Hunting

As I roamed the streets, a familiar scent reached my senses, the unmistakable trail of the old man. A wicked grin twisted my features as I followed the scent with purpose.

"Old man... Start hiding from now on!"

Swiftly, I moved, the wind whistling in my ears as I left bewildered passersby in my wake.

"Woah! What the!?"

"WHAT WAS THAT!?"

Their startled voices echoed as I chased the scent, leading me to a desolate cargo port.

"What's this, Old man? This is where you're hiding?" My grin widened. "I'll enjoy my time hunting you."

A burning sensation crept through my veins, flames dancing in my eyes, yet I paid it no heed, and focused on the cargo port.

Navigating the area, two armed guards blocked my way to the ship.

"Hey! Stop! You're trespassing!"

"Who are you?! Leave before we shoot!"

"Hehehehe~ Dear civilians~ Do you mind letting me into that ship?"

"Ha?! Who the f*** are you? Leave or we'll shoot!"

"How pitiful," I sighed. "Here I am, sparing you if you let me pass, but it seems you gave me no choice." Drawing the crimson shard, it transformed into a blade.

A swift swing birthed slash projectiles, cleaving the guards in two.

"Oh dear~ It seems I overdid it... Hehehehe~"

As I continued, I knelt, feeling the burning sensation escalate.

"A-Arghhh!" I rose, teeth elongating, fangs emerging. "Am I turning into a vampire now?"

Hehehehe, I'll kill him before it happens.

My teeth clenched in determination.

Yet, more footsteps approached from behind. "Oh? Are you all here to give me a warm welcome?~"

The group pointed their firearms, shouting, "FIRE!!!"

These bullets were foreign, unlike those of Gensokyo. I dodged and sliced them with swift, precise movements.

"Sir! Our bullets are not hitting!"

"Reloading!!"

"I'm also reloading!!"

They reloaded, relentless in their pursuit.

"Ara Ara~ Is that all? Well... This is such a waste of time..."

Thrusting my sword into the ground, I invoked ("Blood Sign: Tendril Chains"). Chains erupted, ensnaring them. "Hehe..." I tightened the chains, bones cracking beneath the pressure.

"Hehehehe~"

Their screams resonated until silence claimed them.

"Oh? Are they all dead..." I sighed, "What a waste..."

I approached the staircase leading to the ship.

"Oh well, back to the objective." I ascended the stairs, only to be greeted by more "polite" individuals brandishing firearms and promptly opening fire.

It would be impolite not to greet them back, so I elegantly slashed through the air.

Slash... Slash... More Slash...

More adversaries emerged, aiming their firearms my way.

"Fufu~ The scent of blood is everywhere... At this rate, I can't smell the old man if more blood keeps spilling around me."

The burning sensation intensified within me as the firefight continued.

Lady Remilia appeared before me, her presence announced by the faint hint of her signature scent

I greeted her, trying to mask my surprise. "Lady Remilia, what brings you here?"

She fixed me with a piercing gaze. "Shun, I have a question for you."

My confidence faltered slightly. "You've come all this way just to ask me something? Alright, what is it?"

She leaned in, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "After you dealt with the old man, what's your next move?"

My mind drew a blank, a response refusing to form. Panic stirred within me. Why couldn't I answer?

Confusion clouded my thoughts, and I glanced around, only to be met with the haunting sight of lifeless bodies strewn around, torn in half.

A sickening realization dawned on me—I was the cause. What was happening?

"Shun, answer me!" Remilia's voice sliced through the turmoil in my mind.

"I..." I stammered, unable to form coherent words.

Her laughter carried an edge of amusement. "Seems you're at a loss for an answer. Fine, deal with the old man first, then I'll provide you with yours."

Numbly, I nodded. "Thank you." Despite the burning pain coursing through me, I ignored it, pushing forward.

Earlier, in a different location, Lady Remilia and Rita conversed in a car en route to their destination.

"Rita, where are we headed?"

"We're heading to the cargo port, Milady. That's where the old man's butler and his client will conduct their illicit business. The man you brought to us was one of the bodyguards meant to protect the old man."

Understanding dawned on Lady Remilia. "So, they're dealing in illegal drugs?"

"Yes, Milady. That's correct."

A smirk tugged at Lady Remilia's lips. "Looks like I'm playing the savior for this country now, don't you think?"

Rita chuckled softly. "Milady, I wouldn't go that far."

"Rita, why does Shun harbor such a strong urge to end the old man's life?"

Rita hesitated before speaking. "Shun... was Lady Siesta's personal butler. As you're aware, initially, he was deemed incompetent—a failure in most tasks. He couldn't even read. Eventually, the household decided to dismiss him. But Lady Siesta intervened and chose to keep him, requesting the head butler to personally tutor him."

"And then?"

"His journey continued from there..."

"Why would the old man butler kill Siesta?"

Rita contemplated for a moment. "I have two possible motives for the old man's actions."

"Firstly, Lady Siesta was on the brink of assuming leadership as the family's head once she turned 18. The old man could have seen her as a threat and eliminated her."

"Secondly, Lady Siesta might have stumbled upon illegal drugs within the old man's quarters, leading to her discovery. In response, he might have chosen to silence her."

"But her death was labeled as an accident, right?"

"It wasn't an accident, Milady... It was intentional."

"...I understand."

Back in the present, Shun followed the trail of the scent with an unwavering determination. The path was unfamiliar, yet it felt eerily close to his intended target.

I began tracking the scent, following it with an unsettling sense of determination. It led me to a nondescript door, a potential threshold to my final objective.

"This might be it," I muttered to myself, bracing for what lay beyond.

The plan was simple: enter, eliminate, and leave. But as I pushed open the door, a deafening symphony of gunfire greeted me, shattering any expectations I had.

Bullets rained down on me from every angle, a relentless onslaught that I hadn't anticipated. Each impact felt like a searing jolt, driving me backward.

Thoughts swirled in my head as I struggled to make sense of the sudden chaos. This wasn't part of the plan—I hadn't prepared for such an intense barrage.

I observed them, my eyes flickering between the assailants and the familiar figure standing at the epicenter of the chaos. It was him... The Old man. His face bore a twisted smile, one of satisfaction and malevolence. Anger boiled within me as I met his gaze.

"I hate you... Old man," I spat out, the words dripping with contempt, before my strength waned, and collapsed.