The icy winds howled across the vast, snowy plains of the Northern lands of Ishgar. The Bureau of Magical Development stood as a dark fortress, a looming silhouette against the pale moonlit landscape. Its spiked towers pierced the starless sky, and the faint glow of torches flickered through narrow windows. The fortress was surrounded by high walls reinforced with powerful enchantments, designed to deter intruders. The gates were massive and imposing, carved with intricate magical runes that radiated a faint, cold light, warning all of the authority and menace housed within. Snow blanketed the ground, muffling the crunch of boots as the occasional patrol passed by, their breaths visible in the frigid air.
Within the fortress, the oppressive silence of the night hung heavy, broken only by the occasional whistle of the wind. Yet, the stillness was about to be shattered.
----
A small figure approached the gates, barely visible through the whirling snow. It was a young boy, no older than ten, with messy black and white hair and a black cloak fluttering in the wind. His boots left faint tracks in the snow as he walked confidently toward the Bureau's entrance. The guards stationed at the gate squinted, their hands tightening on their weapons as they noticed the child.
"Hey, kid! This is no place for you," one of the guards called out, stepping forward with a frown. "Turn around and go home before you get yourself hurt."
The boy stopped a few feet away, his head tilted slightly. A grin spread across his face, sharp and unnerving.
"Go home?" he echoed, his voice carrying an eerie cheerfulness. "But I just got here. And I have a show to put on!"
Before the guards could react, the boy lunged forward with breathtaking speed. One moment he was standing still, and the next, he was a blur. His hands gleamed with an otherworldly energy as he formed a black sword and slashed through the guards and the gate in a single, fluid motion. Blood sprayed across the pristine snow as the massive gates groaned and toppled inward, shattered by the force of his attack.
The boy landed lightly amidst the wreckage, his grin widening as he spread his arms theatrically. "Kyaha! The stylish Bandit Slayer is in the place!" he shouted, his laughter echoing through the night.
---
Alarms blared throughout the fortress, their piercing wails cutting through the silence. Inside, the Bureau's personnel scrambled to respond. Guards and mages alike grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the source of the disturbance. Orders were barked as squads assembled, their movements frantic but disciplined. The fortress, designed to contain and protect dangerous magical secrets, had never been breached before. Yet now, chaos reigned.
"Report!" one officer demanded as a trembling guard stumbled into the control room. "What's happening?"
"It's… it's a child," the guard stammered, his face pale. "He… he killed the gate guards and… and just walked in! He's destroying everything in his path!"
The officer's eyes narrowed. "A child? Are you joking?"
Before the guard could respond, another explosion rocked the building, and the sound of manic laughter echoed through the halls.
---
In a grand office at the heart of the fortress, a man sat behind a polished wooden desk, poring over documents. Brain, the director of the Bureau, was a calculating and cold individual, his sharp features illuminated by the dim light of magical orbs. His concentration was broken as the alarms reached his ears. He frowned, tapping a finger on the desk.
"What's going on?" he muttered, rising to his feet. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and one of his subordinates entered, bowing deeply.
"Sir, we're under attack," the man reported, his voice strained. "An unknown assailant has breached the gates. Reports say it's… a child."
Brain's frown deepened. "A child? Ridiculous. Mobilize the advanced mages. This farce ends now."
---
Deep within the fortress, in the cold, damp dungeons, a young girl sat slumped against the wall of her cell. Ultear Milkovich, her violet hair tangled and her clothes tattered, stared blankly at the stone floor. Her once-bright eyes were dull, devoid of hope or life. The enchanted chains around her wrists glowed faintly, suppressing her magic and weighing heavily on her small frame.
The sound of alarms and distant explosions reached her ears, pulling her from her haze. She looked up, confusion flickering across her face. What was happening? For months, her world had been nothing but darkness and silence, broken only by the cruel experiments and taunts of her captors. Now, the fortress trembled as if the very earth sought to tear it apart.
A faint glimmer of curiosity, perhaps even hope, sparked within her. Was someone coming?
---
The stylish Bandit Slayer tore through the Bureau's forces with terrifying ease. The guards and mages who stood in his way barely had time to react before they were cut down, their spells and weapons useless against his overwhelming speed and power. He danced through the chaos, his movements fluid and unpredictable, as if he were performing a deadly ballet.
"Is this really all you've got?" he called out, laughing as he dodged a volley of fireballs and retaliated with a wave of his sword, sending his attackers flying. "Come on, don't make it too easy for me!"
He rounded a corner, only to be met with a squad of elite mages. They chanted in unison, their combined magic forming a glowing barrier that blocked the hallway.
Shadow tilted his head, his grin never faltering. "Oh, a challenge? How exciting."
He raised a hand, and dark tendrils of magic surged forward from his cloak, slamming into the barrier. The mages strained, their voices growing louder as they tried to maintain the shield. But Shadow's power was relentless, his magic tearing through their defenses like paper. One by one, the mages fell, their screams drowned out by his laughter.
Within minutes, the stylish Bandit Slayer stood alone amidst the carnage, the walls stained with blood and scorch marks. He dusted off his coat, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he surveyed his handiwork.
"Well, that was fun," he said to himself. "Now, let's find the real prize: such a stylish bandit den should have lots of money and a final boss! Kyahaha!"
He strode deeper into the fortress, his laughter echoing through the ruined halls—a harbinger of doom for anyone who dared cross his path.