Dragon Raja

57 - From The Blood Of My Wrist

Johann had always been an early riser. Thanks to this, he got to experience the benefits of catered breakfast in the dining hall every morning. But amidst the barely rising sun on the horizon and the deep blue water that surrounded the Yamal, Johann found himself completely alone in the breakfast line.

Despite the tables lined to the brim with trays and platters of food, Johann had expected more people to have come to relish and savor a luxurious meal to start their day. Surely not every single passenger was still passed out from all the alcohol and festivities last night.

He took a seat by the window and only one waiter came to serve him, Johann ordered beef stew with mushrooms and the waiter gave him a tall glass of orange juice for the wait.

But having waited for at least fifteen minutes, too long for the usual quick and expert services on the Yamal, Johann became suspicious when his waiter did not return and instead, Johann heard the sound of the dining hall doors closing and locking.

And his instincts kicked in immediately when he felt a threatening presence behind him.

The candle flames on the tables fluttered as a gust of wind breezed through the dining hall and Johann stood from his seat and faced the entryway with a guarded stance. There was no opening for wind to enter the hall since the doors had closed on him, so the only form of wind could have come from a person able to move at an intensely quick speed.

From his belt hidden beneath his tucked-in shirt, he pulled out two daggers and scanned his surroundings with a slow, steady breath. The aura in the hall became more and more dangerous, and threatening, he could feel two sets of eyes watching his every move. He could feel their presence, their strength—they were hybrids.

Suddenly, a puff of black smoke clouded behind him, and Johann jumped back before a wave-like sword came protruding from the smoke and aimed right at Johann's heart. He recognized the weapon, a Malaysian Kris, and the tip of the blade had barely grazed the fabric of his shirt. It was so sharp, it sliced it right open revealing a fragment of his torso.

Another puff of smoke appeared behind in again but this time he had made time to dodge a short spear that looked as if it were from the Roman era, something he'd see in a museum.

He launched himself backward and in a fighting stance and within the clouds of smoke two figures emerged. Two women with nearly identical features as Reginleif.

"Hervor," the girl with the long curly hair said firmly.

"Olrune," said the other, with a high ponytail.

Johann could see it clear as day, these girls were almost an exact replica of Reginleif—had they been a little more attractive.

But just like Reginleif, their names were that of reference to mythical heroines. And from their stance and their aura, Johann could sense they were just as strong as Reginleif was. However, much unlike Reginleif, these girls held no ounce of humanity within them. They were brutal and the look in their eyes was set on potentially killing him.

But he did not falter, he was still, after all, an extremely skilled hybrid praised across the board of dragon-slayers.

Hervor and Olrune charged him with attacks like a storm, but Johann easily parried and dodged each blow they attempted to land on him. He remained expressionless during this battle, but so did the two women who relentlessly swung their weapons at him.

After his mission in Tokyo, Professor Anjou had taken time to train Johann on how to better wield double blades at the same time. The two daggers in his hands spread out like wings as he charged forward and clashed against the blade of Hervor's Kris and then behind him again to block the stab from Olrune's spear.