A sword inherently possesses a sense of aura, and martial artists are particularly sensitive to this.
That was why Sev dulled the blade of his sword. Only the very tip of the blade remained sharp, honed to perfection.
Crouching low, he carefully planted one hand on the ground to brace himself for a spring. His other hand angled the sword forward, its tip aimed precisely at the chest of the small, oblivious girl sitting beyond the bushes.
'...All for Elise.'
If it had been a rare, incurable condition like Nine Sound Vein Disorder, he might have given up.
Even if it had been an innate affliction, something she was born with, he could have accepted it.
But it wasn't.
This was a created affliction, the result of special martial arts that had deliberately sealed her meridians. The bitterly cold energy twisted her blood vessels and constricted her heart.
