"Huh…"
"I was hoping to catch a breather here after my long journey, but who knew there would be such a grand commotion nearby?"
These words were spoken by an exceptionally handsome, fair-skinned man with long, red hair, who sipped from a cup of tea, outside of a restaurant on Sherbet Street. However, though he didn't seem like the type, he kept his eyes sly and narrow.
He also wore a white suit adorned with garments and didn't seem ordinary in the least.
He suddenly chuckled, tilting his head back after laying his teacup down.
"But, who would guess? That, after years of searching from faraway lands, someone, just like "me", would come to me by chance? A person who is a worthy enough sacrifice as "her" gift, that may allow me to take her hand in courtship."
He placed his fist on the table, before narrowly unsheathing his blade and facing the direction in which Scott and Michael ran.
"Once I hunt him down and present it to my lady, the Mother Goddess shall sing for me "Her" praises, as the beauty of my fervour and passion for glory and battle shall capture "Her" gaze like long ago."
"Only then will that man's gory, bleeding heart be the most fitting gift for my lady."
***
"I haven't practised my transmutational skills, so don't mind it if things get crazy!" Scott yelled, before digging his nails into his palm until blood was drawn, and then setting his fist ablaze.
He struck the ground with the crimson flames, sending tremors throughout the entire building and making Felix twitch.
"Woah…" Michael breathed, "How about I join in on some of the action too!"
The bandits charged at the pair, however, Scott subdued one of them instantly with a single punch, and Michael handed two at once with his blade.
"Boss Pugsley! They're stronger than we expected! Help us!" One of the bandits screamed before being sucker-punched, "Aa—ack!"
Boss Pugsley, seemingly the chief bandit, stared at Felix, Michael and Scott disdainfully, as they beat up his lackeys.
"…" From a small corner of the room, Felix shot a glance toward him in return and sneered.
"Still a stupid brat even now, huh?" Boss Pugsley muttered, slightly adjusting his axe, "Fine. I don't need my underlings anyway. I'll teach all of you a lesson with one damn swing of my axe!"
Felix glared at him as he approached, and took out his ball of string. Then, he dashed around the pub as quickly as he could, wrapping his strings around Boss Pugsley several times over.
Though, it didn't take much effort from him to break free.
"Stop playing around, you traitorous little brat!" The bandit leader roared. Meanwhile, as he pranced around, Felix whispered:
"Sheesh… time for Plan B!"
He unrolled more string from his ball, tied a few faraway objects together for a tactical advantage, and then pulled out his dagger. In a swift motion, he dashed towards Boss Pugsley and slashed his chest.
"Ah… haha!" Felix laughed, looking at his bloodstained dagger, "So, you only amount to this much, huh?—"
The loud echo of a fist slamming into a skull resounded throughout the pub and Felix was knocked out in an instant.
"Stupid kid. He even dares to underestimate me, someone on par with an experienced knight? I'll show him what the Sea of Souls* look like!" Boss Pugsley yelled, preparing to strike down with his axe. Yet, he was interrupted again by a sudden yell:
"Hey, you dumb brute!"
The bandit leader glanced backwards and was almost met with another blazing fist to the face, which he barely managed to evade.
"Urgh, damn it! Wait for your damned turn!"
"Haha, a turn for you to do what?" Michael spoke as he darted at him swiftly after, slashing and slicing the bandit leader a succession of times, "Scott, now!"
Scott nodded, and extended his hand out, concentrating on the blood spilling from Boss Pugsley's wounds. He had never transmutated something from afar, so, truth be told, he had not a single clue if it would work, but thankfully, it did.
The bandit leader's wounds burst into crimson flames, making him wail like an undead being, and soon after, he dropped down on the pub's floor, scalded and unconscious like a burnt corpse.
"Hm… is this the power of an Arcane Mark?" Scott asked, staring at his palm.
Michael sighed. "Oh boy, you have no idea. After all, there's a reason why those with Arcane Marks are treated so differently compared to the mundane men and women you see walking the streets. People aren't even sure how to react when encountering someone like you."
"Hm. That's neat. I bet you wish you had something like this, huh?"
"…Seriously?"
Scott smirked, before glimpsing Felix's semi-unconscious self rolling around in mild pain.
"…I've been wondering, but, is he just a cat-human or something?" Scott asked, "Because, from what I know right now, normal humans don't particularly turn into animals…"
Michael nodded.
"He's probably just a demi-human. They have a natural ability to transform into animals and beasts. Though, they're commonly captured and bought in illegal slave trades for that reason."
Scott looked back at Felix and simply gazed at him for a moment, a tinge of pity washing over his eyes. Then, he bent down and shook him out of unconsciousness.
"Ah…" Felix groaned as he stretched, "What a dream, what a dream… huh?"
"…You awake now?"
The second his eyes landed on Scott and Michael, Felix recognised the situation at once, and his eyes widened. Though, this time around, the two of them opted to hold him down instead of letting him escape.
"Hey! Hey!! Let me go!" Felix whined, kicking and hissing violently, "I'll give you some of my coins…"
At that moment, his eyes landed on Boss Pugsley's unconscious body, and those of the other bandits, and he shut up swiftly.
"Finally, you quietened up. Anyway, you recognize this?" Michael asked, pulling out the Blightstone from his pocket.
Felix smiled awkwardly. "Uh… meow?"
"Answer seriously. You recognise it?" Scott asked him again.
Felix nodded.
"Good. Then answer, where did you get this from?" Michael asked. Felix pointed to Boss Pugsley in response, before further saying:
"H-honestly… I think it's something that he got from one of the Bandit Kings in the area… that's probably the guy who has all of my belongings too…"
Michael sighed, while Scott facepalmed.
"Damn it," Scott lamented, "A Bandit King got his hands on some of this stuff? Are we gonna try and take him down now, too?"
"…I have no clue. Handling a Bandit King might be way beyond us—"
"Wait!" Felix interrupted suddenly.
"I can help! Let's go and hunt down the Bandit King!"
"Huh? Why would you help us? Especially after you tried to almost threaten us into helping you collect money."
"Well… I'm sorry, okay!" Felix half-yelled, "I did it because I needed a fast way to collect the money that I owed these guys… and I think I got a bit too greedy… but, I'll for sure help! The Bandit King has something I really, really need!"
Scott and Michael exchanged a glance with each other.
"Well… alright. But, you better not be tricking us."
Felix nodded fervently and bounced back up from the floor as soon as he was unrestrained.
"Come on! We need to scout out the Bandit King's current whereabouts!" Felix said, dashing outside.
Soon after, the two of them followed behind, with Michael still holding onto the Blightstone, leaving the pub empty and quiet with a huge number of unconscious bodies scattered across its floor.
This quietness lasted for only a few minutes, as the door opened once more, and a sharp gust of wind preceded the entrance of a red-haired fellow carrying a sheathed broadsword.
"What a mess, the state of this pub," The red-haired man spoke, "These vulgar fools fight like rabid dogs. Fights between true men should carry a hint of… elegance."
A cruel coldness accompanied every word that this man spoke, contrasting both his hair and the fiery look in his eyes.
He approached the unconscious Boss Pugsley and grasped the hairs of his head harshly, muttering:
"Useless. Not a single soul here is worthy of a true strike of my blade. Not even him."
He unsheathed his blade and decapitated them all, one by one, allowing blood to spill across the floor like a miniature lake. But then, just as he was about to leave, he noticed strange marks on the floor, which oddly aligned with the burn marks all over Boss Pugsley's face and body.
"Haha… it seems I haven't lost my target after all!" He exclaimed, opening his eyes wide to reveal blue, serpentlike pupils.
"Wait for me, O worthy gift, for I am coming for your head!"