Earlier
Shredica’s POV
I noticed Leon sneaking out of the cave, so I decided to match his sneakiness. I waited until he was out of sight and then crept out myself. Just as I emerged, I heard the unmistakable sounds of a scuffle nearby. Were there people fighting?
Without hesitation, I headed toward the commotion. But as I approached, I saw a white-haired woman with a wicked grin, leaning against a tree with a dagger in hand. She looked like trouble, and I drew my sword without a second thought.
“Good,” she purred, a wicked glint in her eyes. “This won’t take long.” With a sinister smile, she flashed her sword and ran her tongue along its edge, sending shivers down my spine.
I tensed, my senses heightened as I realized this woman was different from those we faced last night.
As I braced myself for what felt like a showdown, beads of sweat formed on my skin, each one a testament to the mounting tension. My heart raced with anticipation, the thrill of the impending confrontation coursing through my veins like a drug.
I focused all my attention on her, feeling a surge of intense concentration envelop me like a cloak. She stood with deceptive nonchalance, her blade dangling lazily at her side, as if daring me to make the first move.
“You know, you look sexy. I might have put you in my collection of bodies that I’ve killed and displayed in my room, but since I wasn’t allowed to do that, it’s a shame,” she said, her intentions clear as day.
She then positioned her sword at mid-level, her movements calculated and predatory. Her face twisted into a grotesque expression, a feral grin stretching across her features.
“Hmm?” Suddenly, her smile faded. “Hey, why are you grinning like that?”
Was I smiling? Oh, right. I was. My mouth stretched into a grin.
“Oh, I see…” she chuckled. “Heh heh… You’re quite the twisted woman, aren’t you?”
“You’re one to talk,” I retorted. “You’re even more messed up than I am.”
Her grin vanished completely at my words, like I’d struck a nerve.
“Who the hell are you calling messed up?!” she snapped, then lunged forward.
I sprang into action just a fraction of a moment after her. We closed in on each other simultaneously, moving at breakneck speed. My senses heightened, time seemed to slow down, allowing me to perceive every subtle movement as she unleashed her attack.
However, I made a grave mistake…
In the frenzy of battle, I often let arrogance cloud my judgment. I’ve always fancied myself as unbeatable with a sword, my prowess in martial arts second to none. Underestimating my opponents has become a dangerous habit, as evident in this moment.
Breaking free from that mindset proved challenging. Throughout my life, I’ve carried a sense of superiority in the art of swordplay. Even my comrades back in my world showered me with praise for my skillful maneuvers with a blade.
That’s why… I…
“Nggh?!”
Her sword suddenly curved in a very strange way. I had no time to react. Even though I could speed up my thoughts to make time feel slower, in reality, I was still susceptible. Underestimating her meant I’d let my guard down, leading to her blade slicing into my arm. Thankfully, I managed to deflect it before it could cause a clean cut.
“Oh, you managed to block that?” she remarked, licking the blood off her blade. My blood. “You may lack skill, but you’ve got some reflexes. Seems like there’s more to you than meets the eye.”
I quickly applied pressure to the slice on my arm to stem the bleeding. With a flicker of concentration, I attempted to use my mana to heal the wound, but my lack of attention in class meant I only managed to stop the bleeding, not fully close the wound.
“Well, looks like you’re barely holding on already. This might just be a walk in the park,” she remarked, her gaze unsettlingly intense. It was clear she had some serious mental issues
After my attempt to heal, I gripped my sword tightly once more. The tension between us was palpable, the air heavy with the gravity of the situation. This was no longer a game; it was a fight for survival. She intended to kill me, and I had to do the same to her if I wanted to make it out alive.
“I admire the fire in your eyes. It really gets me going,” she remarked, a twisted smirk playing on her lips.
I drew in a deep, steadying breath, steeling myself for what was to come. With determination coursing through my veins, I surged forward, refusing to let her catch me off guard again. My gaze locked on her, I made the split-second decision to take the offensive, my grip tightening on my sword.
As I swung my blade in a powerful horizontal arc, aiming to catch her off balance, she deftly countered with her dagger. The clash of metal echoed through the air, sending sparks flying like fiery constellations, briefly illuminating our faces in the dim light. It was as though the clash itself was the starting gun for our intense duel, and we both threw ourselves into the fray with reckless abandon.
In that moment, time seemed to warp around us, my senses sharpening to a razor’s edge. Every movement, every shift in the air, was heightened, amplified. My sword danced through the air in a blur of motion, leaving behind a trail of afterimages that shimmered and flickered like ghostly echoes of my intent. One strike, then five, then ten, then twenty.
But…
My opponent expertly parried each of my strikes, her movements precise and calculated. Whenever she found an opening, she lunged in with a sharp stab, but my lightning-fast reactions saved me from being hit. The battle reached a tense stalemate, neither of us gaining the upper hand.
Yet, amidst the clash of steel, I couldn’t shake the chilling grin on her face. A shiver ran down my spine. Was she playing with me? The effortless way she blocked my attacks and struck back with minimal effort seemed to mock my abilities, as if she was daring me to do better.
“Hehe…” she chuckled darkly. “What a disappointment. I expected more from you. Can’t you put up a real fight? You’re just begging to get killed, aren’t you?”
“Guh…!”
I gritted my teeth in frustration.
It stung to hear her call me a bore. I’d never felt so powerless. But then again, I’d faced helplessness before, like in that scrap at the Black Market where I nearly got poisoned, or that arson where death stared me in the face.
“Raaaaah!”
I bellowed, trying to banish those thoughts. I refused to succumb to despair. I’d been through worse in my childhood; I could overcome this.
Swiftly, I raised my sword horizontally, blocking her swing. Our blades clashed with a resounding clang. For the first time, I felt the full force of her ridiculous strength. The impact nearly shattered my wrist, but I gritted my teeth and held on, enduring the blow with both hands. Through the pain, I caught a glimpse of smugness on her face.
“Your blade skills are mediocre,” she taunted.
Before I could react, she spun around and delivered a powerful kick to my abdomen.
“Gaha…!”
The breath was knocked out of me, and I was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree. Her strength was astounding. It was almost surreal, considering we were both women, or even human for that matter. Blood gushed from my mouth, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand, staring at the crimson stain.
“Heh…” A dark smile crept onto my lips, though she couldn’t see it with my head lowered.
I quickly cast healing magic on myself, feeling the wounds close as I rose to my feet. Assessing the situation, I noticed the woman hadn’t followed up with another attack after her kick. She lazily hung her blade by her side, stretching her body with a nonchalant air.
“Ahhh~, this is getting dull. I expected an easy fight, but she’s proving to be disappointingly simple,” she remarked, cracking her neck.
Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, I dashed forward, seizing the opportunity…
“Huh?”
Before she could react, I was right in front of her. With her blade unprepared, she struggled to respond in time. Though she managed to evade, it cost her a few strands of hair.
“Heheheheheh!” I chuckled, a surge of exhilaration coursing through me. It was the first genuine laugh I’d had in a while.
“You’re one twisted woman,” she remarked, her tone tinged with a mix of admiration and disdain.
I suddenly felt a thrill like never before, surpassing even the most intense moments I’d experienced in the Zone. It was a rush unlike anything I’d felt before, a surge of power coursing through me.
Sensations began to blur as if I was tapping into some latent energy within myself. I could sense lines of power weaving through me, igniting every fiber of my being. A chill ran down my spine, spreading through my body until it flooded into my head. My senses heightened to an almost supernatural level, everything around me becoming distant and surreal.
Perhaps my senses had been heightened beyond their normal limits.
I licked the blood from the back of my hand, a dark chuckle bubbling up from within me. It was a strange feeling, but I welcomed it nonetheless.
And then, I laughed.
