The low-ranking vampire staggered to its feet after being knocked down by the Aard Sign, its sharp claws gouging four deep grooves in the ground. It let out a piercing shriek, its dark red eyes flickering in the moonlight.
Yavi gave it no chance to catch its breath. The silver sword in his right hand traced a cold gleam, heading straight for the vampire's throat. But the monster twisted its body at an impossible angle, using the force of that twist to swipe at Yavi. Its claws tore through the air with a shrill whistle, bearing straight down on his throat. Yavi's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively leaned back into a roll. The tips of its claws nearly brushed his chin, leaving a searing mark.
Tch, faster than I expected... he cursed inwardly, but his movements never stopped. He drove his left foot into the ground, scattering gravel as he shot toward the vampire like an arrow loosed from a bow. The steel forefoot of the witcher's leather boot struck sparks against the flagstones, his charge so fast it left an afterimage behind him.
The vampire's scarlet pupils abruptly contracted. This human's speed had completely surpassed its expectations-the prey that should have been torn apart by its claws had now become the most dangerous hunter. It instinctively lashed out with a claw, but Yavi suddenly changed direction mid-charge, sweeping his right leg out like a battle-axe as he dodged.
Crack!
His steel-clad boot heel slammed into the outside of the vampire's knee, the sound of cracking bone clearly audible. The monster let out an inhuman screech and staggered down onto one knee. Yavi's slash followed immediately, his silver sword tracing a cold arc of moonlight.
Just as the sword was about to sever the vampire's head, the cornered monster erupted with astonishing ferocity! Using its broken left leg as a pivot, it spun violently to the right like a top, its left claws reaching straight for Yavi's face. Yavi was forced to abandon his attack and leap backward to open up some distance. Although he dodged in time, the vampire's claws still sliced through his leather armor, leaving three shallow scratches across his chest.
Both sides had suffered injuries in that exchange. Fortunately, thanks to his witcher constitution and the Horse Talisman's recovery boost, Yavi soon stopped bleeding. The vampire, however, looked rather miserable. It had forcibly twisted its own left foot off, leaving it unable to stand steadily. It could only keep its balance by beating its wings, and every beat sent dark blood dripping from the break, making it look quite bedraggled.
Killing an enemy while it was weakened had always been Yavi's creed in battle. Giving his opponent no chance at all, he shot forward like a cannonball. As he charged, his left hand formed several signs before he thrust it hard toward the vampire.
"Igni Flame Sign!"
A mighty torrent of flame surged from Yavi's left hand. The scorching waves curled and burst in the darkness with a series of crackles. Using Igni as a feint, Yavi thrust the silver sword in his right hand savagely toward the vampire's left chest. Just as he was about to succeed, a shrill blast rang out. It instantly shredded the surging flames, and its powerful shock wave sent Yavi flying into a pile of debris beside the road with a heavy crash. An eerie, blood-red glow spread over the low-ranking vampire's body. As the glow flared, bone and muscle regrew in its severed left foot at a visible rate. In mere moments, the broken foot was restored. The blood-red glow faded, leaving the vampire whole again, though it seemed somewhat listless. It appeared that its recovery had consumed considerable energy as well. Meanwhile, Yavi sat in the debris, repeatedly knocking his head. That roar had nearly shaken his brains apart. Now he felt dizzy and groggy, everything he looked at swimming in wavering double images.
The vampire paid Yavi no attention. Its scarlet eyes remained fixed on the mother and son slumped on the ground. That last move had consumed too much energy, and it needed to replenish some as soon as possible. The mother and son sitting on the ground were the best source of energy.
Beating its wings, it hovered in the air before swooping toward the mother and son. All Matilda could do now was hold Glen tightly and await death. Just as the vampire's gaping maw came within two meters of them, an eerie purple light suddenly rose from the ground around them. The purple lights swiftly linked end to end, forming a magic array. The moment the vampire entered it, its body felt unbearably heavy, and all its movements became unbelievably slow. The meal right before its eyes seemed forever beyond its reach. It stretched out its right hand with all its strength.
"Almost! Just a little more!"
Just as it was about to succeed, a cold gleam flashed past, and the vampire's arm was severed at the elbow in an instant, the cut as smooth as a mirror. The severed limb tumbled slowly through the air, the spraying black blood tracing eerie spirals within the Yrden Sign. Only then did the explosive report of the air being torn apart finally arrive.
Yavi had arrived in time and severed the vampire's arm with a single stroke, saving the mother and son.
The lines of the Yrden Sign kept flickering on the ground. Yavi knew it had reached the limit of its duration. He had cast this sign when he first saved the mother and son and threw his cloak at the vampire. Throwing the cloak had been meant to block its vision so it would not know he had laid a sign here. He had been certain that this vampire would look for an opportunity to attack the mother and son, which would send it straight into his trap.
Before the sign vanished, Yavi raised his sword and slashed at the vampire's neck. The vampire instinctively dodged, but its movement speed was greatly reduced within the Yrden Sign. Though the sword missed its neck, it struck squarely at the shoulder of its right arm, slicing off its right shoulder and part of its torso as easily as cutting through mud.
The vampire roared in pain. At that moment, the Yrden Sign's suppressive effect ended as well. Determined to escape, the vampire let out another roar, its powerful shock wave immediately pinning Yavi down. He could have dodged it, but the mother and son were slumped on the ground right behind him. To protect them, Yavi had no choice but to cast the Aard Sign to counter the shock wave.
Seeing Yavi suppressed by its sonic attack, the vampire immediately turned to flee. Although it could no longer fly with one arm missing, it could still move swiftly between buildings. It leaped high and clung to a building's wall with its three remaining limbs, then pushed off to leap onto the wall of another building. Just as the vampire thought it could escape this way, a round, ball-shaped object flew toward it. The vampire paid it no mind, because the height of its trajectory meant it could not possibly hit it. Just as it prepared to jump to another wall, the round ball suddenly exploded...