“You sure are something else. If you were any average joe, your head would’ve been split in two by my blade just now.” The man let pass a good opportunity for a follow-up attack, instead grinning and letting his sword hang loosely. Then with a clinical tone of voice, he noted, “You’re good at judging how far you should keep your distance. It’s proof that you got a good foundation from your training.” It was like something an examiner would say. They were in a real sword fight, yet he was so carefree.
“It’s nothing special. My sister Sharla would’ve turned it around with a counterattack,” said Zen.
“That may be true. She was the most promising among my pupils.” His smile took on a nostalgic quality. No sooner than that, he suddenly charged in.
Just like before, he was going to bring his sword down diagonally from over his head, but his blade technique changed. Without changing the trajectory midway, he swung straight down. It’d become like the king’s sword—a technique that Sharla often wielded. And it was even sharper than hers.
As part of what she called “training,” Sharla had beaten Zen up countless times, so Zen managed to evade this attack successfully.
“Did you imitate my sister just now...?” asked Zen.
“No. Sharla Leadon saw my sword technique and stole it,” the man replied. If anyone else had said this, it’d come across as too pretentious, but there was credibility to his words. He used a demonic sword that went beyond common sense. Even with an ordinary, second-rate weapon, he surpassed Zen’s sister.
Monster... That was all Zen could think.
Zen had long since been transferred away from the Guards Bureau, but just a week ago, Sharla had recruited him for a manhunt. It was because every night, someone was appearing in the imperial capital to cut people down, seemingly at random.
Zen had finally encountered this man in an alleyway shrouded in darkness, and now he had his doubts that this person was really a human being at all. He actually wouldn’t be surprised to be told that the man was called things like an evil spirit or a demon. He was certainly a monster.
This is bad. Forget winning—I don’t even feel like I can buy enough time until Sharla comes running.
Zen was definitely not a swordsmanship prodigy. It would hardly be his first time losing, but this was the first time he’d felt like he could die.
Sweat and blood ran down his forehead. His throat was dry from fear. His knees were about to give way.
“In that case, why don’t you run?” As if reading his thoughts—as if toying with him—the monster spoke.
Partially as a bluff, and partially to encourage himself, Zen countered him. “You’re a criminal who’s killed people every night. And the empire pays me for my service. That’s why I can’t leave you be. I have a duty to protect this country and its citizens. Isn’t that easy to understand?”
“Do you have a reason to risk your life for that duty?” asked the monster. “Isn’t it smarter to throw that aside and run away as soon as possible? Will you not regret anything when you die?”
“Of course I don’t want to die,” Zen replied. “However, I’m the type of guy who can’t turn a blind eye.” He had to laugh at himself for how he’d stumbled through life, though. He’d been viewed completely as a fool by his colleagues, ridiculed for being good-natured. It couldn’t be helped. He’d been like this since he was born.
“This is the first time someone has stood before me because they couldn’t turn a blind eye.” As expected, the monster burst into laughter. “Just as you wish, I’ll have you die on the job.”
“That’s rich coming from you. You didn’t have any intention of letting me go anyway.” As the two shot back and forth, Zen’s shivers began to settle down. His resolve had been steeled after he voiced how ready he was. Was that why this monster had asked him those questions?
No, there was no way.
“Well, here I come.” Although in a normal fight to the death you’d attack without a word, this monster had gone out of his way to announce he was making a move. He once again came in with a casual slash.
Zen went to counterattack. Indeed, he was done being on the defensive. If he couldn’t stave him off or protect himself anyway, he might as well strike back with all his might. He’d strike while this monster still hadn’t brought out his full power, and they’d both kill each other.
That was what he was going to do. If a military officer of the empire was going to lose his life in the line of duty, then that was what he should do. Zen had been raised by his family to force all his emotions back with logic.
Even if I’m nothing compared to my siblings, I’m a man of the Leadon family too! He’d show his enemy that fear was but one emotion!
“Now!” the monster cheerfully shouted and let loose a slash. Once again, he made to swing his sword down diagonally.
Zen could no longer ascertain if this would become the flexible demonic sword or the king’s sword. He instead stepped in and swung upward.
The two swords clashed. There was a sharp pain. He was sliced from his right shoulder to his left side, and blood bloomed from the wound. However, at the same time, his sword sliced the monster’s left shoulder.
Was it too shallow...? Seriously wounded, Zen fell to one knee and tried to stem the blood by pressing his hand to the gash. His pain had only earned him a shallow wound on the monster. He’d successfully cut the man’s left sleeve and nothing more.
The two of them were illuminated by the faint moonlight that poured into the alleyway. The monster’s left shoulder was exposed. In Zen’s limited field of vision, he could see the tattoo engraved there in detail. It was the crest of the three-eyed dragon.
The head was strangely exaggerated in the design, along with its three eyes that were even more enlarged. A shiver ran up Zen’s spine. He felt like those three eyes were staring straight at him.
“You’ve passed, Zen Leadon.” The man looking down at him was still smiling. “Starting today, you are my pupil.”
The dragon’s eyes weren’t smiling at all. Their intense gazes suddenly let up. The monster turned on his heel.
“Wait! Are you running away?!” Zen was going to chase after him right away. He couldn’t overlook a felon who’d cut people down night after night.
However, his legs no longer listened to him. He’d lost too much blood.
The monster said, “I won’t kill you. You already have a good foundation, so keep going. Train hard.”
Leaving behind those words, he disappeared into the depths of the darkness.
Zen’s eyes flew open.
“A dream...” He was staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
It made sense; they were staying at an inn that Cummel had arranged. They’d departed Todd Village yesterday, and it was now morning. They were in the middle of their exciting trip, and yet...
Why did I have a dream like that now? He hadn’t wanted to remember something like that. Ever since then—perhaps fortunately—he’d never met that monster again. But he also hadn’t heard of him being caught either.
Sharla was in the same boat as Zen. She’d come across the man once when she was a teen, and while tasting her first defeat (different from Zen’s), she’d managed to retaliate. After that, he’d just called her his pupil without her say-so, let her go, and that had been it.
Zen remembered his sister flying into a rage, saying that she definitely would have her revenge. Was that monster still killing people night after night somewhere? He’d be pretty old now if he was alive, though.