URL: Sounds like our association, alright.

Patricia: Uuuh the thought of vampires lurking around us, waiting to bite me… Ugh, save me Url…

URL: Would you look at that, the nurses are back. Let’s start the tour Suiga!!

As they abandon a disappointed Patricia, the boys tour the association. Url explains about the building’s formation. VHC has multiple wings, a hospital wing, connected to the research wing, a church wing, and a main administration wing. They manage to pass from every wing, arriving at the hospital for last. A spacious wing, it has multiple individual rooms for the hunters and large common rooms for the civilians with well-separated beds…

URL: So, once again, the hospital takes in hunters and vampirification victims. So, it is usually crowded. Research wing in charge of studying vampires, silver, hunting weapons, etc. The church isn’t used as much, but it becomes crowded on events and when some mass incantation is necessary (let us hope it never comes to that).

SUIGA: So this is truly the center of the Hunt… Amazing…

URL: So, let me just talk to the nurses, sweet talk my way into some extra drugs so Aaron won’t ask why-

A trembling, almost screaming voice can be heard from one of the common beds. The attending nurse seems to have fallen back in fear of the patient’s behavior. Url and Suiga rush to see what is happening. They see a disturbed, skinny woman, holding herself in a curled position…

SUIGA: Oh, that is…

URL: Vampirification alright. And from what I see, this one’s been distanced from her assailant for a while…

Nurse: I was just trying to change her plate, did not talk or look at her. She suddenly flips out and screams…

Patient: ….Blood…

URL: Huh?

Patient: Wh-whe-where is it? Where is he?! Where’s my Jack!!!??? WHERE DID YOU PUT HIM YOU ANIMALS????!!!!

As she starts flailing even more violently, Url wastes no second and quickly hits her on the head with a hand chop. She immediately falls …

Nurse: ARE YA NUTS????!!!!

URL: Calm down, miss. Vampirification victims in this stage have severe withdrawal symptoms. No amount of sedative will keep them calm…

Nurse: And what would you do, bird freak?

Suiga, knowing Url’s mask might be a sensitive subject, gets ready to intervene. But Url already responds…

URL: Change the silver-based sedatives to something more relaxing, rather than restorative. Have a nun from the church wing apply “Sooth” and “Purify” every two hours or so…

Nurse: Ha! Like she needs special treatment. Why don’t we call the whole church for every-

Url approaches her slowly…

URL: I will be frank. Vampirification is already a dangerous disease and is difficult to get rid of. Not a lot of people keep this in mind, but once delusions start to set in and the patient begins externalizing his symptoms, it is already late. This woman is on the verge of turning, I give her at least two days before her genetic code changes and she shows teeth and pupils. THAT IS if some nurse chooses to not follow a bird freak’s friendly advice and ask for help from the nuns. I’m sure one more death on your hands won’t weigh on your conscience…

The nurse stays silent and embarrassed. She excuses herself and leaves for the church wing. Suiga stays amazed…

SUIGA:You… handled that well…

URL: Uuh I didn’t want to be so aggressive, but this has been the case for a lot of years. People think the cure for becoming a vampire is either one incantation or two sedatives and a small rest. This is why I love working as a hunter…

SUIGA: You did well, Url. This poor woman though…

URL: Hmm, she did help us though…

SUIGA: Huh? How?

URL: “Where’s my Jack?” Delusional she may be, at this stage dependents already remember their captor’s name. So, we are in search of a certain Jack. And since last night’s vampire isn’t named Jack, thanks to the autopsy…

SUIGA:…There’s a chance it’s one of his teammates. We have a lead!!! We must inform Aaron imm-

URL: No, no, no. My plan needs two people maximum. Instead, I’ll have Patricia call him if we need backup…

SUIGA: You…must need time away from him…

URL: You are the first other person I’ve talked to, don’t take this away from me… So, we could have the research department connect the dots with our findings yesterday, but I think we are losing precious time. How about we stay here the night and see if her captor comes to rip his sows?

SUIGA: You believe the vampire will come to recuperate a dependent? Seems kind of a freak like them…

URL: Maybe, but she seems to remember his name. That is a sign that she did have some sort of relationship with him, so right when she’s ready to turn, it would seem like a good opportunity to get her back…

SUIGA: That… sounds pretty logical. Such smart thinking…

URL: All speculations though! We should still inform the administration later…But for now, let’s prepare for the outcome until nightfall…

The boys start discussing tactics and polish their armaments throughout the day… As Url prepares potions, he notices Suiga’s silver sword…

URL: Nice blade

SUIGA: Oh, why thank you, my friend. Enhanced silver, from our royal blacksmith…

URL: Haaah, you might have to send me a recommendation then. My saw blades are a bit tired from the chopping…

Url’s saw blades. Two medium-length serrated blades half covered in bandages. They rest alongside a small apothecary table, where Url makes his potions…

SUIGA: They do seem like they’ve been places. Which reminds me…Url, you are a medic but still a hunter, where is your Holy Armament? Is it that mask?

URL: Ooh, you thought…Hahahahah!!

SUIGA: Excuse me!!!

Suiga becomes red from embarrassment… A passing nurse, overhearing the conversation, approaches them with a shy look…

Nurse: Excuse me…I heard you talk about Holy Armanents…

URL: Well, yes of course. Here, have my mask, apparently it’s ominous enough to look like one.

SUIGA: Sir Url!!!

URL: Just joking, my friend!! Do you have a question, miss?

Nurse: Yes…what are Holy Armaments exactly?

The two boys look at each other confused…

SUIGA:…You don’t know what they are?

Nurse: Well, we did read about them in school, but I never really understood how they work… But I remember from my father’s stories that they are amazing to look at…

URL: Well, miss, do you have some time to hear a small lecture?

Nurse: Yes!! I’m done with my duties!!

URL: Well then! Back in the war against Dracula, his spellcraft and unique magic that controls blood seemed too strong for a normal human to face. However, a clever craftsman found out that silver hurts vampires, because of its affinity with the Lord’s Light. So, he sat, with his whole school, throughout the war, and they made arms that could give as much power as possible to the humans, anything to have them outdo the vampires in a fight. Not everyone could master those arms because of their crazy design, but the ones that did are hailed as heroes and registered in the books. The thing is, because of their feats, the Lord decided to grant those arms his blessing, to achieve what the craftsmen and the heroes wanted: Godly weapons for vampire slaughter. Thus came the Holy Armaments.

Nurse: Hmm, but… how do you get them?

URL: The selection depends on a lot of factors. Each weapon has its own conditions. Some are passed down to the next of kin, others are transferrable, and some just pick their master based on… I don’t know, personality?

Url brings forward his apothecary table…

URL: To answer your previous question, Suiga, this is my armament. Apothecary’s Table of Wonders, “Delirium”. It pretty much allows me to craft potions and other stuff faster, easier, and with more potent results.

SUIGA: That potion Aaron used… You made it yourself, didn’t you? I never heard of a potion that attracts imps that successfully!

URL: Well, I don’t like taking credit but…By the way, how about yours, Suiga?

SUIGA: Huh?

Nurse: Oh, I heard the Asian hunters have a long history of beautiful armaments. I would love to see one up close!!

Suiga starts shying away…He instinctively holds his sword…

SUIGA: Well, mine is kind of…non-majestful…

Nurse: Oh, it’s alright if you are not comfortable sharing…You never know when a vampire is watching!!

Suiga smiles to skip over the uncomfortable situation he manifested…Url notices and tries to change the subject…

URL: Oh, my lady! Since nightfall is approaching fast, could you inform the admin wing’s receptionist that we will be staking out a patient?

Nurse: Yes, of course!!

URL: Aaand you should probably leave as quickly as possible. We have no idea what our assailant will resort to so he can get his “property” back…

The nurse starts running for the admin wing. As the moon shines throughout the room, our wary hunters notice the patient getting out of her bed and leaving for the hallway leading to the main door connecting the wings … The boys, weapons in hand, follow silently. They lock the door behind them, to protect the patients.

The hallway is large in height and wide enough to hold a small conference. Large windows to the left side let the moon’s dim light shine throughout the cold room. The boys continue following the deranged woman, who slowly walks towards the next door. Suddenly…she stops.

SUIGA: How come? She is that close to the exit…

URL: Doesn’t seem like she noticed us… And no vampire in sight…

The woman stays locked in place. After a few moments pass, her head starts taking a left turn, around 180 degrees to the back. Her neck seems stretched out, blood flowing through the tears. She doesn’t seem to mind. Her eyes stay fixated on the boys… Her pupils' color slowly turns into a glowing red.

SUIGA: Oh Lord…

URL: She’s far gone.

The woman, head locked in place, lets out a harrowing scream that travels throughout the room, almost smashing the windows. The hunters, trained to resist a vampire’s disorienting screech, seem almost unfazed. The woman then chooses to reposition herself in a minute, starting to rush like a limbless zombie against the boys…

URL: Suiga, her genetic code is probably altered enough to affect her physical capacities. She is a vampire now!

SUIGA: We should then take cover and-

At a moment’s notice, as the boys prepare to dodge the dependent’s rush, a large crush is heard from the left side of the hall. A window is smashed to smithereens as a winged figure rushes through, landing on the boys. He manages to push the off to the side and land himself correctly. He retracts his wings as he dusts himself off. A tall, muscular vampire with spiky, beige hair and sporting the same clothes as yesterday’s foe. The woman stops her rush and jumps onto the vampire…

Woman: My lord!!! My beautiful lord!!! I was sure that you would be back!!

She falls slowly to her knees, kissing and sobbing on his legs while trying to hold on to him with her trembling, famished hands...

Woman: My, my Jack, I knew you’d-d-d c-c-come. E-e-every ni-i—ight I shook and shhoook but…the huuungeerr wouldn’t s-s-s-t-toooopp…

She can barely speak…The vampire looks down at her. No expression in his gaze, it’s as if he’s staring down a beggar pleading for a few coins… He raises his right hand. He pulls out a knife with his left and slashes his wrist. The blood from his arm starts flowing down the floor…

Vampire: Here…

The woman wastes no second. She lashes at the puddle of blood, slurping whatever her now master threw at the floor, like a starving dog…

The boys, lift themselves and observe in pity and disgust…

SUIGA:This…poor woman…

URL: That’s the dependency for you…Fully turned dependents will act like dogs when it comes to their master…

The vampire’s wound closes as fast as it was made. He turns his attention to the pair as he leaves his dependent behind.

SUIGA: How dare you treat her like that?!

Vampire: are you talking about the livestock? I see no other way to feed a dog…

URL: Well, at least now we don’t have any reservations about killing you. But first of all, Jack right?

Vampire:...Maybe…what’s asking?

URL: She was screaming your name. In agonizing pain. And you chose to come for her. Seems too close for a relationship with livestock…

Vampire: Even a farmer takes care of his animals since they provide him with food.

SUIGA: Farmers don’t torture their animals.

Vampire: But they do kill them. Otherwise, they’ll starve and die. It is only a natural law of the food chain.

The vampire bends over and starts dashing to Suiga, going for a haymaker…

Vampire: So filthy humans shouldn’t lecture us on food!!