What was the best way to defeat a summoner? Answer was simple. Don't attack the summoned, attack the summoner first. At least it sounded simple enough. But seeing the army of strong mosters between us, reaching her wasn't going to be an easy task. Even when I reached her, it was highly that she had some trump card. She also was a vampire. She wouldn't just roll over and die because I swung my sword at her. I injected mana to my sword. It was just a little amount, what I could muster. But even that was enough to start Resonence. It started to shine brightly.
"You think you can defeat me that…"
"Shut the fuck up, whore."
She looked at me with offended expression.
"You think it is okay to trample lives? Because they are not your race? You think you can just step on them?"
My sword cut down some of the monsters close to me. Others tried to catch me off balance but they were stopped with throwing knives piercing their eyes. I remembered the time when Father took me to Granfather's grave for the first time. I was something like 4 at that time.
"Burak, this is your grandfather."
I just tilted my head.
"He was a hunter. He died before you were born."
"Why?"
I asked with a childish curiosity. I didn't understood what death meant. I was just a child. Father picked me up. Raising me above his head, he asked.
"Do you see the barriers right there?"
"Yes."
"We used to live past there. Most people did. One day monsters attacked. Dungeon break, they called it. Your Grandfather, my father picked up an axe and rushed towards them. He held them off until most people ran away. He saved them."
"Then he died?"
My reaction was cruel. I didn't know how to react, I was just a child. Remembering back I felt bad. Tears were already formed in Father's eyes.
"Yes. But he is still here. The people he saved are still here. We are here. Humans die, Burak. We will pass away in the end. But what we do remains. What your Grandfather did will remain until eternity. He will be remembered as a hero."
A story I heard countless times. Everytime it was slightly different. Some details changed. Words were changed. Only things never changed were his proud face and voice. Granfather. The man who was never actually trained in combat. He just took an axe which used to chop wood and held the line for his family and friends. A martyr who died for others.
"Then you should have died! Your grandfather died like a human! If dying meant that keeping your honor as a human, you should have died!"
No. What did that bastard knew about Grandfather?
"Grandfather, even if I lost my humanity and betrayed you, give me your strength."
A horde of monsters. People behind us. We were nearly in same condition, huh?
"Bind him you dumb fuck!"
Rosalyn angerly shouted. An orc shaman started to whisper words. He was guarded by several other orcs holding shields. A clean shot was impossible.
"It doesn't matter."
One of my throwing knives drew wild arcs before piercing the eye of the shaman orc. It wasn't enough to kill him but it would stop him from casting spells for time being.
"How? How did you?"
Rosalyn shouted me. She was lucky she was out of my throwing knife range. If I could grab my bow, I could take a shot but with monsters surrounding me it was impossible. Just killing them and avoiding their attack took all of my attention. Even with all of my focus one slip could…
"Argh!"
… Lead to this. I groined as a tiger like creature swiped my back with its claws. Deep lashes formed where it hit me. I balanced myself. I swung my sword towards that tiger creature. I hit its head and my entire arm shook. Its skull was hard as diamonds! I either needed more power or had to strike its weak points. But it was so difficult to do right now! Fighting against multiple opponents required me to move, dodge and block rapidly. I could only find openings in a very limited situations! And even when I did, I couldn't choose where I attacked that much!
"Against a strong enemy, you will die before that happens. If you want an opening you have to create it. Now, go and kill that son of a bitch!"
How I am supposed to create an opening in a place like this? I was getting tired. I was on constantly move. My eye hurt due all the information I was taking.
"Transfer."
I felt my strength increasing. First equipment I ever used Blood Reinforcement on was the sword I held in my hand. It had ability to store blood and transfer it to me. In a place like this, where blood and enemy were plenty, I could use it to get advantage. Bleeding on my back stopped. This didn't meant that I could just suck blood from my enemies all the time however. It was like eating. I need to digest. So I couldn't just rely on it. Still, I moved. I swung and thrust my sword. I bend my body to dodge attack. I jumped. It was like a chaotic dance. Wounds kept increasing in my body. Still, I didn't stop. My body was covered with sweat and blood, my own and my enemy's. Corpses covered the area I was in. I stepped on them. Monsters with elemental abilities came, spewing fire and ice. I killed them.
"How? How are you doing this?"
Is this what Grandfather felt? In pain and tired? Did his lungs burned like mine? Did his arms felt like heavy logs? Did his legs got stuck on the mud created by monster's blood and guts?
"Yet he didn't stop."
He was just a human. But he held on.
"Get away! I can't believe I lost this much to someone like you!"
She walked towards me.
"Come, Roland and Astolfo."
Two gates appeared at her both sides. From left one a black snake with one horn came out. It was big as a bus. Other one was a green wyvern. Two legs and two wings. It was smaller. It drooled to ground. I guessed that it was venomous.
"I will personally kill you."
She spat out. I smiled.
"Bet on it."