Ren and Akio strolled through the busy streets, taking in the sights and sounds of the town after a long mission. Their bodies were sore from days of hunting goblins, but their spirits were high. As they made their way down a narrow alley, a large, weathered poster on a nearby wall caught their attention.
Ren stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes at the paper. "What's this?"
Akio walked up beside him, peering at the poster. In bold letters, it read:
WANTED: MID C-RANK HUNTER
By the name of
Itiko
For attacking the king. 20 silver reward for capture, dead or alive.
A crudely drawn picture of the wanted man adorned the poster—a stern-looking figure with a scar running across his face and a dark cloak covering most of his body.
Akio's eyes widened. "Twenty silver? That's more than we've made in weeks."
Ren crossed his arms, eyeing the poster. "It's tempting, but a C-rank hunter? We're still D-rank. It'll be dangerous."
"Yeah, but we've gotten stronger. And twenty silver… imagine what we could buy with that." Akio's face lit up with excitement at the thought of the reward. "We should at least try."
Ren chuckled but shook his head. "We've barely scratched the surface of what we can do, Akio. We're not ready for a C-rank hunter. Let's stick to our training for now."
Akio sighed but didn't push the matter further. "Alright, but one day, we'll go after someone like him."
They turned and began walking away from the alley, their conversation fading into the bustling noise of the town. Ren looked over at Akio as they walked, his mind racing with thoughts about their next steps.
"I've been thinking," Ren began, his voice low. "It's time we start venturing further out. We've been staying here, doing low-rank missions, but there's a whole world out there."
Akio raised an eyebrow. "You want to leave?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah. We've grown stronger, but staying in one place isn't going to help us reach our full potential. There are bigger challenges out there, stronger enemies. If we want to rise in the ranks, we need to start exploring."
Akio thought about it for a moment before a grin spread across his face. "I'm in. Let's pack our things and head out."
---
The next morning, after gathering their gear, Ren and Akio ventured into the forest, the towering trees casting long shadows across the ground as they walked. The air was fresh, and the sounds of nature surrounded them—birds chirping, leaves rustling in the wind, and the distant trickle of a stream.
They moved quickly, their footsteps light and silent, as they navigated through the dense forest. It wasn't long before a rustling in the bushes caught Ren's attention. He stopped abruptly, holding out his arm to signal Akio to halt.
"Do you hear that?" Ren whispered, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.
Akio nodded, his senses on high alert. "Yeah. Something's close."
Suddenly, two figures emerged from the trees—a pair of rough-looking bandits, each wielding a sword. Their eyes gleamed with malice as they grinned wickedly at Ren and Akio.
"Well, what do we have here?" one of the bandits sneered. "Two kids out for a stroll? You picked the wrong forest to wander into."
Ren's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his katana, his eyes narrowing. "We're not just kids," he said coldly. "Turn around and leave, or you won't live to regret it."
The bandits laughed, clearly unimpressed. "Tough talk for someone so young. Let's see how tough you really are."
Before Ren could respond, the bandit lunged at him, sword raised high. Ren reacted instantly, drawing his katana in a flash and meeting the bandit's blade with a sharp clang. The force of the impact reverberated through his arms, but Ren held his ground, locking eyes with his opponent.
Akio, meanwhile, found himself face-to-face with the second bandit. Without hesitation, Akio summoned his hand blade, igniting it with fiery magic. The blade glowed red-hot as he clashed with the bandit's sword, the fire dancing along the edge as sparks flew from the impact.
The battle was fierce, both sides exchanging quick strikes and dodging each other's attacks. The two boys had grown stronger, but the bandits were experienced fighters, and it wasn't long before everyone began to tire.
Ren's arms ached as he blocked another swing, his breaths coming out in ragged gasps. His mind raced, trying to think of a way to end the fight. That's when an idea struck him.
He sidestepped the bandit's next attack, narrowly avoiding the blade as it sliced through the air. As the bandit stumbled forward, Ren saw his chance. He channeled his magic into his free hand, feeling the familiar hum of electricity coursing through him. With a quick movement, he reached out and pressed his palm against the bandit's chest.
The lightning surged from Ren's hand, frying the bandit's nerves, sending a fatal jolt directly to his brain and heart. The bandit's eyes went wide in shock as his body stiffened, his grip on the sword loosening before he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Akio, seeing his chance, focused on the other bandit. With a roar, he engulfed his hand blade in flames, the heat radiating off it in waves. The bandit turned, his eyes widening in fear as Akio thrust the blade forward, stabbing it through the bandit's chest.
The flames seared through the bandit's flesh, and he let out a scream before falling to the ground, his body consumed by fire.
Breathing heavily, Akio looked over at Ren, who stood over the body of his opponent, his hand still crackling with residual lightning. They exchanged a glance, both knowing that they had just crossed another line—they had killed to survive.
Ren sheathed his katana, stepping over the bandit's corpse. "We should keep moving," he said quietly.
Akio nodded, extinguishing the flames around his hand. "Yeah. No telling if there are more of them nearby."
Together, they continued deeper into the forest, the weight of their actions heavy on their shoulders. But as they walked, Ren couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction. They had been pushed to their limits—and they had come out on top.
This was only the beginning of their journey.