— She's going to knock on the door any moment now — Arata warned, cold sweat running down his forehead as he positioned himself directly behind Bon. — Get ready.
Silence returned to the mansion, but this time it was filled with the brutal anticipation of battle. The shadows of the approaching night began stretching across the stone floor.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
The muffled, rhythmic sound of knocking against the wooden door echoed through the building, repeating itself for a long, agonizing moment.
Bon extended his bisento toward the entrance, gripping the metal shaft with absolute firmness.
Arata was sweating cold.
Fear felt like a massive weight pressing against his chest, accompanied by the panic that everything might fail and he would end up dying once again.
He forced himself to take a deep breath.
And the moment the silence returned, the atmosphere shattered.
CRAAASH!
With a devastating kick, Yumi sent the wooden door flying into the room.
The impact was so violent that the door slammed into one of the defensive tables, sending it crashing against the wall.
The piece of furniture shattered into a shower of splinters and dust that rose from the floor.
Arata swallowed hard.
Yumi's elegant silhouette appeared against the dying orange light of dusk.
Her black eyes slowly swept across the interior of the mansion, like a predator surveying its territory.
However, the sly smile she usually wore faltered for a fraction of a second.
The layout of the room had been completely altered.
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The heavy pine tables, which had previously been arranged symmetrically, now formed a defensive barrier that narrowed the entrance corridor.
She immediately realized that the advantage of surprise had been taken away from her.
— Well, well... — Yumi's voice echoed through the room, soft and laced with cutting irony, while the sharp clicks of her purple heels resounded against the stone floor.
— Looks like the welcoming committee prepared for my arrival. Who would've thought a bunch of slum rats would have the audacity to build walls inside their own little cracks?
Behind Bon, Arata felt a violent shiver run down his spine.
The presence of that woman radiated nothing but pure danger.
He gripped the improvised wooden club so tightly that his knuckles turned pale, actively fighting to keep his terror under control.
With a smooth, almost imperceptible movement, Yumi raised the dark blade of her purple katana.
Instead of charging directly, she swung her blade through the air, propelling two spheres of thick, bubbling liquid toward the barricade.
— Bon, move to the left! Now! — Arata shouted.
Trusting the information without hesitation, the old warrior twisted his body with an agility that contradicted his massive frame.
Seconds later, the purple fluid violently collided with the first pine table.
A sharp chemical hiss filled the air.
The solid wood began bubbling and melting like wax under the effect of the substance.
The toxic fumes rising from the destroyed furniture immediately made Arata's eyes water.
Taking advantage of the acidic smoke screen, Yumi charged over the wreckage.
But the board had been prepared.
From atop the counter, Felicia watched every inch of the assassin's movements.
Without hesitation, the pink-haired girl hurled a heavy ceramic bottle directly at the assassin's face.
Yumi was forced to redirect her katana and slice the bottle in half, spilling flammable oil across the floor.
— Your turn, old man! — Felicia shouted.
Bon seized the opening.
Using the superior reach of his bisento, he delivered a perfect horizontal arc aimed at Yumi's legs.
The blade sliced through the air with a heavy whistle, forcing the vampire to leap backward.
For the first time, her retreat was slightly awkward.
After moving several meters away, Yumi casually brushed the dust from her shoulders.
— Not bad! You guys are actually pretty good — Yumi said, running her tongue along the tip of her purple katana before flashing a sarcastic smile.
— I can't wait to see what your insides look like.
With superhuman reflexes, Yumi leaped toward the ceiling, planting her feet against the wooden beams before launching herself at full force toward Bon.
From atop the counter, Felicia reacted immediately when she saw the assassin descending toward her ally.
She concentrated her mana, forming two spheres of highly compressed water and firing them through the air.
— Die, you damn assassin! — the girl screamed.
In the middle of her descent, Yumi noticed the magical projectiles coming toward her.
With a quick twist in midair, she grabbed a nearby wooden chair and used it as an improvised shield.
The spheres of water struck the furniture with the force of a battering ram, completely shattering it and sending Yumi crashing violently into the stone wall.
The assassin slammed into it hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
But she quickly got back to her feet, wiping the corner of her mouth with a mocking smile.
— So you have an innate magic ability, little girl...? — Yumi remarked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
— We have to keep holding her off... at least for a little longer! — Arata exclaimed through gritted teeth.
— Very well. Let's keep going! — Bon nodded.
The old warrior charged toward the vampire, driving the sharp tip of his bisento forward in a direct thrust.
The blade cut through the air.
But Yumi bent her body backward with incredible agility, avoiding the attack, and immediately countered with a swift strike.
A powerful kick slammed directly into Bon's abdomen, forcing him several inches backward across the stone floor.
— Your pathetic plans aren't going to work — Yumi hissed, licking the blood from her lips.
— I'm going to savor every piece of you.
— We have to keep going, Old Bon! Please, hold on a little longer! — Arata pleaded, positioning his wooden club in case Yumi attempted another advance.
— I'll cover you! — Felicia assured him, preparing another spell.
Yumi revealed her sharp fangs in a savage smile.
— Come on!
With a devastating burst of speed, the Ripper Assassin charged toward Bon once again.
End of Chapter 14...
To be continued in Chapter 15...