The Robbers

The store door burst open, and two men with guns entered. They walked up to the lady at the cash register.

"Don't move! Empty everything into this bag, now!" one of the men demanded, his voice filled with menace.

Zaire and Yuki tensed, their senses heightened by the sudden danger. Zaire instinctively placed a hand on Harry, who was perched on his shoulder, ready to defend if necessary.

Yuki glanced at Zaire, signaling him to stay calm. "Just let them do their thing. We don't want to attract unnecessary attention," he whispered.

Zaire nodded, but his eyes remained locked on the robbers. The lady behind the counter trembled as she hurriedly complied, emptying the cash register into the bag.

One of the men glanced around the store, his gaze briefly meeting Zaire's. "You two, stay where you are," he barked.

Yuki maintained his calm demeanor. "No problem, we're just here to shop," he said, raising his hands slightly.

The tension in the air was palpable as the robbers continued their heist. Zaire's mind raced, assessing the situation. He knew that if things went south, they might have to fight their way out. 

"Stay calm," Yuki whispered again, noticing Zaire's agitation.

One of the robbers, seemingly more nervous than the other, fumbled with his gun, causing it to go off accidentally. The shot echoed through the store, causing everyone to flinch.

"Watch it, idiot!" the other robber snapped.

Out of nowhere, Zaire appeared in front of the robbers, his movements a blur.

The robbers, shocked, hesitated for a moment. One of them fired his gun at Zaire. In that instant, Zaire's instincts kicked in. It was as if he had a sixth sense, anticipating the bullet's path. He dodged effortlessly, moving with supernatural speed.

Before the robbers could react, Zaire delivered a powerful kick to one of them, sending him crashing through the store window. Glass shattered, and the robber flew outside, landing in a heap on the sidewalk.

The remaining robber's eyes widened in fear. Zaire grabbed him by the collar and, with a swift motion, hurled him through the broken window to join his accomplice.

Zaire calmly stepped through the shattered window, the broken glass crunching under his boots.

"That idiot," Yuki muttered, shaking his head.

Inside the store, the onlookers were stunned, their mouths agape. The cashier, still holding the bag the robbers had demanded to be filled with money, stared at Zaire with wide eyes.

Zaire looked down at the robbers, his eyes glowing with a red aura. "Stealing from the poor? I should kill you for that," he growled, extending his left hand. As he activated his active skill: Web Production, a hole formed in the center of his palm, ready to unleash his power.

Suddenly, the store owner, an elderly woman with graying hair, grabbed the bag of money and hit Zaire on the head.

Zaire turned around, bewildered. "What was that for? I was helping you," he said, rubbing his head.

"Helping me? You idiot, there was only 200 Dworl in the cash register! The rest of the money was deposited in the bank today," the woman snapped.

"But you were shaking," Zaire protested.

"Do you know how much it will cost to fix that broken window? 1,000 Dworl! And that's not even the worst part. Now he's going to come down here and ruin our village. Get out, both of you!" the woman shouted, her voice filled with frustration and fear.

The other villagers, who had gathered around, began to curse and shout as well.

"Sorry, sorry," Yuki said, stepping in to calm the situation. He opened his wallet and showed the woman something. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm sorry for what my friend did," Yuki said sincerely.

"Oh, that's okay, dear," the woman replied, her tone softening.

"I'll pay for the clothes and the window," Yuki offered.

"Oh really? So kind," the woman said, clearly relieved.

Yuki took out 2,000 Dworl and handed it to her. "Keep the change. Think of it as a sorry gift," he said with a smile.

The woman's eyes sparkled with gratitude. "Thank you so much," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

As Zaire and Yuki walked away from the store, heading out of the village, Zaire still felt a bit sheepish. He glanced at Yuki, his voice low. "Sorry for causing trouble."

"You should be, you dumbass. I told you to relax! What if that lady hadn't stopped you? You would have revealed you're a monster, dumbass. Then the Shadow Guardians would come after us," Yuki snapped.

"Shadow what now?" Zaire asked, puzzled.

"That's a long story, and I'm so stressed from what you did," Yuki sighed. "But to cut things short, they hunt down us monsters and kill us. They are the so-called protectors of this world."

"Really? So why can't they stop these crimes then?" Zaire questioned.

"They don't care about those little crimes. Their job is to kill or capture us," Yuki explained, his tone weary.

[Somewhere else in the village]

The two robbers from earlier crept into a hidden lair. The dimly lit room was dominated by shadows, the only illumination coming from flickering torches mounted on the stone walls. They approached a tall, imposing figure whose face was obscured by a menacing mask. He wore a black high-collar coat with streaks of purple lightning etched into the fabric. Black arm guards and knee guards protected his limbs, and he wore dark pants and combat boots. In his right hand, he held a scythe, its blade gleaming with a sinister sheen.

Beside him sat another man in a chair, his green hair contrasting sharply with his piercing purple eyes. He wore a purple jacket with reinforced padding on the shoulders, left open to reveal a chiseled chest. A red sash was tied around his waist, and his purple pants were tucked into red Japanese slippers. On his left hand, he wore a red glove, while his right hand, bare, was adorned with five ornate rings.

"Boss, we have a problem," one of the robbers stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

The man in the chair gripped the armrests and leaned forward, his gaze intense. "Is that so?" he said, his voice dripping with menace.