Of course, it would take a little more time for the world to completely come to a halt.
The fact that there were still colors in my field of vision was evidence of that. I hadn’t raised my aura in earnest for fear that the vampire might notice.
Still, it was better than not being prepared at all.
For the first time, cracks appeared in the vampire’s complexion.
It seemed that she had finally realized that the situation was not normal.
But what could be done about it?
Time was already flowing sluggishly, and the only one who could swim freely through that world was me.
The hand axe, pulled out as if by lightning, drew a white streak.
The axe blade, having soared to a high point, hesitated momentarily in search of prey. The vampire clearly recognized the hand axe, but she did not retreat.
Her attitude was one of indifference, as if to say it made no difference whether I swung it or not.
With countless practical experiences, my brain quickly derived a new hypothesis.
She didn’t charge in believing in her regeneration. The vampire’s neck was in the range of my hand axe. No matter how much of a mage she was, if her neck got severed, she would at least be unable to move for a few seconds.
Then there was only one answer.
The vampire must have a means to block my hand axe.
It could be tough skin or perhaps a magical barrier. Whatever it was, it was clear that the vampire was confident of her victory.
After all, that smile of hers still hadn’t faded.
So, without hesitation, I struck down with my hand axe.
At my shoulder.
Then came a crisp sound.
The vampire’s face twisted once more, and I decided to finish the words I had been unable to conclude earlier.
“Willingly,” I had said.
“…I must offer it!”
In that brief moment, my vision was overpowered. Even if she was an all-powerful vampire, it was impossible for her to respond properly.
I unleashed the full force of my prepared kick. With a strike to the solar plexus of the vampire targeting my neck, a gasping breath erupted beyond the veil of blood.
That was my second attack.
The vampire was a mage who dealt with blood and barriers, but I was a swordsman. No matter how strong a mage was, close-quarters combat would always return to my advantage.
Unless she brought her true form.
And at this distance, it was enough.
The entire world was dyed in monochrome, and I drew my sword with my remaining hand.
The sword’s tip was directed to the lower left.
It was Yuridina Clan’s vision swordsmanship, “Golden Lionsword.”
Simultaneously, the successive thrusts had excellent efficacy in negating the opponent’s defense. But the catch was that my opponent was a “vampire.”
Ordinary fangs wouldn’t sink in.
So, I resolved to put in more effort. If there was no “vision,” it would have been something I couldn’t even imagine in a practical scenario.
The magical power that entwined with the sword felt loose like mist. With the principles of “resolution,” I struck.
The five-pronged lion’s teeth surged forth, engulfing the vampire trapped in time.
And in the scenery that began to regain its color.
The vampire stumbled back, looking down at her chest with a gaze full of disbelief.
It was right after that.
Five streams of red paint burst forth.
The silver Milky Way was drenched in crimson.
The dripping blood stained the gray earth.
The vampire clutched her chest, unable to suppress the spurting blood. The droplets falling and her wide-open eyes spoke of the woman’s shock.
But it wasn’t just the vampire who retreated.
I too took a couple of steps back, then sank down to the ground, heaving up a mouthful of blood. The brackish liquid rose up my throat and poured onto the ground.
My own eyes were wide open for the same reason.
When did this happen?
In the time that had stopped, the only one who could move was me. Unless it was a being outside the norm, like a “saint,” it was impossible to overwhelm my mental state.
Even “greed,” one of the Seven Deadly Sins, had not feared my mental state.
Thus, “greed” had endlessly restrained me in the previous battle, preventing me from activating my vision. In truth, I too believed that was the best response.
But “vampires” were different.
Even without bringing her true form, my body was torn and ruined, with blood vessels shredded everywhere. My insides were also not intact, roiling within me.
And there was another question left.
My sword had clearly penetrated deeper than hers.
It was a strike aimed at a lethal wound. It would be normal for her to suffer wounds so critical that her life would be endangered.
However, that monster didn’t seem to be particularly on the edge of death. She had sustained some injuries, but not enough to put her at risk.
The vampire coughed and spat blood while uttering a dazed voice.
“It wasn’t just a rumor…? How did you learn ‘resolution’?”
But I also had much to say.
Forcing my churning insides to calm, I struggled to rise.
“Aunt… Can you do this to your nephew-in-law? What in the world did you do?”
It was a desperate cry, tinged with indignation.
Of course, that would have no effect.
The vampire let out a hollow laugh and simply shook her head.
There was a faint warmth in her blue eyes. I could not tell whether it was joy or anger.
Perhaps it was both.
The blue eyes, containing a keen light, aimed at me like a blade.
“Your nephew-in-law must answer my question first. There’s a proper order in everything, even in cold water…”
“My answer is probably obvious, isn’t it?”
The vampire fell silent at my candid response.
After staring at me intently, she wore a twisted smile.
“…You?”
“Yes, I am studying under the great witch, though I am lacking.”
If the great witch had been present in this place, she would have surely raised her voice in outrage at that lie.
I had not yet made the great witch my master. “Resolution” and “resolution” were merely techniques I had sneaked learned from glimpsing the memories of a man from the future.
But the reason I intentionally made a false statement soon became clear.
The woman’s sharp intake of breath was filled with agitation. Her worn-out gaze narrowed slightly.
It meant she was displeased.
“How long has it been since then?”
Her cold tone hung in the air.
I thought that question was like a blade. If I misstepped, it felt as if my head could be severed at any moment.
So I smiled inwardly.
She was excited.
I didn’t know the details, but the great witch and the vampire were sisters and arch-enemies. Naturally, the mention of the other’s name would heighten excitement.
And unnecessary emotional fluctuations lead to mistakes.
Even a momentary gap or a single slip of the tongue could help.
Ultimately, it was clear I needed the great witch’s assistance to escape this barrier. Even though I had been repelled by the vampire, I had no doubt she would return soon.
There was no basis for this.
Just a strange conviction. It felt inevitable.
Thus, what I needed to do was simple.
Drag out time, gather information, and look for opportunities to accumulate damage.
The rest was the great witch’s job.
I decided to deliberately stretch out my words.
“I wouldn’t say she was too strong. Perhaps, around two months…”
“…Lies.”
A grinding sound echoed through the air.
Surprised by her reaction, I carefully examined the vampire’s expression. She was now gnashing her teeth at the black gloves.
Familiar emotions wiggled in her blue eyes.
The feelings I had encountered countless times in the Academy over the past few days.
Jealousy and inferiority.
“Are you lying in front of your aunt? Tsk, then it can’t be used… It’s not a clumsy technique that can be learned in about two months.”
“How do you know that?”
“It was my vision!”
The vampire, who burst out with those words, had veins popping in her neck.
Her gaze was intense enough to give the impression of blue flames. Every time her vicious voice sliced through the air, the blood flowing in the ground danced in ripples.
Even the droplets of blood that dripped from my mouth.
I couldn’t resist my queasy stomach and almost vomited. It began to make sense now.
That monster was manipulating all the blood in the area.
But how?
Surely, she couldn’t manipulate the blood within me. If not, it wouldn’t have been necessary for her to go through the trouble of approaching close to bite my neck.
It would have been easy to incapacitate me.
As my questions deepened, the vampire’s blue screams continued to pound on my eardrums.
“But that ‘girl’… that ‘girl’ stole it away! She even had the audacity to demonstrate it in front of me! No, no… In fact, it wasn’t just that. She took everything from me… everything!”
The vibrating resonance reverberated in the air.
The vampire’s wrath was shaking the area. At this rate, I felt I had to kneel again, so I gripped my sword tightly once more.
There was hope.
As long as my sword didn’t fail altogether, and in close-range exchanges, I had my chances. Just as I resolved that, I took a step forward.
Suddenly, I felt an odd sense of discomfort and looked down at my feet.
I had clearly taken a step forward, yet the distance between me and the vampire remained the same.
Strangely enough.
