Chapter 5: The Hunter VS Bandits

<p>Nao now stood face-to-face with the bandits who wanted to harm Ran and Alto. Feres and his gang began to encircle Nao and Anna. Anna started trembling and seemed on the verge of tears. As they closed in, Nao pulled a tear gas grenade made of flour and pepper from his small bag. Before using it, Nao shouted, "Anna, cover your nose and eyes now!" Upon hearing Nao's command, Anna covered her nose and eyes.<br/><br/>Nao then smashed the grenade onto the ground, causing it to explode and spread smoke everywhere. The bandits who entered the smoke started feeling intense pain in their eyes due to the tear gas. Fortunately, Nao was unaffected by the grenade since he was wearing a special helmet he often used. He then guided Anna through the crowd of bandits, out of the smoke, and over to the villagers.<br/><br/>"Mr. Nao, are you alright?" Ran asked as Nao approached. Seeing Ran and Alto, Nao handed Anna over to them. "Don't worry about me, get this child to safety now! I'll handle them." "Alright, Mr. Nao, be careful," Alto replied.<br/><br/>"Of course, now hurry and get out of here," Nao urged.<br/><br/>Ran and Alto quickly took Anna away from the battle zone and towards the other villagers. Nao then turned back and saw Feres, Botz, and Torn emerging from the smoke, unaffected because of their protective magic.<br/><br/>"A barrier, huh... It seems bandits are starting to use magical tools now," Nao observed.<br/><br/>"You've caught my interest. Using such a cheap trick just to move the little girl to safety. Very heroic indeed," Feres mocked as he dispelled his magic.<br/><br/>"From the start, you've been targeting that drago girl, you pedophile! You've crossed the line," Nao retorted, pointing his sword at Feres.<br/><br/>"Hahaha… Save your jokes, they won't stop us. You're alone against the three of us. You can't possibly win. Plus, I have magic, so just surrender," Feres taunted, fire magic igniting in his hand.<br/><br/>"Huh... I've faced bandits like you before, so just try and attack me now," Nao challenged.<br/><br/>"You're stubborn, aren't you?" Feres growled, growing impatient with Nao. "Torn, Botz, let's get him!" he ordered.<br/><br/>"Aye-aye, captain!" Torn and Botz responded in unison.<br/><br/>The trio of bandits advanced to attack Nao simultaneously with their weapons. Nao quickly repositioned his shield, blade edge down, and drew his stone sword, entering Hunter mode. Botz swung his axe at Nao while Torn aimed a knife at Nao's waist. Nao blocked Botz's attack with his shield and spun to the left, evading Torn's strike. He redirected Botz's blow with his shield, causing Botz's attack to go off course, and then spun around to strike Botz with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out instantly.<br/><br/>"I can't kill them; I need to extract information from them," Nao thought.<br/><br/>Seeing an opening, Feres launched a fire spell at Nao. "Nao, behind you!" Airis shouted. Nao turned, but it was too late. "Gaaah... Damn," Nao grunted as he was hit by the fire attack. "Mr. Nao! No!" Anna screamed, witnessing the attack.<br/><br/>"Hahaha, how many times do I have to tell you? You can't win against us," Feres sneered, watching Nao burn. "Great hit, boss. Let me finish him off," Torn said, moving closer to Nao. "You've underestimated your opponent," Nao muttered, getting back on his feet.<br/><br/>"So, you can still stand after my fire attack. You're quite persistent," Feres growled, clenching his fists. "Sorry to disappoint you, but my armor is fire-resistant. Your attack can't harm me," Nao revealed. "Fire-resistant armor? Impossible! Your armor is made of metal; it should melt!" Feres shouted, pointing at Nao. Nao dusted off his armor. "Regular metal would melt, but this is crafted by alchemists. Enough talk. I'll finish you now!" Torn yelled, charging at Nao again.<br/><br/>Torn rushed at Nao with great speed, but Nao sidestepped and grabbed Torn's arm, slamming him hard onto the ground, knocking him out. The villagers cheered for Nao.<br/><br/>"Great job, Mr. Hunter!" Mr. Small shouted.<br/>"Wow! This is my first time seeing an adventurer fight up close like this," Airis said in awe.<br/>"I'm so glad he's okay," Mayrel remarked. Anna's eyes sparkled with admiration as she watched Nao. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed.<br/><br/>Nao then ordered the villagers, "Everyone, tie them up with rope." Ran followed Nao's instructions. "Alright, let's tie them up!" Ran commanded the villagers.<br/><br/>Nao approached Feres with a menacing aura. Feres trembled in fear. He tried to escape, but Nao quickly threw a weighted ball with a rope from his bag, ensnaring Feres's legs and causing him to fall.<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>The remaining bandits were subdued by the villagers and tied up. With the bandits defeated, Nao began interrogating them.<br/><br/>"Who sent you to hunt the drago race? If you don't tell me, I'll cut off your legs one by one so you can't walk anymore," Nao threatened, pointing his sword at Feres. "Huh... I won't tell you. I swore an oath," Feres replied, spitting on Nao's armor. "So, you want to play rough, huh?" Nao growled, grabbing Feres by the hair and pulling his face close. "You've got some guts, even in this situation," Nao said angrily, pressing his sword to Feres's cheek.<br/><br/>At that moment, Airis approached Nao. "Mr. Nao, I've informed the central guild to send reinforcements here," Airis said. "How long until they arrive?" Nao asked. "About two hours, they're sending an air unit," Airis replied. "Two hours... That's more than enough time to make you talk," Nao said menacingly.<br/><br/>Feres looked terrified. "Please don't! We can give you anything you want, so how about a deal?" Feres suggested. "Anything?" Nao asked threateningly. "Yes, anything," Feres replied, sweating profusely. "Alright. Anna, could you come here for a moment?" Nao called to Anna. "Me? Okay," Anna responded, walking over to Nao. "Anna, are these the people who killed your parents?" Nao asked, slamming Feres to the ground and sheathing his sword. "Yes, they are," Anna replied angrily. "So, what do you want to do with them? Forgive them or kill them?" Nao asked, handing a knife to Anna. "Mr. Nao, what are you doing?" Airis asked, shocked. "I want to test Anna," Nao replied. "So, Anna, what will you choose?" Nao asked again.<br/><br/>"I... I don't know..." Anna answered hesitantly. "Anna, I will support whatever choice you make, so choose what your heart desires," Nao said, still holding the knife for Anna to take. "I..." Anna's hands trembled. "I forgive them," Anna said confidently. "Why do you forgive them?" Nao asked again. "Maybe my parents wouldn't want me to be sad forever, so I need to grow up for them," Anna replied, turning to Nao with a smile but teary eyes. Nao sighed. "A wise choice, Anna. You all apologize to Anna now. She has granted you forgiveness," Nao ordered.<br/><br/>"We're sorry," Feres and his men said. Nao patted Anna's head. "Well done, Anna. You've become the drago you wanted to be," Nao praised. Anna smiled broadly at Nao. "Yes, you're right. I am wise," Anna said, tears falling from her eyes.<br/><br/>Finally, the central guild's forces arrived and took the bandits to the kingdom to face justice. Spira Village was safe again thanks to Nao. Nao and Anna began living together in Spira Village, with Nao recounting Anna's experiences to the villagers. Ran, moved by the story, agreed and appointed Nao as Anna's guardian.<br/><br/>"I'm to take care of this child?" Nao asked incredulously. "Of course, you brought her here, so you must take responsibility," Ran replied with a smile. "You can't be serious. Huh..." Nao sighed, slapping his forehead. "So, please work together, DAD," Ran said, winking. "Uh... Alright," Nao agreed reluctantly.<br/><br/>After this incident, a new family was born in Spira Village. Their journey had just begun. Stay tuned for the next chapter.<br/><br/>TO BE CONTINUED...</p>