Chapter Text
The eighteenth birthday. The first solo hunt. An initiation that would make Reo a full-fledged warrior of the night.
“The night when you become either prey or hunter.”
Reo had no intention of becoming prey. He checked his gear — silver blades, his family knife, a crossbow, arrows with silver tips. He activated the traps set around the empty mansion where the vampire was supposed to be hiding. The young man tied his hair into a ponytail and leaped from the barn roof, landing softly on his toes, and moved almost silently into the building in the stillness of the warm August night. Like a graceful tiger stalking its prey. As soon as the hunter entered the mansion’s hall, he knew — the vampire was here. Reo sensed a cold, oppressive presence. As if the darkness were staring back at him.
The vampire is an enemy by virtue of its very existence.
Armed with a crossbow and a blade, Reo braced himself for the attack, tensing his entire body. A voice sounded: quiet, lazy, as if someone had just been woken up.
“Mmm, you’re so noisy.”
Reo jerked his head up. A young man was hanging upside down from the second-floor railing of the mansion. His white, tousled hair hung loose, and his gaze was slightly unfocused. No threat. Mikage fired his crossbow on autopilot. The vampire effortlessly swayed to the side; the arrow whizzed past, missing his face by a centimeter. He blinked, rubbed his eyes sleepily, and jumped down, landing silently on his feet. He was taller than Reo had estimated.
“Are you a hunter?” the vampire tilted his head to the right.
“I came to kill you,” Reo stated firmly. The vampire did nothing; he continued to stare at Reo’s face with his large gray eyes, their pupils slits. “Are you going to defend?”
“Too lazy,” the vampire shrugged. Reo blinked. The strangest enemy he’d ever faced. Others had attacked or at least tried to run away. “Kill me if you want,” he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. The hunter frowned, not trusting his opponent’s outward calm.
Reo fired lower. The silver arrow sliced through the fabric of the sweatpants, cutting into the flesh of the vampire’s thigh just above the knee. He winced at the silver and let out a surprised “Ouch”; the edges of the wound began to smoke. The vampire didn’t budge. They stood like that for half a minute, staring at each other expectantly. Reo watched as the wound on the stranger’s thigh closed and vanished without a trace, leaving the pale skin untouched.
“Is something wrong with your eyesight? You’ve missed the second time.” The vampire arched a slender eyebrow. His voice sounded calm, without a trace of mockery, as if he were genuinely curious as to why Reo had missed. Mikage was at a loss for words. Did this vampire really want to die that badly? The hands holding his weapon trembled. Everything he’d learned and trained for wasn’t working. No threats, no fight. It was even… kind of boring.
“You’re not afraid of me,” the vampire stated. Reo raised an eyebrow — he didn’t look like a killer or a predator at all, more like a tired schoolboy.
“You’re not exactly scary,” the hunter snorted, lowering his crossbow.
“How about this?” The vampire closed in quickly; Reo felt nothing but a breeze, but he flashed his knife out, nearly pressing it against the vampire’s throat. The vampire touched the blade and quickly pulled his hand back, burning himself on the silver. As if he’d never seen a silver blade before.
“Still not scary,” Reo replied, almost bragging. “Don’t you… eat?”
“Sometimes, when I really have to,” the vampire shrugged. “Hunting is such a hassle.”
Reo lowered his weapon and sheathed his blade. He could have killed him. Right now, with a single strike. He’s an enemy. The first hunt would be successfully completed; Reo Mikage would begin his tally of victims. He would act as the codeх dictates. But for some reason… He didn’t pounce. He spoke calmly, just like a human. Could there really be those who retained their humanity after the turning into a vampire?
“Alright, I’m leaving.” Reo turned and headed for the exit. He wasn’t even afraid to turn his back on him.
“Oh,” the vampire blinked. “Is that all?”
“Yes, I don’t want to kill you.”
“You’re a strange hunter,” the vampire replied. Reo stopped.
“And you’re a terrible vampire,” the young man said over his shoulder.
“What’s your name?” the vampire asked unexpectedly.
“Mikage,” Reo replied. But he thought that his identity didn’t end there. “Mikage Reo.”
“Nagi. Nagi Seishirou.”
A celebration was held in honor of Reo’s first hunt. Of course, no one even considered the possibility that he might not return; great hopes had been placed on him, and he had been trained since childhood. Reo was elite. In the center of the hall of the large estate stood the head of the Mikage family — the most influential among Japan’s community of hunters. The man raised a glass of wine.
“Gentlemen hunters, today my son Reo has joined our ranks.” A wave of applause and cheers swept through the hall. “We are witnessing the emergence of one of the finest hunters, the future head of the Mikage family.” Reo politely nodded to everyone present and shook hands with some of the elders. “The surname Mikage means ‘sacred shadow.’ For nearly three hundred years, we have guarded the sacred world and maintained balance, remaining in the shadows as we fulfill our destiny. Bring in the Codex. Take your place in the shadows, Reo.”
An old book with frayed, yellowed pages, bound in leather and reinforced with silver, was placed on a large dark-wood table in the center of the hall. Everyone gathered around the table, holding their breath. Reo approached the table, glanced at the worn binding and the first page, stained with hundreds of drops of blood. The sight and the impending ritual stirred nothing in him. A representative of the noble clan presented the young man with the silver Blade of Oaths. The head of the Mikage clan read aloud the prohibitions of the codex.
On mind and heart. A hunter must maintain clarity of mind. Feelings must not take precedence over duty.
On the prohibition of bonds. A hunter is forbidden to enter into any personal, emotional, or physical relationship with the creatures of the night. Anyone who violates this law renounces the clan and is considered a traitor.
On the blood of the lineage. The honor of the clan is greater than the life of an individual hunter. The actions of one cast a shadow over all.
On punishment. Violation of the Codex is punishable by exile, loss of name, or death — at the discretion of the elders.
“Understand and accept,” the young man said clearly. As if he had a choice. He had been on a single path from the moment of his birth leading to this day. Reo made a cut on his palm; blood oozed out.
“A hunter exists to protect the living. It is his duty to stand between humanity and the darkness, asking for no reward and expecting no thanks. Any creature of the night that preys on humans, causes harm, or poses a threat must be destroyed without hesitation.” Reo read aloud the key passages of the code regarding the hunter’s purpose and the creatures of the night. He clenched his hand into a fist; a drop of blood trickled down the edge of his palm and fell onto the bloodstained page of the book, mingling with the oaths of several generations of hunters.
Now he no longer belonged to himself.
The hall erupted in applause. Reo drank wine beside his father and accepted several gifts from representatives of other noble hunting families. The young man preferred a mixed fighting style; the crossbow allowed him to launch long-range attacks, while the blades made him a dangerous opponent in close combat. That is why he was given arrows with different tips — silver or blinding — and knives. Reo no longer remembers when he stopped receiving “ordinary” birthday gifts. What ordinary families give young men for their eighteenth birthdays?
The young man stepped out onto the terrace to escape the noisy crowd and finally catch his breath. He wasn’t thrilled about the celebration or the eulogies. As if he’d chosen to be born into an ancient family, become a vampire hunter, and live in the shadows! But he could hardly be normal anymore. He knows too much about the world to live an ordinary life. Not that being a hunter is much better. Watching a vampire crumble from your blow isn’t the most thrilling sight, but a fight with a strong opponent can be entertaining. The young man couldn’t help but think of today’s vampire. Killing him would hardly have brought any satisfaction. But something about his appearance had caught Reo’s attention. There was the same endless boredom in his eyes. Was it possible that Reo had entertained him a little?
“How was the hunt?” Chigiri appeared behind him. Reo smiled wearily; Hyouma was his closest friend here.
“Fine,” Reo replied too quickly. “Alive and unharmed, as you can see.” The young man spread his arms. Chigiri rolled his eyes.
“What was he like? How did you kill him?” Hyouma sat down on the terrace railing and stared at Reo. Chigiri, being a guest apprentice of the clan, had never hunted alone before. But he was one of the best. And the fastest among the local hunters.
“White hair, gray eyes, tall.” Reo thought that wasn’t the kind of description a hunter should remember about his prey. “Pretty fast, despite the traps. But I took him down with a single shot!” the young man boasted.
“Sure,” Hyouma laughed. “The future leader.” He mimicked Mikage Sr.’s tone. Reo shoved his hands into his pants pockets and leaned against the railing next to his friend.
“You know I’m not interested in that,” the young man sighed. Chigiri shrugged and jumped down, holding out his hand:
“Alright, let’s go! Let’s celebrate and get drunk on wine!” The boy pulled Reo by the hand toward the hall.
“Don’t overdo it, I’m not going to carry you back to your room!” Reo warned, hurrying after his friend.
“You sure as hell will!” Hyouma shouted cheerfully, disappearing into the crowd.