Bloodslayer Sword

“To think you’re still standing so firmly. It seems our strengths are quite comparable, wouldn’t you say?”

Miro continued her casual approach, her eyes fixed on the short-haired blonde who watched her with unwavering vigilance, her hand clenched tightly around the hilt of her blade.

“You’re not confident you can beat me, are you? So why haven’t you run?”

“Don’t come any closer!”

The blonde woman hadn’t retreated because the distinguished guest who had purchased the divine potion was right behind her; she had no path of escape.

“What are you holding out for? Or is there someone you’re trying to protect?”

A cold sweat trickled down the blonde’s back as she watched the white-haired bloodkin draw nearer with each step. Her specialty was the metal element, but as luck would have it, her opponent specialized in the fire element—a perfect counter.

Still, she’s just a delicate-looking child, likely unskilled in close combat. A fierce initial assault might just work.

The blonde woman raised her blade in a sweeping strike, but the white-haired girl leaped into the air, hovering effortlessly above. Looking up at the white-haired girl, the blonde’s mind unexpectedly drifted to the sight of her pure white undergarments.

White… it looks so pure.

This is wrong! What am I even doing! The blonde shook her head, forcing the unforgettable memory from her mind for the moment.

“You were peeking, weren’t you?”

At these words, the blonde refocused her gaze ahead. The white-haired girl had landed back on the ground at some point and was now watching her with an enigmatic smile.

“I didn’t mean to! It was an accident!”

“Oh, is that so?”

[Thorn Bind]!

Crimson thorns suddenly shot out from the ground at the blonde’s feet. Unable to dodge in time, her ankles were tightly bound, the sharp spikes piercing her skin and drawing beads of blood. Reacting quickly, the blonde woman swung her blade, severing the thorns and freeing her feet. She followed up with three rapid slashes. As the white-haired girl hastily maintained her black fire defense, the blonde woman blinked to her side and delivered a horizontal cut across her waist. Blood sprayed violently, staining the blade crimson.

“Waaah!”

The white-haired girl, seemingly caught completely off guard by the surprise attack, took the full force of the blow and collapsed to the ground with a pained cry. The blonde herself was stunned that her dishonorable attack had landed so cleanly and stared in disbelief at the white-haired girl.

“In the end, she’s just a child with little combat experience. To think I was intimidated by you… what a disgrace.”

Just as the blonde prepared to sever the girl’s limbs and render her helpless, the situation took a sudden, drastic turn. The blonde’s right arm was severed in an instant, her tachi clattering to the ground.

“Aaargh! My arm!”

The blonde looked at the weapon that had cut off her arm and saw, to her astonishment, that it was fresh blood, shaped like a double-edged sword.

“Hahahaha! Surprised? Didn’t see that coming, did you? This is a temporary weapon made from my own blood. I call it the [Bloodslayer Sword]!”

Made from blood? Was it the blood from her waist? Does that mean… she let me cut her on purpose?

“Are you insane? This kind of trade—an injury for an injury—is completely meaningless!”

“No, no, no. You’re the only one who’s hurt. My wound has already healed, you see.”

The white-haired girl stood up effortlessly and hopped forward a couple of steps as if nothing had happened. It was only then that the blonde remembered her opponent was a bloodkin, a race known for its incredible regenerative abilities.

“Well now, you’ve lost your weapon and your dominant hand. Do you still think you can defeat me?”

Damn it, I was careless! What do I do now? Wait, I still have my trump card! If I use my [Total Collapse Particle Slash], I might just be able to pierce through her defensive barrier!

Her decision made, an unprecedented resolve hardened her eyes. The tension vanished from her face as she raised her left hand high. The tachi on the ground shattered into countless tiny particles of the metal element, which then converged above the blonde woman’s head.