This Hero is Sleeping!



A scream shattered through the winds as Elric's blood dripped down to the ground. The screech of the vampire heard loud and clear by the boy. His lips curled up into a savage smile as he turned toward the source of the sound and widened his eyes. "COME! VAMPIRE!"

Elric's one hand clenched, dropping yet more blood, while he pulled Erika away with the other.

Right then, a spear of blood danced through the winds, shattering the air around as it lodged itself in the ground where Erika stood but a moment ago.

"KRAAA!" In the air stood the beautiful blonde vampire, her face bloodied and her eyes crazed with a hint of madder.

Elric felt his blood surge high with excitement. An enemy, and the perfect music. What was a better place to pull out a cold one liner?

"Batting straight for the kill, are we?" Elric asked. He snapped his fingers.

And then, the city shook.

Water from the fountain right next to them rose in the air, all the way up to where the vampire flew. Like a rising tide, a waterfall flowing upward, the enormous amount of water dashed at the vampire, straight towards its heart.

The vampire stabbed her own hand right then and flicked her blood at the water. With movements that made it seem alive, the surging stream split up in parts and dashed at the vampire from the halves.

It all happened to fast for Erika to even begin processing. She couldn't believe either of their immense control.

No, only Elric's. Blood magic gave masterful command over blood, but normal magic? It had to be used, thrown. Water that was formed with spells was more mana then liquid, yet he could control such great bodies with a smile on his face, all the direction he needed was in his fingers.

The vampire nimbly dodged them all, the black wings on its back fluttering haphazardly as it evaded the attacks coming for its heart over and over.

With a disgruntled scream, she poked yet another hole in her hand.

Blood started spilling out.

And dashed toward Elric.

The young boy left Erika behind and hopped away.

"H-hey!"

"Don't you dare die, Eriwhatever!"

Erika wanted to scream she had a name, but dodging came first. She hopped away from the rain of bloodied arrows that the vampire sent hurtling toward them one after the other.

She was certain, seeing things once wasn't going to help.

The arrows that ignored Erika's existence and followed Elric would catch up any moment.

How much time was a day? How could he make up for the skills with just that much time?

Elric summoned back the enormous body of water and made arrows back. The many arrows of water clashed against the arrows of blood.

"HAHA! Is that all you got?!"

"KRRRAAA!"

The vampire dashed ahead herself this time. The blood around her formed nails over her claws as she rushed into Elric.

The young boy snapped his fingers yet again and brought more water toward himself. As soon as the vampire slashed, a shield had already formed where her attack landed.

Over and over, wherever she swung her hands, Elric's water would already be present and ready to block her attacks. He lightly stepped back each time, all he needed was an eye on the coming attack and the water would already block it.

Excitement kept building up in Elric's heart.

This feeling.

The action of living life on the edge of death.

He had grown accustomed to it. He never felt more at home than when he was about to die, and he was certain Claude was the same. How else would they have survived? How else would they have lived in that place without losing their minds, their spirits?

Adaptability.

Unknowingly, Elric had grandly adapted to living his life in the mouth of threat, the embrace of death.

He dashed further back and evaded all the attacks. It was then, a drop of blood that had spilled from the arrows squirmed on the ground behind him.

Elric's eyes widened, a spear already formed from the blood.

"Elric!!!"

"HAHAHA!" Elric laughed, his sides filled with blood. The vampire saw it as a chance and went in for a swing at his neck.

At that moment, Elric jumped closer. He grabbed her hand tight with one and her hair with the other. His lips spread open, and like a beast, he plunged his teeth into the woman's nape.

"KERAA!"

Elric bit through her flesh and pulled his mouth back, spitting it away. In the next moment, the water all around him formed a hammer and smashed into her stomach, sending her reeling back.

"Amazing, just amazing." Elric heaved, his lips tinged crimson. "I knew it, just seeing the attacks once and fighting them once wasn't enough. I knew it, you won't bore us."

"KRAAAA!"

The vampire screamed out loud.

"Yes, let's dance to our heart's content… But… only for five minutes, you hear? Five."

Erika felt a chill running down her spine.

Was this…

Was this just another of Elric's acts, or were these his true colors? That of a beast. Colors that matched with Claude.

She couldn't tell. She couldn't tell at all.

"[Activate:]"

A skill.

Erika's eyes widened at the sudden change in Elric's air.

"[Awakening]"

For the next five minutes, Elric would resist sleep.

Nay, he would be fully awake.

All the parts of his body, his muscles that were sleazy and lazy from lack of use, his mind running down from sleep. All of it would be wide awake.

And so, would be the remaining mana points he couldn't use in fear of fainting.

Erika blinked.

Breaking off his mana into pieces tiny enough to control, to not faint, Elric could hold a hand over the rain itself…

"Guess, what would happen if I use all of it?"

All the water flowing through the canals of the city of Soleda rose into the skies. From the rivers next to the warehouses, everything ran dry and summoned itself to Elric's beck and call.

The vampire took a small step back.

"Let's go now, for round two."