My Undead Princess, Let's Run Away

The Zombie Thief

Cassie has given in the moment she realized that she's no longer reacting scared stiff to her captor's taunting remarks.

She did not find any room for retaliation anymore, and it's not like she could still defend herself against this number of people. If there was anything she has taken time to become certain of at that second, it would be the fact that these people were all hot under the collar to red-eyed entities like her - regardless of the possibility that she could still be human.

Then eventually came the bloodcurdling flare of gunshots.

Cassie stayed frozen still for that momentous fraction of a second.

"H-Huh...?"

But then, she stiffened once more as soon as she realized her unharmed frame. There isn't any sign of a bullet passing through. That's when she slightly lifts her head up again in bewilderment.

"W-What the...?!!!" Ciel exclaimed in nonplus, struck stupefied and astounded by the sight that greeted them out of nowhere.

It just happened that someone suddenly fell from above and landed beside them, joining the scene as a new contender at the last minute - another young man with a mesmerizingly striking and toned figure. As if being cloaked by the curtains of the night, for some reason, he appears ethereal and phantom-like in Cassie's eyes.

With stunned silence stretching in their midst, this mysterious guy only continues standing there, his foot raised in mid-air after he just kicked the shotgun out of its original target.

"Who the hell...?!!!"

Ciel and the others seem to be just as thunderstruck and flummoxed as her, which only means this person is not one of them. He then uses their stumped state to spin on his heels and boot her captor away with brute force, sending him yelping and flying in mid-air.

To say that Cassie was perplexed would probably be an understatement.

Not only did he seem to have the strength that's on par with a monster, but there's also the fact that he just saved her - giving rise to the assumption that he just defended a zombie against his fellow humans.

"Why, this scumbag...!"

"What in the world...?!"

"Where the heck did this guy come from?!"

The others are starting to stir their stumps, shuffling in evident concern for their companion. Ciel went crashing on the ground, but even then, he was still able to land on all fours and keep himself in balance.

He then cursed underneath his breath and hissed loudly, teeth clenched in vex and brows furrowed in aggravation, before rising on his feet once more. The two only glare knives at each other for a moment while his other companions begin to surround him.

Cassie is nonplussed to an unfathomable degree. She doesn't have any idea what kind of peculiar stunt is cascading in front of her.

That's until the newcomer finally takes a step closer to her, shedding light on his whole appearance. Only then did she realize how jaw-droppingly stunning his features are.

Pitch black hair that rivals the night sky, a pair of electric sapphire eyes, a symmetrical jawline, and broad shoulders - this man may as well be the sculpture of unsullied perfection itself. He's wearing a dark grey coat over a black long-sleeves turtleneck fitted shirt that shapes his masculine body well, a pair of white pants, and combat boots.

"Drooling already?"

Then, she paused.

"I might start melting if you continue staring that much."

With a conceited smirk splattered on his frame, he suddenly starts spouting out nonsense and talking with Cassie casually. But if that suggestive gaze and his smoky voice are anything to go by, she has a feeling that this human just tried to flirt with her.

"Oh, I see..." Ciel started again, catching their attention.

"You're from the church, aren't you? That explains that weird symbol on your hand."

Surprised by his comment, Cassie turns to look at the guy once more. True enough, she finds what seems like a drawing of a sword tattooed on the back of his hand.

"You know this girl? She has red eyes, you know. Probably a new mutated version of these zombies," he continued sneeringly, feigning congeniality.

"That..." the man trailed off before swerving to face him.

"Hmm? What's that-"

"...Is none of your business."

At his mocking scowl and apathetic gaze, Ciel finally snapped. He then readies his shotgun once more, and this time, he's aiming someone of his own kind.

"And that's just why I hate those church minions. People like you are just as freakish as these monsters," Ciel scoffed in miff, brows scrunched together.

On his mark, his other companions began their onslaught and came pouncing on their lone opponent. Before they could lay a hand on him, though, he engaged in combat and brought them down on his own in a sequence of darting and scuffles.

All the while, Cassie can only watch in stupefied silence as she remains lying in the midst of the ongoing fight scene. She can't help but gape at how skilled and strong her defender, though, and it seems like he's struggling to keep her out of their reach rather than protecting his own self.

Then, in a matter of minutes, the alley turns into a field of unconscious bodies - everyone's knocked out cold at the face of this unpredictable enemy. Only Ciel is left standing.

"How surprising, indeed... Who would've thought that our night would be graced by one of the church's strongest fighters out there..." he sneered, amused and riled up at the same time.

"You want the girl, right...? If so, does that mean you won't give her to me?" he then questioned all of the sudden, taking Cassie aback.

Ciel was actually observing the whole time. He also came to the same conclusion as her - that this enigmatic contender is after something from her.

"Sorry to tell you, pal, but I got her first. She's mine."

As soon as Ciel dropped those words, he pulled the trigger of his firearm for the second time, shooting at her without any prior warning. In a futile attempt to block the bullets by shielding herself in reflex, Cassie hastily cowers behind her crossed arms.

But once again, there's not a gush of pain.

Instead, all she felt was being lifted from the ground and getting carried away.

"You punk...!!!" Ciel hollered, firing his bullets some more.

That's when Cassie focuses her vision again, only to find that she's now being carried bridal style by her savior. He then sprints away and evades the bullets with impeccable speed and timing. All the while, she has no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck to avoid falling.

Before Cassie knew it, he already jumped over the wall of a building and came to a halt on top of it. Seeing him do that stunt, Ciel eventually stopped shooting and looked up to them.

The two then pause and exchange looks for a fraction of moment.

"Indeed, I apologize for not saying my greetings properly..." the man chimed in once more, smirking condescendingly as he stared down at him.

"The name's Aleister, by the way, and I'm here to take away your captive."