Bloodlust Curse

Chapter 5: First Blood

No one approached Amanda for the rest of the day after the incident with Alex. The school day ended, and she prepared to go back to the apartment, with Henry walking beside her. As they walked, Amanda sensed a group of people following them, their malicious intent filling the air.

"Henry," Amanda called softly.

"I know, I can feel it too. Be prepared," Henry replied.

When they turned onto an abandoned street, the figures revealed themselves, blocking both ends of the street. They were armed and ready to shoot. Henry smiled, placing his hand on the grip of his sword.

"Remember, no killing," Amanda reminded him firmly.

"I know, I know," Henry sighed.

Bullets began to fly, but to Amanda's surprise, they moved much slower than she expected. She could anticipate their trajectory and move out of the way with ease. It was nothing like the movies where bullets zipped by at lightning speed. She dodged them and rushed at the attackers on one end, glancing back to see Henry blocking bullets effortlessly with his sword, closing in on the attackers at the other end. Their movements mirrored each other, hinting at an unspoken connection.

Amanda reached her attackers first. She grabbed the wrist of the first gunman, twisting it until he dropped his weapon, then delivered a swift kick to his chest, sending him sprawling. She ducked under the swing of another attacker, sweeping his legs out from under him and following up with a punch to his jaw, knocking him out cold. With fluid movements, she disarmed another attacker, using his own weapon to block a strike from a fourth before disarming him as well with a precise jab to the ribs.

Meanwhile, Henry was a whirlwind of precise, non-lethal force. He deflected bullets with the flat of his sword, moving so fast his actions were a blur. Reaching his first attacker, he struck with the back of his sword, cracking the man's ribs and sending him to the ground gasping for air. He spun to his left, knocking the weapon out of another attacker's hand and delivering a sharp blow to his temple, rendering him unconscious. A third attacker lunged at Henry with a knife, but Henry sidestepped, striking the man in the back of the knee with his sword hilt and finishing with a swift elbow to the back of the head.

Both Amanda and Henry took down their attackers simultaneously, leaving a heap of groaning, incapacitated men on the ground. As they caught their breath, an intense presence approached the scene.

A young man, around their age, stepped into the street. His hair was white, his eyes a piercing blue, and he was strikingly handsome. He held his sword with an easy confidence, smiling at them.

Amanda felt the threat emanating from him and tried to attack, but Henry grabbed her arm. "Wait! Leave him to me. He is dangerous," Henry warned.

"Do you know him?" Amanda asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Yes, and I know that you don't have a chance against him," Henry replied, his eyes fixed on the newcomer as he prepared for an intense fight.

"Long time no see, H56, or as they are calling you here, Henry," the man with white hair said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Shut your mouth and start fighting already, D33," Henry replied coldly.

Amanda's surprise was noticeable. She realized Henry had a cryptic name just like her, and now this new assailant had one too. Her thoughts were cut short as the two clashed.

"I have been waiting for this fight for a long time," D33 said, laughing.

The fight was intense, a whirlwind of steel and fury. Henry's sword moved with blinding speed, each strike precise and powerful. D33 countered with equal ferocity, their blades clanging together, sending sparks flying. Henry parried a downward slash from D33, twisting his wrist to send D33's blade skidding off his own. He followed up with a quick thrust aimed at D33's chest, but D33 twisted out of the way, the tip of Henry's sword grazing his side.