The leader of the thugs issues his men to keep hunting Adanu Raksa into the deep of the woods.
"Split in three groups, and follow him. Keep looking for a chance to surround that man!"
After that long night, now Adanu Raksa has to be on the run again, feeling so reluctant to fight those people.
He thinks he would be able outrun them. But the fact is, it only drains his stamina. Not to mention how bad he needs to sleep.
After running for quite a while, he is starting to catch up to his fatigue. He looks so pissed, realizing that there's no choice but to kill.
And so, he stops running, and turns back with an irritated gaze. On the other hand, the thugs slowly move carefully until they surround him.
"Why not just give us those gold coins," says the leader of the thugs.
"Why should I?" Adanu Raksa refutes. "Did you think you've already cornered me? Don't you have any idea that I led you here for a reason?"
"And what is that reason?"
"Here, I can kill you all without disturbing the people of Kulonsewu Village."
Adanu Raksa's words make the thug leader chuckle amusedly. However, despite how terrible Adanu Raksa looks currently, all the other thugs are still hesitate to attack him.
They look so alert, since they know how dangerous Adanu Raksa is. The image of how three of their friends were slain earlier is still fresh in their minds.
Yet, their leader, the man who wields a pair of poignards, looks so calm taking a few steps forward.
"Seems like you are not a mere vagabond. Who are you? Which school are you from?" he asks.
"What's the point asking that question now?" Adanu Raksa replies. "Oh, wait! Are you that kind of warrior looking for an honorable fight?"
"My name is Lingga Nayaka, the most famous warrior in the north coast, known for these deadly twin poignards. Judging by what you just did, your name and your head are more valuable for me," replies the leader of the thug.
"So, you are looking for a chance to raise your reputation, huh? Too bad, I'm just a vagabond named Tole from the south of Mount Saringgih. I've never been a disciple to anyone," Adanu Raksa replies by faking his name.
The man looks a bit disappointed, since killing Adanu Raksa will get him nothing to raise his reputation. There's no point to challenge for a fair duel now.
But still, he can't take his eyes off of Adanu Raksa's gold coins, and gives order to all of his men.
"Don't be afraid. He is badly injured by the fall earlier. I bet he is already so tired now."
Adanu Raksa is smirking hearing what he just said. "Honestly, you are right. I'm dead tired now. But, that's also the reason I won't hold my self anymore."
Considering how bad he wants to sleep, he no longer has the slightest interest to play with them for long.
Those thugs recklessly approach him while raising their weapons. Suddenly, Adanu Raksa's face turns into a madness, due to him forcing himself to keep his concentration high while he is in his peak fatigue.
His sword becomes so harsh and cruel, no longer with that smooth slashing movement. He cuts them through their weapon as he keeps delivering simple yet powerful strokes.
"Son of the devil!"
"Where did this man come from?"
Five men meet their demise only by three consecutive swings of his sword. One thug is still swaying on his feet even after his head has been severed by Adanu Raksa.
The leader of the thugs pushes that headless body toward Adanu Raksa, intending to disturb him before launching an attack.
"That's a child's play in the field of a war," Adanu Raksa sneers.
Suddenly, the air around Adanu Raksa's sword is swayed as he raises the sword high. He holds the hilt with both hands.
In split second, a kind of soft white plasma appears engulfing that black Damascus short sword. He delivers a swift down stroke to that already dead man, cutting it down in two.
Lingga Nayaka, who is sneaking behind the headless body, is aghast. His face turns pale.
"Ah, shit!"
He immediately blocks the incoming attack by crossing the pair of his poignards. But even those poignards are also broken by Adanu Raksa's stroke, leaving a shallow vertical cut on the man's chest.
In shock, he immediately distances himself away. Confusion has now painted his face. He believes Adanu Raksa's short sword is not long enough to reach him. Yet he still received a shallow cut on the chest.
"How?" he mutters.
"Wanna find it out?" Adanu Raksa taunts with a tired smile.
That's when Lingga Nayaka remembers that Adanu Raksa has mentioned about himself coming from the south of Mount Saringgih. There's only one thing crossing his mind now.
"Are you one of the disciples of Ki Bayanaka from Mount Saringgih?"
His lips are slightly trembled by fear. He is gulping due to how afraid he is with the possibility.
It changes Adanu Raksa's facial expression a little. Judging by the look of that man's reaction, he realizes that the man must be afraid of Ki Bayanaka's reputation.
"Yeah, I'm one of his disciples, junior to The Great Tarendra Trisatya!" He shows off with some silly smile.
Right at that moment, the thugs leader immediately bows quickly several times, asking for forgiveness.
"Please, mercy! I don't want to have any issue with the great hermit of Mount Saringgih, not with The King of Marajaya Kingdom either."
"Now you get it, how I had all these special edition of Marajaya gold coins?" replies Adanu Raksa rhetorically.
The man nods quickly like a naïve toddler. He even forces the others to also beg for mercy. "Stupid! Why you just silent there. Bow your head!"
Adanu Raksa simply waves his hand telling them to leave. The fact is, he has never been a disciple to the great hermit Ki Bayanaka. He is nothing but an annoying neighbor who took a small piece of land in the hermitage area without permission from the Marajaya Kingdom.
"Damn! I should have used that old man's name much earlier! Well, he may be mad at me again if he finds out how I used his name for my own interest."