“Who did he use it on?” D inquired.
“Just a second—I remember it clearly . . . I asked him that very same thing. That’s right. But he never answered me. I always did wonder about that, though.”
“Do you have any idea who it might’ve been?”
“No.”
“You should get some sleep,” D said as he pulled away from the handrail.
“You’re really not gonna drink that, are you?” Su-In said somewhat bitterly, raising the other glass to her mouth. But it stopped short. With incredible willpower she returned the glass to the table. “I suppose you’re right,” she said to the Hunter. “I’ll pass on that. A fisherman’s one thing, but for a teacher to reek of booze wouldn’t be good.”
“You’re right,” D said, slowly stepping down from the verandah.
“D,” Su-In called out to him in a low voice.
Not turning, D asked her what she wanted.
“Nothing. That’s a good name you have.”
“Good night.”
Not saying another word, Su-In followed his back with her eyes as he walked away to the barn. Even after the figure of beauty had disappeared through the entrance and the door had shut, the woman didn’t move for the longest time.
DEMON BLADES ABOUND
CHAPTER 2
.
I
.
Afaint murkiness was still swirling through the early morn when a well-defined man with a fair complexion paid a call on Su-In’s house.
The day started early in Frontier villages. There were boats to be scrubbed, fish to be dried, and water to be boiled for extracting iodine from the seaweed.
Wearing a cold weather coat over her pajamas, Su-In was out in the front yard doing her daily calisthenics, and her ears were greeted by the lively sounds of her neighbors going about their normal business. The clucking of chickens mixed with the pounding of hammers on boats that’d been pulled up into people’s yards for repairs. Long gone were both the sadness and drunkenness of the night before. As her thoughts turned to the day’s business and she grew serious, Su-In then heard another noise—a sad sound that seemed to knife through the waves. By the time the woman realized it was someone whistling, her eyes had already caught the young man in a cape who was coming through the gate onto her property.
“Excuse me . . . ,” she started to say in a voice that was a mix of both familiarity and refusal, because she realized that this unforeseen visitor was the same swordsman from the ferry, and because on that previous occasion he’d seemed like another person—so eager for blood it had left her spine numb.
“Long time no see,” Glen, the “seeker of knowledge,” said in greeting from a distance of some fifteen feet. His tone was polite, and it came from a face that seemed as cold as the silver ceremonial masks they used in the Capital. “I take it you know what I’m here for,” he continued. “Fetch him.”
“And what would your business be again?” Su-In asked, all familiarity now gone from her voice.
“It’s not with you. Is D in the barn?”
“He’s still sleeping.”
“Then you’d better go wake him.” But no sooner had Glen spoken than his body spun around in a wide arc.
Next to the main house that rose behind Su-In, there stood a gorgeous figure. The scabbard he’d carried the night before was strapped to his back again. Motioning to Su-In to step back with one hand, D walked toward Glen with a calm gait. The Hunter stood there as if to shield Su-In. Ten feet lay between him and Glen—each of them would have to take a step closer to bring the other within reach of their blade.
“I love it,” Glen moaned, sounding nearly moved to tears. The truth was, the depths of his soul were shaken by a sensation that was almost sexual. “You’re ready to fight without even asking why . . . Just what I’d expect from the only man who ever scared me. That should speed up the proceedings.”
His voice reached Su-In’s ears as well. And she understood what he was talking about, but she still couldn’t believe it. This man who challenged D was like a solid mass of violent intent given human form, and the Hunter came out to face him without even asking why—just what sort of people were they?
“Stop it!” Su-In shouted. Or at least she tried to—the words never did come out. The seafaring woman was completely paralyzed by Glen’s bloodlust and the eerie aura that was now emanating from every inch of D. She thought if she got in their way, she’d be cut down. Maybe even by D. What stood before her now was a completely different creature from the man she knew.
“I bear you no ill will. You know why we’re fighting, don’t you?”
D didn’t reply to Glen’s query. As if he’d foreseen all of this, his eyes were barren of every possible emotion, but they were still dark and crystal clear.
“Just let me make one thing clear,” Glen said coolly. “I’m not connected in any way to all those freaks that have been creeping around you. I’m here of my own free will.”
Finally D’s mouth moved as he said, “I know.”
A faint smile skimmed across Glen’s lips. As innocent as that of a child, it didn’t seem likely it would grace this man’s face at any time except the final seconds before a life-or-death gamble.
A tiny shadow slid across the faces of both men. It was cast by a bird in the sky. To Su-In, it felt like the sunlight had frozen—the sound of the waves solidified in midair.
Now. Although the next moves that took place came as no more than a blurry interplay of light and shadow to Su-In’s eyes, someone with the appropriate level of skill might’ve seen it as follows. Glen made the first move. Though the blade that raced from the scabbard on his left hip set off a silvery rainbow in the morning sun as it made for D’s waist, the arc of the sword that came off D’s back just a fraction of a second later met the other weapon in midair, scattering gemlike sparks before both men shifted positions. Glen went to the right, D to the left. That much even Su-In saw.
“You’re good,” Glen said ecstatically as he and D both moved around in a nearly perfect circle. “But I’m just getting started.”
There was no telling if D saw his opponent purse his lips slightly. A melody that, under other circumstances, would’ve won the heart of even the most cantankerous of musicians flowed out into the crisp morning air.
Glen’s blade was held out straight, flat, and at eye level. The tip of it rose to the highest position. And, as if following his foe’s invitation, D’s longsword also rose over the Hunter’s head.
“It’s got sort of an odd name for a sword technique, but I’ve come to like it. It’s called Lorelei,” Glen said with iron confidence underlying every word, apparently quite certain that D had fallen under his spell.
It was said that long ago in a river in some ancient land Lorelei was a nixie who used her seductive song to lure countless sailors to where their ships would break on the rocks and she could drag them down to the watery depths. Though a whistle wasn’t exactly a song, considering the astounding results it produced, it was entirely fitting that this unearthly technique had been given her name.
Those who heard the “Lorelei” whistle from Glen and saw his blade would be hypnotized in the blink of an eye, and like a child obediently following a parent or a disciple imitating the master’s lead, they would perform exactly the same actions. Although the real point was, they always performed the movements just a little bit later than he did. A split second before the blade his opponent brought down with exquisite timing and every ounce of his foe’s strength could make contact with Glen, the seeker of knowledge’s steel would slice deep into the exact same spot on the opposing swordsman.
The reason Glen had been able to close in on Toto without the thief realizing it, and the way the two thugs that were puppets had imitated Glen’s pose a heartbeat before he cut them down on the deck of the ferry—it all made sense. And now even the Vampire Hunter D was held captive by that nightmarish power.
“You scared me—worse yet, you’re even better
-looking than I am. That’s unforgivable!” the swordsman cried, but the whine of his blade soon effaced his voice.
Although to Su-In’s eyes it appeared as if both blades had exactly the same velocity as they fell with the force of a waterfall, there was a cry of astonishment, and then bright blood gushed from the left side of D’s neck.
However, Su-In’s turbulent gaze was turned toward Glen. With the deadly Lorelei technique on his side, the seeker of knowledge should’ve sliced through his sworn foe’s neck a second earlier, but the young swordsman had one hand pressed to his right shoulder, and redness dripped from between his fingers.
It was incredible how much a person’s face could change.
With an expression that would freeze the blood in most people’s veins, Glen howled malevolently, “You son of a bitch!” The outburst was directed at someone behind Su-In.
As the woman turned to look despite herself, her eye caught a shadowy figure circling around behind the house.
“I’m beaten,” Glen said to D, once again taking a stance with his blade flat at eye level. “I came here before they could get to you, but it looks like they must’ve gotten here first anyway. I’ll be back.”
“I don’t mind,” D replied, his left side already soaked in vermilion but his sword held ready over his right shoulder.
As Glen realized that his opponent wasn’t necessarily agreeing to quit, fear raced into his expression for the first time. The whole point of the Lorelei technique was to cut into his foe a split second before the opponent could strike. A split second. If for any reason his timing was thrown off by even a fraction, he could wind up on the receiving end of the very same stroke from his opponent. With basically no time to spare, the attack literally involved the swordsman risking his own life. But that was precisely why it’d been worthwhile for this fearless seeker of knowledge to sweat blood to master this technique.
But just now, his technique had failed. Even hampered by the Lorelei spell, D had sliced into Glen’s shoulder a split second faster than he could do the same to the Hunter. The only reason Glen had even been able to finish his attack was because the blow from D had been incredibly light and dull. Both of them were badly wounded—Glen knew he should pull out now. He thought D would want out as well. He hadn’t yet realized the true nature of the gorgeous demon he faced. He didn’t even have enough presence of mind to whistle again.
D was about to take a step forward, but brought his foot back down to crush the grass on the lawn as he halted. The sound of youthful voices and footfalls had risen from the road below. They were calling out for their teacher.
As the Hunter’s ghastly aura wavered for the briefest instant, Glen leapt back a good six feet. Being just as seriously wounded as D was, he displayed an incredible constitution.
“I suppose I should thank these children. But let me make it clear I had nothing to do with the interloper who just interfered with our duel. And if I find him, I’ll slice him to ribbons,” Glen said, but he threw a hateful glance at the tiny figures coming in through the gate as he walked away impassively.
After the swordsman passed the children—who were rooted by the sight of him covered with blood—and was heading down the hill, Su-In finally spread her arms wide and called out, “Come here, kids!”
D was already circling around to the back of the main house. He intended to go after the mysterious intruder—his lowered blade was still in his right hand. The children couldn’t see it. But perhaps if Su-In had concentrated on the weapon enough, she would’ve noticed the thin coating of semitransparent goo that clung to his sword from the tip to halfway down the blade. It was thanks to this substance that the shadowy figure had hurled at the last second that the Hunter’s blow hadn’t killed Glen instantly. Even D couldn’t stop his sword a fraction of an inch from the target when he had his entire being focused on swinging it. And the fact that the substance could still be applied in that brief span showed ungodly skill on the part of the intruder.
The laughter of children streamed out into the sunlight. These little ones were fitting inhabitants for the world of light.
Once the children had left, Su-In went into the barn with one of the first-aid kits distributed by the village. D was seated on his saddle, holding some gauze to the wound on his neck. As his clothes were all black, the blood didn’t stand out anywhere except where it stained his pale skin.
“How’s your wound?” Su-In asked, her voice a bit high-pitched. Pushing aside a pile of life preservers, she knelt by D’s side. Since the way D had walked off had been so composed, she hadn’t thought his wound was very grave, but in the end it did bother her a bit. Listening absentmindedly to the children and answering them vacantly, she’d then told them what’d happened was simply a slight scuffle between friends and sent them on their way.
“It’s nothing serious,” came the soft reply.
“Good,” Su-In said, her shoulders falling with relief. It was only a second later that she realized the hoarse tone had been somewhat like D’s voice, but not exactly, and her eyes bulged.
“My throat must be acting up, too,” D said.
The woman was also startled that he’d bother to explain. Perhaps because of her surprise she didn’t think it particularly strange when he lowered the left hand he had held over his chest. She didn’t even notice how dirt rather than fresh blood seemed ready to spill out from between his fingers.
“Let me have a look at it,” said Su-In. “I’ll patch you up.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. I know a lot more about wounds than you do. Except my specialty is more in dishing them out,” Su-In said somewhat coercively. With that, she pulled away D’s gauze and blinked.
All that remained on the firm and fearfully pale flesh of his neck was a faint line where the wound had been.
“That’s unbelievable!”
“Did the children notice anything?” asked D. He was referring to the bright blood that’d stained the garden.
“Yeah. But I think I got them to believe me. I suppose since you and he were both so calm, the kids didn’t know what to make of it.”
“I suppose you should make a change of address after all,” the Hunter suggested.
Su-In nodded. She’d certainly be a perfect target if she stayed there. Even with D around, there was bound to be an opening at some point. Her confidence from the night before had burned away like a fog in light of the ghastly battle she’d just witnessed. Worse yet, even D himself hadn’t been able to find the person who’d thrown the gooey mass. But it was clear that freakish foes were close at hand.
“The enemy knows I have the bead. If they take you hostage, they’ll be able to get what they want.”
“I know. I’m not gonna make a stink about it. I should probably pass on school today, too.”
D’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
“That’s why the kids were here. Didn’t I tell you? Today they’re having the opening ceremony for the school. The whole village will be there, from the mayor to the sheriff. You wouldn’t think it to look at me, but I’m sort of the guest of honor.”
“When does it start?” asked the Hunter.
“In thirty minutes.”
“Then we can relocate you after the ceremony.”
Su-In broke into a grin. Though her childlike smile resembled Glen’s, the circumstances were completely different. That alone proved she was an honorable person. “Great!” she exclaimed. “Say, will you go with me?”
“I’ll see you as far as the schoolhouse.”
“There might be some strange characters inside,” Su-In said, her smile growing broader. She’d seen how perplexed the remark left D.
A Vampire Hunter and a schoolhouse—there couldn’t be any greater mismatch.
“I’m just kidding,” she added. “Outside will be fine. There’ll be a party, too.”
There was a burst of hoarse laughter that was choked out with a cry.
With an expression that beggar
ed description on her face, Su-In stared down by D’s hip. His left hand was balled tightly. He must’ve been putting incredible force into it, because his knuckles were white and bulging.
“You seem to have a habit of talking in odd voices.”
The Hunter said nothing.
“Do you have any ringing in your ears, or do you feel faint?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Tell me the truth, now,” Su-In said soberly.
“I never lie,” a hoarse voice replied.
“If it’s hard being on your own, I can come talk to you at night.”
“There’s no need for that.”
With his fist still balled tightly, D stood up. “You’d better get ready,” he said. “I’m going to go get rid of the smell of this blood.”
.
II
.
Their wagon arrived at the school grounds five minutes before the starting time. The smell of fresh white paint filled Su-In’s nose, and her cheeks took a rosy hue. The roof, the columns, the windowpanes—every part of the building glistened in the morning sun. Set in the door of the small schoolhouse was a perfectly round emblem with a fish motif, while the simply carved letters read Florence Elementary School. Less than seven hundred square feet, the single-story schoolhouse was merely the start of something bigger.
Blinking time and again and firming her lips in a straight bar, Su-In stepped down from the wagon. Standing by the door up till this point, the mayor, sheriff, and smiling children all started toward her now.
With only one foot resting on the ground, Su-In took a deep breath. “That’s strange” she remarked. “All the way here, I’ve smelt flowers. Even though it’s winter.”
“It’s me,” a hoarse voice said.
Su-In turned around, moved by sheer amazement.
Looking up at the sky and keeping his left hand clenched again for some reason, D replied morosely, “I used too much tincture on the bloodstains.”
Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part 2 Page 4
