In a certain area, a group of bandits are actively scouring for something.

 

The group is composed of 4 humans and a lizardman; each wearing a hood-cloth headgear, a ragged shirt, pants and a leather armor protecting the torso.

 

In their hand, a blunt sword is being swayed mercilessly, mowing down bushes and smaller plants covering their eyesight. But one with the exception that one of them, the leader of the group has a pristine sword devoid of any chips and impairments compared to its peers. Furthermore, he possesses better armor which is made out of steel alongside the added coverage for the forearms.

 

They are swiftly shortening the work time using their numbers, but with only a single sharp sword laced in the group, the pace of the work is unavoidably impeded.

 

After minutes have passed, a considerable area of flat space is born from that scything. Having still not obtained it, the leader of the group lets out a query to his colleagues.

 

“Hark, you did see her hide in this place, right?”

 

Hark does not stop brandishing his sword like a scythe while he looks at the leader.

 

“I didn’t really see her, but considering her blood trail ended in this direction and the time we spent running, she must have stopped to rest and have only realized the trail she is leaving behind. She’s only a weak brat, so she must be hiding here to catch her breath.”

 

“Hark is right, bosssss. After that pointlesssss running, sssshe must be extremely tired right now. After all, sssshe is just a helplesssss merchandisssse waiting to be ssssold off or ussssed!”

 

Accompanied that statement is the lizardman. The head of a lizard with the rest of the body a human.

 

“So, this is just the same like those times. Smart brain, huh. Also, she will be our tonight’s supper for this month since those dealers haven't requested anything yet.”

 

The leader makes a twisted expression while the rest laughs hysterically at the thought of getting their hands on such merchandise. 

 

It is understandable for them to feel such elation given that coming across an exceptional young girl who possesses beauty and 'state' on top of living as a commoner is a scarce rarity. And such level of pricing means they can not let such invaluable merchandise to simply fly away, even if the boundary of safety has long been crossed in this voracious forest.

 

As they continued scouring the place to find the merchandise with bated breath, said merchandise bearing the appearance of a petite girl emerges from one of the bushes at the side of the lizardman before instantaneously running away from them.

 

The girl is in a tattered rag that only covers her torso to her legs. Holes and cuts decorate the deteriorating piece of cloth with the added feature of the girl in a battered state, stimulating the sense of superiority from the bandits.

 

“Bosssss, sssshe's here!!!”

 

“That brat, don't think you can run forever!”

 

The group immediately sends forth a chase.

 

The forest is furnished with thick layers of plants. Trees that decorated the ground with their large roots and the sharp thorns equipped by the various plants alongside heavy items from the men, it is inevitable that the bandits are running slower than the small girl.

 

However, the drooling men persist in their endeavor after seeing the bruises and cuts sustained by the girl running in front of them. Each moment the girl jumps, the stumbling of her footing is pronounced more. Each time they spend on running, the girl's body is visibly growing feeble from exhaustion.

 

The men have no qualms on the other hand since they are not suffering from any form of injury. Their well-trained frame meant that stamina is not of their concern. Thus, with laxity on their side, they lavish their thoughts with obscene scenes and authoritativeness from enslaving the girl. If one ignores the hazardous area that they have set foot into, it would be just like any other day of work they have been doing from the past.

 

As the approaching men are shortening the distance with plenty of time in hand, the girl is smothered with fear whenever she glances at them, causing her to haste her speed which gradually reverts the distance.

 

But seconds after she increased her locomotion, her foot got stuck by the thin roots from a smaller tree, causing her to stumble violently to the soil beneath. Fortunately, it is a flat space with no protrusion and rocks.

 

She quickly tries to get up but her world immediately freezes the moment a sword lands forcefully a margin distance from her head, piercing deep into the soil while echoing metallic noise from the intense swaying of the sword into her ears.

 

She can not move for a while from the shock of almost being decapitated. And that momentary pause is enough for the frenzy group to slam her to the ground and pin her down with strength in subject.

 

“Aghh-, please, let me go!!!”

 

“Sssshut up, brat. Just lay sssstill and you'll be fine.”

 

The lizardman is handed coarse ropes from a cold-looked man and begins to tie the girl's hands and legs while the girl is desperately wiggling her legs in an effort to remove the man on top of her.

 

“Please, mister… I have to help my brother…”

 

Droplets of water begin to shed from the corner of her eyes.

 

“Brat, what did I just ssssay?”

 

The lizardman releases his full body weight to the girl's back and grabs the girl's hair with his hand and raises her head from that. Then, the girl's mouth is forcefully shoved with dirt scooped from the ground by the hissing man.

 

The girl repeatedly spits the particles of soil from reflex before new ones are oppressively shoved again, causing her to exhibit gloomy expression while tears are being mixed with her mouth's contents at the same time she magnifies her legs movements.

 

With some of the dirt managed to slip into her throat, she cries for help, but is naturally met with silence.

 

Soon, her mouth is dreadfully filled with an unhealthy amount of earth's soil. It is after some time has passed that the girl is finally allowed to vomit out everything from her mouth as she profusely coughs.

 

Seeing the desperate struggles and helplessness being performed near them, the surrounding men are wholly enjoying the spectacle with their hearts. Some of them even wanted the lizardman to switch places with each other, which the lizardman elatedly refused.

 

“Desgon, that's enough. I don’t want to take greater risk of losing her after our guy sent that sword flying.”

 

Following his leader's order, Desgon stops the onslaught with a satisfied smirk at the girl before resuming immobilizing her.

 

The girl whimpers quietly as she slowly loosens her strength. Her tears soak the ground of which 4 men are standing guard for possible drawn out monsters, all the while peeking at her with parched eyes and a lizardman restraining her for their future selfish needs.

 

In such a hopeless predicament, the girl can only await her fateful path. The glimmer of hope in her eyes slowly dampened to emptiness.

 

After tying the girl's limbs and stuffing the girl's mouth with a grimy rag, the lizardman lifts the girl to his shoulder before mobilizing out of the forest along the group.

 

With silent chuckles and exhilarated mood being presented from the camaraderie of men, the restrained girl's mind is instead saturated with despondency and gloominess from the impending enslavement.

 

Having lost all meaning of life, the loss for her brother’s hope, she quietly seeks repentance from her dying-ill brother as tears are dripping from her dead eyes. She does not even make an attempt to release herself from the group given that her mind is sacked with certain torture and possible death if she attempts.

 

As the group continued to trek through obstacles, they have already gone past the blood trail they last saw. The distance between them and the safe zone is only meters away.

 

Their mood increases, with the exception of the girl, upon seeing the sight of a sign at the horizon of their vision.

 

“The fuck!?”

 

However, just as they look at it with relief, a turbulent wind abruptly washes over them.

 

“Boss, what's happening!!??”

 

“You lots, draw out your swords!!!”

 

Despite the turbulent wind, they can still hear their leader's command as they quickly try to unsheath their sword.

 

The bandits stands their ground against the flow of the wind as they try to make out the silhouette materializing in front of them. The lizardman holding the girl did not unsheathe his sword so that the girl on her shoulders would not escape, even though the girl had already thrown out that idea.

 

Then, after the sudden raging wind has subsided, the bandits are all stunned by the jaw-drop worthy standing silently in front of them.

 

A lustrous silver hair and red eyes of incomparable seductiveness, a rarity that utters true concealment stemmed from the vivacious frame of a young girl embellished of average clothes. It is all too grandiose for their pair of hungry eyes.