Thankfully, Renee kept her promise and she stood before Isolde in a room that resembled a library. However, they were not there to read books. Instead, they both wielded swords and clashed fiercely. The fight was only supposed to last one or two hours, but the sound of metal colliding echoed for nearly twelve hours. One of the fighters seemed eager to end the battle several times, but her opponent refused to give her an opportunity to escape from the intense duel.
"Hey, whoever you were in the past, no matter how great your swordsmanship skills were back then, I think we'd better stop?"
Isolde's voice carried a tinge of desperation as she pleaded with the girl in front of her, though she was well aware that negotiating with Renee was futile at this point. Since last night, the girl had ignored everything Isolde had said. Despite this, Isolde persisted in trying to persuade her, even though she knew that it wasn't really Renee she was speaking to. But a wandering soul possessing the body of the girl before her, its two red eyes fixed on her.
"It seems like you're holding a lot of anger in and trying to take it out on me," Isolde said again as she tried to fend off the girl's sudden sword strike. "Instead of doing this, why don't you just tell me what you want and we can settle this peacefully?"
Despite the barrage of questions thrown her way, the wandering soul remained silent and trained her sword on the girl before her, treating Isolde as an opponent. Meanwhile, Isolde's strength gradually waned due to the bright weather outside, even though she hadn't directly absorbed any sunlight. It wasn't wise for her to expend her daytime energy in this futile battle against the thirsty wandering soul.
"Shouldn't we intervene?" asked the male vampire, who was shorter than Darius and had a childlike face despite being an adult. "If we let them continue like this, won't they both perish there?"
Darius and Dmitri, who had been observing the spectacle from a distance, grew concerned for the well-being of the two girls. However, without further instructions from Leon, they were unable to step in and could only watch the situation for now.
"Between the two of them, I am more worried about Isolde. As for the immortal girl, she will not die easily." Darius replied with his gaze focused on Renee who continued to attack Isolde relentlessly.
Although being immortal, Renee was still human, after all. But, the girl's face showed no signs of exhaustion. On the other hand, Isolde was a vampire. Physically stronger than the immortal girl, but starting to show signs of fatigue. Darius couldn't help but think that if they let the fight continue, Dmitri's prediction might come true. One of them would collapse and it would most likely be Isolde who would lose the fight.
Darius glanced over at Dmitri, hoping that he could give him another idea to end the fight between the two girls. But when he saw Dmitri's eyes turn yellow and his vampire fangs appear, Darius quickly changed his mind. It seemed that the one who needed saving now was not either of the girls, but Dmitri himself, who was physically vulnerable because he could no longer conceal his true identity.
"Look in the mirror, I think he's the one who needs help the most right now."
Dmitri turned and stared at his reflection in the enormous mirror. He was taken aback by his current state, "I think we really need Leon with us at this moment."
Darius agreed that Leon was the only one who could save the three, they desperately needed him to arrive here sooner rather than later. Time was of the essence, as it continued to tick away and the situation grew more dire by the minute. Darius could only hope that when Leon finally arrived, it wouldn't be too late to make a difference.
"Everyone, get out of this room." The voice immediately diverted everyone's attention and a relieved expression was seen on their faces.
"Finally.." Isolde breathed a sigh of relief as her savior arrived, indicating that she could eventually leave. She was standing in a defensive stance, holding her sword up against the girl with a drawn sword. With a burst of strength, Isolde pushed Renee away, creating some distance between them.
"I'll let you handle her," she said before walking past Leon and waved at the other two men in the room, signaling for them to leave.
The room fell silent in an instant, the chaos from before dissipating. The two people inside stared at each other intently, creating a tense atmosphere. After a moment, Leon spoke up. "I can only offer you two options."
The red-eyed girl, who had previously been raging, now appeared calm and fully invested in listening to every word Leon said. It was clear that the person speaking to her made a significant difference, as her demeanor completely shifted when Isolde approached her.
"First, you willingly leave the girl's body and return to your own." Leon said with his usual lack of emotion.
"Second, I am pressed for time and cannot waste it playing with you." His previously empty hand suddenly held an unusual sword that emitted a powerful aura. "I will be the one to end your life here."
The red-eyed girl remained motionless, showing no signs of fear in the face of danger. "You do realize that as a vampire, you cannot kill any soul, whether it is pure or corrupted."
Just like the fearless girl, Leon also appeared unfazed by her words. "I am not concerned about any consequences I may face for killing you. You have wasted a significant amount of my time."
Although the deal Leon made with humans was to take their souls, but according to the rules of the underworld, he was not allowed to harm or kill any soul under any circumstances. The Vampire's job was solely to collect and trade human souls for pure blood, which provided them with necessary power and energy. Whatever the souls did, it was insignificant to them as they had no authority to punish the soul in any way.
Since pure human blood is difficult for them to obtain, the arrangement between vampires and underworlders must be strictly adhered to, with both parties fully aware of the consequences if they fail to fulfill their roles. As residents of the human world, vampires must submit to the rule of the underworld and follow their regulations in order to stay alive.
The red-eyed girl knew that the man gripping his sword meant business, Leon was known as a vampire who valued efficiency in his work and detested wasting valuable time. When he said something, he would follow through with it, no matter what it was. This is why he is familiar as a creature of few words but speaks with actions. And most importantly, Leon didn't care about anyone else unless they were useful to him, so don't even bother catching his eye if you have nothing to offer him.
"But, it was your man who made a mistake first." The wandering soul tried to defend herself. "It's not my fault that I went wild like this."
Leon's sharp gaze was still directed at the girl. "Then, stop it."
The man's frustration grew, but the wandering soul attempted to shift the blame. "The girl said you would fulfill my request?" She tried her luck. "I'll leave this body, as long as you grant me one wish. You can consider it compensation for your mistake."
Leon's face was inscrutable, was he considering her proposal or giving her a final warning?
"In exchange, I will reveal my relationship with the owner of this body." The girl's tone became alluring. "When a soul is able to enter someone's body, it is not a random occurrence, but rather a result of a past connection between the two."
He was aware of this fact, which was why Leon had only appeared now, because he was investigating the connection between the wandering soul and Renee. But, despite going to the deepest level of the underworld, he found nothing to explain about them. It was all very strange and suspicious, Leon couldn't shake off the feeling that there were secrets surrounding Renee, something that were forbidden from being revealed.
"Aren't you also curious, who was she in the past?" A mischievous smile appeared on the girl's face as if successfully arousing Leon's curiosity.
"What do you want?"
***
Leon couldn't believe it when he saw that the wandering soul had chosen this particular place, the eternal river of water, known as the whispering river. Many believed that this river possessed healing powers that could restore the soul and vitality, but as its name suggests it also hints at dangerous magic that can ensnare visitors. Once you let your guard down in the water, the whispers would take over your mind and pull you deeper until you drowned and could no longer escape.
Despite its mystical nature and remote location, the whispering river was a popular destination, even among humans. Its waters were said to cure diseases and grant longevity, providing immediate relief from physical and spiritual ailments. However, many humans had lost their lives there and their bodies were never recovered. Still, the allure of this mysterious place continued to draw people in, as if it held a tempting promise that everyone sought after.
As the sun began to set and the sky turned a dark shade of yellow, Leon and the wandering soul arrived at their destination. Despite the growing darkness, they could still make out their surroundings clearly. Leon assumed that the girl would wait until all the other humans had left before entering the water, or at least wait for nightfall. But, he was surprised when she immediately took off her clothes and splashed into the river with a joyful sound.
After a while, the girl emerged from the water with her long black hair drenched and her lower half body submerged. The girl's eyes were back to their normal state and a wide smile adorned her face, it was as if the water had transformed Renee into a happier version of herself, something that impressed Leon greatly. He had never realized how charming a simple smile could be, especially coming from this girl, and it was the first time he had seen the real one on her face.
"Come in," Renee said, inviting the man to join her.
Leon reluctantly realized that the wandering soul's wish was not only for him to accompany her to this place, but also for him to enter the river alongside her. Regardless of his reservations, he had no choice but to follow her commands and see if the outcome would justify his actions.
"Hopefully I won't regret what I did this time," Leon's voice gave off a threatening impression to anyone who heard it.
The girl's smile grew wider, seemingly unperturbed. "Don't worry, you won't regret it." She said, moving her hands to keep herself afloat, "I'm sure you'll like it."
With a determined mind, Leon stripped off his black shirt and jeans, tossing them carelessly onto the grass beside the river. The last piece of clothing was removed after a brief pause, and the girl watched with satisfaction as Leon stood before her.
"I've never seen anything so tempting before. I love the way you look right now." She chuckled softly and admitted. Leon hoped it was her original body's owner speaking.
However, as soon as he dove into the river, his surroundings transformed completely. In the blink of an eye, the sun disappeared. The night took over with dark clouds and a bright full moon. He was alone, while the others seemed to have vanished long ago. Had he been in the water for hours now? Was that also part of the river's magic, or had something happened to him during that time that made him forget?
Just when he was about to rise from his spot, a pair of hands came from behind and held onto his chest, sending shivers down his spine. Then, the woman's body pressed against his back, eliminating any space between them until their skin finally met skin.
On that day, Leon learned something new about himself, the touch of the girl made his body react in ways he couldn't control. When her eyes sent an electric sensation through him, then her touch could awaken every cell in his body. Leon felt his animal instincts awakening, which he knew was dangerous because his emotions were taking over.
Leon finally realized that this woman was the most dangerous thing to ever enter his life. And yet, she may have been even more dangerous in the past.
From a distance, they looked like a couple embracing in a large pool. But when seen from underwater, it became apparent that the girl's hand was slowly moving towards the man's private area.
"Don't you have the slightest respect for the owner of your body?" Leon scolded, gripping the girl's hand tightly as she reached for a part of his body that he didn't want her to touch. He turned his head to see the person who had wrapped her arms around him so roughly.
The girl laughed in response to his question, her body shaking with amusement before she replied, "What if it's not me who wants this, but the owner of this body?"
***