I couldn’t open my mouth for a while.
Despite hearing rumors about the ‘Swordmaster’ so often that my ears felt tired, I remained silent.
The best swordsman in the continent.
From a young age, his skill with the sword was ghostly, and before he even reached adulthood, he was called the ‘Sword Dragon.’ No one doubted that he, the firstborn of the royal family and possessing great strength, would sit on the Imperial throne.
But was it a whim of the gods?
He had everything, but the man loved his sword too much. One day, he suddenly disappeared and set off on a journey, leaving everything behind.
Of course, his later deeds were also famous. So famous that there was even a book gathering his adventures.
He returned to the royal family several years later.
It was on the day of his younger brother’s coronation, after the previous emperor had passed away.
It was a story I had heard countless times. Along with the unique aspects of his journey, even the tale of the sword material that ultimately convinced everyone.
According to rumors, he split the sky with a single sword.
Naturally, I thought it was an exaggeration common to hero tales. If I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes, I would have continued to think so.
Little did I know it was a truth without a single lie.
As I gasped for air, forgetting what to say, the Swordmaster smiled slightly.
“Are you surprised?”
“Wh-what… cough!”
How could that be possible?
I wanted to ask sincerely, but the boiling blood had blocked my throat so I couldn’t speak. Observing me, the Swordmaster merely clicked his tongue.
“Enough, enough… tsk, your body is a complete mess. I thought you might survive because you’re a high expert.”
While saying this, the Swordmaster rummaged through his own belongings.
Eventually, a vial was tossed, rolling to me. It seemed to be a kind of healing potion, its sparkling color indicating it was anything but ordinary.
“Drink it. At least it might settle your insides.”
If it could heal my battered body, it must not be an ordinary item.
It would be a lie to say I didn’t hesitate for a moment.
But my hesitation was brief. I couldn’t live as the second son of a rural noble forever.
I had probably reached a position worthy of such treatment.
As I gathered my resolve and attempted to reach for the vial with my last strength, the Swordmaster’s body tensed up.
No, it wasn’t just the Swordmaster. It felt as if the entire world had suddenly tightened.
Even I, who urgently needed healing, felt my gaze drift blankly.
The maiden’s deep gaze was directed behind me.
“Puhuh, hehehe…!”
A shadow staggered and rose.
The severed space was slowly healing. The surface was so clean that the vampire, having regained its form, looked almost intact.
A sneer adorned its lips, reminiscent of depravity.
“Ah, ahahahaha! I see, who could it be…!”
The woman’s eyes sparkled with a malevolent light.
Her pupils, glistening with malice, murderous intent, and jealousy, burned like flames.
Seeing that terrifying visage, the maiden let out a deep sigh.
“…A monster is indeed a monster.”
A statement I fully agreed with.
That’s when I jolted back to my senses, hurriedly grabbing the potion. If the battle wasn’t over yet, I didn’t want to become a burden at the very least.
Of course, I had no interest in the vampire’s judgment of ‘monster’.
The vampire began to laugh louder.
“Puhuh, hehehe… ‘Swordmaster’, it was you? I never thought you would willingly don such a charming body!”
“I didn’t do it willingly.”
Though my tone was blunt, my expression revealed a subtle hint of wariness.
As if to affirm this, the Swordmaster’s hand had already moved toward the hilt at his waist.
The maiden hadn’t drawn her sword many times. After all, there was rarely a need to do so.
Wasn’t the whole world his sword?
Even so, there was only one reason the Swordmaster would move his hand to the sword’s hilt.
It was precisely when he was about to reveal his true intentions.
Even when showcasing the so-called ‘Sky Slash’, the maiden had drawn her sword. It was such a brief moment that it had been imperceptible.
It also meant that he needed to perform such feats multiple times to kill that monster.
The vampire remained relaxed in front of the continent’s best swordsman.
“You didn’t do it willingly? With your skills, you could tear your way out of that body… Or perhaps that’s it? Are you trying to seduce our son-in-law with that body?”
I had heard she was a sister of the great witch, and she shared a penchant for mockery.
The difference was that the vampire was even more vulgar.
It was a blatant provocation and mockery. The Swordmaster could not respond playfully as he had with the great witch.
The cold voice swiftly crossed the maiden’s throat.
“Do you think I’m a harlot like you?”
“Ah, yes, yes. Our son-in-law is indeed charming… Ah, this is troublesome. When there are so many who desire him, it makes me strangely want him…”
At least acknowledging her opponent, she chose to use politeness.
However, the Swordmaster’s goodwill toward the vampire ended there. With a clang, the sound of a thumb pushing against the sword hilt rang out, and the silver blade subtly revealed itself to the world.
Just from the chill of its shimmer, it was clearly a treasured sword.
A battle was about to break out soon.
Sensing this, I forcibly swallowed the blood rising in my throat. I had no choice if I wanted to drink the potion.
Fortunately, the boiling sensation within me quickly settled down. It seemed the potion was indeed effective.
Just as I hastily attempted to rise, I heard a voice.
“Do not try to fight.”
The serious tone of the blue eyes settled heavily upon me.
An indescribable sense of pressure seemed to crush me. I let out a faint whimper against the augmented gravity, yet I still wore a confused expression.
The maiden urged her judgment quietly.
“Either way, that monster cannot kill you. You are the core of the boundary, after all… Just lie down and look for an escape route.”
“Must I really look for an escape route?”
“Yes, there’s something… This boundary is dangerous.”
In the end, I nodded silently.
If the Swordmaster spoke that way, it was best to follow without question. Besides, since the control of blood had passed to the vampire, the chances of me actively participating in the battle were exceedingly low.
It would be better to seek out a new path instead.
After making that decision, as I started to rise, the vampire’s lingering laughter gripped my ankles.
“Hehe… Son-in-law, where are you going? Surely you don’t plan to leave before the elders?”
“Sorry, auntie, but I have a lot of women I’ve left behind…”
Though spoken without thought, the reply had an unexpectedly good effect.
The relaxed vampire’s body suddenly froze. After several seconds of silence, she trembled with betrayal and shouted.
“…What?! You really were trash!”
Did you realize it now?
She was a woman with a surprisingly naive side. Did she truly have no experience with men after hundreds of years?
Looking at the way she dressed, one could easily assume she could have devoured dozens of men by now.
As I turned my back, the figure standing in front of the vampire to block me was none other than the Swordmaster.
The vampire bared her teeth but did not dare chase after me.
No matter how much she ruled the area, she was up against one of the three masters in the continent. A moment of carelessness could easily cost her life.
Thus, she could not recklessly make a move.
The Swordmaster, fully aware of this, had a calm voice.
“It seems you have some confidence. To be spliced in half and still have your tongue wagging like that.”
Only after hearing that even tone did the vampire reclaim her composure.
Of course, her fierce smile was still menacing.
“The ‘Swordmaster’ of the Empire… I’ve certainly heard of your reputation. But no matter how good you are, you cannot kill me.”
“Are you relying on the boundary? If so, just constrain it as a whole, that would suffice.”
“It’s not about the boundary, Swordmaster… I’m the one who governs the causal relations in this place.”
Gently covering her mouth, the vampire mimicked an alluring tone.
“Shall I show you?”
“Hmm, let’s see…”
Before the maiden could finish her words.
Crack, her right shoulder area was torn away. Though no scars remained on her flesh, the torn fabric began to slink down, no longer serving its purpose.
The maiden’s face, now exposing her pure white shoulder, turned horrific. It was an obvious outcome.
“…What the hell.”
“Indeed, Master… They say you can twist the laws of reality with mere imagination, but your body seems untouched.”
Seeing the vampire containing a chuckle, the Swordmaster couldn’t hide the brewing anger.
The declaration spilling from between clenched teeth was gradually soaked in fury.
“Do you know? I cannot stand to let things happen without having retribution… Soon, I will tear that thin piece of cloth into shreds.”
“Oh my, I’m looking forward to it. I wonder whose clothes will tear first?”
It was truly an enticing duel.
It was lamentable that I had no time to even glance away.
Of course, just because I wanted to watch didn’t mean I could observe an enjoyable battle. Soon, the space began to tear apart, and a fierce shockwave swept across the ground indiscriminately.
The aftermath of the collision reached the point of violence.
The sight of two beings crashing into each other was so catastrophic that it was impossible to witness with open eyes. As the vampire warped space, the Swordmaster naturally tore through it and leapt into the void.
It was, in essence, a storm made of blood and fierce strikes.
My body had not yet fully recovered. For now, escape was the best option. After all, I had a task entrusted to me.
Which was to find the escape route.
No matter how legendary the vampire was as a mage, she couldn’t possibly contend against a master in a one-on-one situation without her main body. This duel was likely enhanced by the temporary power borrowed from this boundary.
Thus, as soon as I stepped out of this boundary, all my problems would be resolved.
The only issue was the mystery of how on earth to escape this seemingly endless boundary.
As I rushed forward without any particular thought, a moan brushed past my ear.
“Ugh, ugh…”
It was a voice I felt I’d heard somewhere before.
