Meanwhile, the masked man knocked out almost every rogue with his super speed, leaving only one rogue. "Spare me, please have mercy!" the last rogue cried out loud, his voice overwhelmed with fear.
"You see, that's the only thing I don't do," the masked man spoke, his voice icy and resolute. "I never forget or forgive."
Hearing the masked man's words, the last rogue fell to the ground and gulped in fear, realizing the hopelessness of his plea. The masked man lifted the last rogue from the ground; the last rogue offered no resistance and accepted his fate. With a final blow, the masked man put the last rogue out of his misery.
"Now, where is that coward hiding?" The masked man referred to the rogue leader, who was nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile, the rogue leader had taken refuge in one of the village houses, hiding behind a bed. In the village house, the painful cries of his men were silenced by the masked man. The rogue leader heard the hissing of a woman from the bed. He looked underneath and saw Hiroshi's pregnant mother hiding there. Hiroshi's mother also saw the masked man and tried to get out of the rogue leader's reach, but he was fast and grabbed her leg. With cruelty, the rogue leader dragged Hiroshi's mother by her leg.
He grabbed Hiroshi's mother's hair. "Let me go!" she cried in pain as the rogue leader pulled her up.
"How can I let you go? You're my exit from here," the rogue leader's tone filled with malice. He then pulled out his dagger and placed it on Hiroshi's mother's throat. "Now, be quiet." The rogue leader had taken Hiroshi's mother as his hostage.
The rogue leader dragged Hiroshi's mother out of the house to confront the masked man. "Let me go, please!" Hiroshi's mother cried out loud, pleading with the rogue leader.
The masked man heard a woman in distress and turned his gaze toward the rogue leader. He saw the rogue leader holding a woman as his hostage, holding Hiroshi's mother's hair tightly and placing his dagger on her throat.
Hiroshi saw his mother as a hostage and tried to breach Eiera's barrier, but Rin stopped him from doing so, knowing the consequences. Her grip was firm and gentle at the same time. Unable to break free from Rin's grip, Hiroshi cried out loud. "Mom! She's my mom, save her, please!" Hiroshi pleaded with the masked man.
Hearing Hiroshi's words, the masked man locked eyes with Hiroshi's mother, tears dripping nonstop from her eyes. He reassured her with his red gleaming eyes. "Trust me, everything is going to be okay." His voice was gentle and calm as he spoke to Hiroshi's mother. Hiroshi's mother nodded in response.
The rogue leader closed the small gap between his dagger and Hiroshi's mother's throat, making a small cut. A small amount of blood began to leak as she groaned in pain. "Trust you? No, trust me; nothing will be okay," the rogue leader spoke with cunning.
"Leave her, and you can leave," the masked man spoke with a commanding tone.
"You're in no position to command me anymore, so just do as I say," the rogue leader sneered at the masked man, tightening his grip on the dagger. He then released his grip on Hiroshi's mother's hair and raised his hand in the air, while keeping the dagger clenched on her throat.
He cast a spell, "Ebon Rejuvenation!" Multiple waves of dark purple magic emerged from his hand and instantly healed all of his men who had been taken out by the masked man.
The rogues stood up in confusion but were still scared of the masked man. They quickly analyzed the situation and surrounded him. "Leave her, and leave this village," the masked man, unbothered by the situation, demanded again. "We'll come to that," the rogue leader quickly responded.
The rogue leader wanted revenge for his humiliation. "Your sword put it down NOW!" The rogue leader made a small cut on Hiroshi's mother's throat. The masked man took a deep breath and threw his sword on the ground.
"Hold him," the rogue leader ordered his men to grab the masked man. The rogues hesitated for a second but managed to gather their courage and tightly held the masked man. The masked man showed no resistance to the safety of Hiroshi's mother.
"Do what you want to do to me, but leave her alone," the masked man said.
A cunning smile filled with satisfaction appeared on the rogue leader's face. "She would have been fine if you weren't here."
As the rogue leader spoke, he delivered a cruel strike and cut Hiroshi's mother's throat. He then threw Hiroshi's mother on the ground. "Mom!" Hiroshi cried out loud.
"Let me go, my mom needs me," Hiroshi pleaded with Rin to release him. The masked man was shocked by the rogue leader's move. He tried to get closer to Hiroshi's mother, but the rogues held him tight, making him unable to move.
He locked eyes with Hiroshi's mother; she was struggling to breathe as she was constantly bleeding and crying. "Please take care of my son," she murmured to the masked man.