Moonlit Shadows

And It Ends in a Reckoning

Sunny, breathing hard from so much instance combat, leaned heavily against the stone wall behind her. Her arm dropped towards the ground and she slid to the floor.

Jungkook bounded in front of her, keeping his back to her. "Noona, are you hurt?"

"I...I just need to sit down a minute," she said weakly.

In seconds, Taehyung was beside her, his face smeared with blood. His swords dropped to the ground as he caught his wife's drooping body.

"Hyung, what's going on?" Jungkook swiped a large paw at an attacker, driving them back.

Taehyung looked at his wife with worry. A red line was visible down the outside of her left thigh. Blood oozed from the cut in her pants. "She must have been cut with something!" he shouted behind him.

The small group of defenders were finding themselves in a never-ending battle. It was as if the entire Society had converged upon Tierkrieger Isness.

However, one figure was walking boldly up to the castle door, unbothered by the fierce fighting around him. As he stepped into the doorway, the remaining Hunters turned and fell down to one knee.

Zephyr sliced the head off the one in front of him with his bare claws. "To what do we owe this great dishonor, Chairman?"

Jaci had just used her last bullet and Jimin heard a disgruntled huff come from her. He left Aydan unconscious on the floor and slowly moved to Jaci's side.

"I decided to come down and witness your utter defeat for myself, Zephyr." The Chairman coldly stepped over the body of one of his subordinates.

"We are nowhere near defeat," growled Zephyr.

The Chairman laughed, looking around at the haggard defenders. "I see one on the floor at the top of the stairs, and one over there, clearly injured. Why, even you look like you're one blow away from being overtaken yourself, Zephyr."

The Chairman now stood in the middle of the foyer, smiling sardonically as he looked at the fallen. "You've taken out some of my Hunters, I see. I must say I was surprised to see my pet in pieces. I assume that was you also?"

"She had it coming," sneered Zephyr.

Hoseok watched the two exchange barbs as he slowly inched his way around the outside wall and to the doorway.

"I see you even had some vampires join your fight. I never thought you would integrate the species. Are you growing soft?"

"Let's just get this over with, you buffoon. You and me. For once, get your little pansy hands dirty."

The Chairman chuckled and slowly removed his overcoat. "I suppose it has been a while since I've enjoyed a good kill."

"I have one condition."

The Chairman paused and stared at Zephyr quizzically. "Proceed."

"The rest leave here and you forget they exist."

The Chairman threw his head back and laughed, it echoed off the high ceiling, sending chills down Jungkook's spine.

"Why should I do that? You do know these derelicts killed my right hand man and one of my best Hunters, do you not?" He waved his arm around and gestured towards Jungkook and Taehyung.

"I'm aware. Can't say I'm upset about it. Punishing them never crossed my mind."

"But you want me to turn a blind eye and not have my revenge satisfied?"

"What are they among so many?"

"Loose. Ends."

"Like Jiho was?"