Chapter 43: Scarlet Waters II

Spade sprinted through the trees, uncaring of the branches slicing into her face as she ran. She glanced back occasionally at the Hound pursuing behind her. Douglas was a bit slower than her, but he still managed to keep up well enough. She hummed in contemplation.

Up ahead, the [Executioner] felt the wind streaming through the trees. She leapt over a flat stone and landed on the soft dirt. She heard a splash, and when she looked down, she realized that the forest floor was covered in little puddles and ponds.

The one her foot had landed in was small and shallow, but they varied in size and depth. Their surfaces shone clearly like miniature versions of the Glass Lake.

A rustle sounded behind her, and Spade turned to see Douglas step out from the trees.

The man’s expression was stoic as he scanned the area. His sword remained sheathed at his side, and though his posture was seemingly relaxed, he had no clear openings. A quiet, subtle guard.

Spade cocked her head, her own movements casual as she nodded at the Hound.

“Nice evening,” she remarked. “Though the fog gets in the way of the scenery.”

Douglas frowned. “Indeed.” His voice was a low rumble that seemed to echo off the trees. He didn’t move to step forward or to unsheathe his sword.

“You are Spade, correct? Sonia told me you’re a bounty hunter.”

“Former bounty hunter,” Spade corrected. “Turns out executioners earn a more stable income these days. War paranoia’s gotten me a good number of jobs.”

“I imagine it has,” Douglas murmured. Dark brown eyes studied the [Executioner] carefully. “I suppose your group is also pursuing fragments. I’d be curious to know how you learned about the one on the lake.”

Spade chuckled, brushing a few stray gray hairs out of her face. “You’d have to ask one of the other two about it. I’m not particularly knowledgeable about it myself.”

Her fingers flexed around the hilt of her sword. Douglas’s eyes studied the movement, but they served more as a reminder than a threat. The Hound’s frown deepened.

“I don’t suppose a compromise could be reached.”

The [Executioner] raised a scarred eyebrow. “That’s a bit difficult when it comes to fragments, I’m afraid. They seem like a zero-sum case.”

She stopped, cocking her head a little to listen to the rustling leaves around them. If she focused, she could just barely make out the faint, distant echo of clashing metal. Spade hummed.

“Besides, it doesn’t seem like those two are interested in talking.”

Douglas shook his head. “Dalton’s always been rather…hot headed.”

Spade laughed at that. She stepped back, bending her knees and bringing her sword up in a ready stance. “Youthful energy, as they say.”

Douglas slowly unsheathed his sword as well, the movement drawn and deliberate. He eyed the woman carefully even as he, too, held his blade up in preparation.

His gaze lingered longer on the dried blood already coating the [Executioner]’s sword. He set his jaw.

A light breeze whistled past them, swirling the mist and scattering a few stray leaves that twisted and danced in the air before finally landing delicately on the puddles covering the forest floor. For a moment neither of the two spoke, both simply watching the other’s movements.

As the next wind passed, the Hound shifted.

“Douglas,” he said, his low voice ringing clearly between the trees. “Hounds second in command. Avel native.”

Spade brought her sword up without hesitation, matching the man’s movements. Her voice was steady and calm when she spoke.

“Spade. Traveling executioner. Empire born.”

Douglas’s arm twitched slightly at that, and the brief pause was enough of an opening. Grey eyes narrowed, and in the next second, Spade surged forward.

In one smooth motion, she swung her blade straight at Douglas, activating [Cleave].

A loud clang echoed around the forest trees as the Hound brought his own sword up to parry. The force of the blow sent a shockwave up both combatant’s arms, but neither one flinched.

Spade kept forcing the blade further, using up the remainder of [Cleave]’s active time. She’d expected the Hound to have a higher strength stat given his level advantage, and this initial swing proved that [Cleave] was enough to at least match it.

Douglas’s foot slid slightly on the soft forest floor, his shoes brushing the edge of a puddle with a faint splash. Spade’s eyebrows rose as the pressure on the sword increased.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The Hound stepped back, landing fully in the pool of water, and forced the blade back with a sudden burst of strength.

Spade jumped away, narrowly avoiding the tip of the sword.

She landed in a crouch and used a hand to steady herself. Grey eyes narrowed, studying the Hound carefully as her gaze swept the forest floor.

Douglas charged forward with a burst of speed, and Spade barely had time to bring her sword up to block the blow. Some sort of combat skill that boosted the speed of an attack, she assessed. She felt her muscles struggling against the force of the blade.

Not pausing, Spade brought her leg up in an arcing kick aimed at Douglas’s exposed side.

The kick slammed into the man’s torso, but he barely flinched. The Hound yanked his sword back and lunged, step landing in a deeper puddle, and slashed at the [Executioner].

Spade twisted her body to the side, and the sound of cracking bark rang in her ears as Douglas’s blade cleaved into the tree behind her.

She leapt away, putting space between her and the [Mercenary] as more of the tree trunk split and the tree began to sway and come crashing down.

Jerking around, Douglas surged forward again with the aid of that skill, but Spade was prepared for it this time. She kept her gaze focused on the angle of his sword and brought her own blade up to block less than a second before metal collided with metal.

Reeling back, Spade spun around, bringing her blade in a low arcing sweep that forced Douglas to jump back. She didn’t stop, darting forward and feinting to the side before thrusting her blade at Douglas’s exposed shoulder with [Cleave].

The Hound knocked back the blow at the last second, stray water droplets spraying the surroundings as they clashed within the shallow pools of water.

Douglas gritted his teeth, throwing his body weight into his next swing and knocking the [Executioner] away. Her back slammed into the tree behind them, the bark cracking from the impact.

Spade paused for only a moment. She hunched over slightly from the blow, but her eyes never flinched, darting rapidly between Douglas and the surrounding trees and puddles as she mentally assessed the situation.

A skill that provided a speed boost to his next attack, but only in a single direction. High defense and constitution as well as attack. And, she thought as her gaze landed on those puddles, he had some sort of skill that gave him a boost in strength when touching water.

Distantly, Spade could make out the faint sounds of Allan and Dalton’s clash over her own breathing.

[You have leveled up! 300 points awarded]

[Progress towards next level: 4%]

Spade smiled to herself at that. Allan and Leo were earning a good deal of experience, it seemed.

The [Executioner] shoved herself away from the tree just in time to avoid Douglas’s next attack. Her eyes scanned the forest. She vaulted over the fallen tree from earlier without pausing and bolted through the bushes.

Behind her, she heard Douglas pursuing, but Spade kept her focus forward. As she ran, she distributed the stat points, raising her agility by 2 and her strength by 1.

Up ahead, the trees thinned, and with another leap she landed in a small clearing. She tested the ground. It was more densely packed than the soft soil from before. There were very few puddles or even rocks interrupting the area. It was smooth and bare, a natural battle ring that she and Allan had passed during their search around the island.

Spade turned around just as Douglas stepped through the bushes. The man’s expression remained stoic, his slightly heavier breathing the only thing giving any indication of exhaustion.

Spade wiped at the sweat forming on her forehead, and her hand came away bloody. She clicked her tongue. She must’ve gotten cut earlier and hadn’t noticed it.

“You’re a good fighter,” Douglas said. Spade chuckled lowly. Mentally she unequipped her [Vigilance] passive skill, leaving [Athletics], [Blade Proficiency] and one empty slot.

[You have equipped [Anatomical Knowledge]]

“Same to you.” Spade brought her sword up, exhaling once to release any lingering tension in her muscles. Douglas watched her warily, and she met his gaze without flinching. After all her uses of [Cleave] up until this point, she had just enough mana left for this.

[You have activated [Duelist’s Challenge]. Target: Douglas]

[Damage to [Douglas] boosted. Penalty applied to [Douglas]’s damage when attacking another foe]

[You have activated [Precision]]

[Attack precision increased for the next minute]

[You have activated [Reckless Wager]. Target: Douglas]

[Both user and target’s defense reduced for the next minute]

The familiar string of notifications flitted past Spade’s vision. It had been a long time since she’d last needed to use this particular combination of skills. It was almost nostalgic.

Douglas shifted, and the brief stillness was broken.

Spade lunged, gleaming sword aimed straight at Douglas. The man brought his own weapon up to block, but at the last second, the [Executioner] adjusted the angle of the blade.

The movement left her side exposed, and she raised her free hand, using it to block Douglas’s sword. She felt the metal carve into her arm, warm blood splattering from the wound, but she didn’t flinch.

Twisting the tip of her sword, she severed the man’s tendon.

Douglas winced and shoved the woman back. Dark red trickled down from her arm, staining the earth, the wound far more serious with [Reckless Wager] active.

The pain, however, hardly registered. The [Executioner]’s eyes were instead fixed on Douglas, whose hand was covered in red. His thumb twitched, unable to bend properly.

Spade slammed her blade down again, and Douglas was forced to block with a single handed grip on his sword.

The Hound’s arm shook from the impact, but Spade didn’t stop there. Blades still locked, she twisted, activating [Cleave] one final time as she forced the blow through the man’s parry and brought the blade arcing straight at his neck.

Warm blood splattered Spade’s face. Douglas choked, eyes widening as sharp metal carved into flesh.

He stumbled back, gasping and clutching at his bloody throat, but it was too late. The blade had sliced cleanly through his arteries.

His knees hit the ground. The Hound’s mouth moved, a wheezing sound escaping his throat as he tried to speak. He stretched his arm out as though reaching for something, grasping at air. The [Executioner] watched with flat, detached grey eyes. Her own wound continued to bleed freely.

It wasn’t until Douglas had finally slumped onto the ground, limp and unmoving—the life drained from his body and the earth around them stained scarlet—that Spade moved again.

Casting Douglas’s still form with a final cursory glance, the [Executioner] turned away and left the body bleeding red under the silver mist.