The bandit leader felt satisfied with the outcome. He turned and instructed his men to take Shira away. However, just as he turned his back, the sound of rapid footsteps came from behind, too fast for him to react.
Crash!
A punch landed squarely on his face, pushing him back several steps. It was Jiro, who had somehow gotten back up, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and his eyes full of determination.
Not allowing the bandit leader time to recover, Jiro launched his next attack. His quick and precise punch struck the bandit leader's jaw with a Seiken Tsuki, reverberating through his jawbone with a crack, causing the bandit leader to stagger backward.
With powerful movement, Jiro focused his gaze on his opponent, using Hiza Geri, driving his knee into the bandit leader's gut, forcing the man to double over in pain, losing his balance.
Not stopping there, Jiro followed up with an Ushiro Geri, a back kick that struck the leader's chest, sending him flying backward to crash against the cave wall.
The bandit leader, who had previously felt on top of the world, stared in shock at Jiro, who stood firm and attacked him. But his arrogance led him to underestimate the situation.
Jiro began with a quick approach, closing the gap between himself and the bandit leader. With steady footing, he dodged the bandit leader's grasp as he tried to grab his arm.
Jiro used a Mae Geri, a frontal kick aimed directly at the bandit leader's belly. The kick was swift and powerful, landing precisely with enough force to throw his opponent off balance.
The bandit leader was pushed back, gasping in pain from Jiro's sudden assault. He had yet to regain his composure when Jiro continued with a Tsuki combination.
With a solid stance, Jiro executed a Chudan Seiken Tsuki, a straight punch aimed at his opponent's solar plexus. This basic but effectively used technique hit the bandit leader, forcing him to expel a wheeze from his mouth.
Seizing the moment, Jiro sidestepped to avoid a counterattack. With his left leg, he performed a Gedan Mawashi Geri, a low roundhouse kick that targeted the bandit leader's knees, forcing him to lose balance.
The relentless flurry of attacks left the bandit leader increasingly cornered, but the fight was far from over.
Jiro gave his opponent no respite. With a swift motion, he spun and delivered an Ushiro Mawashi Geri, a spinning back kick aimed at the bandit leader's head. A loud thud echoed as the kick struck his opponent's jaw, almost knocking him over.
With a fierce fighting spirit and determination, Jiro proceeded with Tameshiwari, an elbow-breaking strike targeting the bandit leader's shoulder. The attack landed with precision, adding to the bandit leader's pain.
The bandit leader groaned, nearly helpless against Jiro's speed and skillful fighting techniques. Jiro, amid his expertly calculated movements, ensured his opponent was thoroughly incapacitated.
Realizing this was his last chance to incapacitate his opponent before he could rise again, Jiro locked his position and unleashed Hyaku Retsu Ken, a flurry of a hundred punches that rained down mercilessly on the bandit leader's body.
With his accumulated strength, Jiro's final punch struck a vital point on the bandit leader's chest, causing him to collapse to the ground with a weak, fading breath until finally, no sound accompanied his breath.
Jiro stood over the fallen bandit leader, breathing heavily, his eyes shining with a cold light before he turned to check on Shira. He looked at Shira with a relieved yet apologetic expression for the fear his friend had endured.
Shifting his gaze to the bandit holding Shira's hand, Jiro had seen how this man treated Shira, and he wouldn't let him get away with it.
Meanwhile, the bandit leader's henchmen, who initially held Shira, were shocked to see their leader fall so quickly. They hesitated, unsure of what to do.
With quick movements, Jiro attacked the remaining bandit leader's men, incapacitating them one by one with martial techniques he mastered. Punches, kicks, and rapid sweeps left the bandits powerless, curled up in pain on the ground.
Shira, still in the grasp of one of the bandits, used the chaos as a chance to break free. She struggled and kicked with all her might, loosening the bandit's grip. Quickly, Shira freed herself and ran towards Jiro.
Shira rushed to Jiro with a worried expression. The fox girl silently thanked her friend for still standing strong, despite being wounded.
"Jiro! Are you alright?" Shira asked in a panic, her eyes scanning Jiro's body for any severe injuries.
Jiro gave a slight smile, "I'm fine, Shira. Don't worry." He reached out and gently held Shira's hand, trying to reassure her.
Shira returned his grasp, her face still filled with concern. "But you're hurt... I'm scared you're seriously injured..."
Jiro caressed Shira's cheek with his free hand, "Really, I'm okay. These wounds are nothing." He smiled reassuringly.
Shira bit her lower lip, then unexpectedly hugged Jiro tightly. "Jiro, thank you... Thank you for saving me," she said with a trembling voice.
Jiro returned Shira's embrace, softly stroking her white hair. "Shh, it's alright, it's alright."
After a moment, Shira released her hug, looking at Jiro with teary eyes. "You... You truly are the best friend I could have."
Jiro grinned widely, "And you are my best friend." He playfully ruffled Shira's hair, making her giggle softly.
They then looked at the group of bandits lying helplessly around them. Jiro sighed deeply.
"Shina, could you go to the cave entrance first? I want to talk with them for a moment," Jiro asked gently.
Shina seemed hesitant, "But... Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone."
Jiro smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, it won't be long. I promise I'll catch up with you there soon."
After thinking for a moment, Shina finally nodded, "Alright, I'll wait there. Don't take too long, okay?"
"Of course, I promise," said Jiro.
Shina walked toward the cave entrance, occasionally looking back to make sure Jiro was okay. After Shina disappeared from view.
jiro Turning back to the defeated bandits, he faced one of them still lying there.
"So, what can you tell me about the way out of this forest?" Jiro asked in a cold tone.
The bandit swallowed hard, fear evident in his eyes. He realized that facing Jiro was a matter of life and death.
"I-I… I know the way out of this forest," he stammered. "But please don't kill us!"
Jiro stared at him sharply, "Then tell me quickly. I don't have much time to waste."
"C-can you promise not to kill us?"
"Yes, I promise as long as you're not lying, I won't kill you."
"But if you lie, you know what I'll do to you." Jiro said as he picked up a knife from the waist of the bandit leader he had defeated earlier.
Swallowing hard, the bandits quickly spoke in a panic, "W-we won't lie."
The bandit then explained the route they needed to take to exit the forest. Jiro listened intently, making sure not to miss any details.
"Is that all? Nothing else?"
"Yes, yes, that's it, nothing else," replied the bandit quickly.
"So, sir, can you let us—"
A slashing sound echoed in the quiet cave, the bandit clutched his neck and spoke with eyes full of question marks.
"W-why?"
"Sorry, my hand moved on its own," Jiro said, lifting his shoulders nonchalantly.
Hearing Jiro's words, the bandit looked at him incredulously. How could such an excuse, 'hand moved on its own?' even be believable? He feared even a child would not believe it upon hearing.
But the bandit could only regret trusting Jiro's earlier promise. Finally, the bandit took his last breath with regret.
Seeing Jiro kill his friend, the other bandits were terrified before they could scream. The sound of slashing echoed, and blood spurted from the bandit's neck. In the quiet and serene cave, the slashing sound repeated several times until it could no longer be heard.