The one place I thought I could let my guard down…

Remilia's palm presses against my throat before I can react. By the time my senses catch up, I feel her fingers on the back of my neck. I pull on her arm, swinging myself around to give her a quick kick to the chin. Her grip barely loosens, but it's enough to give me an opening. I'm still holding my knife, so I slash at her arm blindly, and the moment my feet hit the ground, I spring away from her.

I turn around, draw a second knife, and watch her clutch her arm. Then I see something strange. The blood dripping from her arm isn't falling. It looks more like it's coalescing around the wound. Then, it starts to boil, dissolving into a red mist. The mist gathers up, forming a thick cloud that stretches to the edges of our secluded little park, blocking out the sun, and bathing the area in red-tinted shadow.

As her wound seals up and the mist stops forming, she throws off her coat, and in her hand she carries the same red spear she used to duel me when I was first recruited. Her face is a portrait lacking emotion, until a moment passes, when her eyes widen and she flies straight at me. I dodge and deflect her strike with my knife. Our duel ensues.

She isn't fighting like she did back then. In hindsight, I could tell she was holding back at the time. She only wanted to test me. But now? The force behind her strikes is too much for me to block. My only hope is to dodge and deflect if necessary, and her onslaught doesn't let up for a second. Every single swing and stab is charged with intent to kill.

So it's her, isn't it…? The only reason I can fathom for this outburst is that she's the one. The other vampire that managed to escape. We've been working with each other the whole time with no idea. I'm the one who crippled her sister. I'm…

No. Quiet. I didn't have a choice back then, and now is hardly the time for remorse. I force those thoughts back, deep into my mind. At the forefront instead are the same thoughts the Hunters drilled into me: "Survival is everything." Focus on the fight. Stay alive.

With only a pair of knives, I'm at a severe disadvantage against the range of her spear. Not to mention her inhuman strength isn't something I can challenge. You can't fight a monster in an honorable duel… I stay on the back foot. Take the first opening you see, and end the fight as soon as possible.

I weather her storm, and through all the slashes, parries, stabs, and ripostes, finally, I find what looks like an opening. I slip under her next thrust, only to be caught off guard by her foot being planted in my stomach, launching me backwards. I come to rest at the base of a tree, and it takes a second for my vision to unblur. When it does, I see Remilia rushing at me, her spear held behind her, preparing a wide slash.

Then everything slows down. This isn't the first time this has happened. Whenever I find myself in danger, the world always seems to slow down around me. Specifically around me. I reach up and grab a thick branch, moving the same as I always do, while the vampire slowly inches towards me.

Her face catches my eye. Her eyes and mouth are wide open with rage. It's hard to believe how she was so melancholic just a few minutes ago. Before that, a crying, sobbing mess on the ground. And before even that, a playful, confident, and ruthless creature, under the guise of an aristocratic young lady.

She moves a bit faster as I notice time starting to return to normal, so I pull myself up with a branch. Just as she returns to her usual speed, Remilia's spear cleaves through the tree. I jump from it to deliver another swift kick to her face, and the tree crashes behind me. The kick doesn't knock her down, so I quickly leap away from her as she claws at me, throwing a knife in the process. It catches her arm, and she clutches the wound.

I rush back in, making it look like I'm going for the knife, but I go high instead, hoping to get another good slash in, but she blocks it with her spear. I land behind her, and dive over the ensuing swing, grabbing my knife. I try to keep the pressure up, lunging at her with my knives at the ready, but once again, that spear of hers stops me.

We look each other in the eye. With only her face in view, somewhat obscured by the darkness, her young appearance disappears entirely. Her wide, red eyes adorned with slit pupils, and her sharp fangs bared in a snarl. For the first time, she truly looks like the monster she is. Not too unlike the beasts I've fought in the past.

The only difference is the threat she poses, and my reluctance to kill her.

She throws me off of her and follows with a thrust that I dodge. "Remilia!" I call out.

She doesn't stop. Her attacks are still relentless, but she's slowed down just a bit. Her wounds are still open, spurting blood. I manage to dodge and step on her spear, propping myself up, before I kick her away, breaking her grip. The spear vanishes, reappearing in her hand a moment later, of course.

"I know you're angry, but-"

"SILENCE!" Her voice booms. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!"

Suddenly her attacks have even more force behind them, though at the same time, her form is faltering. Her wild swings scar the ground. Getting hit by even a single strike could be fatal, but at the same time, she's lost all her finesse. The way she practically throws the weight of her weapon around, the openings are obvious. Yet as I weave between her slashes and stabs, my own blades hesitate.

This is my fault. I tore off her sister's wings. For a second, a part of me wants to let myself get hit. She saved me from wallowing in the shadows all alone. The last few days were… Actually enjoyable. I consider the idea of repaying her in my blood… But no. I can't throw away my life, no matter how much she wants to take it. There has to be something I can do…

My moment of thought slows me down. I only barely dodge a thrust into the ground, throwing myself off balance. Remilia seizes the opening and releases her spear, grabbing hold of me once again. She slams me into the ground, dragging me a short distance, before I plant my hands and use the momentum to kick her off. I lay on the ground for a moment, disoriented. When my vision clears, I look upward.

Remilia is floating in the air, spear once again in hand. I feel frozen at the sight. Parts of my mind are screaming at me to get up and move, but my body simply won't listen. Instead, I just sit there, staring skyward, awestruck by the terrible visage of the Devil herself.

Then she readies her spear, snapping me back into the life-threatening situation I'm in, and rushes herself towards me with it pointed forward, aimed straight at my heart.

Then… Everything stops.

Not slow down. Stop.

For a moment, I wonder if I'm dead. But when my adrenaline fades and the aches of this battle make themselves known to my whole body, I discard that idea. Her spear is inches from my chest. Slowly, I bring myself to my feet. Remilia is still frozen before me, her eyes focused squarely on where I was. Right below the point of her spear. I walk, looking around carefully for any signs of motion other than myself. The red clouds don't swirl or shift. The leaves of the tress don't sway. I can't even feel a breeze.

I walk back over to Remilia's side. Suddenly, the weight of the knife in my hand becomes all the more apparent. I look at it. Pure silver, with small engravings on the handle, and a fuller in the blade. I then look at Remilia. …She isn't going to let up. I don't want to hurt her. But…

I look away from her. I pull back my knife.

"Survival. Is. Everything." I grit my teeth.

Then plunge it into her side.

The moment the blade makes contact with her skin, time returns to normal. She howls in pain as I quickly remove the blade and she clutches her side. I quickly run to and scale the nearest wall. The red mist is fading, and I climb through an opening in it. I then look back down at Remilia from the rooftop.

She's ignoring her wound to the best of her ability, but every time she tries to stand in spite of it, she stumbles back onto the ground. For a moment I think to drop down and help her, before remembering why I climbed out of her reach in the first place. She stumbles over to her coat, where it lies in the shade of a tree, as the mist finally dissipates, and the now shimmering sunlight enters the lot once again.

She puts it on and leans against the tree. Then she sobs. Wailing, with her hands over her eyes. It's an awful sight. After a few moments, my desire to go down and attempt to comfort her returns, but I stop when she suddenly goes quiet. She wipes her face, and stares at… Nothing.

It's not unlike the times I see her staring over the city. I can rarely tell exactly what she's looking at, but in this instance, there really is nothing there. Nothing I can see, at least.

Then, she tears off a piece of her dress, wrapping the wound on her torso, before she heads towards the exit to the park, marching forward as if her wounds weren't as major as I know they are. It takes me a second to register. She was just on the ground, sobbing and bleeding… What suddenly got into her? I follow at a distance, though I'm not sure I even need to. She's not glancing around, no longer curious nor paranoid.

Whether it be my own curiosity, the lingering effects of what she's done for me, or some other mysterious force, I feel myself being beckoned. I have to stay by her. Thus, with my survival instincts being suppressed, I remain in the shadow of my Mistress.