resting one hand on the table. "Killing the ruler of another nation isn’t an isolated action. It’s a trigger."

Hela didn’t look away.

"I know."

Amelia frowned slightly.

"Then why—"

"Because this is already a war."

The interruption was gentle.

But necessary.

The silence that followed was different.

Deeper.

Harder to ignore.

Amelia remained silent for a few seconds, absorbing it, evaluating not only the words, but the weight behind them. Her eyes briefly drifted to the side, as if mentally reviewing everything they had discussed up to that point.

The attacks.

The increase.

The brutality.

The pattern.

She took a deep breath.

"Unofficially."

She replied, lower now, but still firm.

"As long as we don’t cross certain lines, there’s still room for negotiation. For political pressure. For—"

Hela shook her head slightly.

"Do you really believe that?"

There was no mockery.

Just... genuine doubt.

Amelia held her gaze.

"I believe there are alternatives that don’t involve... this."

Hela observed her for a longer moment this time.

And then, for the first time, her expression softened slightly—not in weakness, but in understanding.

"I would prefer that too."

She admitted.

But then her eyes hardened again.

"But this isn’t about what we prefer."

She leaned slightly forward now, mirroring Amelia’s posture.

"This is about what’s happening."

She paused briefly.

"Everyone who has access to the full information has come to the same conclusion."

Amelia didn’t like that.

It was obvious.

"What conclusion?"

Hela answered without hesitation.

"The king is not in control."

Silence returned.

But now... heavy.

Amelia narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Manipulation?"

Hela nodded.

"Clearly."

She placed her hands on the table.

"The pattern of behavior has changed. The decisions make no strategic sense. The attacks are... excessive, disorganized in intention, but coordinated in execution."

She paused briefly, choosing her words carefully.

"This isn’t governance. It’s influence."

Amelia looked away for a moment, thoughtful.

"So you want to remove the influence."

"Yes."

"By killing the king."

"If necessary."

Amelia looked back at her immediately.

"You don’t know if he can be saved."

Hela didn’t hesitate.

"You don’t know if he can."

The silence between them stretched again, but this time laden with a different kind of weight—not just disagreement, but shared responsibility.

Amelia ran her fingers lightly along the rim of her cup, thoughtful.

"If Kael does this..."

She began, more slowly now.

"There’s no going back."

Hela nodded.

"I know."

"He won’t be seen as an agent. He’ll be seen as an invader."

"I know." "You’re going to put a target on him."

"He already has one."

The answer came too quickly.

It’s too necessary.

Amelia stopped.

And this time... she didn’t answer immediately.

Because that... was true.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, taking a deep breath before opening them again.

"You’re asking him to carry this."

Her voice was lower now.

More personal.

Hela didn’t soften.

"He’s already carrying it."

Another pause.

Heavy.

"How many more people need to die before we decide to act definitively?"

The question wasn’t accusatory.

But it wasn’t light either.

Amelia looked away once more, this time more slowly, as if trying to find an answer that wasn’t just emotional.

But there wasn’t a simple answer.

Not there.

Not now.

"If this goes wrong..."

She murmured.

Hela tilted her head slightly.

"It’s going to go wrong anyway."

She replied calmly.

"But the difference is whether we’ll be reacting... or controlling the outcome."

Amelia remained silent for a few more seconds.

Then she let out a low sigh.

Slow.

Tired.

"Kael won’t accept this easily."

Hela observed.

"I don’t need him to accept it easily."

A brief pause.

"Just that he accepts it."