Hunt In Reverse

SHING!

At Chandra Banerjee's signal, countless blades flashed in unison, a wave of silver erupting from the scabbards of the Purge Division agents.

Words were unnecessary. A chilling wave of killing intent washed over Kongo Shintai Temple.

The employees scrambled back, fear in their eyes. They stared at the young man seated casually on the steps. A single sentence, and he threatened to wipe out the Kongo Shintai Securities, an organization on the verge of ascending to the ranks of the second-rate forces?

Light flickered within the towering pagoda. The doors burst open, and a white-bearded elder, clad in a monk's robe, strode out.

He dragged two young men behind him, their wrists bound tightly with hemp rope. Their shaved heads were covered in cuts and bruises, their faces pale with terror.

The elder was Kenzo Sato, chief shika of the Kongo Shintai Temple.

As Kenzo Sato opened the pagoda doors, a young boy, no older than ten, rushed out, his eyes red and swollen with fury.

He charged towards the crowd, but Butcher Garcia intercepted him, pulling him into a tight embrace. The boy buried his face in his father's ample belly, his bravado crumbling.

"Dad!" he wailed. "They... Mom..."

"I told you..." Butcher Garcia choked out, gently patting the boy's back. "Don't call me Dad..."

He didn't dare hope for more. Simply having his child back in his arms was a blessing beyond measure.

The onlookers, agents, captains, majors, colonels, even Chandra and the Atzmon siblings, stared in stunned silence.

All this... this massive deployment of force, the personal attendant colonel's threats... it was all for this? To frighten the Kongo Shintai into releasing a single child?

They looked at Butcher Garcia, a strange mix of envy and respect swirling within them.

Someone so easily bullied by the Kongo Shintai disciples clearly lacked any real power or influence. And yet, he'd managed to throw all of Seattle into turmoil.

Why? Because Colonel Kane had taken him seriously. And when Colonel Kane acted, everyone paid attention.

"Colonel Kane, General Grant's personal attendant, I presume? Forgive my ignorance! I am so sorry!" Shika Kenzo Sato hurried down the long staircase, unceremoniously throwing the two bound youths to the ground. Miguel Lopez, blood gurgling in his throat, managed a weak, raspy cry: "Master..."

But the old monk didn't even spare him a glance. He bowed deeply to me, his voice filled with subservience.

"These two... these three miscreants are yours to deal with, Colonel Kane," he said. "Punish them as you see fit. Kongo Shintai will not object. Will this satisfy you, Colonel Kane?"

Miguel Lopez closed his eyes in despair. His master, one of the most senior members of the Kongo Shintai, a man who had tempered his body to the point where it surpassed that of a Perfect Wave Realm expert... he was groveling before H.A.R.M.

"Quite satisfied," I said with a curt nod. I rose to my feet, towering over the old monk. Chandra gestured, and the agents sheathed their blades.

But before anyone could relax, I brushed off my uniform and continued, my voice low and dangerous.

"Now that the personal matter is settled, let's discuss the official one."

"More... there is more?" Kenzo Sato stammered, voicing what everyone below the steps was thinking. "What... what official business could you possibly have with us, Colonel Kane?"

My gaze bored into the old monk. "Your collusion with the anomaly, of course.'

The agents exchanged uneasy glances. Kenzo Sato, however, seemed to relax. He forced a smile.

"Colonel Kane is welcome to search our grounds," he said smoothly. "If you find any evidence of collaboration with vampires, we will gladly end our own lives here and now, saving you the trouble."

He raised his chin, feigning an air of innocence. Even the most seasoned colonels were almost convinced.

"You might have misunderstood," I began, a chilling smile spreading across my face. I reached out and gently patted the old monk's cheek, my voice devoid of warmth. "I said, anomaly."

H.A.R.M. stands for Hazardous Anomaly Response and Mitigation Division!

What is anomaly? Whatever I think is anomaly.

Kenzo Sato recoiled, his eyes narrowing. "Colonel Kane," he said, his voice dangerously low, "are you abandoning all pretense of reason?"

Chandra stepped forward. Of those present who knew me, he held the highest rank. Admiral and generals were all absent from Seattle. Even that eccentric old woman, Chloe, who was temporarily acting as Admiral, was nowhere to be seen.

A bit of harmless fun was one thing, but if they moved against Kongo Shintai Securities without concrete evidence... there would be hell to pay when the Admiral returned.

And these monks... their attitude was impeccable. There was no justification for violence.

Kenzo Sato's eyes narrowed, his hands clenching into fists.

"Colonel," he cautioned, "the governor himself will be visiting the Temple next month to offer incense to the Buddha. If he learns of this..." He let the threat hang in the air.

"You said I could deal with them as I see fit, yes?" I asked calmly, pointing to the youth monks he brought to me, then suddenly kicked one of them tumbling down the stairs. "Examine them," I ordered coldly. "Are they practicing the Enlightened Indestructible Body of Awakening?"

Several captains, experts in such matters, stepped forward, but then they noticed my gaze fixed on the burly man holding the child.

They exchanged confused glances.

… …

Butcher Garcia released the boy, his eyes widening in sudden understanding.

"Colonel Kane," Kenzo blustered, "you must be joking! That man is nothing but a discarded disciple! He's never even touched the true Body of Awakening! How could he possibly know?"

Suddenly, realization dawned on him. He descended the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked, my hand shot out, seizing his arm.

Panic surged through Kenzo. He wrenched his arm back with all his might.

He was a master of body tempering! Without using essence, few in Seattle could restrain him.

But the hand on his arm held firm, those slender fingers like iron clamps.

He stared at the hand in disbelief, and then he saw it: a faint white shimmer emanating from my skin.

Whether or not they practice Body of Awakening? Do you fucking need someone else to tell you that?! Kenzo thought.

If Kenzo couldn't grasp the situation now, his nearly two hundred years of life would have been wasted.

With a furious roar, he struck back at me!

The force of the blow was monstrous, capable of tearing a vampire apart.

But my expression remained unchanged. My fingers snaked up Kenzo's arm, seizing his shoulder.

The two forces collided, but Kenzo's attack was like a wave crashing against a cliff, dissipating without effect.

With a casual flick of my wrist, I hurled the monk to the ground.

The impact was deafening, sending cracks spider webbing across the stone steps. Kenzo struggled to rise, but a gleaming black blade pressed against his throat. He froze, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

I held the blade aloft, my cloak fluttering gently in the wind. I looked down at the defeated monk, my eyes cold and merciless.

Butcher Garcia, his hands shaking, frantically examined the unconscious disciple. A horrifying realization dawned, and his face crumpled.

The shock was the same. Exactly the same as back then.

He looked up at me, his eyes wide with a terrible understanding.

"Yes," he croaked, his voice barely a whisper.