The steel blade narrowly caressed the boy's neck.
Drawing a trickle of blood.
In a moment's notice, Kleine's belly was pierced, by a man vying to become a great knight; his name was Paul.
A simple town's guard.
"Paul!" Akame and Soukou cried out.
Paul looked at the kids and smiled.
"I'm not too late."
"Wait but, how?" Akame questioned.
"I had overheard their plans, same as you back in the tavern, I tried conscripting some fellow guards to come with me, but no one would risk their lives for an elf slave."
Kleine had hit the floor.
"Well dammit don't just sit there! I'm aware you bumbling sacks of gold can cast healing magic, cast it!" Kleine writhed in agony
One of the noblemen came up to him and whispered the words
"Lo! Renpet, god of the highest order, hear my plea, I, Nathan Humblebert, your humble servant request that you cast a tear of your eternity unto this man and mend his wounds once more."
His wounds cascaded onto the dust of the earth.
"Witchcraft!" Shouted Paul.
"I did nothing of the sort."
"Now listen here! You nonentity, a lowly towns guardsman, who serves no importance, no higher being, and reveres none but himself, I will cast upon you great wounds!"
"Aye, I am a lowly towns guardsman, bestowed with no lands nor titles, but that means I'll protect my town and everyone within it, I swear by this town, that I will slay you on this morrow."
Paul drew his sword and pointed it at the three bandits.
"And if you lot want to fight as well, I'll be happy to offer you up unto the grave."
The three bandits all drew their blades and readied for a fight that would echo through the annals of generations.
TO BE CONTINUED