The big vampire was twenty feet away now. Still walking. Arms still crossed. His yellow eyes never left Kínitos. He clicked his tongue out of anger pop
Kínitos stood his ground. Blue energy flickered around his body — but only for enhancement. Speed. Strength. He couldn't use unstoppable or immovable. His core was still half black. One more paradox ability might kill him.
Fine, he thought. I'll do this the old way.
The vampire stopped. Uncrossed his arms. Rolled his shoulders.
"You're still standing," he said. "That's annoying."
Kínitos didn't answer. He dropped into a stance. Low. Hands up.Legs fit and stable. The kind of stance you learn when you've been in real fights.
The vampire lunged.
Fast. Not hybrid fast, but fast enough. A straight punch aimed at Kínitos's face. Kínitos slipped left. The punch grazed his ear. He drove his fist into the vampire's ribs. Once. Twice. Then twist his hips and drive his foot into the thigh.
The vampire grunted. Stumbled sideways. Surprised.
"You fight like a soldier," he said.
"I was a soldier," Kínitos said.
The vampire smiled. Then came again. A hook. A jab. A kick.
Kínitos blocked, dodged, countered. His enhanced speed kept him alive — but barely. The vampire was stronger. Every block sent shockwaves up Kínitos's arms. Every dodge was inches from claws. His experience was enough only for now.
The vampire's smile faded. He was getting annoyed.
"You're a gnat," he growled. "Annoying. Small. Hard to kill."
Kínito's face was confused as he thought "You mean a rat?" Questioned Kínitos
He stepped back. Rolled his shoulders again. Then his body shifted.
Muscles bulged. His arms grew thicker. Dark fur sprouted along his forearms — brown, thick, like a bear's. His fingers curled into claws. His jaw cracked and elongated. Teeth — too many teeth — pushed through his gums.
His torso swelled. Ripped through his shirt. He was bigger now. Half-man, half-bear. Eyes still yellow. Still hungry.
Kínitos took a step back.
"Great," he muttered.
Behind Kínitos, the hybrid was moving again.
Its legs — both shattered — had shrunk. Withered. Useless now. But its arms grew thicker. Longer. It pushed itself up on both hands, standing like an upside-down spider. Its torso hung between two massive arms.
Its legs dangled. Small. Shrunken.
It adapted, Sarah realized. Lost the legs. Made the arms stronger.
The hybrid swung one arm at her. Not a punch — a whip. Its long fingers extended mid-swing fleoid like water moving through the air, reaching twice as far as they should have.
Sarah ducked. The fingers sliced through the air above her head. She rolled right. Came up behind a pillar. The finger destroying lights above the station and digging into the ceiling.
The hybrid's other arm stayed planted — keeping balance. The first arm retracted. Then whipped again.
CRACK. The pillar cracked. Concrete dust fell.
Sarah ran. The hybrid followed with its eyes. Its good arm kept swinging — whip, whip, whip — forcing her to dodge, jump, slide.
She grabbed at its string. Dark red. Pulsing.
Take more energy, she thought. Weaken it.
She pulled. The hybrid's arm slowed for a second. Its eyes dimmed. But it didn't stop. It pulled its arm back, then thrust its fingers forward like spears.
Sarah jumped left. The fingers stabbed into the floor where she'd been standing. The ground being destroyed. It retracted its fingers gravel coming out in a burst.
She couldn't keep this up forever.
The big vampire — now bear-like and twice his size — charged.
Kínitos didn't try to block. He moved. Slipped under the first claw swipe. Came up inside the vampire's guard. Drove his fist into the throat.
The vampire coughed. Swung a backhand.
Kínitos caught it with both forearms — enhanced strength barely enough — and was thrown sideways. He hit a pillar. Pain shot through his back.
Get up, he told himself. Get up.
He pushed off the pillar. The vampire was already coming again. Claws wide.
Kínitos dropped into a slide. Passed between the vampire's legs. Came up behind him. Locked an arm around the thick neck. Then he squeezed.
The vampire roared. Grabbed Kínitos by the shirt. Threw him overhead.
Kínitos twisted mid-air. Landed on his feet. Skidded back.
His core throbbed. The black was spreading again.
"Can't keep this up," he whispered.
The hybrid was getting faster. Its whip-arm was a blur now. Sarah couldn't dodge forever.
She grabbed its string again. Pulled hard.
Take 50% of remaining energy. Keep 30%.
The hybrid shuddered. Its arm drooped for a second.
Sarah didn't wait. She coated her pipe — purple energy, weak but there — and swung at the hybrid's planted arm.
The pipe connected. CRACK. The hybrid's balance arm buckled. It tilted sideways.
Its whip-arm came around wild — uncontrollable. Sarah jumped back. The fingers missed her by an inch. She lands in the ground dirty making home in her hair.
The hybrid crashed to the ground. Both arms flailing. Trying to push itself up again. Sarah raised her pipe for another strike.
Then she heard it.
Wind.
Not tunnel wind. Not natural wind.
Wind that screamed.
The big vampire had Kínitos pinned against a pillar. One massive hand around his throat. Claws pressing into skin.
"Should have stayed home, boy," the vampire growled.
Kínitos couldn't breathe. His hands sparked blue — but nothing came. His core was almost all black now.
Then —
BOOM.
The vampire's head snapped sideways. Something hit him. Fast. Invisible. He released Kínitos. Stumbled back. Dante stood between them. Hands in his pockets. Hair messy. Eyes cold.
"You ok there?" he said.
The vampire snarled. Swung a clawed hand at Dante.
Dante didn't move. The claw passed through empty air — Dante was already behind him.
"I'm the dog," Dante said. "Anything thinks it can run? I chase it down. And I've never failed."
He kicked the vampire's knee backward. The bone snapped. The vampire roared, dropped to one knee.
Dante looked at Kínitos. At Sarah. At the hybrid still twitching on the ground.
"You two look like shit."
Sarah laughed. Weak. "You took your time."
Dante shrugged. "Well doesn't help that you guys are under ground."
The big vampire tried to stand. Dante put a hand on his head. Pushed him back down. It was as if a boulder was put on top his shoulders.
"Stay," Dante said.
Then he looked at the hybrid. It was already crawling toward him. Both arms dragging its body.
Dante sighed. "Well you look ugly, You two still got anything left?"
Kínitos pushed off the pillar. His core was dark — but he was standing.
Sarah raised her pipe. Purple energy flickered.
"Enough," she said.
Dante smiled. "Good. Let's finish this."