NOVPUB"They are a group of bandits who attempted a raid some time ago," Sister Lily began, her voice calm yet weighed down by a bitter edge. "It must have been three months already since that incident occurred," she added. "Since then, every week without fail, they return to extort money from the villagers. I tried to reason with them and I told them I would personally hand over the money they demanded. Although I feel guilty towards the kind souls who donated that money to us, I still chose to give a portion of it away. It was the only way I could protect the villagers… and the children under my care."
"We are eternally grateful to Sister Lily," said one of the villagers, his voice filled with deep emotion. "Because of her sacrifices, we have managed to preserve a shred of peace. However... we never imagined they would go so far as to attack and attempt to violate Rita."
A heavy silence fell over the area. Several villagers had now gathered in a tight circle around the captured bandit. The man lay sprawled on the dusty ground, completely unconscious, a faint line of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. His chest rose and fell shallowly, the only sign that he was even alive.
"I believe it would be wise to seek help from the kingdom," one of the villagers suggested after a long pause, his voice low with worry. "If things continue as they are, we will lose even the fragile peace we fought so hard to maintain."
"But we lack the money needed to hire adventurers or mercenaries," another villager pointed out, his hands balled into tight fists. "Sister Lily has already given away the funds she received from those anonymous donations, has she not?"
"Perhaps we could all pool our money together and hire them," someone else suggested, a sliver of hope in their tone.
"Adventurers and mercenaries do not come cheap," another replied immediately, his voice hard with reality. "We would have to gather an enormous amount of money just to hire them for a mere hour. Do you really think we could afford to keep them here long enough to ensure our protection? It is simply not feasible."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" someone asked desperately, their voice cracking under the strain.
"We have already sent a letter to the capital explaining our plight," another villager said. "It is only a matter of time before the Magic Knights respond and take action."
"I doubt it," another countered bitterly. "The King holds no sympathy for remote villages like ours. He does not care enough to lift even a finger to protect us. Since we have no one else to rely on, why don't we take matters into our own hands and fight for ourselves?"
The villagers looked around at one another, uncertain, lost. Fear, anger, and helplessness swirled among them like a thick fog. For months, they had endured the tyranny of the bandits. Now, the realization that part of the money I had donated—money meant for the orphanage children—was ending up in the pockets of these filthy bandits ignited a deep rage within me.
And it seemed the capital would offer no aid. Asking them for help was like pleading with a drunken father who refused to even acknowledge your existence.
The anger simmered in my chest, burning hotter with each passing moment. I had donated that money to ensure that the children could have an easier, happier life. And these worthless thugs thought they could just waltz in and steal it?
I would not forgive them.
"Sister Lily," I called out, my voice cold and steady. "Where is the hideout of these bandits?"
She turned to me with alarm in her eyes. "What are you planning to do, Leon?" she asked cautiously.
"I intend to negotiate with them," I replied smoothly, though the storm brewing inside me said otherwise.
Sister Lily stared at me, her expression torn between disbelief and worry. It was natural for her to react that way. She had no idea of the strength I concealed. I had never shown her the true extent of my power, and so to her, my declaration must have sounded like sheer madness.
"It is all right, Sister," Rose interjected, stepping forward with a confident smile. "Leon is strong. I will accompany him to ensure he comes to no harm."
Her reassurance was welcome, even though, truth be told, I did not need it. Still, it was the only way to ease Sister Lily's heart.
"Very well. Please be careful," Sister Lily said finally, her voice trembling slightly as she gave us her reluctant blessing.
Just as we were about to leave, someone timidly raised their hand.
"May I come as well?" a soft voice asked.
It was Alice.
I turned my gaze toward her, studying her for a long moment. Then, without hesitation, I gave her a small nod.
***
The three of us advanced toward the dense, shadowy forest where the bandit camp was hidden deep within its embrace.
"Leon, you are not seriously considering negotiating with them, are you?" Alice asked, her voice tight with worry, eyes flickering with a hint of fear.
"There is no negotiating with a horde of thugs who trample over others simply because it benefits them," I replied, my tone sharp and cold as steel. "I despise their kind—those who prey upon the weak just to sate their selfish desires. That is why I will crush them, grind them down until not a trace of their existence stains this world."
"You... do not sound like the Leon I once knew," Alice murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her head drooping low.
Rose, who silently accompanied us, only cast a fleeting glance our way. Her green eyes flickered with curiosity, but she chose to remain silent. She must have sensed the tension simmering between Alice and me, yet she respected our space and kept her thoughts to herself.
After what felt like an eternity of cautious steps, we finally arrived at the clearing where the bandits had established their stronghold. The camp itself was eerily silent. There was no guards patrolling and there was no sounds of idle chatter or clanking weapons as well.
Yet I could feel it.
The oppressive sensation of countless hostile presences lurking just beyond sight.
Thousands of them.
The sheer number was staggering, far beyond anything I had anticipated.
"Leon," Rose whispered, her voice taut with tension, signaling that she too had picked up on the overwhelming mass of enemies surrounding us.
I gave her a slight nod, acknowledging her silent warning.
Slaughtering a thousand bandits would be simple enough. But to charge in without thought would be suicidal.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound tore through the air.
An arrow.
I reacted instinctively, activating my Guardian just in time. The projectile struck its surface and ricocheted harmlessly away, the Guardian's surface not even so much as shuddering under the impact.
Then came another. And another.
A storm of arrows rained down upon us.
Alice countered immediately, weaving magic through the air as tongues of fire erupted from her palms, incinerating the arrows before they could reach her. Rose moved with inhuman grace, deflecting the projectiles with swift, decisive strikes of her martial technique.
But the assault only intensified.
More arrows filled the skies like a black swarm of death.
Without exchanging a word, we sprinted forward, weaving and ducking between the deadly hail. The sharp hiss of arrows passing inches from our bodies filled the air, but we blocked and dodged every single one.
From the shadows, bandits charged toward us, their faces twisted into masks of malice and greed. Weapons gleamed wickedly in their hands, but it made no difference.
We carved a bloody path through them.
With swift, brutal efficiency, we dispatched those who dared stand before us. They crumpled like puppets with their strings severed, their bodies hitting the forest floor with dull, lifeless thuds.
"What the hell!?"
"What's happening!?"
"Intruders! We're under attack!"
Panic spread through the camp like wildfire as the bandits scrambled into disorganized action.
Alice unleashed torrents of fire upon the archers, their screams piercing the night as flames consumed them. Rose wove through the chaos like a phantom, each movement ending with a broken enemy lying at her feet.
As for me, I moved faster than their eyes could track, Ayuru singing through the air with deadly precision. One slash, and heads soared from their bodies, blood arcing through the air in crimson sprays. Another step, another strike, another life extinguished.
They did not even have time to raise their weapons properly.
They simply fell, like wheat before the scythe, their corpses piling at our feet.
Time seemed to stretch and blur as the massacre continued. The ground grew slick with blood, the iron scent thick and cloying in the air.
One by one, their numbers dwindled.
Thousands became hundreds.
Hundreds fell to mere dozens.
Their morale shattered like brittle glass.
"Iiikkk! Please, have mercy!" one screamed, his weapon clattering uselessly to the ground.
"Nooo! I beg you! I am sorry!" another wailed, trying to crawl away.
"Aghhhh! Aaahhhh!" The desperate cries for mercy echoed, but they fell on deaf ears.
There was no forgiveness for those who had shown none.
This was the law of the world—the natural retribution for their cruelty.
I showed them no mercy and no hesitation. I butchered them all, their pleas washing over me like meaningless noise, unworthy of acknowledgment.
Among the wreckage of bodies and blood, one man dropped to his knees, trembling violently. Others had already fled, abandoning their brothers-in-arms in terror, running like cowards with their tails tucked between their legs.
I approached the cowering figure, my shadow falling over him.
"Are you the leader?" I asked, my voice calm and emotionless.
The man sobbed, his body quivering like a leaf in the wind.
"I-I am sorry! Please spare me! I swear I will return the money I stole from the village! Just spare me!" he begged, tears streaming down his dirt-streaked face.
"I see..." I murmured coldly.
Before he could utter another word, Ayuru flashed through the air—a clean and precise cut.
So fast that the man likely never even saw it coming.
His head toppled from his shoulders, rolling across the blood-soaked ground, his body slumping over lifelessly.
