บท 23: Vlad against the apprehending guards
"Go ahead and hurry. I don't have all the time to waste on the likes of you." said Vlad coldly while the hair on the guard's head started getting pushed as if an invisible wind blow past him.
A chilly breeze, like the ones coming from the mighty river of the underworld, Styx, made its way out of Vlad's eyes.
Fearing for his life, the guard started talking.
"Yes, yes. Sir Belpel indeed said that Mayer is set to come today for you. At least, this is what I heard from my friends that are higher ranked.
That's all of Belpel's plans to deal with you all along to please Mayer and get more power. I told you all, don't kill me."
Vlad stared coldly at the guard, seeming to be prepared to kill this guard, but then the guard said in a hoarse voice.
"You said that you'll not kill me if I tell you everything without lying. I told you everything I know on this part."
Vlad didn't bother himself with that comment and asked his last question.
"Have you seen a boy running out to the upper floors of the mine from the depths? He has dark skin, black hair, small eyes, average height, pummeled face, bloody and all."
"Ahhh, that kid rushing from the depths, could it be him? Right, it has to be him, with that bruised face."
"Get to the point already." said Vlad coldly when the guard had an inner conversation out loud.
"It hasn't been that long since then. That kid blended with the miners feeling in panic when the earthquake started." said the guard feeling a bit calm, knowing that he wouldn't get killed by this crazy boy.
Feeling that he didn't lie from how his eyes moved in his socket, he released his grip but maintained his chilling gaze on him.
"You didn't lie, good. That's something I like in people, honesty, regardless of status. Now piss off. Also, I suggest that if you remain to work in the mine, join the other side."
The respective guard could only swallow his saliva and cough to clear his dry and bruised throat.
"I understand. Don't worry, you will not see me too much around here."
Not wasting any more time conversing with the guard, he said his last words.
"I don't care about you or what you do. I just advise you because things would get bloody."
Saying that, he rushed to the upper floors. Slowly he started to hear panicking voices screaming various things from
"HURRY, GET OUT. THE MINE IS COLLAPSING!" to "SAVE YOURSELVES!" or "LET ME GET OUT FASTER!"
The guards observe from the side everything that the miners were doing and could only look at those guys in a disdainful manner.
They seemed to know the reason for the shake and kept their calm all the time.
In all that calmness, they showed there was a preparation to act on orders.
Then when they noticed the boy running in their direction, looking coldly around himself, the only thing they could do was to take their guard and prepare to attack him.
Vlad noticed the guards and their guards and, at the same time, sharing his focus on the running miners.
He was searching for Glim, who was supposed to be hiding in the crowd. Forcing his way to the center of the mass and giving a hard kick to everyone standing in his way and sending them smashing on other slaves that blocked the exit when they were pushing themselves towards the gallery exit.
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Slow walking like a predator stalking his prey, he kicked and punched any idiot unfortunate enough to be in his way. After a brief moment, he finally made his way to the center, where now he could look carefully in a circle to find faster Glim.
Screams of pain rushed all over the place, slaves and workers smashing against the mine walls like they were ants. With how he handled the miners to get a better view of the entire field, one could see how serious Vlad was taking this incident and how much he wanted to kill Glim.
When Glim was close to where Vlad was, he paled directly, thinking of ways to escape the monster chasing him. Thinking for a bit and choosing his possibilities, noticing the guards coming towards him and Zagreus, his choice was to ask for help.
"Guards, here!! Zagreus is here. Come fast. Take him down, or else everything will go down to waste." screamed Glim from the top of his lungs.
Vlad heard that hateful voice and scanned in the direction the scream was coming. Suddenly he noticed a young man who had his face heavily bruised who looked at the guards coming in his way.
"There you are, little rat. Do you still remember what I told you? Not to mess with me after letting you off with only a wrist broken and some wounds? Sadly you didn't take kindly to my warning, and here we are, annoying me so much that I simply wish to kill you for what you have done to Kipset and Inorra.
"YOU, STAY AWAY FROM ME!" screamed Glim when seeing Vlad approach him, yet Vlad continued on by saying coldly.
"Did you really have to do that to Kipset and Inorra? Someone you lived and shared stories with?"
"Unfortunately, you didn't listen to my kind words, and for that, you shall pay as I deem fit. Receive your judgment, trash."
Added Vlad in a cold manner while looking at Glim, who was starting to panic but still having the energy to reply to what Vlad said.
"My sins? Who are you to place judgment on me, you arrogant bastard? Just because you told someone not to cross you after humiliating that exact person, you expect that I shall follow what you said? You're gonna be kidding me."
But as Glim ended saying that, he saw Vlad rushing without even bothering to comment back. While he started charging at Glim, the guards noticed that and yelled.
"Don't go too far, slave. Drop your insolence and give up, and no one will get hurt!"
Sneering at what he heard, his only response was to increase the speed he rushed at the snake-like bastard.
As for Glim, his first reaction when noticing Vlad charging at him was to scream for help. Trying desperately to escape the disaster, he dug like a mindless fool willingly.
"Guards, faster! You need to get faster, or else this bastard will act as he wants!"
Gritting his teeth, trying to get over his fear of the young man that once casually destroyed him, he rushed at him to at least try to hit him and create a chance for the guards to meddle. They had a higher chance to drop down Vlad than when doing this solo.
Looking at Glim, who started to charge at him, he grinned a little, saying in a normal tone.
"Bad choice. If I was in your place, I would just try to run and save my life. Look at you, someone so capable enough to piss over the work of tens of workers just to kill two kids. Don't you feel ashamed of your stupidity?"
"What do you know about me, you freak? I hate you with all my being. If killing those two idiots could make you suffer a little bit, I will gladly do it, again and again, to see you suffer and get killed."
Retorted madly, Glim, who was running now at him.
"Sadly, you failed miserably. I can only lament how naive Kipset was to let you alive. But it is understandable killing you would make it his first life taken. First ones are always hard, but when you reach thousands, you no longer care."
"Hah, you crazy bastard, what are you even mumbling?"
Vlad just ignored Glim and continued by saying, as if talking to himself.
"Nevertheless, I have to thank you, with these two experiencing such event, they would grow stronger, and my rate of success of getting out raises."
In his cold tone, Vlad commented while looking at Glim's face in contempt, preparing to put him to sleep and deal with the guards that bothered his alone time.
"I don't believe it! I've seen it with my eyes, the two of those idiots getting swallowed by a rain of stones. You're bluffing to disturb me. That's why you're doing this. You came so fast only to kill me because you didn't find those two alive!" screamed Glim, full of hatred, while doing so getting closer to Vlad and unleashing a strike full of his entire rage.
Vlad only gave a slightly amused laugh that had some cold tint to it.
"I'll show you soon what I can do to you to disturb your mind."
Ending saying that while looking at the Glim's strike. It was a simple strike to dodge for Vlad, especially when the blow was going for his face and Glim was going all-in on this strike.
Looking at the fist getting closer to his face with his cold eyes, Vlad had some easy choices to deal with the strike. Smiling evilly at the young man, he chose the fastest way to put him to sleep, countering that strike with another strike unleashed faster to his body.
"That's the difference in our strength, barking dog. Even two years ago I could have easily killed you, but I found it bothersome to deal with the guards because I was new in that environment."
Vlad's anger went into that simple strike that did significant damage to Glim.
Glim's face paled, and not long after, he screamed, dropping on his knees where he was met by a leg getting closer to his now tearing face.
As he felt the leg contact with his head, Instantly, the world changed for him. From his kneeling stance, he got his head smashed on the ground by Vlad's kick. The impact sent him directly to another world.
After dealing with Glim, putting him out of the equation, he turned to the guards who ran toward him with their swords drawn at him.
"Now, gentlemen, how should I serve you? A small dance from me would suffice?"
"You will dance inside the torturing room soon, you little bastard!" yelled one of the 6 guards at Vlad when hearing that comment.
"Hahaha, that's so lame. I've heard those comments so many times."
"Let's make it fun. It's been a while since I let myself and had a real fight." chuckled Vlad in an evil manner while giving the guards a grin that showed off on his young face his perfect white teeth.
After saying that, he looked at the fleeing miners and the six guards rushing at him while holding swords in hand.
The guards noticed how swiftly Vlad managed to dispose of Glim, rushing with the swords in hands, they said.
"Just give up, boy. You have no chance against six armed men. You're still too young for this."
What they had to say did not change anything about him. It only made him expect more from them.
His face remained the same as before. He held that cold appearance even when rushing at the guard who was in the forefront.
The guards were surprised, thinking that Vlad would simply give up without much fight, however it seems that Vlad had other plans for them.
The guard in front reacted faster and unleashed a vertical cut with his sword starting from the top.
Vlad, while rushing, stopped a little when close to the sword range. Getting to the side just in time, he dodged the strike. When the guard was down with his sword, he punched him on the main hand holding the sword.
Not expecting this counter, the guard after suffering from the blow, dropped his sword. As he loosened his hold on the sword, Vlad also lowered himself to pick the sword that the guard was releasing.
Seconds before he picked the one-handed sword, Vlad cut the first guard neck in a swift motion from his lowered position. The young body of Zagreus that grew up in those two years allowed Vlad right now to move his sword as he wished, not having to worry about his aging body that he once had.
"Fantastic, the move went just as I had it in mind. Finally, the delay between my mind and body is crumbling. Pitiful soldier, don't you know that is not how you use your sword against a master?" maniacally laughed Vlad when looking at the dumbfounded guards who just stared at their colleague dying.
"Let's see what else you can show me."
As the guard's head started leaving for the underworld, Vlad just admired his swift cut and contemplated the sharpness of the sword in his hand.
'Hmm, interesting. The metal working of this world seems to be far more advanced than in mine. To even think that a mere guard could have such a sword at his disposal is a pity.'
'To have such incompetent men handling such beauties, it's a sad sight. If I had such quality sword at my disposal, not even the Turks could stop my army from marching over Constantinople.'
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"No! He got one of us, be careful, guys. This kid is not normal. He's a freak. We need to kill him as soon as possible." said the guard closer to the first guard killed by Vlad, rushing at him while slashing his sword horizontally.
The guard was followed by the other four guards cutting at Vlad in what they would think were open spots of his.
Sneering at them, he took a step back and started swinging his sword in all directions to parry the guard's strikes coming from all paths. Slowly his sword movement, together with his footstep, began to turn what Vlad was doing into a sword dance.
'Finally, after 16 years, my movements seem to turn as I imagine them. This body turned out to be better than expected. The muscles developed well enough to resist the high-intensity movements of my swordplay. Truly great.' (A/N: Why 16 years? 14 years staying out of action in his first life - imprisoned + 2 years that he had to wait in the mines)
'These short swords feel weird in actual combat compared to when you get to use them when training. Now, if I think about this, I start to miss my old partner. It was long enough to play it safe when I wanted or could get close when fighting inexperienced fighters.'
'Tsk, Dragon, you should also follow me in the afterlife. Your sins are equivalent to mines.' (A/N: Vlad is crazy, guy. Don't mind his mumbling words that happen in his mind)
'I don't have to bother playing safe with this agile body. As long as it goes the way I want, those idiots are simply meat on a chopping board. With some swift cuts, there's nothing left on them.'
'If I kill more of them, their morale will drop instantly, giving me the chance to cull them and spare them the fate of living in this man-eat world.'
After parrying the guard's strikes with his sword dance, the guards did not give up. They started to attack Vlad relentlessly while keeping him at the moment busy focusing on the directions the swords would cut at him.
This time he chose to parry them separately, sensing that it was better than using the same move he did when they struck him almost the same time.
Parrying the first guard to strike him, he didn't go for a strike and instead chose to counter-attack the second guard, who was close in timing to the first guard. Parrying his strike a bit to the side, unbalancing the guard, Vlad swiftly slashed his head.
"Say hello to Hades for me when you go down. I think he misses not being able to watch this show I put on display."
Yet again, a horrific scenery happened right in front of the remaining guards. Seconds before that, the striking guards slowed a bit because of their shock, where Vlad, cold and composed, targeted the first one to slow down. Instead of going for a swift head cut, he rushed using his footwork and used a thrusting strike.
Vlad's one-handed sword pierced the unfortunate guard's heart.
Yet another guard was done. The miners who stopped to observe the disturbance created by Vlad and the guards screamed in fear more than they did when they were thinking that the mine was collapsing on them.
"Demon! That boy is a demon! Run for your lives, guys, or he will come next to rip your lives out of you."
Regardless of the screams of some insignificant people, Vlad continues onward, not taking to heart some fearing fools. He was only focusing on the remaining guards. Everything besides that was only a swine shriek.
Not taking even a second his eyes from the guards, Vlad rushed, taking the initiative for once, and struck the guards at different intervals. He kept the tempo, not bothering to stop at all. With his experience, having the advantage against the guards was normal. The guards started to panic at the thought of dying in the hands of this sinister young man, who slew them as if it was nothing for him.
The clashes between Vlad and the remaining guards lasted for some minutes. Vlad's body suffered no sword cut while the guards dropped to just one guard remaining. The two of the three guards died after getting cut diagonally over their chest while exposing themselves when trying to break Vlad's relentless strikes.
He stopped striking when only standing with the remaining guard. Breathing hard, the guard said his last words.
"You Demon, don't get too confident after killing my colleagues and me. Outside of the mine awaits you, the entirety of Belpel's guards led by the head guard himself. Tell me, boy, can you kill the entirety of the mine guards or Belpel's guards numbering 50 in total? Haha, I will wait for you down, you monster. No doubt, sir Belpel will kill you after what you caused."
"Argh, can you stop calling me Demon, Devil, and other words? You probably don't even know what those things are, so why add tags to me? I'm just a man trying to live in peace but whose desires are denied.
Sigh, you pathetic guard. Does my face look like someone who gives a fuck about Belpel or Mayer? I know what they want, so I'm not worried about my life, but you? All I can hope is you have a better life than this one."
Ended Vlad saying while his dark-green eyes released some dark lights from them, without Vlad even noticing this change.
With a cold face, he swiftly cut the guard's head, putting him out of his misery. One could see the horror and shock on the guard's expression still imprinted on his face after hearing what Vlad had to comment about Belpel.
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Finally, after some minutes of sword fighting, Vlad managed to deal with the entire guard group that came to apprehend him.
Looking around at the still fleeing miners, he scoffed at their ignorance and stupidity and later turning to look at someone left on the ground not far from him. It was Glim who was first knocked out by him to deal more efficiently with the guards.
The atmosphere that calmed a bit after Vlad killed all the guards that went to apprehend and stop him from pursuing Glim turned yet again cold for the fleeing miners.
He was walking slowly towards Glim, who was still unconscious. He kicked the boys' pieces of jewelry. As a response, the boy instantly woke up screaming in pain. His face contorted from the pain when waking up, but it lasted until he noticed Vlad's cold, serene face. Turning pale from fright was his only response while having tears on his face.
"Just kill me, bastard. Get your revenge already!"
"Oh, you actually wish to die? Even ask me to do it? Interesting. I accept your request, but before that, I also have to teach you something that would follow you in your other lives."
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A/N: Don't worry you will be ended pretty swiftly.
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