"Huff... Huff... Haaaa!!"
I was running out of breath as I ran deeper into the forest.
"Hey bitch! Run faster!"
"If we catch you, YOU'RE DEAD!"
"Nah, let's sell her as a slave, she's a beauty!"
"That's after I have my way with her!"
"No fair! Me too!"
I heard behind me. They were bandits that are chasing after me.
Their malicious comments send shivers to my spine, giving me goosebumps. Just thinking about what they said happening to me is enough to make my eyes teary.
'I'm scared...'
I thought as I ran faster.
I don't know where to go, I don't know what to do. But nevertheless— I ran nonstop without looking back.
"She's quite fast for a girl, huh."
Said one of the men chasing me, he has a snake-like ugly face and it looks like he's the leader of the bandits.
As I can sense from my surroundings, there are more than 20 of them chasing me.
Anyway—
"Haaaa... Haaaa..."
It's starting to get much harder for me to run, even breathing is a pain now.
My stamina is getting depleted at a terrifying speed, and my strength is leaving my body.
"Should we run faster, boss?"
Behind me, I saw a fat man ask that to the snake-looking man.
"No, she's getting tired, let her try to escape. So that when we caught her—"
"She will feel more despair as she realizes that all the running she did was worthless."
Then the snake-looking man declared that.
I can hear them, laughing and making unpleasant comments about me.
They're intentionally letting me hear them.
'Don't mind them, they're just scaring you, you can escape...!'
I said to myself inwardly, trying to comfort and calm myself down. But I know that it's a lie... Because just like they said, I'm just making a worthless attempt of escaping.
Though, even knowing that— I still didn't stop running.
I don't want to stop running.
'I want to escape.'
"Someone..."
I weakly muttered.
'Please help me.'
Then at that moment...
BAM-!
"Ahhrg!"
THUD-
A monster called [Mad Rabbit] tackled me from my side, resulting in me falling to the ground!
-SQUEAK!?
Looks like the mad rabbit is trying to ambush its prey, but instead— it hit me by accident!
Then, when it noticed agroup of humans coming in this direction—
-Squeak!
It ran away, leaving me on the ground.
"HAHAHA—!!! You're quite unlucky young miss."
The leader of the bandits laughed and said that as he saw me covered in mud.
I immediately tried to get up and flee—
"Urgh...?!"
But my right leg is sprained because of the damage I received from the fall earlier!
"Can't run away now, huh?"
The leader of the bandits asked with a mocking tone.
"N-no! DON'T COME NEAR ME!!!"
I crawled away from him when I saw him approaching me. I didn't mind my clothes and my hands getting dirty, I was desperate.
Though, just then...
"KEKEKE—"
The other bandits started to appear one by one, they circled the area and surrounded me.
And when they saw me in this state...
"KAHAHAHAHA—!!!"
They smiled mischievously and let out mocking laughs. I was terrified by the situation I found myself in.
Tap-
The bandit leader then started to walk towards me again.
"Stop! GO AWAY!"
I exclaimed.
But his steps didn't halt.
"Someone! Please! SOMEONE, HELP ME!"
I screamed for help.
"KEHAHAHAHAHA—!"
"She's asking for help in the middle of this dense forest? What an idiot."
But I was just laughed at by the bandits.
For them, what I'm doing might look stupid, but... What else can I do?
I'm scared.
I don't want to be a slave. I don't want to be defiled by them. I don't want to be hurt.
"I... I don't want to die..."
I weakly muttered, then tears started to fall from my eyes.
"ARGH?!"
Just then, the bandit leader got to me and grabbed my jaw. He lifted my head to face him.
"Oh, what's this? You're crying now? How cute."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Then him and his lackeys started laughing at me.
"..."
I became silent. I couldn't believe it.
Even in this situation... I was being mocked and laughed at.
I'm an illegitimate daughter of a noble... So being mocked and laughed at is already a part of my life. It was painful, but what can I do about it?
So I tried to just ignore it all.
Then, this week— I was supposed to start attending the [Fervid Academy]; it's a school for nobles.
I was really happy when I got accepted in it, but now... I'm in this situation.
These bandits attacked the carriage I was in and killed everyone, I got away and ran into a forest— but they chased after me.
'I'm so unlucky...'
Just thinking about what happened made my tears fall faster.
And in desperation...
"Please... Let me go..."
I pleaded that to the bandit leader.
He looked at me surprised, then opening his mouth—
"H-Huh...? What...? Well, how about... No?"
He answered with that.
"HAHAHAHA! Nice acting, boss!"
"YOU'RE SO CRUEL, THAT'S WHY EVERY GIRL HATE YOU!"
His subordinates started laughing again.
"Shut up, jerks!"
"If they don't like me, then I'll just force myself on them... That's more exciting anyway!"
Their leader said that. Then the others started laughing louder.
They're really disgusting...
Moments later, the bandit leader's attention went back to me. And with his eyes turning crescent because of a twisted smile on his face—
"Anyway, you probably think that you're really unlucky that we accidentally spotted you, right?"
He asked me that.
"What are you talking about...?"
I muttered, terrified and confused.
Then, with absolute pleasure written on his face—
"Well, you're wrong! IT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT!"
The bandit leader declared that, he looked really creepy. And immediately after—
"Someone gave us information about you; what time you will be leaving, how many guards are with you, and where your carriage will go! Even the routes it will take were given to us!"
He added that, explaining everything to me.
"...!"
My eyes widened when I heard that.
And while I was stuck in my thoughts— the bandit leader put his mouth next to my ear...
"You're not unlucky... Someone wants you dead..."
Then he whispered that to me.
His words sent chills throughout my body, causing it to tremble uncontrollably!
'Someone planned this...?'
'Why?'
'I didn't do anything wrong...'
'SO WHY?!'
My mind became a total mess.
"So, even by some miracle you escaped from here; you'll still be dead in the future."
"Because someone wants you dead."
And the bandit leader's words are just making it worse.
"Well, that's enough story time—"
"Let me have a taste of you, a noblewoman. Even though you're an illegitimate child, haha."
Then, what freed me from my stupor were those words and a mocking laugh from the man in front of me.
He took out his dagger and looked at me like I was a toy.
And before I could even do something—
SLASH-!
"Huh?"
He slashed a part of my dress!
SLASH-!
And he did it again!
"What are you doing? STOP!"
I shouted and tried to push him away.
"It's no use struggling, but then again... If you don't struggle, then it might be a little boring."
But the bandit leader just made fun of me. I was too weak to even move him.
And so, he just started slowly slashing my dress bit by bit!
"We really have a perverted leader, huh?"
"KEKEKEKEKE—!"
I kept trying to push the bandit leader away... But he just wouldn't budge.
"Yes! Struggle some more!"
"STOP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
I kicked, punched, and pushed as I crawled away... But that didn't change the distance between me and him.
And then—
SLASH!
He cut the chest part of my dress.
"Ah...! NO!"
I used my arms to cover my chest.
"Wow, nice pair you have there."
My struggle was met by laughter and whistling from the bandits.
"No... stop... please... sniff..."
I cried.
SLASH-
But the bandit leader didn't stop. He even got more excited as he slashed my dress more happily.
'I don't want this.'
'I hate this.'
'Someone help me...'
Just when I thought of that—
"..."
The slashing stopped.
I opened my eyes to look at the bandit leader...
"Hmm, your dress is now too small to cut, you might get wounded if I accidentally cut you."
"We can't do that, how are we gonna sell you at a high price if that happens?"
Then he said that as I looked at him.
"You're really a demon, boss. You gave her false hope."
"HAHAHAHA—!"
'Ah...'
For a second, I thought there was something that changed his mind and stopped for real.
I thought that I would be free from this situation.
"..."
But that hope immediately shattered with the bandits' loud laughter.
"Hmm? Why are you not struggling anymore?"
The bandit leader asked me.
"..."
I just remained silent.
Then...
'Just kill me.'
That thought suddenly appeared in my head.
'I want to disappear.'
'I wish I didn't exist.'
And it was followed by more negative thoughts after.
More tears fell from my eyes.
'I wish I was never born.'
But I still remained silent, not doing or saying anything.
"You're just gonna cry? That's boring, come on, struggle some more."
The bandit leader said, acting disappointed.
But I don't have any more hope or energy to struggle anymore.
"Oh? You're going to keep your mouth shut, huh?"
I didn't reply.
"Well, let's wait and see if you can keep quiet after my snake enters you, eh?"
"KEHAHAHA—! THAT'S A LAME-ASS JOKE!"
I don't even have any more energy to react to their dirty remarks.
'I'll just bite off my tongue and kill myself.'
I thought to myself.
'Will someone remember me if I die?'
I wondered.
'Maybe after some time, they'll eventually forget about me.'
'That's kinda sad just to think about.'
A bitter smile appeared on my face.
"What are you smiling about? Are you already broken? I haven't even started yet... You even still have your undergarments on."
I looked at the bandit leader who had a disgusting smile on his face.
"Fuck you."
Then I raised my middle finger to his face and cursed at him.
'Cursing is surprisingly fun.'
I thought.
"HAHAHAHAHA—!"
"I told you, every girl hates you, boss!"
The bandits yelled and laughed.
I saw the bandit leader's face becoming red because of embarrassment, or probably anger.
It was surprisingly satisfying.
"You bitch!"
BAM!
"KEUK—!"
He then suddenly kicked me in the stomach.
"You're pretty brave, huh!"
PAK- PAK- SLAP—
"URGH...!"
He slapped me in the face, again and again.
"Ah, the leader got pissed again."
"Meh, this is normal, isn't it? We already expected it to happen, haha."
His subordinates just watched us, laughing among themselves.
'These crazy bastards... I hope you all burn in hell!'
I cursed in my head as I received a barrage of physical abuse from the bandit leader.
Then after a while... The hitting stopped.
"Fuuuuuh..."
He took a deep breath.
"You look stupid trying to act calm, it doesn't fit a crazy dog like you."
Then I said that while looking at him.
"Hah?!"
The bandit leader immediately got angry at my remark, but he didn't hit me this time.
"Ugh...!"
Instead, he grabbed my hair and placed the dagger he was holding near my face!
"Let's see if you can still keep that attitude until the end."
He said.
Then he slowly brought it down to my brassiere...
SLASH-
And cut it!
"...!"
I closed my eyes tightly.
Disgust washed all over my body as I immediately covered my breasts with my arms.
"HEY, WE CAN'T SEE, REMOVE YOUR ARMS!"
"LET US SEE THOSE MELONS!"
"Haha, way to go, boss!"
The bandits around us started shouting dirty things once more.
SLAP-
Then I got slapped in the face again.
"Open your eyes bitch."
I felt a cold sensation in my neck... So I slowly opened my eyes.
"Good girl."
The leader said.
TINK-
Then he threw his dagger away.
"Now... LET US SEE THOSE MELONS!"
He exclaimed.
"YEAAHHHHH!!!"
And the other bandits cheered.
"Oh! If you close your eyes— you're dead."
The bandit leader added, looking at me in the eyes.
'I just need to close my eyes, then I'll be dead. No need to bite my tongue then.'
I thought.
'My suffering will end.'
'And maybe... I'll find peace...'
But as I said those in my head—
The tears that stopped falling earlier... Started to fall again.
I can't close my eyes... No, I'm scared to close it.
'I... Really don't want to die...'
'I want to live.'
I can't pretend anymore— I don't want to die, I don't want to be assaulted.
'Please.'
'I'm scared.'
I started crying again.
"No use for crying anymore, bitch... HERE I COME!"
Fwish~
The bandit leader moved his right hand, it was approaching my breasts.
But before it could reach me—
SLASH!
His whole right arm suddenly got cut off.
THUD-
And it fell with a dull sound a few meters away.
It all happened in an instant.
"Huh...?"
I muttered in confusion.
Then the bandit leader, after realizing his arm got cut off—
"ARGHH! MY ARM! MY HAND!"
He started screaming in pain while rolling on the ground! A pool of blood was forming under him.
"HUH?!"
"What happened to the leader?!"
The other bandits were alerted, they immediately surrounded their leader to protect him.
"Is this your doing, you bitch?!"
One of the bandits asked me, pointing his sword at me.
But it's not me, I don't even know what happened.
The other bandits know it too— I don't even have the strength to resist their leader, so how can I do that?
Then, at that moment—
"So fucking noisy."
We all heard a voice coming from above!
"HUH?!"
"?!!"
"...!"
We all looked up, and there... We saw a man with a black mask covering the upper part of his face!
He was crouching on a tree branch, and on his back— was a scythe as big as me!
The masked man suddenly turned to look at me... Then he frowned!
"W-What...?"
Fwoosh~
He didn't say anything, but he threw a black robe at me.
"Wear that, looks like your arms are starting to get tired."
Then he said that and looked away again!
"Ah!"
I immediately took the robe and covered myself with it.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
Just then— one of the bandits asked that to the masked man on the tree.
"YOU FUCKER!!!"
"What group are you from?!"
And the others followed, shouting at him.
But even with the bandits yelling and threatening him—
"..."
The man who gave me the robe didn't even flinch, he just looked at the bandits with a scowl on his face!
"You guys are annoying..."
He said. Then glancing at me—
"... and also disgusting."
He added that.
SWAAAAH~
His demeanor changed into a grim one after saying those words.
"Huh? You have a problem with us?"
"Do you even know who we are?"
But the bandits didn't notice it, or they simply didn't care.
"You're dead mea–"
SLASH-!
Then it happened, before one of the bandits could even finish his sentence...
THUD-
His whole right arm flew and fell to the ground. It was cut off!
Then, I saw the masked man's scythe...
Blood was dripping from it!
"So damn noisy."
He said, an annoyed expression on his face.
"AHHHHH! MY ARM!"
The bandit that got his arm cut off screamed in pain.
SWOOSH—
The masked man pressed his feet on the branch and dashed toward him.
And upon arriving in front of the bandit—
BAM-
"GUGH?!"
He grabbed his jaw violently with his left hand and raised him in the air!
"Shut up."
The masked man said that.
CRACK-
Then he crushed the bandit's jaw!
"guaa... ahhhhh!"
The bandit, who got his jaw smashed, made some weak noises, but nobody could understand him.
Then after a while...
"..."
He became quiet. He died.
"Much better."
The masked man mumbled, satisfied.
"..."
Then silence engulfed the whole area after that. Nobody moved. Nobody said anything.
But after a while—
"A-ATTACK HIM!!!"
The bandit leader broke the silence and commanded that! He now regained his calm after his right arm was cut off.
Anyway, his voice snapped the bandits out of their stupor—
"AAAHHHHHHH—!"
"DIEEEE—!"
And at their leader's command, they all rushed at the masked man!
But then—
"I said..."
S L A S H—!
"Shut up."
THUD– THUD–
The bandits that were rushing at the masked man suddenly fell onto the ground.
And upon closely looking at them... They were all cut into two!
With just ONE swing of his scythe— ALL OF THEM DIED!
It happened so fast that the bandits didn't even have time to scream!
And now, the only one left...
"H-huh? W-What happened...?"
Was the bandit leader.
And seeing his dead subordinates on the ground—
"N-no way, this is impossible... This must be a dream..."
"Yes... A VERY BAD DREAM!"
The bandit leader started muttering weird things to himself.
"Unfortunately for you— but this isn't a dream."
But the masked man woke him up from his daydream and slowly approached him.
"N-NO! STOP! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"
The bandit leader then yelled in terror.
It was pretty ironic considering his words were similar to mine just a few moments ago.
I then noticed the masked man looking at me for a second, before returning his gaze back to the bandit leader.
"Did you stop when someone told you that?"
The masked man asked that. His voice was so cold that it sent shivers down my spine.
"I came here to see what was so noisy; and this is what I see? A woman surrounded by a bunch of trash?"
He mumbled, sounding really annoyed.
"S-sorry, I'll change... Please spare m–"
"Shut up."
The bandit leader immediately closed his mouth at the masked man's order, making him silent.
"Trash like you needs to disappear."
The masked man then whispered in a low voice.
And in a blink of an eye—
SLASH–
The rest of the bandit leader's limbs; all got cut off!
Now, he's just a torso with a head!
THUD-
"G-GRAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH—!"
The bandit leader shrieked in pain and flailed around at the same time his limbs hit the ground.
"I-IT HURTS! PLEASE STOP...! HELP ME!!!"
The bandit leader pleaded. Then, his eyes met mine.
It was funny how the tables had turned. I don't even know what's happening anymore.
But still, remembering what that bastard did to me— I glared at him.
"Y-YOU BITCH!!! WHAT ARE YOU GL–"
PUK-!
"I said shut up."
"GYAAAAHHH—!"
The bandit leader wriggled in pain.
The masked man stabbed his crotch with the tip of the blade of his scythe! My eyes widened slightly at the sight of that!
"Why won't you shut up?"
BAM-! BAM-!
Then he repeatedly kicked the bandit leader's crotch after that.
I think it was obvious why the bandit leader won't shut up... But I'll just keep my mouth close.
Also, watching that bastard suffer is filling me up with satisfaction.
"Ghhhrg... "
Anyway, the bandit leader bit his lips and tried his best not to let out a loud noise.
"Hmm, good."
The masked man nodded his head in satisfaction after seeing that.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you."
Then he said that.
"...!"
My eyes widened after hearing that. My mind started to get clouded again.
On the other hand, the bandit leader smiled brightly... Then he looked at me with a death glare!
I trembled and started sweating uncontrollably seeing him.
But then—
TINK-
"Huh...?"
The masked man threw a dagger in my direction. It was in front of my feet.
And while I was looking at it, confused—
"You kill him."
The masked man said that, looking at me!
"W-WHAT?! I can't!"
"Why?"
The masked man asked me.
"..."
And I wasn't able to answer him.
"He tried to r*pe you, isn't that enough reason to kill him?"
He asked another question. And seeing me remain silent—
"You're too soft... Not all people are like you in this world."
The masked man muttered that.
"It's a good trait— but you should know when to be kind and soft."
"And now isn't the time for that. Not all people can change, and even though they do change—"
"The things they did will not be undone."
He declared before pointing at the bandit leader.
"This man r*ped and killed a lot of people. He sold people to the slave market, he stole a lot of things, and probably more... In the first place, I don't think this bastard can change."
"He doesn't deserve to live, he's just a waste of resources in this world."
He stated with a straight face.
The masked man's words are right. But... I haven't killed anyone before.
'I'm not sure if I can do it.'
I mumbled in my head as I stared at the dagger on the ground, hesitating to pick it up.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Everyone has a first time... At least learn how to kill your enemies."
The masked man said that as if he read my mind.
I looked at him for a while; he was just looking at the pleading bandit leader on the ground.
Then after a while... with a resolute expression on my face—
FWIP-
I wiped my tears and held the dagger tightly in my hands.
"You're right."
I mumbled.
The masked man remained silent and just watched me as I approached the bandit leader's limbless body.
I walked pretty slowly as my legs hurt.
And upon arriving in front of the bandit leader... I remembered that someone wanted to kill me.
I remembered that the man in front of me tried to r*pe me.
Hatred washed all over my body.
"H-hey! It's just a joke!"
The bandit leader exclaimed.
"And I didn't r*pe you, right? I haven't even touched your breasts yet, hahaha..."
He added and laughed awkwardly.
His words just made my hatred grow even stronger.
I raised the dagger in my hand and covered it with mana.
"W-WAIT! You bitch! Don't you understand what a joke is?!"
His audacity disgusts me. He's sick in the head for sure.
I didn't want to listen to him anymore.
PUK-
So I stabbed his stomach with the intent to kill.
"ARGH!"
PUK-
Then his chest.
"AHHH! STOP!"
PUK- PUK-
I ignored him and continuously stabbed his body.
Tears are falling from my eyes again.
But now, it was because I was relieved to be alive.
I was glad that someone came and saved me.
I felt a wave of satisfaction after killing the one who tried to r*pe me.
"Haaaa... Haaa... Haaaa..."
I chased my breath after I stopped stabbing the bandit leader.
I looked at him— and I was able to confirm that he was dead. He was bathing on his own blood.
My hands are covered with his blood as well.
I looked at the bloodied dagger in my hands.
"That's pretty brutal for a first-timer."
Then I heard a voice behind me, it was the masked man.
"Well, he's a bad guy so I think it's fine. Good job."
He said half-heartedly.
I heard him turning around and walking away after that.
"Ugh..."
I cleaned my face that was covered with mud, and now blood too...
"Umm, WAIT!"
Then I called to him. Though, he didn't stop walking.
"Thank you!"
I didn't mind it and just exclaimed my gratitude to him.
"Sure, sure, be careful on your way ba—"
He was replying to my words, when he suddenly looked back at me and halted his words and steps.
Surprise flashed in his face, his eyes wide as he stared at my face.
Then, slowly opening his mouth—
"Kyana...?"
He called my name.
"Huh...? Yeah, that's my name... How did you know that?"
"As far as I know, I don't think we've met before."
I mumbled, genuinely confused at how he knew my name.
Anyway—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The masked man walked towards me at a very fast pace. I just stayed where I was standing.
And upon arriving in front of me—
Fwip~
"?!"
He grabbed my hands and looked at me in the eyes!
I got startled but I didn't stop him.
"Umm, what is it?"
I asked him that.
Then what he said next—
"I love you."
Made my whole body froze!
"Huh?"
My mind became complicated, I wasn't able to process what I just heard.
'What did he just say?'
I asked in my head.
"Please marry me."
Then he spoke again, and this time— what he said was more absurd than the first one!
"What?"
I don't know why... But this guy is suddenly proposing to me!
"I love you."
"AGH! SHUT UP! YOU'RE MAKING MY HEAD HURT!"