The two clashed with extraordinary skill and speed, their blades meeting in a symphony of rapid strikes. The intensity of their battle was evident from the thunderous clashes and the sheer ferocity of their movements. Initially, a hint of a smile graced their faces, but as the fight progressed, determination and focus replaced any trace of amusement.
In this close combat encounter, it became apparent that the woman held the advantage. Her attacks were swift and precise, effortlessly parrying all of the assassin's attempts. The assassin, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with her onslaught, his movements becoming increasingly strained.
"You truly are incredible... I have never encountered someone with such impressive melee combat skills," the assassin remarked.
"What's the matter? Are you starting to feel afraid now that you know you're going to die?" the woman taunted.
Their movements were so rapid that even those watching from the sidelines struggled to keep up with the flurry of action.
"What in the world is happening? It feels like we've stumbled into something truly terrifying," Alex exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic.
"Wow! This is the first time I've witnessed such a clash between highly skilled individuals!" Carmella marveled.
"Don't you think we should do something other than standing here and watching?" Vermilion suggested.
"Are you out of your mind? There's no way we can intervene in their fight! We'd be signing our own death warrants," Alex protested.
"He's right. All we can do is hope for our own safety," Carmella added.
"I truly hope she can defeat him," Vermilion whispered under her breath.
The assassin began to realize that close combat was not in his favor. To break the stalemate, he utilized the walls of the alley, repeatedly leaping and attempting to create distance between them. After all, his katana had greater reach compared to the woman's dagger.
Despite his increased attack speed, the woman effortlessly parried his strikes, showing no signs of faltering.
"Do you honestly believe that you can defeat me by merely using the environment to your advantage? How naïve," she retorted.
"Don't get too complacent! Your attacks are utterly useless against me," the assassin declared.
"There's no need to say anything more. You'll soon become another lifeless body beneath my dagger," the woman threatened.
'Her knife skills are erratic yet captivating. I can hardly anticipate her movements, but it's still not a problem for me!' the assassin thought confidently.
The battle continued unabated, their swift movements gradually wearing down the assassin's stamina, causing his strikes to slow. In contrast, the woman remained steadfast, patiently awaiting her opportunity. She saw through his every move, and in a split second, she seized her chance, knocking his katana from his grasp.
"What...? My katana!" the assassin exclaimed.
"Go to hell!" the woman spat.
Seizing the moment, she closed the distance between them, intent on delivering a fatal blow to his neck. Caught off guard, the assassin panicked for a brief moment, but his vast combat experience kicked in. Determined not to be outdone, he swiftly retrieved a hidden revolver from under his robe.
"Try to dodge this with your dagger!"
'A revolver?!! Damn! I'm getting too close to dodge!!!' the woman thought, a sense of urgency coursing through her.
The assassin shot her in the foot. In such close proximity, the woman had no chance to evade the bullet, which found its mark in her left leg. Losing her balance, she fell to the ground, dropping her dagger. Gazing down at her wounded leg, she cradled it with her left hand.
"Argh! My leg..." she groaned.
'Damn! I was careless!' she thought bitterly.
"Hahaha! Game over, woman!" the assassin proclaimed triumphantly, raising his katana high above his head, poised to strike a fatal blow.
However, as he prepared to end her life, she lifted her head and locked eyes with him, a fierce and unwavering gaze. Startled by the intensity in her eyes, the assassin hesitated for a moment. Sensing the opportunity, she swiftly threw a small knife towards him, piercing his palm that held the katana.
"Game over? How about a checkmate!" the woman laughed triumphantly.
"Grrahh! Damn you, you crazy witch!" the assassin growled in pain.
Undeterred, he retrieved his gun once more, aiming it directly at the woman. Witnessing this, Vermilion summoned her courage and stepped in front of the woman, determined to protect her.
"Enough! Stop it!" Vermilion demanded.
"Get out of my way! Don't force me to shoot you!" the assassin warned, his eyes filled with rage.
The woman cast a fleeting glance at Vermilion's back. The gunshot wound on her foot bled profusely, and sweat streamed down her face as she was on the verge of losing consciousness. She crawled towards Vermilion then she reached out her hand and tightly gripping onto Vermilion's leg.
"Stay away…" she managed to muster the strength to utter, her voice strained.
"Just hang on there!"
"I'll count to one, and if you don't move, I'll send both of you to hell!"
"I won't let you do so!"
"You're as stubborn as they come! Three! Two!..."
"Oh, my goodness! Vermilion, step back!" Carmella and Alex shouted in unison.
"One! DIE!" the assassin roared.
"VERMILION!"
As soon as he finished counting down, he pulled the trigger and fired a shot at Vermilion. They couldn't bear to look directly and closed their eyes in fear. When everyone, including Vermilion herself, thought she was bound to die, the bullet simply passed through her and the woman without injuring them.
A few seconds after they heard the gunshots, the surroundings suddenly became extremely quiet. Vermilion slowly opened her eyes and saw the assassin looking at her in surprise.
"What happened? I thought I was going to die," Vermilion said.
"Did he miss the shot? It doesn't seem possible," she wondered.
She turned around and saw the woman, unconscious but still holding onto Vermilion's leg tightly. Vermilion noticed a bullet hole on the ground nearby. She looked at Carmella and Alex, who were showing extremely shocked faces with their mouths open.
"Carmella! Alex! What just happened?!"
They didn't respond. Vermilion had no idea what was going on and how she and the woman were still alive after the assassin had shot at them. Meanwhile, the assassin himself was shockingly staring at the ground where Vermilion had been standing.
"How could this be possible?! They just vanished right in front of my eyes!" the assassin exclaimed, bewildered.
"Alex! Did you see it?! They just disappeared!"
"Yes! I did! What the heck just happened?!"
"Vermilion! Where are you?!" Carmella shouted, searching frantically.
"I've been here the whole time! What are you guys talking about?!" Vermilion replied, confused.
"Hey! What's going on there?! We heard gunshots!" a group of people shouted from a distance.
"This is ridiculous! I didn't expect to encounter so many interesting things today! Hahaha!" the assassin said, realizing he had an opportunity to escape, and he quickly ran away.
"Phew! He just ran away. I thought he was going to shoot at me again… Carmella! Could you come over and check on her? Carmella? Alex?"
Carmella and Alex couldn't see or hear Vermilion. After a while, they suddenly saw Vermilion and the woman standing there, reemerging before their eyes, startling both Carmella and Alex once again.
"Vermilion?! Where did you go?!" Carmella asked, confused.
"I've been here all the time! I didn't go anywhere."
"But you just disappeared together with the woman when the guy fired the shot right in front of us!"
"Seriously? How is that possible... Wait a minute. Lyon and I have experienced similar strange phenomena before. We were standing right in front of soldiers, but they didn't seem to see us. Let's ignore that for now and see if she's okay."
"She appears to have lost too much blood and passed out. Let me do some simple emergency treatment first," Carmella quickly responded.
"Hey, it seems like a group of people is heading this way!" Alex alerted them.
"Let's carry her back to our house. Alex, lend me your shoulder, and let's carry her together. Vermilion, help us make sure the road ahead is clear and no one runs into us," Carmella instructed.
"Alright!"
They quickly returned home with the woman. Carmella immediately took out the first aid kit and cleaned her wound, removing the bullet from her leg.
"I've stopped the bleeding, but with a wound this deep, there's not much more I can do. Her situation is still dangerous. Alex, do you know where Dr. Apgar is?"
"She just came back with me and then headed to the train station. I think she wanted to go to another city."
"Go look for her now! Hopefully, she hasn't left yet."
"Alright, alright!"
"I'll go with you too!" Vermilion offered.
"Okay!"
They quickly ran to the train station, scanning the crowded area for Dr. Apgar.
"Announcement: Dear passengers, the train service from Luthernza to Lemburg has been delayed for 2 hours due to weather conditions," the announcement blared over the speakers.
"Seriously? I've been waiting for over an hour, and now the train is delayed again?" Dr. Apgar muttered.
"I guess I have no choice. I'll just stay with them tonight instead of wasting my time waiting at the train station."
"Dr. Apgar?!" Vermilion finally spotted her.
"Hmm?! Do you have a sixth sense or something? How did you know I was going to find you guys?" Dr. Apgar asked, surprised.
"Please come with us quickly. She is dying!"
"She? Who? Carmella?!" Dr. Apgar asked in concern.
"No, just come with us now, please!"
"Okay, okay."
After they arrived home, Dr. Apgar rushed to treat the woman's wound, and Carmella took the opportunity to observe and learn from the sidelines.
"Alright! She's fine. At most, she probably won't be able to walk properly for the next few months," Dr. Apgar announced.
"Phew! Thank you so much, Doctor! Has she regained consciousness?" Vermilion asked, relieved.
"No, by the way, who is she?"
"Um... she is... someone who saved me and Lyon before."
"So, she's your savior, right? But how did she get hit by the gunshot? Did something happen to all of you?"
"Yes, but it should be all right now," Vermilion assured.
"Well then, since my train has been delayed, I'll just stay with you guys tonight instead of wasting my time waiting at the train station."
"Alright, you can have my bed, Dr. Apgar. I'll sleep on the sofa," Carmella offered.
"Carmella, it's fine. Let Dr. Apgar have my bed, and I'll just stay in the living room," Vermilion insisted.
"You want to sleep beside the window again?" Carmella teased.
"I'm still not used to sleeping on a bed."
"Well, then I'll sleep in your bed. Where's Alex?"
"He's already in his room. I think he's already asleep," Carmella replied.
"That lazy brat," Dr. Apgar chuckled.
"Rest well, everyone. We're all exhausted from everything that's happened. Good night," Carmella wished them.
"Good night, Carmella…"