The three remaining bandits stood frozen in place, eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at their comrade lying in a smoking heap of rubble, buried under shattered tables and chairs. Steam still rose from his limp body. He wasn't moving.
"H-He took out Brok in one hit!" one of them stuttered.
"What the hell is this guy?!" another shouted.
"Should we run? Tell the boss?! Maybe grab a hostage?!" the third muttered, panic setting in.
Damien's golden eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, steam swirling off his body.
"I'll say it again. Take your foot off my friend... or I'll hurt you like I hurt your buddy over there."
The bandit pressing his boot into Garret's head hesitated. His eyes darted to Leo, Mira, and Lila, all watching in horror.
"This isn't good. This guy's serious... He just crushed Brok like nothing. But if I back down now... I look weak. Maybe if I act fast—"
His bloodshot eyes shifted. *"I've still got my knife... Maybe I can make it out of this."
With a sudden motion, he pulled the blade from his pocket, raising it high above his head.
"I'LL KILL HIM AND THE KID!"
Mira screamed. "NO!!"
Garret shouted, "LEO!!!"
Lila cried out, "DON'T YOU DARE!"
Damien's body suddenly radiated with intense heat. Flames spiraled around him, flaring wildly.
[ Flame Soul Resonance Triggered ]
Emotional Surge Detected — State: Protective Wrath
His pupils flared crimson, molten energy coursing through his veins.
His voice shook with restrained fury. "You laid a hand on a kid... You threatened his family... I've had enough of you."
The floor beneath him scorched from the sheer heat.
Steam exploded off his skin.
"FLAME DASH!"
He vanished in a trail of fire.
The bandits whirled around, looking panicked.
"Where'd he go?!"
"He vanished—what do we do?!"
"This is bad—really bad—"
Suddenly, Damien appeared right in front of the knife-wielding thug.
"Wh-What?!" the bandit gasped.
Damien's voice dropped low. "I told you. Now you're done."
"No!"
"IGNITION FIST!"
Flames burst from Damien's fist as he slammed it into the bandit's chest. A shockwave erupted from the impact.
The bandit was launched through the tavern wall in a fiery explosion, tumbling across the village street and crashing into another building.
BOOM!
Inside, the tavern fell silent.
Outside, villagers gasped, rushing toward the explosion.
"That was one of the Iron Fangs!"
"He just launched him through the wall!"
"Who the hell is that guy?!"
Back inside, Leo and his family stared in shock.
"He... he sent him flying...!" Leo whispered.
"Through the wall?!" Mira breathed.
Lila's eyes were wide. "That was... that was unreal..."
Garret, still on the floor, looked back at the massive hole. "...That wall's gonna cost a fortune..."
Damien stepped beside him. "You okay?"
Garret blinked. "Y-Yeah... I think I'm alright."
Damien extended his hand. Garret grabbed it, and Damien pulled him to his feet.
The remaining two bandits looked around at the destruction. Two of their comrades were down. One possibly unconscious—or worse.
"W-We have to go!"
"We can't fight him!"
They turned to Damien, whose body was still glowing with flames and heat.
He glared at them. "Leave. Now. Or be destroyed."
One bandit trembled. "W-We're leaving!"
"Yeah! No problem!"
"Good," Damien said. "Take your defeated friends with you. Understand?"
Flames flared brighter from his body.
The two bandits scrambled to grab their unconscious allies and dragged them out of the tavern.
Within moments, the Iron Fang Raiders were gone.
The fire and steam faded from Damien's body.
He turned back to Leo and his family. "Are you all okay?"
Mira wiped away tears. "Yes... thanks to you. Thank you so much, Damien."
Garret grinned, clapping a hand on Damien's shoulder. "You saved us. You saved my family. I owe you more than I can say."
Lila looked at him, eyes sparkling. "That was incredible... I've never seen anything like it."
Damien gave a small smile. "Happy to help. I didn't save the whole village... but I saved you. That's enough for now."
Leo ran forward and jumped into Damien's arms. "Big bro Damien! You're the coolest ever! I wanna be just like you!"
Damien laughed, ruffling Leo's hair. "Then you better start training, kid."
Garret burst out laughing. "You've got a place here anytime, Damien. Free food, drinks, a bed upstairs—everything. On the house!"
Damien nodded. "Thanks, Garret. I'll take you up on that."
"YAY!!" Leo yelled, jumping in place. "Big bro Damien's staying the night!!"
The tavern began to fill with murmurs of awe and gratitude as villagers peeked inside.
Later that night, Damien sat on a bed in one of the inn's guest rooms, quiet and alone.
He looked out the window, the stars shining gently above.
Then—
[ LEVEL UP! ]
[ Damien Cross – Level 4 ]
HP: 580 | MP: 1,100
Stats Increased!
New Skill Unlocked: Flame Barrier
A glowing screen appeared before him, showing his status and recent victories.
Damien leaned back against the wall and smiled.
"Not a bad day... Saved Leo and his family. Maybe next time, I'll protect the whole village. One step at a time."
Damien sat on the edge of the bed in his tavern room, the dim moonlight peeking through the window. He had just finished reading the glowing status screen hovering in front of him, showing his level-up and new skill. The text faded away, but his mind remained restless.
He leaned back against the wall and sighed.
"So... level 4. Not bad. But this is just the beginning. I'm just scratching the surface of this world. There's still so much I don't know. So many places I haven't seen. Kingdoms, ruins, ancient secrets, hidden magic..."
He stared at the ceiling.
"I should sign up at an adventurer's guild. That's what most isekai heroes do, right? Get some coin, learn the ropes, climb the ranks... maybe even find a party. I could make a name for myself. Travel continent to continent. Maybe even one day face the Demon Lord she told me about. But I'm not ready to leave this village yet."
Damien's fists clenched.
"Those guys from earlier—they weren't the main threat. They were just scouts. Grunts. The Iron Fang Raiders still have their claws sunk deep into this place. Leo's family... the village... it's still in danger. I need to stay. Train. Help where I can. Until I know this place is safe, I'm not moving on."
He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
"Tomorrow... I'll start preparing. No more waiting around. If the Iron Fang Raiders want a war, I'll give them one."
Far from Emberhearth, four battered and limping bandits trudged along a craggy mountain path, their two unconscious comrades slumped between them. Blood trailed in the dirt. Each step was heavy with exhaustion and dread.
"He took us apart... like we were nothing."
"I didn't even see him move. Just heat, light—and then boom—next thing I knew, I was in a table."
"That was no normal mage. That was something else."
"You think he's one of those divine-blooded freaks? Maybe a flame avatar or... or a vessel for a fire god?"
"He said his name like it meant something. Damien Cross."
"Who cares what his name is. What matters is he wiped us out, and we gotta tell him."
"You think the boss will believe us?"
"He'll believe us... and then maybe kill us for failing."
The closer they got to the stronghold, the heavier the air felt.
"We're dead either way... unless we give him a reason to let us live."
Finally, they reached a massive steel door carved into the side of a mountain, guarded by two scowling sentries. The door creaked open as they approached.
Inside, the air was thick with smoke, blood, and the scent of oil.
They limped through the hallways—stone walls covered in trophies from raids: torn banners, cracked shields, dried heads. Their footsteps echoed.
Ahead, a tall set of blackened iron doors awaited.
One of them knocked, heart pounding.
A low voice answered, "Enter."
They pushed the doors open.
Inside was a large war chamber lit by red torchlight. A massive, ancient table sat at the center surrounded by deadly figures.
At the head of the table sat a hulking figure: Towering, with thick muscles and battle scars across every inch of visible skin. His head was bald, shaved to reveal a large tattoo of a wolf's skull etched across his scalp. He wore a patchwork of heavy armor looted from fallen soldiers, a black leather cloak draped behind him, and a necklace made of jagged steel teeth hung around his neck. His gray eyes gleamed like cold steel.
To his left sat Krag the Gut-Splitter—tall, scarred, bald with a grin like a cracked skull. He wore chainmail across a bare chest and rested his spiked war club beside him. He exuded primal violence, grunting with each breath.
Next was Syla 'Redblade'—lean and razor-sharp, her crimson braid swinging slightly as she shifted. Pale silver-gray eyes scanned everything with assassin-like focus. She wore tight red leathers and a black scarf around her lower face.
Across the table crouched Moss 'The Toad'—a hunched, scrawny man with oily skin, green-gray patches, and bulbous yellow eyes. His robes were filthy and covered in burns and stains. Dozens of vials and canisters clinked softly on his belt. A sickly boil bubbled on his cheek.
Behind them, linked by a heavy back-mounted chain, stood Ruck & Dorn—giant twin brutes. Ruck had a black mohawk and bloodshot eyes, constantly twitching with anticipation. Dorn was shaved bald, with cold, calculating gray eyes that moved with deadly precision.
The four bandits dropped to their knees, trembling.
The leader at the head of the table spoke again, voice cold and deliberate.
"What do you worms want?"
"L-Lord... we failed," one bandit stammered.
The large man narrowed his eyes.
"Failed how?"
"The village. Emberhearth. We went to collect as usual. Had a little fun at the tavern. Then—"
"A fire mage showed up," another cut in. "He burned us. Fast. Strong. We didn't stand a chance."
The man raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"A fire mage?"
"Yes, sir. Called himself Damien Cross. One of our guys went through a wall. Another nearly died."
The lieutenants reacted.
Krag grunted and laughed. "Strong? HAH. KRAG LIKE STRONG."
Syla scowled. "A flashy caster? Tch. Hate those."
Moss giggled, licking his lips. "Fire, fire... So beautiful. Would love to see how his magic works when it's torn apart."
Ruck howled. "SEND US! BREAK HIM!"
Dorn nodded once. "Efficient kill."
The four bandits stayed kneeling, heads lowered. "Why is he so calm? Why is he letting them laugh? This isn't good..."
One bandit thought, "He's thinking about it. About Emberhearth. We should've run... The village won't last. Neither will that Damien guy."
The leader finally stood.
His voice echoed through the chamber.
"So. Damien Cross. A name worth remembering. He thinks he can protect a village under our control. He thinks he can rewrite the rules."
He looked at each of his lieutenants.
"What do we say to that?"
Krag slammed his club on the ground. "KILL."
Syla smiled cruelly. "Erase him."
Moss muttered, "Harvest the flames... study the ash..."
Ruck yelled, "CRUSH EVERYTHING!"
Dorn simply said, "Approve."
The leader turned to the twins.
"Tomorrow. You go. Burn the village. Drag Damien through fire and blood. Make him regret stepping foot in my domain."
Ruck cheered wildly. "YESSS!"
Dorn gave a quiet nod. "Objective clear."
The leader gave a cold, savage smile.
"Let them think they've found a hero. Let them believe in hope. Then show them what happens when they cross the Iron Fang Raiders."
To be continued...