18 Loose Ends
"Haruto, have you seen Kugo and Xavier?"
Seconds after Leon had entered the inn, he immediately asked me this question with a worried expression.
"Reika went to the forest so Kugo and Xavier left with her as well"
"That idiot!"
His expression turned sour and left. I immediately follow behind him as well.
"Is there something going on?"
"Most of the city guard have been ordered to stay guard by the gates. A horde of skeletons coming out of the forest are about to reach our city and those idiots are out there.."
Not good..
I had completely forgotten about the whole skeleton report. Those idiots.. Even though I forgot, how could they let Reika go.
Haaa.. Well, she's with them so it shouldn't be that dangerous. Unless they get surrounded by skeletons that is.
"Let's hurry up then"
"Ya.."
Leon and I ran across the city and reached the gates within minutes. He explained to his captain everything and was allowed to enter the forest. I followed behind him while using my cana to feel my surrounding.
It's not looking good..
The range of which I can feel the cana isn't very far but I can tell there are numerous amounts of skeletons nearby.
"Oy Leon, we need to make a detour. There are skeletons that way"
I pointed to a different direction. He simply nodded while still wearing a worried face.
…
I pray for their safety.. Don't worry, we're coming soon.
(*)
Nearly ten minutes have passed since the time we left the city. Leon believes that Reika would most likely be at the place where they first saw me so I let Leon lead the way.
He's been worried sick this whole time. I want to reassure him but anything I say at this point would just be a superficial remark.
I try to feel the cana around me once more. My eyes were closed while trying to feel the silky threads of the cana.
…
There!
I felt something just in front of us.
Right as Leon and I were sprinting, Leon suddenly stopped.
"No.."
When I saw Leon stopped, he averted his eyes from what was in front of him.
A couple steps away from us, three dead corpses are lying on the floor. One of the three I recognized. He was there when they attacked Reika. Two of them had been badly wounded and most likely bled out while one of them was severed to different pieces. It was a terrible sight.. All of the limbs have been cut off into different pieces, the chest was crushed and the head was a bloody mess. I could barely recognize who it was and I don't want to know.. I don't want to know but I ended up guessing correctly.
"Xavier.."
"..."
"What the hell is going on.. Why are there people here.. Where's the skeletons.."
"Leon listen to me"
"No.. Reika.."
He looked at me with dead eyes as if he had lost all hope.
Slap!
I woke him up from his daze.
"Snap out of it! What the hell are you thinking huh?! Instead of trying to find her, you've already deemed them dead?!"
"..."
"Whatever. I'll find her myself. Go back to the gate and ask for help. Don't worry, I'll save them so just stay reassured"
"Wait.. I can go on.."
Whoosh
I vanished within the forest without leaving a single trail for him to follow.
Forgive me Leon.. I know you just lost an important friend and I probably shouldn't leave you alone but this is for the better. You shouldn't see what's ahead of here and what I'm about to do to these bastards. You're a good person. You don't deserve to see someone important to you be mutilated like that..
I surround my legs with cana and burst forth.
"Ahhh"
In the distance, I heard a voice. It was very faint and inaudible but I managed to hear it with the help of my enhanced senses. With another increase of my speed, I managed to reach the voice in a short amount of time.
When I arrived, it was already too late. In the middle of the forest, a group of adventurers could be found. Some of them I recognized, while the rest I don't know. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that they were the ones who I spared that day. I'm not familiar with the rest but I felt like my gaze landed upon them before in the adventurer's association.
They were scattered all over the place. Five of them were separating Kugo from limb to limb while two of them are holding Reika. They were all laughing and enjoying it so much that I almost wanted to throw up.
"Why.. Why did you have to go this far.. You just wanted me right?! Why did you have to kill the both of them?!"
"Why not enjoy both?"
Bang!
The man kicked his corpse away.
"Don't worry, the rest of those swines will die too hehe. I'm sure they're having a hard time right now. As for you.."
He licked his lips disgustingly.
"We'll make you obedient soon enough.. But still, I can't believe that hooded freak obeyed us so much hahahahaha. Not only did he give us things, he also held back the guards just for us hahahahaha. He must have known the great me hahahahaha"
"Let me in on the fun"
I walk out of the shadows slowly.
"Who's there! Huh? Just one kid? Haha.. HAHAHAHA"
"He scared us for a second"
"Ya who the fuck does he think he is interrupting us"
With cold eyes, I glared at them.
"Boss.. he's.."
"Huh are you getting scared now? HAHAHAHA"
Bang!
He sent the man flying away. The person who spoke just now was one of the people that I spared.
"We don't need no cowards! Scram!"
"Is that ok?"
"What's it to you huh?!"
"Nothing much"
One less person to worry about I suppose.
"Hey kid, if you know what's good for you, just hand over everything you have and we might consider killing you swiftly"
A bald person wearing nothing but leather approached me while smiling disgustingly.
Slash!
In an instant, I pulled out my sword and sent his head flying. Blood splattered everywhere and as he his lifeless body hits the ground, I stay still motionless.
"Wha.."
"All of you pathetic insect only know how to talk and talk. Just close your filthy mouths already. You're all going to fucking die anyways so don't fucking waste my time"
Bang!
I appeared before another person and sent him flying. When he landed, nearly all of his body had been obliterated. I didn't care any longer about restraining myself nor care about my cana.
In a daze, I used my cana to its limits.
"You bastards get him already!"
The big man who liked to talk ordered the rest of them but they all hesitated.
Bang!
I coated my legs with inner flames and dashed towards three of them with lightning speed. All three of their heads were crushed without them knowing what happened.
"Ahhh.. He's too dangerous boss!"
"You fucking cowards!"
"Run away!"
Like i'd make the same mistake again. My hands have been stained by my enemies blood already. There's no point trying to force my world's ideologies in here. It's kill or be killed and if it means killing to protect those important to me, then I'll kill all those who stands before me.
I plant my feet on the ground and prepare my stance. I compact and constrain my muscles as much as possible. With the flow of my inner fire going wild, I focused it all on my legs and my muscles.
BANG!
In a flash, I released all of the inner flames in my body and dashed at an unbelievable speed. As I vanished in the air, only the afterimage of my inner flames could be seen. I sliced him to pieces and just as I land, I dashed once more to the remaining foes.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
In the blink of an eye, they all met their bloody demise with the exception of this so called leader.
I walk to him slowly.
Haaah.. I didn't realize it but i've used my cana far too much. Normally, I would have passed out from over using my cana but I didn't care. Nothing mattered any longer.
"Wait!"
I didn't pay any attention to him and continued my path towards him.
"I'll give you whatever you want.. Just please spare me.. I know! I'll share this sow to you!"
Whoosh
My cana slowly rose from my body. I can't control it any longer.. Not good.. I tried real hard but I guess I couldn't.
"Is it money! If it's money you want then I have tons of it! I'll give you lots of it so just please spare me!"
"Didn't I already tell you? Close your filthy mouth. You're dying today"
"Ahh! Haruto!"
Just as I was about to slice him to pieces, I turn around and see Reika in the hands of another person.
Shit!
"Le- Let go of my boss.. If not.. Or else.. I'll I'll end her..!"
The person who had taken Reika once again was the person who was blown away earlier. This so called leader sent him flying and I thought he already left..
Damn it.. I was careless..
