Werewolves, the beasts of the full moon. They are creatures of the night that preys on anything that have flesh. Feared by many. It was just a week ago when he heard of rumors that a werewolf have taken control of the forests.

But for Peterson, they were just an object for his curiosity. He wanted to see with his own eyes and if possible touch its dreaded furs. He left his home first thing in the morning and started tracking this beast on the forest where it was speculated to be its hunting grounds. And on the next day, he found tracks. It led him into a rocky den full of direwolves.

Thinking that the beast is inside the cave, he provoked the pack by attacking. It took him almost an hour to completely wipe them out. But much to his disappointment, he only found traces of the beast. It only told him that the werewolf was indeed there but it was already two to three days old.

He was about to return back in disappointment when he sensed someone’s presence entering the den. And it was not a direwolf or the werewolf but a human. The smell told him that it’s a woman.

She started inspecting the corpses he left behind and he decided to reveal himself. Then to his surprise it was the foreign woman he had heard so much about. She was on her strange black armor, peculiar blades and a long bow. After a small dialogue, he felt a great ravenous aura coming from her.

He also noticed immediately the implication of the sudden hostilities between the two of them.

Suddenly, her eyes seemed to throb and turned black. Then, he felt that he is swimming on the black sea. And a large dark whirlpool is steadily closing towards him. Grinning from ear to ear, he swam towards the swirling darkness, excited to see what will happen. It swallowed him whole and he sunk quickly to its depths.

Then he returned in front of the shocked and surprised eyes.

“Impressive… magnificent.” The woman in front of him is now showing a toothy grin.

“Hehhh? I never saw something like that before. What was that?” his heart is now beating loudly, full of anticipation and excitement.

“Well, nevermind.” He replied in respect with bloodlust.

He secretly nimbly flexes his fingers and limbs in preparing his weapons under his clothes.

“My turn to ask, now tell me… are you strong?” he tilted his head.

She took a stance that seemed to let her draw her sword. He still saw her same anticipating grin and then she replied.

“The only one stronger than me is… Death.”

These words caused something inside him to burst.

Using his flexible legs, he disappeared from her sight and left two daggers flying towards her.

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

As soon as he got the confirmation of words, he immediately jumped to the side. And using the Sun’s reflection from his daggers, he tried to blind his enemy as it flies towards her. But as he have also expected, instead of dodging it, the woman used her peculiar short blade to parry the knives away.

Taking that as an opportunity to attack while her blade was out of position to counter, he rushed towards her blindspot on her left side. Knowing that there is a height difference between them, he decided to strike on her unguarded lower body. He also knew that his strength may not be enough to penetrate deeply if he hits an armor or bone so his left hand is supporting the right hand for pushing the weapon into the flesh.

But as soon as he reached the lethal distance for his knife, he reflexively used his weapon to block something. And he did receive a slash that pushed him away with great force. When he landed he saw that her right hand has unsheathed another peculiar short blade.

‘Wait, isn’t she carrying just two blades which was a short and longer one? Where did she get another short blade?’ he got confused. When he saw her earlier, she was just carrying two blades on her waist.

Then after careful look, he realized that there are four scabbards which is obviously for a knife size blade, two short blades and a single longer blade.

Maybe a blind spot from standing above earlier that he was foolishly deceived by what he saw.

And while he was still contemplating for a second, it was Mizuki’s turn to dash towards him which immediately eliminated the distance between them. She kicked the ground to gain tremendous distance and speed that helped her drew near Peterson.

With a white flash of her blade, she struck Peterson on his right shoulder which cut his body to half.

…Or what should have happened.

She was not the only one hiding the number of her blades.

Peterson had unsheathed one of his daggers from his back and used both of his weapons to block Mizuki’s sudden strike. It was so fast that Mizuki was surprised to see such quick response from him. The instant their weapons clash together, the great force of her strike and his lighter weight caused him again to fly a distance.

‘Nice. He doesn’t use wide swings. And my past opponents who used knives and daggers would usually mistake to always jump, making them very easy targets and got them killed. But he knew that keeping his feet on the ground makes him much deadlier and harder target. He is not your inexperience or average dagger user. He knows how to use his weapon of choice.’ She mused.

He also used this momentum of getting pushed away to create a good distance from her by using his right leg to kick the ground. Just enough for him to counterattack once again with the same advantage for his daggers.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Even if she felt that the fight is just beginning, she can’t find to contain her excitement. She started laughing as soon as their weapons got into contact for the first time.

‘She’s laughing? She really is a strange woman. Well, I can’t blame her. I am also greatly enjoying this!’

Peterson thought as he again took the initiative by chasing after her, intending not to give her a chance to breathe or a second to rest.

She gave another flash of steel, this time with two of her blades. Peterson seeing the direction of her blades, he met her blades head on with his two daggers.

Mizuki kept on swinging her two short blades this time without stopping.

‘She is strong! Stronger than what I have expected! Stronger than anyone I have met!! And most of all, she is much, much, much stronger than me!!!’

Peterson excitement is flooding his thoughts even so it didn’t hamper his skills and movement to face his opponent. He also knew that he didn’t have the strength to parry away her every blade strikes so he has to reduce his defensive actions and be aggressive.

Dodging from the left, countering from the right, parrying the thrusts, sidestep from the right and blocking another strike.

Lightly and quickly, Peterson used his entire body in keeping his own life while trying to take another’s life. He was even forced to use his fur boots that had thick iron plates in diverting the blades away.

‘A-another parry from his feet?! He really can see my movements! What an incredible boy! This is the fifth time he parried my blades. Then how about this?!’

Mizuki’s right blade strikes on the low to have him occupied for an instant if he successfully dodges. Then her other blade prepared to strike as she turns her body to the left as a response to dodge his quick thrusts and use it to attack.

‘That was close! She is quite good in using her two blades effectively. One fatal misinterpretation and I’ll lose. I cannot defeat her with those two blades guarding and countering from every blindspot she had. I must disable one of them first!’

Peterson knew that a strike from below is coming so he jumped to the side in split second the moment her blade reached where he was. And he used his dagger on the right to thrust at her shoulder the moment she twist her body, intending to disable her left arm completely. While his left dagger prepared for any counter.

‘I cannot even feel that he is losing in terms of strength after parrying most of my attacks. And his small body makes it easier for him to respond and move quicker than me. And I hate to admit it but I am inferior in the resolve to meet Death head on. It seems I made a mistake in rushing earlier. I must create a distance from him.’

But Mizuki also realize that she had severely underestimated the child.

So after failing to land a blow from her low strike, she swung her blade from her left to parry the dagger and intending to kick his body.

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‘A kick? It’s already too late to twist my body!’

In an instant after his thrust was parried, Peterson noticed a slight movement from her left hip.

But he knew that he cannot dodge the incoming kick as his feet still haven’t touched the ground. So the dagger on his left hand that was preparing for the counter earlier will be used to pierce her incoming feet.

‘He still saw through my intent? What a heightened senses with quick reflexes and eagle eyes! I have to misdirect him somehow!’

And also in split second, Mizuki noticed the small change of angle on his head. She feel that he just realized her intention but still goes through with her plan to kick him away. But with an additional thrust from her free right blade.

‘I forgot her other blade!’ Peterson suddenly remembered that he is vulnerable the moment he used his left dagger so he instead decided to use it to guard his body from the incoming thrust which he just noticed. And with his quick flexible fingers, he twisted the dagger on his right in reverse grip to stab her leg as soon as her kick lands on his body.

‘This child really impressed me to no end! Sorry little puppy, but I equally treat my opponents!’

He was able to guard his body from her right blade but Mizuki is quicker in responding to his changes.

‘It’s light… eh?’ Peterson’s right dagger stabbed an empty air. He didn’t notice in the last second that Mizuki actually made a feint kick.

Then with his mistake, Mizuki used it as a chance to precede planting her leg on his unguarded left and kicked him to the side. It was so strong that he didn’t even have the chance to contain his bodily response in vomiting saliva.

“AACKK!”

His small body flew quite a distance away from her. But this time he took heavy body damage from the harsh landing he got on the ground and the powerful kick he received. Waves of pain surged on the right side of his body and on his back.

Although both of them felt that everything were already hours long, in reality what they did had just happened in several minutes only. So if there are onlookers present, all they can see clearly were the sparks from every contact of their weapons.

“Aacck! *Cough *Cough *Cough *Cough…*Cough haa…”

‘Previously she was the one taking the initiative but all of the sudden she tried to put a distance between us. *cough… Either she deemed me dangerous at close combat which in reality is not true, *cough *cough as she had the advantage in terms of pure skill, reach and range of her weapons. Or… she needs a temporary breather because of her limited stamina.’ he was able to guess correctly her intent.

“Haaa… fuuu… haa… fuuu… haaa… fuuuu…haaa… fuuu…” Mizuki took deep breathes to regain her lost stamina and air back to her body.

Unlike him, Mizuki’s blade arts were based on the combined aspects of timing every breath she takes with her movement and also in consideration to every beat of her heart.

But his swings were no different than a wild beast with outstanding mind of a human being. It doesn’t follow any pattern or technique, it simply adapts to anything that she throws at him.

And most of all, this is the longest fight Mizuki ever had. Her previous one was against an assassin whom only took her ten breathes to take him down. But this boy was able to survive long enough for Mizuki to lose most of her stamina, also the first time to ever happen to her.

Peterson planted his right foot down, forcibly to support his still wobbling body. He wiped the dripping saliva from his lips.

“It’s just as I have hoped from you… or rather, you are more than what everyone have said or thought about you… *cough *cough… the rumors seemed to have done you injustice… I only hope that I was not a boring opponent for you.”

“Hehehehe… Don’t worry. I can assure you that you have now my attention and eyes. You were so dreadfully skilled that I have to disperse the thoughts of you being a child. Who trained you?”

“Trained? *cough… *cough… haaa… no one for I have no luxury of getting one.”

“Really? Then that just made you even more interesting.”

Mizuki smiled. She finally got enough air in her body to continue once again.

“Same.”

Peterson responded with his own grin and prepared himself also for another round.

Two wakizashis and two serrated daggers aimed at each other.

Both of them close their distanced to one another. Mizuki picked up a pack of dirt using the edges of her two blades and threw it towards Peterson to blind her opponent if possible.

But Peterson was able to sense her intention and instead decided to use it as his opening to attack.

He intentionally received what was thrown but closed his eyes just in time for the dirt to reach his face. With Mizuki’s stance practically open after her initial move, he used his other senses to advance instead.

Such skill shocked Mizuki after she realized that she fell to his trap. He has every advantage at that very moment. Her two blades were not in a position to counter or defend after throwing the dirt.

Peterson decided to take the opportunity to end the fight and struck Mizuki on her chest with both of his daggers.

His attack finally hit his intended target.

The blades of his daggers penetrated through her chest armor and missed the ribs which should have protected her heart.

Mizuki spat blood in response and lost control over her body and fell to the ground.

…that,

…should’ve been the outcome.

But Peterson also sensed at that very moment that he also made a mistake.

What his hands felt was a metallic response which should’ve been a cloth or flesh.

He used his two daggers to rip through her chest armor.

And it revealed the protection which stopped his two daggers; a thick layer of chainmail with a thick cloth underneath.

“Hahaha, too bad.” He heard her laughed. Then he tried to take a distance again by leaping away from her after realizing that he already lost the advantage. His decisive action enabled him to dodge her incoming counter.

He landed on his feet and saw her naughty side.

“Your timing should’ve been perfect there but... tsk… tsk, it was truly regrettable… right?” She blinked at him as she stuck out her tongue.

“Hehhh, it was my fault anyway. I actually forgot to think about what could possibly be under your armor.” He replied to her taunt.

‘Yeah although his ability to “see” even without using his eyes are truly an exceptional skill of its own, but his instantaneous decision to use it as an opening against me just made him even more dangerous. I don’t have such talent so I have to admit that I am quite envious of him now.’ Mizuki silently complimented him.

Preoccupied on their duel, both of them didn’t even notice that the clouds have already darkened the sky.

Not even after droplets of water started falling on their bodies.

Both of them didn’t have the time also for deep thoughts about any matter other than the one in front of them. Thinking and trying to take the initiative.

This time Peterson decided to change his way to get over her defenses after knowing that only precise attacks on specific parts of her body would disable her.

Mizuki also intends of doing the same.

Their battle has changed from going for an instant victory to waiting for the opportunity. But still both of them cannot just stand and lazily looked at their respective opponents and let time pass.

But instead they continued to fight for the initiative by setting up feints and traps during their fight.

Mizuki used again her wakizashis to control the distance, knowing that his dagger can only be effective at a very close range or if he throws it. She would also sometimes aim at his feet by stepping on them to break his balance but Peterson also fought back by reflexively using it against her blades.

‘He really is a well-balanced opponent. But it’s time.’ She finally got the opportunity she was waiting for.

Mizuki decided to use one of her deadly techniques.

Although it is one of her techniques to accurately take out her opponents, this technique is quite easy to be seen and countered as such she had to wait for the moment where she can use it against him.

She wanted to use this previously but after seeing his quick reflexes and heightened senses, she decided to be patient and slowly let Peterson get lured and focused on attacking without making it obvious.

By twisting her body, she was able to misdirect him then successfully used her left foot to kick Peterson’s elbow which caused him to miss his thrust. She used that chance to spring away from him using her other foot.

She made a good distance for her plan.

Peterson pursued with daggers drawn towards her.

With a deep quick breathe, she made her two blade stance and jumped forward.

In quick succession, one of her wakizashi caught the tip of the two daggers and pushes them on the other side, disallowing Peterson to use his hands to defend himself.

Then unlike before, this time her other wakizashi reached its target, Peterson’s upper body.

Peterson doesn’t have any chainmail as a protection so the tip went through his chest and out on his back. A one sided attack.

To maximize the damage, Mizuki used one of her foot to push his body from her blade. Twisting as it withdrew from his flesh, causing massive bleeding inside his body and to any organ that was hit, particularly his heart.

From the red mark on his clothe, Mizuki must have taken out his most important organ already.

‘Thorn of the Crimson Lotus’

A technique aimed to gouge out the heart of her opponents.

“Fuuu… ha… that was one of the greatest fights I ever had little puppy.”

She shook the blood from her wakizashi and put them back on their respective scabbards.

However… contrary to her expectations, he didn’t of fall down.

Peterson only wobbled and spat some blood from his mouth.

He coughed many times before grinning back to her which confuses her.

“You… *cough… already successfully struck me two times… Ack, haaa… *cough *cough but you still have no scratch on your body or skin. *cough… You really are the best of the best.”

“W-why… Ehh? How?” she was shocked after seeing that it didn’t take him out. She immediately drew her blades again, preparing herself.

He grinned towards her as he showed her his bleeding open wound, letting her see something inhuman. The gaping hole on his chest quickly mended itself, leaving almost no trace of the injury. Not even a scar or mark was left behind.

“Tsk… tsk, *cough *cough… it was truly regrettable, isn’t it?” Peterson used her previous words against her.

Someone actually survived one of her techniques. This boy just took another first time from her.

But instead of getting infuriated…

… or feeling humiliated,

… or feeling insulted,

…this result only increased her excitement which was already off the roof.

And most of all, someone actually cheated Death, the only god she admired and worshipped.

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!” she laughed her heart out that she had to clutch her belly.

‘This… this country really amazes me to no end! Now thanks to you, I have neither regrets nor any complaints of being thrown out on this part of the world!’ she exclaimed with delight in her thoughts.

Heavy rain now poured down from the sky. Washing everything what they had done in the place and soaking their bodies in its cold waters.

She licked her wet lips in pure excitement.

“This fight isn’t over just yet.” He taunted her with a smug face.

The heart she thought to have already been frozen started beating intensely and loudly.

“Ahhhhhh! You should take responsibility boy! I feel so hot and wet!”