Shadow Slave

The enemy was in front of her, kneeling, and momentarily vulnerable.

Who knew how long that vulnerability would last? The demon would most likely regain his bearing a heartbeat later.

Everything inside Rain screamed for her to attack, to throw her body forward and slay the abomination before that happened. After all, she could not be sure that there would be another chance later.

Adrenalin flooded her bloodstream, and her heart thundered feverishly. Her pupils widened, her mind drowning in excitement, fear, and frenetic urgency.

But, at the same time, the memory of the teacher's arrogant voice rang in her ears:

«Bruise? What do you mean, it will leave a bruise? Listen, disciple… you should be grateful to your kind and gentle teacher for educating you so tenderly! The last time I made such a mistake, I was stepped on by a mountain. Not that left a bruise!»

It was the mark of a skilled warrior to keep a cool head in the middle of the fiercest of battles, And so, she suppressed her excitement, ignored her fear, and cast away her sense of urgency.

«Don't be greedy… greed will get you killed. It is a sin, and only those strong enough to bear the consequences have the right to be sinful… Rain did not abandon her caution and attacked calmly.»

The tip of her black sword slid into the seam of the Huntsman's breastplate, plunging deep into his side.

This time, there was very little resistance. Unlike her javelin, the dark tachi pierced the demon's flesh almost effortlessly.

But instead of leaning into the thrust or twisting the blade to wreak more damage, Rain immediately pulled it back and jumped away.

And just in time.

Although the Huntsman seemed momentarily dazed, and his weapon had been destroyed, his fist was already tearing the air with stunning speed. If Rain had been a split second too slow to disengage, her head would have been turned into bloody pulp. As it was, she had enough time to block with the dark tachi, and received the harrowing blow on its blade.

She was thrown backward like a rag doll. Which was the intended outcome. If Rain had been stubborn and tried to stand her ground, her body would have received the bulk of the impact. But by allowing her to be carried away, she dissipated the force greatly.

…It still hurt like hell.

It felt like every bone in her body was about to burst.

But they didn't.

Rain was tossed back into the shallow water once again and skidded in the mud. The ley water washed away her sweat and numbed the pulsing pain in her side, which felt almost pleasant.

I need to stand

a little longer to gather

down, Rain groaned and rolled onto her stomach, then staggered

rose into a high stance, sending drops of

did I

black sword created by her teacher was even sharper, deadlier, and much more frightening than she had imagined. If the Huntsman had been a human, he would have been dead by now, his heart pierced by

he was a Chalice Knight, a demon from the retinue of an ancient titan that

him was ghastly, it was

had done something equally

had destroyed his axe, effectively disarming

stared at the

in the mud. Fetid blood was spilling from the seams of his scorched armor. The bestial snout

«Come on…»

Sure, without the great battleaxe, his reach would shrink, allowing her to engage the abomination in melee. But he was more than strong and ferocious enough to tear her

However…

were not simple abominations. These towering, armored warriors of

learned that secret from talking to the Awakened who had ventured into the forest and faced its fearsome overlord. Instead, it was something that everyone in Ravenheart knew… that she had known from the day Seishan, Queen

Domain. More than that, detailed Information about the surviving abominations was provided by the

It hinted at his true nature… because all Chalice Knights were

a rabid beast living in each of them, and when the ancient warriors faced a powerful enemy or was in danger,

dreadful demon that she had been fighting so desperately did not even show the true extent

now… now that his axe was destroyed and his blood

best

of her, the kneeling Huntsman let out a husky growl. His limbs flinched, as if

grew into

underneath it. His spine bent, and dark fur suddenly burst

through the metal of

The transformation had started.

painful. It was also deeply frightening — not only because Rain knew that the unleashed beast would easily rip her to shreds and devour her,

that mattered

Knights took some time to happen. Even if it was just

stake her

the Huntsman's bestial roar reverberated across the burning