The Circle of Magi, in the southern nation, Zaoth.

Rolling along the main dirt road beside a lush virgin forest were a set of five wagons, each carrying women and children, the elderly, and the injured, while a little more than a handful of able bodied villagers walked alongside them. The majority were men, but there were a few women and teenagers walking as well, each carrying a weapon of some sort.

Such was the pitiful state of Kleinwald Team B, Mare thought, as they moved along with the speed of an arthritic tortoise towards the village of the same name. The expressions on the villagers’ faces were varied, but all of them shared a sense of unease as they looked upon the forest that surrounded them on both sides.

The wagons were all being driven by a member of their village's militia, but that was obviously little comfort to them after the tragedy that had occurred the previous year. Thus it fell on the four Heroes-in-Training, who guided the procession from both the front and rear, to ensure everyone's safety.

The sun was still high up in the sky, beating down on them with its scorching heat. Fall was well on its way, as evidenced by the red, yellow and brown leaves starting to decorate parts of the forest trees. The occasional gusts of wind that stirred them into a light flurry weren't quite enough to dry the sweat soaking their clothes, sadly.

They'd been moving like this for about three hours now. Normally villages like these were only a few kilometers apart, but Zaoth's forest region was quite large, and even when departing from Jochen, the largest and most central village in Zaoth, the distance to the nearest adjacent village was a little under ten kilometers. The teams that had set out for there were probably almost done by now, but for Kleinwald it was worse; a whopping fifteen.

It was certainly a pain in the ass, particularly because their current pace was about 1.5 kmph — approximately 30% the average walking speed of a person — in order to maximize their ability to react to danger. On top of that, they were forced to use the main road instead of the secondary and tertiary paths that would have shaved off a couple hours at least. Yet another glamorous decision courtesy of the Hero Association.

The reason the villages were spread so far apart had to do with the region's history, particularly when Zaoth itself was still occupied by the native people who would go on to become the Ahalma'i after being forced out by Magian colonists. Mare had only ever read about it before, but apparently the villages were spread so far apart because the agricultural climate of Zaoth was rich enough that the natives built their settlements reasonably apart so as to avoid disputes and not compete with each other over a singular area.

Though the land has since deteriorated over the years, the practice was inherited by the colonists who settled here in communities of their own. The main road linked them all together, and though it wasn't nearly fast enough for Mare's liking, it was large and easy to defend with a low risk of ambushes, so that's why they were forced to stick to it.

Well, she could rattle off all she wanted about physics, geography, history and whatever else, but ultimately it did nothing to change the fact that the trip was an agonizing one for everyone involved. The militia wagon drivers were tired and anxious from having to sit idle and constantly be vigilant at the same time, while the walking villagers were fatigued and likely annoyed from the long hours spent trudging forward at a snail's pace. Mare certainly was, at least.

“...Hey. Aren’t you tired? We can take a break if you want,” she told the smaller figure beside her.

“Mm-mm. I’m okay,” came a soft-spoken reply. A pair of big, innocent, blood red eyes gazed up at her as the little girl shook her head side to side indifferently.

Despite having been eligible to ride in the wagon, the girl was shocked when Ellie reluctantly revealed that her mother technically wasn't due to her wheelchair and would have to be pushed manually. Upon hearing that, she immediately gave up her spot in favor of walking beside Mare and Ellie the entire time.

It was hard to understand the logic behind her decision since the wagon was close enough to reach out and touch, but Mare had no reason to refuse her, so she ultimately let the girl do whatever she wanted on the condition that she stay close and never let go of her hand without permission.

She'd been expecting to hear complaints from her soon enough, but the girl had been holding out surprisingly well, perhaps owing to her supernatural endurance as a half-demon. Mare wasn't quite as... “in-tune” with her demonic side, so her physical capabilities were only marginally above a normal human without the use of miasma or body-strengthening magic.

That said, her constitution was actually rather frail, her stamina was mediocre, and her athletic ability was practically nil, so this hike was about as unbearable for her as it likely was for the others forced to walk along. Her asking for a break had as much to do with the girl's wellbeing as it did her own.

Fifteen kilometers. This was going to take all day.

Walking several feet away from them on the other side of the rear wagon was Ellie, who was using both hands to push the wheelchair forward along the dirt road like she had been the entire time since their trek began. Despite how difficult and cumbersome a task such a thing would be for most people, she did so with a smile on her face and not even a drop of sweat.

As usual, the brunette's strength and stamina were so stupidly high it wasn't even worth being impressed over. Even so, there were some people who couldn't help but be impressed anyway, such as the girl in front of her who, like a curious squirrel, frequently snuck glances over to watch her every move with something akin to reverence in her eyes. It really must have been difficult for the kid to move her mother around everywhere if she was showing this much awe at someone else doing it.

Meanwhile the mother in question remained in her usual state of inanition and silence, completely unresponsive to her surroundings and with her dull, sunken eyes facing the road ahead of her. She looked, for lack of a better term, dead.

It left Mare with more than a little bit of curiosity. What could have happened to leave a grown woman, who should be healthy and energetic by all rights, so hopelessly crippled both physically and mentally? The girl hadn't said much about it, so there wasn't much to do other than speculate. Asking her directly about it would just be inconsiderate.

But at the same time, Mare felt like she was going to go crazy if she had to endure this for another twelve hours. The exhaustion was one thing, but she was also suffering from boredom since she had to stay alert for threats, and thus couldn't pass the time reading any of her books. She was going to have to think of another distraction soon.

Just as that thought passed her mind, an odd feeling like someone watching her sent her flat gaze scanning the tree line to her left.

…

…

...No signs of movement. Nothing in the treetops either. Aside from the girl next to her she couldn't feel the presence of miasma, and there shouldn't be anyone who would target a convoy of poor, marginalized villagers anyway. What would they hope to rob them of? Moldy food and dirty, damaged clothing?

Shaking her head and brushing it off as the result of a bored and overactive imagination, she figured enough was enough and decided to make use of her prepubescent companion for the purposes of her own entertainment.

“Hey. Talk to me about something.”

“Eh?”

“I'm bored, and it looks like we'll be here a while longer, so talk to me. I don't care what about. Tell me a story, tell me a secret, tell me a lie, tell me how sweaty my hand is — whatever. Just talk.”

“Erm…” Rather understandably, the girl didn't seem to know where to start with the unexpected command, but after some moments of her scrunching her face and pondering silently to herself, she finally found her words.

“...D-Did you know... that chickens sometimes can't poop unless you make sounds like a chicken?”

“.........”

Mare let out a quiet, tired sigh. She was getting really sick and tired of this trek.

-----

Another hour gone by, and somehow Mare had gotten absorbed in the girl's nonsense.

“A-And 'cause its head was stuck in the fence, we had to grab it on the butt, all three of us, and pull on it like this,” the girl was in the middle of explaining as she used Mare's hand to demonstrate. “...And that's how we got the calf out.”

“Really now,” Mare replied, listening to the girl's words with more interest than she’d expected from herself. Probably a testament to just how starved for stimulation she was.

From what she could gather, it seemed that her family was comprised of herself and her mother and father, as well as her grandfather, who happened to be the village leader of Kleinwald. Mare had seen the old man among the other refugees in Jochen, though he looked to be in Kleinwald Team A and would likely already be there by the time they arrived.

In any case, her mom was the village leader's daughter, a human, and her dad was a demon refugee from Demon Country. Mare couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of discrimination and hate she must have faced while under those circumstances, but based on the girl's tales of ordinary life with them, they seemed to have been fairly happy.

And then the monsters attacked.

Mare spared another glance at the woman in the wheelchair, now with some new perspective. Apparently she was there when the girl's father was killed, not by monsters, but by someone who had presumably snuck into the village during the chaos.

The assassin fled when the girl stumbled across the scene, potentially saving her mother's life, but some combination of survivor's guilt and the trauma of the attack itself left the woman bereft of all energy and will to live.

Knowing that, it was little surprise that the girl hated whoever murdered her father. Still, Mare knew firsthand that emotions like that didn't mesh well with miasma. Or rather, the problem was that they meshed too well, to the point where she could gain power beyond what she'd be able to control and lose herself in it completely. It was a situation that could easily lead to another tragedy like the one that destroyed her village.

It really wasn't Mare's place to interfere as an outsider who didn't fully understand the situation, but she personally felt that it was better to let go of such grievances and focus instead on what's right in front of you. For example, in this case, it was looking after her mother and ensuring that she was safe.

But realizations like that couldn't just be explained to someone; you had to experience them yourself to understand. Hopefully she would before it cost more than just her father's life.

For now though, the girl was probably too young to understand such things, so Mare was thankful when her soft voice suddenly spoke up once again. “...Um.”

“Hm?” Mare turned to find the girl sneaking glances at her face, trying to find something in her eyes. “What? Spit it out already.”

“A-Are you… um... really... just like me...? A dem— ow...!”

Before she could finish, Mare reached down and flicked her on the forehead, causing the girl to flinch in pain. She was met with an adorable, teary-eyed whimper, but she ignored it. “Hey bigmouth. Did I say you could talk about that so casually?”

“I-I'm sorry…” she sniffled, her tiny hand pawing at her throbbing forehead while the other remained clutched in Mare's. “I was just... um, curious…”

“That's fine and all, but there's a reason why I don't go around telling people. Life hasn't been easy for you, has it? Well it was the same for me, for a time.”

“Mm…”

“You probably don't need me to go into detail about the kinds of things ‘people like us’ have to deal with growing up, but suffice it to say that I was a target for a lot of people for reasons beyond my control. I've never met my dad, and while my mom and I aren't exactly distant, we aren't exactly close in the way other families are either. So I spent a lot of my childhood alone, reading books and studying magic.”

She turned away from the girl for a moment, her gaze falling upon the trees to their left again. Her eyes narrowed slightly as the memories of that time flashed through her mind.

“I grew up a part of a special camp designed to cultivate aspiring mages and Heroes, but being… different made me an outcast. I wasn't able to make friends or even just have conversations with people without them insulting me or accusing me of something I didn't do. Or worse. Didn't help that those idiots got jealous of me for performing so well in our magic training that I consistently impressed the instructors. Not my fault I actually studied and practiced my butt off instead of goofing around, but needless to say, I got bullied for it.”

The girl looked at her in surprise, not expecting the last part, but she nodded slowly after a few seconds, perhaps remembering her own woes.

“Before all that my mom had taught me to use illusion magic to hide my eye color, but being a kid I eventually let it slip. Once it got out, there pretty much wasn't a day where I wasn't harassed, be it by my fellow trainees, or even certain adults who had a bone to pick with demons for one reason or another.”

“That… That’s awful...”

“It is what it is. Eventually, I just got used to it,” Mare replied indifferently. “Though in the beginning I did lash out a lot with my ’power’. I got scolded for it and eventually learned my lesson thankfully, but I was a vindictive kid. To be honest, the main reason I started studying magic was to find crafty ways to get back at them without getting caught.”

An amused smile crossed her lips at that, prompting the girl to ask, “Did you ever get caught?”

“Of course. It was only a matter of time before more experienced mages like my mom caught on. Instead of blaming me though, she was impressed, and helped me focus my magical talents in a more positive direction. She taught me a lot about how to control my emotions and keep myself calm and rational at all times. Just as mana in general is heavily influenced by strong emotion, miasma reacts to negative feelings in particular, and if left unchecked one could easily lose themselves in the power trip it gives when you fuel it.”

“Sounds s-scary…”

“It is. It's also illegal in Magian law. You'll get a life sentence if you're lucky, but in the worst case, even a legal demon citizen would face execution for letting their supposed 'evil' power go out of control. That's why you have to be careful, okay? Humans won't hold back even on cute kids like you. You have your mom to worry about too, so don't ever let your miasma show like that again, understand?”

“A-Ah... mn,” the girl nodded her head obediently, looking down at the ground in front of her as they walked along. The conversation trailed off into silence after that, and for a while neither said anything to the other.

...Actually, there was one thing Mare had chosen to omit from her story. Something her mother had told her in secret; something she also felt was too early for the girl to understand, but was perhaps the most important thing.

Her ice blue eyes traveled to her other side, where beyond the wagon Ellie had been pushing the wheelchair for hours and hours on end. The brunette was smiling as usual, appearing to be chatting animatedly to the girl's mother in what was likely an attempt to keep her entertained throughout the drab journey. Despite knowing she wouldn't respond and may not even be aware of her surroundings in the first place, Ellie continued talking to her as though she were catching up with an old friend.

It was unnecessary; an ultimately futile act that had absolutely no merit in it whatsoever, but that sort of stupid, selfless kindness was exactly what defined Ellie. She would always go the extra mile for the people around her, even risking life and limb for complete strangers to ensure everyone could be just a little bit happier than they were before.

That was the kind of person she was.

The sight of her smile, bright and gentle all at once, and her clear brown eyes that always shimmered so genuinely with hope brought a flicker of a memory to mind. A time when those beautiful features were aimed only at her, made only for her, along with a kind hand and a voice that spoke words meant only for her.

As her gaze continued to linger over the form of her best friend, a feeling Mare had long buried deep inside herself resurfaced for the briefest of moments, and for the briefest of moments, she felt her chest tighten.

“...Does she know?”

“Huh?”

“Your friend,” the girl's voice replied, pulling her out of her thoughts as she followed Mare's gaze to also watch Ellie. “Does she know?”

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing to… Ah.” Mare's eyes turned to the side, followed shortly by her head as she realized what she meant. “...Yeah, she does. It’s important to the Hero Association to keep tabs on people like us, so everyone involved in our particular camp, as well as the Association’s higher ups all know.” Her gaze flickered down to the girl. “And now... so do you.”

The girl blinked, her eyes widening in shock as she seemed to realize something. “Why... Why did you tell me?”

“I wonder…” Mare mused, turning her face up to the sky again. “I guess I was just bored and wanted to pass the time. It’s not every day I get to talk about this stuff either.”

The girl nodded as though she understood, but she didn't seem fully satisfied, perhaps expecting a more concrete answer.

Hesitating for a moment, Mare eventually averted her gaze and added quietly, “And also… you remind me of myself, in a way.”

She thought back to her own childhood, spent isolated and alone until the day she discovered her purpose. At the time, she hadn’t ever considered the idea of others being like her, but she was sure that if she had known, she would have been comforted a bit. Just by having someone to relate to, she would have found it easier to endure her own struggles. That was how powerful that kind of connection could be.

“You aren't alone. Even if it doesn't feel like it now, I'm sure one day you'll meet people who will accept you for who you are without judging you for anything else. You'll make friends and have fun together, and they'll make you feel like you can do anything.”

A pair of big, red eyes peered up at her in wonder, and Mare continued with a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. “For me, it was Ellie, and... someone else, I guess. For you... it could be anyone, really. It might be just one person, or two, or it could be a whole bunch of people, but when you find them, you'll know. I'm sure of it.”

“Mm…” The girl seemed to think over her words carefully. Then, after a few moments, she felt the tiny hand in hers tense up at that, and she took a peek to see the girl blushing while trying to keep her head down. “O-Okay. Thank you…”

“Wah! Mare's smiling! Hey, hey, what's the occasion?!”

An unexpected interruption in the form of Ellie called out to them from the other side of the wagon, an excited grin on her face. “Don't tell me... Did something good happen just now?”

“Nope, nothing.”

Mare kept her expression neutral as she answered, causing Ellie to balk at both her and the girl. “H-Huh?! You're keeping secrets from me?! I can't believe this! My BFF!”

“Oh shut up.” Mare rolled her eyes and turned to the girl. “Don't tell this idiot anything.”

The girl blinked, looking back and forth between the two, but ultimately, she didn’t say anything and just let out a small giggle as they continued to walk along in silence.

“Hey, come on! Don't leave me out! Tell me! Something happened, right? Tell meeeeee!”

Accompanied by Ellie's incessant whining, the caravan continued its slow, pallid trek through the forest.

-----

 

Over twenty hours later, and they were finally about two-thirds of the way there. They’d only made a bit more progress the previous day before deciding to take a break and have lunch, during which some of the villagers made to walk complained about their aching legs. Even after having their sores and blisters treated with [Cure] by Mare and the others, they still made a fuss about their fatigue, which no magic could dispel.

Though secretly grateful for the chance to rest, Mare was still a bit annoyed at their selfishness. They'd only made about three and a half hours of progress in the end — barely a third of the total journey — and Ellie certainly looked ready to give them a piece of her mind about it. Mare held her back though.

Since the success of the reintegration depended primarily on the villagers' cooperation, the four Heroes-in-training had little choice but to ignore the remaining daylight and set up camp for the night. They made up for it by waking up at sunrise the next day, and while there was a bit of grumbling at first, most of it died down once the walking resumed.

It was hard to tell with the sun hidden behind a dense cloud cover, but Mare was fairly certain it was just a bit past noon now. The sounds of the forest were eerily silent, with not even the occasional chirping of birds or rustle of leaves breaking up the monotony of the crunching footsteps, turning wheels, and dragging feet of the villagers. Mare and Ellie kept their heads on a swivel as they guided the procession from the rear, ever vigilant for any sign of danger, but so far they had yet to come across even a single threat — human or otherwise.

The relative peace had lulled the villagers into something of a relaxed state, but Mare wasn't satisfied with it. For one thing, she couldn't stop thinking about how it felt like they were being watched the other day. There was no sign of anything then, and nothing had happened during the night either like she'd expected, but Mare wasn't so dense as to write off her own instincts in a situation like this. Assuming something really was carefully concealing its presence while stalking them from afar, now would be the perfect chance to attack.

To make matters worse, the road had narrowed quite a bit in this area as the forest grew thicker. If a chaotic battle were to break out here, fighting off the threat while keeping an eye on the villagers would be no easy feat. It was a worrisome thought, and Mare sincerely hoped they could get to a more advantageous location soon. And that she was just being paranoid.

“Hau—!”

Just as she was getting lost in those thoughts, she felt a tug on her hand along with a cry, and realized the girl had walked smack into a tree. “Uu…”

“Careful,” Mare said, lightly admonishing the girl while leaning down to inspect her forehead. “The path is getting more uneven now. Watch your step.”

The girl frowned, rubbing the sore spot on her head. There was no wound to find, as any cut or bruise would have healed near-instantly before it could even start to swell. Mare knew from experience that an accident like that would leave only some minor throbbing that would soon go away as well, so she pulled her along to rejoin the caravan.

She was prepared to forget it had even happened, until the girl suddenly murmured, “I'm sorry... I wasn't paying attention.”

“It happens. Still, what’s got you so distracted that you can’t even see a tree right in front of you?”

The girl said nothing, instead choosing to stare at the ground in front of her as they walked. Her expression seemed conflicted, and after a while Mare realized that she wasn’t going to answer.

Incidentally, she’d also been strangely quiet throughout dinner the other day, looking at the complaining villagers as though she had something to say. But no matter how long Mare waited, she never came forward. It seemed like she was hesitant to interact with her fellow villagers in general, which made sense considering their views of her.

Most likely, she wanted to say something in response to everyone moaning and complaining about their “injuries”, but didn't know how to do so without making everyone upset. But it wasn't like Mare could help her with that, so she continued to be patient and just went back to scanning for threats.

-----

It was two hours later when Mare understood that they had been caught in a trap.

While following the main road past a distant creek, if the sound of flowing water was any indication, they were surprised when the line of wagons suddenly came to halt. The path was pretty narrow at this point, being sandwiched by two slight inclines, and peeking ahead they noticed that it was now further obstructed by a handful of trees. Only they weren't upright, but had fallen down in the way to become a perfect roadblock.

She had to squint to see it from this far back, but Mare could clearly see the stumps on either side where the trees had been hacked down by an axe. It was a fairly obvious ambush tactic for this sort of terrain, and the fact that they were only noticing it now meant that it was too late for them to turn back.

As if on cue, the harsh cracking of wood and rustling of leaves sounded from behind them just before another throng of trees collapsed onto the path, trapping them from all sides. From there, they heard a series of shuffling from beyond the bushes and thickets along the inclines, and the sound of bows being drawn in unison made Mare's blood run cold.

What followed were five snaps... and then screams.

The villagers shrieked as a volley of arrows stabbed into the militia wagon drivers in unison. It wasn't clear who, if any, had survived, but Mare couldn't afford to check and see. Four more snaps rang out, and in the next moment a heavy, piercing impact struck her directly in the chest, knocking her to the ground.

She heard Ellie collapse too, meaning the shots must have been aimed at the four Heroes-in-training in order to remove every available protection the villagers had.

“A-Are you okay...?!”

Mare barely managed to nod her head in response to the girl's question. Aside from the searing pain in her chest and the wind being knocked out of her, she was more or less fine. Having demonic heritage wasn't something Mare would wish on even her worst enemies, but in spite of the many, many downsides, the durability and healing factor were something of a silver lining. Especially in situations like this.

“U-Um—! Um…” The kid was clearly distraught, looking hesitant and unsure before reaching out to her. “I-I can... um…”

“It's— urgh, it's fine, just... keep your head down.” Mare waved her off, knowing any first aid she could provide would be wasted on her.

Her pupils flickering red, a pained groan left Mare's mouth as she sat herself up and took hold of the arrow sticking out of her chest, wincing as she yanked it free. She took a deep breath, and after a moment the wound closed up within seconds, her eyes fading back into blue as she reactivated the illusion magic before anyone could see.

“Mare?”

“Yeah, I'm good. You?”

“Never better…” Ellie was up to a knee even faster than she was, one hand glowing blue against her shoulder as she patched herself up with [Cure]. She’d made sure to shove the wheelchair closer to the wagon and out of harm’s way, its occupant inert and stolid even under these circumstances. “I can’t see the two frontmost wagons, but at least three of the militia aren’t moving. The guys up front look okay though.”

“Just our luck. Bandits?”

“I think so. I counted over twenty. Take a look.”

As the two got to their feet, she looked to the left to see that the forest was lined with at least a dozen men and women, and a quick glance right revealed the same. Ellie, who'd also been looking around, turned to meet her eyes and shook her head, confirming that they were surrounded. Mare let out a sigh.

Bandits. So much for just being paranoid.

“Nobody move!” a gruff male voice called out to them. “We'll be takin’ everything y’have! Hand over yer belongings, or we'll cut ya down where ya stand! And don't try anything funny! My mates here have their bows trained on every last one’a ya, with orders to fire if even one person steps outta line!”

The villagers cowered at the threat and didn't dare make any sudden moves. Mare too stayed still as several bandits approached the caravan, brandishing weapons and going from person to person to rob them of whatever they could.

They didn't seem to be very picky; they took whatever they could find, and they weren't above getting violent in order to get it. From what she could see, they were taking things like food, clothes, personal effects, and even cooking utensils. And of course, money.

“Hah, so you wannabe Heroes survived after all,” the gruff voice continued, taking notice of them. “Guess ya deserve some credit. Just stay there quietly and no one else has to die. We got plenty more arrows where that came from.”

The voice was coming from beyond the trees, making it impossible for Mare to pick out who it belonged to. Sneaking a glance over to Ellie instead, it was apparent that the girl was absolutely seething and just barely holding herself back. Mare could tell she was itching to fight them off and not let these idiots have their way, but thankfully she had the presence of mind to restrain herself in order to protect the villagers.

Losing what little belongings they had left was a pity, but in this situation where even children were present and they were heavily outnumbered after being taken by surprise, it was important to prioritize personal safety; as long as no one else was seriously injured, it was better to comply with these people than risk escalating the situation and possibly losing more lives.

“W-Wait, you can't take this! It's my son's toy. Please, it's all I have left of him…”

“Hah?! Oi bitch, y'deaf or somethin'? I told ya to hand over every fucking thing I tell ya to! Don't make me break yer arm!”

“Please, i-it's just a flimsy piece of wood! It isn't worth anything at all! No, stop it, wait—”

*Thwap*

The woman's voice cut off in a pained gasp as the bandit struck her across the face, hard. Everyone around her flinched, but no one moved as the bandit wrestled with her until he managed to snag her arm, pulling it straight as he braced his palm against her elbow. Mare pulled the girl into her body and held her close, shielding her ears from what she knew was coming.

*CRACK*

A shrill scream rang out through the forest as the sickening snap of bone echoed in the air. A cold chill ran down everyone's spines, and even Mare shivered as she felt the crack reverberate through her body. Intense, agonized sobs escaped from the woman, who cradled her broken arm as she stumbled for a moment before collapsing to the ground, cradling her broken arm while curling in on herself.

“*Ptoo* That's whatcha get for fuckin' talking back, whore,” he spat, snatching up the dropped toy. “Now, who's next…”

Like that, the bandits proceeded down the line, taking whatever they wanted and attacking anyone who refused. The villagers were cowed into submission after that last display, and there were no more outbursts as they silently handed over their meager possessions. Or so Mare hoped.

But, to her dismay, it just wasn't possible to expect a group of people who'd already gone through one tragedy to remain completely pacified during another. Not under these circumstances.

“Oi, give it up you fat fuck!”

“N-No! This is all the money I have left! I can't feed my family without it!”

“Hehehe. Hey there pretty lady. I'll take yer shirt and pants, and everythin' underneath too. Hurry it up.”

“E-Eh…? No way… y-you can't be… P-Please… please don't…”

“Waaahh… Don't take iiiit… Don't take my dooooll…”

“You damn brat! Get the FUCK offa me!”

*Smack!*

“Aah—!”

“Y-You animals...! You're all... You're all animals!!!”

It was like a scene out of a nightmare.

As the situation grew more and more chaotic, the villagers were beginning to panic. Their fear and desperation had them screaming at the bandits, pleading with the bandits, cursing them, threatening them, even showing signs of aggression. If things escalated any further than this, the archers were likely to start firing, and more people would end up dead.

They needed to get things under control, and fast.

“Fuck! You're Heroes aren't you?! How can you just stand there and WATCH this?! WHY THE FUCK AREN'T YOU DOING ANYTHING?!”

A voice filled with unbridled fury suddenly shouted from somewhere in the middle of the caravan, prompting all eyes to turn on the young man it came from. He ignored them and instead aimed his own powerful glare at Mare and Ellie.

“If all you're going to do is stand there and watch us suffer, then what are you even here for?! What was the point of escorting us all this way?! Hurry up and KILL these pieces of shit already!”

“Hah? The fuck was that, asshole?!” The bandits were getting riled up by the guy's insults, and began to approach him.

“W-Wait! Please just calm down!” Ellie pleaded, stepping forward only to flinch as two sets of bows swiveled towards her. Desperate to prevent another needless death, she continued. “Everyone, listen! We can't just carelessly resist them! You have to understand, we're heavily outnumbered at the moment! Please, I'm begging you! Just stay calm and cooperate with them!”

Her words were both reasonable and sincere. But reason meant little in the face of raw emotion, and their anger at the injustice they were being subjected to was far too strong to be so easily dissuaded.

“Is this what the Hero Association thinks of us?! Don't fuck with me!” The man's voice grew even louder as he began to rant. “First we're left to fend for ourselves as monsters slaughter our loved ones, and now that we're being robbed of all we have left by these scumbags, you Heroes won't even do your jobs and protect us!”

“Unforgivable... This is unforgivable...!”

“What good are you Heroes if you can't even protect us from some bandits?!”

“All you're interested in is lining your pockets! You don't care about us at all!”

“Cowards! You're all useless!”

“The Hero Association?! What kind of bullshit is that?! This is all YOUR FAULT!”

Ellie's face paled as more and more people began to yell at her. She tried to explain that they didn't have a choice, but her words fell on deaf ears as the villagers grew more and more enraged, their stress and blame for the entire situation aimed solely at her.

Finally, another voice cut in to silence everyone once again.

“Uh... Alright, everyone just be quiet for a moment.”

It was the gruff voice from before, presumably the leader of this merry little gang of thugs. As everyone turned towards where it came from, Mare included, they were finally able to put a face to the voice. It was an older guy who looked to be in his forties or fifties, with a bald head and an unkempt beard of gray and black hair.

He was large, almost two meters tall, and had a wide, barrel-like torso that was covered by thick leather armor. His pants looked a size or two small, though they still managed to fit his meaty legs quite comfortably. His boots were worn, likely from extensive travel, and his hands were adorned with several silver rings on each finger that were far too expensive-looking to not have been pilfered from some other unfortunate victims of his.

The guy was standing off to the side partway down the incline, looking over the entire situation with a critical eye while balancing a garish battleaxe over his shoulder. The villagers were staring at him with a mixture of fear and hatred, while the bandits were all waiting for his orders.

“Haha, you Heroes sure don't have it easy, huh? Ya work yourselves to the bone and even risk your lives to keep these people safe, just to get treated like shit. Must be hard,” he said sympathetically, with a tone that was anything but.

“If you really believed that, you'd cut us some slack and let us go,” Mare retorted, showing a calculated stare. “But then again, why would a Freelance Hero like you have any sympathy for the Hero Association? The most you've probably ever done is be a two-bit academy dropout that gets his kicks from bullying weaker people. You had no talent and couldn't hack it as a Licensed Hero, so you turned to robbery and murder for a quick buck and call it freelance work. So I guess you're right; we don't have it easy. But from where I'm standing, you're the only loser here deserving of pity. Sucks to be you.”

There was a beat of silence, where both the villagers and bandits alike were wide-eyed and bewildered by Mare's harsh tongue lashing. The half-demon girl was among them, and her eyes were especially round as she glanced between Mare and the bandit leader, fearful of what the older girl's provocations would lead to.

“Hahahahaha!” To her surprise however, the bandit leader instead threw his head back and let out a boisterous laugh. “Ya sure got a mouth on ya kid! And here I thought I blended in pretty well with these bastards. Tell me, what gave it away that I'm a Hero?”

“What else? Obviously that big, fancy-looking weapon on your shoulder,” Mare replied, gesturing to his axe. “You're trying too hard to show it off, and even though it's way too nice to be owned by a washed up hobo like you, it's also the perfect weapon for an insecure moron who wants to compensate for his lack of skill. And for something else too.”

She sent him a pointed glance, and once it dawned on him what she was referring to, the man's smile faded and his eyes narrowed. “...Sure are a cheeky brat, you. So were ya hopin' to rile me up with a few insults and trick me into havin' my mates attack you instead of the villagers?”

He noticed...?

Noticing the slight change to her expression, the man's smile returned, this time accompanied by a sadistic gleam in his eye. “Ha! That's the kinda shit that works on greenhorns like these idiots. I may be a dropout, but I ain't stupid enough to fall for the oldest trick in the book, missy. Wouldn't have lasted this long if I was, would I?”

With a light wave, he turned on his heels and started back for the trees. “Finish up quickly, lads. We're leavin' in five. These kids so much as twitch a muscle, start dropping bodies. Long as we can still get their shit, don't matter to us whether they're alive or dead.”

Mare clenched her fist and glared after the man as he disappeared into the trees, her gaze lingering on the spot for a few seconds before she sighed and relaxed her posture.

I see. So he won't say it aloud that he plans to kill us once they're done. Guess I underestimated him, he's aware enough of the situation to know that we'd attack immediately and try to save as many villagers as possible if we thought we were dead anyway. They definitely tried to kill us along with the militia earlier though, so it's not like they care whether they step on the Association's toes as long as they can buy time to escape.

That being said, as she watched the bandits return to robbing and threatening the villagers, Mare began to doubt their chances of surviving this ordeal while also keeping them all safe.

Ideally, they would want to create a big enough commotion to catch the attention of any other reintegration teams that might be nearby, but the odds of that happening were slim. Even if a team happened to be nearby, they'd have their own villagers in tow and would only add more potential casualties to the mix.

What's worse, every civilian death that came about as a result of the fight would bring further hatred and scorn from the villagers, damaging the Hero Association's reputation in a way that might actually be blamed on her, Ellie and the others despite having done the best they could.

What was the solution then? Was the best thing to do to wait and hope that they actually would be spared, or attack preemptively and hope that they can do something about the ensuing slaughter?

In the end, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place, forced to just sit and watch as the bandits did whatever they wanted. Thankfully, the villagers were cooperating with them now, but it was clear their resentment hadn't waned in the slightest.

With their faith in the Hero Association having been completely destroyed, it was hard to imagine them following orders at this point. Worse still, they might try to participate in the battle, in which case this area was about to become a sea of blood and bodies.

“I-It'll be okay... right?”

It was during these thoughts that she felt the girl clinging to her sleeve begin to tremble, and looking down, Mare met her fearful gaze and realized that something in her expression must have reflected her concern. She immediately blinked it away and turned a smile down at the kid, patting her head while doing her best to seem confident. “Of course it will. Just trust us.”

The girl stared back at her for a moment before slowly nodding. She then averted her gaze and lowered her head.

“...Mare.”

Soon after, Ellie's quivering voice came from her other side, drawing her attention as her eyes flickered over to her friend.

She was crying, the tears rolling freely down her face as watched the bandits torment the villagers. Both of her hands were clenched into fists at her side, so hard that her knuckles had turned white and her nails were digging into her palms, likely leaving deep marks. Her entire body was shaking, but not because of fear, or even sadness.

It was frustration. Yes, a pure, unfettered feeling of self-loathing.

“Mare... I-I'm sorry, but—”

“I know.”

She understood, even without her saying anything.

“If it all goes wrong... I'll take the blame, okay? So help me out.”

“...Hm.”

In any case, they had to save the villagers more than anything. That much was obvious. Mare also felt that she more or less understood what Ellie planned to do in order to give them the best chance at survival. But there was a problem.

“...I still need some time. Wait until the last possible moment,” Mare said.

“But…”

“It'll be done when it's done. I expected a fight since the start, so I won't be late. However, I can only do one side. The rest is up to you.”

“Yeah... I'm counting on you.”

“???”

Having heard their whispers, the girl stared up at them in confusion, not quite grasping the situation. But the two didn't pay her any mind as they watched the bandits continue with their robbery.

Eventually, they finished up with the last wagon, and Mare and Ellie watched as a lanky, gap-toothed thug took notice and approached the latter with a smug grin. “Yo, missy. Neat sword ya got there. Hand it over.”

Ellie's face twitched in barely-concealed irritation. She looked to Mare, who subtly shook her head. She still needed more time.

“But... my mom gave me this sword.”

“Oi oi, ya think I give a fuck about yer sob story? Just give it here!”

The man stomped in place and shouted at her, and with an exaggerated sigh she removed the massive 20kg greatsword from her back. But just as the man made to snatch it out of her hands, Ellie smoothly stepped away, just out of his reach.

“Can't you overlook it? It's not worth a whole lot, and it's really important to me.”

“You fucker—!” Her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, as the bandit grew visibly enraged. He reached out again, only to meet air as Ellie sidestepped him once more.

“Are you sure you can even use this? It's really heavy, and not exactly designed for... people like you.” The look in her eyes was condescending, her tone patronizing as if she were talking to a particularly slow child.

The guy clearly noticed this, his cheeks turning red as his eyes narrowed. The veins in his temple bulged in rage as he rounded on her. “Think yer better than me?! Fucking bitch, I'll make ya regret talkin’ shit!”

He made to reach for the sword again, but as Ellie tried to dodge once more he suddenly lunged forward and smashed his fist into her face instead, causing her to stumble back and drop it as she held her hands up to her nose, blood dripping through her fingers.

“Serves you right, brat. Maybe next time you'll keep yer fucking mouth shut and do what yer told.” He sneered at her, leaning down to snatch the weapon off the ground. Or try to, anyway, because the moment his hand closed around the hilt, his eyes shot open at the realization of just how heavy it was.

“The fuck...? This shit's like a boulder! What the hell kinda arm strength do ya need to lug this thing around all day?”

As he used both hands to hoist it up, Ellie used [Cure] to fix up her nose, and while she did so, once again met Mare's eyes. This time, she received a nod.

Immediately, Ellie's demeanor changed. She stepped towards the bandit wordlessly as he struggled to get her sword off the ground, and as she came close, her fist began to glow bright blue. She raised it as he glanced over, and before he knew it her arm was swinging towards him.

“This kind.”

With a bone-crushing impact, Ellie buried her fist into the man's torso, the mana infused into the attack enhancing its power such that it produced a noise similar to a sonic boom, creating a miniature shockwave of pressurized air that exploded out in a small, contained radius around the point of impact.

The result was a miniscule, yet devastating singular blow that sent the bandit flying dozens of meters backwards. But he wasn't flung in just any direction; the brunette had aimed her punch directly towards one of the two lines of archers overlooking the caravan, sending him soaring straight into their ranks.

“Wh—?!”

“What the—?!”

In the next instant, a dozen men and women were blown backwards and into their fellows by the sheer force of the impact, the entire formation knocked into chaos. The villagers and bandits alike watched in stunned silence as the bandit landed roughly in a heap among the wreckage, blood spewing from his mouth as he struggled to move his limbs.

He... probably wasn't okay. But Ellie didn't seem to care as she snatched up her sword and leapt after him, taking full advantage of the disruption to attack the archers before they could retaliate.

Their shock at the sudden offensive left them slow to respond, and by the time they did manage to nock their arrows Ellie was already on them, her eyes shining with the promise of retribution for every moment of suffering the bandits had inflicted upon these innocent people.

In the next instant, heaps of men and women were tossed around with each cleave of her sword. Where at first the bandits cowered at the notion of being cut apart, they instead found themselves being pummeled and crushed by heavy, solid rock. In the blink of an eye Ellie had coated her blade with earth magic, turning her steel weapon into an unstoppable hammer.

“W-What the fuck?! I thought these Heroes were supposed to be a buncha green brats!”

“Shit, who cares?! Hurry up and fire!”

The archers lining the other side of the caravan quickly snapped back to their senses, aiming their bows down at the vulnerable villagers. Seeing the incoming threat, they began to panic, huddling together and throwing their arms over their heads. Parents shielded their children, and many others wrapped their arms around whoever was closest while scrambling to take cover behind the wagons as best they could.

The vicious snaps of bowstrings rang out, followed by a series of shrill cries as the villagers expected to be peppered by a hail of arrows. But none of the missiles landed.

Instead, several clear streaks of water had shot out from behind the bandits, racing into the path of the projectiles. With a wave of Mare's hand, they merged into a thin, translucent wall that stretched the length of the caravan, stopping the arrows in their tracks and leaving them wedged in its surface.

“Huh?! What is that?!”

“Water magic?! Where the fuck did it even come from?!”

“...Phew. Just made it.”

Mare allowed a small sigh of relief to escape her lips. Even though she'd been preparing this defensive wall since the moment the bandits had appeared, it still took quite a bit of time and concentration to gather the necessary amount of water from so far away.

Being under the bandits' constant watch made it near-impossible to use any sort of magic, let alone one powerful enough to do something about the arrows, so Mare was thankful that this little ambush had taken place next to a creek that was somewhere beyond the treeline.

It was a gamble whether someone would notice the silence as the flowing water came to a halt, but the charged atmosphere between the bandits and villagers had been tense and dramatic enough to conceal the disturbance in the current. Yet even with all her preparation, there was just barely enough time to gather enough water to shield one side of the convoy, so it was good that Ellie's own plan had worked and allowed her to engage the archers on the other side before a single arrow had fallen.

“Ahh... Whoa…”

The girl stared up at the water wall in awe, her mouth agape and eyes wide. This was probably her first time seeing magic at work like this, and Mare couldn't help but crack a smile as she recalled her own first experience with magic. “Cool, huh? Magic is good for a lot of things, but especially for protecting the people you care about. Now things are gonna get kind of scary for a bit, so I want you to stay with your mom and keep her safe, okay? We'll be back soon.”

“...O-Okay.” The girl seemed hesitant to leave her side at first, but after a moment she nodded her head and hurried over to her mother at the rear wagon. Some villagers were already working to carry her out of the wheelchair, and she quickly moved to help them.

Mare waited until they were both safely tucked away inside, then turned back towards the bandits. They were still dumbfounded by the water wall, unsure of how to deal with it or if they should even try, but it wouldn't last long. She didn't have much time to capitalize on their confusion.

Determined not to waste this chance, Mare didn't hesitate to coalesce the wall back into a [Water Ball] that was around four meters in diameter, still carrying the dozens of arrows that had gotten stuck in its surface.

“Don't take it personally. While I admire Ellie's idealism, I prefer rationality over sentiment, and I'm not going to hold back when your actions directly endanger civilian lives. Besides, I don't think these people would forgive us if we didn't do at least this much after letting them suffer to create this opportunity.”

“Wha—?!”

She twirled her finger around and the ball spun with it, manipulating the arrows within to point back at their owners.

“Oh shit!”

“Take cover!”

“See ya.”

A dozen sets of eyes widened as the bandits scrambled to move, but there was no escaping now. A clench of her hand was all it took for the water within the ball to rapidly compress the space around each arrowhead, adjusting the pressure and ensuring each was aimed with precision, and with a wave of her arm the ball exploded in a burst of high-pressure shrapnel.

*Ptch!* *Ptch!* *Ptch-pch!*

There was a moment of silence where nothing happened. Then, a second later, the screaming began.

“A-Ah! Ahhhh!!! M-My eyes... my eyeeees!!!!”

“G-Gaaah!! S-Spine— my, gghhlkkk...!!!!”

“I-It hurts... m-my legs... I can't feel my legs…”

“Uuugh... agh... aaaahh…”

Mare shut her eyes, indifferent to the moans of pain coming from the bandits as they were systematically crippled in an instant. After being treated with [Cure] to ensure they wouldn't bleed to death, the bandits could be rounded up and arrested, where they'd have to live the rest of their lives with horrendous disabilities.

It wasn't a pleasant fate by any means, but it was more merciful than simply killing them outright. Whether they atoned for their crimes or not, they would no longer pose a threat to anyone anymore. That was the rational decision.

“Guhh... W-What the hell kinda power is that... A-Are you a demon or somethin'...?” One of the now-eyeless bandits managed to groan out from a short distance away.

“Coming from a bunch of murderous thugs like you, that almost sounds like praise.” Mare allowed an amused smile to form as she answered. “But unfortunately for your pride, I'm nothing so grand as that. Just a normal girl who happens to be pretty good with magic.”

The man couldn't respond, too busy coughing up blood as he struggled against the pain. Mare had no interest in hearing anything else the bandits had to say anyway, and instead turned to her teammates. One of the two boys — whose name she vaguely remembered was Hector — had already joined the skirmish on the other side to back up Ellie, while the other — Alex something or other — stayed behind and looked at her in apprehension.

“Sorry, I couldn't save all of the militia members,” the boy said, looking guilty. Mare's eyes widened a bit as she also recalled that he was a Support Mage like her. He must have immediately gone for the wounded drivers when the fighting broke out to try and heal them. The fact that he'd actually managed it was impressive in itself, considering how long they had to wait for the right opportunity.

“No, you did good. With so much going on, we couldn't even think about the ones who were already hurt. I'm glad someone did,” she assured him. He nodded slowly, still looking upset, but he seemed to appreciate the gesture nonetheless.

“I'm happy to help, but I couldn't have done anything without you two making the first move,” he said, turning his attention to the wounded bandits. “It's Mare, right? You can leave these guys to me. The others will need your help.”

“Mm. Thanks for the assistance, Alex,” Mare agreed, already sprinting across the convoy.

“Uh, it's Alec actually…”

The battle on this side was still ongoing, with the bandits having rallied and begun fighting back against Ellie and the other boy, steadily surrounding them. Spotting a woman with a cleaver rushing at Ellie's flank, Mare leapt into action, raising her trident over her shoulder before sending it hurling like a javelin.

It shot through the air with violent speed, extracting moisture from its surroundings to form a cone of pressurized water around its head. The weapon stabbed into the ground mere inches from the bandit's feet, then exploded outward and blasted her back with enough force to send her crashing into a tree, unconscious.

To retrieve it, she held her hand out and used [Summoning]. Combining the spell with her elemental affinity made the process faster, and in the blink of an eye her weapon liquified and evaporated, reforming in her hand right as she arrived by Ellie's side.

“Mare!” the girl exclaimed, looking relieved. Hector too glanced her way, a dopey grin shining beneath his sweat-soaked veneer.

“About time. I thought we were gonna have to handle all these guys on our own,” he joked, blocking a dagger strike with his shield. He used the momentum to throw the bandit off balance and follow up with a powerful swing of his mace, cracking the man across the head and sending him crumpling to the ground, unconscious. “Where's Alec?”

“Taking care of the wounded. I'll handle his share of the support. How many more are left?”

“Too many,” Ellie answered. “These guys aren't amateurs, and they had more hiding further in the woods. Can't say my plan's working out as well as I'd hoped…”

Understatement of the century…

“That was reckless, Ellie. We got lucky this time, but the archers could have opened fire the moment you moved,” Mare scolded, frowning as the three of them continued to fight off their attackers back-to-back in a circle.

“U-Uu... S-Sorry,” she murmured, followed by a grunt as she used the flat of her blade to redirect a hatchet-wielding thug's swing, opening him up for another hard smash to the head from Hector, knocking him out. “But, it's not like we had any other ideas either, right? It was the only way to give everyone a chance.”

She had a point, Mare thought as she deflected an incoming slash from another bandit, keeping him at bay with her trident until she could line up a shot. She had no particular talent for melee combat, especially when compared to the likes of Ellie, but she was capable enough of defending herself if needed. She flicked her wrist, launching a bolt of compressed water at his face and stunning him. “Fine, I won't lecture you about it. We need to hurry up and finish this before it gets out of hand.”

Ellie saw her chance as the bandit stumbled backwards and slipped around Mare's side, her greatsword cleaving the air and bashing the man's chest hard enough to shatter its rocky exterior, and likely his ribcage along with it. By the time she reinforced her blade again with [Harden], Mare was already lining up other targets for her.

A question formed in her mind as they fought, one that Hector ended up answering a moment later without her even having to ask. “The leader dude's at the rear. I don't know why, but he's just been watching and hasn't come out to fight at all.”

Mare allowed a glance over her shoulder, spotting the bald bandit leader further in the forest flanked by a pair of bandits with weapons at the ready. Sure enough, he was just watching, a sadistic smile on his face as he observed the fight from a distance. Considering he was more than likely the most experienced fighter here, why watch from a distance instead of joining the battle? What was he trying to see?

No, it didn't matter. If they neutralized him, the bandits would lose morale. “I'll get you close. Think you can take him out?”

“Wait what?” Hector blinked at them.

“Of course,” Ellie replied without hesitation. “You ready?”

“Always.”

“Wait a minute, what are you—”

Ignoring Hector's stupefied confusion, the two girls shared a look and nodded. Their coordination was impeccable; their movements synched to the point that even the most minute gestures between them were easily understood. Working together, they managed to push back the bandits just slightly, and as soon as that space was created, they moved.

Ellie brought her sword close to her side and jumped in place, tucking her legs in and bracing her body as Mare materialized another [Water Ball] beneath her. The moment her boots made contact, Mare swung her arm and sent the ball rocketing across the battlefield, weaving a path through the trees as Ellie rode atop it.

“Take care of the rest here for a bit, Hector.”

“Sorry Harry! We're counting on you!”

“Damn it, it's HENRY! Did both of you seriously not know my name this whole time?! Hey—!”

As expected, the bandits reacted to the sight, some even panicking and ducking away to avoid being struck, while the remaining ones tried to attack her, their blows glancing off the ball's fluid surface and unable to reach the girl herself.

Soon enough she was on a straight line towards the bald man, who stood there calmly waiting, not even raising his axe. The two bandits flanking him — a man and a woman — both stepped in front of him, ready to defend their boss.

Those two are…

Mare blinked, noticing something about the two of them. As Ellie approached at high speed, the pair of them each pointed their swords in her direction. The air around the swords vibrated for a moment, before a blast of magic emerged from their tips, producing a violent storm-like shockwave.

Wind and water. I knew it. I should've known he'd train at least a couple of them in preparation for times like these.

“Tch,” Mare clicked her tongue at the realization that their opponents included mages as well. This was getting more troublesome by the minute.

“Mare!”

“I know already.”

She'd known what was expected of her even before Ellie's call. She aimed her palm at the [Water Ball] right as Ellie leaned back and braced, allowing its underside to collide with the storm of wind and water in an intense clash.

Her arm shook under the strain, her muscles aching as she struggled to keep control while building up the pressure within the ball in just the right amount. The force from the storm attack alone was incredible, especially since she was taking on a combined attack from two mages at once, but thankfully her superior control allowed her to hold it back for long enough to aim her trident once more.

Mare's pupils flickered red for just the briefest of moments before being buried beneath her bangs as she hurled her trident once again, this time with far more power and speed than before. A thunderous crack echoed out as it left her hand, tearing through the air with enough force to rip trees clean in half as it went. Ellie jumped from her perch just in time to narrowly avoid being skewered herself as the weapon smashed into the [Water Ball], detonating it in a cloud of mist and vapor that rushed to fill the area.

The ensuing explosion kicked up a massive amount of dirt and debris, obscuring visibility and forcing everyone to brace themselves. Silence filled the area for several heartbeats, with each side waiting for the dust to settle to see the result.

“Hmph, these kids sure are persistent,” the bandit leader grumbled, scanning the fog with his axe still casually resting on his shoulder. “Not a bad plan either, but easy to read. Yer after me, which means the next attack is from... above, eh?”

He turned his gaze upwards just as the tip of Ellie's earthen sword broke through the haze, aimed straight for him. Smiling, he raised his axe up in a hard parry and immediately shattered the blade's rocky exterior, forcing her to brace the blow with both arms as she was knocked back up into the air.

As soon as she landed the other two were upon her, lunging at her sides with their blades drawn. With a narrow window to react, the brunette fought them off adeptly, deflecting their attacks and trading blows from both sides in a flurry of steel. But the duo's coordination was such that they worked around her defense and kept her on the backfoot, eventually opening her up for a downward cleave from their boss.

*Clang!*

“Ghh—!”

She blocked it, barely, the force behind the attack staggering her even as she tried to push back with her hand on the flat of her blade. The bandit was certainly as strong as he looked, the muscles of his arms and chest bulging with exertion.

“You've got some moves, missy. Don't remember takin' lessons on fighting three versus one back in my day,” he said, sneering as he forced her down to a knee with his weight. “Too bad, this is as far as y'go. Die.”

He pushed forward, and Ellie grit her teeth as her arms started to buckle under the pressure. The two other bandits circled her from either side, closing in with their weapons poised for a killing blow. But before they could reach her, two streams of water shot through the mist and crashed into them, launching them backwards with their limbs flailing.

“—?!”

The two recovered quickly and turned towards the source as the vapor cleared, spotting Mare standing a few meters away with her trident pointed in their direction. Encircled around her was a vortex of water, spinning and churning at a ferocious pace that carried her clothes and hair slightly. A resting frown sat on her face as she glared at the two; her cold, ice blue eyes boring into them.

“I'll take care of the small fries,” she spoke. “Ellie, you deal with that baldy.”

“Leave it to me...!” Ellie sucked in a breath, taking advantage of the momentary distraction to shove the bandit leader back and take another swing.

He blocked her attack again, but she'd expected that. Using the opening left behind, Ellie aimed carefully and slammed her sword against his axe with more force than before, the two weapons clashing fiercely. His boots slid against the grass as the girl stepped forward, driving him back with newfound strength.

“No you don't—!”

The two mages moved to assist him, only to glance off a wave of water that rushed into their paths, isolating Ellie and the bandit leader on both sides. Angry, they could only watch as Ellie continued her advance, pushing the bandit leader back further and further as she picked up speed.

“Gghh, you... damn brat!” he snarled, digging his heels into the ground to try and match the girl's strength using his weight and leverage. The contest of power lasted for several seconds as he struggled against her, but eventually Ellie clenched her hands around her sword's hilt as tight as she could, and with a strong cry she broke into a full on sprint.

“HaaaaAAAAHHHH!!!!”

Like a charging bull, she plowed the man back through the forest, his boots dragging deep lines into the dirt as he fought to keep her from trampling him. The two of them disappeared into the trees, and the wind and water mages looked on with frustration as Mare stepped closer.

“Did you not hear me? I'm your opponent,” she said, waving her hand to stir up the water vortex around her until it eventually dispersed into the air around her. “That earlier trick was pretty impressive, but I've had over a decade of experience in water magic. I'm a better mage than you could ever hope to be.”

She wasn't bluffing, either. It was true that she had little-to-no talent for close combat, but at long range Mare knew she was near unbeatable. It sounded like a vain attempt at self-flattery, but she had spent her entire life studying the fundamentals of water magic from both theoretical and practical angles. Her fighting style was a culmination of that knowledge, carefully adapted and refined in order to create the perfect balance of offense and defense.

Combined with her half-demonic physiology and her extensive knowledge of battle tactics, she could avoid serious injury with relative ease and overwhelm her enemies before they could land a decisive blow, or escape unfavorable situations as she saw fit. As a mage she was undoubtedly among the most talented of her generation.

“So, what'll it be? Will you surrender, or should I show you why you should've while you had the chance?” Mare asked, holding her trident with a calm expression.

The two mages exchanged glances with each other before turning back to her, their eyes hardened.

“...Thought so.”

In an instant, the area around the two was saturated with water as small as nails, spurting out from over a dozen places through the air she had purposefully left moistened earlier. The bandits could barely get out a gasp before the compressed liquid burst like springs, sending the razor sharp needles directly into their bodies like a pair of makeshift iron maidens. All at once they were blinded, their eardrums perforated, and their skin punctured in multiple weak spots such as their spines and arteries.

They crumpled to the ground, screaming as they grasped at their wounds and futilely tried to stem the bleeding. Within seconds they would be dead, but Mare quickly leaned down to cast [Cure] on them both, patching up the most grievous wounds and internal injuries. It was a gamble whether they would survive or go into shock from blood loss, but as far as she was concerned that was as much mercy as they deserved.

She let out a breath once she was done, taking a few moments to recover from that mana expenditure. Since they weren't capable of seeing anymore, she allowed her blue eyes to fade back to their natural bright red, which glowed with power as she aimed a disdainful glare down at their broken bodies. “That's why I told you it was better to surrender. It's your fault for not listening.”

Well, they probably only barely heard that, if at all. She'd said it more for herself, really.

Compared to normal bandits, mages of any skill level were exceptionally dangerous enemies that needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible. Even if the two of them did make it, their bodies were destroyed to the point where they wouldn't be a threat to anyone ever again. There was no reason to feel guilty when she was acting based on cold logic and reasoning.

And yet…

“...Sorry.”

She didn't know why she apologized. The pair had already lost consciousness, so there was no way they heard her. Perhaps that was also just for herself.

Shaking those thoughts away, Mare concealed her eye color again and returned to the matter at hand. In any case, that was one problem taken care of. All that was left was to help Ellie take out the baldy leader and mop up the rest of the bandits, and this fight would be over.

She glanced back in the direction of the caravan to check on the others, spotting Hank and Alan doing their best to fend off the bandits' attack from the rear. Surprisingly, the militia members who’d survived the initial attack, and even some of the villagers had joined in the fight, armed with the rudimentary weapons they were given by the Association and swinging them wildly at their attackers.

Mare had no clue what possessed those idiots into letting civilians fight, but she decided to leave things to them for the time being and focus on pursuing Ellie and the bandit boss. She made her way towards the clearing she'd seen them disappear into, only to pause when she heard a noise that threw her for a loop.

““Hahahaha!!!””

Laughter. Mutual laughter.

Spurred on by the noise, she quickened her pace and soon stumbled across a bizarre scene. The two were locked in deadly single combat, yet had wide, gleeful smiles on both of their faces. The man swung his axe in a ferocious flurry of blows, which the girl perfectly parried one after the next before she struck back with a swipe from her own. He sidestepped her blow and swung his axe in a sideways arc, only to have her deflect it and return with a burst of slashes that he expertly defended against before locking blades with her, sending sparks flying as they struggled against each other and grinned all the while.

It was a strange sight. On and on it went, the two of them exchanging blow after blow with unerring precision. Ellie was no longer coating it with [Harden], likely because the man's blows would break through the stone anyway, and was instead using the blade naturally to fight him. Still, Mare knew Ellie's stance on murder and that she vehemently opposed killing and gratuitous harm under any circumstance, so it was easy to pick out the pattern to her swings.

They were aimed to disable him, not kill. Her strikes were designed to hit at points where she could maim him while causing the least amount of damage, such as the tendons in his arms or legs. She was aiming to immobilize him.

Meanwhile, the bandit leader wasn't holding back at all; his swings were vicious and ruthless, aimed at her vital areas in order to kill her as quickly as possible. He was clearly given formal training, judging by the way he used his weapon and how well he reacted to Ellie's attacks, but he wasn't anything special in Mare's eyes. Dangerous, but an average sort of dangerous.

Between the two, the one who looked worse for wear was, as expected, the baldy. Though they both wielded heavy weapons, Ellie's stupidly abundant strength meant she wasn't hampered by the weight at all, and she was using it to full effect as she slowly whittled away at the man's stamina with precise and speedy counter attacks and parries.

A normal person would have been infuriated by their inability to keep up with a little girl half their size, but Mare could tell he was far from throwing a tantrum. In fact, his eyes were watching her carefully, gathering information and analyzing her every move to find an opening he could take advantage of.

Ellie wasn't dumb— well, she was, but she definitely knew her way around a fight. However, she also wasn't one for complicated strategies either, meaning it wasn't hard for more calculating opponents to exploit her patterns and outsmart her. If the guy was as clever as he clearly thought he was, he was most likely planning to strike when she made a mistake.

Mare stepped forward to assist, but paused when she realized it was already over.

“There!”

As Ellie shouted and went for a wide swing, the bandit leader apparently sensed whatever opportunity he'd been waiting for and put up a defense with his axe. He was probably expecting to throw her off balance with a strong parry and chop her head off or something, but Mare could only sigh at how incorrectly he read her obviously-telegraphed attack. She supposed it wasn't really his fault, though. After all, this whole time he'd had no idea that defenses were meaningless against Ellie to begin with.

And as the girl's blade suddenly began to glow blue with mana mid-swing in preparation for her signature move — her first use of it in this entire battle — Mare couldn't help but think Ellie was a lot more strategic than she gave her credit for.

“[Bisectiiiing Slaaaaash]!”

With a powerful cry, the brunette unleashed a devastating swing, drawing a brilliant arc that dimmed the surrounding area with dazzling light.

There didn't exist any such thing as air resistance or friction in the vacuum created by her sword's passing. Instead, as the mana coating the blade rapidly weakened the molecular bonds of the atmosphere around her, all of the surrounding gasses and particles were separated by the sword's path, leaving behind a thin void of empty space that contained no light, sound, or matter in an instance too brief to be perceived by the naked eye.

That was the current working theory on the properties and functionality of [Bisecting Slash]. It was a technique that spat in the face of every physical law known to mankind, and contradicted magic theory in so many ways that researchers the world over refused to even acknowledge its existence.

Mare had no clue how it worked. The person who came up with it probably didn't either. It was impossible to replicate, despite Eveline's claims that anyone with enough training could pull it off. She had certainly taught Ellie to use it, but all her “training” consisted of was swinging a sword around while attempting to “feel” the magic, which the girl had somehow picked up on and perfected over time. Meanwhile Mare's own attempts, as well as that of experts across Magi, continuously yielded the same result: nothing.

What Mare did know was that the attack was frighteningly powerful and destructive. It had the force of an explosive bomb, yet was incredibly precise. A magical phenomenon utilizing mana in its raw form to turn the impossible into reality through sheer belief, willpower, and unadulterated strength. In Mare's eyes it was something far beyond a simple spell with no explanation: It was the pinnacle of magic that could only be reached by a complete fool... or a true genius.

“W-Wha—?!”

And that was why the man could only watch in stunned horror as his precious shiny axe was split cleanly in half as if it were nothing more than paper. The sword continued on its path, unable to be stopped in any way, shape, or form, and just barely missed him as it carved a deep trench through the ground beside them and shattered his confidence into pieces.

Mare tried to spot the thin black line that was supposedly left behind in the brief moment before the atoms and photons recombined and everything returned to normal, but as expected, there wasn't a trace. What was easy to spot though was the fear in the bandit leader’s eyes as Ellie pushed the assault, switching to a reverse grip as she pivoted into a jumping back kick aimed at his chest.

He barely managed to get hands up to catch her foot before it struck him, but Ellie merely smiled, and that terrifying blue glow appeared again.

This time her right fist was wrapped in mana. According to Eveline, it was fundamentally similar to the [Bisecting Slash], but applied the opposite principle. Instead of forcibly separating molecular bonds in a specific region to create a vacuum, it instead strengthened the bonds in her fist by creating a highly pressurized pocket of super-dense mana around it. The result was a short, localized burst of magic equivalent to a bomb.

“[Shootiiiing Staaaar]!”

...Mare still thought the name was stupid, though.

With her foot still being held mid-kick, Ellie twisted her hips and punched him right in the face, the resulting explosion of mana smashing the ground beneath them to pieces and creating a small shockwave that expanded outwards in all directions. The trees shook violently as the force passed by, and even Mare, who was still relatively far away, had to shield herself with her arms as she felt her hair and robes whip around her.

She peeked one eye open after the dust settled, spotting Ellie standing among the wreckage with a satisfied smile on her face. The bandit leader lay unmoving at the bottom of the newly-formed crater, unconscious and most likely concussed beyond belief.

“Phew~” Ellie released a satisfied breath as she relaxed her muscles, wiping the sweat from her brow with her free hand while the other rested on her hip. “Man, that was fun! That was the first time I've ever fought someone one on one like that. He was really tough!”

“...Did you have to go that far?” Mare asked as she stepped closer, her voice flat. She reached down to help Ellie out of the crater, then held the girl's hand in both of her own to inspect it for injuries. “I don't think the backlash was worth turning him into a pancake. You know it's not safe to use that move, even with body strengthening magic.”

“Ahaha... s-sorry about that…” Ellie laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. “But the main threat is out of the picture now, at least. What about the mages?”

Seeing no signs of damage to the appendage, Mare let her go and shook away the question. “Taken care of. We should hurry and assist the boys.”

“Got it. Let's wrap this up, Mare! Full speed AHEEEEE…”

-----

“...EEAAAAaaaad?”

By the time the pair arrived back at the caravan, things had already calmed down here too. The rest of the bandits had either been captured or killed, and the villagers who'd participated in the battle were being tended to by Aaron. The corpses of the fallen militia had been removed from the wagons, and it looked like some other villagers were helping to prepare graves for them off to the side along with their surviving colleagues.

Everyone looked exhausted; especially Herbert as he leaned on his shield, taking notice of them. “Well, look who finally decided to show up. I guess I should go ahead and assume your big plan paid off? Y'know, since you didn't fill me in and all!”

“It's fiiiine, we just got a little sidetracked,” Ellie waved off, not the least bit guilty. “Besides, you look like you handled things here just fine, Hughey.”

“A little sidetracked?! I was fighting for my life over here! If I didn't get backup from Alec and the others, I'd be a goner!” He paused for a moment, then added on, “And it's HENRY! H-E-N-R-Y!”

“Ah!” A tiny gasp emerged from one of the wagons, followed by the pattering of footsteps as the blonde half-demon girl leapt out of it and rushed towards them with eager steps. “You're okay...!”

She threw herself into Mare, wrapping her arms around her waist in a tight hug and burying her face into the taller girl's chest. “I saw you run off, and I— I heard explosions... I... I thought…”

The girl's words trailed off as her voice cracked, her whole body trembling as she glanced up at the both of them, tears shimmering in her blood red eyes. Ellie was quick to react, kneeling down to rub her back.

“There, there... everything's alright now, see? The bad guys are gone, and they won't be able to hurt anyone anymore.” She flashed a bright and toothy grin. “Heroes are pretty cool, huh? We'll always protect you!”

“That's right,” Mare agreed, placing a hand on top of her head. “I told you we'd be back soon, didn't I? Did you wait for us?”

The girl nodded into her stomach. “Mm... I did. I was scared, but I stayed with Mom and waited, just like you said.”

“That was really brave of you, you know,” Ellie praised, fists clenched. “Now I'm 1000% certain you have what it takes to be a Hero!”

“H-Huh? But why…? I didn’t do anything, a-and I was so scared I wanted to cry…”

“But you didn't cry,” Ellie stated matter-of-factly. “Even though you were afraid, you stayed strong and waited for us, and you kept your mom safe too. That kind of attitude is what reassures people, and makes them feel like they can rely on you. Keeping the people around you safe and happy, while doing what needs to be done even though you're scared is exactly what being a Hero is all about. That's why you're the perfect Hero candidate!”

The girl didn't say anything to that, but she glanced away shyly, the tiniest of smiles tugging at her lips.

“Hm, now if only you smiled a bit more…” Ellie mused, her expression turning thoughtful as she rubbed her chin. “That's also part of being a Hero, too. No matter how bad things get, if people see you smiling they'll feel at ease. They'll think, ‘Oh, if she can keep smiling even in a situation like this, then I'll be fine too!’ Right?” With a tender expression, the brunette leaned in to press her forehead against the girl's, looking her in the eyes. “So promise me you'll keep smiling, just like that okay? Not just for others, but for yourself too. No matter how bad things get, or how sad you might feel inside... keep smiling, always.”

Red orbs gazed into gentle brown, wide and shimmering with tears as she took in the older girl's words. The girl's lips quivered, before slowly parting to allow a soft whisper to pass through as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“O-Okay... I... I promise…”

“...What kind of nonsense are you feeding her?” Mare interjected from the side. Like usual, her face was expressionless and devoid of even the slightest hint of a smile. “Stop trying to brainwash her with your stupidity, idiot.”

“Eheh~ You're just jealous that I'm laying the groundwork for her to apprentice under me instead of you,” Ellie teased, sticking her tongue out playfully. “Isn't that right? You want me to teach you more about being a Hero right?”

Glaring, Mare jammed her elbow against the brunette's face, pushing her away. “Shut it. Studying fundamentals and magic theory will help her out way more than that crap about smiling or whatever.”

“Quit it~” Ellie laughed, grabbing her arm and shoving her back. “I already decided! When I get my license, I'm gonna take her as my apprentice! Too bad, I called dibs first!”

Watching the two of them bicker over her, the girl could only smile, her heart growing warm as she clutched Mare's shirt even tighter.

“Uhh… If you're done with your little moment,” Harold spoke, arms crossed. “We could use some help with the cleanup. Where's the boss by the way?”

“Over there,” Mare answered, pointing in the direction of the clearing.

He squinted in the indicated area. “...Dead?”

“No, but probably wishing he was.”

His eyes passed between the both of them, visibly disturbed. “Guess I shouldn't be surprised, considering who your mothers are. You're honestly terrifying, you know that?”

“Heh.”

“Ehehe~”

Both girls were amused by the comment, with Ellie throwing up a peace sign while Mare just smirked a bit.

“Well! I guess that means it's all over now. Good job everyone!” the brunette cheered, pumping her fists. “Good job, Harper!”

“Nice one, Harvey. You held out well while we were gone,” Mare added.

“For the last time, it's HENRY! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you!”

The two girls fell into giggles again at his expense, the mirthful sound spreading throughout the convoy as others slowly joined in. They had endured a terrifying ordeal, lives had been lost, emotions had run high... but it was over now. They had survived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“...How disappointing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instantly, the mood froze over. Everyone flicked their gazes around, trying to locate the source of the unfamiliar voice that had suddenly echoed through the trees. But unlike the others, Mare's expression had gone far past simple confusion or anxiety. Her eyes were wide with shock, sweat dripping from her face as a sudden fierce chill shook her spine. Her body was completely rigid, paralyzed by fear. Next to her, the red-eyed girl also tensed up, having sensed exactly the same thing.

Miasma. Thick and heavy and suffocating. It permeated the air, straining Mare's senses in a way that made her feel dizzy and nauseous. An instinctive sense of danger kicked in, urging her to flee as far away as possible. But that was little more than a hopeless wish when her legs felt like they were weighed down by lead.

It was impossible. Nothing was there just a moment ago. She'd been scanning and scanning and scanning this whole time and never once picked up any trace of miasma. There was absolutely no way something could have snuck up on her without her noticing. Not even a monster. And yet…

...And yet, there he was. She could feel him, and knew to turn her gaze up to the sky, where a man floated several meters above the ground. He was thin and tall, a black side cape falling down one shoulder and billowing around his waist in the wind. Long dark hair flowed behind him down to his lower back, and framed a face that was deceptively pale and delicate, with thin lips and high, narrow cheekbones.

An elaborate military-style uniform adorned his body, mostly black with gold highlights and a long, red sash that crossed over his chest displaying a symbol she recognized as that of Magi's center nation. He wore a pair of black gloves, form fitting slacks, and dress shoes. A pristine sword hung at his waist, the blade of it sheathed in an ornate scabbard with an elaborate golden handle.

He was abnormal from head to toe, clearly unnatural, but the real dead giveaway was his eyes. A pair of blood red, slitted pupils surrounded by pools of black stared down at them all with nothing that could be called emotion. His gaze was as cold as ice, yet searing with power, a kind of overwhelming pressure that made Mare want to fall to her knees and laugh at their absurd misfortune.

A demon.