Chapter 44: your head is all i need
The party was shocked to see their leader on the ground. They all pulled their weapons and were about to go into battle, wanting to take vengeance for their master, but he yelled,
"Stop! This is my fight. Get the fuck away!" he cursed. Rage filled him, there was no more thought, just a man with blood in his eyes.
He struggled back to his feet. His party member tried to help him up, and he knocked away the hand. He gripped his sword, igniting the flames again.
Blood dripped from his face like a countdown. Then he lunged forward. "Arghhhh!" he roared, thrusting the sword. Grey dodged to the side, yet didn’t keep his eyes on the blade—he kept it on the hand.
He had learned from his years of fighting that the body and the hands were where the actual attack happened. Every feint could be read if you watched the muscles closely and saw what direction they actually tensed toward and in what way they tensed up.
It was a technique an old fighter told him, and it stuck, and also kept him alive through the ages. The sword was simply an extension of his body.
The man became enraged by the fact that Grey was dodging his attacks with ease and decided to go all out, regardless of what would happen. He channeled his bloodline and mana, slashing with all his strength and releasing a flame arc.
It was unexpected and fast. Grey couldn’t dodge in time. He crossed his arms and took the attack head-on. He was thrown back; he managed to land on his feet, skidded back a few meters before coming to a stop.
He opened his burnt arms only to see the leader already in the air, thrusting at full speed. This time, his vampiric reactions kicked in. He dodged, it felt like his body knew exactly what to do in that moment.
The blade stabbed the ground, and he kicked it immediately, removing it from the leader’s arm. Then he kicked the leader in the stomach, sending him in the direction of the sword.