Chapter Text
An ordinary morning. The sun is as always hidden behind the cloudy sky, while birds sing somewhere far away. A light forest breeze flutters blue hair, tickling their owner slightly. Such a morning is always like a blessing for Yakou's soul, since mostly the weather is not so friendly in this place. Breathing in such fresh forest air, it makes him feel more peaceful and more... human.
Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Even if Yakou understands that he hasn’t been human for a very long time, his mind still doesn’t fully recognize himself as a completely immortal being, in whose veins a bloody hunger is restrained. Although not only that makes him feel like a filthy creature…
However, beyond his own thoughts, there was one more thing that ruined the calm of the morning. Today is one of those days when the vampire should appear among the people and replenish some supplies.
While walking along a path long familiar to him, he again and again plunges into his thoughts.
"Maybe I'm just used to being alone…" Yakou thought. How long has he been living like this? A year? Five? Fifteen? Yakou himself can't remember right away. It's surprising that the villagers haven't suspected anything about his identity yet and haven't surrounded his house with flames of rage.
Was the vampire cult he had heard about so long ago really that influential in this village? The blue-haired man doesn't really want to think about it. He had long ago decided that he didn't want to have anything to do with other vampires anymore.
Before he could notice, the vampire found himself right in front of the store doors, where he needed to go. Well, that was definitely faster than he thought. With his signature carefree smile ready, Yakou opens the door and greets the salesman, but to his surprise, they weren't the only ones in the room.
There is another person, which the man in blue glasses has never seen before. The appearance of this human is really unusual. In fact, Yakou isn't entirely sure if that stranger is a man or a woman. But what really catches the vampire's eye is the clothes the white-haired person is wearing.
A cloak, full equipment and a sheath in which there are knives. It's definitely a vampire hunter.
It's been a while since any of them appeared in this village, though. Usually the hunters stopped here for a short time to rest and get their bearings. The blue-haired vampire even often helped them, mostly by telling the way to go or where to buy something they needed. However… Yakou has a hunch the purpose of this hunter's visit is completely different from those he has met in the past.
“I guess I won't know unless I ask.” And with this thought, Yakou heads toward the stranger.
“It's been a while since I've seen new people here! Especially vampire hunters. What brings you here?”
No answer. The white-haired human doesn't even look at him. This hunter is clearly not a talkative person.
“Well… Maybe you need help? I know these places very well and many hunters often asked me for he-”
Before Yakou could finish, the hunter was already heading towards the exit. The human's face clearly shows irritation.
“Wait, wait, wait! Are you sure you don’t need help? I know I'm imposing myself, but this place could be really dangerous, so I want to make sure you will be okay. C-can I at least know who you are?”
Yakou had no hope that the hunter would listen to him, but to his surprise, the person stopped. After a while, the human in neon pink-colored glasses breaks the silence.
“Halara Nightmare.”
“Huh?”
“That’s my name. Your concern is understandable, but sooner or later it may turn against you. And rest assured, the professional always knows what to do.”
With a confident smile on their face, Halara leaves the shop. Well... it was more awkward than Yakou expected, but it could have been worse. Halara clearly doesn't trust him and there's no need to explain it. Yet something inside the vampire is nagging, as if he should be more careful this time. But there's not much point in thinking about that right now. Better to finally get back to what he came here for in the first place.
________
One of the few things for which Yakou is always ready to leave his secluded place was a visit to the Sun and Moon Hotel, where on the ground floor the only bar in the settlement was located. Even after many years of life, the blue-haired vampire doesn't deny himself a drink and the feeling of lightness it brings. The main thing is to know the measure... even if the name of this measure is "not enough money".
However, despite his cheerful mood, Yakou hasn't been able to get that white-haired vampire hunter out of his head for a week now. Something... really bothers him about that person. Halara didn't tell Yakou anything about the purpose of the visit, but his intuition clearly tells him that something serious is coming.
But why worry about that now? With a bad mood, drinking will ruin it even more. So, having cheered up, Yakou walks faster towards the hotel. And now, opening the door to a small world of fun and relaxation, the vampire sees something that he clearly doesn't want to see now.
Нalara’s sitting behind the bar ... but besides the hunter, the blue-eyed man's gaze caught sight of another person. It’s a guy, much shorter than Halara and with light wheat-colored hair. The talkative man quickly noticed Yakou and immediately began to speak.
“Woah! Is there really someone in this hole who doesn't run at the sight of a stranger?”
“At least in one place in this world people won't stroke your ego.” Halara said, still continuing to monitor the situation.
“Hey, I’m serious! Even in such a remote place people should be interested when a star comes to visit them!”
A star? Yakou definitely has a few questions already.
“So…do you know each other?”
“I just met them yesterday, so we're not really that familiar.”
Well, at least Yakou knows how to address Halara now. That's a good sign. But before the vampire could come to his senses, the guy in the hoodie suddenly stood up from his chair, walked up to Yakou and started talking loudly.
“I see you have no idea who I am. But no worries, I’m gonna fix that now! Ahem… standing before you is none other than Desuhiko Thunderbolt! A superstar and also an incomparable vampire hunter!”
“...That's... pretty unusual.” The vampire with blue glasses was clearly a little surprised. Hunter and superstar? Are these professions even compatible?
And yet, as a sign of politeness, Yakou shakes his new acquaintance's hand with a smile on his face. “By the way, I’m Yakou Furio. I live near the village in this forest. I know these places well, so if you need help, you can ask me.”
“Awesome, man!” Desuhiko returns to his seat contentedly, continuing to drink his obviously non-alcoholic drink.
This guy clearly has a big mouth. On the other hand, this is a great chance to find out why they gathered here. The cards of fortune were on Yakou's side this time. But still, it is not worth going straight to this question, but to start from afar. The vampire already had a suitable question that tormented his curiosity.
Yakou stands near the wall and leans against it. “You said you’re a superstar and a vampire hunter. Does this mean you are a popular hunter?”
“You can be popular not only by being a hunter.” the blond guy smirks. “In my case, I’m not only a hunter, but also a blogger, a musician, and a singer.”
To be honest, Yakou doesn't know what a blogger is, but to him it sounds like something that is also related to popularity. But still, how can he combine music and vampire hunting?
“Oh, that’s rad! Do you draw big crowds of fans to your concerts?”
“I-.... I'm still on my way to this. A-and my talent hasn't been noticed yet.”
So here there is nothing to combine yet and everything is in a dream state.
“But this is only for now! Believe me, when I complete this mission, I’ll definitely become incredibly popular as the savior of humanity! Some major label will notice my skills and I’ll become famous all over the world for my amazing songs!”
And here is a hook to grab onto! “Savior of humanity? You talk as if the two of you are going to exterminate all vampires. That's impossible!” The vampire lets out a nervous laugh.
"Don't even think about talking about it." Halara suddenly breaks their silence.
“I won't tell him everything! Besides, it would be nice to have an ally who knows the area.”
Halara sighed but said nothing more. They continue drinking coffee, but their gaze is fixed on two men.
“Then listen carefully, Mr. Furio. We are gathered here for one great mission - to find the vampires' lair.”
Yakou froze. He feels like his soul has fallen. “F-find the v-vampires' lair?”
“Our organization received information that somewhere in this forest there is a large vampires’ city, hidden underground. The best hunters were called for this mission. And we are not the only ones. There are quite a lot of us!”
Time seemed to stop for the blue-haired vampire. Yakou can't quite believe what he heard. The hunters had never done anything like this before, and now they were going to find the main city. And what are they going to do once they find the city? Seal off all the exits so that no vampire sees any light? Or exterminate everyone, including kids? And if they find out there was a vampire next to them the whole time, then they'll definitely…
These thoughts make Yakou feel worse and worse. He feels like he could fall at any moment. The vampire leans even harder against the wall to keep his balance. However, there is no other way now but to continue playing the role.
“Wow… that’s… I didn't expect to hear that. I can't even believe that something like that can be done. I-I've lived here for so many years and I've never heard of anything like that.”
“However, we need any information. So rest assured, we’ll definitely turn to you for help.” Desuhiko said with a wide smile on his face.
“Yes… of course I can help.” an old man says this with a sad smile. He wants to leave as soon as possible. Fortunately, the vampire remembered why he came here in the first place.
"Oh, before I forget." Yakou approaches the bartender. "Three bottles of beer, please. The brown one."
Once the three bottles were brought to him, the blue-haired man quickly paid and put the beer in his bag.
“It was very nice to meet you, Desuhiko and Halara. However, I still have to go home, I have quite a lot of things to do, haha…I’ll try to help as much as I can!” Waving his hand at them, he heads faster and faster towards the exit of the bar, but before he leaves, he still stops.
“However... I wonder. If you find this vampire city, what will you do next?”
The talkative hunter's face suddenly became puzzled. He doesn’t know what to answer.
And then the hunter in pink-colored glasses raised their head “Everything that will happen after that is unknown to us. We’ll receive further instructions later. That’s all I can tell.”
“Well... in that case, I hope everything will be fine in the end. See you later.” And with these words, Yakou closes the door, leaving behind a melancholic tension in the room.
“I see it’s shocking for him to hear this. Well, I don’t blame him, I didn’t believe it myself when the WVHO first told me about it.”
“I still think you shouldn't have told him anything. Trust can go wrong in our line of work.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don't need to repeat this and I know what I'm doing”
“As you say. But if you're attacked by a pack of vampires the next day, I won't save you.”
“H-hey, don't joke like that! Do you think I can't handle it? I can easily deal with them... but I wouldn't refuse help.”
“I can help you, but only if you pay. And you know – I don’t work for cheap.”
“Sure. Then I'll pass!”
Desuhiko continues to mutter under his breath while Halara looks at their own reflection in their coffee cup. A large number of vampire hunters... no one really knows how many hunters will end up here. When the silver-haired hunter accepted the mission, there were ten people in the group with them. Halara was the only one who survived. Same with Desuhiko.
The vampires must have found out about their plan and decided to eliminate the danger at the very beginning of the mission. Considering that there have been no more attacks since arriving at the village, maybe these monsters don't know there are survivors yet. And still, all that remains now is to wait for someone else to come and be on guard.
________
Fear. That's all Yakou feels at the moment. After walking far enough from the village, he stops and leans against a tree, breathing heavily. The vampire feels his legs weaken, forcing him to fall to the ground. What to do now? Previously, he could always hide his true nature, but in a situation like this, his human mask will be broken and he’ll be punished for his existence.
It's not that Yakou values his life, especially considering who he is and the emptiness of his existence. But even someone who considers himself a low creature was pierced right in the heart by the fear of being killed.
Yakou takes a slow, deep breath to calm himself. Nothing is lost yet. No one knows anything yet. He is still, in the eyes of everyone, Yakou Furio – a man who lives alone in the forest and helps the villagers and hunters.
The blue-haired vampire is not going to refuse to help the hunters and will help to the best of his ability and safety. But this doesn’t mean he wants them to find the city. For now he has the goal not to lead them there, to convince them that this city doesn’t exist. For the sake of his safety and the innocent.