That boy with a large backpack, full speed ahead. Logically, I should be exhausted from the heavy burden, but thanks to the Blessing of Toughness: Michael, I wasn't tired at all. In fact, I could still run several dozen kilometers at the same pace.
Then, I stopped abruptly, leaving deep tracks in the snow as I reached the village gate. It turned out the village was under attack by bandits.
[Indeed, and these bandits are not ordinary,] Ciel said with a serious tone.
I raised an eyebrow at Ciel's response. "Wait, what do you mean?"
[There are wizards and a Rank Saint swordsman among the bandits,] Ciel replied.
I didn't fully understand what the intelligence inside my head meant. Rank Saint?
Ignoring that thought, I lowered my bag and stowed it in a safe place. Then, I assembled my spear. Carrying a full spear from the hut was cumbersome, so I separated the blade from the shaft. I carried the shaft during the journey, while the blade was stored. After a quick assembly, I wasted no time and dashed across the snowy plains toward the chaos.
...
-Third Person Perspective-
"Help!" a woman cried out desperately.
ZRAASH!
"Have mercy on me!" a man screamed as a sword swung through the air, leaving a trail of blood.
"Anything, but my child!" a mother pleaded with tears streaming down her face.
"No, mother!!" a child screamed in fear and helplessness.
Various screams filled the village as the bandits mercilessly slaughtered the residents. The smell of blood, smoke, and iron filled the air, creating a very distressing atmosphere. The village guards had long been killed, no match for the Rank Saint swordsman who led the bandits.
Not only that, there was also a wizard among the attackers, making the situation even worse. The villagers were like sheep surrounded by hungry wolves.
"Bwahahaha! Well done, Ramon! Thanks to you, it was so easy to conquer this village!!" a bandit laughed loudly, his voice full of triumph.
"What are you saying, Boss? The village guards were no match for you. As expected of a Rank Saint," Ramon replied, praising his leader.
The village was in total chaos. Fires burned houses while the bandits looted everything they could find. The surviving villagers tried to flee, but most were helpless against the fierce and trained bandits.
"Kukuku! You're always entertaining, Ramon, but it seems I don't need you for this conquest," the bandit boss patted Ramon's back a few times, a sly smile on his face.
"No, I need to see this beautiful sight myself!!" Ramon replied with an excited grin, his eyes sparkling as if his hormones were soaring high, like he was seeing something very captivating.
"Beautiful, huh? I always knew you were weird despite being educated," the bandit boss looked puzzled as he rolled his eyes.
As they walked casually, flames flared up around them, accompanied by the desperate screams of the villagers. It wasn't a sight of sorrow for them, but rather one they enjoyed immensely.
"Hey, who are you—"
SWOOSH!
One of the bandits' underlings suddenly disintegrated as a streak of golden light pierced through him with incredible speed. It happened just as the bandit boss and wizard Ramon were walking through the village square.
"GYAAAH!"
The two immediately became alert upon hearing the scream of their underling. Their eyes met in confusion, and they finally reached a conclusion.
"It seems there's something entertaining here," the bandit boss muttered, standing on guard, his sword drawn and ready to fight.
Ramon also prepared his magic staff, ready to cast a spell when he saw the approaching enemy. Ramon, a man with a slim body, long black hair tied neatly, wearing a wizard's robe filled with mysterious symbols. His sharp face showed intelligence and a cruel heart.
One by one, the screams of bandits echoed around the fire. The previously relaxed bandit boss began to feel anxious, as did Ramon, his lustful grin disappearing with the sweat dripping from his forehead in worry. The bandit boss was a large man with a muscular body and scars adorning his face. His short, graying hair and sharp eyes reflected extensive battle experience. Thick leather armor protected his body, and in his hand, a large sword gleamed under the firelight.
"Hey, Ramon..."
"Yeah?"
"Whatever comes, get ready to cast your spell. That monster is coming."
In front of them, right in the fire's glow, appeared a human figure with dog ears and a tail. In his hand was a spear.
"Beastman?"
"Be alert, he's going to do something. Are you ready?"
"Give me time!"
The bandit boss nodded, stepping forward first. Someone capable of taking down 25 of his subordinates was no ordinary person. If it was a Beastman, it made sense because the Beastman race was known for their physical strength. However, that didn't mean they were unbeatable.
In fact, for the bandit boss, it was very easy to defeat one or two Beastmen. But the problem lay in the aura emanating from this Beastman, making his battle instincts scream to stay away. However, that would tarnish his pride. He still thought that this Beastman was only trying to scare him with all the tricks behind it. But that's what would destroy this bandit group because they underestimated their enemy.
The figure walked closer, passing through the blazing fire as if it was nothing. Seeing the figure more clearly, the bandit boss was amazed. How young this Beastman was, yet why did he appear so large, like a mountain, from his perspective.
"So, only two left," the Beastman boy spoke in a language unknown to them.
That added to his astonishment, as the accent of the Beastman language he heard from the boy was very different from the Beastman language he knew. The bandit boss had met other Beastmen and knew their accent, but this one was different.
The Beastman boy had a unique and impressive appearance. With long, wild grey hair and sharp yellow eyes, he exuded a strong and mysterious aura. His upright dog ears on his head and his tail swaying calmly gave a strong animalistic impression. He wore thick, warm clothing made from sheep's wool, which he found in the forest, making him look like a formidable warrior from the past. Around his neck hung a necklace made of a string tied to a wooden cross he made himself, serving as a talisman and reminder when his emotions were unstable. The spear in his hand seemed like a natural extension of his body, moving with deadly speed and precision.
The bandit boss attacked first because he was a practitioner of the [Sword God Style], a technique that emphasized speed and aggression. Despite the large size of his sword, it didn't slow him down.
The Sword God Style, with its motto "Victory belongs to those who move first," was a sword technique that focused on defeating the opponent first. As a result, many practitioners became hot-tempered and combative. To react quickly, there was a prohibition against wearing heavy armor, and instead, they opted for light clothing for maximum mobility.
Given the philosophy of defeating the enemy with one strike, this style often left its users incompetent in defense and unable to counterattack.
The Beastman boy remained silent in his spot as the bandit boss dashed forward, his face obscured as he lowered it. The bandit boss thought midway that this would be easy as he spun to gain momentum before finally slashing toward the neck.
But the Beastman boy remained calm, leaning his head back, the sword blade slicing through his forehead, dropping a few strands of his grey hair, simultaneously striking the bandit boss with the back of his spear.
BUAGH!
The momentum from the bandit boss's own speed turned into his strength, causing immense pain in his stomach as he retreated.
"Damn it!" he shouted with a distorted face.
They exchanged blows, the clang of metal clashing with metal echoing among the flames, creating a tense scene.
Seeing his boss struggling a bit against the Beastman boy, Ramon hastened his incantation.
"Let the great and blessed fire gather as commanded! O raging flame, grant us a great and blazing gift! Ex-Flame!"
Joha remained calm amidst the chaos. With incredible speed, he deflected the bandit boss's attacks while dodging Ramon's approaching spell. As the bandit boss attacked again with his technique, the Beastman boy utilized his combat skills to dodge and counter with swift and deadly movements.
The bandit boss kicked the boy's stomach to create distance, but he managed to block the kick, though his body was still pushed back by the momentum.
Ramon's fire spell flew and struck that boy, creating a vortex of fire around him. The fire from the spell, combined with the surrounding blaze, made the flames even larger. In the middle of the fire vortex, the bandit boss laughed wickedly, and Ramon smiled proudly.
But their joy was premature. They were shocked to see the boy still standing in the middle of the fire tornado. He walked through the flames without being burned at all, as if immune to it.
"I panicked earlier. Thankfully, I have Uriel by my side," he said in a language unknown to the two bandits.
"Damn it, I didn't know there was a monster like him wandering around here!" Ramon began to feel anxious because his spell failed.
However, unlike the worried Ramon, the bandit boss became even more excited, a wicked grin adorning his face as if he found new pleasure.
Without needing Ramon's direction, the bandit boss lunged forward to exchange blows again. But that boy intended to end it all.
Taking a ready stance, that boy began the Heaven Glory Spear Technique, his body emanating a characteristic golden aura and his eyes becoming sharp.
The first move - Radiant Impale.
With a swift thrust forward, the Beastman boy unleashed a wave of divine energy that shone brightly, piercing through the enemy's defenses and leaving a stinging trail of light. Instantly, the upper body of the bandit boss shattered into pieces.
Ramon's eyes widened upon seeing his boss killed so easily. Fear quickly overwhelmed him, causing him to turn and run.
"Where do you think you're going?" that boy bevoice was cold and deadly as he appeared behind Ramon.
Ramon's back tingled upon hearing That boy voice. Quickly, beastman struck Ramon down with the spear blade aimed directly at his head.
And that was the end of it. The boy captured Ramon to extract information from him. He also asked Ramon to teach him the human language and other important information, including magic, as he was interested in learning it.
-Point of View A-
"Tch... It's a shame I couldn't save more innocent people. Oh Lord, please forgive this incompetent servant!" I prayed in front of the dead villagers' bodies, guilt haunting my mind.
[It's alright, you've done your best to save them,] Ciel's voice echoed in my head, trying to comfort me with a softer tone than usual.
The entity embedded in my soul, which sounded like an artificial intelligence, was trying to comfort me? This was the first time. Not that I really considered Ciel as an AI, but it was surprising. In the six months together, she truly acted in her own way, though some things she said sounded annoying to me.
My eyes shifted to the wizard who was tied up, glancing momentarily at the surviving villagers. One of them, an old man with a worried expression, approached me. It seemed very rare for a Beastman to pass through this village, which might be why the people here looked at me with curiosity and amazement.
"Um... Our saviour, on behalf of this village, I thank you very much for saving us from this sudden disaster," he said with a trembling voice.
Although I was growing, and my height was around 164 cm the last time I checked, the old man before me was stooped so I didn't need to look up or down to see directly into his eyes.
Remember, the first impression should be good. Ciel-sensei, please help me speak.
[Okay...] Ciel arranged the words in the human language of this world, composing them into alphabet letters that were directly implanted into my brain so I remembered clearly how to speak to respond to the old man's words.
"You're welcome... I'm also sorry I couldn't save the others," I said, slightly bowing, surprising the old man in front of me.
It seemed his surprise was because I could speak their language, and that became an important point.
"No, don't say that. You are our saviour, please lift your head. I have no right to judge you. Helping us who are left is already a blessing for this village," he said with a voice full of gratitude, his hands trembling as he tried to calm me.
I stood upright, trying to give a reassuring smile. "Thank you, I will continue to do my best to help," I replied, though in my heart I still felt dissatisfied with myself.
That afternoon, amidst the ravaged village, I stood among the ruins and the dying fire. My hopes grew, hoping that in the next place I could make a bigger difference and save more lives.
The villagers who died in the attack, as well as the bandits' corpses, were gathered to be burned. Although it seemed immoral to burn the bodies together, it was more troublesome to do it one by one. The village head also worried about the possibility of the corpses turning into undead.
After gathering all the bodies in a wide field outside the village, the villagers began to light the fire. However, I stopped them because there was something I wanted to do first.
They all looked confused at my action as I advanced to the pile of corpses, then clasped my hands to pray for the deceased, holding the cross hanging around my neck. Praying in a different language,
"Father in Heaven,
We come before You with saddened hearts for the departure of these poor souls. We are grateful for their lives filled with beautiful memories and love.
O Lord, You created humans from the dust of the earth. And when their spirits return to You, their bodies return to their origins. We believe that death is not the end, but the beginning of a new eternal life with You.
We entrust their poor bodies to this cremation process, with full faith and belief that You will always be with their spirits.
Give comfort and strength to the families left behind. Help them to accept this departure with patience and faith.
O Lord, teach us always to live in love and fear of You, as taught by Jesus Christ.
Accept our prayer, O Lord.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen."
Then a miracle happened. Without being burned by ordinary fire, heavenly flames suddenly appeared, consuming all the corpses. The fire produced no smoke, creating a magical scene that captivated everyone. Even the wizard tied there couldn't hide his astonishment.
The divine fire consumed all the bodies gently yet firmly, sanctifying them in a warm and peaceful light. The villagers who witnessed the event were silent, amazed and deeply moved. Tears began to flow down some of their faces, feeling blessed by the presence of this miracle.
After the fire subsided and all the bodies were cleansed, I stood up again, taking a deep breath. The villagers approached me with deep gratitude. An old man, who seemed to be the village head, stepped forward with teary eyes.
"Thank you, our saviour," he said with a trembling voice. "You have brought peace and a miracle to our troubled village."
I smiled, though in my heart I still felt dissatisfied with myself. "I only hope to do more," I replied humbly.
"May we know the name of our saviour?" Suddenly, one of the villagers asked my name.
I froze for a moment. True, I had never known my own name in this boy's body. If I gave my name from my previous life, it would sound difficult because of the kanji language. But a name came to my mind. I decided to adopt the name of one of the archangels who also became my strength, but I slightly modified his name.
"Raphael... My name is Raphael," I answered, trying to smile.