"Wow! You really did it. I am surprised." The old man spoke.
"Hehehe! It was no problem."
With their misunderstandings clear, Amrita was no longer scared or embarrassed with him. She came towards him to give a helping hand, "Let me help Richter-san."
"Can you even carry it?"
"Despite being a girl, I am quite strong you know."
"Here! Carry it then!"
Richter was careful while giving the lizard's horn to her but as she said she was quite strong. Able to carry 8 kg horn without any effort.
"Wow! You really are strong."
She had a proud face that told, "I told you." Keeping the horns safe, she started talking about its uses and medicinal purpose. Richter was never the one to turn down knowledge. It might prove to be useful later so he started writing them down.
In their conversation, Amrita asked a weird question, "Richter-san, do...uhm.... are you put off by strong girls?"
It was a weird question but he was never the one to turn such questions down. So, he answered honestly, "Strong girls means reliable girls, reliable girls means responsible girls, Responsible girls means amazing girls. Why would anyone ever be put off by amazing girls? If someone ever is, it just means that they have some kind of brain damage. And I clearly don't have any."
"Is-is that so?" With a blushing face, she again asked, "Richter-san, do you have a lover?"
"Guh!" With eyes darting left and right and a stuttering voice, he said, "M-maybe...m-maybe not! Who knows!"
Clapping her hands, she said with a happy smile on her face, "Then you don't have one!"
Aura of depression covered Richter as he spoke in a broken voice, "Why do you have to hurt me like this?"
His days on the village continued. It had already been a bit more than a week. He brought the horn of the horned lizards with every 2-3 days of break. He learned a lot of stuffs while in this village. Stuffs such as existence of a witch living in the outskirts of the village.
And the so called witch was sitting on his lap right now. Villagers were afraid of her for the magic she possessed. She could steal the life of the living beings be it plant, animals or even humans around her. The good part was that it strengthened herself too. Well that part was only known to herself, her grampa and for some reason she had told Richter too.
She was a good girl but villagers feared her. Although their reactions had a fairly good reason too. At one time, her magic had gone berserk and some villagers were unfortunately caught in it causing their death. Her magic still goes berserk sometimes. Just four days ago it did, but it seemed to have no effect on Richter, so he stayed near her and calmed her down.
Richter didn't want to see this cute girl sad, the least he could do was be her friend and spoil her like a little sister. And so he did. He tried raising her self confidence telling her stories of warrioress and giving her quotes like
'Magic doesn't determine who you are, your actions do',
'It's what you do in present that will redeem the past and thereby change the future'.
Stuffs like that. He was quite successful with it. He gave her tips and methods to train her magic. Telling her not to fear and avoid what she possess but rather try to control and use it for what she wants. Giving her ideas to use it on plants and animals for practice, since the magic doesn't necessarily target humans. He had a good time being a big brother.
But the time had come. He couldn't stay here forever. Honestly, it's been way more than he had planned. He had already collected 3 horns of the horned lizards. So, he had decided to hunt 2 horned lizards at once and leave tomorrow.
But for now he had to spoil this little girl. Normally, having a girl with such voluptous and hourglass figure on his lap would have made Richter's hormone rage all around his body. But knowing about her terrible past, Richter was determined to spoil this girl as his little sister. Patting her head made his mind free from all horniness.
"Do you really have to go tomorrow? I wish you had stayed here a little longer."
"Ah! I wish too but I really can't. It's been too long after all. Well don't worry though. I will come visit you once in a while. You should also come to Magnolia when you get your magic under control. I will show you around my guild too."
She nodded and with determined expression said, "Next time you come. I will definitely show you my progress. Promise me you will meet me again okay."
"Its's not like I am leaving right now, Amrita. I am just going on a hunt. My leaving date is tomorrow."
"I!!! I just want you to stay with me!"
'What a clingy little sister she is! It's just so cute!' Richter thought as he said, "You are so cute. Well! I should be going now."
And so he left for the hunt. It took him sometime hunting two horned lizards. They were quite rare. For Richter, defeating them was no problem but finding them sure was. It took him almost 4 hours to finish him his job of hunting 2 lizards. In the end, his quest was finally complete. He was happy and sad at the same time.
Feeling all melancholy, he was returning to the village when he saw smoke coming from the distance. Thinking it was a forest fire, he hurried back to the village to warn them about it.
Once he reached the village, he only saw horrors. Village burned, villagers being killed left and right by people in black cloak. Richter was so shocked his mind just shut off. His legs started running towards what his emotions held important. So, he ran as fast as he could, arriving there instantly.
The old man was desperately fighting off the enemies using what it seemed to be plant magic with tears in his eyes. Something snapped inside Richter. As it did, so did the spines of all the black cloaked people around. Richter approached the old man and asked, "Gramps, she is alright, right?"
The old man cried with desperate voice, "Those Bastards took her away! I couldn't protect her! Why gods!! Why!"
"Gramps, you can protect yourself, right?"
The old man nodded to his words.
"Just stay protected, okay. Once I bring her back, I wouldn't be able to say anything to her if something happens to you."
Kisaragi Yuto, hoped and hoped. He was old, he couldn't do much. The only thing he could do was pin his hope on this young man and pray to gods.
Anger, jealousy, envy, greed, feeling of annoyance, irritance these all things for Richter were just an emotions to be expressed. But Rage, it was something different. There were very few things that could ever trigger the rage inside him. Just that this time, the things that happened were included in that few.
He started snapping the black cloaked people's neck like snapping twigs, for some he started ripping their hearts out and for some he started tearing them in half. Those black cloaked had no way of resisting this monster. He caught, he tore. He didn't care whether they held hostage or not. This brutality instilled the fear in them as all of them started running away. Richter chased them slowly, catching them one by one and ripping them to pieces. He was like a reaper that brought the fear of unknown and despair of the certain death. The black cloaked mages ran faster and faster in despair without realising that they were bringing the doom to their home.
By the time, they or should it be said he reached their base no black cloaked ones lived to tell the tale. It was like a castle. Now that he reached here, fortunately or unfortunately his brain started to function, so lots of thoughts started entering his head. Should he barge in through the gate? Or should he bring down the castle? Anyone of them could hurt her and he couldn't possibly let a scar happen on her. The priority is to rescue her. He should infiltrate the base.
But before he could apply any of his action. People came outside from the castle. Armoured humans, soldiers and 5 of the ones who seemed to be their commanders. Richter looked at those 5 commanders. His heart felt disappointment as he saw that 3 of them (Simon, Shou and Milliana) were the ones who he met in the train. The other two were weird female cosplayers, one was cosplaying a bird (Kyoka), whereas the other was cosplaying a cow (Seliah)? But who was he to criticize what they wear.
"Since they all are gathered here, this just makes it easier."
He didn't give a shit what they were talking and monologuing. Richter clasped his hands, formed an air bubble around them. The air bubble expanded and encased everyone that came outside from the castle inside it.
Simon, sensing something was wrong grabbed Milliana and Shou and jumped outside the bubble and started escaping from the area immediately.
"DOME: RICHTER 6: SHOCKWAVE"
Kyoka too realised something and immediately pushed Seliah outside the dome but it was too late for herself. Kyoka was caught inside the dome.
The shockwave spread through the dome. More and more shockwaves started spreading, vibrating every particles inside the dome to its core. The vibrations were so much that the inside of the dome became white bright light making it impossible for outsiders to see inside. Everything inside the dome started disintegrating. Screams resounded through the dome which sounded more horrific outside the dome.
Everything was turned to dust. The only one who resisted it was Kyoka. But she too was slowly disintegrating. Shockwaves teared her body from inside and the pain it brought was unimaginable. Seliah who heard the sharp pitch of scream was worried but she knew her Kyoka-sama would be fine. Still, she would try to help her Kyoka-sama, so she tried entering the dome. As she touched the dome, her fingers disintegrated from inside out causing her to scream out in pain. Luckily for her, they were just fingers.
Seliah was terrified, 'What is this magic? I!!! No! Kyoka-sama! I have to help her.' Pulling herself together, Seliah charged for an attack, gathering enough demonic energy she unleahed one of her strongest attack,
"Demonic Eye Unleashed"
An extremely large powerful beam of demonic energy crashed on the surface of the dome. But it was futile. The shockwaves and the vibrations of the dome dispersed the ethernano of her attack causing her attack to disperse.
Seliah started having panic attack on what she should do. Then a hand came from behind her and caught her by neck. Seliah was angered who would disturb her in such moment but she couldn't move, her body felt weak and grew powerless every moment.
After making sure everything inside the dome was disintegrated to dust. He finally closed his technique. This technique was his strongest double-edged sword as he fell to his knees and started coughing out blood. But he had a mission to accomplish. He had to save her.
He stood straight and then to his relief he saw her. She was right there standing infront of the gate seemingly unharmed. Richter speedran and hugged her, "I am so happy! So relived! Did anything happen to you? Did they try to do anything to you? You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Calm down! Richter-san. I am alright. So, don't worry. Although I must apologise that I have done bad things with my power." She said with a sad voice.
Richter again pulled her to his embrace and said, "You can do all the bad things you want with your power I don't care. I am just happy to see you okay. Don't worry! Sometimes it's necessary to be selfish. Let's go back. Your grampa is waiting for you."
She blushingly nodded and both returned back to the village.