Chapter 641: Chapter 642: Slap
Seras let herself get pulled along by Damon as they moved through the bustling street.
He stopped suddenly, a small frown forming on his face.
"Hmmm." He made a small sound under his breath.
Seras smiled faintly.
"Ahhh, you see it, don’t you... I passively have the aura of war and carnage around me. That doesn’t exactly attract people."
Damon turned around with a sneer.
"Looks like the food stall I was hoping to eat at is sold out."
He pointed at a stand where a fat human man was packing up, a sold-out sign written boldly across his stand.
"Seriously, who the hell gets sold out on the first day..."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Come on, there’s another place. It’s something of a hole in the wall though."
Seras blinked in surprise, then laughed softly.
Looking at her hand, she muttered, "You have no idea how many times I’ve thought of killing you within...."
"Twenty-five times." Damon cut her off with a calm expression.
"You thought of killing me twenty-five times within the span of time I dragged you through the streets."
Damon didn’t sense any killing intent from her, but he did feel an overwhelming flood of danger signals from his danger sense skill.
Seras tilted her head, her long hair swaying slightly.
"Then why didn’t you run?"
He shrugged absentmindedly.
"I’ve always liked to play with fire...."
Her white eyes gleamed at him with a strange light.
"I see."
Damon didn’t mind her words and simply continued walking. Seras Blade was terrifying, but after what he’d been through, he had built up something of a tolerance for dread and existential terror.
Seras followed him with a small smile that almost seemed playful, but any sane person would have known to run from this monster. Her gaze drifted to a building they passed. She glanced at its window and flashed a knowing smile.
Damon didn’t really care, so he walked on, the street full of people subconsciously moving away when Seras passed.
That was what she had meant earlier. He followed a few familiar alleys, not because they were the safest, but because he was more used to traveling through dark alleys. Old habits die hard, especially here in Valerion.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at a small restaurant. The scent of pastries filled the air.
Damon pushed the door open and entered inside, taking a seat in the corner.
As soon as he sat down, a waitress came and offered them a menu or rather, she offered Damon a menu and then quickly dropped Seras’s menu before backing away with a pale face.
She stood at Damon’s side subconsciously.
"I’ll have some tea and tamberry cake."
Seras smiled at the waitress, which only caused the woman to sweat more without even knowing why. The beautiful woman with ashen hair unnerved her deeply.
"I’ll have the same."
The waitstaff hurried away.
Seras leaned forward on her palms.
"So... how’s the academy treating you?"
Damon raised an eyebrow.
"You didn’t come all the way here to ask me that. Why do you care?"
She winked playfully at him.
"I don’t. People just assume I endorse you, so it makes it seem like we are on the same side."
Damon leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. The waitress soon returned with a trolley and quietly set the table. Strangely enough, she seemed calm this time, showing no unease.
The sweet scent of tamberry cakes mixed with the warm aroma of tea.
"Right... suppose I should thank you for the golden ticket. Brunch is on me. And to think I was going to make you pay."
Seras giggled softly.
"You’re a strange one... interesting. You just say whatever you feel like."
Her eyes suddenly grew cold.
"I hate people who talk but can’t back it up."
Damon picked up a slice of tamberry cake.
"Kind of curious... how did you even meet my parents and give them that ticket?"
Seras realized he was actually ignoring her, which stirred a small desire to cut off his head. But he had said something interesting.
"I knew your mother beforehand. When I met her on the battlefield, she told me she had a kid... two actually. So I gave her the ticket as a gift for a successful childbirth."
Damon looked at her, seeing through her.
"You didn’t have anything on you, did you?"
She took a sip of tea, steam rising around her pink lips.
"Ho... how did you know?"
He rolled his eyes.
"I had a hunch. You don’t seem like a very reliable person. Do you always do whatever you like?"
Seras nibbled at her tamberry cake, her eyes flickering dangerously.
"Should I not? I find that everything is monotonous. There just isn’t anything interesting. I act how I please because I know I have the power to back it up. Can you?"
Damon gasped with his hand on his chest.
"Damn, you’re really taking shots at me... when you’re already on your way to the life of a spinster. Anyway, thanks for the golden ticket."
Seras tilted her head, her cold eyes on him.
"Saying thank you doesn’t excuse your words. I thought you’d be different. But I suppose you’re like all your peers. You have a backer, so you act arrogant."
Damon smiled, not taking the slight seriously.
"Is that the reason you held yourself back from killing me? Ooh, don’t mind my imaginary backer. If you were as great as you thought, why not kill me? Do it."
"Hahahah... that’s really cute." Seras glanced at the waitress coldly.
"You’re injured. I could tell by how you were walking. Soul wounds, I surmise. You’re practically half dead with those wounds."
She stood up slowly, her aura flickering faintly.
"Tomorrow is the war games, right? I would, but since you and I aren’t peers, I should at least give you a chance. Show me you can back up your words."
She leaned in close to him, her cold breath brushing against his ear.
"Tomorrow, you’ll either impress me... or die under my blade. Either way, I’ll enjoy it."
She turned around, her gaze falling on the waitress.
"Leave, Jarvis... or I’ll kill you too."
Damon watched the maid stiffen, then a man’s voice came from her mouth.
I wouldn’t advise harming him unless you want to deal with my lord.
He didn’t move but slowly shifted into a battle stance.
Damon, who was seated just behind Seras Blade, stood up. Before anyone could react—
Slap.
The sound rang out sharply in the air. Jarvis’s eyes widened, sweat pooling down his face.
Seras trembled at the sheer audacity... no, this was madness.
She glanced down just below her hips. He actually... he actually struck her rear.
"You... you... die..."
Damon didn’t even realize what had happened. He just felt the world spin as he was slammed half into the wall, Seras’s hand gripping his neck.
"Heheh..." he coughed up blood as he laughed.
"Just because I called this place a hole in the wall doesn’t mean we should leave a hole in its walls."
"Ahh, let’s not forget... you said you wouldn’t kill me today. Tomorrow then..."
Damon raised his eyes slightly, noticing a knife pressed to Seras’s neck where Jarvis, clearly agitated, held it.
"Leave.. now."
"I can kill you both," Seras whispered.
"I know... and so what?" Damon replied.
Her white eyes flickered, then she laughed.
She held his neck, her grip unnervingly soft yet crushing.
"I, Seras Blade, declare that you are by far the most arrogant man alive."
She let him go, and Damon fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood.
"I’d hate for you to die..."
Damon brushed off the dust, his lips curled in a grin.
"You’re softer than I expected... and I’m not talking about your personality."
Seras shook her head, walking out through the broken wall behind Damon.
"You are interesting... I hope you don’t become a fleeting memory, just another tale of stupidity passed on to little children."
With those words, she vanished.
Damon coughed up blood, his vision spinning before he finally blacked out.