A Headless Battle!

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. This was going to be strange, no doubt about it, but I couldn’t afford to hesitate. Sebas waited patiently as I reached up, and with a firm grip, detached my head from my body. The blue flames flickered momentarily as the connection was severed, but I kept a firm hold on my head, cradling it in the crook of my left arm like a grotesque, oversized lantern.

This is weird, very weird!

It feels like I'm controlling a puppet.

“Are you ready, my lord?” Sebas asked, his voice as composed as ever.

"Yeah, I guess,” I replied, my voice sounding slightly muffled without the usual resonance from my chest. It was disorienting, but I focused on the task at hand. 

My body adjusted its stance, gripping the greatsword with my right hand, while my left arm held my head. Sebas raised his saber, his expression unreadable as he assessed the situation.

“Then let us begin.”

Sebas moved first, his saber a blur of motion as he closed the distance between us. I instinctively tried to keep my head positioned to see what was happening, but it was disorienting. Instead, I focused on the connection I still had with my body, feeling the movement and reacting as best I could.

Sebas’s saber struck with precision, and I parried with the greatsword, the force of the impact sending vibrations up my arm. With my head no longer a drain on my energy, I felt a little more nimble, but the challenge now was coordinating my attacks and blocks while holding my own head.

Every time I moved, my head swayed unpredictably, throwing off my balance and making it hard to track Sebas’s movements.

“U-ugh w-wait, Sebas!” I stammered, my voice unsteady as I clutched my head with one hand, trying to keep it steady while my body swayed uncontrollably.

Sebas immediately halted, lowering his sword with a concerned expression. “Are you okay, my lord?” he asked, his usual calm demeanor giving way to genuine worry.

The world around me spun faster, and I felt a wave of nausea hit me hard. Desperately trying to hold onto my head, I stumbled toward a nearby bush. And then, to my utter confusion, I began to barf.

But wait—how was that even possible? My head wasn’t even attached! The absurdity of the situation hit me just as hard as the nausea, and I found myself staring at the ground in disbelief, still clutching my head as if that would somehow keep the barf in check.

Sebas watched with a mixture of concern and confusion as I leaned heavily against the bush, still holding my head in my hands. My legs felt like jelly, and I could barely keep my balance. This was far from the dignified battle I had imagined.

After a moment, I wiped my mouth—still holding my head—and tried to stand up straight, though my legs still wobbled beneath me. “That… that was not my finest moment,” I muttered, still bewildered by how my body had managed to vomit when my head wasn’t even connected.

Sebas watched me with concern as I finally managed to steady myself. 

“Let us take a break, my lord. I shall bring refreshments.”

I blinked, still holding my head in my hands as if it might start spinning again at any moment. “Wait, I’m an undead, right? Can I even eat food?”

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t felt hungry or thirsty since arriving in this strange new world. The realization hit me like a cold splash of water, I hadn’t craved anything, not even a sip of water, since waking up here.

Sebas, ever the composed butler, nodded thoughtfully. “It is not a matter of whether you can or cannot eat, my lord. It will simply serve as a kind of break. And, even if your body is undead, in mind, you are still human.”

I considered his words, my gaze drifting to the ground. It made sense, I supposed. My body might not need food, but my mind, the part of me that was still human, could probably use the comfort that a meal, or at least the act of eating, could provide. A break might do me some good, even if I wasn’t exactly in need of sustenance.

“All right,” I agreed, finally letting go of my head and setting it back on my shoulders. “Let’s take that break.”

Sebas inclined his head respectfully and began to make his way back toward the mansion. As he did, I couldn’t help but marvel at the absurdity of the situation. Here I was, an undead knight with a detachable head, about to take a break with some refreshments that I technically didn’t even need. But maybe, just maybe, a little slice of normalcy was exactly what I needed right now.

I lay on the soft grass, my head tilted back to gaze up at the clear, blue sky. My body was stretched out beside me, limbs splayed comfortably as if it were enjoying the break just as much as I was. It was a strange feeling, being detached like this, but in a weird way, it was almost relaxing.

A shadow fell over me, and I looked up—well, as much as I could without a neck—to see Sebas approaching. In one hand, he effortlessly carried a table, and in the other, a tray with refreshments balanced perfectly. I blinked in surprise.

Wow...

Sebas set the table down with a practiced ease, then placed the tray on top of it. “Your refreshments, my lord,” he said with his usual calm demeanor.

“Thanks,” I muttered, still slightly in awe. It was hard not to be impressed by his strength, especially considering he made it look so effortless. I couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful he really was.

Sebas took a step back and stood at attention, waiting patiently for me to… what, exactly? Enjoy the refreshments? I glanced at the neatly arranged food and drink, then back up at the sky, trying to remember the last time I’d done something as simple as this. Of course, the whole “detached head” thing did complicate matters a bit.

“Well, here goes nothing,” I muttered to myself, reaching out to grab a cup of whatever Sebas had prepared. As I raised it to my lips, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

“Is everything to your liking, my lord?” Sebas asked, his expression as unreadable as ever.

“Yeah,” I replied, taking an experimental sip. To my surprise, I could actually taste it. “It’s… pretty good, actually.”

Sebas nodded, satisfied. “I’m pleased to hear that.”

As I lay there, sipping my drink and enjoying the quiet moment, I realized that I was in a difficult situation. Not only was I a monster, a dullahan, no less, who would be hunted if found out, but I also couldn’t fight to save my life. To top it all off, I was now the lord of an island that safeguards a dungeon containing one of the most dangerous relics in this world.

No pressure, right?

I sighed and took another sip, trying to push the growing anxiety back down. This was going to be a challenge, no doubt about it.