Chapter 5: The Blue Whip
After the bandits offered Fayrouz a chance to join them in exchange for sparing Fulan's life, Fulan suddenly lunged at their leader, harnessing his power. A faint, almost imperceptible white aura surrounded him. Yet, in the end, he only managed to take down four of them, while the remaining five used their ability to vanish.
Every second was critical for Fulan. A single misstep could mean death. These were the thoughts racing through his mind during those crucial moments:
*"I have two options: either rely on that girl's ability to sense Menma, or strike the air like a fool. I'm not sure which is the right choice, but staying still is the worst thing I can do!"*
*Whoosh!*
Fulan vanished from his spot, darting to the left with incredible speed. It was a random attack, lacking any clear strategy. He swung his arm, his fist cutting through the air with a sharp, audible crack, like a sonic bullet. The bandits realized instantly that if that punch had landed, it would have knocked any of them out cold, just as it had their comrades moments before.
However, they also noticed that Fulan's attacks were erratic and uncoordinated. Before he could make another move, one of the bandits swung his long sword, aiming to decapitate Fulan. The attack was invisible, leaving Fulan completely unaware of the danger.
"He doesn't stand a chance against the five of us. His only option is to attack randomly. And I have only one choice: since that bastard is so fast, I need to strike the moment he hits one of us or misses and strikes the air. I can win this! I'll admit, this kid's speed is terrifying, but this is the end for him!" Thoughts of the bandit whose sword was moving towards Fulan.
It was clear these bandits weren't amateurs. Such quick analysis could only come from someone naturally sharp. This man had swiftly assessed Fulan's abilities and predicted his next move with frightening accuracy.
*Grab!*
But just as the sword was about to reach Fulan's neck, the blade was suddenly enveloped in faint, glowing blue bands. The bandit turned his head, following the source of the light, and found himself staring into the face of the girl. Her eyes glowed a vivid sky-blue, the same hue as the luminous bands.
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, Fulan appeared right in front of the man, his sudden presence sending a wave of terror through the bandit. As Fulan prepared to strike, the man's thoughts raced:
*"Wait… this can't be happening. I completely forgot about her! She can track Menma! Damn it! Just give me one second to—"*
*Bang!!*
The punch landed squarely in the man's stomach, the force so intense that his eyes rolled back, and his body was sent flying.
Before Fulan could make another move, the girl's blue eyes flickered. She clenched her fists, and the glowing bands began to move through the air, twisting and curling as if they had a mind of their own. They flew over Fulan's head, wrapping tightly around an invisible figure.
Another bandit had been about to stab Fulan from behind, but the girl had intervened just in time. She manipulated the bands, making them tangible and effectively capturing the attacker.
The bands seemed to have more than one function. They tightened around the man's body, squeezing until blood spilled from his mouth. He cried out in agony:
*"Stop, stop! I can't take this anymore!!"*
If there was one thing to take from his words, it was that the power of the bands had changed since Fayrouz first used them to cover her eyes. Was this shift related to her abilities?
With that, five bandits had been defeated, including the one Fayrouz had squeezed into unconsciousness. Almost immediately, Fulan heard the sound of hurried footsteps. At the same moment, Fayrouz spoke, her tone firm and urgent:
*"They're trying to escape. There's one to your right, five steps away!"*
*Whoosh!*
Without hesitation, Fulan darted forward, his speed a blur as he delivered a powerful kick to the bandit's back. The force was so great that it nearly shattered the man's spine. Meanwhile, Fayrouz used the glowing blue bands to capture the remaining two.
The bands had grown significantly longer than before. Were they some kind of miraculous weapon? Or was this all due to Fayrouz's unique abilities?
Fulan took a deep breath, as if he'd been holding it throughout the entire fight. He panted heavily, his eyes scanning the fallen bandits to ensure none of them could still move. Meanwhile, Fayrouz watched him, her thoughts swirling:
*"The Menma particles in his veins have returned to being colorless. What does that mean? Wasn't his speed his ability? If so, the Menma should still be white. This boy… he's definitely hiding something."*
Once he caught his breath, Fulan walked over to Fayrouz, a hint of a smile on his face.
*"That was some good teamwork. So, those bands of yours work like a miraculous blue whip, huh?"*
He spoke while keeping his eyes on the bandits, still surrounded by the glowing blue bands. It wasn't until he finally turned to look at Fayrouz that he noticed her face fully. For a moment, he felt as if he'd been pulled into the depths of the ocean by her eyes. They had shifted from the color of the sky to a deeper, more intense shade of blue, like the ocean at twilight. Many people's eyes glowed when they used their powers, a sign of active Menma particles. But hers were different—hypnotic, almost otherworldly. For three full seconds, he forgot everything around him.
Then, just as suddenly, he snapped back to reality when Fayrouz spoke, her voice calm but curious:
*"A miraculous blue whip?"*
Fulan didn't let on that he'd been captivated by her eyes. Instead, he kept his tone casual as he asked:
*"Do you already have a name for that thing?"*
Fayrouz glanced down at the bands, which began to glow a soft blue once more. As she watched, their length and shape shifted, transforming into a dark blue scarf. She draped it around her neck with a casual elegance, her expression neutral as she explained:
*"It's not a weapon. Just an old gift from my mother. I used it in the carriage to block the light from my eyes."*
*"Really? When we got in, you were already wearing it like that, so I didn't notice. In that case, the name I gave it seems pretty fitting."*
*"Why would I need to name it?"*
*"Don't you use it in battles?"*
*"Only because it's the closest thing I can reach."*
*"Which means there's no harm in giving it a name."*
Fayrouz fell silent, her brow furrowing slightly as she tried to understand the logic behind naming an object she saw as nothing more than a practical tool. Meanwhile, Fulan ran a hand through his hair, his gaze shifting back to the bandits.
*"We've still got over half an hour of walking ahead. You don't expect us to carry all of them, do you...?"*
--
At the gates of Saikono Village, the closest settlement to the Kingdom of Saita, two guards stood watch. Dressed in black uniforms resembling ancient ninja attire, they carried spears and wore badges on the left side of their chests that read, *"Recognized Guard of the Kingdom of Saita."* Unlike the guards of Butita Village, these two looked more disciplined, their uniforms giving them an air of authority.
The atmosphere was quiet and monotonous, as usual. Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, occasionally hiding the sun's rays before revealing them again. It was a routine so dull that one of the guards yawned so deeply his eyes shut for a moment. When he opened them, he glanced down the rural road and froze.
"What's that?" he muttered.
The other guard followed his gaze. At first, the scene was hazy, but as the figures drew closer, the guards could make out two shadows approaching. One of them seemed to be carrying something large... or perhaps dragging it.
Tension immediately gripped the guards as they realized danger might be approaching. But as the figures came into clearer view, their apprehension turned to confusion. The shadows resolved into a girl with long black hair and a boy with short, messy black hair.
The boy wore a simple black jacket and gray pants, while the girl was dressed in a dark blue-black coat and loose, silky black trousers. What caught the guards' attention, however, was the strange belt around the girl's waist. It glowed a faint blue and had nine tails, each one wrapped around a person. The tails seemed to emerge from her back, and the figures they held were completely encased in a shimmering blue fabric, save for their heads.
It was clear that the girl had captured a group of bandits. She had used her scarf-like weapon to bind them, lifting their bodies off the ground as if they were weightless. The blue fabric glowed faintly, matching the light in her eyes, which shone with the same soft blue hue. She was using her ability to carry them effortlessly.
As the scene became clear, one of the guards muttered in awe, "It's like a super spider carrying its prey..."
The other guard, however, was quick to piece things together. "Wait, there are nine people wrapped in that blue stuff. That means..."
At first, his companion listened quietly, but as the realization hit him, his eyes widened in shock. "Are you saying these kids took down the bandits all by themselves?!"
By the time Fayrouz and Fulan reached the gate, the guards had tightened their grips on their spears, unsure of the newcomers' intentions. Fayrouz placed a hand on the glowing blue belt at her waist and spoke in a calm, almost bored tone:
"They've lost consciousness three times so far. They'll wake up for the fourth time soon. You should probably lock them up before that happens."
As she spoke, the blue fabric began to shrink, its glow dimming as it transformed. The guards glanced at the bandits' bruised and battered faces, and the same thought crossed their minds:
*'Are you saying you kept knocking them out every time they woke up? That's... brutal. It's like an execution.'*
The scarf continued to shrink until it became a simple blue bracelet. Fayrouz picked it up and slipped it onto her wrist, staring at it for a moment in silence.
The guards were stunned. They had never seen an ability like this before. As they stood there, mesmerized, Fayrouz turned to Fulan, who was standing beside her, and said:
"You were right. It's much lighter like this."
Fulan walked casually toward the village gate, commenting, "I'm still surprised you never thought of this before. I mean, how long have you been using that scarf? You should've considered turning it into a bracelet or a ring, especially in this heat. Though I guess the scarf form would be useful in the cold."
Fayrouz followed him, her tone calm but curious. "You mean as a scarf in the cold?"
Fulan replied in the same relaxed manner, "Yeah, as a scarf. In battle, use the name I gave it. But the rest of the time, call it a scarf. Otherwise, your mother's gift loses its meaning."
Fayrouz walked in silence for a few seconds before finally saying, "By the way, I never agreed to that weird name."
"What?! But it's awesome—*The Miraculous Blue Whip!*"
"No, it sounds childish. Knights don't name their techniques."
"But you're not a knight yet, so it's fine."
"Hmph... Maybe I'll think about it..."
As the guards listened to their conversation, it seemed as though Fulan and Fayrouz had known each other for years. In reality, it had only been a day...
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