First Arc (2)

"Get down," Isaac hurriedly ordered, grabbing his sword in a swift manner while putting Lori down.

His face was clearly agitated and baffled by what was happening. By only going outside, which he did, he could know the situation yet he was met with screams and begging from each direction.

"Help—kuhh—!"

"Why are you doing—Kuakk!"

Even though his view was obstructed by the carriages and people standing out of curiosity, Isaac obviously come up that something was indeed wrong.

The series of voices coming from the victims in the front pointed out the danger which is approaching him and everyone in the back.

"Lori, get out. Go back to the previous city. I have to get your brother,"

"B-but… I can't… I'm afraid…"

"It's only a normal reaction but I have to get him. Do you understand?" Isaac paused, his tone getting impatient as the screams from the front started getting louder and louder, indicating that the danger is marching towards them.

He hurriedly said, "Lori, you have to get back. I'll come back for you,"

"Ahhh!"

After that loud scream, Isaac jerked his head back. In that instant, he saw a white robe man holding a knife with his tongue out while killing innocent people. Everyone who passed him was unlucky to face him.

Tak—!

Hearing someone's footsteps of someone running away, Isaac glanced and saw another problem had added to him as instead of rushing towards the previous city, Lori just runs towards the side, knowing she was walking on her death as it was where the other white robe people were coming!

She will get trapped there, making her unable to escape.

'Shit…!' Isaac cursed inwardly before moving his attention to Drake's carriage while being aware of the white robe enemy's position.

He quickly run towards it, opened the door, and saw the shaking Drake inside.

"Hey, Drake! Snap out, will you? Let's go,"

"Oh! Mr bodyguard!" Drake replied with a surprised tone before nodding his head, quickly getting up from his place to follow Isaac.

Going down on the carriage, he quickly asked, "Where's the guy named Yower?"

"I don't know and care. You and Lori are my top priority," Isaac replied solemnly, quickly grabbing Drake on the shoulder as they hastily moved towards the previous city, "Drake, you should be able to run on the Halls City. I have to find your sister,"

"S-sure. Wait, she's lost?" Surprised, Drake can't help but form a frown as he spoke solemnly, "Please find her…"

"I will,"

"Who is?"

In that nerve-wrenching situation, a voice that didn't belong to them spoke behind their back. Isaac quickly drew his sword to where the voice is coming from while Drake started running to the other side.

-Clank!

"You have no chill," As if he is amused, the white robe spoke in a delighted tone while his machete clashed with Isaac's sword. He was brimming with confidence even though he could die at any moment.

Whoosh—!

Isaac didn't just idle around and swiftly moved back a few steps back, trying to regain his stance but the white robe enemy didn't let him and aggressively moved forward, trying to get his balance off.

Clang—!

'He's good… if I was on the level of Valen, maybe I could pull something but it's hopeless…' Isaac thought inwardly as he gritted his teeth.

Whoosh—!

They exchanged attacks. Isaac wasn't getting any fatal hits while the white robe enemy was having fun.

He knew this wasn't the full extent of his foe's strength. Because if he do, he knew he wouldn't last a second.

Crash—!

Only a minute and a half passed of their battle and the nearby surrounding was destroyed. Nobody was giving in but the two people engaging in a fight knew who is winning.

'I'm losing…' Isaac thought inwardly as his thoughts thwarted somewhere, 'Am I really weak without the system? So pathetic…'

Thud—!

Falling down on his knees as his sword falls to the ground, Isaac looked up while glaring at the enemy. His face was covered with blood in just that tiny amount of time of battle.

"I have to say, you are an outstanding individual. Your swordsmanship is a bit crude but I could feel something special on it as if… you are very experienced. Yes, I think that's the case," The white robe man paused as he bent down, "Be my comrade. You have potential and I'll bring it into the light,"

Isaac thought about the words he would say for a few seconds before continuing, "And what?"

"And…" He revealed his face by bringing the robe down and revealed a smile, "And you'll not get entangled up with the victims,"

"Why are you… doing this?"

"That's not the answer I was trying to get but… to convince you to join me, I'll give you something," The robed man, who has an average face that is filled with maliciousness, continued, "We are The Saviours. And we have one mission which is to save this world,"

…

'It's still the same thing… Shit, seeing the psychopath from afar instead of just reading letters feels surreal,'

That was one thing that crossed my mind as I watched the road showered with blood. I tried to maintain my calm yet failed to do so as my hands shaking was enough evidence.

'Now… like the original, that psychopath would ask Isaac to be his comrade. Then, be arrested and be taken to that place. God, the novel skips that part and just wakes Isaac up in that place. If the author just gave a detailed, exact, and pinpointed the right location, I wouldn't be having this problem but I guess that wasn't needed part of writing novels,'

With that being the case, I knew I had to be patient and painfully watch the scene with guilty eyes.

…

"I refused…"

"Oh…" The white robe man paused, "That's a shame. I thought we were going on the same path and terms, you know? Coming in understanding. A shame, really,"

Seeing all the useless talk was done, Isaac finally go to the point, "You're going to kill me?"

"It's not my decision to make,"

With a little hope in his eyes, Isaac saw someone closing their distance to the person in his front, whispering something which made his opponent frown.

It was unusual since all the time he interacted with him, he never made that kind of reaction.

"I understand. Gather the other people and we'll leave immediately," The person in Isaac's front, who seemed to be a leader of a squad for this place, ordered his people before moving his attention to Isaac, forming his usual expression back, "There's something wrong. Well, not exactly. It's more like something was missing from the other people we're supposed to capture,"

He paused, "Where is Duke Verl's firstborn son, Noelle Portnner? He's not inside the carriage you are riding, in fact, it was his sister, Lori,"

'Noelle…'

At that moment, as if Isaac realized something baffling and unexplainable. He remembered his memories of Noelle's preparing his bag, asking for certain items, his weird disappearance in the morning, moving as if it was according to his scheme.

'That trash bastard…' Isaac gritted his teeth and shouted a name, "Noelle!"

It threw the person on his front off guard, assuming something was about to happen yet after waiting for a whole minute, Isaac was met with silence.

And only in that instant that Isaac forcefully stood on his place, trying to escape from the person's grasp but as he was thinking about it, the person read him very well and swiftly smack the back of his neck.

"What's wrong with him?" The person said, glancing at his people, and signaled his hand to move, "If we can't find the Noelle, then we'll leave. We can't stay here for too long. Authorities would come this way. Come on, now,"

Everyone agreed to the leader as they immediately rummaged through everything they needed to grab. They left the scene as it is, uncaring about what they did, and fled the road, moving to the opposite side.

Fortunately, it wasn't the side where Noelle was hiding. Because if that happens, he doesn't know what he would do to avoid the eyes of the kidnappers.

…

'What the hell?'

Stupefied by the sudden call of my name by Isaac, I was surprised, not only me but also by the psychopath and other people near them.

'Why did he shout my name… He didn't turn crazy, right? No, that can't be. Isaac wouldn't be crazy after he lost a battle but still… why did he call my name? And, why is it filled with viciousness?'

The thing that had me stop this moment of confusion was the shouts coming from the road. One by one, all the white robe individuals started moving in the opposite direction of his.

Seeing the chance I was waiting for, I rushed through the road, and in just a minute of relentless running, my eyes darted from everywhere and saw no living person. All are dead, lying on the ground, while most have been kidnapped.

"Lori!"

I was planning not to involve her or Drake in this but I don't know what to explain to Isaac or even Verl for them not to come here.

Maybe if they weren't here, I would've not planned on returning to the capital since Verl could hand the dropout forms to his men and let the situation fold out.

That was a big if since it wasn't part of the novel.

"Drake! Are you here?"

After a few seconds of waiting, a sense of guilt started to take over me, hearing no responses which could only mean one thing.

'They got captured huh,'

That was already enough. This was the decision I made and I did it.

Swiftly opening the buttons of my bag, grabbing fabrics of cloth that I made beforehand before starting to run towards where The Saviours went.

I can still manage to see a few white robe people but if I was a bit too late and decide to go back, I wouldn't be able to follow them.

My focus was entirely concentrated on them but along the way, I started to leave the piece of clothes on the trail I had gone through for everyone to see.

It was intentional. I was trying to make a way for the authorities to find some tracks to follow me which led them to follow the kidnappers.

This was a very crucial part of the plan.