Turning Point

Suddenly.

A hand closed around the monstrous giant's wrist.

James stared silently at Victor, his eyes full of anger. He grappled with Victor, gripping his wrist and holding him completely still.

"Why are you stopping me?" Victor growled, his eyes narrowing and glinting dangerously.

"They're not vampires."

"They're the enemy!" Victor finally roared. He reached out with his other hand, clasped both hands together, and twisted, barely breaking free of James's grip.

"Then let them face the Federal bullets and the courts!" James raised his voice too, speaking sternly. He looked at the many bloodied holes where vampires had bitten Victor. Black blood slowly seeped out as the wounds healed sluggishly, and James's gaze grew even more frightening.

Federal troops gradually arrived, shouting for the enemy to surrender and lay down their arms. Seeing that all was lost, the Confederate soldiers abandoned their weapons and surrendered one after another. With an aide leading the way, General Joseph Hooker, commander of the Army of the Potomac, came to James's side.

"Mr. Howlett! On behalf of the entire Army of the Potomac, I offer you my deepest respect and gratitude for your help! You are the person the entire American Federal Army is happiest to see!" General Hooker removed his hat and placed a hand over his chest in greeting.

"Without your support, we couldn't have won such a sweeping victory or captured 'Stonewall' Thomas Jackson, commander of the left wing of the Army of Northern Virginia! This is the greatest victory on the Eastern Front since the war began!" Hooker continued excitedly.

James calmly removed his mask. "This is a victory we share, General. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to Fredericksburg."

General Hooker waved a hand. "The front lines are so long. It's already no small feat that you've been able to support us in several places."

"So this is Mr. Victor, the 'Sabretooth'! You're even bigger and more imposing than the stories say." Hooker continued warmly. Victor said nothing and turned to leave.

The general didn't seem to mind, as if he'd expected it. But his excitement faded, and he continued speaking to James with some concern. "There are more and more of these monstrous armies in the South. We can't keep relying on you and your men to put out fires. We have to find a way to arm large numbers of Federal soldiers as soon as possible!"

After President Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, the policy of arming Black men, and a series of other orders, the Confederate army had been dealt a devastating blow. But soon, undying Confederate "monster" troops began appearing on battlefields everywhere, plunging the Federal side into crisis once more. This also dealt a severe blow to the army's morale.

Fortunately, James and Victor had led the Howlett Family's forces from battlefield to battlefield, picking off vampires and bolstering the Federal army's resolve. As the battles mounted, James's troops gradually became the stuff of legend among the Northern armies. Because of his fierce appearance and his ferocious, tiger-like way of killing, Victor was dubbed "Sabretooth" by the soldiers.

James, by contrast, had always taken care to conceal his appearance, and his attacks were precise and swift. He never became as famous as Victor.

But as the battles continued, the wildness deep in Victor's blood became increasingly uncontrollable. In addition to hunting vampires, he attacked ordinary Southern soldiers and even prisoners. James wouldn't have said a word if it had been anyone else; on the battlefield, it was kill or be killed. But Victor was different. James wanted to keep Sabretooth's bloodlust under control as much as he could.

Victor had been bitten by vampires too many times. James suspected he'd already been affected by vampire blood.

"The silvered bullets and silver-loaded shells are being prepared for shipment to every theater. Once the Federal army is fully equipped, vampires won't be much of a threat. Most of them are shoddy blood slaves, mass-produced in desperation. Even a little pure silver will quickly kill them," James told General Hooker. It was true that no matter how strong he was, his small force could do little to change the course of the war.

"Ah... Let's hope so. I'm just worried the troops won't be equipped in time. The rebels are gathering at Gettysburg. It will become the most important turning point of the entire war. If we can't manage it by then..." General Hooker trailed off.

"Don't worry. The president and I will do everything we can to see it through."

"You don't know either?" Adam's pupils narrowed as he stared without blinking at the gaunt, stooped man with dirty blond hair. His voice was full of displeasure.

The man trembled with fear as he spoke. "That's right... Lord Adam. There may be two trains carrying silver ammunition to Gettysburg. Apart from James Howlett and Lincoln himself, no one knows which train is carrying it."

Worried that Adam might not believe him, he added, "All the ammunition was secretly packed at Howlett's factory. His own family's armed men surround and guard the factory, and even the workers loading it don't know what's in the crates..."

"Hah! That's all you're good for." Adam glanced at him with disgust, then pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "At least you know who's escorting each train, right?" His gaze turned especially vicious, as if the man would end up as the drink in Adam's glass if he couldn't even manage that.

"I do! I do! I'll definitely be able to find that out!" The long-haired man nodded repeatedly, eager to prove his usefulness.

"Hmph. Send me the information as soon as possible. Do a good job, and I'll reward you with the chance to become one of the Holy Race." Adam had returned to his lazy, indifferent manner.

The man's face flushed a little as he showered Adam with praise. His body was failing him. He still wanted to live...

"Isn't it too few if it's just you and Victor?" Abraham Lincoln asked worriedly. The war had raged without pause ever since he took office, and Lincoln's beard had grown a little gray over the past few years.

James replied indifferently, "Victor and I are enough. Adding anyone else would only tie our hands. But you—you're the president of America, for heaven's sake. The war's reached this point, and even the White House guards have been sent to the front. If I didn't have my men stay with you, how could I let an old man like you escort the ammunition yourself?"

"Ha! You underestimate me. I can still swing that axe as well as ever. I used to be quite a figure among the hunters!" As he said this, the president couldn't help but give a bitter laugh. As president, I'm probably doing worse than any other leader in American history.

Lincoln pondered for a moment, then continued, "I agree with you. At this stage of the war, Gettysburg will be the decisive battlefield. If Adam still wants to win, it will definitely come to stop this ammunition shipment. It will come in person."

"If it doesn't, I'll be disappointed," James said calmly.

At last, there was someone in this world who made him look forward to a fight.

A homing pigeon flapped its wings and hurriedly pecked at the grain by the window. Vadoma removed the message from its leg, glanced at it, then hurried into the hall and handed it to Adam.

"Which train do you think it'll be?" Vadoma asked in her sharp voice. Adam smiled. His eyes were tinged red as he said in a low voice, "The strong only trust themselves."