-Do you think it's a good catch?- A man asks quietly, while hidden in the branches of a tree, watching the path about 30 meters away; his target is more than 150 meters away.
-I don't know, it's very slow. I think I see some kind of walking stick or maybe an umbrella, a large backpack too. Shouldn't we wait for something better?- Another man answers, also hiding next to the first, although on a different branch.
-At this rate, we'll end up empty-handed. All I've seen are wagons with too many guards... this route is already ruined. Even if we get lucky with some naive merchant, we'll have the ninjas upon us in no time. We'd better finish off this last unfortunate fellow and move further north. Send the signal- The first man says, his gaze fixed on his next victim.
The second man begins whistling in a high-pitched, bird-like voice, and after a few moments, a similar call is heard back, from a position much closer to the road. -Okay, we're ready-
The first man nods and picks up a bow strung from a nearby branch, as well as an arrow from the quiver on his back, which he deftly places into the weapon. He then takes up a firm stance in the tree. When the traveler is within a distance where his facial features are visible, the man raises the bow, draws the string, and releases the arrow, all very quickly and fluidly. In a matter of a second, the arrow strikes the victim's chest, causing him to fall backward to the ground.
-Excellent shot, there was no need for the others to act- The second man comments, as they both descend from the tree.
From the bushes beside the road emerge three disheveled men, dressed in light armor and carrying various weapons, who casually approach the man who has just fallen from the arrow, apparently dead.
-To the heart?- Asks one of the bandits, with long black hair and carrying a spear on his shoulder.
-This is already the third one. Toru is getting better and better with the bow- Comments another bearded and bald man, with a short axe hooked on his waist.
-He's not moving, so it must have been a shot to the heart. Shouldn't that guy be participating in some competition or something?- Says the shortest of the three, his voice so ragged it's barely understandable and his teeth almost gone. He's carrying a dagger, apparently ready to finish off the victim.
Just as the three bandits are a few meters from the fallen man, the other two who were in the tree emerge from the bushes, one with his bow and the other with a katana.
-Hey, no tricks! Don't think I didn't know that one of you kept a ring from the last one that fell!- Shouts the katana bandit, while running towards the group that is almost about to reach the victim's place.
At the katana-wielding man's shout, the group of three bandits burst out laughing and turned to see their companion running toward them. It was at that precise moment that the fallen man's arm moved and raised the umbrella he was still holding, pointing its end directly at the short bandit's back.
Everyone is surprised by the sudden bang, but it is the katana bandit who is filled with horror as he clearly sees how the fallen man moves his umbrella and blows his companion's chest to pieces, his body paralyzes and he simply sees how the umbrella moves in the direction of the bald bandit, and this time the detonation bursts his head like a watermelon.
What follows is simply hell for the bandits, who scream at the top of their lungs, while running or trying to defend themselves.
The mysterious man simply stands, drops his umbrella, and pulls from his clothes a strange, thin tube with a wooden handle, which he points directly at the long-haired bandit, who is now trying to run into the woods. The blast is less loud this time, and the bandit falls to the ground clutching his right thigh.
The katana bandit recovers, putting himself on guard as he tries to retreat, behind him a sound of a bow being released is heard and immediately an arrow passes just inches from his arm towards the adventurer, but, like magic, an almost transparent barrier stops said arrow in mid-flight, just inches from its target.
Without hesitation, the traveler raises one of his hands and points it towards the katana bandit, causing him to fly through the air due to a strong whirlwind and crashing directly onto the bow bandit, the sound of breaking bones resonates in both of their ears, making them understand that everything is over.
The mysterious man begins to manipulate his strange tubular weapon, while walking towards the location of both wounded bandits, who try to move their incapacitated bodies.
-Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!- The katana bandit screams upon seeing the barrel of the weapon pointing at his face, only to be silenced with a bang and a hole in the middle of his forehead.
The bow bandit trembles with fear as he watches the traveler manipulate his weapon again, understanding with horror what it means.
-Please don't kill me- The bandit tries to plead.
-Why the surprise arrow? You didn't even give me a chance- The traveler says, then looks at the bandit closely, as if waiting for an answer.
-Because... Because... without evidence... there is no crime - The bandit answers with a resigned face, while he sees the weapon pointed at his face.
-Good advice- The adventurer nods, and a blast leaves a hole through one of the bandit's eyes.
[Touki]
Behind the facade of a ruthless man, Touki does his best not to collapse or vomit on himself. Despite the fact that the situation seemed under control on his part, nothing went as he expected. The bandits shot him with an arrow without warning, without threats or anything like that, straight to kill him. All the young man's planning was for nothing.
"If it weren't for the metal plates on my jacket, I might not make it. What if I get shot in the head? Or in the leg and bleed to death?" Touki thinks.
Angry at the bandits, the world, and himself, Touki approaches the only surviving bandit, the long-haired one, who is crawling into the woods on his bloody leg. Once next to the man, Touki disarms him and grabs him by the hair before punching him in the face.
-Where's the loot? Where's the money?- Touki asks, between each blow he delivers to the bandit.
-Haaa! No, no, what?... I don't know what you're talking about - the bandit tries to answer.
-Where are you keeping what you've stolen? If you tell me where it is, I'll let you live- The young man insists, with hatred and violence.
The bandit is too disoriented and pale from blood loss, so Touki proceeds to put a tourniquet on his leg and gives him some water to drink.
-This should hold you over until the next town, where you can ask for help- The young man tells the bandit, trying to calm him down.
The bandit begins to rave, but quickly tells Touki where they hid their ill-gotten gains, which is not far away. Following the instructions, the young man easily locates the five bandits' possessions inside a hollow tree. They are immediately searched and reduced to just a bag of valuables, money, jewelry, and other items.
Upon returning to the scene of the massacre, Touki finds that the last bandit has lost his life, clearly from blood loss.
The young man, fighting back nausea, searches each of the bandits for valuables, then moves their bodies as deep into the forest as possible, occupying the remainder of the day.
With the sun almost hidden, a tired Touki resumes his walk along the road, with an additional bag and the bow of the bandit who almost ended his life, more than a souvenir, a reminder and a possibly very convenient weapon, with its corresponding modifications, of course.
With over 20,000 ryo and jewels of a similar or greater value, Touki isn't satisfied in the least. The fact that he was almost killed is the main reason, but what really bothers him is that he couldn't predict the bandits' behavior. These particular criminals were far smarter, more cautious, and more dangerous than he expected—not at all the caricatures portrayed in manga and anime. Touki is worried that the world seems to be many times more dangerous than he thought.
"I'm going to have to prepare even more if I want to survive here. The worst part is that this killing is going to become all too common if I continue like this," the young man concludes.
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