"You… you're not really bandits, are you?" Jess muttered, her legs trembling. She glanced around and saw her people nearly subdued. Some had been killed at the start, while the rest were being captured and bound.
"What gave it away?" The leader smirked knowingly. He didn't seem to care if the cat woman figured it out—they weren't leaving here alive anyway.
It was a shame, but that was the way of the world. Some had the power and resources to do whatever they pleased, and others simply suffered for it.
"Why are you doing this? Who sent you?" Jess demanded though she knew fighting him was pointless. Their brief exchange made it clear—the man was far stronger than any common thief or bandit.
"Ah, I'm afraid I can't tell you the who," the man replied with a polite smile, stepping forward in a blur. "But you'll find out the why soon enough." Before she could react, he appeared right in front of her and struck her, knocking her unconscious.
...…
"Ugh…" Jess groaned as she slowly regained consciousness, her head pounding. She blinked, trying to clear her blurred vision. As her surroundings came into focus, the memory of what had happened rushed back.
"Wait—!" She sat up abruptly, scanning the area. She was still in the clearing. Craters and scars marred the ground, evidence of the fierce battle that had taken place.
"Finally awake," the man's voice rang out, familiar and loathsome. Jess turned toward him, her heart sinking.
Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the remaining members of her party. They were tied up, forced to their knees, with captors standing ominously behind them.
"No…" she whispered, her voice trembling. She already knew what was coming. "Don't do this! What did we ever do to you?!" Jess cried out, struggling against her bindings.
Whatever they had used on her nullified magic completely. Her strength, usually reinforced by her magic, was gone. No matter how much she tried, circulating mana to activate her abilities was impossible.
"Now, now... calm your whiskers," the man said with a chuckle. Of course, Jess didn't actually have whiskers, but he seemed amused by his own joke.
Her fury ignited, and she felt like she could burn up on the spot. Yet, the man paid no attention to her rage and continued speaking.
"Some time ago, your group encountered a young man—a human, naturally. From what I've learned, your party was the last to have contact with him."
Jess frowned in confusion, his words making no sense. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice edged with frustration. Adventurers met countless people in their travels. How were they supposed to know who he meant?
The man smirked knowingly. "Haha... I get it. But I thought you'd remember the name of this particular man. The problem is, he disappeared shortly after meeting your party."
"He did have… well, a nasty personality. I wouldn't blame you if you killed him for trying something he shouldn't have," the man said, his tone almost conversational.
Jess's breathing steadied as his words began to sink in. They started making an uncomfortable amount of sense.
She wasn't naïve—she knew her looks attracted unwanted attention. She had dealt with men who tried to take what they wanted by force, putting down a few when necessary.
Her sharp glare met the man's gaze as realization dawned on her. "So, you've finally connected the dots, huh?" he said with a smirk. "Too bad. That man was someone important, and now his people want vengeance."
"Vengeance? This is about vengeance?" Jess hissed through gritted teeth.
The man shrugged casually. "People have done far worse for much less, cat. It's just unfortunate that you got tangled in this mess."
He motioned to his men, and Jess's heart stopped when she realized what was happening. They were going to execute her companions.
"Wait! No, stop! This is on me! They had nothing to do with it!" Jess shouted, her voice raw with desperation as she struggled against her bonds.
But her pleas fell on deaf ears. One of the captors stepped forward, raising his sword, and with a swift motion, drove it into the neck of one of her companions.
"NOOOO!" Jess screamed, her voice breaking as she watched her friend collapse lifelessly to the ground.
Tears streamed down her face as she cried and begged for mercy. "No, please… stop this! Stop it!"
But the slaughter continued, and she could do nothing but watch, powerless to save those she cared about.
The man ignored Jess's cries, his expression blank as he observed the grim scene. To him, this was just another job.
They weren't bandits or common thieves. No, they were a highly skilled group from the underworld, hired to handle jobs with precision and leave no evidence behind.
As the adventurers were cut down one by one, a sudden voice spoke from behind him, low and unexpected.
"Boo."
"Ahh!" The man jolted, recoiling in shock as he whipped around. His heart raced as he found himself staring at a figure dressed entirely in black. The stranger's sudden appearance had shaken him to his core.
'How did he get so close without me noticing?!' he thought, swallowing hard. His men noticed the disturbance and quickly moved to surround the intruder, weapons at the ready.
Jess, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, weakly raised her head. Her tear-streaked face turned toward the commotion, and her gaze landed on the newcomer. The man stood casually, both hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his demeanour calm yet unsettling.
He seemed to be studying her with a peculiar mix of curiosity and amusement, his eyes flitting between her ears and tail.
But Jess didn't care about his strange behaviour. She focused on the slim chance of survival. "Please… help me," she pleaded, her voice trembling. Only she and two others were left from their group of seven.
The stranger's lips curved into a small smile. "Of course, Jess. That's why I'm here."
Her eyes widened slightly at the sound of her name, but she pushed the thought aside. There were bigger concerns at the moment.
"How did you sneak up on me?" the gang leader demanded, his tone sharp as he drew his dual daggers.
'I can't sense anything from him... it's like he doesn't even exist,' the man thought, gripping his weapons tighter. But before he could make a move, the stranger spoke again.
"Why the long face, Jetro?"
The gang leader froze in place, his blood running cold. That name—his name—was a tightly guarded secret, one even his own men didn't know.
'Impossible!'