Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 466: Princess reuniting with her subjects

Night had fallen over the capital like a silent, deep, and dense veil, swallowing the sounds of the day and leaving only the distant whisper of the wind between the buildings and the occasional echo of late footsteps on the farthest streets. It was a kind of darkness that not only concealed—it enveloped, protected... and for some, strengthened.

Kael stood atop a low building, his hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping the city as if each shadow were an open door to something only he could see. The moon partially illuminated his face, creating soft contrasts between light and darkness, but his eyes... his eyes seemed completely awake, alert, alive in a way that didn’t match the apparent tranquility of the night.

Behind him, Elizabeth appeared with light, almost silent steps, her closed umbrella now strapped to her back, as the absence of the sun gave her freedom. Still, there was a tension within her—not fear exactly, but anticipation. It was unlike anything she had experienced before.

Kael didn’t turn around. "Let’s go" he said, as if he already knew she was there.

Elizabeth crossed her arms for a moment, looking at the streets below, at the vastness of the sleeping city.

"Are you really going to take me to them now?"

"That was the agreement" he replied simply.

She hesitated for a brief moment, then asked:

"Can you go... faster?"

Kael let out a low, short laugh, laden with a slight mockery that arose almost automatically.

"Just because you’re a vampire... doesn’t mean you’re faster than me."

Elizabeth frowned.

"I didn’t say—"

But before she could finish—

Kael simply... disappeared.

Without warning.

Without perceptible movement.

One instant he was there.

The next... he wasn’t.

The air remained the same. The sound didn’t change. There was no wind shift, no visible distortion. It was as if he had been erased from reality.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened.

"...What?"

She turned quickly, looking around, her senses instinctively expanding, trying to find any trace of him.

And then—

Up ahead.

On another building, far enough away to be absurd, Kael appeared.

He simply... appeared.

As if he had always been there.

He raised a hand, waving, a wide smile on his face.

"Come on, you turtle!"

His voice cut through the night clearly, echoing between the buildings.

Elizabeth stood still for a second.

Two.

Processing.

Then—

"You’ve got to be kidding me..." she murmured.

And the next instant, she moved forward.

Her body propelled forward with superhuman speed, her feet barely touching the ground as she ran across the rooftops, leaping between structures with instinctive precision. The wind cut her face, her senses sharpening with each passing second, her body finally responding as it should—no longer weak, no longer limited as before.

But still...

When she reached the building where he was—

Kael was no longer there.

"...!"

She stopped abruptly, turning again.

"Kael?!"

"Here."

The voice came from even further away.

She looked up.

And there he was.

Now... absurdly distant.

Much more than before.

As if distance had no meaning.

He was leaning casually on the edge of another building, completely relaxed, as if this were just a trivial stroll.

"You’re slow" he teased.

Elizabeth gritted her teeth.

"I am NOT slow!"

And she moved forward again.

Faster this time.

More focused.

The world around her began to blur, details becoming secondary to the need to reach him. Her muscles responded better now, her body lighter, more precise—the blood she had consumed had clearly strengthened her significantly.

She leaped across an entire street at once, landing firmly, already propelling the next movement without losing momentum.

And yet...

Still, the distance seemed not to decrease.

"How..." she murmured, frustrated.

When she finally reached the point where he should be again—

Kael disappeared again.

Without transition.

Without warning.

As if it were a natural part of the night.

"KAEL!"

"Relax."

The voice came... from behind her.

Elizabeth turned her body instantly.

And there he was.

A few meters away.

Smiling.

She stood still, breathing slightly faster, not from tiredness—but from irritation.

"How are you doing this?" she finally asked.

Kael tilted his head slightly, as if considering the best way to explain something that, to him, was extremely simple.

"I run through the shadows."

She blinked.

"...Run?"

He took a step back.

His foot touched the shadow cast by the structure beside him.

And then—

He sank.

Literally.

His body was swallowed by the darkness as if it were liquid, his form disappearing completely without a trace.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened.

"...That doesn’t make sense."

"It does to me."

The voice came from afar again.

Very far away.

She looked up—

And he was already in another part of the city.

"See?" he shouted, clearly amused. "At night this is almost teleportation!"

Elizabeth stood still for a second, her brain trying to process it.

Running... through the shadows?

That wasn’t speed.

That wasn’t normal movement.

It was something else.

Something... deeper.

She took a deep breath.

And then she ran again.

This time without complaining.

Without questioning.

Just... accepting the challenge.

If he wanted to play... then she wouldn’t be left behind.

Her movements became more efficient, more aggressive, using every surface to her advantage, taking advantage of every impulse, every point of support. She began to anticipate where he might appear, observing the shadows, trying to predict patterns.

But there was no pattern.

Kael didn’t move between points.

He simply... appeared.

As if every shadow in the city were a direct extension of his presence.

And, little by little, Elizabeth began to understand.

It wasn’t about running.

It was about... belonging to the night.

She landed on another rooftop, pausing for a moment, her gaze sweeping the surroundings.

And then—

"Tired already?"

The voice came from beside her.

Close.

She turned her face slowly.

Kael was there.

Effortlessly.

Without even seeming slightly out of breath.

She narrowed her eyes.

"You’re cheating."

He laughed.

"You have advantages too."

She crossed her arms.

"Not to this extent."

Kael shrugged.

"Then run faster."

She huffed, turning her face away for a moment, but a small smile escaped, against her will.

"Idiot..."

Kael watched her for a moment, then his smile faded slightly, giving way to something more serious.

"We’re close," he said.

Elizabeth immediately returned her attention.

"Already?"

He nodded.

"They’re hiding right on the outskirts. Abandoned place. Easy to watch... hard to find if you don’t know where to look."

She took a deep breath.

Her heart racing again.

But this time... not because of the race.

"And do they... know I’m coming?"

Kael shook his head.

"No."

A pause.

"But they will know."

He took a few steps to the edge of the building, looking at the darkest part of the city, where the lights were scarce and shadows completely dominated the environment.

"Stay close to me" he said.

Elizabeth nodded.

Without arguing.

Without questioning.

And then—

Kael took another step.

And disappeared again into the darkness.

But this time...

Elizabeth didn’t hesitate.

She followed right behind.

Straight into the night.

The city receded into the distance without Elizabeth realizing exactly when the transition occurred.

In one instant, there were rooftops, walls, narrow streets, and the distant echo of civilization.

In the next... only natural darkness.

The forest.

Tall, dense, ancient.

The trees rose like living columns, their thick, twisted trunks forming an irregular labyrinth, while the canopies blocked much of the moonlight, leaving the environment immersed in a constant play of deep shadows and small silvery beams that pierced through the leaves.

The air was different there.

Colder.

More humid.

More... alive.

Elizabeth landed softly on the leaf-covered ground, her body instantly adjusting to the uneven terrain. Her eyes moved carefully, analyzing every detail, every possible ambush point, every space where something—or someone—might be hiding.

Kael appeared beside her at the same instant.

Without a sound.

Effortlessly.

As if the darkness itself had delivered him there.

Elizabeth didn’t relax.

Quite the opposite.

Her senses were completely open.

Attentive.

"This..." she began, her voice low, controlled, "seems like a trap."

Kael let out a short, almost amused laugh, as if her conclusion was not only expected, but... too obvious.

"It seems so, doesn’t it?"

He took a few steps forward, without any hesitation, as if he were walking in a completely safe space.

Elizabeth didn’t move.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, more firmly this time.

Kael tilted his head slightly, his eyes scanning the shadows around him with an almost irritating tranquility.

"I am."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Based on what?"

He stopped.

And then looked at her.

Not arrogantly.

Not exactly.

But with such solid confidence that it seemed... absolute.

"I’ve mapped the entire forest."

Silence.

Elizabeth blinked.

"...How?"

Kael raised his hand slightly.

The shadows around... moved.

Not aggressively.

Nor visibly enough to frighten someone unprepared.

But to her... it was clear.

They responded.

"Everything that has a shadow..." he said calmly, "I can see."

He pointed to the ground.

"Roots."

To the trees.

"Trunks."

"To the darker areas between the branches."

"Dead spaces."

And then...

To her own shadow.

"Even you."

Elizabeth felt a shiver run down her spine.

Not of fear.

But of... understanding.

That wasn’t just a skill. It was dominion.

Control.

"There’s no one here," Kael concluded, turning back to face forward. "No hidden presence. No ambush. No surprise."

He took another step.

And then he spoke, in a normal tone, as if calling acquaintances:

"You can come out now."

Silence.

One second.

Two.

Three.

And then—

The shadows... answered.

Not as before.

This time, clearly.

Four distinct points in the middle of the forest began to distort, as if the darkness were folding in on itself. Shapes emerged from nowhere, slowly rising, bodies materializing from the shadows as if they had always belonged to that place.

Vampires.

Four of them.

The same ones.

They took a few steps forward.

And then—

They stopped.

As soon as they saw Elizabeth. The impact was immediate.

Visible.

Their eyes widened, their entire bodies stiffening for a brief instant, as if time had stopped.

Relief.

Disbelief.

And something deeper.

Something... reverent.

Without exchanging a word—

The four knelt at the same time.

The sound was dry against the forest floor.

Heads bowed.

Rigid posture.

Absolute respect.

"PRINCESS!"

The word echoed among the trees, laden with emotion, weight... and loyalty.

Elizabeth stood still.

For a moment.

The air seemed heavier.

Denser.

Her eyes scanned each of them, recognizing—not necessarily their faces... but what they represented.

Her people.

Or... what remained of them.

Her reaction was not immediate.

And that said a lot.

She didn’t run to them.

She didn’t smile.

She didn’t show open relief.

But her breathing... changed.

Slightly.

"Stand up," she said finally.

Her voice was firm.

Controlled.

But laden with something that hadn’t been there before.

They hesitated.

Out of respect.

"Please," she added, more softly.

That was enough.

They stood up.

Still tense.

Still alert.

But now... looking directly at her.

One of them stepped forward.

"We... didn’t know if you were alive," he said, his voice heavy with restrained emotion.

Another lowered his head slightly.

"We failed to protect you."

"No," Elizabeth interrupted.

Immediately.

They fell silent.

"If anyone failed..." she continued, more quietly, "it was me."

Silence.

Heavy.

The four exchanged quick glances.

"Never," one of them said firmly.

"Never" another insisted.

Elizabeth looked away for a moment.

But she didn’t argue.

Not yet.

Kael, until then, remained slightly apart, observing everything in silence, as if he were watching a play whose ending he already knew.

Then—

He took a step forward.

And the atmosphere changed.

Immediately.

The four vampires tensed again.

Instinctively.

Not out of hostility.

But out of respect... and caution.

They knew what he was capable of.

"Well" Kael said casually. "Now that everyone has met..."

He looked at Elizabeth.

"Let’s talk about important things."

She looked at him again.

More serious.

"Like what?"

Kael crossed his arms.

His gaze cold.

Calculating.

"About how we’re going to prevent your people from being exterminated."