196. Where is He?
Seamist County, Vancouver.
A thick, bloody stench filled the streets and alleys of the county town.
The old Leviasaur's corpse was so massive and its body so tough that not even silver-alloy knives and axes could scratch it. Even Vernon Wells, a fully crystallized lieutenant general, tried his hand but couldn't pry off a single scale.
General Grant had to cut the beast into truck-sized chunks so they could transport them to Vancouver.
The terrifying commotion from the Pacific, combined with the Leviasaur's piercing roar, made it feel as if the sky would collapse and the earth would split open. The townspeople had already descended into panic, whispering that the H.A.R.M. Generals must have angered the Pacific's Vampire Lord—and that Vancouver was doomed to be devoured!
To everyone's surprise, the commotion was short-lived.
Within just half a day, massive chunks of flesh and gore were carted past their eyes and out of town towards Vancouver.
Then the Leviasaur's head—as large as a small mountain peak—was hoisted high above the town wall, casting the entire street in shadow. The beast's hideous and terrifying face bared its sharp fangs, though its dim eyes betrayed a hint of hidden fear.
Despite their trembling hearts, the townspeople couldn't resist poke their heads out from behind their doors. A strange paradox took hold—the more terrified they became, the more they felt compelled to look, and the more thrilling the experience grew.
From somewhere, a story spread:
The old Leviasaur Lord of the Pacific had committed terrible slaughter, angering the heavens. The Sea God cast off his luxurious black robes, donned armor, and bearing a heavenly edict, strode forth upon the waves. Above in the clouds, the Storm God and Rain Goddess lent their aid, summoning wind and rain to strike down this fiend!
Outside the town wall, the lieutenant general from Sacramento dismissed such superstitious tales with a scoff.
He pulled on the reins, staring pensively at the old Leviasaur's head, wondering when Old General Grant had gained such power. "Could it be that General Grant's realm has advanced again?" he muttered to himself.
In the Solar Nomad behind him, the girl in black armor silently raised the window, her gaze also fixed on the Leviasaur's head.
If the old man had truly made progress, he wouldn't have immediately sent for help from Sacramento at the first sign of trouble.
Aisha Patani stepped out of the carriage, causing many H.A.R.M. officers to halt in their tracks. Vernon Wells, who was supervising the Leviasaur head's transport and mounting on the wall, hurried over with quick steps and said apologetically, "General Patani, if I had known how this would turn out, I wouldn't have troubled you."
If he had known?
Aisha Patani turned toward the monstrous head, her gaze settling on the cracked wound in the Leviasaur's forehead bone.
The wound matched the shape of the massive silver halberd, but the power required didn't add up. How could General Grant, with his current strength, possibly pierce through the hardest part of a fully harmonized Leviasaur's skull?
However, neither Senior Brother Laurent nor Theodore Montgomery would have borrowed his weapon.
With these thoughts, Aisha Patani lowered her gaze. "Where is he?"
"General Grant is still resting at the shore," Vernon Wells replied with amusement. The one who killed the Leviasaur didn't break a sweat, yet the old man who had to cut up the corpse was panting from exhaustion.
Aisha shook her head and said in a soft voice, "I'm asking about John Kane."
Vernon Wells stood stunned for a moment. Though he had personally sent the urgent message, to save time, his hasty dispatch had only described the situation's urgency—not General Kane's involvement. "How did you know..."
"I guessed." Aisha Patani couldn't think of anyone else in Cascadia who possessed such strength. With all these strange occurrences, attributing them to John would likely be correct.
After all, ever since his arrival in Seattle from Pinewood County, these strange occurrences had grown noticeably more frequent.
Vernon Wells had a sudden realization. Despite General Patani's naturally cool temperament, she had always maintained a polite demeanor towards everyone.
But just now, she had referred to General Kane simply as he and then omitted his title—could a single journey to the capital have brought them so close?
"After General Kane killed the old Leviasaur, he continued hunting down the remnants." Vernon Wells's expression grew solemn with emotion.
While New Terra had jurisdiction over the shore, the Pacific's aquatic creatures predated even the State of Cascadia itself. Most of these vampires had likely never set foot on land.
General Kane wasn't just defending a city.
He was actively expanding New Terra's territory.
"Thank you, I understand."
Aisha Patani gave a slight nod and made her way to the shoreline beyond the county town.
... …
The vast ocean stretched endlessly, swiftly washing away the dark red film that floated on its surface.
I emerged from the water and returned to the village, my eyes betraying a hint of disappointment.
Perhaps it was because things had been too smooth previously that I had the illusion vampires were everywhere. It was only when I actually dove underwater to search that I realized, without the help of aura tracking, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"If I were a Pacific vampire..." Skyler Grant trailed off, noticing the young man's eyes suddenly spark with interest.
"I mean... vampires are intelligent creatures. When they sense danger, they know to flee." The old man wiped his sweat, uncertain where this sudden burst of curiosity had come from.
With peace restored and the city stable, this should have been a good thing. Yet why did General Kane seem so unhappy?
"Now, only fifteen harmonizing vampire lords remain under the Blood Moon Vampire King." Skyler Grant looked relieved. "Cascadia has thirteen H.A.R.M. generals and three Gold Bell Vampire Hunters—our harmonizing warriors now outnumber theirs."
"Twelve," I sighed.
Skyler Grant froze in astonishment. Could General Kane's brief delay have been because he'd eliminated three more harmonizing vampire lords on his journey here?
Utterly incredible!
But what was there to sigh about?
If true, this wasn't merely about fewer vampire lords—it represented a complete shift in power. Blood Moon would lose its nerve to invade Cascadia, and the remaining great vampires would have no choice but to retreat.
Now, only the contest between Aisha Patani and the Ascendant King remained—no, John Kane must be counted among them as well!
Until one of these three achieved a breakthrough, Cascadia would enjoy an era of peace unseen in centuries.
"I never imagined someone would emerge from nowhere and single-handedly resolve Cascadia's vampire crisis, leaving us old-timers with little left to do."
Skyler Grant gazed at the ocean's surface with profound emotion. "Thank you," he said, turning to me. "What do you plan to do next?"
Pressing my hand gently on the scabbard at my waist, I said, "I was about to ask you to send messages to the other cities, to see if there are any other vampire sightings."
Hearing this, General Grant fell silent for a moment.
Until now, he had always been the one seeking help from Sacramento. The thought that Vancouver could now assist other cities—all eleven of them at once—was something he had never imagined possible.
The mere thought filled him with excitement.
It's just...
"There's something I want to ask, though I'm not sure if I should." General Grant asked.
"I'm not a Sea God."
"That wasn't what I meant to ask."
General Grant rubbed his temples. "I'm just concerned—you've been so busy lately, and your spirit seems increasingly tense. Are you alright? Perhaps you should consider settling down, finding a suitable woman to bring some comfort to your life?"
He turned his head and asked, "Do you have anyone in mind? I'm free now and could help you look around. What do you think of Aisha Patani? Though she may seem a bit aloof and reserved, she is undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in Cascadia."
"I think you're about to get pummeled." I shot him a look and turned around slowly.
The girl in black armor stood silently outside the yard, cutting a heroic and valiant figure.