Heroes to Hunted

I kicked in the door, sending it flying off of its hinges. As expected, the room was identical to all the other harvesting chambers.

The center operating table held a bound Kamida; he looked at me with the most pleading expression I'd ever seen. Hovering over him was another harvester, but something was different about her.

She was unlike any other I had encountered in the previous rooms. Her appearance was disheveled, her expression depraved - just like the rest - but she exuded an unmistakable aura of bloodlust, much like Kirina Vlad. It sent shivers down my spine, inciting a natural fear within me.

'Must be a vampire,' I thought to myself. Of course, I had no idea if that was true, but, whatever she was, I wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating her.

She faced me, her expression of surprise instantly diffusing into pure hatred. "How DARE you…." she trembled and directed her knife at me. "HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY LOVEY-DOVEY TIME WITH MY MEAL!" her lips constricted, revealing four razor-edged fangs, and her eyes shined with rage.

Aside from the irregular teeth that served as proof of her vampirism, I was more confused by what she'd said.

"Lovey-dovey time?" I repeated, puzzled. I looked over at Kamida, who shook his head frantically in protest. It was apparent that nothing was loving or romantic at all about his situation.

He was drenched in a cold sweat, and his panic-filled widened eyes trembled sporadically. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, and I couldn't blame him. After all, he had just narrowly escaped death by mere millimeters.

I was thoroughly vexed by what she said, but oh well. I gripped the paring knife in my right hand, pointing it forward, while the blunt knife was in my left hand, held backward in a defensive position.

After positioning myself in a defensive stance, I was ready to deliver a flurry of strikes while simultaneously guarding myself against incoming attacks.

"I hate to break it to you," I said with a firm voice and a smirk, "but your meal is coming with me." Even though I was exhausted and in pain, I was ready for a fight to the death.

She laughed maniacally, filling the room with contempt for not just me but all of humanity. "Interesting..." she said, spinning her knife with a flourish. "Cattle like you should know your place."

"Cattle..." I scoffed back. "I won't be led to slaughter so easily." I took a deep breath and centered myself, ready to face whatever was coming next. Though I didn't know the combat capabilities of alleged vampires, you could be sure I knew my own. I've killed many monsters in my life, all having roamed within human skin like her.

The cruel, the sadistic, the unforgivable. I've ended the stories of many that fit those descriptions. Even if she were a demon, it wouldn't be any different for me. I'd take her life all the same.

"Interesting," she grinned, her eyes flashing with malice.

Suddenly, time seemed to stand still as she vanished before me, leaving only a lingering afterimage to fill the space she just occupied.

The next moment, my senses were jolted as she appeared behind me, moving with such speed and grace that I'd almost guess she teleported. Then, with a knife in hand, she sliced downward with deadly precision, aiming for the base of my neck.

My instinct kicked in, honed by years of evading danger, and I quickly buckled my knees. Then, with all my might, I leaped back just in time to avoid the lethal strike. Even so, the blade sliced through the air with a terrifying speed. So much so that it grazed the hairs on my head.

With a strike like that, I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd lopped my head clean off upon landing a direct hit.

Wasting no time, she lunged back toward me, aiming her knife for the pupil of my right eye. The illuminated tip grew larger by the millisecond.

Again, I countered by the skin of my teeth by side-stepping away and parrying her blow with my blunted knife. Gripping the hilt tightly, I slashed my knife upwards to meet hers.

Sparks flew off the clashing blades, emitting an ear-splitting screech followed by a shower of bright flying sparks. I took advantage of the opening and pushed forward with all my might, hurling her off balance and away from me.

Seeing her failure, she growled in frustration. "You're a stubborn slab of meat, you know that? Just. Fucking. DIE!"

Unfazed by her taunts, I mockingly retorted, "So the all-powerful vampire can't even kill cattle? Even when they're injured to all hell?" I pointed my paring knife's tip toward her. "You're weak...aren't you?"

"AGGHHHHHHHH!!!" Without warning, she screamed out angrily and leaped forward, aiming another vicious swipe of her blade. Realizing that dodging repeatedly wasn't a sustainable strategy, I tucked my body in, rolling toward the space near Kamida to regain my footing.

After missing yet again, she exhaled loudly in irritation and threw her hands down in a fit. When she regained her composure, she turned to me with feigned relaxedness.

"Hmmm," she hummed with a series of deep breaths, and tapped her knife on her shoulder, "you're pretty impressive. I never thought a human could keep up with my blade like that…. And here, I was hoping you'd die quickly so I could return to my quality time with my dear over there," she gestured toward Kamida.

Upon seeing her leering but deadly smile, Kamida visibly shivered. His entire body quivered uncontrollably with fear.

"Thanks; I'll try not to let the compliment go to my head," I weakly chuckled while panting. "Your speed is pretty impressive, too. I can't wait to see what you dish out next!" is what I said, but I was already nearing my limit.

The blood loss had taken a critical toll on my body. My muscles experienced light spasms, seared with throbbing pain, and my mind pounded against my skull with a crippling headache. It took all I had just to stay conscious and focus my vision beyond just a jumbled blur.

'I better pick up the pace or I'll die for sure.' My body was shutting down, and my life had literally been draining away through the holes in my wrists.

I subtly checked my surroundings for an advantage...anything I could use to limit her movements and land a decisive blow. That's when I spotted several stacked and square metallic trays on the workbench next to me.

Relief crept into my tired, throbbing mind upon seeing the blessing. 'Heh, maybe I'm the lucky one, Kamida,' I slyly smiled.

"That's some nerve…" the vampire scoffed. "To take your eyes off your opponent… I'll slice you up and eat your heart!" she disappeared again, but this time, I was ready.

Before she reappeared, I dove to the workbench, dropped my blunted knife, and swiped the stacked trays with my free hand. Then, grasping the cold steel, I scattered them around me to create what looked to be a small field of landmines.

Luckily for me, she triggered one.

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