"Fuck."
That was the first word that came out of his mouth as he stumbled back.
He was panting hard as his breath was coming in gasps while also holding his ribs like they were about to fall off.
Why the hell wasn't it working?
He knew she was strong, obviously, he wasn't blind ...but this?
This was ridiculous, unfair, broken beyond logic.
He had no idea what to think, seeing the overwhelming gap between them.
He had used everything in his arsenal, every wild move, every flashy technique, every hidden ace that was supposed to end battles with style and explosions, and yet she was still standing there untouched.
She appeared calm, and somehow looked bored like she was waiting for a bus.
Meanwhile, he was standing on legs that felt more like wet noodles, smiling through bloodied teeth like a psycho, trying to figure out which bone cracked when he blinked too fast.
"What a joke," he muttered, wiping the blood dripping from his eyes, "vampire general my ass."
He was a vampire general, one of the strongest individuals in the vampire continent.
And not just any general, he was the prodigy, the youngest in centuries, the one everyone called the "Red Storm" because of how fast and brutal he was.
Well, that storm had apparently just gotten steamrolled.
It wasn't that much unexpected since he had recently became the general, and even among them, he was the weakest.
But still....
"Damn it!!!...Cough!—Coughh!"
He coughed some more blood on the ground while lifting his gaze to look at her.
The person he was fighting was a woman who looked like she was his age.
She was dressed in a black bodysuit that hugged her curves so perfectly that he was honestly starting to wonder if this fight was a prank from the gods.
A reddish white designed cape was dropped over her shoulders, which swayed in the wind, flowing with every movement like she was dancing underwater, and her movements were so smooth and elegant that it felt like she could break his neck and fix it back just to break it again for fun, and he wouldn't even mind.
It should be illegal to wear such outfits on the battlefield.
Because that outfit...
was dangerous, very dangerous.
"Why is she hot?" He whispered to himself.
And that was the moment he realized that he was so doomed.
Her face was hidden behind a pale white mask, the kind nobles wore at masquerade balls, but it only made her scarier because her eyes, those crimson red eyes, were staring through him like he was already a corpse.
She didn't even blink.
It wasn't a gaze that said "you're weak."
It was a gaze that said, "You never mattered."
He raised his hand casually.
"Hey, uh... listen. What do you say we stop here?"
No response from the other side.
Not that he thought about it, she had only said four words repeatedly.
"I mean, come on. You've proved your point. I'm bleeding while you're still sparkling. Let's just... call it a draw and move on, deal?"
She took a step forward with her usual grace, not even reacting to his words.
"Wait, wait! Don't come closer! I'm warning you! I've got a suicidal move that kills both me and my opponent!"
He wasn't lying about the skill since he had one, but the catch was that he wouldn't use it.
Not in this life.
Because that skill had a price that he couldn't afford to pay.
Trying to distract the crazy woman who was walking toward him as if he were a dead person ready to meet his afterlife, he tried to shit talk.
"I'll do it! I'm crazy! I'll explode right here!"
She kept walking as it didn't work against her.
He sighed. "Okay, can you at least tell me why you're trying to murder me with your life on the line?"
Finally, she spoke.
"You killed my mother."
And just like that, the whole mood shattered into pieces.
"What?! Again with this? I didn't kill her!" He shouted with his lungs as blood spurted out of his mouth.
Not minding his own bloodied form, he continued.
"Who even was your mom?! I don't even remember my own mom! So, how could I kill yours, and let me say it clearly...I haven't killed a single mother-like figure on the war since I have only fought your veteran soldiers."
She didn't answer and kept walking.
And at this point, honestly, her walk annoyed him more than her silence because it wasn't just walking, no, it was like testing his mental fortitude.
Suddenly, he smiled.
Just a little grin, but enough to make him look cocky again. A small reserve of energy had finally gathered in his core. It was barely enough to do anything, but hey, he was the gambling type.
Time to play dirty.
He cleared his throat dramatically.
"Anyway… the only woman who died before the war even started… was it the queen, by any chance?"
For the first time, her expression shifted just slightly. A flicker of sadness could be seen on those cold eyes.
His grin widened.
"So it was the queen! Look, I can explain—"
'Success.'
That tiny drop of blood, the one clinging to her dress like an afterthought, suddenly twisted and sharpened, turning into a crimson needle that shot toward her neck with deadly precision.
But just as it was about to strike, she tilted her head just enough to dodge it.
He clicked his tongue. "Tch… lucky—"
Clink.
However, it hit her mask instead as the white mask she wore got split at the side and fell from her face, dropping to the ground with a soft echo.
And then..
Her face.
Her face was revealed.
And he immediately regretted every life decision that brought him here.
She was... divine like sculpted from moonlight and ethereal features. Her skin glowed like polished pearl. Her lips were a shade of soft pink that poets would write ten pages of odes about.
Her eyes—no, those crimson red gems were more dangerous than any weapon she had used.
His jaw dropped at the sight.
And suddenly, his nose bled.
Drip..dripp..
The blood droplet hit the ground with a soft sound.
"...What the fuck," he whispered to himself, seeing the blood dropping from his nose.
He quickly used his magic to stop the bleeding.
On the other hand, the woman who was unbothered by his cheap tactics raised her hand.
"Don't get swayed...don't get swayed," he muttered to himself like a monk. "She's the enemy. She wants to kill you. She's not your type. Okay, maybe she is your type, but still—STAY FOCUSED!"
Using the words as a mantra, he distracted his mind from her divine face and began to circulate mana to use his sword art.
He took a stance and then..
Then....he couldn't move.
His arms, his legs, even his neck ...didn't listen.
"What the fuck?! I'm frozen again?!" he yelled with wide eyes.
He didn't have enough aether to counter the spell.
He was done and dusted.
"What kind of cheat code are you using, lady?!"
"How could you use such a powerful spell again and again?!!!"
She was now just inches away from his face.
He could feel her cold breath brushing against his face which made him shiver at the sensation.
Her dark red eyes stared at his bloodshot one for a moment before opening her mouth.
"Any last wish?" she asked.
He forced a shaky grin. "Yeah, tell me how you dodged all my attacks."
She didn't refuse his question and decided to answer it.
"I can see the future," she said. "Foresee allows me to see everything before it happens."
"Oh... ha... great," he whispered as his eyes twitched at her. "So all this time I was fighting a seer. Great! Just great."
In that moment, somthing clicked to him.
'Hah...it makes sense now. Fuck that element.'
Not listening to his crap, she raised her hand to take his life once and for all.
"Wait—wait—what's your name?! I'm serious! If I get reborn, I need to know who to find for revenge!"
She pondered for a moment and then.
"Athena Nyxthorne," she answered.
He smirked. "Name's Vaelen Vayne."
Then suddenly, his tone dropped to that of cold steel as he said, "And remember this...
I'll be the one to end your life."
His voice wasn't playful anymore.
There was no sarcasm left, no grin, no smart remark or anything.
It was just raw, burning vengeance carved into every word he spoke.
As he finished his words, he saw it.
The woman raised her hand and made a simple flicking motion, like she was cutting the air.
And in the very next second.
He felt it...a cold, icy sensation brushing against his neck.
His vision blurred the next moment.
And the last thing he saw before darkness swallowed everything...was her face and some strange glowing words floating in the air.
[ DING! CONDITIONS MET: DEATH ]