Several guys, each holding a sharp weapon that could easily slice off any human flesh, surrounded Aya so she wouldn't get any chance to run away.
She was basically trapped in here without any escape route.
The other several assassins that seemed rather confident to have surrounded a small, pitiful girl like Aya kept grinning or staring at their target without showing any signs of being merciful.
Aya, on the other hand, was completely frozen by the number of people that had surrounded her like that. Her breathing pattern was beginning to grow faster, and her vision was beginning to blur from the amount of pressure she was being put under.
"W-why are you doing this to me?"
"You should've thought this through twice before you would backstab our allies. If you thought that nothing was going to happen next, then you are a fool."
One of the assassins, who had a stern look on his face, responded to the trembling girl.
All of them were beginning to close their distance without leaving the girl or even thinking of getting away. It was basically game over for Aya. Or at least, that's what she thought at the moment.
~Aya, snap out of it. They are just a bunch of thugs who would attack solo adventurers in groups. There's nothing to be scared of!~
While Aya was slowly losing her own concentration on her surroundings, she snapped back out of her thoughts once a voice in her head spoke to her.
"I c-can't…."
Aya's weak voice softly whispered as she tried to back away from the killers, only to realize that there were also a number of them behind her.
~Yes, you can! You are already stronger than before. I saw, even before we met, how you were able to escape each miss from those monsters. You are a lot stronger than you think. The only thing holding you back are the emotions inside you!~
Aya's eyes widened for a moment when she heard Hiroki's first encouraging words.
This was the first time she had heard her master speak so lively. It was almost as if he were speaking those words from his heart.
~So don't give up yet. Fight! Fight for what you are trying to achieve. If you don't fight, then nothing will save you.~
As the last words echoed in Aya's mind, her arms had become completely limp from hearing the whole speech from Hiroki in a loop. She knew very well that she needed to become much stronger than before. And what Hiroki was saying was completely true.
She was held back by fear, which dragged her to this state. A powerful emotion in which many humans have either lost their lives, or have grown strong thanks to it.
"Haha, did she give up?"
One of the guys smirked as he continued approaching the dejected girl, who had lost all hope. With the same kind of confidence, he approached the girl and grabbed her by her hair.
"To think a brat like you would make this much troub–"
However, his voice didn't manage to finish his sentence before his eyes turned to small dots.
"Jani, what happened? Did you get deceived by her small looks as well, or what?"
One of the assassins asked as he saw the back of his friend that had completely frozen, while all of the other allies that were on the other side could only be seen with shocked expressions on the one who approached Aya.
But he soon realized why everyone else on the opposite side was looking with surprised or shocked expressions once the confident guy who had grabbed the target by the hair fell motionless to the ground.
"W-wha…"
And the girl, who was afraid only a few moments ago, was now holding a dagger in her hand, painted with the blood of the one who had grabbed her by the hair.
"That bitch tricked us!"
"Kill her!" "Don't let her get away!"
As soon as everyone saw their ally with its throat sliced on the ground, they all gripped their blades as they rushed towards the girl in anger. This only confirmed even more that Aya was a target that they needed to get revenge on.