NorthLeaf Wilds, County of Luvia.
The dawn illuminated the sky, the light penetrating the thick canopy of the forest. Flames burned using the monster carcasses as fuel, lighting the surroundings. A black-haired man, clad in robes of black stood in the midst of the flames, surrounded by burning corpses and a few alive dire wolves.
His eyes were unfazed even when outnumbered, and a calm and noble look on his face showcased his elegance and confidence.
"Hohoho, look who is it if it isn't Lord Aamon of the House Soren himself," a deep voice answered Aamon's question as a figure revealed itself from the darkness of the woods, "I feel honored."
A figure wearing a torn, old black robe appeared out from the darkness of the woods. The hood was pressed deeply, and nothing could be seen beneath the darkness.
"A MistSoul" Aamon's brow furrowed. A MistSoul was a [Vlam] level threat that he didn't expect to encounter on this expedition. Moreover, contrary to the beasts, they possessed the intelligence of a human, making them a much more formidable opponent. Having a MistSoul in such close proximity to the County of Luvia was not a good sign.
"As expected from an Auror Knight, you recognized me with just a glance." The robed man didn't seem startled by the discovery but seemed quite overjoyed.
"It would be foolish on my part if I didn't recognize a demon of your caliber." His cold eyes of his appeared calm on his otherwise expressionless face.
"A demon? Now that hurts. And here I thought you were better than the others." The robed man teased playfully as if hurt by Aamon's accusations. However, MistBeasts and MistSouls were treated as monsters and demons by the people and hunted at every possible chance.
"I only speak what's true. You only delude yourself by thinking otherwise but the law of the land always prevails and it says to hunt you down."
Saying so, Aamon's hand slowly reached towards the hilt of his sword. He had already spent more than enough moments indulging in a discussion that wouldn't bear any fruits but nevertheless, it helped him to replenish his mana.
A MistSoul was a shaman who commanded the MistBeasts monsters. They were sorcerers who specialized in both magic and combat, and the empire labeled them as 'evil' for their use of 'Dark Arts,' despite the empire's general tolerance of various fields of magic.
As a result, the empire always dispatched armies to areas where such shamans were active in order to completely eradicate them. Because the Auror Knights were the highest level organization dealing with Dark Arts, they were usually sent to deal with such shamans. This also meant that Aamon had faced a MistSoul of [Vlam] rank before, though a brief encounter.
'Since I've only faced dire wolves so far, it's not a particularly strong one...'
A cold gleam flashed across Aamon's squinted eyes as he thought this.
His body shot straight for the MistSoul, like an arrow released from the bowstring. He drew his sword from its scabbard with a flick of his right hand.
In the red hue of dawn, the sword's blade shone with a sharp, cold gleam.
Perhaps realizing the intent, the MistSoul who was clad in a black robe, drew out its wooden staff.
Clank!
Boom!
Whack!
Clank!
Each time Aamon flicked his hands, the cold blade left behind a trail of light, and splinters of wood flew in the air, weakening the wooden staff as a result. Seeing their master under attack, the dire wolves raged toward the two fighting with a sorrowful wail but the sparks and the mana pressure prevented them from coming any closer.
"Keukkk"
Aamon gritted his teeth as he continued swinging his sword, laced with his aura, while the MistSoul continued to defend from the attacks at the cost of weakening his staff's durability.
"It seems you are not at your best," the MistSoul asked while continuing to defend. So far, he was only on the receiving end and had yet to make its first move.
"Why does it matter? I can still take care of you, very easily."
Aamon knew he was weak at the moment but he was confident enough to take down the MistSoul with him. What worried him the most were the dire wolves and what would they do to his defenseless self afterward.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Aamon's body was flung backward, pushing him away a few meters. He swiftly landed on the ground, his attire without any blemish but he was now vulnerable to the dire wolves' attack.
"Howll"
Immediately, the remaining dire wolves who had been waiting charged toward Aamon.
Thud!
One of the dire wolves crashed into him. It wasn't enough to throw him backward but he clearly felt the shock in his bones.
Khachkkkk!
He raised his sword and dug it deep down into the dire wolf's skull, killing it instantly.
"Hahhh…*cough*"
Aamon was strong but he was a lone man in the end. His 'Lone Wolf' personality prevented him from joining with a hunting partner and as a result, he would often end up in troublesome circumstances such as today. His coughing up blood and the pain were evidence of that.
He inhaled deeply and tightened his grip on his sword. His muscles, which were harder and thicker than normal human muscles, wriggled in frustration, unable to withstand the overwhelming force.
Aamon jerked his hands back. The sword was violently drawn out, causing a flood of fresh blood to erupt.
His sword flickered as it cut a dire wolf's leg. "Howwllll!" Shrill wolf calls rang out, but this time they were different. As he moved forward, he brandished the sword in his hand.
Bang! Aamon felt a powerful force pass through his hand, and the sword nearly flew out of his grasp. "Keukkkk," the impact forced him to let out a groan.
"Come!" He held his breath as the battle with the dire wolves reached its climax.
He finally let go completely at this point in time. He vented his fear of death in the previous world as 'Nanashi' and his apprehension at entering a foreign world as the villain 'Aamon von Soren' with each sword stroke.
His sword hacked downwards, bringing a silver light with it. As it slashed toward the ground, his body twisted, drawing strength from his powerful waist muscles. He made another slash with the sword's powerful flow.
Slash!
The sword viciously slashed the dire wolf's body, opening a large wound. As fresh blood sprayed out constantly, the dire wolf whined and fell silent soon after.
"Just one more." As he charged forward, Aamon's eyes shone. His sword swung past, and the last remaining dire wolf's huge head flew away.
Stepping on a giant dire wolf's head in contempt after dealing with the last remaining dire wolf, Aamon felt content.
"Shall we finish our business?" He said as he looked towards the black-robed figure standing far away.