Chapter 4

Time Skip- 2 years since rebirth.

I had now been alive 2 years in this world, making this body 7 years old. In that time I still was stuck with the bandits but made the most of it. Continuing my training with Sev as well as progressing my core. Though annoyingly I was having little success in advancing the stages. No matter what I did the progress was terribly slow leaving me at having only reached the dark orange stage a couple months back.

I knew that this level was still remarkable as people don't usually form their core until their teenage years anyways. But it still stung. I guess a part of me assumed I would be special and ascend the core stages at a breakneck pace, but I suppose I can be content with my 4 elements and healing capabilities. Though despite the complaints I think it has something to do with the quality of mana that I pull in that it's slowing the process.

Where most are just grabbing for any they can get there hands on to begin the purifying process, I filter it before it ever even gets to me leading to a purer and higher quality mana. This has even proven to be more potent and efficient when it comes to combat, as the mana strengthens my body. So I try not to get too discouraged when I may be doing this in a way that will be a major benefit in the future.

Today we have another raid. Thankfully another small raid of only a couple of wagons, but the scout is already smiling because he noted to Lurt that the caravan was hauling 4 women and a child with only 3 men accompanying them. The men in the camp were delighted at the news as it had been a while since they got any "fresh meat" as they called it.

"Colt! You're in the back today." I just nodded at Lurt's words as I fell in behind him, throwing my daggers into their sheaths at my hips. A few months back they finally began to call me by my actual name, I guess I had gained enough trust that they thought I couldn't possibly be playing against them still.

Sev soon fell in step with us speaking to Lurt.

"Stick said the wagons are moving as expected, they'll make it to the ambush just as we thought." Lurt nodded before turning to me.

"Stick said they have an archer, don't get hit or I'll kill you myself." I rolled my eyes at his words.

"Yes yes, mother. I'll be sure to kill myself before I let you kill me." My response had Sev snickering and Lurt grumbling about ungrateful little shits.

Soon we were obscured in the trees hearing the pounding of the claws coming from the lizard mana beasts pulling 2 wagons. I saw the Archer that Lurt had talked about she was petite and had pretty face, but she was what the other bandits called "flat as a board". Not really but most of them preferred women more like the one in the second cart, a well endowed beauty. She had bright blond hair in contrast to the dark black of the archer in the first wagon. I'm not sure how she saw us but soon she stood up in her seat while pulling the lizards to a stop and began barking a warning.

"BANDITS! PREPARE TO ENGAGE!" Before the archer even finished her warning, Lurt called for everyone to attack. Soon the small group of just 6 fighters were surrounded, though I could see 2 figures inside one of the wagons hiding behind the busty-.

"Submit, O' wind and follow my will. I command and gather you around in protection.  Wind Barrier!"

"Ah, a busty wind mage." I muttered as I watched the battle begin to unfold in front of me. As some got injured they came back to me for healing and then went back out, but most were dead before they even got to me. It seemed this was a rather skilled group of travelers, able to with stand and repel a force nearly 5 times larger than their party of 8.

"Look what we have here.  Pretty good catch boys.  Leave only the girls and the kid alive.  Try not to scar them too much.  Damaged goods will only sell for less." Lurt called out as he joined the fight with the rest of them, going for the fighter with the gauntlets.

He wasn't long until the gauntlet user that seemed to be acting as their leader was sent flying backwards into the earth wall that the giant earth conjurer had formed earlier. A little boy only a little younger than this body had been when I came to this world, and what I assume to be his mother ran out from the safety of the wind barrier to collapsed man.

When I saw the woman I realized something right away, she was a healer too… But why hadn't she been healing her comrades? That was when she began to heal the one on the ground and I just couldn't shake the feeling that all of this felt familiar. I felt like I had seen this exact scene before, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Sonova— One of them's a healer! Don't let her get away! Colt get your ass out here and help!" Lurt yelled loudly and I found my body moving forward as all the bandits redoubled their efforts. Usually when Lurt called me out of only healing he wanted me to fight alongside him against whatever foe. I would distract and go for disabling strikes and he would go for killing blows. I hate to say that as duo we were terrifyingly effective.

My daggers found their ways to my hands as I took off into a sprint across the open field where Lurt and the gauntlet user were now fighting again. The woman and child were running away from the wagons back the way they had came. Someone launched an arrow at the 2 fleeing and miraculously the kid turned and deflected the arrow with a wooden sword that shattered in 2. But that's when I realized.

"That kid already has his core? He's younger than I was…" I breathed out still sprinting though no one heard my revelation as I pulled up beside Lurt. He was deflecting a barrage of rapid punches from the gauntlet user when I shot out for his left knee, planning to sever its tendons. Except an arrow lodged itself right in front of me that I had to abruptly change my direction to dodge, opting for a roll that I quickly had to jump up from to dodge 3 more arrows fired in succession.

"Watchout Reynolds! That kid is fast!" The archer yelled as she readied more arrows. Out of the corner of my eyes I noticed their dual dagger using girl with black hair and red eyes had just finished off Cran, a chain whip user that was always particularly violent with the women at camp. She turned her attention to me and began to make her way over only to get blocked by Sev.

"Where you goin' lil lady? The kid is helping the boss right now, you 2 can play later." Sev grinned sadistically, and I turned back to my fight still trying to figure out why I felt like I knew this scene.

<POV Change: Reynolds>

Damn it! It had been hard enough fighting this bastard with the axe now I had to fend off this kid. He moved almost unnaturally, body contorting and bending at angles I could only think Jasmine might be able to replicate. And he was fast due to his… and then the realization hit me harder than the axe of this bandit leader.

"Kid is a mage! I've got these 2 occupied, make sure to protect Art and Alice!" I noticed the white haired demon seem to slow for just a second, his golden yellow eyes widened for the briefest of moments. I didn't let the opportunity go to waste. While the bald one was recovering from a punch I'd used to deflect his axe, I followed it quickly with a sweeping kick at the kid. He had dodged all my previous attempts, but whatever had distracted had allowed me to make contact. It wasn't my best but it was enough to send the kid rolling backwards.

With my newfound opening I increased the ferocity of my attacks against the leader that's when I heard a scream.

"Dammit!" It was undoubtedly a kids voice but I didn't hear it come from the one right in front of me. In fact…

"Art?" I muttered as searched the corners of my vision since I couldn't take my eyes off the bandit in front of me. What I saw horrified me as all I could see was a massive ball of water hurtling towards my wife and son. As the ball made contact I felt my heart drop seeing only Art being hit by it as he had pushed Alice out of the way at the last second. I cursed myself for telling him to protect his mother, maybe if they had just stayed in the wagon this wouldn't have happened. My boy… my baby boy wouldn't be falling off the side of cliff right now.

My heart and core burned with angry and sadness, I could feel the heat of tears in my eyes. Then I was launched back by kick from the bandit and when I looked up at him he had raised his axe up with a ferocious smile. The axe was beginning to fall when something unexpected happened. The kid… attacked the leader.

First he crippled the bald bandit's legs by slicing the back of his legs with the 2 daggers he used. Before the bandit could even comprehend what was happening, knees rapidly approaching the ground with the axe still held above his head. The white haired kid jumped off the ground and drove his daggers into the neck of the bandit leader.

"NO!" The other dagger wielding bandit shouted, but in that moment one of Helen's arrows found his shoulder which opened the way for Jasmine to finish him off. The kid wasn't finished though, after ripping his daggers out he caught the falling axe and with a fluid motion brought it back down directly atop the bald bandit's head splitting it open.

"Fuck you, Lurt!" He said with a kick to the leader's side, but the kid didn't get a moments break as he had to roll out of the way of an arrow shot by Helen and now Jasmine was in front of him. I looked away to see the battle elsewhere finishing up, the only one not fighting was Alice as she knelt at the edge of the cliff just staring down the drop. I felt a lump form in my throat, but I turned back. If I thought too much about that I would freeze up and wouldn't be able to find out why the kid had killed his boss.

<POV Change: Colt>

Dodge. Dodge. And dodge again. That's all I could do as the black haired dagger wielder kept lashing out at me with frightening speed. She was as good if not better than Sev and she had wind magic that she used to cost her daggers. I had to dodge because anytime our blades clashed the wind coating the blade seemed to lash out and cut my hands on their own. Fatigue was beginning to catch up with me and I slipped as I stepped back to avoid a jab she sent my way. However I was too slow to recover and earned arrow to my left foot.

Rolling away from stab by a dagger I broke the arrow and pulled it from foot and funneled healing magic to the damaged area. I gasped in relief as the pain subsided, but my relief was short lived as I had 2 dangerous and furious adventurers trying to kill me. Thankfully I was saved.

"Wait!" Reynolds called out, but Helen had already loosed an arrow and I barely managed to deflect it. I found myself lying on my back breathing heavily with a dagger pressed against my neck by Jasmine. I had finally realized who all these people were when Reynolds had called out to Alice and Arthur. It was the protagonist of TBATE's parents and the Twin Horns… what were the odds.