The Rose Princess Read Online Free PDF

remarked.
    Her second shot made a beeline for D’s chest.
    D turned one shoulder toward her and avoided the endlessly stretching links.
    Behind him, the chain whipped around without slowing down at all, headed back in the
     opposite direction, and wrapped around D’s neck.
    “Sucker! That’s like the first trick you learn to do with a weighted chain. Where
     are all your tricks now?” she asked. “Or were you just lucky last time?”
    “Not really.”
    Elena looked all around despite herself—she didn’t think the hoarse voice she’d just
     heard belonged to D.
    A second later, the inky black form leapt into the air. The move was so unexpected
     that Elena was left without any options.
    Light shot out above her head.
    With a shriek, the girl extended both arms. Even given the outstanding reflexes with
     which she’d been blessed, the girl still found her own reaction miraculous.
    Her chain stopped the steel with a cha-chink!
    But Elena couldn’t move. D held his sword with one hand. Elena, however, was using
     both hands. Even taking the strength difference of their respective sexes into consideration,
     she should’ve at least been able to jump out of the way. Yet she couldn’t move at
     all, as if her body had been turned to lead.
    But that wasn’t entirely true, either—her hands alone continued to sink, slowly but
     surely.
    When the edge of the chain finally touched her forehead, Elena exclaimed, “I give
     up!”
    The way she coughed up the words, it seemed like she was spitting up blood.
    —
    III
    —
    To be completely honest, she wasn’t even sure that her words were enough to save her. He’ll just cut me down here and now —that was her strongest feeling. Somewhere in her heart, she thought it would be inevitable
     coming from that young man. And that was why she was left so stunned when the pressure
     she felt was gone so suddenly.
    But the surprises didn’t end there.
    D had turned his gaze toward the manor as if he’d lost all interest in her, but she
     saw his right hand.
    “Where’s the sword!” the girl exclaimed.
    It was at that point every inch of Elena’s flesh rose with goosebumps. She’d seen
     a flash of steel, felt it strike her chain, and had even heard the sound of it. Although
     each of these had the earmarks of a fierce blow from a skilled blade, she had to wonder
     if it’d all been an illusion. Could it be the blow she’d barely managed to stop, and
     then struggled with all her might to deflect with absolutely no success, had been
     nothing more than a barehanded chop?
    “Is there anyone in the manor aside from the four knights?”
    It was only several seconds later that the girl understood that D was asking her a
     question. And she didn’t answer until several seconds more had passed.
    “I don’t know. No one’s been inside.”
    That was all she said before she hung her head. She’d realized that if D was holding
     his sword, she’d never be able to stop it and would inevitably be cut in two. Then,
     she suddenly thought of something. Looking up again with desperation on her face,
     she asked, “Do you want something up there? Say, could it be—you’re a Vampire Hunter,
     aren’t you?”
    “Ever been outside it?” asked D.
    “Sure I have. Plenty of times,” Elena replied, feeling the center of her chest grow
     hot. In dribs and drabs, blood began to work its way through her frozen heart once
     more. “There are no defense systems next to the castle walls. There used to be all
     kinds of stuff set up in the old days, but if there’re any now they’ll only be on
     the inside.”
    “How about entrances?”
    “Nothing but the castle gate—I was going to say, but there’s one more. Again, this
     was a long time ago, but when some folks from the village were preparing for guerrilla
     warfare, they made a hole in the wall the day before. Not long ago—maybe three days
     back—I was out that way and it’s still there. Don’t worry,” she added,