A scion is one of the top representatives of its household. As the product of the Lecourt clan, Lau sees to it that she upholds the highly esteemed title every day of the week. Be it in her elegant fencing style, her choice of battle armor, or even the savoir-vivre code that sends her rather brutish comrades (yes, Suiga included) to shame, she is constantly emitting the Lecourt noble aura she was born and raised with.
As such, an insult to that name, the name she so desperately tries to uphold, is enough to send her on the offensive, against anyone and anything, even a vampire she barely took the time to assess.
The hostages look in awe as the vampire effortlessly parries her strikes. Even with her speed, she fails to land a hit on the killer. In an attempt to feint a leg slash, but instead opt for an upper swipe on the bat’s eyes, her opponent sees through the tactic, dodges, and takes advantage of her advance to pommel her head with his hilt, staggering her. He backsteps, then goes in for a forceful stab. Our Lau manages to recuperate quickly enough to escape, but not without a graze in her belly and forearms. She backsteps and patiently waits for the vampire for the next bout.
Lau: (Hell is with this guy? The vampires we faced in the factory were nothing like this…)
Another exchange of small strikes, with Lau backstepping again to stop his assault. She starts assessing her opponent, her nerves slowly calming down…
Lau : (He’s sturdy. Normal butler clothes, no armor. He must be confident. He’s skilled with a blade, nay, trained enough to parry me like it’s nothing.)
Another exchange, this time both parties back off quickly. Sparks flying around from the friction of iron and silver…
Lau: (And his strength. Typical vampire. He’s well-fed, not like the others. He knows. A few of his strikes are enough to shoot my rapier out of my hand. I hate to admit it, but I must be cautious against this old bat).
Jack: Typical noble trash.
Lau: Huh?
Jack: Talking big, looking down on everyone around you. And yet, when the time for action comes, your performance is delectable at best, and repugnant at worst.
Lau: You haven’t seen anything yet, vampire. My Lecourt swordsmanship is nothing to be scoffed at.
Jack: And yet, you fail to land a single strike against me…
The bat goes on the offensive. Striking in all directions, Lau is overwhelmed by the attack, parrying everything she can. He notices her legs, and sends his rapier to her left knee, counting on his enhanced force to take it out. Suddenly, Lau sidesteps, and swings behind his back. His sword momentarily stuck on the ground, she takes the opportunity and activates her armament, once again blessed by the winds of her rapier. A flurry of multiple, fast strikes to his back not only damaged him but sent him to a nearby wall. She tries to follow up, but she stops instead, better knowing her opponent’s skill and his vampiric regeneration.
Truly enough, the bat gets up quickly. His wounds half regenerated. He wipes off some of the dust from his clothes.
Jack: Guess this trash has some value in it…
Lau: What is your problem with nobles, bat? I thought your kind saw itself as the superior royal type.
Jack: Your lot is a despicable kind of human. In my lifetime, of all the humans I encountered, the nobility was the one that left a sour taste on my tongue. I remember vividly, a man of noble cloth crossed my path a few ages ago. Itching for a fight, he continuously mocked me until I drew my blade. I left his corpse stranded on the stone road, his blood was not even worth my tongue.
Lau: So, you killed a random royal just because he pissed you off? I still can’t see why you hate nobles that much…
Jack: Your arrogance, brat. Your constant need to uphold your fake standards despite your lack of the skill to justify them. And the worst thing in a human besides its very nature…
He taps his sword three times on the ground. Third, he dashes and grazes the ground as he reaches for Lau, managing to irritate her hearing and divert her attention…
Jack: It’s the audacity to act as if the same as my own kin!!
Even Lau’s speed isn’t enough to protect her from this feint. She tries to dodge the attack, but the bat feints the upward strike, and instead swings around and advances forward, slashing down the unsuspecting Lau. He then kicks her, sending her front and down on the ground.
Jack: Speed won’t save you against tactics. I’ve seen your fighting style. You think your swift strikes and moves let you slice around your foes carelessly…
He tries to strike her, but Lau parries him and backs up.
Jack: But it only proves your naiveté. Your denial to show your opponent respect.
Strikes her again. She parries. The bat has clearly the upper hand. The slash is enough to have Lau on the ground, trying to recuperate. But with Jack on the hunt, she has no time…
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The hostages look in shock, desperately trying to uplift the huntresses’ spirits in hopes that she will come to…
Jack: You lot, be quiet! You are about to witness the reason why humans should never call themselves “nobility”. Now, Lecourt. Your end is nigh.
He gathers his strength. Attempting to stab her with enough force to pierce through her defenses, he goes in for the kill.
Lau: Like hell, I would show respect to a disgusting bat like you!!!
Once again, Lau catches the bat off guard and swipes him off his feet, spinning on the floor and standing up again. Blessed by the winds she stands on one of the tables and stares down the bat.
Lau: You are the one looking down on humans, freak. I’m the scion of the Lecourts. And I’ve gone through hell to reach the level I’m now.
She steps down and points her sword at the bat, who’s slowly getting up.
Lau: No old bat will come up and say that I’m some fraud. It’s stuff like this that just pisses me off!
Jack stays confused. He was sure that those two blows would at least leave the huntress immobile. And yet, the lass managed to topple him and disengage in a matter of seconds…
Jack: (Those winds. Her strikes are faster, she moves like a swallow…but it’s not just that…)
Lau: So, how about you pick yourself up and we finish this like we should: With my sword down your eye sockets!!
Jack: (I will need further testing…)
Jack rushes with a flurry of strikes. This time, the tables turn. Lau blocks every strike effortlessly and even manages to lightly stab the vampire. She toys with him, the winds sending her around the room, the vampire tires itself mentally trying to strike the huntress…
Jack: (It’s not just speed. The winds favor her. They move her where she wants, they protect her from my strikes. Those stabs before, not only were they fast, but the sheer wind force was also enough to send me back.)
Lau’s Holy Armament is the Valiant Sword. A beautifully ornated rapier. An old Pirou scion used to hold it. The Lord had blessed it with the winds of Pirou in a violent fight with a bat. The vampire had the largest wings and flew circles around the hunter. The Lord blessed it with the winds, and the hunter managed to outmaneuver the fiend.
The Winds of Pirou grant the hunter base elevation in his speed and reflexes. However, the main attraction is the aura of wind. Entirely in her control, Lau can command these winds to lift her throughout the area, protect her and her allies from attacks, and even force her rapier to attack an enemy an enormous number of times more than normal. A drawback in mental resources caused by the connection with the lord’s holy energy, the user does not have control over the wind in general, such as the creation of hurricanes per se.
Blessed by the winds, Lau is faster than the vampires.
Jack: (It’s like the sprites appeared to protect her from me. But no matter…)
Jack gathers his strength once again and taps the ground with his rapier, the faint clanking sound of his blade worrying the onlookers. But, Lau… remains calm and assured…
Jack: (Your royal-borne arrogance won’t save you here, brat. Like before, I’ll feint, only this time I’ll keep with my original attack and bait her into leaving an opening. She’ll never notice. These scumbag royals never notice, never respect their opponent!! They’re only talk, and I’ll shut them all up!!!)
Jack follows with his plan. He drags the blade right and left to confuse the huntress. Seemingly, she falls for the trick and tries to block her right. Jack is confident and goes in for an upward slash to her left, his vampiric might backing up the rising sword.
Jack: Now fall, human trash!!!
Lau stomps the ground and chants:
Lau: “Lecourt Sword style: Wind Parry”!!!
The aura of wind rapidly spins around our heroine. The vampire’s mighty strike, strong as it is, is flawlessly parried and even leaves the tired sword broken into shards. The vampire staggers, leaving an opening for Lau to start a second flurry of stabs that send the vampire bleeding and flying away.
The aura dissipates…
Lau: (Damn it! I can’t handle more than this! But without his blade…)
Jack tries to get up. His regeneration starts to falter. Lau kicks his broken hilt to him.
Lau: Get up. I’ll make you regret ever underestimating my household.
He angrily lunges at her, spreading his wings to speed up his attack. Lau sees through and skillfully disarms the bat as she dodges his assault. He tries to battle her unarmed, but each of his swipes proves mistakes as she blocks and violently stabs his attacking limbs, leaving him immobile and kneeling…
Jack: (Shit! I need blood to counter the silver blade’s strike and heal!)
He spreads his wings again and tries to lunge himself at one of the hostages. Failing of course because Lau had already slashed his wings in her flurry.
Jack: Damn you, wrench!!!
She turns around the lying bat to face him…
Lau: You talk a lot about nobles disrespecting you when you do the same. The only reason you fell from my blade, is because you never thought it could happen. That’s your “vampire” nature…
She stabs his eyes, and then firmly pierces her sword on his throat, killing him slowly…
Lau: I don’t know who you fought, but I back up my words, bat. I AM stronger than you.
The hostages scream with joy. The tired Lau undoes their chains and directs them to safety, informing them of Url’s bandages. She strengthens her will and chants the silencing incantation, hoping the bats won’t perceive them. She then rests for a while on the ground…
Lau: I did it, father. I protected our honor once again!
She flashes back. Images gather, of her father, and her family, training her rigorously. But one image persists longer. A woman, similar to her, caresses her as she falls asleep on the training grounds. She then remembers her teammate’s question :
“Url: What’s your real reason for being here?”
Lau: Béatrice, sis. I’ll make sure you’re proud of the scion I’ll be…
The bat’s body starts to disintegrate…Assured of her victory, she drinks one of Url’s recuperation potions, and walks off the rest of her injuries, searching for her teammates…