Chapter 9 - Chapter 8: First Kill

'Am I going to die again?'

Is my only thought as I stare terrified at the knife being thrust at my chest.

"NO! I WILL NOT DIE!"

I yell with all my might as I put my hand in front of my knife to protect myself. The knife immediately pierced my hand. 'It hurts, it hurts a lot...' My assailant seemed surprised at my defense and spoke lustfully

"Now, now, if you damage your body I won't be able to have my way with you later〜"

I flinched. Those words infuriated me. Forgetting the pain reverberating from my hand, I put all of my strength onto my legs and kick my assailant's arm.

*CRACK*

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

His painfully loud screams resonated within my tent, I had probably broken his arm from my kick. As he had released the grip of the dagger, I used this opportunity, to pull the knife out of my hand.

"Ou-ou-ouch"

I complained as I pulled the knife out of my hand. Swiftly blood came gushing out. Ignoring the pain, I turn to look at my assailant... and he is chanting.

"[Hydro Slash]!"

He yelled as a sharp wave of water magic was expelled from his hands at point-blank directed at me. I barely managed to cover my face with my arms. However, I was still sent flying, only to crash against a tree nearby.

*BOOM*

Was the sound that my body generated as it crashed at high speed against the trunk of the tree, splitting it in half. All of my body was in pain... I could feel the scratches in my arms... The blood leaving my body... I felt I was ready to die once again...

My assailant had exited the tent and was walking towards me, his arm didn't seem to be broken...

'I don't want to die...'

I could only lay in the ground as I felt the pain of my body keeping me from moving...

"Hey there beautiful〜"

He said as he had finally reached me.

"You look hurt, but I bet you can still provide a good time, right〜?"

He then grabbed me by my hair and started dragging me towards the camp. My body was leaving a trail of blood on the ground, it was mortifying... The pain was reverberating even further. I could feel the emotions within me struggling... 'I don't have 'Boukyaku' with me, I left it in the tent, so I can't even use it...' I wanted to struggle but it was futile, I was being dragged through the rugged ground opening even further wounds in my body worsening my condition by the second.

I couldn't resist. In the end, I was dragged into the center of the camp, but what I saw petrified me.

All the tents were now destroyed... The corpses from the knights who had been earnestly guarding us were now laying impaled, mutilated and salvaged... The gentle driver who had worked so hard for our dinner, dead without fingers, ears, or eyes...

As I stared horrified, my assailant laughed at my state.

"HAHAHA, Aren't you cute?"

After letting loose those words, he whistled and several other men appeared from the tents, rubble, and debris of our destroyed camp. There were about 8 other people now surrounding us, all looking at me with lustful eyes. My assailant who seemed to be their leader then grabbed me by my neck and lifted me off the ground...

All the men were laughing and enjoying seeing me suffer.

'I can't breathe...' I tried to kick and punch but nothing worked...

He laughed at my failure of a struggle to break free from his grasp, and then pointed at something lying on the ground as he said:

"You're going to end up exactly like her, beautiful〜"

I followed his pointing to the person lying on the ground. It was my one friend in this damned world, laying on the ground bleeding out... Myria...

Her hair was no longer silky, her eyes were no longer shining, her happiness seemed to have disappeared...

When she noticed me, she gave me a sad smile. Without any voice leaving her lips, she said to me:

"I'm sorry..."

Those words resonated deep within my soul. I wouldn't allow my first friend in this stupid world to perish. All of my emotions came crashing down as my desire to save her, fueled my hate for these men around me. I wouldn't allow her to die.

Myria's P.O.V.

I was bleeding out... I saw poor Reika being lifted from the ground through strangulation. I felt useless... I wanted to save her, but I couldn't. I had fought with these men, they were too strong. 'I hope she doesn't suffer' I thought as a tear left my eye.

But what I saw next left me to question everything...

Out of nowhere, a black sheathed sword suddenly appeared in front of Reika. All of the bandits were completely baffled by what was being displayed in front of them. Reika simply took the blade and in the blink of an eye, the man who was strangulating Reika no longer had a head.

*Thud*

With her sword now unsheathed she now stood on top of the man's decapitated corpse, as she stared at the bandits with cold eyes. Strangely enough, we all had our gazes fixed on her sword, it was malicious, even evil... yet beautiful and elegant. The sword was emanating power and killing intent like nothing I've ever seen before. And besides all of this, Reika's eyes were glowing faintly along with the sword. It was unprecedented...

As the bandits were finally able to react after snapping out of their shock they started crying in anger due to their leader's death.

"WHA-?! KILL HER!" Bandit 1

"NO! LEADER!" Bandit 2

"You'll pay for this!!!" Bandit 3

Reika seemed unfazed, by what the bandits said, and turned to face the bandit nearest to her position. The bandit froze up in an instant as Reika slowly walked up to him. When they were about 3 ft from each other the man screamed as he attempted to launch an attack at Reika. With minimal perfect movement, she dodged gracefully and cut the bandit's neck. He dropped dead immediately.

The bandits were scared but three of them started chanting.

"[Ice Beam]!"

"[Pyro Strike]!"

"[Light Javelin]!"

'That is strong magic, these guys cannot be average bandits, they are all very strong.' I was sure, Reika would be hurt. As I prayed for Reika's safety, what I saw next, left me staring in awe.

As the projectiles started to close in on her, she cut them. SHE CUT THEM. SHE CUT MAGIC. That isn't something that is supposed to be possible. The bandits were clearly as surprised as I was. But Reika, without missing this chance, rushed towards them and in the blink of an eye, all of the bandits were now corpses.

I was so happy, confused and surprised by what I had just seen. The beautiful girl I had been for the last few hours was so unbelievably strong. 'Not even the guild master would be this strong.' I was about to thank Reika when I saw that she remained with her cold gaze, now directed at me.

Reika's P.O.V.

"We're not done yet, Reika..." a female voice said from deep within my mind.

'Yes... All must be killed...' I was staring directly at the hurt Myria as I started walking slowly towards her.

"We must kill so no one can hurt you again..."

'I don't want to be hurt anymore...' I thought with my sword dragging behind me, leaving a trail of the blood from the men I had just killed.

I finally made my way to the confused and scared Myria. She was far too wounded to even speak.

"Sorry, I don't want to hurt anymore..." I said as I raised my sword over my head ready to strike down.

Hearing my words, Myria did something I never would've thought...

She smiled.

I felt my emotions climaxing as I began to thrust my sword towards her heart.

"Goodbye Reika-chan..."