The air inside the tavern was thick with tension. The moment Satoshi raised his blade against the imperial knight, the entire establishment had gone silent. Now, as the knights prepared to attack, the once lively chatter of the patrons had been replaced by an ominous stillness.
The first knight to act was an Imperial Knight who was slightly chubby. He lunged forward, swinging his sword in a downward arc toward Satoshi's head.
Satoshi sidestepped at the last possible moment, his movements swift and precise. With a sharp pivot, he drove his foot into the knight's face.
"Uuhaa!!" the knight grunted as his head snapped back. He stumbled, losing his balance, and his momentum carried him straight into the wooden wall behind him. His helmet cracked against the surface, leaving a dent in the wood before he slumped to the ground, dazed.
Satoshi smirked. "Did any of you even learn how to use a sword?"
The second knight, seething with anger, raised his weapon. "Why, you—"
He swung his sword with a force meant to cleave Satoshi in two, but Satoshi was already moving. In one fluid motion, he unsheathed his own blade, its polished edge gleaming under the dim tavern lights. With a single, precise strike, Satoshi's sword met the knight's blade—except it didn't just deflect it.
CRACK!
The knight's sword shattered into two clean halves.
The imperial knight staggered back, his eyes wide in disbelief. "What the hell? Who the hell are you?!"
Satoshi twirled his sword before resting it against his shoulder. "I'm nobody at the moment. Just a wanderer trying to become an adventurer."
The first knight, still recovering from his impact with the wall, growled. "But this can't be… Adventurers in this town aren't supposed to be this strong."
Satoshi let out a small chuckle. "Well, I guess you guys were just unlucky today."
A tense silence followed his words. The remaining knights glanced at each other, their bravado fading as fear crept into their expressions. They weren't dealing with some ordinary adventurer—Satoshi was in an entirely different league.
Satoshi sighed, sheathing his sword. "This is the part where you leave. Or do you want to end up like your sword over there?" He gestured to the broken blade lying on the floor.
The leader of the knights hand trembled as he clenched his fists. His pride warred with the reality before him.
"Let's go," he finally spat.
Another knight pointed a finger at Satoshi. "This won't be the last you see of us. Mark my words."
Satoshi merely watched as they retreated, their once-commanding presence reduced to little more than defeated dogs.
The tavern erupted into cheers.
"About damn time they got put in their place!" an adventurer called out.
"I doubt we'll be seeing them for a while," another added.
"I didn't know strong adventurers came here. I thought they were all beginners," a woman murmured in awe.
The bartender wiped his hands on a rag, stepping forward with gratitude in his eyes. "We are in your debt, young man. Thanks to you, those greedy bastards will probably stop terrorizing us."
Satoshi shook his head. "I didn't do anything special."
The waitress, her voice filled with frustration, spoke up. "Those knights demand taxes, saying it's for the imperial army's protection and to buy weapons, but it's all a lie. They take our hard-earned money and spend it on themselves. Of course, all the adventurers here have turned a blind eye because they're spineless cowards." She paused, then sighed. "Though, I can't really blame them."
Satoshi turned to the hooded girl, who had bravely stood up against the knights earlier. She had remained quiet through the commotion. "Are you okay?" he asked, offering her a hand.
The girl hesitated for a moment before placing her slender fingers in his. "Yes, I'm fine," she said softly.
She looked up at him, her face partially concealed by her hood. "Thank you… for helping these people and for saving my life."
Satoshi gave her a small nod. "No problem."
The girl looked as if she wanted to say more, but after a moment, she hesitated. "I have so much to ask… but so little to say. This is strange."
Satoshi raised an eyebrow.
The girl finally spoke again. "May I ask your name?"
Before he could respond, the sound of frantic hooves filled the air.
A horse galloped down the street at full speed before suddenly collapsing, sending its riders tumbling to the ground.
"Somebody, please help us!" one of the wounded men cried. "My friend—she's dying! She's losing too much blood!"
Satoshi rushed forward. "What happened?"
The man struggled to sit up, clutching his side. "We were hunting giant bats when an evolved giant bat appeared out of nowhere. A girl saved us… She bought us time so we could escape."
Satoshi's expression darkened. "Where is she?"
"Southeast of the village… near the bat cave."
Without hesitation, Satoshi took off running.
"Wait! Let me come with you!" the hooded girl called after him.
Satoshi glanced over his shoulder. "You're a cleric, aren't you? These men need you more than I do. Please, look after them. I'm counting on you."
The girl's lips parted in surprise. "How did he…?"
The wounded man grabbed onto her sleeve, his voice desperate. "That man said you're a healer. Thank the gods! Please, help my friend—she's losing too much blood!"
The girl took a deep breath, composing herself. "Don't worry. I'll heal her."
She raised her hands, summoning a soft golden light. "Healing Light Particles."
The energy enveloped the injured woman, slowly closing her wounds.
"You're badly injured as well," the girl said to the wounded man. "Please, calm down. Everything is alright now."
The female adventurer, the one whose companion had been stabbed earlier, stepped forward. "Don't forget about him either! He got stabbed in the gut!"
The girl's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry—I'll heal him, too."
From the shadows, a hooded figure watched, a smirk playing at his lips. "So she's the Maiden of Healing Light, huh?"
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, a girl ran for her life.
The evolved giant crimson bat screeched above her, its monstrous wings casting shadows over the ground.
It slashed at her with its talon-like claws.
She barely dodged in time, but her foot caught on a rock, sending her sprawling to the dirt.
Before she could get up, a sonic wave blasted from the bat's mouth.
"Aahhh!" she screamed as the force sent her crashing into the jagged rocks behind her.
Pain exploded in her body. She groaned, her vision blurring.
The giant bat hovered closer, its gleaming red eyes locked onto her weakened form.
"So this is how it ends, huh?" she whispered bitterly, her breath shallow. "I didn't expect it to end like this…"
She let out a choked sob. "That bastard Rayner left me behind the moment this monster appeared. Was this all a trap? Did they betray me? Were they trying to get rid of me?"
Her body refused to move. Her eyelids grew heavy.
Slash!
A scream of pain filled the air.
She barely registered it.
"Who… is that?" she murmured as darkness closed in. "Did he come to save me?"
Her world faded to black.
When she opened her eyes again, she felt weightless. She was moving.
No, not moving—being carried.
"But… by who?"