In the Forest at Night
A group of bandits dashed out of the forest, heading straight for the party.
"Jen, let's intercept the enemy! Ralf, stay here with Dean and surround the carriage. Protect the merchant and the goods!" Jacob commanded.
Then, turning to another, he added, "John, head into the forest and find the archer who shot at me. All C-rank and D-rank adventurers, follow Ralf's orders! Now, let's move!"
Everyone shouted in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Jacob and Jen charged at the bandits in front.
Jacob, with brute force, bashed into the center of the bandits with his shield, while Jen stayed behind him, providing cover and slashing down enemies.
Meanwhile, more bandits appeared at the back and left sides of the carriage.
"Rogelio, defend the left side! Dean, support him. Thea, come with me! C-rank adventurers, protect the merchant!" Ralf ordered.
Ralf and Thea then clashed with the bandits at the back. Ralf, swift and precise, cut through the enemies with ease, with Thea fighting beside him.
Rogelio's Fight
Seeing the approaching bandits, Rogelio smiled. "Alright, let's do this!" he said confidently.
Lowering his stance, he dashed toward the oncoming enemies.
Dean, stationed at the rear, fired arrows at the bandits, taking them down one by one.
A bandit swung horizontally at Rogelio, but Rogelio intercepted the strike with all his strength, responding with a vertical slash that forced the bandit to step back.
Wasting no time, Rogelio dashed forward and swung his sword horizontally, decapitating the bandit.
Another bandit attacked from Rogelio's left, aiming to stab him. Rogelio quickly deflected the thrust with a horizontal swing, redirecting the enemy's blade, then countered with a swift thrust to the bandit's chest, killing him.
From a distance, a bandit archer took aim at Rogelio. Before the arrow could be released, John appeared, swiftly slashing the archer with his dagger.
"I can't let you do that," John said calmly.
Jacob vs. the Vice Captain
Back at Jacob's side, he and Jen continued cutting down enemies. Suddenly, a robed bandit lunged at Jacob, attempting to stab him.
Jacob blocked the attack with his shield, then deflected the sword and performed a vertical slash. The robed bandit stepped back.
"It's the vice captain!" one of the bandits shouted.
Jacob turned to Jen. "I'll handle this one. Defend me from any interference!"
Jen nodded and took up a defensive stance.
Jacob charged at the vice captain with his shield. The vice captain swung his sword horizontally, striking the shield then stepping back to his left to reposition. He lunged again, aiming a thrust at Jacob's side.
Jacob redirected the thrust with his sword and bashed the vice captain in the face with his shield, sending him flying backward into a tree. Jacob advanced, attempting a thrust, but the vice captain dodged, causing Jacob's sword to embed in the tree.
Thinking Jacob's sword was stuck, the vice captain moved to stab him. But Jacob tightened his grip, swing his sword with all his might, and performed a horizontal slash, cutting through the tree and the vice captain's neck in one motion. The surrounding bandits stared in shock.
Rogelio vs. the Bandit Leader
While Rogelio fought off bandits, a leader wielding a greatsword appeared, releasing a powerful horizontal slash. Rogelio raised his sword to defend, but the strike was so strong it pushed him back.
Dean, noticing the leader's strength, shouted, "Rogelio, that's their leader! Retreat! Let me handle him!"
Rogelio, determined, replied, "I'll face him. Support me, Dean!"
The bandit leader sneered. "You? A pipsqueak like you will face me? Hah!"
Smirking, Rogelio lowered his stance and dashed forward, thrusting his sword. Dean fired arrows at other bandits to prevent interference.
The leader blocked Rogelio's thrust with his greatsword, laughing. "You've got some strength, little mouse!"
"Thanks, ogre," Rogelio retorted.
"Who are you calling an ogre?!" the leader roared, swinging his greatsword vertically. Rogelio blocked the strike, holding his ground as cracks formed beneath his feet.
Dean, impressed, exclaimed, "Damn!"
Rogelio gritted his teeth. "All that training paid off," he muttered, pushing the greatsword back.
The bandit leader lunged forward with another thrust, but Rogelio redirected it with his sword. Gathering all his strength, Rogelio dashed and performed a horizontal slash aiming at the head , leader who got caught off guard use his left hand to block the horizontal slash cutting the leader's left arm.
"Damn you!" the leader shouted, swinging his greatsword one-handed in a desperate vertical strike. Rogelio dodged to the side, letting the blade crash into the ground, then dashed in and slashed horizontally, slicing the leader's head.
Seeing their leader fall, the remaining bandits shouted, "Retreat!" and fled.
The party regrouped, relieved but wary of another attack.
Jacob praised, "Good job, Rogelio. I knew you had it in you."
Dean added, "Blocking that attack? That was incredible!"
In Heist City, Lumira Kingdom
An agent reported to his duke.
"Sir, scouts report a fight between bandits and adventurers protecting a merchant caravan in the forest near us."
The duke heist stroked his chin. "Taking that route… they must be hiding something. It must be the item rumored to have been purchased from the foreign black market."
He turned to another agent. "Razel, take some men and intercept them. Do not let that item reach Valoria."
Razel, an A-rank agent, smirked. "Yes, sir!"