SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: Specters Within
As Lin steadies herself on the raft, the thud reverberates beneath her, a reminder of the impending chaos threatening to capsize her vessel. The water spirit's lantern flickers, casting a protective glow that keeps the shadow spirit at bay. Despite its enchanting whispers trying to lull her into a trance, Lin's resilience shines through as she realizes that her non-human nature renders its attempts futile.
The shadow spirit, frustrated, transforms the battlefield into a chaotic dance of shadows, enlarging itself to strike from all angles. Lin's katana slices through the dark tendrils, each clash echoing ominously in the cave. Just as the thud threatens to topple the raft, the water spirit raises its hands, manipulating the currents with precision. A wave of water surrounds the raft, steadying it against the tumultuous forces below.
As Lin steadies herself, she glances at the Water spirit, desperation in her voice. "Why won't you help me? That shadow spirit is too powerful!"
The Water spirit, its form shimmering with the light of the lantern, replies with a calm yet firm tone, "Lin, I cannot interfere. It is against the elemental rules. We are bound to maintain the balance of our realms."
Lin's eyes widen in disbelief. "But I'm fighting for my life! Can't you make an exception?"
The Water spirit shakes its head, the droplets around it glistening. "To attack a fellow elemental spirit would disrupt the harmony we strive to uphold. My duty is to protect the balance, not to engage in conflict."
Frustration bubbles within Lin. "So I'm just supposed to face this alone? What good are these rules if they leave me vulnerable?"
"The rules exist to prevent chaos," the Water spirit explains gently. "If I were to intervene, it could lead to greater turmoil. Trust in your strength, Lin. You are not alone in spirit; you have the power within you to overcome this."
With those words, Lin takes a deep breath, steeling herself for the battle ahead. "I'll fight, then. But know that I'll hold you to your promise of support when this is over."
The Water spirit nods, a flicker of encouragement in its gaze. "You have my support in spirit, Lin. Now, focus on the fight ahead."
Just when the odds seem insurmountable, the spirits of the three most formidable vampire hunters rise from the depths, their spectral forms gliding toward the raft. The water spirit, with a flick of its fingers, expands the raft, providing Lin with a larger arena to confront her foes. With the lantern's light flickering, the hunters skillfully evade its glow, their presence amplifying the tension in the air.
Taking a deep breath, Lin adopts a battle stance, ready to face the onslaught of shadow and spirit. The stage is set for an epic showdown, where her strength, agility, and determination will be put to the ultimate test.
Lin steadied herself for the battle as the Water spirit narrated what her moves should be, what to watch out for, and who the hunters were along with their strengths. The first hunter specter to attack was Banda. He was a Jamaican hunter who was perfect in his craft as he hunted vampires. He was so strong and almost indestructible to attacks. Even with his bony structure of rotting flesh, he was equally as strong, and he proved it by lunging forward. Lin's katana slashed at him, breaking a rib, but he moved forward, holding Lin by the neck. She could feel his bony fingers encase her neck with superhuman strength. She threw her katana up in the air, and it transformed into a self-moving arrow that pierced through the specter's back, severing it from the abdomen. She fell down and coughed before standing up and steadying herself for the next move.
The second specter was Achilles, the legendary Greek warrior who had been summoned to hunt the Vampire Lord but had fallen ensnared in the cave and died in those very waters. He was fast, and his sword cut through the air, landing hard blows on Lin, who struggled to maintain her stance while guarding herself from the strikes. Achilles proved to be so strong that Lin had to frequently shapeshift her katana into various weapons to guard against his strikes. She saw an opening at Achilles' neck when he landed a fatal strike. Mustering the strength in her legs, she lunged up and severed Achilles' head, killing the spirit instantly, and it turned to smoke that floated away with a scream.
The third Hunter was ready to strike, having formed an alliance with the Shadow spirit to attack Lin at once. Captain Reed, the spirit of an evil pirate who had overthrown the British, Japanese, and German empires with his scimitar and a band of 12,000 ships and 120,000 men 300 years ago, had fallen into the Vampire Lord's trap while hunting him. Left wounded after his men perished, he sank into the waters and succumbed to death.
As he lunged toward Lin, the Shadow spirit enveloped him like armor. Still recovering from previous strikes, Lin was hit hard enough to shake the raft, prompting the Water spirit to balance it once again. The two fought fiercely, with Captain Reed trying to outdo Lin, who had learned to use the katana since childhood. However, she was not as experienced as the war-hardened captain, and despite her speed, she left an opening on her rib. Reed kicked her there, causing her to fall to the ground and extinguish the lantern, plunging the area into darkness.
"And you call yourself a demigod!" the Captain sneered in disgust. "Remember Lin! He may be powerful, but he is still a man!" the Water spirit urged. Channeling her energy, Lin lunged forward and struck both the Specter of Captain Reed and the Shadow spirit, and they screamed out in energy as they turned to smoke.
In the darkness, the spirits of the dead hunters emerged from the water to strike, but the Water demon held them back with a great wave, giving Lin a chance to escape to dry land. "Follow the fireflies!" the Water spirit instructed as Lin landed on solid ground, and she followed a brightly lit swarm of fireflies .