Change of POV: Velzard
"I-I I'm traveling Bard, Emilia Larus! " Introduced herself the singer Bard Girl as she moved up in front of me while closely being followed by two dancers girls who by the time I dealt with all Bandits took two cloak's to cover themselves. " And these two are my companions before we were taken captive by Bandits. This is Laura," She said while pointing at black haired tall girl, she got to be at least 190. Taller than me, making it more awkward. "And this is Cornelia." She introduced other girl, Cornelia is head smaller than me at least, with blonde hair that is reaching her neck with green eyes and tan skin.
"We thank you for saving us!" All three of them bowed at the same time. I let out exasperated sigh at this, before idea clicked into my mind.
"Take coins you can find from these bandits, and clothes for you two and run away. We don't have much time to begin with. I'm Capitano, Mithril-Class Adventurer from Solo Team Frost Knight, nice to meet you too." I ordered while pointing at fallen corpses of bandits, and stench of blood and iron slowly began revealing itself.
"But eh?!"
"Ah!?"
"You.."
"We don't have much time. I will go and eliminate rest of them while you three run away to E-Rantel, once you get into the city you will be safe. Just mention I freed you and I'm dealing with rest of the bandits." I turned around, before marching away into opening, and ordering my Ice Walls to melt away.
Seeing this, three of them look at each other for a moment. Before Bard gi-, sorry I mean Emilia's appearance is that of 170cm tall girl, with long waist length black hair and black eyes with beautiful features, above average definitely.
She might be bastard noble's daughter too.
"Wait! How can we thank you for saving!?" Emilia asked as she run for me to catch up with me.
I turned my head around to look at her before looking at her with amusement.
"Create tale-song about me, and that will be enough." I said with amused expression beneath my helmet. "Take three swords too."
I left them with bewildered expressions.
Truly, there is nothing they can do for me. Just run away.
Nevertheless, they stopped interrupting me and allowing me to cross to second corner, that is the right one.
I peaked from behind walls to see people arming themselves, screams of pain and sounds of my icicles were heard definitely if their scared expression is anything to go by.
Some of them were waking others up, I suppose hard sleepers. While some of them have already picked up their weapons and have taken guard like stances.
And behind Bandit's lines are three tied up but unconscious girls. With clean and wealthy clothes, looking from fine fabric of their dresses, it can be safely assumed that they are daughters of wealthy merchants or even nobles.
But they are unconscious, this is good. They won't see me battle with Brain and me convincing him to join my team.
And far away in the back line of bandits is none other than main star of the show, Brain Unglaus, who is leaning on nearby wall with one leg and crossed arms. With brown shirt and pants, while his Katana is strapped on his hip.
He is uncaring, hm.
There is less than 20 bandits in this part of the cave, and it has three exits including this corner i'm peaking from.
I'll deal with them the old fashioned way, this time no magic.
With small order, I walked into room, but not before touching wall again before Ice began manifesting itself on place where I touched it before increasing rapidly and creating another Ice Wall, thus stopping this exit once again.
With same orders, two exits also got encased in Ice.
One of the exits was near Brain, just three meters away from him.After Ice Walls formed on the exit he opened his eyes to look at where did sudden cold air came from.
I took off my coat before throwing it into inventory. I don't want it to be drenched in blood right now, it's too cool for that.
I clasped my hands together before pulling them from each other slowly, as I did so I created new word taking the place where my hands were once before in air. The sword is practically replica of [Ice-Sword] but this one is actually and literally made from Ice. I grasped it's hilt, not feeling any coldness from it all.
I suppose, I'm Frost Dragon after all, cold will not have any effect on my.
With that in mind, with sword made from Ice in my right hand, I marched into room. The only one who noticed me would be Brain if his lingering gaze on my plate was anything to go by. The moment I walked In and took three steps into the room, his eyes trailed on my form.
I'm not gonna give these bandits any chance to speak this time.
With my mind set on one goal, the complete destruction of them. I leaped from my place, cracking ground where my boots were just moments ago, leaving footprints in wake.
I appeared in instant to nearby two Bandits, they were not able to comprehend anything before their heads were cleanly separated from their body's, and stump on where their head was supposed to be is covered in ice, preventing for continued release of blood.
Two lives were decimated in instant, but that's now where I end. Both of those bandits held short swords in their arms which I stole away fast before throwing each one of them at next two bandits, directly into forehead.
Plunging their eyes in complete darkness for eternity.
Four down, 16 to go. I though so . Now passed 1 second since my leap from my position.
I leaped once again, cracking ground beneath my feet, this time at group of barely woken up bandits numbering in 6 of them.
I appeared in middle of their circle, I swung once again with my Sword of Ice horizontally at them, cutting all 6 of them in half.
"Adventurer! How did he get into our base?!"
"He is Mithril-Class dumba-!" Bandit couldn't continue his sentence due to his head being sliced off by my sword.
4 seconds passed since my first leap.
The remaining 9 Bandits along with Brain unsheathed their weapons.
10.
9.
8. Each swing of my sword is like judgment for their lives, they are not able to react, nor able to block it. Their weapon easily sliced through with my pure strength.
I'm holding back obviously, just a bit. I want Brain to take me seriously, so I'm probably restricting my abilities to level 40 or something like that.
6 remaining included Brain who moved to intercept me. I blocked his katana easily and I pushed him with my sword of ice easily again by several meters away before I glanced at retreating figures of Bandits who were running in directions of three girls.
[Level UP: 1X!]
How those three girls were still able to sleep under all this is beyond me.
But... Could they have been drugged somehow? It would have made sense.
With that in mind, I immediately conjured 3 Icicles to launch them at three remaining Bandits.
As expected. They got pierced easily, thus ending them. With that out of the way..
I dodged sideways to avoid downward slash from Brain Unglaus.
"Tch! You can't be just Mithril-Class, you are too strong to be one, you killed every single one of them, do you know how much time it would take me to find another damn good bunch of people to get easy money from?" He argued before putting his katana on his right shoulder as he grinned at me.
I ignored his question before asking my own.
"Tell me, did you partake in raping woman like your 'colleagues' did?" I want truthful answer from him, and that would be achieved if he is still his arrogant self.
His grin fell off before he replied. " No, I did not touch even of them without their consent. I was paid to shield these bandits in case stronger Adventurer's like you attack them. But now since there is not even one of them alive.." He replied before glancing around for a second.
"In conclusion, there is no reason for me to fight you anymore. All of them are dead, and killing you won't return them back."
I grunted before soeaking.
"Let's make a deal."
Brain raised an eyebrow at my proposition.
"But first, what is wrong with them? Did they drug them?" I asked, pointing at three girls who are still somehow lying together and sleeping without any difficulty. They must have been drugged, they should have been woken up by people's screams by now otherwise..
"Ah, they are fine. They couldn't restrain them properly without hurting them so they had no option but to drug them into sleep.It's nothing honestly, just small sleeping drug, it should wear off in hour or two if they are not slapped hard or punched." He replied sheepishly at that before pointing his katana at me. "Now, what deal are you talking about?"
"If I defeat you, you will join my Adventurer's team, If you win, you can kill me, rob me or even want me to become your underling." I said so, I'm gonna win 100%, so it doesn't matter what he wants honestly, it can be whatever he wants. It's just he won't get it.
He raised eyebrow at that, and with cocky grin he spoke.
"That's big if, if you win. I'm Brain Unglaus, the man who stood equal against strongest warrior in the kingdom. What's your name?"
I snorted at that. Yeah, Gazef and Brain might be strongest in Re-Estize, but that's only strongest in Re-Estize nothing more nor less.
"That's precisely why I want you to join my team, you are Adamantite-Class level warrior, it's such a shame for someone of your level to rot while working with things like this." I spoke as I glanced at dead Bandits. "I'm Capitano, I fought with Gazef against Sunlight Scripture not long ago."
At that his ears perked up at the mention of Gazef before he sheathed his katana back and took stance in front of my while his right hand grabbing handle of the katana.
"Ah, I heard about you. A Black Warrior, new Mithril-Class who fought alongside Gazef. You might indeed be worthy to test my new technique against once more. I'll oblige, if you defeat me I will join your team , if I defeat you, you die here."
Change of POV: Brain Unglaus
Arrogant Mithril-Class, does he truly think he can beat me?
It doesn't matter, I'll humor him.
I took my stance.
I activated [Field] a Martial Art I developed myself in pursuit to defeat Gazef Stronoff. A three meter wide circle appeared under my feet, encompassing everything in it till three meters from my center.
Combining it with with [God Flash] and using them both together at same time has been in the ass to learn, but fruits were incredible.
A three meter field all around me with Instant attack with which I can cut anyone coming at me!
"A sword barrier, fascinating. But due to your stance, It's obvious you cannot move from your spot to fight. This is your trump card, is it not?" Asked Adventurer in front of me, shocking me to my core. This is first time someone managed to recognize my technique and posture from first glance till now?!
"You, how do you know?" I asked him, what could it be, did he fight against anyone who created similar Martial Arts?
Man, with his black helmet full of bottomless darkness looked at me direct into eyes, I suppose he did. I just knew....somehow..
"I defeated a man with similar technique, his martial art has smaller range than your do-" He spoke but before finishing his sentence he stepped into [Field] seeing this chance, I took it and swung with [God Flash] at him with clear intent on severing his head from the rest of his body.
My sword sliced through air before slicing his head off clearly, not leaving even a drop of blood on my blade.
Or.
That was how it was supposed to happen.
Instead of Capitano's head being sliced clean off his shoulders, my sword was caught in his gloved hand just before it reached his neck.
I gulped.
"How? How!?"
The monster in front of me coughed for moment before replying.
"Your attack is magnificent! you are almost reaching Realm of Heroes, truly. I'll give you another chance to attack me, take it or leave it." He praised me, but I did not dare to neglect even a nano-second.
I took stance again, combined [Field] and then added [Fourfold Slash of Light]. Sending four slashes of light at same time on Capitano's head, or where his head was supposed to be.
Before I knew it, he disappeared from my vision and re-appeared beside me, holding sword of ice at my throat with clear threat.
My lips trembled but I did not dare to move. One wrong move and my head is going flying.
Am I so easily defeated here?
So easily, without even having power to fight back?!
Why?
Why!
Why me!?
"M-Monster." I stuttered while looking at him, and trembling slightly, but my hold on my sword only tightened.
Ah yes, it clicked into my head.
He won't kill me, he needs me for his team. I will work with him for some time, then get perfect opportunity to escape from this Monster with capital M.
I slumped my shoulders in defeat, all those years of training. All for nothing, only to be so easily defeated...
"As per our agreement, I will join your team. But no one must know about my association with Death Spreading Brigade." I spoke, but my voice is shaky. Capitano removed his ice sword from my throat before he let it to fall onto ground, but before it could hit it, it disintegrated or it would melted away.
Capitano grunted.
I sheathed my sword back into it's sheath before glancing at three girls meters away from us.
"There won't be need to silence them, they were taken captive and were immediately put on sleep just several hours ago, they did not see my face. Same is for the dancers and bard girl, I don't usually show my face to their captives, I don't need to deal with guilt that way.."
I replied, but honestly I did feel ashamed from my decisions till now. But should I truly take Adventurer's life and be in the same team as this monster? I clenched my fists before I felt clawed gloves holding my shoulders, I looked up to meet his helmet on eye level.
We are about same height it seems.
"I know what you are thinking. You might think your whole life meaningless just because I beat you, and all your efforts at becoming strongest were wasted? " He asked me, I could come on truthful once in my life.
I shock his hands from my shoulders before replying.
"I have been training all my life, surpassing my limits every single moment of my life." Then " Then you came up and destroyed every single of my efforts as if you were swatting away flies! Do you know how that feels like!? As if my whole life was just one fucking joke!" I couldn't help yelling at Monster in front of me, despite knowing he could kill me.
He remained standing, waiting for my to yell out my anger at him.
"There are many people stronger than me in this world.." His words shocked me to core, a man who can catch my strongest hit with one mere hand is saying this? " There is always someone stronger than you walking around."
His words full of conviction before he glanced at me once more.
"Just because you meet someone stronger, much stronger than you doesn't mean you cannot improve anymore. Old generations leave the world to younger ones."
Yes, this guy in front of me is also Human.
"Since you already managed to reach heights of what can be called elite of this world, it doesn't mean you should just stop here, there is much improvement you could make." He praised me once more.
"Does that mean I can reach the same level of strength as you did?" I asked him.
He turned to look at me completely.
"I won't lie to you, some people simple have much greater talent than some do, and some do not. But there are many ways to become stronger available if you meet your limit." I clenched my hands once more " Shall you join my group, the Frost Knights?"
He asked me once more before outstretching his right hand, I took it and squeezed as much as I can.
Maybe I can work with this Monster, despite his strength he doesn't appear to be arrogant but is humble, just like Gazef.
Ah yes, I must live and get stronger.
Stronger to defeat him once and for all. For our rivalry.
"I'm not deal breaker usually, but let's see where will 'Frost Knights' get us to."
Chapter Word Count: 2960
[Name: Velzard]
[Race: True Dragon {Expand}]
[MP: 100]
[Titles: None]
[Level: 70+13]
[Job Classes: Fighter LVL: 8 {Expand}, True Dragon LVL: 5 {Expand}]
[Un-Added Levels: 1]
[Skills: [Murderous Intent] [Expand] ]
[Ice-Magic Moves] : [Minigun] [Giant Sword] [Ice Trail] ]