Vampire Hunter D: Pale Fallen Angel Parts Three and Four Page A

.”
    When the voice reached “one,” D stepped through the door.
    Through the world-shrouding rain, the figures that had already dismounted and the pair who still remained in the saddle came into focus.
    â€œAllow us to introduce ourselves,” a young man on horseback said, his lips twisting into a grin. “As you may already know, I’m Zanus. A servant of Lord Vlad. And this is Sai Fung of the Thousand Limbs.”
    â€œYou sure went and made a fine mess of things,” Sai Fung said with clear disbelief. “Forcing your way into Fisher Lagoon’s, making a fool out of one of his clients, and cutting down guards to boot. That’s no ordinary whorehouse, you know. In a manner of speaking, it’s the other sanctum here in the village.”
    â€œThat’s more than enough out of you,” Zanus said, glaring at Sai Fung.
    â€œWhat’s the problem? We’re gonna kill him here and now anyway. If we send a Vampire Hunter into the hereafter without him even knowing why, there’s no guarantee he won’t come back as some kind of ghost,” the other man replied, but it seemed that he really just liked to talk too much.
    â€œYou know why it is that his house can go about its business so flamboyantly? Well, this is just between you and me, but the place has the Sacred Ancestor’s—Oof!” he groaned, the wind knocked out of him by the leg Zanus had driven into his side.
    Though Sai Fung’s face contorted with pain, his normal expression quickly returned as he continued impassively, “At any rate, no one’s allowed to spill blood there. You’re the first one to ever break that rule. Matters of right or wrong aside, I’m impressed with you, and it’s on account of that we wasted no time in hunting you down. When the lord caught wind of it, he was royally pissed, which is why he had folks spread out all night searching the whole village. This place was spotted thanks to a mountain dove with a TV eye mounted in it. Of course, it would’ve been better if it’d been in the morning. Due to the downpour we’ve got now, it had to get pretty close before we could tell.”
    And having brought that to a close, Sai Fung caught his breath.
    â€œDo you recall the name Galil?” Zanus inquired coldly. “He led the Dark Water Forces—who you probably slew—but those you see here were modified after that into the most elite corps of the entire army. Try not to let yourself get butchered before it’s our turn, D!”
    And saying that, Zanus gave a toss of his chin, and the shadowy figures who up until that point had been standing there in the driving rain croaked in reply and began to advance on D without another sound. Some splashed through puddles as they advanced. Some had their torsos still half-melded with the ground. But the strangest of all did some of both—slipping in and out of the water.
    Standing there impassively, ready to meet them, D said, “Last night, a young lady and a man paid a call on your master. What happened to them?”
    â€œOh, wow!” Sai Fung exclaimed, raising one hand and drawing a glare from Zanus once again. “I heard about that from Dr. de Carriole. By ‘a man,’ you must mean Master Byron. Sad to say, the young lady in question had her blood sucked before his very eyes, and then he was dumped into the running water. I wonder what’s become of him now. Probably still down there, a bloated meal for the fish. The whole story just brings a tear to my eye.”
    â€œOnce we knew you’d arrived, security around the castle was increased tenfold. Nothing can get in, be it god or demon. Not that it’s anything you’ll need to concern yourself with anyway. Get him!”
    At the command Zanus barked, two of the water warriors leapt at D. Rain spattered off the bastard sword each held in his right hand. Although D didn’t appear to move at all, the