"Rei!?" Alissa ran over practically tossing Able away from me.
"I'm fine. Blood rushed to my head is all." Internally I was giving Alissa a thumbs up for removing the source of my nosebleed. If Able continued to gaze at me any longer, I probably would have died from blood loss. But deep down I did wish that smile that was shining so brightly on me, would have lasted just a little bit longer though. Maybe a death gazing at such a handsome face was worth it?
With flushed cheeks I finally calmed down after what had happened. I had to hand it to Able for making me forget the things I had seen. "So what do we do now? I am sure the kidnappers have found that the kids are missing already."
"I think it should be okay. Give me the location of the hide out and I will get the knights over here to take care of it. Our priority is to protect the children." Able said. As he gazed at the children who were all looking at us as if we were their last hope. In truth we were their only hope.
"It's too bad your optimism is for not." An angered voice shouted out before ten men dropped down from on top of the building. "Did you really think you could get away? You think we would just capture the goods and not place a magic tracker on them? Humph! You thought too lightly of me, the hell from the seven seas, Grey Beard!"
My face fell, I had thought they would not be able to find us so easily. If I had known there was a tracker on them I would have kept running! But my anxiety was overwhelmed by the laughter coming from next to me. "Pfft! Grey Beard, he says! Seven seas he says! Is he from a fantasy novel!?"
Alissa, calm down your image as the perfect female lead is quickly shattering! Even Able is giving you a strange look and he is one of your romance targets you know! I could only sigh inwardly, she was too far gone, there was nothing I could do. I mean she was rolling around on the ground kicking and flailing her arms about as she laughed. Look, even the Grey Beard guy's face is turning red with embarrassment. I know what he said was funny but still!
"That's it! Little girl I was planning on selling you for a high price but now I just want you dead!" Huh? What? Why is he staring at me like that, it was not me who started laughing at you! My mouth has been shut this entire time!
Grey Beard began chanting some kind of strange words. Seconds later a massive fireball bagan to form over his head. My face paled, I knew I had no way of blocking this attack and I was still feeling a little weak. Luckily the only good thing was Able had gathered all the kids and was standing in front of them farther away. "Die!" Grey Bread yelled out sending the massive fireball towards us.
I do not know what came over me but I scrambled to pull Alissa behind me and covered her with my body. I am not sure if it was because of my love for the game or what but, I could only think of how in the future this country would be on the verge of collapse due to the war and only Alissa and the male leads would be able to save it. To be honest I did not want to die a second time but my body moved on it's own. I only felt intense heat and heard a loud boom sound as I waited for the pain of being set on fire to permeate through my body. But strangely enough, this pain did not come.
"Rei! Alissa! Are you okay!?" Able's voice rang into my ears. I lifted my head to see Able on the other side of the alley but what surprised me was the blue barrier surrounding me and Alissa. Flames flickered around us that had yet to burn out. But I was confused, who placed a barrier around us?
"I'm good." I finally answered after coming out of my state of confusion. I slowly got up into a sitting position and looked at Alissa who seemed to still be in a daze. "Alissa are you okay?"
"Huh? Ah… Yeah, thank you!"
"You! What did you do!? How did you block my full powered attack!?" Grey Beard was also confused as to what had just happened. To him I was just a young girl no more than thirteen years of age. There should have been no way for me to block that attack.
"System what happened shouldn't I have died?" I couldn't help but ask. Only the system could tell me what exactly happened just now.
"Rei, you created a barrier that warded off the attack. That Grey Beard only has two magic power, so there is no way he could have broken your barrier." The system answered.
"Umm… I didn't cast anything..." I was even more confused now. I have no idea how to cast magic yet so how did I create a barrier?
"Rei, your strong desire to protect the girl just now made it happen. Magic is all about the users will." The system explained.
"If you knew how to cast magic, why didn't you tell me before?"
"I do not know the ends and outs of it, only that one's desire or will can also cast magic. There could be other factors for this as well. Normally you would need an incantation." Taking in what the system said it seemed I would still need to find a teacher since it all seemed to be confusing.
But the matter at hand was that we were still surrounded and seemingly in a deadlock. Grey Beard did not dare cast more magic since I was able to block his full-powered attack that should have turned Alissa and I into ash.
"Able what now?" I asked, as I got up off the ground and took out my axe. I then grabbed Alissa's hand and pulled her behind me as I went to where Able was standing.
"We are surrounded on all sides so this is not a favorable situation but luckily you blocking the attack was enough to make them all cautious and gave me enough time to call the knights. If we can just hold out for a few minutes they will be here soon." Able replied in a low whisper. Just loud enough for me and Alissa to hear.
"Then what if we do a preemptive attack?" I couldn't think of any other option. If we could take them by surprise and take out as many as possible they would run away. I didn't like the thought that I might kill more people but right now I saw no other choice but to bloody my hands again. "I haven't even been in this world for two days and I have already stained my hands in blood..."
"Rei did you say something?" Able looked at me confused. It was only then that I realized that I was speaking my thoughts out loud.
"Huh? Nothing! So what do you think?" I asked.
"Well, I see no other option. We can only do this and hope we survive. But as a Magic Knight, I know If I were to just return these kids and walk away to save my own life I would regret it for the rest of my life. Miss Cobrone can you protect the kids?" Able asked.
"Leave it to me! You two can go wild. I promise nothing will happen to these kids. Just be careful!" Aliisa answered as she took up a defensive position in front of the kids.
"I got the right, you go left!" Able yelled out before rushing towards the right side.
I gritted my teeth and held tightly onto my axe as I charged to the left. The kidnappers were startled by our sudden charge and took them a few seconds to react, giving both Able and I enough time to rush up on them. The kidnapper that was in front of me quickly drew his sword and thrust it out at me. I sidestepped the attack and swung my axe down onto his arm, cleaving it in two. The man screamed out in pain but his screams did not last long because I used my momentum to twirl my body bringing my axe up high and slicing it right through his neck. I felt my stomach begin to turn once again but I forced it down and continued my rampage.
My strength was on par with an adult and when you added on my martial art skills and the overpowered axe, I was basically an unstoppable force. In less than a minute I had already taken down all five men, I looked up to see that Able had also finished his side. The only one left standing was the leader of the kidnappers Grey Beard. His face was pale as he looked at both me and Able as if we were monsters.
"I-I surrender! Please don't kill me!" Grey Bread suddenly plopped to the ground and prostrated himself in front of us.
It was only when I saw everything was over that I put my axe away. I felt light-headed as I looked at the dead bodies around me. Before I knew what was going on my world began to spin and I passed out.
---
"Rei!" Able ran over to Rei who had just fallen to the ground and held the girl in his arms. Alissa also ran over to find out what was going on.
A few minutes later the knights showed up and took care of the cleanup. Grey Beard was arrested and carted off. Able followed by Alissa took Rei to the nearest hospital to get her checked out.
"She fainted due to hunger. This girl is thirteen years old but her body has not been getting any nutrients at all." The doctor began to explain.
"You mean she is not being fed at home?" Alissa asked, her brows furrowed and her eyes began to water up.
"Yes, this girl has not been eating well. But if I recall she should be the daughter of Baron Lancaster no? They have plenty of money, why would his daughter look like this? Her body is underdeveloped all because she has not been eating well. Such a shame she is a very pretty girl." The doctor gazed at Rei with pity in his eyes.
"The Lancaster's are just too cruel! If only my family had status I would rush into their home and snatch my Rei away!" Alissa yelled out in anger.
"Don't worry I will do something. Rei risked her life and killed for the first time in order to save those kids. I will not allow her good deed go unnoticed." Able eyes gazed down at the sleeping girl in front of him warmly.
"Hey! Don't be getting any designs on my Rei!" Alissa gazed at Able coldly.
"I do not think she is yours. I think it should be for her to choose who she wants to be with right?" Sparks seemed to be flying throughout the room as Able and Alissa stared at each other.
The doctor had a strange look on his face after listening to these two kids bickering. "Can the two of you take it outside, you will disturb the patient. She needs to rest at this time."
Both Able and Alissa quickly quieted down as they said at the same time: "Sorry doctor."