Yin walked down to the entrance of the town with the three other young bandits in tow. Spotting a few articles of torn clothing, decimated corpses and various miscellanious items strewn about. Yin crouched down and took a look at the blood smears leading further into town. It seemed the bandits had dragged off the survivors and looted the houses already. The cocky teen bandit snorted in what she could tell was disgust.
'That's an interesting reaction..' Yin idly thought before standing back up and carrying on, where she heard yelling ahead.
"We should-" The bandit girl seemed eager to rush ahead, only to be cut off when Yin raised her hand.
"Haaaah.. are you feelin' sorry for these soft Townies? Not very bandit-like of you, Reia." The cocky bandit boy teased.
"Shut up, Brandon. We're supposed to be fighting the Beormir any second now.." The second, more sure of himself, male bandit retorted.
"Keita's right.. See? Even Yin's been quiet this whole time.." Reia muttered, bringing all three young bandit's attention to Yin as she walked ahead and observed the state of the town.
'Truthfully, I'm thinking about what I'm about to do here. But I can't get lost in thought now of all times.' Yin exhaled before stopping at an intersecting four-way street.
To the sides, she could spot some Beormir bandits busily looting the houses on the sides. They clearly hadn't noticed them yet, so Yin glanced back at the three young bandits with her.
"Kill them silently. No guns. Slit their throats and circle around to the block ahead of us using the side streets." Yin ordered, seeing Keita nod before dragging the two off the main street with him.
'I guess I'll see once I come face to face with them..' Yin thought to herself while silently walking main street.
"Stop!! Please! Take our things! Just leave us alone!" A young voice shouted ahead, Yin spotting a group of 4 Beormir bandits dragging two children out by the hair.
One was a quiet but struggling orange haired girl, while the other was a Mistralian boy with black and pink highlighted hair. The boy begged the leader of the group, a woman who happened to have long, dark red unruly hair and two dull green eyes. The woman just ignored his pleas and tossed him onto the stone street with the girl.
"Oh we're taking your shit, no doubt. But you have value too. Ginger here's a cute, quiet and well behaved kid. I'm sure some rich customer will buy her. If not? Well, I guess some of the men might like 'em small. You, I'm gonna take for myself. I like taking beautiful things and messing them up." The woman casually said before gesturing to the three bandits beside her.
"Put em in a cell. Don't bruise him. I like to work my toys over myself." The bandit men looked at the boy in a small amount of pity, but listened anyway, forcefully dragging the two by the arms.
"Wait.. boss. Uh..?" One of the men beside her pointed down the street, where Yin had been walking towards them.
"Did we miss one..?" The woman asked before spotting the swords and gun on Yin's hips as she walked in their direction.
The woman's eyes focused as she saw Yin's face. She went completely silent as she evaluated Yin's appearance, even grinning somewhat hungrily as Yin's eyes met hers. A certain ugly possessiveness took root in her mind as she stared at Yin.
'Oh great. A playground sniper.. That aside.. is that Ren and Nora?' Yin glanced at the two children who looked as if their savior had come for them.
Yin's brows furrowed as an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach. She had heard the bandit woman earlier. Selling Nora as a sex slave and keeping Ren to abuse for herself. She felt small amounts of pity for the inhabitants who used to live in Kuroyuri. But the fates of those who survived was going to be far worse than those who died. She saw it, the genuine terror in Nora's eyes and the silent desperation in Ren's eyes. She was roused from her inner thoughts when the woman approached, apparently having been trying to talk with her for a few moments.
"Honey?" The woman called out sweetly, words betraying her lecherous expression.
"I'm listening." Yin replied, making the woman halt in her tracks.
"Mhmhm.. You're not from this town, yes? You look.. strong. Care to join the Beormir? I'd rather not forcibly take someone who looks so.. capable. My name is Ruby Beormir. One of the daughters of our Chief." The woman smiled, one arm lifting her impressive breasts up on display while slowly getting closer to Yin.
"Is that right?" Yin asked, her face blank of any emotion.
"Yes. Join up with me vouching for you and no one will ever touch you." She smiled proudly, reaching her hand out and touching her silky black hair.
"I suppose I could.. But it's just too unfortunate.." Ruby focused on her lips as she spoke, ready to grab the girl and disarm her before she had her fun.
"Mm? What i-Urk!" Ruby's words caught in her throat as Yin's hand forcibly grabbed it, cutting off her breathing.
"It really is unfortunate you were named Ruby." Yin replied before squeezing her fingers tightly.
CRACK!
The crisp sound of broken bones was heard next. Ruby's eyes widening as she came to the realization that Yin broke her neck. She collapsed, her neck at a strange angle. The last thing she saw was her men looking her way with terror-stricken faces as the male bandits brandished their weapons and the boot of Yin stepping over her dying body, before her consciousness sunk into darkness.
"I have to thank you for making the decision easy for me. I almost considered killing you all painlessly." Yin grinned sadistically before pulling out her pistol and blowing a hole through the pelvis of the male bandit not holding Ren and Nora.
"GAAAAAGH!! AAAHH... IT HURTS!!" The bandit cried out, dropping his daggers as two more shots hit him in the left kneecap and the foot, blowing the two of them off in a terrifying gorey display.
The two male bandits holding Ren and Nora began to slowly move back while holding them in front, like meat shields, their guns aimed at their heads. Yin ignored the agonized weeping of the dying bandit and looked at the two of them. The smoking silcer barrel of that monstrous pistol aimed at themz despite holding the children up as hostages.
"Hey! Wa-Wait!! Don't shoot us!! You don't wanna shoot the kids, right!?" One of the men cried out, shuffling backward while his grip on Nora threatened to break her arm.
"I don't really need to shoot you though..?" Yin smirked as the bandits felt blades cut across the flesh of their necks, not even having the time to glance behind them at their killers before collapsing back.
Yin watched their blood gush out of their open necks before nodding at Brandon, Reia and Keita, who had successfully circled around and assassinated the two bandits holding Ren and Nora hostage. Speaking of, the two were pale and shaking. It made sense, given the state they're in and what had just happened to them. Though Yin took interest in Ren as he scowled at the dead bandits before looking at her with thankful eyes.
"If you want to leave, you can. We're not going to stop you." Nora seemed tempted to take Yin's offer to just leave, but then she looked up at Ren, the boy who saved her with his Semblance.
He looked at the dead bandits in clear frustration. Ren clenched his fists as he glanced at the worried Nora, who was pulling at his sleeve. Yin recognized the look. Ren was steeling himself, coming to a, very likely, bitter realization. He then looked Yin in the eyes, having calmed his emotions.
"You look strong. Can you teach us?" Ren asked, holding Nora's hand.
'Yeah.. Same decision I made for the sake of Yang and Ruby. My existence already messes with canon anyway.. so, fuck it. Let's live dangerously.' Yin snorted in amusement, surprising the young bandits beside her.
"I suppose I can. I'm a strict teacher though. And I'm not the best yet. Do you still want to learn from me? We're probably the same age." Yin replied, watching Nora share a look with Ren, as if they were having a silent conversation.
Nora seemed to be silently asking Ren if this was what he wanted. They both previously decided to leave Kuroyuri and travel to get experience. Though finding a capable huntsman to teach them would be difficult, there was really nothing left in the town for them here. Then, as they were about to leave, bandits swept in and attacked the already decimated town. Ren looked at the girl who claimed to be their age.
'How is someone our age leading dangerous people like them..?' Ren broke eye contact with Nora before he glanced at the teenage bandits going through the pockets of the dead Beormir bandits, swallowing a lump in his throat.
He then looked back at Yin, silently appraising her. She radiated danger, confidence, disgust and several other feelings Ren couldn't pinpoint. She seemed like a decent person. Ren released a breath he didn't know he was holding in before looking into Yin's crimson eyes.
"Please, mentor us." He bowed, cupping his fist.
"Fu.. No need for that. I'm not a Young Master or anything. I already hear some gunfire elsewhere, so Vernal must have started. Reia, keep watch over them. You're going to see a lot more death, be prepared." Yin heard the distant cries of people, along with gunfire, taking the lead once more.
As they walked, Ren paid close attention to her. From the way she glanced at the bodies of the dead, to the frown etched on her face when she saw the scuff marks along the ground. The Beormir had not been gentle when dragging the survivors out of their homes. It was a bit assuring to see that she looked down on these acts.
"Can you.. tell us about her?" Ren asked Reia quietly, seeing Nora nod in response to his request.
"Uh.. well.. she's the Chief's daughter. Yin Branwen. She's.. one of the strongest in our tribe. Has her aura unlocked and everything." Reia whispered back, shocking Ren.
"Dad told me unlocking your aura below twelve years old is lethal.. How did she.." Ren looked on in amazement at Yin's back, wondering what thoughts were going through her head.
'Why didn't that woman have aura? She was their chief's daughter, right? Or was she lying to get my guard down. Actually, it's not just her. The bandits we've seen are disappointing. Probably grunts then.' Yin thought, glancing at her own stats briefly.
[Strength: 50, Vitality: 35, Agility: 50, Perception: 40, Intelligence: 35]
'The average adult I've observed has strength up to twenty. And that's without aura. But these bandits should at least have a physical stat higher than that.' Yin thought before unsheathing Onikiri and facing down a group of looting bandits.
"Ey! We got stragglers!" One of them yelled, pulling out their guns and aiming at Yin while Reia, Keita and Brandon took Ren and Nora into cover.
[Miria Beomir- Strength: 24, Vitality: 17, Agility: 18, Perception: 12, Intelligence: 10]
"ON THE GROUND, BITCH!!" One of the male bandits yelled.
Yin observed the bandits yelling and pointing their dust guns at them. Each of them more disappointing than the other. The woman she first observed was their best. And even then, she wasn't that impressive.
"Haa.. Must be an aura thing.." Yin muttered before continuing her steps.
[Accelerate: Lv-6 activated]
Their weapons fired, but strangely, all completely missed. Yin's body blurred, seemingly appearing in front of the bandit woman Miria, holding her Malorian arms pistol barrel under her chin with a plain expression. Yin's expression oozing boredom, despite the fear in Miria's eyes. Deciding to have some fun, she looked up at the attractive brunette bandit.
"Wanna live?"
"Y..Yes.." Miria stood stock still, even as the other bandits looked ready to run away.
"Shoot them down." Yin said, using Onikiri to push her gun barrel towards a slowly approaching bandit.
BANG!
She didn't even hesitate to pull the trigger, putting a round into the chest of a male bandit, much to the shock of the others.
"You fuckin' traito-" BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Yin quickly shot five of them dead before punching Miria in the stomach and dropping her to her knees. Yin reloaded, stylishly flipping the pistol as Johnny Silverhand had done. Nodding to herself, she then looked at Miria, trying to get oxygen in her lungs from being winded.
"Aaah! I did.. what you asked!" Miria then coughed, looking up at Yin fearfully.
"You sure did. I lied though. But you did win something.. Wanna know what you won?" Yin hummed, twirling the gun in her hand.
Miria's eyes widened, looking for anything that might provide her a means to get away. Unfortunately, she didn't have plot armor.
"A painless death." BANG!
Yin shot Miria in the head before her mind could register what she said. Behind her, her team approached. Brandon sneered in dissatisfaction.
"You mopped them up way too fast! I couldn't even line my sights.." Brandon complained.
"Talk to Gray then. Get good, scrub." Yin replied before continuing on.
'So I don't revel in the killing.. Good to know. I'm actually almost disappointed. But killing the weak just doesn't do it for me. Might as well make this fun though..' Yin opened her inventory, looking at the Malorian Arms pistol options.
[Play 'The Rebel Path- Cello version'?]
Yin clicked 'yes' before it began to play. Though only she could hear it. She found herself smirking a little as more bandit fodder were encountered in the middle of dragging townspeople from their homes.
-East Kuroyuri-
Vernal was having a far better time killing the Beormir. Her group had just come across some moving a group of captured women, surprising the enslaving bandits with gunfire and two blades, the last being courtesy of Vernal. Vernal ducked behind a steel club before slamming the edge of her blade into the muscular Beormir's eye socket. He howled in pain, bringing his hand up to his bloody eye before his life was taken by a shot to the head by Vernal.
"Weak ass bitches! Shameful! How the hell are you chucklefucks struggling with these clowns?" Vernal asked, looking back at her group, which had successfully killed 7 Beormir and were struggling to kill three more.
"Shit I killed twelve of these dipshits. Step it up!" Vernal shouted, turning her attention to the bound townspeople.
"You.. urgh.. have aura!! And you train with freaks!" One of her team, Karmine, shouted back indignantly.
"Dunno what to do about you guys though.." Vernal ignored Karmine's whining, sticking her pinkie in her ear.
"Please.. We.. don't have anything of value on us.." One of the captured woman cried out.
"Eh.. just get inside or leave. We aren't here for you anyway." Vernal shrugged before turning back to her group, which just now finished off the last Beormir.
"Fina-fuckin'-ly! What took ya so long? And don't whine about aura." Vernal chastised the tired group of bandits.
"The training you recieve is far better than ours.." One of the other male members, Haru spoke up between breaths.
"Skill issue. Heh.. Yin taught me that." Vernal replied with a smirk that further annoyed the bandits.
"Welp! Let's pick up the pace. I'm gonna kill waaaay more than Yin-"
BOOOOOM!
A large explosion cut Vernal off. She turned around, seeing flames spread out into the sky from the center of Kuroyuri. Two prominent colors lighting up the area. Regular, orange flames. And mesmerizing blue flames.
"Shiiit! She's fighting something cool! Get yer asses moving!" Vernal shouted before running toward the chaos.
[A/N: Yo. Thanks for reading the PSA last chap. We did it, boiz. That copy-paster deleted the book. Anyway! Onto better news. I've narrowed the Quest world to a few options that a few of you liked.
1. Akame ga Kill
2. Highschool DxD
3. Fairy Tail
4. Arifureta
Those are the top picks as of now. Leave your pick and ideas if ya want. Thanks~]