CHAPTER 21: STRUGGLES (1)

“Huff…Huff.”

The next day after her departure, Seraphin has finally reached the vampire lair. She had to walk at night too in order to reach the place. Under the increasing cold, that was not an easy task. But her endurance has greatly improved from running and training so she didn’t feel tired.

The lair is actually a tower, not too big, about twenty meters high, and in a square form. The top of the tower has no roof and there are holes here and there. As soon as she arrives in front of the tower, three enormous dogs the size of a horse come out of the wide-open entrance.

There were vampire hounds. Their red glowing eyes are filled with rage and thirst for blood. Seraphin has encountered wolfs before in the forest while running and other types of monsters as well when she trained in the forest during those three years. Those hounds are no surprise to her although she doesn’t know what they are exactly.

“Untouchable rose.”

She draws her silver sword in a half circle while taking three steps forward, cutting all the heads of the hounds at the same time. Her movement is beautiful and incredibly fast. From the eyes of an amateur, there is no waste in her way of moving, though a master would directly see that her third step was an extra unneeded as she had already cut through the third head at that point.

The hounds fall to the ground and turn to dust under the morning sun. Seraphin then enters the tower. The cold is stronger inside the tower. She immediately feels it as she gets goosebumps.

‘This is no ordinary cold.’ Seraphin cannot feel magic since she doesn’t have it herself. Melka had already told her that. But a phenomenon happening from magic’s use can still be felt. She has to rely on that, even if it is not the best method.

At the end of the ground floor of the tower, there are stairs made of stone. They don’t reach the first floor sadly. Half of the ceiling is also destroyed. While she advances prudently, Seraphin feels like something is watching her.

‘So, they are planning to ambush me…’

Seraphin changes her posture and starts to advance like she is unaware of any possible trap. Then right when she is about to pass under the hole in the ceiling of the ground floor, Two humanoid forms emerge and fall on her.

“KRI!!”

The weird sound they emit would have a scary impact and makes any normal person flinch. But that is for a normal person.

***

“Swordwomanship must be the pure expression of your feelings. It can be as refined as a flower but also as brutal and fierce as a boar.”

“I…I am not sure I understand.”

Two years ago, when Melka started teaching the basic moves of the swordwomanship to Seraphin. Melka was holding her sword in front of a tree while Seraphin was sitting behind on the grass.

“Then, watch.”

From a single movement of her sword which shone with a dim red light for a moment, Melka sliced the tree in front of her vertically like it was mere butter. The tree’s parts fell on both sides of Melka with a loud sound.

When Seraphin came and examined the tree. She noticed that the left part had a clean and smooth cut while the right part was rough and damaged, as if it got cut by an old saw.

“As refined as a flower,” Melka pointed her left index to the left part of the tree, “or as fierce as a boar.” She also pointed her right index to the right part.

“I…I see.”

Seraphin didn’t know yet but what Melka showed her that day was actually the peak of all swordsmanship: aura.

***

The two humanoids are falling on Seraphin at an incredible speed. But even so, she has the time to notice a third one coming from the stairs. It waited until the others distracted her. Seraphin doesn’t try to avoid any of them, her hand calmly and sensually holds her sword, then, a killing intent ferocious enough to make you feel like the time has stopped fills the atmosphere.

Even the humanoid creatures get their breath cut for a moment in front of that overbearing desire to kill. Seraphin was told by Melka to develop her killing intent based on the things that she liked the least. She must think of them as if they are all in front of her as one and expulses her most sincere desire to annihilate them. With everything she had endured, Seraphin easily managed to do that, making it the first achievement Melka was proud of.

“Tortoise Shell’s Splitter.”

The air becomes hot in an instant and even the snow that had entered the building melts a little. The three humanoids didn’t get to see what hit them. Before they know what is happening, their heads get split in half and their dark blood pours out like a watermelon. Their bodies don’t even have the luxury to hit the ground as they become dust blown by the wind.

Seraphin then continues to advance. Her goal is near and her path clear.