The Nosferaboars instantly turned their attention to Drake and chased him. He kept glancing over his shoulder, trying to exert some kind of hypnotic influence over them. Meanwhile, Lyra was frantically trying to shoot, but her shots kept missing their mark. Thinking fast, Drake pulled a holy water grenade from his pocket, yanked the pin, and hurled it towards the creatures. The holy water grenade exploded, and the Nosferaboars screamed and fell down. Now Drake could see them clearly.
"Don't move," he commanded, projecting the thought directly to the Nosferaboars so Lyra wouldn't find his words strange. "Now! Now, Lyra! Shoot them in the head!" Drake yelled to her.
Lyra extended her arm, aligning it carefully with her shoulder. She squinted slightly, focusing intently to ensure her aim was true. Then, she squeezed the trigger. The first shot hit one of the creatures squarely in the head, and she quickly followed up, hitting the second one as well. She continued firing, emptying rounds into their heads until both Nosferaboars lay still and died.
"We did it!" Lyra cheered. "I thought we'd die! How do we prove it?"
"Cut off their ears," Drake said.
Lyra cut off an ear from each Nosferaboar. They drove back to the city.
"I thought those things were strong. Why did they stop moving like that? Maybe I just imagined it," Lyra wondered.
Drake didn't answer and just kept driving.
"What do you think? Say something," Lyra asked.
"I don't know," Drake finally responded. "Maybe the grenade I threw weakened them or slowed them down."
"I guess so," Lyra agreed. "When are we going to give these to Shadowfang?"
"Let's do it tomorrow. I feel tired already," Drake said.
"Okay," Lyra replied.
The next day, Drake woke up and felt the familiar pang of emptiness where Selena's warmth used to be. He had to accept that she was gone. He met Lyra at the entrance of the Shadowfang building as they had agreed.
"Yo!" Lyra called out, waving at him with a cheerful grin.
Drake's expression remained blank.
"You're so cold," she chuckled.
They went directly to the cashier's area to submit their evidence and claim their reward.
"Good morning," Lyra said, handing over the paper bag containing the Nosferaboar ears. "We have something to give."
"We'll need to verify this first. Please wait a moment," the cashier replied, taking the bag and heading into her office.
As they waited for the cashier to return, they could hear hushed whispers and murmurs circulating around them. Other slayers cast curious glances their way, wondering what the two weak slayers had managed to submit.
"It's confirmed," the cashier stated, returning with a nod. "The samples you submitted are indeed from a Nosferaboar."
The murmurs in the hall intensified, the other slayers now openly wondering how the two of them had managed to take down such formidable creatures. After receiving their rewards, Drake and Lyra made their way towards the exit, trying to ignore the intense stares that followed them.
Lyra sighed contentedly. "That was so intense! Did you see the way they looked at us? Two 'weak' slayers walking away with a big reward. Their jaws must have dropped! Here's your share, and thanks again for partnering with me. I really hope we can work together in the future."
"Thanks," Drake replied, taking his share of the reward. "But no thanks. I only agreed to do this once."
"Well, we'll see, haha," Lyra said with a playful chuckle. "I should get going now. I have something I need to take care of. If you ever need me, just call. Bye-bye!" She turned and left, a cheerful smile on her face.
As Drake walked back towards his apartment, he passed by an abandoned tunnel. A prickling sensation on the back of his neck told him he was being followed, though he couldn't identify who it was. Perhaps just a thief after the reward money, he thought, quickening his pace to a near run.
Before he could exit the tunnel, his path was blocked by a group of three Vampire Slayers. He recognized them instantly as the aggressive and abusive group, the one that you don't like to meet to avoid trouble.
"Give me the money, kid," Kaelen, the leader of the group, sneered.
The other two slayers moved in closer, effectively cornering Drake and cutting off any chance of escape.
"No. I earned it," Drake said firmly, though he could feel his knees trembling with fear.
The two slayers grabbed him by each shoulder, their grip tight.
"Let me go," he demanded despite his fear.
"What are you going to do about it, weakling? Give us the money or end up dead? Which one will it be?" Kaelen taunted. "Search his pockets."
"I said let me go!" Drake yelled, trying to wrench his arms free from their hold.
Kaelen tried to punch Drake, but Drake caught his fist – he was surprised by his own strength. He dodged more punches from Kaelen and his friends. Kaelen pulled out a knife. Drake kicked Kaelen's friends where it hurts. Kaelen tried to stab Drake, but Drake twisted his hand, making him drop the knife. Drake kicked the knife away and punched Kaelen's nose.
"Attack me again, and you'll end up worse than that," he threatened, his voice low and dangerous. "I was once afraid of you, but not anymore. Never."
This isn't over, Drake," Kaelen spat, clutching his nose and seething with anger.
Despite his fury, Kaelen chose to back down, gesturing for his men to follow. They retreated, leaving Drake standing alone, panting slightly. He was stunned by what had just happened. Where did that strength come from? He knew he shouldn't have been able to handle them. But in the heat of the moment, a strange surge of power, like boiling blood, had coursed through him, fueled by an intense anger.
"What's going on?" he wondered.
Since that day, Drake had felt different, a subtle shift within his body that he couldn't quite explain. But a part of him felt a strange sense of exhilaration.
"Well, I guess I can work with this," he thought. "I don't know what's happening, but I'm going to get stronger. One day, I'll be the strongest vampire slayer."
With a newfound resolve, he continued his walk back to his apartment.