Due to Grant’s old age and a fight to the death, it had left him with a very weak and frail body. He might need a week or longer to recover.

“ How long were we out for?” asked Grant.

Before I can answer him.

“ Hey, I’m back Grant,” said Azure poking her head into the door.

“ Azure!” exclaimed Grant.

“ Yeah, the bet we made. Crow follow me, we will begin our 1 vs 1 deathmatch.”

“ But Azure!!!! Crow is heavily injured, this isn’t fair. Please give him at least 1 more day to recover.”

What was this bet? It seems like Grant made a bet with Azure. It was to train me for 10 days before having to fight with Azure. Not good, I was still recovering. The old man was super tough. Azure looked strong too.

“ It doesn’t look like you can stop me Grant. I don’t care if Crow is in terrible condition. A bet is a bet.”

“ Please Azu-”

“ It’s alright Grant, I will fight her.”

Just when I thought I could finally have a break from my intense training and the fight with Grant.

“ GIVE ME 5 MINUTES TO TALK WITH CROW!”

“ Fine, but he will have to fight me after.”

“ I promise to fight you Azure.”

Azure left the shabby house.

“ So this was the secret you were keeping with Azure.”

“ I’m sorry Crow but I knew I had to make that bet when she said she would help you. You would have done the same right?

“ You know me well dad, yeah I would have accepted that bet.”

Grant explained to me everything about his talk with Azure. He wanted me to win over Azure. She is a Royal and has a high potential to become strong. Getting Azure to join me would prove invaluable in reaching my goals. We didn’t know how I would win her over. It was likely that she wouldn’t accept being knocked unconscious as a loss.

The only way for me to win over Azure was to actually kill her for real. It disheartens me greatly. Was there some way for me not to kill Azure and give me a chance to make things right for her? Time was soon running out.

Azure took us far away from the shabby house. She probably didn’t want Grant interfering, although he wouldn’t even if he could. It wasn’t long but I tried my hardest to recover with my blood control skills. In my current conditions, holding back would get me killed easily. I was only in 40% healthy condition when I began the fight with Azure.

Will I win?

*** Azure

It wasn’t like I was doing nothing during the 13 total days I allowed Crow to train. I watched his every move. Only an honorable idiot wouldn’t check on her opponent’s abilities. Crow had shown me all of his abilities in the fight with Grant. If he truly believes that Crow was supremely talented then he shouldn’t mind.

Did he copy my whirlwind kick? Now my spying felt justified. When they were both knocked unconscious, I thought they were both dead. I could have gone to make sure but I was being an honorable idiot. Why didn’t I didn’t break the bet? I could have had my revenge against Crow if he was still alive. Well if they are both dead then I might as well wait until the promised time since it was soon.

Then Crow got up, and eventually Grant. I felt a little bit relieved that Crow was alive. Death would have been too easy for him after all. Time to fulfill the bet with Grant. There was a small argument but Crow agreed to fight me anyway. Crow followed me deep into the dark forest. It’s a better place for me to fight with the trees providing cover.

Crow won’t be able to adapt fast enough since he always fought and trained on the open plains.

“ Let’s begin.”

Blood Control Shadowless Steps to make my way up the dense trees. I circled the stationary Crow still on the ground until I was behind him. He was freaking out because he didn’t know where I was.

It was the perfect chance to restrain him. Blood Control Shadowless Throw. Just when my dagger was about to pierce through his leg, he dodged. But then he took my dagger and shot it back at me. It caught me off guard, that I let the dagger scrape my cheeks. He was trying to kill me since he aimed perfectly at my head.

How was that possible? How did he know about my throwing ability and his back was turned against me! He shouldn’t have known I was up here. Crow was scary. Even though he only trained for 13 days, his blood control skills were on another level. Is he that supremely talented?

I knew I didn’t have a chance to beat him if I fought with 1 dagger. So I went to get back my 2nd dagger before continuing our fight. But before I was able to get back my 2nd dagger. Crow caught up to me. He too was moving through the trees although terribly.

His 13 days of training will not beat me. King Black was my instructor back in the capital growing up. His blood bullets kept on missing me as I used the trees for cover and zig-zag around. So annoying, I jumped towards Crow. Blood Control Shadowless Swipe. He tried to break my dagger but that was exactly what I was going for. I retracted my dagger and Blood Control Shadowless Whirling Kick. Crow flung back and fell to the ground.

Nice try Crow, I will be getting back my 2nd dagger.

I will be able to kill Crow in close combat with my 2 daggers in my hands. He needed to use 2 hands to break 1 weapon. If he tried to break 1 of my daggers, my other dagger would slash open a terrible wound.

I got back to the ground and charged at Crow. Blood Control Shadowless Twin Dance and endless Blood Control Shadowless Swipe. This time Crow wasn’t brave enough to break my weapon. He was running away from me. I kept on giving him shallow wounds, eventually, it will be my victory once he succumbs.

In my rage to beat Crow, I forgot about his suicide skill to shoot countless blood projectiles from his wounds. My blood defense skill is strong enough to block it from piercing me too deeply. It was much weaker than the time he used it on Grant. His basics in blood pressure levels were high.

Just when I wanted to charge back at him, Crow pulled out a sword. So he thinks he cannot beat me without killing me? If he thinks he has beaten me by knocking out just like old man Grant, he is sorely mistaken.

This time I and Crow were exchanging blows with our weapons. His 5 slashes in 1 move were troublesome to handle. He gave me some shallow wounds. All of his slashes were aiming for my vital areas. Crow was seriously not holding back at all.

During the friendly clashes of our weapons, Crow has gotten tired and stopped using blood control skills. I didn’t know if this was a feint. But Crow isn’t that much of an idiot fighter anymore. I could have landed a killing blow but I retreated. He might use his countless blood bullets to do a suicide finish against me.

*** Crow

I didn’t know how much longer I could endure against Azure. My life was going to be cut short if she didn’t retreat after I stopped using blood control skills. I seriously needed to create even better blood control techniques if I wanted to beat Azure.

I can no longer waste my blood for blood bullets. Time was limited, I had to beat her soon or else I will be dead. My sword was becoming heavier. I dropped it onto the ground and held up my fists.

Azure still didn’t charge at me when I held up my fists. She seems to be acting more cautious now since I surprised her earlier with the dagger throw and blood heaven skill. It may look like I was standing still when she threw the dagger at me. But I focused on my hearing to know where she was and thought that she might try throwing her dagger at me. With Blood Control Magic Momentum Reversal, I was able to throw her dagger back with increased power.

During our short break. I realized a way of beating her. I had to copy her hand blade technique to pierce her heart. When I saw her slashing open Grant’s arm like that. It was my inspiration to use a similar technique to break weapons. However, to break weapons, you must have insanely high blood pressure to do so. I can only do it for a split second before losing focus. Her whirlwind kick was also another technique I copied.

“ Azure let’s stop fighting. I don’t want to kill you”

“ If you are trying to get me to lower my guard, it ain’t working”

It looks like I will seriously have to kill her. During my training, I was always wondering why I wasn’t able to surpass Grant in his sword skills. Even though my foundation in blood control skills were at the genius level.

I wondered if it’s because I didn’t want to kill anyone. Deep in my heart, I must have been hesitating in mastering Grant’s sword skills. And that I wanted skills that didn’t focus on killing. I was a fool, a proud fool. This world isn’t that forgiving.

“ Azure, I cannot use any more blood control skills. I am at my limit. If you want to kill me. Do it now”

I kneeled onto the ground showing my neck to her. Azure didn’t immediately go in to kill me. I turned my head and looked up. My plan of ambushing her with the hand blade skill when she got close, failed.

2 daggers came flying at me. It was too late to dodge. I would die if I didn’t use any blood control skills. Before it hit me, I used a desperate skill Blood Control Magic Body Reflex to make the daggers hit a non-vital area.

The daggers still hit my vital organs. It pierced one of my lungs and kidneys. I tried using my blood control skills to recover both organs. I was failing, recovery wasn’t fast enough. So I stopped healing them and focused on breathing with my 1 remaining lung. A person can live with 1 kidney after all.

Azure immediately ran towards me to finish me off for good. I pretended to be dead while waiting for her to get close enough to me. I hid a dagger underneath my dying body. Blood Control Magic Throw. She was cautious, she deflected it with her arm which tore open a bloody wound.

We were both aiming for the same thing. Blood Control Magic Hand Blade. The one who pierces the other person’s heart first wins. Azure’s heart was cleanly pierced through. Before she collapsed to the ground, she tried one more desperate attempt to kill me by stabbing my heart with her hand blade but missed.

Azure was dead.

I won.