Vladd stepped outside, exhaling a long sigh as snow gently fell around him."Shit… I haven't had a real fight since that day," he muttered, stretching his arms. "Well… guess this'll be a good warm-up."
As he turned the corner, he spotted a lone figure standing still in the snowfall — a samurai.
"Oof." Vladd's eyes narrowed, his instincts flaring.
He could feel it — the man's aura was overwhelming. A presence that screamed master swordsman.
"Oho?" Vladd smirked. "That's a solid aura… If I were some regular swordsman, I'd have suffocated just by standing near him."
He stepped forward, casually calling out, "Hey, Samurai. You think you can beat me? You know my past — so you know I can fight, right?"
The samurai didn't respond immediately, only tilted his head slightly, a smirk forming beneath the shadow of his straw hat.
"Hoo... I've been waiting for this fight ever since the massacre you caused."
Vladd's expression twitched. "How'd you know where I was?"
No answer.
Instead, the samurai lowered his stance — one foot back, blade raised high with perfect form.
Moon of the Dragon.
Vladd's eyes sharpened. That stance wasn't ordinary — it relied on speed and precision, not brute strength. The user, by focusing mana into their eyes, could see weaknesses in their opponent's form — joints, balance, hesitation — everything. The drawback? The stance only worked while the user didn't blink.
"Damn," Vladd muttered. "To use that… you need complete control over your sword and your mana. Not bad."
But he knew the counter. You had to be faster.
He rolled his shoulders and stepped forward. "Alright, Samurai. Come at me with everything you've got."
Whoosh.
[Samurai's Viewpoint]
So this is him… the fallen prince.He may be a legend, but he hasn't trained or fought seriously in a while. I can take him.
The samurai launched forward, his blade flickering in the snow — rapid, precise slashes, each aimed at vital points and weak spots. Thirty-four strikes in five seconds — flawless, focused.
But…
Vladd dodged every single one with casual ease — not even drawing his blade, not even activating the lightning within.
What the hell…?
He's not using any magic. He's just faster than me… Is he reading my moves? Seeing the future? No… He's just on another level.
"Tch," the samurai gritted his teeth. Then I'll use it.
He shifted his stance — heavier now, both hands gripping the hilt.
Dragon Head Stance.
This style focused on power. Every swing felt like the weight of five mountains, reinforced by massive surges of mana condensed at the tip of the blade. Each strike could break the earth — but each one cost a chunk of mana to perform.
With a roar, the samurai brought his sword down in a brutal arc.
BOOM.
The ground shattered beneath Vladd. He was flung back — but mid-air, he kicked off a piece of flying debris, added a jolt of lightning to his feet, and blurred forward.
"Too slow."
In an instant, he closed the distance, ducked low, and swept forward — a lightning-fast slash. The samurai barely saw the arc before Vladd's hand gripped his head.
"Let's go for a ride."
Using another debris piece as a springboard, Vladd launched them both into the sky. For a moment — two full seconds — they floated in still air.
Then they came crashing down.
Before they hit the ground, Vladd twisted mid-air and used the samurai's body as a shield — slamming him headfirst into the earth.
CRACK.
Dust exploded in every direction. Snow fell silently around the ruins.
Silence.
Then… a figure stood up from the crater — it was Vladd, panting slightly, his coat torn.
He looked down at the fallen warrior.
"Shit…" he muttered. "Did I go overboard?"
He walked closer, squinting at the unconscious samurai.
"I thought he was stronger… At least Master-Class or something. He had the dragon tattoo… knew all the dragon stances…"
Then he paused.
"…Wait a second."
The samurai's body shimmered.
Poof.
The figure disintegrated — not into blood, not into ash — but into dozens of soft, glowing butterflies.
Vladd stepped back. "What the…?"
The butterflies swirled, reforming into a person — no longer the armored warrior he fought, but a young woman, no older than her early twenties. She collapsed in the snow, unconscious.
Vladd stared.
"…Did I just… kill a girl?" He crouched beside her. "She looks like… she is the samurai. Did she use some magic to disguise herself? Reverse her gender or something?"
He rubbed his temple. "Shit… she looks exactly like him. Or like… herself? Whatever. I don't have time for this."
He looked at her, then poked her lightly. "Uhh… hey. You alive?"
No response.
Vladd sighed.
"Great. Just great."