One step, two steps.
Even after trying several more times, the result was the same. No matter how much I moved, the distance between me and the vampire did not decrease.
At that moment, a voice suddenly crossed my mind.
“Space Distortion Boundary.”
Recalling the warning from the Great Witch, I bit my lips. I didn’t have the ability to counter magical means.
The vampire was taking it easy, knowing this fact.
Even now.
Spewing out his anger, the vampire leaned forward with his upper body, laughing while his shoulders shook.
“Hmm, heh…ahahaHAHAHAHA!”
In those uplifted eyes, five unfamiliar dots were blinking.
I felt my breath momentarily stop.
They were glaringly white.
“So, that girl and her disciple managed to achieve my lifelong goal within two months? Don’t make me laugh… You, you pathetic ones…!”
Slowly, the vampire raised his hand.
I instinctively understood it as a harbinger of an unavoidable strike. Fortunately, I had already summoned my aura.
The distance isn’t decreasing?
Then intercepting here would suffice.
The moment my hand swept my waist like lightning,
“…Do you really think you pathetic ones can reach me?!”
The world halted as an axe traced a bizarre trajectory in the air.
Just for a few seconds.
But when the world regained its color, countless slashes burst out like wounds.
Of course, I wasn’t unscathed either.
Pabaack!
The blood and water coursing through my body burst out like needles from both inside and out. Though I tried my hardest to regain control with mana, the pain of my body being torn apart was unbearable.
“Kh, khuhuu…….”
With a dull thud, my body fell weakly to the ground.
Even after resisting so hard, it had come to this. Even so, if the vampire had been allowed another effective hit, I wouldn’t have avoided severe injuries.
When I managed to lift my head with great difficulty, gasping, was when it happened.
“…But, how sweet this smell is.”
The calm voice made my skin instantly crumple.
A lie.
But contradicting my wishes, through the blood-stained haze, there stood a woman walking leisurely.
Her body didn’t bear a single mark.
How had she regenerated so fast? Even in the stopped time, there should have been no room for her to evade my attack.
The vampire crushed my astonishment quietly and murmured.
“Truly, the ‘Dragon’s Blood’… Now, your talent makes sense. Ah, how much have I longed for…”
“…Eh, how…?”
While spitting out blood, I questioned.
Just then the vampire’s eyes slowly turned to me, awakening from his own reverie.
It didn’t take long for an aah of understanding to escape from his vacant lips.
“The Five Elements Boundary.”
“What is that…?”
“You, you are a bearer of the Dragon Blood Symbol, aren’t you? Thanks to you, my plans have been expedited. The spell anchors scattered throughout the Academy were still incomplete. But finding you as the perfect core hastened everything.”
The vampire bent down slightly and grabbed a lock of my hair.
Forcing my eyes to meet his.
I could only glare at the vampire through clenched teeth.
“You didn’t know? The ‘dragon’ is the first child of the heavenly deity Arus. And symbolically, ‘the eldest’ carries enormous significance. The successor, the proxy, and the most precious sacrifice…”
The vampire whispered this secret with a mesmerizing smile.
The sweet breath kept tickling my nose. With a flick, the woman’s moist tongue lightly grazed my cheek.
Shivering with ecstasy, the vampire sank into euphoria. Even clutching her thighs tightly.
“Ah, too sweet… Nephew-in-law, the Dragon Blood Symbol has forbidden magic. Not only does it alter your constitution, but also transforms your very blood. Into nothing less than the ‘blood of the dragon.'”
“That has… what… relation…”
“Hahaha, still don’t get it? The reason I deliberately set a trap here in the Academy, and the reasons why I established the boundary… obviously, it was to gain power. Rarely does so much ‘dragon blood’ gather in one place…”
At that moment, the blood dripping on the ground rose and seized my sword.
With that sword, the vampire slashed himself demonstratively.
Pak!
The blade swiftly descended, piercing through the woman’s neck and into the ground. Yet, there wasn’t even a scratch on the vampire’s body.
Meeting my blurred gaze, the woman smirked slightly.
“Have you heard? That the Five Elements cycle through mutual generation and destruction… and all physical laws are the same. But what if you could master the Five Elements?”
Silence.
As I stared at her silently, the vampire chuckled and burst into laughter.
“No one can touch me! Of course, even with large-scale boundaries there are limits. At best, the boundary can cover an area the size of my body. But that’s enough… The only being in the entire world that can control all the Five Elements is me!”
The vampire’s blue eyes burned with madness.
I realized the vampire was extremely excited. Clinging to my fading senses, I encouraged him to boast further.
Who knows, it might be useful.
“What is… that…”
“Dragon!”
At that shout, even the whites of the vampire’s eyes were bloodshot.
She couldn’t help but brag about her achievements.
“But dragons are extinct, aren’t they?! Even the ‘Great Witch’ can fully wield the principles of the Five Elements only when she regains her original power… But that woman will never be able to unleash her true strength… why? Because at that moment, I will regain my original body!”
Why was this woman so eager to boast about her power?
That question was quickly answered. I caught a familiar fragment of emotion in the burning blue pupils.
‘Jealousy’ and ‘Inferiority’.
This woman, envious of others’ talents, was shouting at the top of her lungs, demanding recognition for her abilities. One of the common traits of someone burdened with inferiority.
It was good for me.
Thanks to her, many mysteries had been resolved.
The only problem was that my consciousness was gradually fading.
And the vampire was fully aware of it.
The monster had an even deeper crescent smile on his face.
“Little nephew-in-law, I still need to keep you alive… You can go anywhere, but you must stay alive. Only then can the boundary be maintained… Also, I need to bring back my runaway younger sister?”
So, sleep well.
The fangs were approaching slowly. My vision was already blurred, but my instincts whispered.
It was time to rest.
Yeah, this place was too dark and cold.
When I wake up, the sunlight will be pouring down again.
While thinking such absurd thoughts, the moment I closed my eyes,
The light in the whole world flickered.
“…?”
The vampire didn’t expect this situation either, so much so that he abandoned his attempt to bite my neck and looked around.
Just then,
“Sword Spirit.”
The moment I heard that low voice, I snapped back to my senses and, with the last of my strength, rolled to the side.
The vampire absentmindedly reached out towards me. An obvious attempt to catch me, the escaping hostage. But unfortunately for him,
“…what?”
The vampire could only utter a foolish sound.
Already countless cracks covered his arm. Before he could fully comprehend the situation,
Pak!
A sound like a rotten fruit bursting echoed.
And thereafter, chunks of blood, flesh, and bone fragments rained down.
A completely senseless scene.
There was nothing the vampire could do but blankly watch as this occurred. It wasn’t until some time later that a faint popping sound escaped his lips.
“Eeek, Ahhhhhhhh?! Which fiend dared to… dared to…!”
Frightened, the vampire immediately stood up. After a moment, his wary gaze turned toward the sky.
With a thud, a diminutive maiden landed.
Blocking the space between me and the vampire.
“Even if you take the whole world as your sword, it doesn’t matter if you lack hands and feet. Even if your body no longer moves, do you still wish to wield the sword?”
Saying this, the maiden turned her gaze behind her, looking down at me.
Her delicate features were very striking.
Anyone would have felt their hearts race at the sight of her pure visage.
Except me.
I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.
“…Then, you suit the title ‘Sword Spirit’ perfectly!”
Pointing at me with her finger, the young girl tilted her head, her lips curving into a bold smile.
Indeed, how could it be hidden?
This girl is the ‘Sword Master’.
A truly unfitting debut for a master.
—
