Chapter 69: Chapter 67

“Huu… Why did it have to be a cemetery of all things?”
“If I had to speculate; as vampires are creatures of the night and feed on humans, the location would make an ideal cover story for them. I’ve only ever heard of them drinking the blood of living people, but they may enjoy the dead just as much.”
“I-It was a rhetorical question!”

As the four of them stood at the entrance to the ominous graveyard, Elis sulked at Gale’s detailed response. Thankfully there was plenty of daylight to help illuminate their surroundings, but the girl was not good with spooky situations, and the idea of tracking down a vampire while walking past rows of buried corpses sent a shiver down her spine.

Alpha team had safely arrived in Bern and set out on their mission. The suspected vampire was said to be somewhere in the area, and with it being a residential zone, the most likely location was the one right before them. It was of course possible that the vampire had somehow snuck into someone’s home undetected, or it could have been living out of an abandoned house nearby, but with the instinctual pride that the demons carried with them, the chances were low.

“Mmm. If you’re scared, you can stay here. The rest of us will go.”
“T-Then I’m left alone out here! That’s even worse!”
“So you’re coming?”
“F-Fine! But Sid, you’ve gotta stay with me, understood!?”
“Mnn.”

The reticent girl nodded slightly, but her gaze remained fixed in front of them while speaking with her friend. Perhaps she wasn’t truly listening to what was being said, but they’d been in similar situations so many times before that she knew how the conversation would turn out regardless.

“Elis. We aren’t going to be attacked in the daylight.”
“Right… Yes, that’s right!”

Even Valeriya chimed in with her piece too, though it was difficult to say if she was showing concern for her friend’s anxious state, or simply wanting to move past the irrational fear she held. The vampire was not to be underestimated - that much was for certain, but if they spent the only hours when they would have the upper hand against the creature being concerned about ghost stories and fairy tales, then they would very quickly find a real problem on their hands.

Though, these last few months had given ghost stories and fairy tales a whole new meaning in their eyes.

The cemetery was large, and despite its melancholic undertone, it was very serene. Immaculately kept trees and bushes stood in place of boring brick walls, and the land's natural beauty had been preserved where it could, with large stones helping to form organic perches that stood as pretty vistas overlooking the premises.

Many of the trees had lost their leaves, and while to Elis they appeared as withering, grasping things straight from a horror movie, Sidheag couldn’t help but be impressed at how large they had grown in a restrictive space, surely owing to the diligent work of a caretaker.

“Assuming we’re correct, the vampire is likely living in the groundskeeper’s lodge… which is that building over there.”

After taking a detailed look over the handily provided map in the entryway, Gale pointed towards a nearby building. It was quite a large structure, and the architecture was beautiful, likely dating back over a hundred years judging from the worn brick walls.

It would not be difficult for such a building to be quickly overtaken by the surrounding flora, so the fact that there was not a single sign of vines creeping up the walls, or moss hanging from the roof was another testament to the care put into the maintenance of the location.

As they strolled - or in Elis’s case, crept, towards the building, the door swung open before they could knock. From inside came an elderly lady, who hobbled gingerly onto the stone path that circled the grounds, leaning heavily on her walking stick to support her.

“God bless you, dear. You are a saint!”
“Not at all, it’s my pleasure. If you would like to have tea again this time next week, I would love to have you.”
“You warm an old woman’s heart! Yes, let’s do that then. Goodbye for now!”
“See you soon.”

As she began to slowly walk away from the building, the woman’s face was practically glowing. A wide smile adorned her wrinkled features, and she hummed a tune to herself quietly as she passed their group, exchanging brief pleasantries on the way. The students showed some mixed expressions on seeing this, but for now, they still had a job to do.

*Knock* *Knock*

“Yes? Did you forget something? Please come in.”
“...Excuse us.”

After she knocked politely, Gale gave the others a brief look and opened the door. She made sure not to enter, but instead stood in the doorway as she conversed with the voice within.

He appeared surprised at first when he saw a young girl in metal armour standing at the entrance to his house, but after settling his face once more, he put on a slightly awkward smile. The outfit that Gale wore certainly couldn’t be seen as everyday clothes, but for those that fought demons as their occupation it wasn’t unusual to be seen in protective gear of all kinds, and with such a risky job it likely wasn’t the first time someone like her had shown up to the cemetery.

The man had a scruffy mop of dark hair on his head, and thick round glasses sat high on his nose. He had a slight hunch to his stance, and he seemed surprisingly young and frail compared to what they were expecting. His voice was very soft-spoken, and he appeared to be trying his best to maintain eye contact with Gale - though he was failing somewhat in that regard.

“I-I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else. C-Can I help you?”
“It’s no problem at all. We’re here on behalf of the church, and may need your assistance in an investigation.”
“O-Oh dear. W-What do you need from me?”

He seemed to shrink away as she spoke, causing her to instinctively step inside. The lodge appeared to not only serve as a house, but also as a meeting area for clients, and it was open and well-lit, so she had a good view of her surroundings. Everything was neatly organised, and there was nothing outright suspicious that caught her eye, so she gestured for the others to join her inside after only a moment.

“Excuse us.”
“Nnn? Those flowers…”

Immediately as Sidheag entered, the variety of plants lining the mantlepiece caught her eye. There were many different kinds, all unique shapes and sizes, each brimming with vitality, but what drew her attention the most was that they were all rare night-blooming flowers.

“D-Do you like them? I’m the groundskeeper here, s-so I take care of all the plants. They keep me company.”

After noticing her curious gaze, he spoke up slightly. He appeared to have a genuine love of botany, which helped explain the well-kept surroundings they had seen on the way in, as his personal belongings went to show it wasn’t just a dedication to his profession but something more.

Even so, they had important business - they could chat all they liked once the vampire had been dealt with.

“I apologise for being abrupt, but we’re on a tight schedule. Could you please show us around the cemetery quickly while we ask a few questions?”
“O-Oh! O-Of course, I'll be free in a few hours' time.”
“It needs to be now. It’s a matter of urgency I’m afraid.”
“I-I couldn’t possibly do so right now…”

He shied further and further away from her, and his behaviour began to ring alarm bells. Though she didn’t say anything specific to the others, Gale silently moved her arm towards her waist as she pressed further.

“Sir, I need you to step outside for a moment.”
“No! W-Why don’t you come back later? I’m busy!”
“Even just for a second, I need you to leave this building.”
“I said I’m busy!”

As he had been pushed too far, the nervous, quiet man whipped his head back and snapped at her. He stared daggers at the girl - his once unfocused gaze now brimming with a deep hatred that wasn’t there moments earlier.

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“...So be it.”

As was the traditional practice when hunting vampires, Gale lifted her free hand to her mouth, and make a small cut on the back of her palm with her teeth. She held it out slightly towards the man, who growled at her in response as his thin figure convulsed.

“GRRAAA!! You think I want any of that vile, sickly filth!?”
“-!?”

His eyes yellowed, and his fangs elongated. Despite his body responding to his urge, his words told a different story.

“Why wouldn’t you just leave!? Disgusting children! Come back when you’re ripe!”
“Marena!”
“Faolán.”

The vampire’s face twisted, and in his rage, he flung the nearby dining table straight towards Gale with terrifying speed. The group leapt into action, with Valeriya drawing her rapier and dashing to chase down the demon as Sidheag called her wolf to her side.

“Baldr, bless us with your protection!”

From Elis’s cry, a gentle glow surrounded each of them, and as Gale drew her blade and sliced the table in two, the split halves seemed to curve around her figure and crash into the wall, leaving her untouched.

“Shitty children! If you won’t leave, then die!”

The lodge was large, but not big enough for the monster to escape pursuit. With the sun still beaming down from outside, there was nowhere else for it to run, so it had to fight.

Valeriya’s icy blade shot like a comet across the room, seeking out the monster’s heart. It certainly didn’t plan on making it easy, and as it swiped viciously towards her, she had to pull back from her assault in order to keep her head attached to her body.

She didn’t step away very far, and moments later struck her arm out once again, aiming for the beast’s shoulder. Though its supernatural speed made it quicker than she was, the angle of her attack put it in a difficult position, and to her advantage, she wasn’t alone.

“KRA-AA!!”

The monster howled in pain as Faolán’s jaws tore into its ankle before it could dodge, leaving it immobilised as Valeriya’s blade pierced through its shoulderblade. It was far from a fatal blow, but disabling its limbs would vastly limit its movement.

In a fury, the vampire swung down towards the wolf, and though he was too slow to dodge the swipe in time, the demon’s sharpened nails appeared to stall just before contact as if it was trying to push through an invisible wall.

Faolán escaped to safety just in time from the assistance of the barrier, and Valeriya pulled away as well to prepare for their next coordinated attack. The sooner they finished the fight the better, but rushing in without a plan would only get them killed.

“Valeriya, finish it!... Oh graceful Viviane, grant us your blade!”

As she understood the meaning behind Gale's words, the silver-haired girl thrust forward with a stab once more, her icy-blue rapier shining a brilliant white that momentarily blinded the creature as it stood helpless. With a single blow, the sword pierced straight through the arm it held up to protect itself, and dug deep into its heart before erupting into thousands of crystals of ice. In the blink of an eye, the vampire had become encased within, as the girl pulled her blade free and leapt back once more.

*CRACK*

The sculpture shattered, and as the spirit ice faded away, only dust remained on the ground before them.

The vampire had been slain.

“...”

Their job was done, but an uneasy silence fell upon the group. They were again reminded of the danger of these demons, as the frail, unassuming young man had turned into a horrific beast with the strength to tear them limb from limb in a heartbeat. If they had simply passed him on the street, or perhaps spoken to him in a flower shop, they would be none the wiser to his true self.

More worrying yet, was that the way he had spoken to them seemed to reveal his perverse preference of prey, and their thoughts moved to the elderly lady who had been alone in the building with him as they arrived. At first, they had thought the cemetery might have been a choice for vampires that wanted to feed on dead bodies, but sadly, it was instead a way for this one to locate the vulnerable and alone.

It left a sour taste in their mouths, but such was the burden of their duty.

“...It’s over. Nice work everyone - that creature won’t be able to harm anyone else.”

Gale showed her experience as she took charge of the group once more. It would surely be a sombre mood for a while yet, but there was nothing that could be done for the victims that were already lost, and they had saved the unsuspecting others that had been in danger without knowing.

With nothing else to be said, Alpha team collected their bearings as best they could, and returned back to their lodgings to make their report.

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