Beside the area which was once the beautiful inn named the Ivy Cottage, Princess Violet and I silently stood. I took a quick glance and notice Candy perching silently on the shoulder of Princess Violet.
It seems like Candy has decided that out of the two among us, Princess Violet who doesn't move as much is a much better option to stay with. Clinging onto someone who keeps swinging around and getting hit now and then must have felt nauseating.
My shadow seems to elongate and stretch by the second as the silence continues to persist. I confirm the presences around us once again. Almost like a standard, they have already surrounded us while hiding themselves, but none of them has yet to move.
Are they wary of us?
It must have been quite a setback for them back at the Earl's mansion. They did not expect their targets to notice them, and certainly did not expect a royal member of the vampires to be present. Their losses as assassins were definitely huge.
Knowing that the element of surprise will not work on us, have they decided to use more numbers to their advantage? Have they not come up with a solution to take us down, which is why they aren't moving? Are they waiting for the night?
This situation seems to tell me as such. It feels convincingly so, but exactly because it feels so naturally persuasive that I feel a sense of unease crawl up my spine.
There is something bothering me, but I can't make heads or tails out of it.
[Does it feel strange?] (me)
[Strange? What is?] (Violet)
Without turning to look at me, Princess Violet replies me calmly.
Her answer makes me feel as if I'm hallucinating. I try to shake off the uneasiness by believing in her words.
[It is nothing. I probably still cannot shake off the tension.] (me)
[…If you say so. Don't get careless, it wouldn't do either of us good if you die here.] (Violet)
[Princess Violet doesn't have to remind me. I value my life very much.] (me)
Our standoff against each other continues on like that. The orange sky gradually darkens, and the scenery around us begins to look murky as well.
They do know that I can see in the dark right? Princess Violet belongs to a race that embodies the element of darkness; the assassins wouldn't fare any better.
As though reading my thoughts, they remain unmoving as we are.
[…Should we make the first move?] (me)
[I don't mind. I can break through them without problems. They aren't Erden Hydras.] (Violet)
Normally, rushing through my fights isn't my style. I would describe myself to be a cautious person that dislike risks, and prefer meticulous planning to leave no stones unturned or any leftover brutes that can come back and bite me later on.
But this uneasiness within me is beginning to feel suffocating, and I dread to remain where I am.
Suddenly, a thought struck me.
What if they knew about my uneasiness somehow? Is this their plan?
…No, impossible.
[Let's break through. We should go in the direction where the people are.] (me)
[Are we going to disappear in the crowds? You really don't care what happens to the innocents huh.] (Violet)
[No, we aren't hiding behind scapegoats. We're going to Urkahn for help.] (me)
Princess Violet, who doubted my conscience, came to a realisation at my thought and nodded in approval. Shortly after, her face twisted in disgust.
[Ugh… This means I have to smell that vegetarian smell again…] (Violet)
I almost smack my face when I heard her mumble.
Please! Endure!
[Oh ruler of darkness, listen to my lament of the world…] (Violet)
She begins a chant, which alerted the assassins hiding in the darkness. I could feel their commotion and anxiety as they are unsure of how to tackle this sudden situation.
…Is it just my imagination, or does the start of her chant feel strangely suitable to her complaints to Urkahn's smell?
[…and with my cry, accept the offerings I hereby sacrifice to the darkness!] (Violet)
In a distance, I could vaguely make out the workings of her magic. Among the assassins, one of them suddenly stood up and started struggling as though being bounded by an invisible rope. Before my eyes, the poor assassin suddenly disappeared with a horrified expression.
[…What did Princess Violet do?] (me)
[Oh, you mean the spell? Simply put, I used their shadows to eat them up. Well, I get their life force and recover some mana too. Nothing is wasted.] (Violet)
With that blatant declaration, Princess Violet looked at me nonchalantly before slowly walking away.
[Come on, let's go.] (Violet)
…To think she was talking about how I don't care about innocent people, and here she is showing off a ruthlessness that few could compare to.
Remind me never to anger her again.
With that small mental note, I walked after her briskly while looking around and scanning for any remaining threats. In conclusion, there isn't a single assassin's trace left behind. Truly fearsome.
However, just as I am about to arrive beside her, Princess Violet suddenly turns around.
[What's wrong?] (me)
[Idiot! Watch out!] (Violet)
Almost by instinct, I reacted to her warning by dropping my entire self on the floor. Immediately, a raging gust of wind blew over my head. I could see the barrier that Princess Violet already deployed receive an impact and shoot her backwards for quite a distance.
That Princess Violet, pushed back?
This thought alone, is frightening enough. I haven't even considered the fact of how I failed to sense a presence that approached us. I barely have enough time to raise my shaft in front of me before another impact hit.
True to its trait as a magic weapon, the 'unbreakable' shaft received the hit without a scratch or a dent. However, the ability imbued is only 'unbreakable'. It did not have anything like impact nullification, force absorption or the like. When it hit, the shaft remained fine, but my wrists and elbow creaked to the point of pain. I grimaced, but held on desperately.
A short sword is pushing against the shaft, and its wielder wore a grin as he spoke to me in a friendly manner.
"Ho, nice stick."
I struggled against him.
"Yoo. How'd ya holdin' up?"
Even if I wanted to reply cheekily or provoke him, I couldn't. His monstrous strength weighed down on me as though an entire mansion is on top of me.
"Err, can't speak huh."
His posture looks so leisurely it is hard to imagine where that brute strength of his came from. As though genuinely curious, his other free hand begin rubbing his chin while muttering words to himself. The hand wielding the short sword slightly twisted around, casually changing the concentration of force around different parts of my arms.
My mouth gaped to loosen a scream, but only gasping breath came out.
Fuck, it hurts.
"Hmm, strength-wise, slightly lower. Maybe the fight previously? Pain factor, hasn't seemed to change one bit. Reaction, slightly worsened maybe. Can't tell, with that girl yapping out just now."
He casually spoke his analysis like he is making a mental note.
Who is he? I cannot make out his intentions.
I see him put his free hand down on the shaft and replacing his short sword in the task of holding me down. He twirled his weapon about with his fingers nimbly, before looking at me with eyes full of laughter.
Before he spoke out the words, I somehow realised it. It came so much like a shock, I could only comprehend only moments after.
This person here, is the very source of my unease I had been having since the start.
"Hello again, Unit Code 5236!"
***
The first thing that went through my mind was the incident back at Terdia. I can never forget the feeling in my hands when I personally crushed the neck of Selena.
"Oho? I can see rage filling your eyes. You must know who I am then. That makes things simpler!"
I can feel my teeth grind as I stared daggers at the person before me. I begin to put in more strength to resist the downwards force acting on me, but the hand responsible for holding me down doesn't look to be moving anytime soon.
"Let me repeat myself again, for the sake of it."
His eyes blinked and he purposely changed his voice to mimic someone.
"We've been worrying about you!"
The moment I heard his poor imitation, rage begin to boil within me.
"Why don't we head back?"
I pushed back harder, till the point I could feel my muscles tear and my left hand suffer a hairline fracture. Pain isn't an issue to me, but I am aware of how bodies work more or less from Mr Niterias' lessons on anatomy. But right now, I can't stop myself.
"To the orphanage, Unit Code 5236!"
His rough theatrics ended in an uproarious laughter. It is one that people would smile unconsciously when they hear it, but it hid a malice that erodes the soul. Knowing this, I can only feel my anger soar to a new height.
This bastard must have taken over a strong individual, maybe a high ranking adventurer, by the looks of the sword handling skills. An adventurer that everyone knows likes, one that probably holds an infectious laughter while he's still alive.
Another life, claimed by a malicious unknown entity from the orphanage.
"You!" (me)
He only smiled in reply. The short sword in his hand raised before his head, poised in a striking position. I can only watch powerlessly as he is about to swing it down.
However, he paused and looked to his right. In the next moment, he nimbly switched his backhand grip to a forehand grip, and swung his sword before him at lightning speed. Small explosions and shattering noises broke out, showering his face in a myriad of colours.
[Tch. He has an annoying toy.] (Violet)
Appearing from the dust riled from her getting pushed back, Princess Violet looks over at us. Her shoes are dirty, but otherwise she appears fine.
Fine, but irritated.
[This insolent peasant dares touch my Rey.] (Violet)
"Ah, she isn't down yet huh."
Both monstrous entities entered a glaring competition.
I can feel an intensity slowly rise as I remained motionless under the restraint of my assailant hailing his origins from the orphanage. From the looks of this current scene, I fear that a battle out of my hands would soon occur and I might end up being a part of collateral damage unintentionally.
I don't really mind it; I just do not want to be dragged back to that damned hellhole again.
If I want something to happen to my favour, I know that I have to act. There must be something in this situation that I can do. I quickly made an analysis in my mind.
This person is… no, was likely someone with a strength and skill of a high ranking adventurer. Such a person is assaulting me now. He uses a short sword and it is either his skill or sword which allows him to go against magic.
He could protect himself from magic projectiles by somehow swinging his sword, and he probably uses the sword in the initial attack which blew away Princess Violet…
Wait a second.
Firstly, he switched his hand to hold me down just now, and freed his sword wielding hand. Was it a whim, or was it because the sword could somehow fight against magic?
If that is the case, then the sword is probably a magic weapon like my shaft. And likely the characteristic of the sword is 'magic resistance'.
After all, if it nullifies magic or slices magic apart somehow, the barrier which Princess Violet held up in defence would have broken or cracked or get sliced apart, and not get blown away along with her.
[His sword is magic resistant!] (me)
"Oi oi… You shouldn't scream and shout lest you bite your tongue."
He spoke to me without looking at me, while focusing on swinging his swords at the barrage of magic projectiles flying in his… no, our direction.
Princess Violet probably realised that this person intents to kill or capture me, and because of that what disadvantage this person has.
He cannot move because he needs to focus on restraining me, and his sword is merely magic resistant.
I can see a colourful bombardment just above me. Suddenly, the short sword he has been wildly swinging made an abrupt thrust in a different direction.
A shadow blitz past in that direction. I can see a spray of blood and the shadow coming into contact with this previous adventurer.
"What"
Only one word made it out of his lips. I couldn't care less since the force pressing down on me has lessened. I yelled and pushed against the lightening force weighing on me. A push and a shove towards the side, I redirected the force and rolled away.
I let go of the shaft the moment I felt resistance, and thankfully I made the correct decision. His hand was grabbing onto the shaft, and if I had stubbornly held on, I might have gotten my neck or ribs crushed.
I quickly crouched and looked in his direction. There, I could see Princess Violet confronting him. Her arm which outstretched towards him is clad in a mould of darkness in the shape of claws of a beast. Resisting the claws is the short sword.
Princess Violet has opted for close combat and rushed in under the cover of her ranged magic attack. Knowing the properties of magic resistance, she utilised pure power to hit him and this allowed me to escape.
But this physical upfront confrontation wasn't clean or one-sided.
The elongated claws of darkness have managed to reach the face of the previous adventurer, taking out one of his eyes. In exchange, the shaft which he took from me has turned into his weapon. While using his sword to resist the incoming attack, he stabbed forward with the shaft.
"Damn, this is painful like hell. Seems like losing an eye really does drops your accuracy."
Under the moonlit area, the shaft impaled itself into the chest of the vampire princess.
I can feel the horror well up in my mouth as I looked at the unmoving clash before my eyes.
[VIOLET!] (me)
My mind, losing all remaining composure, went white.