Chapter 16
She wore a long, elegant white dress with red and gold accents. The dress had a high collar and long, fitted sleeves that flared slightly at the wrists. Over this, she wore a red cape with gold trim that draped over her shoulders. The outfit was well-fitted, emphasizing her slender frame, and she carried herself with grace and authority. Her posture was always poised, and her expression was one of amusement. "You have been aware of my presence this entire time and never thought to invite me in. Men, such rude little creatures," the woman — Carmilla — spoke with amusement. Levi replied, "If you want to talk about being rude, how about spying on someone for days without announcing your presence?" Carmilla clicked her tongue in response.
"Pity," she said as she took a seat on one of the many wooden chairs in front of Levi. Levi had gotten into the habit of creating wooden furniture by carving them with his magic just for training, so there were plenty of similar pieces scattered around, and he was getting very good at well, creating things. Carmilla picked up the cup of tea in front of her, taking a deep sip before sighing out loud. "Oh, this tastes… acceptable," she said, making Levi chuckle. "Oh, you would have preferred it if it were virgin's blood, wouldn't you?" he asked nonchalantly. Carmilla's eyes widened. "Hhh, how did you know I like virgin's blood?" she asked, taking Levi aback. Noticing his reaction, she smirked. "Wait… don't tell me you're a virgin?" she teased out loud. Levi sighed, brushing the comment aside. "What does a powerful vampire like you want with me?" he asked. Carmilla pondered for a few moments before setting her cup down and answering.
"You." It was a simple answer, but it made Levi groan as he responded, "No." The refusal took Carmilla by surprise, and she stammered for a second before asking, "No? You're refusing me?" Levi smiled at her nonchalantly. "Of course I am. I have no interest in being a vampire's pet — or anybody's pet, for that matter," he said. Carmilla smiled faintly, trying a different approach. "I am offering you power, authority over vast lands, and a wealth of magical knowledge and materials," she tempted. Levi's smile didn't waver. "You see, I have no interest in those — not yet. I'm barely twenty, and I have my whole life ahead of me. There's no need for me to sit cooped up in a room full of books and delve into magical research," he said. Carmilla scoffed. "Said the mage living in a forest hut, drinking tea, and reading a book," she countered. Levi only shrugged. "I'm merely taking a break to calm my heart and mind, that's all," he replied.
Carmilla frowned for a second before her eyes darkened. "Pity. I was hoping to do this the easy way and avoid harming that beautiful face — well, at least until I locked you up in my dungeon and make you my pet," she said with a sinister smile. Levi laughed, his tone light despite her threat. "Pity indeed. Your face is quite to my liking as well… it's a shame I'll have to ruin it," he said as he stood up nonchalantly.
The casual dismissal infuriated Carmilla. "I don't like your attitude," she hissed, her eyes narrowing as she prepared to attack. Carmilla moved first. One moment she stood poised, the next she was a blur — her long, razor-sharp nails flashing toward Levi's throat like daggers. But before they could even graze his skin, his hand shot up and caught her wrist with effortless precision. The impact cracked like a gunshot in the still air.
"Oh right… I still have this spell active," Levi muttered to himself, almost absently. Carmilla's eyes widened in shock. She yanked her arm back, twisting gracefully out of his grasp and retreating several steps, her red cape billowing behind her. For the first time, there was something approaching wariness in her expression. And then… interest. "Now that is interesting," she purred.
Levi felt the spell's strength slipping away, the surge of power fading from his limbs. But before it could vanish completely, he attacked. He surged forward, his body moving faster than any human's eyes could follow. He wasn't just strong — his speed and reflexes had increased as well, and he used them without hesitation.
Their fight exploded into brutal motion. Carmilla twisted to avoid his opening strike, his fist shattering the stone wall behind her into a spray of rubble. She countered with a vicious slash of her nails — a swipe aimed for his face — but Levi tilted his head just enough for them to whistle past his cheek. He retaliated with a lightning-fast kick, but Carmilla leapt backward, the wind from his strike alone sending her cape fluttering.
She struck again, this time aiming low, her nails slicing toward his midsection. Levi parried with his forearm, the impact creating a shockwave that cracked the ground beneath them. He followed up with a punch aimed at her ribs, but Carmilla twisted with inhuman grace, letting the blow skim past her as she spun and delivered a backhand slash that Levi only barely managed to duck.
They moved like two storms colliding. Trees splintered and collapsed around them. The earth cracked beneath their feet. Every missed strike left craters, and every blocked blow sent tremors through the air. Levi swung with raw power — fast, efficient, but imprecise. Carmilla danced around him with effortless elegance, her attacks swift and surgical. After a full minute of this destruction, Carmilla smiled. "You don't know how to use your superhuman strength, do you?" she said, her voice lilting with amusement. She circled him slowly, like a predator savoring the moment. "You're like a baby with a sword."
Levi sighed as she lunged again. "I'm really only suited to be a mage," he muttered. The air around him changed. In an instant, his hand crackled with mana as he began casting — and that was when his true strength shined. A single fireball formed in his palm, glowing with an intensity far beyond what should have been possible. With a flick of his wrist, the orb of flame shot forward.
The explosion that followed was cataclysmic. The fireball struck the ground near Carmilla's feet, erupting in a blast that sent her flying. Flames roared and billowed, and when the smoke cleared, the tree behind her had been reduced to ash. Carmilla herself rolled to a stop, her once-pristine white dress scorched and marked with burns. She coughed once, then snarled — her fangs bared.
Levi smiled, his eyes gleaming with quiet satisfaction. "I'm a true mage," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "None of that superhuman physical stuff… it consumes too much mana." He raised his hand again, already preparing his next attack.
Carmilla's eyes narrowed as Levi raised his hand. She moved — a blur of pale skin and crimson — and closed the distance between them in an instant. Her nails slashed toward his throat like curved daggers, but Levi's voice cut through the air first. "Oh magic, weave the unyielding wall — Aegis of the Indomitable!" Mana surged, and a honeycomb-shaped shield of golden light flared to life around him. Carmilla's nails struck it with a ringing crack, but the barrier held firm. She struck again and again — a frenzy of inhuman speed and strength — yet no matter how viciously she attacked, the shield didn't even flicker. The ground beneath Levi cracked from the force of her blows, but he stood calm and unmoved.