The meeting room inside Nicholson's private office at Sun University was tight, functional, and packed with energy despite the quiet. The Demonfires had gathered there, bruised, bandaged, and still recovering from the silver poisoning that lingered like a bad omen beneath their skin. The estate was gone, crumbled under the weight of Volton's ambush. Yet none of them carried despair in their eyes. Only vengeance.
Nicholson stood behind his desk, nodding respectfully as Slacovich rose from his seat and took a slow step forward. Silence immediately fell across the room, broken only by the soft hum of the air purifier and the distant chatter of university halls beyond the sealed door.
"We're not crawling away," Slacovich said firmly, his voice steady. "Volton might think he's done enough by destroying our estate, but he underestimated who we are."
He met each gaze in the room, Sofie's sharp and unwavering, Harry's calculating, Carolina's focused and fierce.
"He poked," Slacovich continued. "Now we'll shove back, hard. The Demonfire way. If he sends two, we send twenty. If he burns something, we scorch what he holds dear. He'll learn that nudging us only invites something worse."
No one needed to be convinced. They had all nearly died together, bleeding, poisoned, burning, but they were still here.
"I'll make him regret ever stepping into our territory," Slacovich finished, stepping back as Sofie stood to speak.
"I've already contacted General Richard," she said, her tone as precise as a blade. "He's flying in from the UK. We'll conduct a separate, secured meeting at our company's main office. I've summoned the remaining infantry leaders of the Black Knights Society."
Carolina blinked. "The Black Knights?"
"Yes," Sofie said, her tone softening only slightly. "It's time we remembered who still stands with us. This isn't just a personal fight anymore. The Black Knights were never ornaments, they're warriors. And they'll fight with us if I give the order."
She tapped her ring lightly against the desk, the subtle glint of the Seal catching the light.
Carolina stepped forward next, placing a secure metal case on the table. As she opened it, a faint glow from the vials within bathed their faces in sterile silver-blue.
"This is the new formula," she said. "Harry began working on it during the early tests. I joined him after the last attack. Together, we perfected it."
She looked up at each of them, no longer the background support, but a rightful fighter among them.
"I built on what my parents passed down," she added. "But this one... this one's ours. It'll do more than help you heal. It'll help you end them."
Harry joined her, slipping on a black glove as he inspected the contents.
"I'll administer it personally," he said. "It'll sting, and you'll feel pressure. But the silver won't stand a chance."
Slacovich gave them both a quiet nod of appreciation, one that spoke volumes. He didn't need to thank them with words. His eyes said it all.
Nicholson cleared his throat and stepped forward. He placed a folder on the desk, flipping it open with practiced ease.
"As for our side," he said, "Sun University's final-year hunters are prepared. They've passed every simulation, fought every training mission, and survived real-world drills. Their time as students is over."
He looked directly at Slacovich.
"They're ready for deployment."
"Then we'll treat them as such," Slacovich replied. "Not as rookies, brothers and sisters in arms."
Nicholson smiled. "Then it's settled. Let Volton bring his Reapers. We'll be ready for war."
And just like that, the fractured pieces of the resistance began to snap back into place, hunters, scientists, vampires, and the Black Knights. All of them unified under one cause: make Volton Hellgazer regret he ever crawled out of the dark.
One by one, the Demonfires rolled up their sleeves or opened the flaps of their shirts as Harry and Carolina prepared the injections. The vials shimmered in the light, icy blue liquid swirling inside, cool and unnaturally calm.
"This will sting for a few seconds," Harry warned, already uncapping a syringe.
Carolina glanced at Slacovich and added, "But after that, your body will feel... different. Lighter. Stronger. The serum doesn't just stop the silver from hurting you, it purges every trace of it."
The first to be injected was Slacovich. He didn't flinch, even when the needle dug in and the serum surged through his veins. The effects were immediate. Steam-like sweat began forming across his skin. He wiped his brow, and his fingers came away coated in a glimmering sheen of silver-infused sweat. His breathing deepened. His posture straightened. The dark lines around his eyes vanished.
"Damn," he muttered, flexing his fingers. "That's fast."
All around the room, the others received their doses. Their skin flushed for a moment as the serum activated, then cooled down, leaving behind healthier complexions, sharpened eyes, and the steady sighs of relief that came with pain finally dissolving.
Small, glowing slivers of silver began to be expelled through their pores, pushed out like impurities. Some gathered at the edges of their skin, clinging briefly before falling off in tiny crystalline flecks. Sofie held out her palm as a single silver shard tumbled free from her neck. It gleamed before evaporating into dust.
"It's working," she said, astonished. "It's really working."
"It should," Harry said, adjusting the medical scanner on his wrist. "This is no prototype. It's the final version."
Carolina handed each of them a white towel. "Keep wiping off the silver residue. Your bodies will flush out the remaining traces within the next few hours."
She glanced toward the metal tray behind her, already collecting the expelled shards they'd scraped off earlier. The amount was alarming, and yet oddly satisfying.
Harry sighed, setting aside his gloves. "We'll be stuck in the lab for the next few days analyzing these."
Carolina nodded. "We need to understand how deep the silver was embedded. And we want to make sure the serum remains stable long-term. There's no room for surprises later on."
"Besides," Harry added with a smirk, "someone has to keep an eye on these silver shards. Volton might want them back."
Carolina chuckled. "Let him try."
Slacovich turned to the two of them, a quiet fire behind his eyes. "You did good. Both of you. You didn't just heal us, you gave us the edge."
Carolina's smile softened. "Let's make sure that edge cuts clean when the time comes."
And as they gathered the last of the scattered shards and packed away the tools, the Demonfires stood taller than they had in days. Their recovery wasn't just physical, it was a renewal of purpose.
Volton wanted to break them. Instead, he'd pushed them straight into rebirth.
Later that afternoon, a section of Sun University's west wing auditorium had been cleared and rearranged, rows of armed students stood tall, dressed in dark uniforms with the crest of the hunter division stitched over their hearts.
Nicholson stood at the center of the stage, waiting as the doors opened and Slacovich entered first, followed by Sofie, Li, Tyler, and Diego. The presence of the Demonfires alone caused a ripple of awe among the hunters-in-training. These were no ordinary visitors, they were legends.
Nicholson raised a hand. "Attention."
The cadets straightened, heels snapping into place.
"These are the people we've fought to understand and fought alongside to protect what's left of the balance," Nicholson said, voice echoing across the walls. "You've heard the stories. Some of you have seen the scars. Today, you'll meet the reality."
Slacovich stepped forward, eyes scanning the line of young, eager faces. "I won't sugarcoat it. The world outside this university is unforgiving. And what's coming next… is worse than anything you've been trained for."
A heavy silence followed.
"But if Volton thinks we'll back down, he's wrong," Slacovich continued, voice like steel. "You're standing here because you've earned it. You've sharpened your minds, trained your bodies, and committed your hearts to something greater than fear. After graduation, you will be full-fledged hunters. That means you'll be standing on the frontlines, and your choices will hold weight."
Li stepped forward, calm and composed. "We don't need perfection. We need commitment. Strength comes from unity. From covering each other's backs when it counts. That's how we've survived this long."
Tyler offered a lazy salute. "And hey, don't think we're untouchable just 'cause we're vampires. We bleed too. We've made mistakes. But we're still here. That's what matters."
A few students chuckled softly, tension easing.
Then came Diego, ever the firebrand. "We're gonna knock Volton off his high horse. But we need every blade ready, every fist clenched, every mind sharp. This war, it's ours to win, or ours to lose."
Sofie finally stepped up, her presence both regal and grounded.
"I was like some of you once, unsure of my place in all this," she said, her voice carrying warmth and conviction. "But if there's anything I've learned, it's this: the title doesn't make the warrior. The heart does. And right now, every single one of you is carrying a flame strong enough to burn the dark away."
Nicholson turned to the students, his expression proud. "These are the allies you'll fight beside. Your mentors. Your brothers and sisters in arms. The time to doubt is over. The time to rise has come."
From the ranks, a tall young woman stepped forward, hand on her chest in salute. "We're ready, Sir. Whatever comes, we'll be there."
Another student followed, and another, soon the whole batch stood in unison, shouting their pledge with one voice:
"For humanity. For balance. For victory!"
The Demonfires exchanged glances, something stirring within each of them, hope, long buried but never dead.
This wasn't just preparation anymore.
This was the beginning of the counterstrike.