“No point standing around. It’s time to fight!” Master tossed me a glass vial filled with red liquid.
I recognized it immediately as a recovery potion filled to the brim with consumable mana. Unscrewing the cork, I drank it in one gulp and crushed the vial while slaying the kolve that had been charging at me. My mana was restored and my aches were soothed immediately.
Master quickly joined the fight, albeit holding back so I could take the main stage. He twirled in an artistic dance with his sword, slashing and stabbing any kolve that went his way. I went and went full power, adding barbs and spikes to the chain links of my mana chains. I hurled them around and cut down kolve after kolve with searing heat and sharp barbs.
Just then, a roar split the air and something charged at me behind with astonishing speed. I turned to face a large incoming kolve that swiped at my face. I dodged, but one claw cut my chin and froze the wound with burning cold frost.
“GUAAAARGH!” The kolve yelled and the weaker kolves immediately retreated to form a circle.
Master’s voice suddenly echoed behind me, “It wants to have a duel with you, Lupus. Good luck?”
I didn’t have time to process what had happened as a rain of ice shards flew towards me out of the kolve’s mouth.
My reflexes saved me and I summoned my barbed mana chains in time, shattering the shards promptly.
“Come at me!” I shouted provokingly, hoping to make the kolve reckless with broken pride.
Claws flashed and ice appeared as I engaged in close combat. It wasn’t like before when I was caught off guard. This time I could fight properly. I leapt and clenched my fist like I was about to punch the kolve, luring out its right front leg’s claws while feinting back and lengthened my left three mana chains. The kolve jumped backwards at the ruptures in its neck, but simply stopped the flow of blood with a patch of ice.
“Crazy bastard.” The kolve seemed to snarl, canines showing violently.
Ice shards shot out like rain, wildly changing aim with the kolve’s mouth direction. I could only block an evade, launching around the cavern with each shower of ice shards. Even the kolve’s own kin were caught in the crossfire. I watched as one young kolve whimpered when a shard struck him.
How cold. I watched my opponent’s stone-cold eyes. My plan was probably inhumane, but I didn’t mind. The last few seconds had already confirmed its definite success.
All living beings had emotions, even transcendent ones and magic beasts. They had a moral compass, no matter how weak, and remorse, no matter how faint.
I landed in the middle of the encirclement of weak kolves, right in front of a bunch and the shower of ice shards followed to my position. At the last moment, I dodged the ice shard rain and the shards hit exactly where I expected them to.
The timing was now ripe to kill the enemy. The ice shards had ceased to shoot for a moment of shock in the opposing kolve’s posture at the ice shards sticking out of its kins’ bodies. Blood dripped as I attempted to land the finishing blow with the hard-earned opening, but I hesitated before driving the sharp tip of a mana chain through the kolve’s neck.
Before I knew it, a heavy existence had pinned me down and howls of rage and shock echoed from the kolve planted on top of me.
“Everyone has at least a shred of emotions. Even me.” I said softly as the end of my mana chain broke through layers of fur and reached the target.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
God, what excuse am I going to make today about the length of the chapter?
Hi, I'm the author of The Prince of Chains and I sincerely apologize for cutting the episode short and not jumping into the next part of this arc.
I got hit by the flu today and was really tired, but don't worry, I will definitely write a full episode tomorrow!
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