Increased Strength

A purple aura enveloped Sable's body and then the muscles all over her body began to pulsate and swell.

Even with his vast experience, Victor had never seen such a reaction in a human body naturally. It was common for some species of monster to have extreme reactions when pushed to the limit, only their reactions were more supernatural than biological, and very similar to this sudden increase in Sable's muscle mass. In other words, she was using magic, and to have that effect, it was definitely dark magic.

Victor took a step back, hesitating. If Sable was naturally strong enough to cut him in half with a single blow before, how powerful was she now?

When the process finally seemed to be over, Sable threw back her hair and sighed, as if relieved. Noticing Victor's surprised countenance, she smiled as she always did.

"You're probably wondering what this is that I've just done, but if I were you, I wouldn't be wondering what it is but how to stop me now... Although this is just a way for me to make sure I can kill you before the Rank-S hunter is around."

Then the assassin advanced and, for the first time during the entire battle, Victor lost her from his sight. Instinctively, he raised his sword just as he saw a shadow trail to his left and so managed to parry Sable's first attack, only he didn't parry it completely, because the impact sent his body flying several meters backward and crashing into a pile of old chairs and tables.

Victor got up quickly, but he hardly had time as Sable unleashed a series of blows, each one faster than the last. Her movements were like lightning, Victor could barely keep up with her. 

Victor's body was usually a defense machine, but Sable was no ordinary opponent; she possessed skills that went beyond the physical dexterity that strength training could bring.

Faced with all these rapid blows, Victor retreated, his instinct for survival screaming inside him. He knew that facing Sable head-on now would be like fighting a storm, only he couldn't back down, not when his daughter's life was at stake. With a roar of defiance, Victor advanced against Sable, his sword shining like a lone star in the darkness. He knew he had to find a way through, no matter how fast Sable was. 

The blades met once more with a crackle of sparks and then they pulled apart. Neither of them wanted to give in. However, like a flash of inspiration, Victor saw an opportunity.

When he realized that Sable had disappeared from his sight again, he picked up his cloak from the ground and threw it. With luck, at high speed, this would be enough to surprise her and knock her off balance, but Sable was even faster than he imagined.

She clearly saw Victor reach down to pick up the cloak from the ground and jump back, avoiding him at just the right moment. In the end, Victor had already anticipated that she would be able to dodge, so he prepared a plan B. So he took advantage of the gap in her vision created by the cloak thrown up in the air to suddenly appear on her right and attack. Using both hands, Victor swung his sword as hard as he could.

The assassin only had a fraction of a second to react and still managed to put both curved swords in front of Victor's sword to defend herself. However, as said, Victor used all his strength and no matter how strong Sable was now, she was simply thrown against the pile of barrels at the bottom of the hall without being able to do anything.

The bang echoed loudly and could be heard throughout the area, and a large curtain of dust rose up.

When Sable tried to get up, still a little dazed from the blow, a thick voice stopped her:

"Don't lift another finger."

She looked up and saw the tip of Victor's sword stuck in her neck. A surprising smile appeared on her face.

"You're strong, Victor Shieldman. I confess you're much stronger than I expected. I underestimated you... My mistake, I guess. Of course, there was no way that the father of an S-Rank could be weak, even if he was the adoptive father," she said, her voice echoing in the tavern along with the clanging of the wooden columns. 

Victor frowned. "You seem to know a lot about me and Wanda. That means you have good informants, and informants who know who I am don't come cheap, which means you're being paid very well for this service. Who ordered the murder of Wanda Stillwind?"

"Hum~~ Should I speak?"

"Your muscles have returned to their normal state and I know that dark magic can't be used repeatedly. It'll be a while before you can use that skill again, and you have a very sharp blade in your neck-Urgh..."

"Arara~ It seems to have finally taken effect."

Victor suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and all the muscles in his body went rigid from one second to the next. He staggered backward, lowered his sword, and locked into that stance, rigid as a statue. He tried to move, but couldn't even lift a finger.

Then Victor looked at where the focus of all this numbness seemed clearest: his left shoulder. A few centimeters above his left bicep, there was a shallow cut, no wonder Victor didn't even feel it from the adrenaline of the battle. From the start of this fight against Sable, Victor knew that a single cut could mean his defeat, yet he still managed to be taken by surprise, probably when he was trying to deal with her speed.

Victor gritted his teeth in frustration. For a moment, it seemed that victory was within his grasp, that he had finally surrendered the assassin and would get answers, but she managed to hit him with one of her poisonous blades. And then, while he was struggling to stand, he saw Sable rise from the wreckage with her body completely unharmed. 

Sable smiled at him, her eyes shining as if she had an insatiable hunger. 

At that moment, Victor Shieldman took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Naturally, a vision came into his mind, but this time it was a good one, from six years ago.

Wanda Stillwind had just reached the age of twelve, and the time had come for Victor to teach her a little more about the world.

"Dad, why are we here anyway?" Wanda muttered, looking down from the edge of a cliff. She was also panting a little, which wasn't surprising as they had been climbing that mountain for over three hours.

Victor, who had been silent until now, looked down as did his daughter and contemplated the height they were at. The trees that dotted the landscape below looked like miniature pieces on a war chessboard, and the smoke from the chimneys of the village of Serenity was far away.

Victor, a tall, robust man with very grey hair and wise eyes, finally broke the silence, looking away from the horizon to stare at his daughter. "Wait and see. We're almost there."

With those words, Victor started walking again, holding the rucksack firmly on his back with one hand and the other clutching his hoodie, which swayed in the strong wind at that altitude.

Like an ordinary teenager, Wanda was beginning to show traces of rebellion. She wasn't likely to disrespect Victor, because she admired him like no other person in the world, but she was certainly more irritable and anxious than she had been as a child. So, she huffed impatiently.

Together, father and daughter continued up the mountain. With every step they took, the air seemed to get heavier, and when they finally reached the summit, a dazzling spectacle unfolded before them. The morning sun was beginning to rise timidly over the horizon. The first rays of light bathed the landscape, illuminating the nearby mountains, valleys, woods, and even the rivers. The clouds, tinged with pastel colors, seemed to reflect the beautiful palette of the scene.

The warmth of the sunlight met Victor and Wanda's faces at the same time, and like father and daughter, they reacted in the same way: closing their eyes and enjoying the cool breeze mixed with the warmth of the sun on their faces.

When Wanda opened her eyes, she had no words to describe the magnificent sight. Her eyes, fixed on the horizon, looked at everything, trying to capture every detail of this unique spectacle.

Victor looked at her and a tight smile appeared on his face.

"This is a special place, Wanda," declared Victor, his voice carrying a reverent tone. "This is the peak of the Aurora Mountain."

Wanda frowned, curious, as she watched her father. "The Aurora Mountain...? Is it an important place, Dad? It's not in the stories you used to tell me."

Victor smiled, smoothing the scarf around her neck. "It's not something many people know about, Wanda, and it's not a place I wanted you to know about, at least not until now."

"Until now? What do you mean?"

"Yes, today is your twelfth birthday, right? That's the age many elves officially start their training." He took a step forward. "You started a little earlier, and although I can't teach you elven spirit magic, I believe this is the perfect time for you to start learning about Den, the essential energy of souls."