CHAPTER 9 The flying shaft

Vandread eventually uttered, “You…” When he caught sight of Shesmaire once more in her full strength.

He was completely dumbfounded by what he was seeing at this very second. Vandread recalled that Shesmaire was in a very weak state when they first arrived, and he had to help her. Even as she entered the temple, he helped her to her feet and supported her as she walked. 

When Vandread saw how quickly she was able to regain her strength, he was taken aback and couldn't understand how it was possible. 

"I'm sure you're curious about how I was able to get all of my spirit energy back, isn't that right?" Shesmaire asked. She was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. 

Shesmaire waited for Vandread's response, but it seemed as though he had made the decision to remain silent or more likely that his state of shock had overcome him. Therefore, Shesmaire just started walking forward outside the temple. 

In order to speak with Vandread, she approached him from a closer vantage point. 

Shesmaire uttered the spell "Fauna ect summonuar," and in an instant, the creature that had been ice-bound in its position above Vandread thawed out and was no longer frozen in place.

The creature immediately descended to the ground, and as soon as it saw its master, Shesmaire, it made a beeline for Shesmaire and began to run after her as quickly as it could.

It was at that moment that Vandread was able to get a good look at the creature for the first time. It looked like a gargoyle, but the horns on its head had been removed. But for a creature that was supposed to look disgusting, this gargoyle seemed well-tamed and domesticated, unlike the wild gargoyles that live in temples.

After some time had passed, Vandread eventually started to reflect on the fact that everything was beginning to make sense. They were, after all, inside the boundaries of a temple's property. 

Gargoyles have earned a well-deserved reputation for their role as sentry guards at the Temples in Dizencia. Vandread eventually came to the conclusion that the sudden attack on him by the gargoyle was due to the fact that the creature mistook him for an intruder and therefore attacked him.

Most of the creatures that live in the world of Dizencia are known to be very protective of their territories. 

The majority of them will engage in combat with passersby and create an intimidating environment for them if they have reason to believe the individuals are enemies who harbor ill will toward them or their territories.

Nonetheless, this wasn't something completely foreign to Vandread. He'd been on many raids, and sometimes he'd even get to chase the enemy out of their own territory. However, that was when he still possessed all of his powers and strength to the fullest extent. 

Right now, that would only hasten his inevitable demise. It was not a good idea for him to actually engage in such an intention knowing that he had just recently regained access to a limited source of energy that he had stolen from Shesmaire.

All of a sudden, Vandread's attention was drawn back to Shesmaire. Still standing in front of him, she wore a grin plastered across her face the entire time. It was an expression that was meant to convey the idea that she had successfully maneuvered the situation to work in her favor once more.

Even so, the fact that Vandread was now at a disadvantage does not necessarily mean that he must concede defeat simply because the roles have been reversed. On the contrary, he found the whole thing extremely convenient. Now all he had to do was figure out how he could flip the situation in his favor.

“I won't deny that I would have killed the creature behind you if you hadn't come back for me, though.” Vandread replied. Following the casting of Shesmaire's spell, he remained immobilized on the ground. 

He had attempted to free himself, but it seemed as though a large boulder was keeping him pinned to the ground, preventing him from getting up. He had fought, but it turned out to be an effort for nothing in the end.

"I warned you that if you were to kill this creature, it would eventually lead to your own death as well."

Vandread sarcastically remarked, "Ooh, feisty," as he continued by saying, "Women with such an attitude can be quite rare in Dizencia these days."

Because of Vandread's off-the-cuff remark, Shesmaire's heart began to pound again. She made an effort to ignore it and responded by saying, "Stop talking nonsense!"

However, the response in some way brought to Vandread's attention how his words eventually affected Shesmaire. Evident by her evasive gaze, he knew she was unable to make eye contact with him. 

The slight waver in her voice and the flush in her cheeks that she kept trying to hide by averting her gaze. When he suddenly realized what was going on, he tried to tease her even more to prove that his theory was right.

“Why not? When it’s all true. Besides, can you blame me for being honest about praising you?”

“Shut your mouth, bastard!” As Shesmaire yelled at Vandread, her temper began to boil over.

However, at the same time, Vandread quickly sensed that the enchantment that had been cast on him had suddenly become less powerful. If he was right with his intuition, then Shesmaire's concentration was being thrown off every time he praised her. And if it were to work out, the spell would have broken on its own if Shesmaire had completely diverted her attention away from him.

"How could I keep quiet when just the thought of you is enough to send me over the edge?" The teasing from Vandread continued. Even though Vandread's word choice could make him feel like throwing up, he knew that he had no choice but to put up with showering her with effusive compliments.

“I said, shut up!” The humiliation that Shesmaire felt caused her to scream. After a certain point, she was unable to contain her emotions any longer. It was Vandread's words that pushed her over the edge, and she completely lost control as a result.

What she did not realize was that the enchantment she had placed on Vandread had been broken. And as soon as Vandread was successfully freed from being pinned to the ground, he immediately stood back up and dusted off the dirt that had accumulated on his cloak. 

As Vandread approached Shesmaire, he wore a grin that suggested he was up to something naughty. 

Shesmaire, on the other hand, suddenly froze in place without moving an inch from where she stood. Despite the Gargoyle's attempts to pull her away, Shesmaire remained numb. She found it surprising, especially when no one even cast a spell on her to become frozen like a stone.

It's unbelievable, but Vandread's presence may have been all it took to leave her speechless and numb. She had the sensation that all of her limbs were stoned, and she could hardly move any of them, not even a finger at the very least.

And as soon as Vandread was finally standing in front of her, he raised his fingers beside her face and began to comb her hair behind her ear immediately. After that, he crouched down and murmured, "Did you know that being in your presence makes me feel like I just want to become so greedy?"

Shesmaire felt shivers run down her spine at the sound of his low whisper. 

Vandread let his fingers slide down her chin and across her neck so that he could wrap his hand around her nape.  With slow, deliberate motions, Vandread brought Shesmaire closer to him and whispered, "Hirudyneas Incantation" in front of her face.

Shesmaire had, once again, unwittingly walked right into Vandread's trap, and it made Vandread grin. He did not have any expectations that this one would be successful in any way. Simply put, he tried to trust based on how Shesmaire reacted to every word he said, particularly the ones that spoke about praising Shesmaire.

He came to the conclusion that underneath Shesmaire's imposing and formidable exterior was a tender and vulnerable woman who was just waiting to be rescued by a man. And it's possible that the fact that he was the one who managed to pull that off is just a coincidence.

Once again, the spirit energy of Shesmaire was being channeled to Vandread. This time, however, he felt a different kind of energy pumping through his body. Yet Vandread finds the pace to be frustratingly slow. He reasoned that if he leaned closer to her mouth, he might be able to speed up the transfer process.

Vandread had inched forward to grab Shesmaire's lips when a long shaft sailed through the air and struck him in the head. The force of the impact was so great that it caused him to completely black out and lose consciousness…