Four mercenaries stood in front of the gates of the Rasanto estate, appearing vigilant and ready for anything! However, the reality was quite the opposite. They were bored, tired, and utterly fed up with their current assignment. One of them, a man with a brooch attached to his armor, let out a long sigh of frustration. "Goddess, I'm so fucking done with this job," he muttered absentmindedly.
Another mercenary, a woman with dreadlocks, nodded in agreement. "Uh huh, this job is seriously dragging on at this point," she chimed in, blinking tiredly.
"Does anyone actually believe that Verandez prick got a death threat?" asked another mercenary, a young man with a pistol holstered at his hip.
"Who the hell knows? Not like it matters. If we don't follow orders, we'll be killed by that Orian bastard or maybe even Marcus. Not that it matters," the final mercenary, a demi-human man with deer antlers on his head, replied, leaning on a staff he held in his hands.
The man with the brooch glanced behind him at the two house guards, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "You guys think it's weird that there were only two guards protecting this place before all of us got here?" he asked his fellow mercenaries.
"Yeah, you'd think Verandez would have more guards around, considering how big this mansion is," the young man said, voicing his agreement.
"I agree. This place should have at least a dozen and a half people guardin' it," the woman with dreadlocks added with a nod.
The demi-human man, seemingly unfazed by the discussion, yawned lazily. "Who cares at this point? Once our contracts are over, we'll all be gone anyway," he remarked, his eyes half-closed in fatigue. But then, something caught his attention.
"Hey, is it just me or do you guys also see someone standing over there?" he asked suddenly. The others turned to follow his gaze and noticed a figure in the distance. "Is that... is that a kid?" the man with the brooch asked, squinting as they all saw a teenage boy with blue hair standing in the middle of the road.
"Do you think he's lost?" asked the young man in confusion, keeping his eyes fixed on the boy.
"Dunno, but I highly doubt it. Get your gun ready," said the woman with dreadlocks as she herself retrieved her weapon, a large battle axe from her back.
"What the hell is he even wearing? Are those feathers?" questioned the man with the brooch, eyeing the teenager and his strange outfit.
"Hey, boy! This is private property! Get out of here!" yelled the demi-human man as he straightened up, no longer leaning on his staff. Meanwhile, the young man pointed his pistol at the boy, who remained silent despite the confrontation.
"What is he doing now?" the young man asked as they watched the boy start to bounce on his feet a couple of times, as if warming up for something.
"Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?" queried the man with the brooch aloud, drawing his weapon—a longsword—from its sheath, while the boy stopped bouncing and took in a deep breath before assuming a runner's position.
"Yeah, he definitely is," confirmed the woman with dreadlocks as the boy started running towards them at full speed.
"Shoot him already!" exclaimed the demi-human man, urging the young man to action. Without hesitation, the young man squeezed the trigger of his pistol, and the bullet headed straight for the boy, striking him square in the chest. Despite this, the boy only staggered slightly before continuing to run at them, unaffected, at full speed.
"Shit!" the demi-human man cursed as he aimed his staff at the boy, preparing to fire off a spell. But before he could do so, the boy was already atop them, about to punch the demi-human man in the head. However, just before the blow could land, the woman with dreadlocks swung her axe at the boy's head.
Instinctively, the boy ducked under the swing, his movements fluid and precise. Simultaneously, he hooked his left arm around the back of the woman's left knee, leveraging her own momentum against her. With a swift tug, he brought her leg out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
But the boy didn't stop there. He seamlessly transitioned, using his momentum to propel himself forward with remarkable agility. Planting his right foot firmly on the ground, he pivoted slightly to his left, his movements calculated and swift. With precision timing, he swung his right leg forward in a sweeping arc, aiming to hook it behind the man with the brooch's knees.
As his right leg extended fully, the boy bent his left knee slightly to maintain stability. The motion was seamless, executed with grace and efficiency. His right leg connected with the back of the man with the brooch's knees with a solid impact.
With a powerful tug, the boy brought his right leg inward while pushing outward with his left leg, creating a scissor-like effect. This action caused the man with the brooch's legs to lose their support, sending him crashing to the ground beside the woman, his landing accompanied by a grunt of pain.
The demi-human man managed to fire off a spell, a shard of ice hurtling straight for the boy's head. But just as it was about to make contact, a shimmering golden light appeared, blocking the shard. The mercenaries stood in complete shock, their jaws dropping in disbelief, as the light dissipated back into the boy's strange outfit.
Seizing the opportunity amidst their stunned state, the boy swiftly elbowed the demi-human man in the sternum, knocking the wind out of him. With a gasp of pain, the demi-human man staggered backward, momentarily incapacitated.
Meanwhile, the boy wasted no time and charged at the young man, who was preparing to fire off another shot. Before the young man could react, the boy grabbed his hand and forced it upwards, causing the shot to miss as the gun discharged harmlessly into the air.
Using his right leg, the boy delivered a swift knee to the young man's stomach, doubling him over in pain. With remarkable speed and agility, he then seized the young man by the collar of his armor and spun him around, hurling him at the demi-human man.
The two mercenaries collided and crashed to the ground, their bodies tangled and their weapons scattered around them.
The woman with dreadlocks attempted to rise, but before she could fully regain her footing, the boy swiftly kicked her in the jaw, rendering her unconscious. With a thud, she collapsed back to the ground, motionless.
Turning his attention to the man with the brooch, the boy brought his foot down on the man's face with force, knocking out a few of his teeth in the process. The man groaned in pain, blood seeping from his mouth, as he slumped onto the ground, defeated.
With the two mercenaries incapacitated, the boy approached the remaining two, who pleaded for mercy. "Wait a minute, we give up! Don't hurt us!" begged the young man, desperation evident in his voice. "Yeah, we'll leave, just let us go!" added the demi-human man, his voice trembling with fear.
The boy let out a sigh. "Sorry, guys. Can't take any chances right now," he muttered apologetically. Without further delay, he delivered a swift punch to the demi-human man's jaw, knocking him out cold. He repeated the action with the young man, swiftly rendering him unconscious as well.
With a heavy huff, he turned to the terrified house guards. "Again, I'm really sorry, but I have to do this!" Xain exclaimed apologetically before charging at them while thinking to himself, *I really hope this plan works.*