On the other side of the battlefield, in the forefront of the battle, Rei, Kaiser, and all the children who possessed magic were stopping the bandits. Magic flew in the air, colliding against one another. Stray magic that would sometimes go towards the children would hit the earth wall, which another earth wall would then replace.
Kaiser, who fought the bandit general, was slowly getting experience in fighting. At first, he was easily pushed back, but now he was in a deadlock with the bandit general; neither of them was getting the upper hand.
On the contrary, Rei, who was fighting with the Bandit Commander, was facing difficulty or that's what it looked like to the Bandit Commander. The Bandit Commander was slowly getting used to how to evade the rock bullets and destroy the earth wall. However, this was all going according to Rei's plan. His scared expression to his desperate look and not knowing what he would do was all to give the Bandit Commander a false sense of power.
Yet, the battle is far from over. The bandit general before Rei roars in laughter, his confidence giving way to pride. "Enough of this nonsense!" he bellowed, unleashing a powerful strike that shattered Rei's earthen barrier.
Rei made a face that looked and told like this was the end, and the bandit commander laughed, watching his expression, but suddenly, Rei used wind slices. The bandit commander, not expecting that attack, was unable to dodge and got cuts all over his body.
Then, Rei used wind blast and blasted that bandit commander towards the bandit mages.
Rei was confused. He knew his friends could hold the bandits back, but victory? That seemed impossible. Yet, as the battle raged on, the reality of their success began to sink in. There were three reasons behind this unexpected triumph. First, the bandits, bolstered by their prior victory, had grown overconfident, believing this skirmish to be another easy win. Second, they grossly underestimated the young fighters, dismissing them as inexperienced children. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the kids had been trained by the villagers. These villagers, many of whom had no children of their own, had taken the young adventurers under their wings during quests, teaching them the arts of combat while finding solace in their presence. The children had become a surrogate family, and through this bond, they had been honed into far stronger warriors than the bandits could have ever anticipated.
The battle reached its critical juncture. The bandit mages, despite their initial ferocity, found themselves hard-pressed. Now that Rei was not fighting the Bandit commander, his sorcery had put most of the bandit mages out of commission, giving rise to the other children's assault to grow stronger. Their confidence, so unwavering at the start, was now eroding under the combined force of the group's determination and skill. Overconfidence, underestimation, and the villagers' training—it all coalesced to bring them to their undoing.
Rei continued to hold the line, his sceptre glowing with the steady pulse of his qi. Earth bullets erupted from the ground, and walls of hardened stone rose to meet the bandit mages' relentless assaults.
"Let me through, you little brat! I'll show you the true meaning of pain!" he roared, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle like a blade.
Kaiser met his rage with playful mockery. "Not a chance. Just watch from here, old man."
The bandit general's face twisted with anger, his lips curling into a snarl as he began to chant. Dark magic swirled around him, the air growing heavy with malevolent energy. But before he could finish, Kaiser acted. Kaiser used his sword, and the bandit general had no choice but to dodge. However, he was still chanting, but then rock bullets made by Kaiser came from beneath him, and he was forced to stop chanting.
Kaiser fought with unwavering determination. His sword danced against his opponent's, the clash of steel echoing in rhythm with the chaos around them. Though the bandit general outclassed him in experience, Kaiser's quick thinking and adept use of earth bullets kept his opponent off balance. Every time the bandit advanced, Kaiser forced him back, growing more fluent in his movements with every exchange. His opponent's mounting frustration was evident in his increasingly reckless strikes.
The air was filled with the sounds of clashing magic, shouts of determination, and the occasional roar of frustration from the faltering bandits. The group, once seen as a band of inexperienced children, now stood as a formidable force. Inch by inch, the tide shifted in their favor. The bandits, their confidence shattered, began to realize the gravity of their mistake.
The battlefield was alive with chaos, the clamor of clashing magic and the cries of the wounded echoing all around. Rei became a formidable force, the bandit mages were hard-pressed against his magic. Bandit after bandit fell to the children's relentless attacks, their spirits lifting with every hard-won victory. The once-frightened group fought with a tenacity born of desperation, surprising even themselves.
Suddenly, a thunderous voice tore through the cacophony.
"What's going on here?"
From the shadows emerged a massive figure—a man with a thick beard, a scar cutting across his muscular face, and an aura of authority that froze the remaining bandits in place. His glare swept across the battlefield, and the trembling bandits instinctively stepped back.
He saw the bandit commander who died from blood loss and many more bandits who died here and there. They were not normal bandits but were mages and experienced in their field, too.
"What are you all doing, dying at the hands of a bunch of kids?" he snarled, his voice dripping with contempt.
Rei turned to face the imposing figure, his sceptre gripped tightly. His instincts screamed to stay cautious. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.
The man smirked, his scar pulling taut across his cheek. "I am Melzan, leader of these bandits. Now move out of my way, little brat."