The trio in charge went to the location where they would infiltrate the bandits' fort. The walls were over 5 meters high and had no openings for a normal climb.
"Can you do something?"
Louis's question was shared by the shooter, seeing that it would be difficult with his current methods.
"I'll climb with my movement skills and throw down a rope."
Arya said no more than necessary about the methods she would use to scale the fort's walls, and she wasn't questioned by her companions either.
The surprise came when she executed the action. Her figure vanished as if she were part of the wind itself, leaving only a residual image behind as she moved.
"Speed is one of her assets,"
The commoner adventurer made a mental note as he watched the knight climb so quickly and precisely. The climb up wasn't difficult, nor was it exciting after seeing the demonstration by the short, green-haired girl.
"Can you really hold out for 10 minutes? Aren't you just trying to show off?"
The knight wasn't questioning in a serious tone about the real capabilities of the person in front of her.
"Yes, I can hold out for 10 minutes."
The next person to speak was the blond-haired noble; his mouth couldn't help but voice his own view on the matter.
"Trying to show off is like throwing yourself into the beasts' den. You'll throw yourself down and us with you." "Kill yourself if you get caught. Don't push us into the pit with you because of a desire to show off."
The blond-haired knight of the order of the sword was not joking when he uttered such sentiments; he wished for the person in front of him to kill himself if captured.
"I won't die or be captured. You should worry about yourselves. I won't be the one at death's door."
The black-haired hunter turned his back to head in the desired direction to begin the distraction at the bandits' fort.
"I'm on a wall of the fort. There are some buildings that look like barracks. There are security posts."
The places where bandits should be were being noted, as were places to take cover and hide. The plan would be drawn up in a few minutes after analyzing the environment.
"I have a feeling that this person isn't cocky; he's someone with hidden cards up his sleeve,"
Arya commented.
"His appearance seems to be that of an idiot commoner trying to get attention, but let's not criticize before he shows what he can do,"
Louis replied.
"I can't eat my words by making a comment ahead of time."
The pair of knights headed in another direction, toward where the defense post should be. The fort's entrance and exit should be there, as well as the method to unlock it.
10:00
A normal bandit with simple cloth clothes, a sword at his waist, and gray cloth garments. He had short black hair, a medium beard and mustache, and was talking to another person.
"Our haul this week was very good."
"Our luck is the boss. We've been making a lot since the change of leadership."
The bandits talked about how the new leadership was making extreme changes in the results, as well as in the organization's infrastructure.
"I wish I could enjoy the company of women more."
"Maybe we can grab some in the next raid. I heard it's a village without many defenses. There must be many waiting for us."
"You can b-"
A loud sound was heard by the two. The problem was that one of them had his forehead pierced by something. The next second, his body fell to the ground from the instantaneous loss of life.
"You can't-"
The same sound of something exploding at a high volume reverberated through the fort. His head couldn't process whether to feel anger or sadness, as his skull was blown apart by something.
More people arrived moments after the shots, the corpses lying on the ground to be observed. One had a hole in his forehead with his eyes wide open in incomprehension; the other no longer had eyes, his head had been blown apart.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Holy shit!"
"We have to fi-"
Three people had arrived to look at the corpse; three people became corpses in the span of three seconds with the same sound of something being exploded at a high volume.
The wounds were different this time: one shot hit the heart, another the throat, the last was to hit the lung, and the end came with another shot to his head so he couldn't scream.
"Is this death? Has the reaper come to get us?"
"So the reaper has come to collect."
"Mom... Dad..."
"I didn't think about my end. I don't want to die."
These were the final thoughts of those hit by the firearm used by a certain man in black, who always used new cover. His strategy was to use cover to neutralize the small groups or units with his shots. The small ones being exterminated would attract the attention of the big ones, and they would focus only on him.
8:00
The sound of the Colt's shot was heard by the nobles in the fortress. They wasted no time stopping to analyze, continuing on to their destination.
"He wasn't lying when he mentioned the noise of his weapon," Arya found the younger hunter's words realistic. It wouldn't be good to have someone like that in her group for a stealth mission.
"So it's understandable why he wanted to draw attention and not join our group to advance. He would attract too much attention,"
Louis still thought that person was stupid for wanting to face everyone alone; he didn't think for a moment about the commoner in black's survival.
"We must do our best to honor his sacrifice."
"Let's go."
The path continued normally between the two as they got closer and closer to the bandits' defense post.
7:00
A one-meter-ninety bandit was staring at his surroundings, his spear held tightly as he hid to observe the current situation.
"We are under enemy attack. I can't show any failure or I'll be the next to fall."
His eyes were focused on watching the bodies of his comrades fall. His mind was working as he analyzed what was happening in front of him.
"Grab a shield and gather on my command! Archers, be ready!"
His run was fast after some ideas formed in his mind. The command structure had reorganized after the shout.
A line of shields was formed; it didn't seem like the ranks were collapsing.
"Captain Marley really is our light at the end of the tunnel."
"We can always count on Captain Marley in these moments."
Marley was the name of the one giving orders. His black hair was short, his eyes were gray as iron, his skin was brown, and his clothing was cloth mixed with animal hide. He seemed neither handsome nor ugly.
"I'll leave some non-fatal openings to see where it will come from."
The bandit in command gave orders to leave some openings in non-fatal points in the shield wall, which made several people nervous because of that mysterious shadow killing with that peculiar and terrifying sound.
The shots occurred according to his prediction. His sorrow was where each shot came from; he couldn't analyze it with his enemy's movement.
The thunderous weapon took advantage of the holes to injure his group further. The barrier could collapse due to morale or injuries if they waited any longer.
"I must succeed as soon as possible. My death is destined if I can't find him."
Nervousness did not affect his judgment as he listened to the sounds of attacks. His wounded subordinates did not worry him; the only concern was the location of the attack.
"Archers, concentrate your arrows in the directions where we were hit!"
The arrows were fired at that moment. The shot came from a firearm, and it returned as several arrows.
"Found you."
A confident smile appeared on his face. Several people were pushed back as he gripped his spear firmly and threw it. The air seemed to have suffered a shock at that moment of the throw.
The stone walls were broken until it reached the place it was supposed to hit. The sound of impact with something emerged and revealed a figure dressed in black with blood all over his body. This mysterious figure wasted no time in taking a red vial and putting it in his mouth.
"Adjust formation!"
Those who were standing were swift to circle the recovering shooter in black. The formation was a circle to hinder his movement. The shields protected their vital points; the archers made the mind of that mysterious and powerful enemy buzz.
"You're mine."
5:00
The red-haired noble was staring at a certain brown-haired hunter. His calm behavior of cleaning his spear was as if he was sure of the other group's mission success.
"Don't you think you're being optimistic about the other group with that calm attitude?"
Fay was smiling at the red-haired knight's comment. He wouldn't hide his thoughts if he were asked. "Everything will be fine. Jon is there."
"You trust Jon too much. Shouldn't you be more skeptical?"
The smile didn't waver as he thought of his friend with that strange weapon. The confidence seemed to be growing even stronger.
"My confidence in the other group's mission exists only because of him. My friend will make this mission succeed."
Gregory couldn't help but be in doubt upon hearing such words from the person in front of him.
"He seems like a rather normal person to me. The interaction between you two didn't reveal anything special."
"My partner is a normal person when he's with people, but that changes completely when he's on a mission..."
His eyes were excited and on fire at that moment as he remembered the fights alongside his friend, as he remembered how reliable he was in such a short time. "He becomes a being as cold as the creations of the dwarves of Svartalfheim, as bloodthirsty as the warriors of Gehenna, as powerful as the dragons of Tiangong."
One couldn't give more praise and admiration to someone as was said now. It was something otherworldly to be praised in such a way, which even seemed like fanaticism.
"Is this guy really all that?"
4:00
Jon Walker's gaze was fixed on the formation in front of him. The enemy was taking advantage of the openings just as he had done before to deliver blows and try to surround him.
"There's nothing to fear."
The revolver was handled with speed and dexterity. The sight was aimed at the leg of one of the enemy shield bearers. The flash at the moment of the shot was the answer to his blow.
"Success is impossible for a dangerous bastard like you."
Marley was covering the breach of his subordinate who was kneeling from the shot. The spear was thrown in the same way and was dodged because he was prepared for it.
"I'll die if I get hit by that throwing technique. I don't have a potion to withstand it."
Thoughts and strategies were being formulated in his head. His enemy was doing the same thing by using this formation to surround a strong opponent.
"Archers!"
The arrows were fired at the signal. Only a few of the wooden projectiles hit; the vital points were defended with a dagger at high speed. The number of archers was 10 people at most; there weren't many trained to use ranged weapons.
The bandits relaxed upon seeing the person heavily damaged by the arrows. Relief seemed to take over them upon seeing this situation.
"Don't relax! Don't lower your guard!"
It was too late for that warning as more than four shots were heard; the sound of the warning had not traveled as fast as the bullet. 4 fell after being hit.
"This guy completely avoided the vital points and any other point where his legs or hands would be hit."
The firearm didn't take long to be reloaded while thoughts were running wild. The body being forced to move was without hesitation or fatigue, only with the mind focused on completing its own mission.
The polearm delivered several thrusts and was followed by some of the bandits' lesser soldiers. Their fighting style seemed to complement each other when they were with other people.
The arrows once again flew in his direction. The decision was not long in coming as he saw everything happening according to his plans. The jump was made towards a lesser soldier, the gun was pointed at his head to blow his brains out at a rapid speed, and his body was used as a shield, which nobody expected.
"What?"
One couldn't think much upon seeing the shooter in black falling, unable to support that body due to the weakness from the arrows leaving him exhausted.
The problem was that the gunshots continued even as he fell; 3 people had fallen in a very short interval at that moment. Different shot locations like the head, lung, and stomach.
"How can I predict his movements? There's no logic behind it."
The bandits' spearman moved quickly to not let any strategy be made, not to let the enemy think of anything detrimental to his group.
"Stop, you monster!"
Marley was not calling that person a human being; he was calling him a monster upon seeing the state in which he continued to fight and kill. It was not something in the realm of humans.
The bandit's body was quickly thrown towards the bandit captain. The resolution of this idea to buy time was a body being split in two horizontally.
"Die."
The time it took to cut the enemy in half was the time it took to fire a shot at his enemy. It couldn't be fatal because of his high speed, but it was something significant upon seeing the blood falling to the ground.
"You still have many years if you want to kill me, boy."
The weapon was being reloaded while the one with the highest rank among those who had now appeared was staring at him. The high-speed approach was being made to test the waters. The next blow was an attack using the spear to pierce the victim's heart; a dodge would make the weapon spin and burst the insides because of the shaft.
"Now you're mine."
Confidence was not something possessed by a few; it was something possessed by a considerable number of people.
The Colt fired a few times in that split second. The white weapon didn't seem to reach him as it couldn't move forward. His shoulder managed to tear a large part of the opponent's shoulder by using his body to change the location where he would be hit. The bandit was defeated at the moment of the hit; the bullet went through his skull.
"Now it's time for the next ones."
0:00