A girl with red hair appeared, holding a sword in her right hand. Her perfectly shaped nose and highly symmetrical face would make anyone who claimed beauty was subjective question their own opinion.
Her brilliantly bright blue eyes touched the heart as she gazed at Wein Arcveil, approaching swiftly like a soldier.
"I am Chanelle Von Bright," she introduced herself, just before a silhouette, shrouded in moonlight, suddenly appeared behind her. The vampire attempted to stab Chanelle.
She quickly spun her body and raised her sword, blocking the attack with a loud clang in the air. Wein, who had been watching, began to follow suit.
Twisting his body to gain momentum, he simultaneously slashed at his opponent, forming a diagonal crescent arc. The sword left a trail of mana in its wake.
The blade tore through the vampire's clothing, drawing blood as it swiftly grazed the arm, though it wasn't strong enough to sever the limb.
The vampire winced in pain. Chanelle leaped back to Wein Arcveil's side as the vampire retreated. This time, the vampire was at a disadvantage.
He would flee at any moment.
"You think I'm going to run away?" The vampire pulled out a dagger from his hand, wasting no time as he propelled himself forward with all his might toward Wein Arcveil.
Dagger poised to strike, Wein, who had taken a few steps to dodge, was startled as Chanelle suddenly appeared in front of him.
She swung her sword, and just before the dagger could reach him, her blade sliced upward from below, cutting through the air in a razor-sharp horizontal arc.
The vampire's eyes widened as the sword had already reached his wrist. He could no longer retract his body—his balance was disrupted, his footing lost.
The blade easily passed through his wrist, severing his hand and forearm, releasing a spray of blood that splattered across his face.
Wein swiftly moved, circling around before finally diving sharply toward the vampire with his sword ready to strike.
The vampire turned his head, sensing the imminent threat behind him. Wein raised his sword and propelled himself forward with increased speed.
Ignoring his severed hand, the vampire grabbed Chanelle with his remaining arm, gripping the collar of her light armor before shifting his stance and hurling her toward Wein Arcveil.
He was incredibly strong, flinging Chanelle with his bare hand, and now she was hurtling straight at Wein Arcveil.
"Catch me," Chanelle requested mid-air, her face expressionless like a robot. Wein leaped, but before doing so, he stored his sword back into his storage realm.
In Chanelle's plan, Wein had yet to foresee the scenario he was about to face, but for now, this was an order from the incarnation sent by Persephone.
Chanelle extended her hand forward, and as Wein grasped the situation, he reached for it. As momentum carried them, Wein attempted to increase his weight.
A thought crossed his mind—Wein possessed mastery over many elements. He mentally reviewed each one before settling on the most suitable choice.
Gravity.
Wein manipulated gravity to make himself heavier, pulling himself down and intensifying the gravity around him.
Grabbing Chanelle's hand, he swung her in a controlled motion. As Wein was drawn downward, he utilized the perfect momentum to release his grip, sending Chanelle hurtling forward.
The vampire looked up, his eyes widening as Chanelle raised her sword while Wein sprinted toward him, retrieving his blade once more.
He lifted his left hand, attempting to pull large stones using the gravity element, but it failed—he couldn't move them.
Discarding the failed attempt from his mind, Wein pushed his body forward with all his might, sword positioned low before he raised it in an effort to form a wind slash.
Shaping a crescent moon and leaving behind a mana trail of the same shape, Wein launched the crescent wind slash toward the vampire.
He prepared to follow up right behind the attack after Chanelle struck. The crescent slash hit the vampire, and as it did, Wein propelled himself forward at full force, delivering a direct slash the moment he entered striking range.
A gap appeared. Wein tightened his grip, purple aura crackling with streaks of violet lightning trailing along his sword as he executed a diagonal vertical cut.
Meanwhile, Chanelle delivered an upward kick to the vampire's chin, sending him crashing onto the ground.
Not long after, the first rays of sunlight began to creep in, gradually weakening him. He struggled to resist. Wein raised his sword before stabbing the vampire's arm.
The creature let out a pained growl. His powerless body lay there after enduring several attacks, and at last, the sunlight reached him.
Slowly, every part of him exposed to the sun began to emit a scorched aroma, smoke rising from his arm. He attempted to move, but there was nothing left to fight with.
Wein glanced at Chanelle. He smirked slightly before his eyelids drooped, his body losing consciousness as his mind registered the fall.
"Master!" Chanelle lunged for him, but his weight dragged him down. She was merely an incarnation sent here and had no understanding of what was happening.
---
[Chanelle, return. Your task is complete.]
'I will wait a little longer until someone comes for him.'
[You're quite the romantic.]
Her face flushed red as she lifted her eyes. Chanelle quickly crouched down to guard Wein Arcveil, placing a hand over her embarrassed expression.
[Use the pocket watch inside his pocket to call his friends.]
'Alright.' Chanelle adjusted her posture slightly, carefully searching Wein Arcveil's pocket, feeling around for a round object she assumed was the pocket watch.
She retrieved it and held it level with her face, perplexed at first. How could a pocket watch summon people?
[Press the button on the upper right.]
Following Persephone's instructions, she pressed the button. Almost immediately, the device did not produce a weak ring but was instead answered right away.
"Hello?"
"Wein is on the rooftop of Drakvary dormitory. He's unconscious," Chanelle responded. A few seconds later, she released the button, cutting off the transmission.
Chanelle was still confused about what had just happened. She shifted into a comfortable position after the exhausting battle, her gaze eventually falling on the now-charred vampire corpse.
'Sunlight is truly remarkable,' she sighed, then turned back to Wein Arcveil. "So, this is the man that lady was protecting? Is he that important?"
Her finger slowly reached toward Wein Arcveil's cheek, gently pulling the corner of his mouth into a smile.
After a few minutes of waiting, Chanelle finally heard someone approaching. She sensed fluctuations of mana—three individuals ascending to the rooftop.
[Be careful, Chanelle.]