Swordsmaster Fox-girl

Esther kicked the worm back and drilled it into the floor. But it was too late. One of its newly-grown sharp hands had already pierced Freya’s heart.

“Fox Spir— no, Esther….”

“Shut the fuck up and concentrate! You won’t die!”

[Selfless Healing]

Come on!

But the Healings didn’t work. Freya coughed up more blood and chuckled. “I’m sorry. But… you should be more kind from now on….”

[Selfless Healing]

Work, dammit!

[Selfless Healing]

[Selfless Healing]

[Selfless Healing]

[Selfless Healing]

[Selfless Healing]

[Selfless Healing]

But it was too late. Freya’s life had left her body the moment she uttered her last words. All Esther could do was watch hollowingly as the Dryad’s body faded into blue particles.

She was gone.

No more annoying interruptions,

And no more perverted panties-sniffings,

Yet, Esther’s heart hurt so much. Tears came rolling down her cheeks before she could even know it. 

The ground cracked as the worm dislodged itself out of the floor and got up. Steam billowed out of its body as countless red eyes sprouted all over its body.

Before the grotesque monster, Esther stood up silently and tried to unsheath Requiem. However, her entire body trembled as soon as she touched the handle.

Why… Why am I still scared?

If only I could use my sword. If only I had sliced it into a million pieces.

Her grip grew firmer on the handle. Her mind flashed with the images of her mother in her final moments, yet her grip still stayed firm. The images only grew more gruesome and grotesque as more of the blade was unsheathed.

Then, an enlightenment hit her. The worm started charging toward her, but it was as if time had stopped.

What will I protect without my blade?

-”You are guilty,” whispered a shadowy figure in her ears.

Esther looked down at her sword; her eyes bloodshot.

So what? I lost Mom. Today, I also lost Freya. Who’s next? Fred? The Guildmaster? Clara? Nowa!?

-”You know what you did to your mother. She trusted you until the very end, and yet you stabbed her in the back quite literally. You never told her about your identity until the lights were fading from her eyes.” It smiled mockingly.

So what? Esther repeated herself as her eyes grew even colder and more lifeless. I’m guilty. I’m scared. Magic is nice, but I’m no Ihwa. I’m going nowhere without my blade.

She unsheathed Requiem fully and stabbed its blade into her own stomach. [Bloodletting]

“So Fear, be my blade. Help me retrieve what I’ve lost and protect what I have.”

The figure slowly faded into nothingness. Though, it gave her one last mocking grin. -“You never learn until you lose someone you love. Very well, I look forward to meeting you next time.”

“Like hell will there be a next time.”

Time resumed. Esther removed her blade out of herself and slashed the worm in half. 

The two halves squirmed in pain on the ground for a few seconds before merging to become one again. However, the worm became a bit more humanoid this time.

It’s getting stronger. How interesting….

“Sorry, Freya, but I must be cruel one last time.”

[Moon Arch]

It split the worm apart.

[Moon Arch]

And again,

[Moon Arch]

And again,

[Moon Arch]

And again. Until eventually, the worm resembled a large orc with eyes covering its entire body.

Early 3-Stars, I can handle it.

[Moon Arch]

This time, the worm dodged the projectile. 

“Can’t risk getting hit anymore?” Esther smiled mockingly as she provoked the worm. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of me?”

Responding to the provocation, the worm arrived before Esther in an instant. It grasped her throat and smashed her into the ground.

Esther let out gurgling noises as she was being choked. She tried to slice its arm off, but her strike was too weak from this position, only being able to cut half-way through.

The worm looked at the sword as if it was a mere annoyance and broke it into pieces.

“You… dipshit….!” She grabbed the fragments and threw them into the sky. With the last of her breaths, she muttered,

“[Meteor…. Sword]”

 The fragments came down like raining stars. They pierced the worm’s back; some even clipping through Esther’s body.

The pain was too much. The worm clutched its body and rolled on the ground while screeching.

Esther took a quick breath and grabbed her sword again. She could see the fragments slowly gravitating toward the hilt to be mended, but the speed was too slow.

“[Ice Blade]”

A layer of crystallized Ice grew on the hilt, becoming a new blade. Soon, a dark red Aura covered the blade and sharpened the sword to the point it could pierce the heavens if Esther so wanted.

Esther held the blade above the worm’s neck like a guillotine and slashed. Despite being sharp, the blade was fragile. But it did its job of splitting the worm’s neck, so Esther didn’t mind.

[Hidden Boss defeated. Teleporting you out of the Tutorial. As a reward, you can bring one single thing out of the Tutorial]

Without hesitation, she answered with shortened breaths, “Frey…a.”

[Error. Not an item]

“Tch. The Armor of Fear set, then.”