Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

The advance continued for several more minutes that seemed to stretch beyond the usual time, as if the environment itself distorted the perception of duration as they delved deeper into that increasingly dense, charged, and silently and unsettlingly alive territory. The dark stone road now became more defined, more used, with deep marks of constant passage, and the surroundings ceased to be merely twisted nature, giving way to more frequent structures, some whole, others partially destroyed, but all bearing that same trait—dark functionality.

Kael continued at the same pace, neither accelerating nor slowing down, as if perfectly aligned with the scenery, while his eyes continued to register everything, every detail, every presence, every small change in behavior around him. Exelia remained close behind, her elegant posture contrasting almost absurdly with the environment, as if she were walking through a grand hall instead of a hostile territory teeming with watchful predators.

It was then that Carter stopped.

It wasn't gradual this time.

It was immediate.

His hand rose in a clear gesture, and the other vampires around him responded instantly, halting the advance with almost mechanical precision. The air shifted along with it, as if the tension that already existed had been forcefully pulled to a single point.

Ahead of them, figures appeared.

Different from the previous ones.

More organized.

More… formal.

A patrol.

Five vampires, strategically positioned in the middle of the road, completely blocking the passage, their postures erect, their gazes firm, and their presences… heavier than any group they had encountered up to that moment. There was no hesitation in them. There was no doubt.

They were there to stop them.

The one leading the group took a step forward, his dark cloak moving slightly with the gesture, while his eyes quickly scanned Carter, the other vampires… and then stopped at Kael.

The analysis was immediate.

And clearly… suspicious.

"Identify yourselves."

The voice was firm, without open aggression, but laden with authority. It wasn't a request. It was procedure.

Carter stepped forward.

And, for the first time since they had entered that territory, there was a real tension in the way he moved. Not fear… but absolute caution.

"We are on official escort." He began, his voice controlled, choosing each word precisely. "We have authorization to cross."

The vampire on patrol didn't answer immediately.

His eyes returned to Kael.

They lingered a little longer this time.

As if trying… to understand.

"Who's in the carriage?"

The question came directly.

No beating around the bush.

No patience.

Carter hesitated.

A second.

Maybe less.

But it was enough.

Then he answered.

"The Witch King."

The silence that followed… lasted less than a second.

And then—

They laughed.

It wasn't restrained.

It wasn't discreet.

It was open, direct, almost disdainful.

One of the vampires took a step aside, shaking his head while letting out a short laugh, clearly finding it too absurd to even consider.

"King… of the witches?" he repeated, still laughing lightly.

Another crossed his arms.

"Since when do witches have a king?"

The atmosphere changed.

Not because of them.

But because of who was listening.

Inside the carriage, Kael, who until then had remained leaning back in a relaxed manner, let out a small sound through his nose, almost a sigh… almost a laugh.

"Everyone already knows…" he murmured, in a low tone, but clearly audible to Exelia.

"…except you?"

Exelia, who was sitting in front of him, couldn't help but smile slightly, her comment accompanied by a playful glint in her eye.

"Probably not," she replied, crossing one leg over the other casually. "They must just be patrolling. They didn't go all the way to the Witch Kingdom… so they didn't hear."

Outside, the situation continued.

The patrol didn't seem convinced.

And now… they were starting to get annoyed.

"Enough of this nonsense," said the leader, his tone hardening slightly. "Open the carriage."

Carter didn't move.

And that… was noticed.

The surrounding atmosphere seemed to hold its breath for a moment.

Then—

A dry sound.

An impact.

A thud.

It didn't come from the patrol.

Nor from the vampires around.

It came… from inside the carriage.

Kael's eyes moved slowly to Exelia.

There was no surprise.

Only confirmation.

Exelia was already looking at him.

And nodded.

Without words.

Without hesitation.

She stood up with a smooth movement, slightly adjusting her skirt and shirt as if she were merely preparing for a trivial task, completely ignoring the weight of the situation around her. Her steps were light as she approached the carriage door.

"I'll handle it."

The sentence came out simply.

Natural.

As if it were… routine.

Kael didn't answer. She simply observed.

The carriage door opened with a soft sound, a stark contrast to the pent-up tension outside. And then Exelia descended.

Her presence… changed the atmosphere.

It wasn't explosive.

It wasn't aggressive.

It was… precise.

She landed elegantly, maintaining an upright posture, clipboard still in hand, as if she were there for a formal meeting—not in the midst of a hostile patrol that had just questioned the authority she represented.

The vampires' eyes immediately turned to her.

And, for a brief moment…

There was confusion.

Because she didn't seem like a threat.

But also… she didn't seem like someone who should be ignored.

Exelia walked a few steps forward, stopping between the carriage and the patrol, positioning herself exactly where she needed to be. Her gaze calmly swept over each of them, analyzing, registering… judging.

Then she tilted her head slightly.

A polite gesture.

Almost gentle.

"You really don't know."

Her voice was soft.

But there was something about her.

Something that made the patrol leader narrow his eyes.

"And should we know?" he replied, his tone colder now.

Exelia smiled.

Small.

Controlled.

"Yes."

A pause.

The smile didn't disappear.

"But it's alright."

She took another step forward.

And that's when it changed.

Not the posture.

Not the movement.

But… the presence.

Something invisible spread.

Not like an explosion.

But like… pressure.

Subtle.

Precise.

Heavy.

The air around seemed to grow colder.

Denser.

More… attentive.

"I'll explain it simply."

She continued, her voice maintaining the same polite, almost gentle tone, but now with a firmness impossible to ignore.

"You are before the King of Witches."

Silence.

No one laughed this time.

Because now… something was wrong.

One of the vampires on patrol took a step back without realizing it.

Another looked away for a second.

The leader… remained firm.

But his body was no longer as relaxed as before.

Exelia observed this.

And then smiled a little more.

"And you have two options."

She raised the clipboard slightly, as if mentally marking something.

"First," she said. "You continue with this approach… and it ends badly."

A pause.

Her eyes gleamed slightly.

"For you."

The silence grew heavier.

More real.

More present. "Or…" she continued, tilting her head slightly to the other side. "…you simply get out of the way."

The silence that followed Exelia's proposal wasn't just heavy—it was… stubborn. Unlike the other encounters along the way, where instinct prevailed and self-preservation won, here something more was present. Pride. Hierarchy. And, above all… local authority being challenged.

The patrol leader didn't move.

His eyes remained fixed on Exelia, assessing, measuring… and slowly hardening.

Behind him, the other vampires didn't back down either.

No one made way.

The choice had been made.

And it wasn't the smartest one.

Exelia realized this instantly.

There was no surprise.

There was no frustration.

Only… acceptance.

A small sigh escaped her lips, almost inaudible, like someone who had just confirmed an expected answer.

"I understand…"

She murmured, lowering the clipboard slightly.

And then—

She disappeared.

There was no visible movement.

There was no preparation.

One instant she was there.

The next… no.

The first vampire didn't even react.

A dry sound cut through the air—quick, precise—and, for a brief second, no one understood what had happened. The body of the vampire to the leader's left remained standing… for a moment longer than it should have.

And then it fell.

The head separated from the body with a grotesque delay, rolling across the dark stone floor while the rest collapsed immediately afterward, blood spurting in an irregular arc that contrasted violently with the previous silence.

Exelia was already behind the second.

Her rapier—thin, elegant, almost delicate—pierced his skull from the side, entering behind the ear and exiting on the other side before he could even utter a sound. The body fell limp the next instant, as if all its movements had simply been switched off.

One of the vampires tried to react.

Too late.

He barely managed to raise his arm when Exelia was already in front of him again, twisting his body with absolute precision as the blade traced a clean arc in the air. The cut crossed his chest diagonally, too deep, too fast—not to kill instantly, but to ensure he felt it.

And he did feel it.

For a full second.

Before collapsing.

The fourth tried to retreat.

Instinct.

Mistake.

Exelia took a step forward.

The tip of the rapier pierced his neck with surgical precision, entering through his throat and exiting through the nape. She twisted the blade slightly before pulling it back, and the sound that followed wasn't a scream—it was a wet gasp that ended in absolute silence.

Only the leader remained.

He didn't run.

To his credit… he didn't run.

His eyes were wide open now, no longer assessing, no longer doubting—understanding.

Too late.

He tried to attack.

Quick.

Direct.

Competent.

But against Exelia… that meant nothing.

She dodged with a simple tilt of her body, the movement so minimal it seemed lazy, while her free hand lightly held his wrist for a brief second. Enough.

The rapier rose.

And then fell.

The blade pierced his shoulder, slid across his chest, and exited through his side in a single continuous motion, opening his body as if it were paper. It wasn't a brutal blow.

It was… clean.

Precise.

Brutal in its efficiency.

The leader fell to his knees, blood gushing in absurd quantities, his eyes still trying to process what had happened, his body failing to keep up. Exelia watched for a second.

She tilted her head slightly.

And then—

One last movement.

The tip of the rapier pierced his eye, ending any possibility of resistance.

Silence.

Total.

How long did it take?

A few seconds.

Five bodies were now scattered across the road, the smell of blood beginning to mingle with the already heavy air, creating an even denser layer of presence.

Exelia remained still for a moment.

Her posture… impeccable.

No heavy breathing.

No tension.

She slightly swirled the blade, wiping away the excess blood with a subtle movement before sheathing it with the same naturalness as someone finishing a mundane task.

Then she turned.

As if nothing had happened.

The vampires around… didn't move.

The observers in the shadows…

Neither did they.

But something was different now.

It wasn't curiosity anymore.

It wasn't distrust anymore.

It was… understanding.

Exelia walked back to the carriage with light steps, completely ignoring the bodies, the blood, the weight of what had just happened. She climbed in slowly, settling back into her seat, adjusting her clipboard as if she had only left to resolve a minor administrative inconvenience.

Kael was exactly as before.

Leaning back.

Observing.

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It took you long enough."

The comment came dryly.

Almost automatic.

Exelia glanced quickly at him.

And then shrugged.

"They chose the wrong option."