Chapter 1002 1001: Lady Kio

Chapter 1002 1001: Lady Kio

"You're Mother rubbed off on you far too damn much, brat..."

Glowering at me, Lady Kio twirled her scimitar twice before raising her free hand, the petite woman curling her fingers back as she invited me to attack first, all while she growled "Always questioning those above you, always being rude and hiding it behind a mask... both of you are insufferable!"

"Because I believe respect is earned and not given? Interesting... that is certainly an interesting stance to take against a statement that is objectively true, but I am not here to argue with you, Mother in law~!"

Smiling sweetly at her, I twirled my own blade and listened to her growl again, her irritation causing her tail to swish back and forth swiftly while her eyes narrowed and her pupils constricted to small pinpricks that made her look rather inhuman...

"Is it now..?"

Despite that resulting in a rather cold and grating growl, I continued to smile and nodded, saying "It is indeed~! And so far, all I can say I understand about you, Mother in law, is that you seem to have an odd obsession with my own Mother?"

"Are you going to keep talking or are we going to spar?!"

"Hm? Why not both?"

I tilted my head, making the older Dogkin snarl at me before she suddenly lunged forwards, her scimitar arcing towards my neck as she tried to slice my head off with a single swipe in order to win this spar instantly, as well as scare me into submission I suppose.

Taking a step back, I watched the blade sail harmlessly past me and observed how Lady Kio was forced to step forwards to compensate, keeping her balance after a missed attack and leaving her side vulnerable to a counterattack, though as I tried to make a move on that, the petite woman traveling with her momentum and adding to it as she utilized a burst of mana from the sole of her foot to turn all the way back around and cleave downwards.

Another burst of mana into her arm this time forced that blade to move far faster than I anticipated, but I could still counter it as I grasped the hilt of my Khopesh and swung it upwards, meeting her scimitar.

But even then, I tried to ignore the pain as best I could as I grabbed Lady Kio's hand and pulled forwards, lodging her weapon inside me and relying on my dwindling strength to bring my own weapon to bear, trapping the Dogkin in a mutual dance of death as I raised it and pressed the tip of my Khopesh beneath her breast, aiming it straight at her heart.

Coughing slightly, I frowned at the metallic taste that pervaded my mouth before rasping "I think... I win..?", causing Lady Kio to frown too as she felt a small cut as I pressed my blade deeper into her skin.

The heat that shrouded her blade gradually diminished as well, and I felt myself getting uncharacteristically cold as my blood continued to drip down onto the tile, pooling at our feet.

She stared into my eyes quietly as we stood there, before the Dogkin placed her hand on my stomach and gently pushed me back, pulling her scimitar free and opening the wound completely, causing more of my blood to spill now that it was unobstructed.

But, just as I was 'freed' from the embrace of the scimitar I was caught by Leone, who had shot forwards the second I was about to stagger and fall as my strength continued to seep out of me every second, and I smiled at the Vampire as I said "I'm fine... just gimme a moment..."

Her crimson eyes were burning as she just stared at me, so I chuckled and rested my hand on the wound before tracing out the runes needed for a healing spell with my free hand, swiftly closing the wound and knitting the muscles back together using my Water Mana.

Leone aided me from the back, our mana meeting together in the middle as she healed me as well, hastening this process and ensuring I was back up to full health in a manner of moments, which allowed me to look back towards Lady Kio as I asked "That was a rather swift spar, no?"

The Dogkin was rubbing at her back, the potion in her other hand sliding down her gullet as she healed via alchemy instead of magic, and upon hearing that she raised a brow and replied "It was, and I would say it was a tie at best. Before you brought that blade up, a twist and a punch would have knocked you on your ass. Still..."

Handing the empty vial back to the older man, Lady Kio looked down at her bloodied weapon and nodded, before looking back at my own bloodied Khopesh, saying "We traded blows, nothing more. I believe that calls for round two. Besides, I am far from convinced of anything at all, and still a tad irate. So accompany me for another, will you?"

Even if her tone and her expression were still as crass as before, I noticed that it was her words that hinted me in on how she was feeling, not how those words sounded or how she carried herself; she wasn't belittling me or cursing me, so perhaps some progress had been made?

No 'brat' or other demeaning title was spouted in those sentences, so I took a deep breath and nodded, deciding that I would humor her for this once... even if I desired to see if I could injure her again for what she had said earlier.