This time, it was Hesper who lay sprawled across the floor, blood oozing from his nose. Sevrin strode towards him, the gauntleted hand that struck him hard across his face clenched, and her eyes flashed with an emotion previously unknown to her.
She was angry.
That, for anyone who truly knew Venris Dastonia, was a feat. The only other outburst that she underwent was in Payon with Blitz Harper, and that was two years ago.
“I am not stupid, Master Silberhof,” seethed Sevrin quietly. “No one, no one calls me stupid.”
Hesper lifted a hand to his face, shocked and indignant.
Sevrin then knelt by Hesper’s side, and whispered solemnly, “You know what I told myself, years ago?”
“Well then, what is it, slut?” Hesper spat.
In a flash, he was pinned down to the ground, Sevrin’s hands closing down on his throat as she straddled his hips. “All I need is hate, that…is…all,” Sevrin said, gritting her teeth as she applied pressure on his neck, and Hesper was struggling in futility in getting Sevrin’s hands from his neck; he was losing his breath--and slowly turning blue.
“Hhhk--!” The knight’s eyes widened as he realized that Sevrin was truly bent on suffocating him.
Sevrin’s eyes gleamed with mad hatred as she tried to squeeze out what breath was left in him. “I thank you. I thank you. Oh, god I thank you!” So saying, she changed her mind and let go of him, but not before she grabbed his brunette head by his perfectly combed hair and smashed it on the floor.
It was a miracle that he was still conscious after that.
Coughing, Hesper sat up clutching his neck as he watched Sevrin pick up her katana a few paces from him. She turned towards him then, slowly, the shining edge of the blade matching Sevrin’s steel-blue eyes.
“You’ve always wanted your students to perfect the Magnum Break,” Sevrin said, holding out the katana in front of her, one hand gripping the hilt with the tip of the heavy blade resting on her other hand. “Oh, you won’t be disappointed with this one.”
Hesper was watching his student move fluidly into a perfect stance when he noticed that the weight of the armor on his chest has lessened. He threw a quick glance downwards and with horror realized that Sevrin had apparently unclasped his upper body armor while she was on top of him….
“Be ready, Master Silberhof…I expect perfect grades for this.”
In sheer terror, Hesper tried to fasten the armor that was hanging along his sides by its leather straps; Sevrin only grinned flatly at his spinelessness and fear.
“Sevrin….”
“Too late!” Sevrin now swung her blade downwards, its tip kissing the ground; sparks flew from where her blade made contact with the floor as she ran towards her quarry. As she closed the gap between her and Hesper, she lifted the blade over her shoulders, a trail of blazing flame following the path of the blade’s tip.
With a soul-piercing shout she brought down her katana.
Thud.
Hesper had shielded his face to protect him from the split-second image of him being killed, but he realized that he did not feel anything yet. He slowly brought down the arm covering his eyes and saw that Sevrin’s blade was embedded on the floor just beside his head.
He turned pale with fright, and was sweating.
“Yield,” was all Sevrin said as she inwardly reveled in her master’s fear of her.
“Never,” answered Hesper, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him.
“YIELD, YOU BASTARD!” In utter rage Sevrin pulled out the blade from the tiled floor, and with a perfect swing cut off a good part of his left arm.
Blood sprayed out all over the floor, and on Sevrin’s pale skin and her hair.
It was a wonder how that particular incident was kept quiet. What was known, after that, was that Hesper Silberhof lost his arm as he fought a Minorous alone to save Sevrin. Whenever Sevrin was asked about that episode, she only nodded in acquiescence.
