The first was its primary function, it allowed him to see five times better than an average person in darkness and low-light environments.
The second allowed him to detect disturbances in shadows within a three-meter radius.
With this secondary application, Raven could accurately measure the speed, distance, and direction of the Were-vampire’s attacks, countering one of them with a single slash.
The Were-vampire howled in agony. Blood gushed from its severed right arm as it clutched the stump with its left.
“I don’t have time for this,” Raven growled. “I’m ending it now.”
His eyes shimmered.
The beast roared.
Its severed arm began to regenerate.
Raven charged before it could fully recover.
“First Stance: Crescent Strike.”
The blade traveled in a wide, arcing path, one the Were-vampire easily dodged.
Then it vanished, teleporting through the shadows.
Clang!
The chime of a razor-sharp claw colliding with a metal blade rang out.
Raven was pushed back, skidding across the snow.
Though his sword was reinforced by Aura, granting it greater resilience and ferocity, but a crack appeared along the blade.
Repeated clashes with the Were-vampire’s attacks were beginning to wear it down.
The beast continued teleporting through shadows, chaining the movement with speed blurs in an erratic, unpredictable pattern meant to throw him off.
Raven knew tracking it with his eyes was futile.
He closed them.
Focused.
He relied on his hearing and
“Sixth Stance: Soul Blast.”
A condensed burst of crimson Aura erupted from his flank.
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Soul Blast is a high-risk technique in which the swordsman channels internal energy directly through the blade, releasing it as a focused burst. Unlike ranged slashes, it is unstable and extremely taxing, often leaving the user temporarily drained. It lacks the precision of Phantom Strike but makes up for it with sheer destructive force.
Fatigue settled over Raven’s face. Beads of sweat dripped down his brow.
“Using Punitive Chop, Phantom Strike, and Soul Blast consecutively is draining…”
He approached the Were-vampire.
Its skin had been burned away, exposing raw, pink flesh that sizzled and smoked.
“Has your regeneration been overtaxed?”
Raven raised his sword to finish it.
Suddenly, his senses screamed danger.
He tilted his head.
A dark-colored dagger swept past.
He turned.
His danger sense flared again.
The Were-vampire lunged.
Maw wide open.
Teeth bared.
Ferocious.
Its jaws clamped down on Raven’s sword.
Straining, Raven tried to force the beast’s maw away from his face, but the blade’s integrity failed under the pressure. Cracks spread rapidly across its surface.
Raven teleported away, reappearing behind the Were-vampire.
He struck,
but the beast evaded again, slipping into the shadows.
They stood facing each other.
The Were-vampire’s golden-yellow eyes.
Raven’s crimson gaze.
Both charged.
Shadows warped.
Speed blurs ignited.
They collided in showers of sparks, steel and claw clashing again and again.
...
*Whoosh!
Raven skidded across the snow.
Panting. Sweating. Breathing rough.
His opponent, however, was in better condition, though it too huffed with ragged breaths.
“Having the same abilities isn’t the issue,” Raven thought. “It’s that insane regeneration and stamina.”
The Were-vampire charged headfirst.
Claws sharp.
Teeth snarling.
Raven remained calm.
Focused.
His blade was shrouded in a dark silhouette, pulsing with a crimson glow.
“Fourth Stance: Chaotic Slash.”
If Raven had learned anything from their earlier exchanges, it was this: the Were-vampire’s fighting style was sloppy but unpredictable.
Sloppy enough for Raven to land hits despite the creature being faster and stronger.
And yet, it deliberately avoided fatal blows, relying on regeneration to undo the damage.
Its unpredictability allowed it to evade killing strikes while injuring Raven in return.
This time, Raven would end it.
An unpredictable technique—
—for an unpredictable opponent.
His sword traced uneven, off-angle cuts.
*Fwip!
*Slash!
They passed each other.
Panting.
Back turned to back.
Blue blood sprayed from claw gashes across Raven’s chest. He staggered.
The Were-vampire appeared unharmed.
Then froze.
Stunned.
Bewildered.
A thin, clean line appeared across its neck.
The head fell.
Eyes still wide with shock.
The body followed, lifeless.