A knight on a white horse

" Hey pretty girl, didn't you lose your way by any chance? " - A scowling man with an oblong scar running across the left side of his mouth emerged from a dark alley. His hand shot out like lightning, leaning against the wall of the building, blocking Liza's path.

" If you ask nicely, we can show you the way. ~ " - One of the men accompanying him suddenly appeared beside the frightened woman. Taking advantage of her inattention, he leaned over her ear and blew, retching unpleasantly in the meantime.

The hot puff of air acted like adrenaline, accelerating Liza's heart rate. She reflexively put her hand to her chest, feeling the most important organ trying to jump out of her chest at all costs.

One of the five men tried to grab her wrist, but Liza regained her composure in time. With a short jerk to the right, she increased the distance separating her from her attackers and clumsily pulled two daggers from behind her belt.

" I know where I am... I don't need help. " - Liza's voice trembled, as did her hands. Fear and uncertainty were reflected in her dilated pupils, and her tightly clenched lips and sweat on her palms testified to her loss of control. She tried to look confident, but terror and panic rolled off her mind one by one.

As a mercenary, Liza should have kept at least a shadow of her profession and thus kept her cool. However, the current situation is very different from her comfort zone. In a battle formation, she usually takes a place in the back where she can safely cast spells, and that's where her role ends.

Close combat or white weapons aren't her best friends. During assignments and various missions, she is usually accompanied by a person responsible for her safety. In crisis situations, she runs away from monsters and waits for reinforcements. This is inefficient and puts the team in danger, but her spells make up for the risk.

" Child... look at you, you're shaking all over... are you sure you don't need our help? " - The man smiled possessively revealing a row of yellow teeth. From the mere sight of it, someone might have gotten sick.

" This isn't a safe area ... especially for a bird like you, hehe ". - The abuser's comment triggered a series of ungovernable laughs, that made hair stand on end.

Their intentions were obvious. If anyone still had any doubts, all one had to do was look into their eyes. They were drenched in lust and showered the cornered woman with bawdy stares.

One of the men licked his lips as he gazed at the victim's breasts hidden beneath the leather armor. A mass of obscene thoughts swirled in his head, which certainly disgusted normal people.

He confidently extended his hand in front of him. His hand almost muscled one of the woman's protuberances, but then one of Liza's daggers sliced through the air.

The man groaned painfully and took his hand as if burned, or what was left of it. Perfectly in the middle of the index finger appeared a scarlet line, which only, stopping only at the wrist.

With shock and disbelief painted on his face, he watched as a fountain of blood erupted from the cut. His frail hand sluggishly split in two, revealing mediocre tendons and shattered bones. The sight wasn't one of the most pleasant, especially for a bandit.

As I mentioned, Liza isn't the best at hand-to-hand combat, but that doesn't mean she is completely defenseless. Even someone like her knows the basics, as one of the attackers found out painfully.

" Take this bitch! We'll do it the old-fashioned way if she doesn't understand in kind. " - the wounded man hissed, holding his hanging stump. "I'll take the first round. "

Liza's breathing accelerated. The situation began to get dangerous.

" Child ... put down this toy, you will still hurt yourself ~ " The man whispered attractively. Together with the rest of his companions in crime, he shortened the distance separating him from the victim. They were a few steps short of enclosing her in a tight circle.

" Don't come any closer! " - Liza stepped back, desperately brandishing her daggers. This is her only resort. Earlier she used the effect of surprise. The second time this trick will not work.

" I will do the same to you... Ugh... ". - A sudden, painful, and prolonged scream escaped her lips. One of the bandits knocked the weapon out of her hand with a deft movement of the curved blade.

" You did with us what. " - One of them laughed, mocking her awkwardness.

" I warned you, toys aren't for children, hehe. " - The attacker licked the tip of the protruding blade unequivocally, meanwhile maintaining eye contact with the victim.

Liza tried to flee, but a wall grew up behind her back, to which her back was tightly pressed. It clamped her eyelids and lips tightly together. In the meantime, she turned her head to the side, telling herself that it was just a bad dream.

Her legs and arms were shaking uncontrollably. She felt her stomach contract, but this was nothing compared to the guilt she felt. If she dies here, she will pass a death sentence on her family. No one will pay the debt she owes them. Her sick mother will be sold to a brothel, and her younger brother will never get into the academy of his dreams.

Resisting was pointless. She is a mostly magic-oriented person and needs time to cast stronger spells. She made a decision in the past and took the easier path... now she is feeling the consequences.

It's over... I... I... I don't want to... - a resigned Liza lamented in her mind. She was on the verge of tears. She knew what would happen to her. At best she will be brutally exploited and sold as a slave, at worst she will rot somewhere with her throat slit, suffering unimaginable torment before dying.

" Please stop. " - Liza moaned pitifully, desperately drawing her hands to her chest. She felt a sickening breath on her, from which she became sick.

Her plea had the opposite effect than she expected. The bandit who was closest to her took a strand of her hair and pressed it to his nose.

Sniff...

" Mmm... We are fortunate, gentlemen. We hit a real treasure, hehe. I can't wait... " - The man broke off halfway through. His face boasted a close encounter with Ramiel's fist. The momentum of the blow knocked him off his feet. He felt his legs suddenly break away from the ground. This was followed by a series of distinctive cracks, resembling broken bones.

" Don't you understand when someone says no? " - Ramiel led the bandit away with a cool gaze at the bandit who was rolling down the street.

Taking advantage of the men's momentary stupor, he grabbed Liza and pulled her along. Now that he didn't have a wall behind him he had more room to maneuver. The basis of any good strategy is to allow for an easy and efficient retreat.

" Ra-Ramiel? " - Liza didn't know if her mind was playing tricks on her or if Ramiel was here by her side now. Without thinking she touched his chest. Her fingers encountered the rough leather material, under which she felt the subtle warmth and vibrations caused by her heartbeat. She shifted her gaze and noticed strands of white hair and death-defying, deep amethyst eyes.

There was no mistake, Ramiel was standing by her side.

Even though she had prayed to Nenneke for someone to help her seconds ago... she still couldn't believe that the goddess had sent him to her. It seemed too strange to be a coincidence.

" You are really here... " - Liza whispered quietly, clinging tightly to the savior's body. Now that she had him by her side she felt safe. All her worries were gone, and the recent stress had dissipated.

" Stand behind me. " - Ramiel commented dryly, measuring the four men with his eyes. They looked like first-class and stereotypical criminals. What followed was that they represented nothing special.

In the meantime, he had prepared several spears of chaos as a precaution, his hands resting on the handles of the sickles. He had no intention of killing them, but if they decided otherwise... he had no choice.

Liza reluctantly stepped away from him and stood a few paces behind him. Like her savior, she prepared one of her spells in case the conflict escalated.

" Huh?!?!? WHAT THE FUCK! " - The scarred bandit shouted in shock.

Just now one of his associates was about to start the pleasant part of the game when some shadow scarred him. To top it all off, he took the woman with him before any of them could react.

It all took a few seconds and happened too fast for him. From his perspective, a stranger appeared out of nowhere creating confusion.

" Who the fuck are you! " - The man with the split hand shouted. He had already been irritable, but now his nerves had let go. However, not all his gray cells died. Instead of lashing out at Ramiel, he looked to his friends for support with his eyes.

" Does it make any difference? " - Ramiel replied indifferently. The cool and harsh tone of his voice made the men uneasy. They have gained a distance and respect towards him. He reeks of danger a mile away.

" Hola Amigo, let's talk. " - The man with a scar on his lips smiled and raised his hands. He nodded to the rest of the agitated workers, signaling them to regain control of themselves. Unnecessary emotions won't help anyone.

" I am sure we will get along somehow. Why create problems where there are none? " - The man tilted his head at a five-degree angle and sent a meaningful look in Ramiel's direction. He gave the appearance of being intelligent, at least he didn't immediately start an unnecessary fight.

" Get straight to the point. " - Ramiel replied dryly. He doubted that they would be able to get along. He knew what the men wanted and what they intended to do with Liza. He couldn't and, above all, wouldn't allow it.

" You see... you stole our hm... How to say it nicely... the word " stole has unpleasant overtones. " - He laughed wryly.

" You have deprived us of the opportunity for a pleasant night tonight... but if you hand over the bird in our hands... no one will be hurt tonight. " - He cast a possessive glance at the tense Liza. Hearing no response he continued.

" I think you understand yourself amigo. Your friend injured one of my friends, and you brutally beat the other... I guess we deserve some compensation? "

The empty street was filled with the laughter of men, which filled Ramiel with disgust. He hates human trash, especially the kind in front of him. He seriously started thinking about getting rid of them. He would get rid of the problem and do the world a favor. A tempting proposition.

" Compensation? Does anyone really fall for that? - " Ramiel snorted. " You are the ones who attacked her. Treat the injuries as a necessary defense. As for your friend... he has been taught a lesson for violating bodily integrity without permission. He should be glad I'm in a good mood."

Earlier he had sounded indifferent and aloof, mostly because he didn't want to escalate the conflict, but now there was a clear trace of hostility in his words.

The bandits didn't like the stranger's different attitude. First, he had obstructed them and hit one of them, and now he was resisting. He was arrogant and had them for nothing. He deserved to be taught a lesson.

" Amigo be reasonable. " - The man with the scar put special emphasis on the last word. He made one last attempt to get along with Ramiel before going to more violent methods. " You aren't at home ... remember that. We can still part ways in harmony."

He pointed eloquently to the neighborhood surrounding them. This was their gang's territory. More probably doesn't need to be explained.

Ramiel sighed wearily. The aimless conversation with them was beginning to tire him.

" Let it go. I will not give it back to you if you leave politely, I will turn a blind eye to what you have done. " - Ramiel said nothing more, just pulled the curved sickle from behind his back, relaxed his muscles, and bent his knees slightly. Even a child would understand the allusion behind his behavior.

One of the men spat on the ground, removing his sword from its scabbard.

" Bad choice Amigo. " - The bandit sent a mocking smile in the direction of the stranger. In his eyes, he was already a walking corpse. He may have surprised them before, but only because they were unprepared. That wasn't the case now. " Don't say I didn't warn you. "

" I can say the same thing. " - Ramiel was ready to annihilate the outcasts of society. He leaned forward and injected more mana into the spears, giving them a deadly form. However, just as he was about to take the first step on the path of carnage something unexpected happened, taking the thugs by surprise as well.

A ruby and intense flame suddenly erupted between the feuding parties, cutting along the street. Wanting not to, the men had to suppress their urges for a moment. None of them is brave enough to jump into a mana-fueled fire.

In theory, Ramiel could have easily bypassed it and killed the bandits on the other side, but instinct told him he would regret it.

After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, he took his elbow from before his eyes as the blinding glare faded.

In the meantime, the figure of a red-haired woman emerged from a vertical wall of fire. Ruby flames surrounded her from all sides, brushing her tanned skin with their tongues. She had a stern and unscrupulous expression that accentuated her beauty. Her red and restrained eyes sparkled, betraying a deep-seated stubbornness and determination. A subtle, diagonal scar ran across her right eyebrow, perfectly reflecting her feisty character. Her every move exuded downright blatant confidence and cunning.

The stranger wasn't one of the simple people.

The woman looked around as if searching for something, turned briefly toward Ramiel, and kept her gaze on him.

Now that the flames had died down, he could finally see her...

The red-haired beauty wore a loose, black, and airy shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.... Several of the top buttons had been purposely removed, exposing a generous but toned cleavage. A silver pendant with a small ruby in the center fell into the hollow between her tightly pinned breasts. It looked as if someone had placed it there on purpose.

This piece of clothing is an eye-catcher.

Her forearms are clumsily wrapped in a tight fabric, disappearing into the shirt. It looked as if she ran out of the house in the middle of preparations.

On her hands, she wore a pair of tattered gloves designed for close combat. The knuckles on them were covered with a thick layer of metal, and the material they were made of was a good conductor of mana and apparently resistant to heat.

Moving his eyes lower, Ramiel noticed a wide leather belt with a large buckle that encircled a narrow waist. It was merely an ornament that perfectly matched the long, metal-trimmed trousers. Most likely they were used to maximize damage when delivering kicks.

The stranger looked excellent. She was slim and athletic, which is evident at first glance. However, these aspects didn't in any way capture her femininity. She has a perfect figure with a narrow waistline and perfect proportions, which she proudly displays at every turn.

Verdia - Ramiel gasped grimly in thought. The woman deceptively reminds him of his former affection.