Chapter 9

  The Coward

  Ellyn woke up earlier than usual.

  “Mnh...”

  After yesterday’s events, she had gone to bed right after dinner. Because of it, she had woken up so early that the sun was nowhere in sight. After some deliberation, Ellyn decided to go outside and witness the sunrise. She waited outside for the sun to rise on the horizon, near the large tree in front of Marco’s house. The sky was dark, so dark not even the purple hues that painted the clouds at twilight were visible. As much as the highest point of the night, a darkness deep enough to send a chill down her spine.

  The more she looked at it, the more she thought about that day. Yes, it was under a similar dark sky that she arrived at this village.

  She rested her body against the tree and promptly closed her eyes. What were now only memories started to flood her mind fresh and anew.

  Under the dark of the night's sky, Ellyn and her uncle, Osman, arrived at the village via a small carriage pulled by an old mule that he bought, the same carriage that the two of them traveled after shortly arriving at the continent by sea. Osman was a traveling merchant that sold any kind of goods in order to secure profit. However, his most expensive items for sale were always ancient potions, relics, and artifacts from mystic places that had found their place within Osman’s hands. Naturally, all the potions were nothing more than water mixed with something he picked up on the road. All the relics and artifacts were mere objects sometimes he himself made up by giving them gibberish names... But the people scammed didn’t need to know that.

  Ellyn had a "talent" that made her truly useful for fighting, so she was always involved as the ‘brawn’ of his ideas and kept him safe from monsters on the road, as well as angry thugs in the city.

  Whenever the jig was up, she would intervene and cover for him. Then, they would both escape with the money and back into the road it was. She had been accompanying him for years after her parent’s death, without his scheming, she would have likely starved alone in the street a long time ago. She did not care for her uncle’s scams, as long as they gave the money to put food in their mouths and no one was that seriously injured, she was okay with it. There was also the simply fact that despite the business they were in, Osman looked after Ellyn with care and dedication, teaching her how to read, write and do math at a level some people are never able to—For that, she always felt like she was never grateful enough to him.

  “Ellyn! How you doing? Did my remedy work?”

  “Hm... Yeah, I’m feeling better, but it still burns.”

  “Tch! That bastard thinks he can poison us with that cheap knock off. Next time Lariege will think twice before crossing us if he doesn’t wanna again get punched unconscious by my girl! Ahahaha...!”

  “Hehe- Ngh...”

  Osman tried to laugh off their current circumstances, but when he saw Ellyn, his smile quickly dissapeared. Her eyes were locked to her feet, struggling to contain the overwhelming pain and nausea she was feeling.

  Osman had struck a deal with a local Vigranti criminal as his first ‘job’ in the continent. Unfortunately, he and Ellyn were crossed by that man as a way of taking advantage of the two foreigners. He tried to poison them using a standard poison on top of rotten meat to aid the kill. While Osman only ate very little of the meat, Ellyn took the full blow of that ill-conceived meal. Thanks to her uncle always carrying antidotes due to his line of work, Ellyn’s life was no longer in danger. However, the poisoning had sickened her body greatly, rendering her usual top shape and fighting capabilities into a nigh useless sorry state.

  “Tell you what. As luck would have there is a village right ahead. We can go to an inn and sleep in a warm bed instead of camping outside as usual. How does that sound?”

  Ellyn turned around to face her uncle in surprise, then she weakly smiled in return before she replying, “H-hm. That sounds great, Uncle.”

  The two had long since passed a stretch flanked by mountains that had a numerous caves inside and had been making their way inside what seemed endless grassland for a while now. Their visibility was limited, however, and they traveled with only faint lights to not draw attention, but occasionally the moonlight would come out to keep them on the road and allow them to arrive at the village. As expected, given how late it was, not a single soul could be seen within the streets of that village. Only a few buildings in the distance appeared to have the faintest glow of candles that were yet to be snuffed out. Ellyn and Osman wandered on foot in hopes to find an inn to spend the night. At worst, they could settle for a storage room. Anything was fine so long as it was warm and had a ceiling.

  Luckily for them, an inn was close by. Its lights were still on and loud voices could be heard from inside. Without thinking twice about it, the two headed towards the inn, hoping they get a room to spend the night.

  Ellyn looked up as the sun rose from the horizon, but it was interrupted by a small sparrow that perched itself on the bench, its singing catching her eyes and ears as the sunlight began to cover the land with its glow. She stared at the bird move around as it seemingly didn’t mind at all the girl's presence. Even when she carefully extended her hand closer and closer, the sparrow stood still. Apparently, it was more concerned with bathing in sunlight than the distressed human.

  She took the opportunity and kept her hand extended—surprisingly for her, the bird eventually jumped on her finger. However, rather than excitement, she felt a strong sense of nervousness throughout her entire body, as well as envy for the little bird.

  She had extreme care while handling the bird that stared right at her, lest she is cursed for mistreating it. Taking a deep breath, she silently asked: ‘What should I do?’ She worried about the village’s position with the bandits; maybe she could help fix it before something terrible happens. They could claim vengeance at any moment for killing their comrades, and others could be hurt if she tried to hide. To avoid that, it would be best if she gave herself before things get worse...

  ...Would that work? She had seen more than one group of bandits as she traveled with her uncle. Not one ever let go of their grudges. All of them made as many pay for it, as well.

  “Yet me being here is…”

  It had been half a year since she was bedridden by the enchanted blade of that bandit. In that time, she remained under Marco’s, and therefore, the village’s protection. If they still held onto that grudge, they would surely blame them too if they found out. She wanted to repay the villagers for saving her life. If it was needed, then to help all of those people, she would give that same life back to them.

  ...Was she okay with that solution? After all, the thought of those blades, that maelstrom of rage she became that night, for all of it to come back once more was just too frightening to think about. She wanted to run away or hide from the issue altogether. Was it selfish of her to think like that? She didn’t know how to answer any of those questions and wished the wise little sparrow would give it to her. Alas, indifferent, the sparrow left her hand and took flight. Now Ellyn was alone with her thoughts once more. Her gaze drifted into her now empty hands. She looked at them from both sides, then touching it as she felt her own skin.

  The sensation of her hardened knuckles took her back once more to the last time she used them.

  The two of them were surprised to find an inn in such a remote village, much less one that was still open so late. However, the pleasant surprise soon lost its luster the moment they stepped inside: a group of bandits partying and wasting themselves with liquor like they owned the place. Banter, laughter, and all sort of annoying unpleasantness that reached her fine-tuned ears. Ellyn and Osman both had enough of thugs for a while, so the quicker they were done with getting a room to sleep in, the better.

  They silently approached the owner, who behind the counter served two similarly ugly-looking bandits yet another round of beer. His face clearly a showed a level of exhaustion that couldn't be expressed in front of those men.

  “Good evening, sir.”

  “... Hm? Ah, good evening. Welcome to the Shoreline, what can I serve you?”

  As soon as the innkeeper finished his sentence, a glass of beer crashed against the wall behind him, followed by more laughter and cheering from the unwashed men. The innkeeper, without looking back, only sighed in resignation.

  “I’m very sorry. We have... ‘Special guests’”

  “I... see. In any case, we would like a room for the night. We’ve been traveling for a while and nothing would do us better than two warm beds.” Osman said.

  “A room... Alright, it’ll be fifteen Holy Silver Coins.”

  “Fifteen??” He leaned forward, “Hey man, isn’t that a little expensive for such a remote village?”

  The innkeeper chuckled, “That’s exactly why it’s fifteen silvers; we need to keep it afloat somehow. Don’t worry, it’s worth the price.”

  “Uncle... Just accept. I’m tired.”

  Osman looked at the annoyed Ellyn, who couldn’t stop throwing glances at the end of the inn; where a man who, unlike the drunkards, seemed sober and perfectly lucid no matter how much he drank, stared straight at them with a smug and disgusting face plastered all across his face. He possessed a strong physique, well-defined features, and long hair. In truth, the only thing separating him from the look of a knight was the leather armor and the badly mistreated animal pelt that he wore like a trophy.

  His gaze was locked on the two. The creepy smile carved into his face was enough to set off the alarms of the ever-observant girl, and she promptly signaled her uncle of the potential risk.

  Osman noticed, and promptly pulled out his purse, “Alright, here’s the money.”

  The moment he pulled his coin purse, however, the bandit next to them snatched it away. When Osman noticed, they were already counting the money.

  “Hey, Boss! This guy’s filthy-hic! Rich or somethin’!” The first bandit said, “Think of all the beer that you can buy with it!”

  “Oh? Well, isn’t that a lucky find! I’d say we drink for that!” The boss declared.

  “Yeah!” All the bandits cheered in unison.

  Ellyn was already annoyed, but this set her off, but before she could step forward Osman pushed her back and silently said ‘No’. In all his years as a con artist, he knew to not step on situations where he couldn’t at least make a run for it. He had made a mistake in entering this place and at that point, he wouldn’t be able to leave unscathed. Sometimes it was best to take the blow instead of causing a scene.

  He had been looking after Ellyn for a while now. While a silent and reserved girl, he knew that she was one that rapidly jumped at his aid when something like this happened, and he was grateful for it... but he also knew that this was not the time, not with her in that condition. He handed what coins he had left to the Innkeeper and without a word, he led them both towards the stairway. Silence suddenly swept in, and the bandits watched as the three, owner included, walked away towards their room.

  Ellyn was visibly angry and with each second, she seemed to be getting worse. She not only was furious at how these scumbags treated her uncle. She noticed how, from the moment she stepped foot in, their gazes wouldn’t stop assaulting her for something worse than just stealing. From head to toe, it was clear what their intentions were which only helped fuel anger her even more. She still felt sick, but it mattered not so long as she can get them out of her sight. If only she could bash the skull off of at least one…

  Suddenly, another bandit stopped them from reaching the stairs. The man was considerably taller than all three of them and he made use of that large frame to make his presence known. Ellyn and Osman looked around; the bandits remained still as statues even after the man moved. All of them except for their leader, who silently nodded at the tall man and signaled him to proceed.

  The Innkeeper nervously looked at the bandit, “Hey... Manfred. Please, could you...”

  Manfred, however, ignored the innkeeper, “You. The pipsqueak. And you, the little girl.”

  Ellyn gave him a scornful look.

  “Ah? Me?” Osman trembled, “W-What do you-”

  “Where’s the rest of the money?” He demanded.

  “What? You guys already took all the money I had and-”

  In one motion Manfred pushed Osman towards the nearby column. Ellyn immediately stepped forward with the full intent of breaking his arm. How dare he attack her family? An offense like that would not stand… but she was yet again stopped by Osman who signaled her to stay put. The frustration reached its boiling point. Seeing the last member of her family mistreated this roughly was too infuriating to let go. In some way, she understood why her uncle was stopping her, she wasn't in the best shape and it would be difficult to fight men like this... However, if the worst happened... That she could be all alone again. She cannot allow any more than this.

  Fortunately, awareness that her actions might endanger them both further surpassed her boiling emotions. So, against all impulses, she held back her desires to strike down these men. That being said, the gate that held everything inside of her was close to breaking—only the slightest push was needed for her to rip that man apart.

  Her eyes observed his every muscle. All the points where she could strike, all the weak points where she could do more than incapacitating were slowly being revealed to her. The blessing that had been with her for as long as she can remember was ready to bare its fangs...

  But that cursed exhaustion and poisoning reared its head again, bringing nausea, chills, and fever. It was a threat to her consciousness and a death sentence for her and her uncle.

  “The boss thinks you still have some in you. No one is better a finding gold than the boss.”

  “I really don’t have any left…”

  “Give it up, man. It’ll be better if you play nice.” Said the boss all the way from the back of the inn, sitting comfortably as he fidgeted with a carved pendant made out of wood in the shape of a fang.

  “Ah, where are my manners? Ray Wood Fang, leader of the Wood Fang Bandits.”

  Osman gave a glance to Ellyn, his usual get-out-of-trouble card, to keep her still. Yet despite how eager to fight she looked, her slightly hunched over body showed how the poisoning still crippled her body.

  “Please, sir. We had a long journey. We’re exhausted.” He pleaded.

  “All the more reason for you to play nice. Give us all that is valuable and neither of you get hurt.”

  “Better to comply, then…” He thought.

  “Alright, I’ll do it.”

  “Uncle, stop it!” Ellyn growled, “Just let me break in half these wastes of skin!”

  “Ellyn, stay down. Not now.”

  “Uncle... the Blessing...! Let me at these animals!!” She growled.

  Osman’s eyes grew wide at the girl’s warning. But before he could react, the bandit leader’s eye twitched at the insult thrown at him, and without hesitation, he signaled to his men to teach the girl manners.

  “Boys, make the girl shut up.”

  “Ah! Ellyn!”

  Doing as told, the nearest two bandits closed in on her from both sides. Their faces wore a disgusting look fitting for a depraved animal as they approached. Osman was at a loss for what to do. Before he could speak, the two bandits were already on her. They placed their dirty hands on her shoulders, while she struggled, her sickness made it difficult to retaliate. In the end, she was dragged all the way towards the entrance of the inn, separating her from her uncle.

  Ellyn managed to shrug them off after that, which only enraged the two bandits. The back and forth continued as it quickly escalated until one of them pulled a dagger to threaten Ellyn.

  “If you know what’s good for you, girl…” Ray growled.

  “Do anything to him and I’ll tear your limbs off!” Ellyn roared.

  “Manfred!”

  Manfred, who still had Osman pinned, pulled a dagger from his sleeve and without warning stabbed him in the stomach. A loud shriek was heard across the inn, it was then the Innkeeper tried to leave from the imminent disaster, only to see that another bandit covered the backdoor.

  Ellyn’s eyes widened. The last member of her family... They were so quick to draw the blade on him…

  Another dagger struck Osman’s leg, this time from a different bandit. They began pulling his belongings as if they were looting a corpse. The rest of the bandits looked at the sickening display of cruelty and simply… laughed at it. The one’s near her eyeing her body with expressions to make anyone vomit. Her eyes saw as the man that looked after her well after her parents bleed out to the lowest of the low, his shrieks drowned in a drunken sea of mockery and laughter.

  Her sickened body could barely stand straight; her train of thought already in decline by the poisoning went haywire as her uncle was dying right before her.

  ...That did it.

  Then, a mere second after, one of the two bandits next to Ellyn, tried to put his hand on her once more...

  Ray leaned back, “Alright, now we can-”

  Suddenly, the loud sound of a fist breaking bone, glass, and wood echoed like an explosion throughout the inn, and everyone’s attention was instantly taken to the entrance where the raven-haired girl was.

  “Gughuuuu!!”

  Ray directed his attention to the source of the drowned scream. There, a furious Ellyn stood with blood on her face, and broken glass and wood around her. Behind her; one of the bandits lay motionless next to a column as his jaw was torn apart in an instant. In front of her; the other bandit was already bandit, having quickly bled out and suffocated from a deep hole in his throat. Whatever happened was so fast and powerful that created a whole in the wooden column right where the dead bandit was. All while the pieces of broken glass and wood scattered their surroundings.

  “Wha-”

  “E-Elly...n!”

  The bandits were confused by the sudden turn of events. After a moment’s delay, one of them charged at the raven-haired girl. She dodged and immediately counterattacked with a thunderous punch to his jaw. The moment it landed, the sound of countless bones breaking was heard loud and clear, again, the power coming off as strong as an actual explosion—perhaps it was indeed the only way to describe it, for the strength of the blow left lower jaw of that man as if the only thing keeping it on attached to his face was the skin. Like a bag of made of flesh clinging to his lips.

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  The girl’s attack was precise and brutal, almost like a completely different person had taken her place, yet before anyone could move again, a kick struck the man’s nose, sending his broken face against the edge of the counter and staining it with blood. Ellyn’s face shifted from maddening rage to uncaring coldness with each passing moment. With three men dead already, all the bandits looked alarmed at what to do and reached for their weapons as fast as they could. Yet Ellyn was only focused on one target.

  Her furious look landed directly on Ray. Murderous intent emanated from every part of her body. However, Ray was not intimidated, unsheathing his personally decorated falchion-type blade at the same time as the rest of his men drew their weapons.

  “Boys! Get this fucking bitch! Gaston! Enchant my sword!”

  “You got it, boss!”

  The man channeled a red, ethereal light that engulfed the blade. Right after, he chanted the words: “Great Lord who conquers it all, grant your disciples the will to fight and vanquish the enemy! Alt sk?reblad!”

  Ray’s sword glowed with a furious red tint, shortly after the magical glow stabilized and fitted itself into the blade. Ellyn instantly figured out what kind of magic that was: The first spell of the War God’s magic, one capable of causing grievous injuries that wouldn’t stop bleeding: Alt sk?reblad—The All-cutting blade. After all, the gift inside her told her so.

  “You are gonna regret this, you shitty brat.” Ray growled.

  Her bloodshot eyes went wide and awake as they locked with the bandit leader, “...I will rip the skin off your flesh.”

  “E-Ellyn...! Calm yourself already! You are letting your blessing run out of control!”

  “… You are asking me to let them go?” She said in an icy tone.

  “Get a grip…!” He groaned, “You are in no condition to fight… We have to run-!”

  “Shut up already before I knock you out, you shitty old man!! I won’t let these inbred goblins hurt you!!”

  Osman had never seen her like this. For all the years they spent together, he saw how certain situations got the best of her. How she would end up using the gift she had to fend off an enemy and crippled them badly. Admittedly, he had grown to rely on the girl to get away with his antics and that violent power of hers was perfect for it. However, she had never killed anyone. If there was something he could say about what he taught her was to never throw any life aside under any circumstances, much less to do so without sparing a thought, without any sign of mercy or empathy.

  Did she always hold that anger? That frustration deep inside and he never noticed? Was it a side effect of her unique power?

  In a moment like this, injured and surrounded by bandits, his memories began passing through his eyes: He remembered each instance she used her blessing, each time she drew from that well on his behalf, yet never once she had gone as far off as at this moment. Was it that side always there and he never realized…?

  …was it still Ellyn? He no longer had the strength to ask, but no matter what, he would use his two hands to stop her and save his niece. It was the least a garbage uncle like him could do. He couldn't let her fall off the deep end like this. He couldn't fail her. He couldn't fail the promise he made his brother. Ellyn would grow into a good woman. He had to make sure...

  He... was running out of strength.

  Ray readied his sword, slowly walking on guard as he scanned the body of his opponent for weaknesses. The other men did the same; all were ready to chop her in pieces at the drop of a hat.

  “... You little girl. You have no idea who you are messing with.”

  Ellyn raised her fists, widened her stance, and prepared herself for a brutal fight. Her body was on fire, the exhaustion immense and her thoughts were cloudy. Even then, all was overpowered by the need to tear the enemy apart.

  “... You talk too much.”

  “I’ll make you beg for a quick death. Manfred! Everyone! Get her!”

  Ellyn’s eyes lost themselves in anger, anger born in desperation. From the moment she saw them her blessing told her it would end like that. Her uneasiness turned into reality when the bandits proved willing to spill the blood of her family for a couple of coins. That, would not stand. No matter how crippled and poisoned her body was, she had to protect her family. Losing herself to such animalistic instincts was but a small price to pay.

  “Behold thy foe. Those who is't shalt taketh everything from thee,” From deep inside, it spoke.

  “Behold thy weakness. Yond which maketh tragedy inevitable.”

  Said the source of her blessed strength… and her every affliction.

  “Thee who is't hath been blessed by mine own grace. If deny these horrors is what thou wishes most, then heed mineth orders.”

  The raven-haired girl didn’t reply. As the process that had started the moment that bandit died was complete, and the blessing she used in meager portions was now truly awakened... As was Ellyn.

  To protect the last of her family, she let her gift’s roar silence everything with its dreadful song.

  She must let none survive.

  Her eyes were lost in her hand. The scars of each sword strike Ray inflicted weren’t immediately visible thanks to the cream she applied on her body. Nevertheless, she still saw it as clear as day. Just as she vividly remembered willingly submerging herself in her own power. The sunlight upon her became unbearable and she promptly moved to the tree’s shadow. The pleasant coolness lasted little, however, as she couldn’t for a second stop thinking about that night.

  She thought about what happened. About her decisions.

  “That night I was... scared. From the moment I entered, I grew more afraid with each passing second. Too weak from that poison, my body was about to throw up my own intestines in one go. Yet still, when they attacked him…”

  “Of all times to not be fit to fight for my uncle... It scared me to think that I would not be able to protect him. When I saw the knife buried inside of him, I stopped thinking, and called upon my own dark thoughts, given shape and form through my blessing. ‘Kill all that threaten us’ and now he is...”

  No matter how she looked at it, the sole culprit of their situation was her. It was because of her decision to let her anger run wild, that her family was gone, and the entire village was in danger. Once again, she had caused the death of her own family. She, the very being that was ‘Ellyn Kilde’.

  There was only one price that could be paid to make up for it.

  “They have been so nice to meet... but I can’t stay here leeching off them. I must take responsibility and accept whatever punishment they have.”

  At that moment, her eyes noticed something in the distance. Near the main entrance to the village, pillars of smoke that reached high into the sky were visible. Then below her, she saw alarmed villagers out of their homes and talking amongst themselves in shock.

  When she realized what it all meant, her heart sank to the ground, her face grew pale, and her sweat cold. They were here. It had to be them.

  She was scared, but also somewhat relieved. Because it meant she wouldn’t have to wait any longer to pay the price she had owed for so long...

  Ellyn ran at full speed. She didn’t know her way in as much as she would like to, and her body hadn’t received as much exercise as she should have, but it didn’t matter, she had something to do and had little time to spare.

  “Once I get there, I’ll... I will...”

  The thought did cross her mind. What exactly was she going to do once she gets there? Would she awaken the part of her that she so deeply loathed and put the bandits down? Even when she considered she might lose control for good? She didn't know, and she knew it was reckless to head there without a clear idea of what to do. Unfortunately, time was too short to make a coherent plan. She needed to get to the place the bandits were attacking and quickly.

  So she kept running, using the people fleeing as her guide.

  “Whatever happens, happens, but no matter what I won’t be sitting around any longer.”

  She kept running.

  “Uncle... Mother... Father... it won’t be long.”

  And soon enough, she had almost arrived.

  “Ah! There!” She spoke.

  Some meters in front of her, at the other side of an alleyway, she saw the battle that raged between the bandits and villagers. The small alleyway made it difficult for her to see with clarity, but it was clear enough to have an idea of what was happening. She saw the villagers desperately trying to push back the bandits, trying to maintain some semblance of unity with Darius leading them. The bandits, however, easily outclassed them even when outnumbered. That was expected, a bandit was more skilled in fighting than a peasant. Despite their barbaric nature, they were seasoned fighters and so could take villagers with no real battle experience as if they were children fighting a grown adult.

  The sight of those people desperately fending for their lives only to be struck down and pushed aside made her nauseous. She had to put a stop to it immediately, and so she looked around for a way to enter the fray.

  A few moments later, the battle had grown silent, and she stopped moving.

  “Huh?”

  The raven-haired girl couldn’t listen properly to the conversation, nor did she see who was talking, only a crowd of villagers, Darius, and bandits. As soon as she tried to get a glimpse of what was happening, something else caught her attention.

  “Aaagh!!”

  All of a sudden, a young woman was dragged into the alleyway and the bandit was quick at work on his victim. It also seemed a villager desperate was rushing to her side even when it clearly seemed like a trap. The cries of the villagers combined with the young man’s set all of her senses off as the bandit prepare to strike his prey.

  “This is what you ungrateful lot get from crossing us!”

  “AaaAH…” The woman tried to scream, but the blade pressed at her neck prevented her from doing so.

  “Kehe! You looked so brave before when you hit me; let’s see if you still remain brave after this!”

  The bandit raised his sword, and Ellyn’s reflexes sprung to life like they haven’t in months. A rush of adrenaline filled her body, invigorating her from deep inside and clearing all of her thoughts to focus on one thing only. That accursed gift, The War God's Blessing, had finally awakened once again. Her eyes darted around at full speed, the alleyway, the victim, the target, all taken into account by superhuman instinct.

  “Narrow, about only two people can walk side by side; the walls of the houses are made of wood and straw. That villager is low enough for me to jump over. That bandit… she is having difficulty to move on because of her left leg.”

  By the time the bandit realized, it was too late. Ellyn ran with abnormal speed and lightly jumped towards the wall, then, tapping them with her left foot, she propelled herself towards the bandit and over the stunned villager. In the blink of an eye, her fist impacted directly into the bandit’s nose with a thunderous ‘crack!’ and a gust of air that followed in its wake. His body shook from the unnatural force, crumbling in an instant like a house of cards. His nose shattered into a bloody mess, his front teeth cracked and his brain recoiled from the attack. It was as if, all of a sudden, he was struck by a colossus whose strength was compacted into the small frame of a girl.

  Ellyn felt the adrenaline and heat from the gift fuel her every move. The acceleration of her attack was unnatural yet not unexpected. It was proof that her power was indeed working strong... Much to her annoyance.

  The attack propelled them both right into the open street. Without a moment’s delay, she checked on the villager she tried to help. The woman and the man that tried to help her looked confused as to what had just happened, but she was glad that besides that they seemed fine.

  “E-Ellyn?!” The flabbergasted Darius said.

  Roy Wood Fang on his part only appeared angry at this sudden intruder, “Who the hell is this bitch?!”

  Still feeling the gift’s presence burning inside of her, she turned towards the bandits. They were unmistakably from the same cloth as the ones from that fateful night, and the memory of her very rage slowly contaminated her thoughts—yearning to be set loose again.

  “It doesn’t matter who I am. I’m going to punch the shit out of you for what you’ve done.”

  The bandit leader remained still as he looked at the raven-haired girl from upside down. Trying to discern what to make of the jester in front of him, but there was nothing worth mentioning about her appearance. Despite that, she instantly took down one of his men in such brutal fashion—she couldn’t be a normal human.

  Ellyn stared at him with anger in her eyes, challenging him to a duel.

  “I don’t know who are you, but I have no time to waste on you! Just bring that hag!” Roy declared.

  Darius then stepped forth, pointing his spear at the bandit leader, and with a loud voice he spoke, “You really think we’ll give you our mayor just because you said so?!”

  Roy gave a scornful look at Darius. Then, in a low voice, he spoke to one of his men.

  “… Get on top of that house and prepare to give the signal.”

  The bandit did as he was told and with some help from another bandit, he quickly got on top of the house nearest to them as he ignored the villagers and looked at the hills outside that overlooked the whole village from each extreme.

  “What is he doing...?” Ellyn thought.

  “That old hag either comes here or I reenact that day you truly pissed us off several years ago. And she better explain herself about how she kept hidden my brother’s murderer.”

  At that moment, the villagers erupted in murmurs amongst each other. Their distress grew as they realized that the idea of Ray’s death being caused not by a bandit, but by someone else was a possibility. Darius remained still as a statue as he looked at Ellyn in reflex. She turned the moment she felt his gaze on her and the two made eye contact for seconds that felt prolonged for hours. She had made up her mind, and she was ready.

  She nodded, smiled with a distant look, one that would welcome what whatever terrible fate may befall her… and then the young man took a deep breath.

  “What?!” Darius yelled, “Ray Wood Fang?!”

  Ellyn’s eyes widened in shock the moment the young man’s reply echoed to the bandit leader. It was not what she had in mind at all!

  “That resentful piece of shit hag was so happy when she hired someone to get him killed, but of course, grandma was too much of a coward to ever admit it and had me running around like an idiot! None of the other bandit groups did it! It was all a ruse to keep me away from here!”

  Darius shook his head, “That’s ridiculous! The village and The Wood Fang have a mutual agreement. That would break the relationship we’ve held for years! We have no need to for that!”

  “Don't make me repeat myself, you worm,” He growled, using his finger to slice the neck of each villager in the distance, “or else I make her come out with the sounds of you pigs being skinned alive.”

  Her body remained in place as she tried her best to keep her fire burning, but inevitably she began sink into the thought that villagers that were injured were her own fault. True or not, such distractions always hold power over any warrior and can be proven fatal. Despite her effort to concentrate on her enemy, her mind got more erratic with each passing second—once again she was being protected without asking, and once again people will suffer for it. Once again her blessing will run out of control and turn her into a beast that revels in the same tragedy that took happiness from her.

  Roy pulled a second sword from his sheath; a long sword with inscriptions that went from hilt to edge pointed at every villager on it. He saw no humans, just lambs to slaughter.

  He stepped forward, “I’ll say this one more time. Bring us Akira, or else this turns into a bloodbath.”

  Ellyn wanted to do something, anything that would de-escalate this mess. She wanted to admit that she was Ray’s killer. Maybe that way everyone else would be spared from further harm.

  …But she couldn’t do it. Something inside terrorized her from speaking. A selfish, egotistical desire that tightened her lips with all her strength. That fear found within the depths of her selfishness made itself present, closing her mouth with all its strength. It was the sigh of cowardice that took a grip on her soul and would not let go and dooming all other people no matter how hard she tried to fight against it.

  Yet, she had to do something...!

  “What would it be?”

  “Wait.”

  Roy looked with curiosity at the girl who had strangely gone quiet that whole time.

  “You have precious few words before I cut your head off.”

  “The people of this village are innocent of your brother’s death. I’m sure of it. Someone else must be guilty!” Ellyn said.

  Roy raised an eyebrow, “Say the name; I let these rats go.”

  Ellyn’s words were stuck in her throat. Why did she feel like that? It was so annoying; it prevented her from speaking out and ending the suffering of that good and kind people. It was her responsibility to admit her faults and accept the ultimate fate for her sins... yet the very thought of what would happen after she spoke... paralyzed her.

  “I... I don’t know... but needlessly attacking this village-!”

  Before she could finish her sentence, Roy lounged at her with precision and fury. Her body reacted without her command, backing down to avoid the fast-moving blade. However, backing down was all she could do. Before she realized it, her gift had gone cold and her thoughts were filled with nothing but dread. Each time that sword came close she felt as if she were to have a heart attack. Trying to regain her composure, she clenched her fists and her eyes looked for an opening within the man’s body to push him back.

  Then, Ellyn made one missed back step that failed to avoid Roy’s blade going directly towards her chest.

  “Ellyn!”

  Darius stepped in and intercepted the sword with his spear; both edges made contact and deflected each other, leaving Roy’s body wide open.

  Ellyn forced herself to take the chance, ignoring the disarray in her mind as best as she can; she plunged her fist deep into his stomach and pushed him away, although, just barely.

  Despite her current condition, the strength of her power is not all gone, and Roy experiences it by having the air punched out of him. The bandits called out to him in surprise and concern for their boss. Roy, however, focused solely on that little rat.

  “You... That does it! Wood Fang! Rain Hell!!”

  From his command, the bandit on top of the house whistled so loudly it forced the raven-haired girl to cover her ears. Roy and his men quickly retreated steps back as everyone focused on the whistler. Just a second later, the eyes of the villagers, as well as Ellyn, were filled with terror. A staggering troop of archers, all members of the Wood Fang, appeared on top of the hill that was merely above the exit from the village. All of them were filled with enough arrows for twenty people each. As well as a small bonfire where they set their projectiles alight. A moment after; volleys of arrows coated in flames rained on top of the houses and people alike.

  The houses quickly caught fire and the people dropped dead from the piercing arrows’ merciless hunt. Their hastily made formation quickly fell apart and soon ran behind the buildings to hide from the arrows. But as those began to burn too, which only caused further panic. While others tried to carry the wounded only to get hit by another volley and join them as corpses.

  Ellyn and Darius advanced retreated to find any cover they could. Olivia and Randall also moved away to take cover, using the narrower streets to get away from the targets of the bandit’s ire. As soon as it had begun, the archers stopped their fiery rain. Buildings were soon engulfed with fire and the surviving villagers carried the wounded away while trying their best to cover their heads.

  Roy watched satisfied as the little, flimsy opposition died out. However, his smile quickly turned to anger at the sight in front of him.

  “Enough!” A voice cried out, the voice of an old woman.

  From the other end of the road where everyone fought on, a tall, tired old lady wearing a simple dress walked in with a scornful look focused only on Roy.

  “Took you long enough, old hag.” He spat.

  She didn’t flinch at his mockery. Instead, she focused on the injured people and the houses that were being consumed by fire. Her eyes narrowed in pain; her expression twisted in recoil.

  “Why are you doing this, Roy?”

  “You know damn well why! You tricked me!”

  “Trick you? What on earth are you speaking, Roy?”

  “Stop playing dumb, you bitch! You have been hiding my brother’s killer from me and then had me chasing all of these false leads in hopes I died!”

  Roy scowled at her. His eyes were bloodshot with anger and his mouth spitting saliva with each word, to the point he looked close to a dog with rabies. Akira frowned; her eyes quickly darted towards Ellyn and then back to Roy. At one point, both the young and the elder made a few seconds of eye contact. The old lady thought, for a brief moment, something of great importance:

  “Maybe... just maybe... if she is given to them... will this stop? Will we be spared?”—that was her fleeting thought.

  The houses were burning, people were dying. This was caused by a handful of the Wood Fang, not even their full force. If he wanted as much, he could start murdering every villager until everyone died, and she could prevent that if she turned in this outsider to him—one girl in exchange for everybody else.

  ...Would that work? If she turned her in, she would still have to explain why she didn’t do so sooner. She had allowed Marco to take in the girl for entirely selfish reasons. At the expense of everyone here. Now that she had stayed for half a year and that Roy searched for her throughout all this time... Would they be off the hook despite hiding all that information for so long?

  “Are you hearing or have you gone senile?” Roy yelled, “Answer me, where is that person?!”

  Akira kept herself as composed as ever on the outside, “...I don’t know. Your brother might have been killed here, but we all believe other bandits ambushed him while he was drinking. That’s what we told you six months ago, didn’t we?”

  While the reply managed to tone down Roy’s barking, his fangs remained bared, and she worried that the bandits would continue their assault at any time.

  “Bullshit... All bandits in the region are clean. I made sure to make them spit anything regarding my brother before I exterminate them. You’re the only ones left.”

  “Roy, please!” She pleaded, “Attend to reason! We had an agreement to provide money and supplies to the Wood Fang in exchange for protection and stop the constant raids of the past, why would we do the one thing that would endanger us all?!”

  His face twisted like a foul demon; his eyes trembled with fury. He was no longer thinking rationally. Every part of his words and actions was carried by maddening wrath. In truth, it didn’t matter who the culprit actually was, what Roy needed was a culprit to direct all of his bloodlust to. That’s what he wanted, “You fucking shit villagers, I know you fucking hate us. Each time we collect our fair protection tax and supplies you wish you could gauge our intestines out, don’t you?! And now you took my brother away from me!!”

  Ellyn clenched her fist. Her nails went deep into her skin until they pierced it. The situation was getting worse by the second... And even then, that coward girl couldn’t utter the words that could end it all.

  Akira looked around. The houses on fire, the bandits, the injured... all reminded her of the day she lost her. She remembered the pain and frustration, she remembered how everyone gave their condolences, how much that young man was struck. It was a moment that would go with her until the day she dies, and perhaps it was because of that realization that she sympathized with Marco from the beginning.

  “Wait. I have a proposal.”

  Roy didn’t reply. He merely straightened his back and focused his attention on her.

  “...We can find the person that killed your brother.”

  Ellyn remained paralyzed by her own thoughts.

  “Oh? Are you still sheltering them after all this time?!”

  “No, that’s wrong...” She sighed, “I don’t know who that person is. However, if we investigate the crime scene, we might be able to find clues about what truly happened...”

  The Bandit leader closed his eyes for a second. Then, signaled one of his subordinates to approach. They exchanged a few words between them, and afterward, he returned to the old lady.

  “Ten days.”

  “Ten days…?”

  Roy spat on the ground, then spoke again:

  “You have ten days. Find me the responsible for his death. I don’t know how and I don’t care. If you don’t then every single one of you will have their heads chopped off.”

  Akira thought about it for a second, but soon realized this wasn’t her place to negotiate. She needed to get them away from The Village quickly so they can put out the fire and help the injured. So, she bowed, calmly accepting his condition.

  The Bandits left shortly after that.

  On the outskirts away from The Village, the Wood Fang marched back to their base on the mountain. They chatted amongst themselves and while some semblance of organization was present, they still fooled around a lot. From amongst the crowd, one of the bandits approached Roy with a curious expression.

  “Boss!” The bandit said, “Is it alright to leave like that? We could have done a lot more with our numbers.”

  Roy shook his head. Before his reply, he drank the remaining of his liquor. Despite his scrawny look, Roy did not lack muscle or height, and his figure towered over the bandit. He turned to him and stared him down with cold, uncaring eyes.

  “We need to prepare. Ten days would be enough to gather all our men, weapons, and armor. Get ready. Close off the exits and put our boats to surrounding their shores. Not like they can do much with their little fishing boats but we can't take any chances.”

  He tightened his grip on his sword, and his lips curved into a smile of anticipation of the coming carnage.

  “We are going to wipe that damned place off the face of the world. Every last one must die.”