[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 132 - 27: A Bloodstained Night [3]

Chapter 132: Chapter 27: A Bloodstained Night [3]

He could hear the footsteps moving away quickly, and only then did he feel the slightest bit of relief.

He was at a short distance from the entrance, gripping his sword tightly. He didn’t know if Luke would really be his backup later on, but he couldn’t just rely on that.

In the shadows, Leon could see the flicker of movement as well as the vivid shade of red. But the shapes were moving too fast for him to get a good look; he did not know if they were new mutations or if they were the same as the first beastspawn.

Leon closed his eyes for a moment and channeled a bit of his magic into the sword, making the runes shimmer in the night. He needed more strength for this second wave, or else he might end up with one of his body parts almost chewed off.

His mind began to race. Was it really the right decision not to use his magic? Even though he had trained with the sword for years, raw strength alone might not be enough against these beasts. His magic could end the battle much faster and save the villagers from further harm.

But Luke’s words came back to him at that moment.

If their identities get exposed here, they might get detained by the villagers and reported to the government. His father would have a field day.

Leon thought of Ardyn, and something inside of him throbbed at the thought of his friend getting imprisoned and possibly tortured.

No. No, he couldn’t let that happen.

He would just have to do his best.

Leon took a deep breath, the sound of approaching growls effectively snapping him back to reality.

They were coming.

He gripped his sword tighter than possible until his knuckles turned white. The beasts eventually emerged from the darkness, their glowing eyes fixed on the village. Leon’s heart pounded in his chest.

He braced himself as the first one charged forward, its jaws open wide, fangs glistening in the moonlight.

He sidestepped and slashed his sword across the beast’s side. It howled in pain but quickly recovered, whipping its tail towards him.

Expecting this, Leon ducked and tolled, narrowling avoiding the spikes.

But just as he regained his footing, the second beast was already upon him. He dodged as its massive claws raked the air where he had been standing moments before. Leon then made a counterattack, his sword a blur as he hacked and slashed, trying to find an opening.

The third beast flanked him from the side, its arm shooting out to swipe at him with its claws. Leon managed to parry the strikes, but one claw caught him in the shoulder, tearing through his cloak and drawing blood.

Shit!

Leon gritted his teeth against the searing pain, trying not to think about the possibility of poison entering his system through the open wound. Right now, his survival was the only thing that mattered.

He took a step back and lowered his head, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. At a glance, it might seem like he was overcome with fear and was considering to retreat, but he had a different thing in mind.

Momentarily, he closed his eyes, and then the runes on his blade glowed, instantly responding to his magic. This time, unlike earlier, he channeled most of his energy from his core down to his fingers, which then connected to his sword that was custom-made just for Guardians like him.

He never really used this technique during duels and training sessions because it would defeat the purpose of swordfighting, but he had practiced this skill a few times before when he was alone.

However, he didn’t really focus on refining the technique because he enjoyed an ordinary sparring with regular swords, and also because he already had his ice magic ability, so he didn’t really place much importance on channeling his magic through the sword. After all, he could just use his magic to stop his opponents and that would be the end of it.

Oh, how he now wished that he took it more seriously.

This sword was a gift from his father when he turned eighteen years old, which had been surprising because the Duke was always adamant about him hiding his identity from everyone else. But the Duke told him that he should only ever use the strengthening runes in a life-and-death situation, once Leon was certain that if he didn’t give it his all, he would perish.

Since it was custom-made and the runes seemed either like a decoration or artificial ones like the magic spheres, nobody really questioned it. After all, he was the Duke’s son, and no one would question him having a fancy, unique sword.

Leon’s hand glowed a faint blue, and so did the blade, but only for a moment. He only had to pray that nobody noticed due to the heat of the battle.

When he opened his eyes again, the beastspawns had already circled him, their eyes glowing with hunger. He could practically sense them focusing on the open wound on his shoulder.

They were waiting to sink their fangs into his skin and gobble him up. Leon shuddered to even imagine what would happen next if that happened.

At that moment, the nearest beast lunged at him, opening its mouth to reveal sharp teeth. Leon acted quickly and swung his glowing sword, the blade slicing through the air with newfound speed and force.

It connected with the beast’s neck and cut deeper than before. This time, it was easier to pierce through the tough skin, and it almost felt like a knife slicing through butter.

Unfortunately, the creature immediately backed away before more damage was dealt. It howled in pain as dark-colored blood spurted out from the wound.

Leon felt a surge of hope within him. This was it. He might possibly turn this battle around!

With this in mind, he went into an aggressive stance and started swinging his sword strategically. Much to his surprise, his strikes became faster, more powerful. Each swing of his blade even left glowing trails of tiny red shards in the air before disappearing into thin air, like an enchanting illusion.

Leon especially went after the beast that he had seriously injured just now. With that wound on its neck, it couldn’t move as fast as before, and it was also staggering in place. Leon had to kill it quickly before it might heal itself or something. He couldn’t risk it.

One of the uninjured beastspawns swiped at him with its claws, growling dangerously. It was as if they sensed that they were suddenly at a disadvantage, and were growing fiercer and more desperate.

Leon ducked and then countered the attack with a sword thrust into the beast’s stomach, which was much easier and smoother this time. Once it pierced through, he pulled the sword upwards, effectively cutting the beast almost in complete half.

The creature collapsed, and Leon felt a sense of relief.

But that was short-lived, because the two remaining beastspawns suddenly seemed to have a surge of energy, and they attacked him with renewed ferocity.

Leon dodged and parried their attacks, but he was starting to become tired. He had never battled against creatures as fast as these before, and it was beginning to wear him out.

As Leon struggled to keep the two creatures at bay, his sharp ears suddenly caught a distant sound that made his blood run cold.

Another howl echoed in the night, followed by another.

Are there more of them coming?!

Leon’s mind raced, and he was slightly distracted. He was already struggling against three. How could he possibly handle more?

However, his distraction at that moment cost him.

The two beastspawns pounced on him at the same time, their claws raised and their mouths open, as though ready to feast.

Leon’s fingers tingled, and he had the overwhelming urge to let everything go and just use his magic right here and there.

-

"I want you to promise me that if you can’t handle the beast with your sword, you’ll use your magic," Luke told him in a serious tone.

-

Leon shut his eyes, and then, shakily, he opened his palm, hesitating to release his magic.

But just before he could, a pained screech resounded in his ears, causing his eyes to snap open in shock.

He lost his balance and staggered backwards, but he managed to keep himself upright before he collapsed to the ground. He quickly focused on the scene before him, and he felt himself freeze in place.

Large, thick thorns were wrapped around the two beastspawns like a snake’s vice grip, the spikes effortlessly piercing through the tough skin. They were trapped and in agony, unable to move or attack.

A second later, an unfamiliar figure leapt in front of Leon and stood there with their back towards him.

"Sheesh..." the stranger muttered, sounding annoyed. "Way to interrupt my beauty sleep..."

Leon stared at the figure with wide eyes.

"Who...?"

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