Sometimes, you can never predict what happens. 

 

One day has passed since my interrogation, and its late afternoon. I’ve yet to hear from any of the guards about my situation. 

 

 I’m in my cell without a morsel of food in my stomach as of yet, and I hear the sound of screams directly above me. Various screams. The screams instantly make me recoil and I stand up, looking above toward the small window in my cell.

 

I squint my eyes, trying to see if I can make anything out, but it's no use.

 

I hear footsteps. Loud footsteps. It’s the sound of guards running down the barracks and up the stairs. The footsteps were frantic; uneasy. Something was up.

 

“Hey! What’s going on?” I call out, hoping that I can get some sort of answer. 

 

Knowing that this village is commonly invaded by monsters from the nearby forests, I assume that’s what’s happening right now. Monsters must have gotten in again, so guards are being deployed to take care of it.

 

Right?

 

I don’t get a response back. Guards continue moving quickly past my cell and up the stairs. Maybe this was no ordinary monster invasion. I wouldn’t know, though. There’s no way for me to see anything. All I can do is use my ears.

 

“Hello? Can someone answer me?” I call out louder, in hopes that someone will answer me this time around. 

 

Again, no response. 

 

What the hell is going on? Am I really that detestable that I can’t even get a response from someone? I know that there’s something going on, but still…it wouldn’t hurt to know.

 

My hands are still bound tightly so I have no free use of my arms. That being the case, I bang my right shoulder up against the solid cell door as hard as I can. 

 

“Hey! I know that you can hear me!” I call out even louder than the past two times.

 

“Shut up!” A guard roars as he bangs onto my cell door.

 

“Hey, I just want to know what’s going on out there!” 

 

“That is none of your concern, prisoner. We are dealing with it.”

 

The echo of the guard’s angry voice soon fades as I hear him head up the stairs. I guess I wasn’t going to get an answer, no matter how much I pried.

 

I really shouldn’t be worrying about it too much, though. I’m aware that this village is full of diligent guards, and on top of that, strong and experienced adventurers. They’ll keep this place safe no matter what. That’s something that I’m sure of.

 

The screams weren’t fading. I could hear them as clear as day. Screams from the mouths of women, children, and men. Despite my best attempts to ignore it, I simply couldn’t, and I don’t know why. I shouldn’t even care anymore. I’m sick of this world. But even so… why do I still care?

 

It was starting to get unbearable. I had to see what was happening for myself. That was impossible, though. There’s no way that anyone would let me out and there’s no way that I’d be able to escape.

 

I bang my shoulder against the cell again. “Open… the door!”

 

There was no response, and in addition to that, I could no longer hear the sound of guards moving up the stairs. There didn’t seem to be anyone left except me.

 

I lean back to the wall behind me and sit down. There was no point in trying anything else. I was trapped inside a cell while there was something serious going on outside. 

 

I close my eyes, and I miraculously manage to fall asleep in spite of the screaming that did not cease.

 

Time passes, and I awaken to the sounds of a loud banging on my cell door. 

 

“Hey, are you awake?” 

 

A stern voice. It was the voice of the captain of the guard who had interrogated me just the day prior.

 

I rub my eyes and yawn slightly. The sounds of screams have died down. I guess whatever had happened was over now. Most likely it was a monster invasion like I’ve been assuming.

 

“Y-yeah, I’m awake. Am I finally getting lunch now? It’s a little late for that…” I jest. 

 

The captain does not respond to my playful joke, and I hear the sound of keys jingling and my cell door opening. 

 

It’s dark in the barracks, but the light from the cell window shines upon the captain’s face, and his face looks to me as if he had died. In other words, it was a lifeless face.

 

“Uh…do you need something?” I ask, a little disturbed by the captain’s silence.

 

“Stand up. I need you to come with me.” the captain says. 

 

I do so, and once I’m on my feet, the captain removes the bindings from my hands.

 

“What’s happening?”

 

“You’ll find out.”

 

I slowly follow behind the captain as we make it outside of the prison. He leads me to a horse-drawn carriage that’s stationed outside. 

 

“Get on. Now.” he demands.

 

“Where are we going? Am I being put on trial now?” 

 

“No. We’re heading to the center of the village. With everyone else.” 

 

“Everyone else? What are you talking about?”

 

“Look around you. What do you see?”

 

As we move along the streets in the carriage, I look at my surroundings. Some of the buildings nearby were in shambles.

 

“Damn… monsters did all of this?”

 

“Monsters? No, it was not from monsters. Invaders…”

 

“Invaders? Like… bandits?”

 

“Let me ask you a question, Mr. Bale. Have you ever heard of… the Midnight Raiders?”

 

My eyes widen and my jaw almost drops as I hear the captain utter the name of the group. The memories of the experiences I’ve had with them are all flooding back to me.

 

“Yes… I know of them. Quite well, actually. Wait, don’t tell me…”

 

I dreaded what the captain was going to say next because I knew exactly what it was going to be.

 

“It’s true. They have invaded the village, breaching the wooden gates. Since they got in, it has been nothing but pure chaos.”

 

That explains the screaming. Shit. This is why you should never rely on wood as a protective barrier. It’s not strong enough. Especially not against an unrelenting bunch such as the Midnight Raiders.

 

“How many of them are there? Are they still here?” 

 

“Yes, they are. There are many. Many have been killed, but many of us have also been killed. Guards and innocents alike.” 

 

The captain’s words send shivers down my spine. Knowing that innocents in this village have been killed, I was fearful. I did not fear the fact that I could be killed, but what about my friends? Madeline… She's just a young girl. What if she got killed?

 

“But what about the adventurers? Can’t they handle them?! They’re strong, right?! I know for sure!” 

 

I knew that this village right now had many strong adventurers. Leif and Bella were two of them! There’s no way that they could lose to the Midnight Raiders, no matter their number. 

 

After all, I remember my first encounter with them. Catherine killed a few all on her own. This should be even easier, knowing that this village has an incredible number of both adventurers and guards. So how can there be so many casualties?!

 

“Yeah. You’re right. Unfortunately, the one leading the raid upon our village today is a high-ranking member of the group. Not only that but…” 

 

“But? But what?!” 

 

“This individual also possesses one of the Six Sacred Weapons. Despite our numbers, going against a wielder of a Sacred Weapon is no easy task. If it were a Beginner we were dealing with, there wouldn’t be too much of an issue, but we are dealing with an Intermediate Wielder.” 

 

A Level 2 Wielder. Far from a beginner, but not enough to be considered “Experienced”. Even so, knowing that the others are having a difficult time against this guy proves how powerful he must be. 

 

That’s just perfect. Of all the people in this world to possess one of the Six Sacred Weapons, it had to be a high-ranking member of the most ruthless bandit group in the Human Kingdom! Seriously, what are the odds?

 

“Who gives a shit if they’re a Wielder? They’ll run out of juice eventually! Sacred Weapons put serious strain on the body! You can defeat them!”

 

The captain sighs. “That may be true, but we cannot risk it. If we even try taking the wielder or any more of them out, they will not hesitate to slaughter more innocents."

 

“There has to be something you can do!” I yell, clenching my fists.

 

“We have already surrendered. I simply cannot allow further casualties. This is the only way.” 

 

“You’re just going to let them continue kidnapping innocent women, loot and maybe burn this village down? That’s the coward’s way out. I thought you were supposed to protect the people.” 

 

The captain slaps me across my face. “Know your place, you scum. You murder a woman in cold blood and think you can speak to me about such things?! You think that I want any of that?! No! But… we can’t do anything. Not when the situation is like this! The only thing that we can do is surrender and prevent as many deaths as possible!”

 

“Why am I even riding with you in the first place?  You’re leading me right to them, aren’t you?” 

 

“Yes, I am. The Midnight Raiders ordered for everyone in the village to gather in the center, and that includes you, prisoner or not.”

 

“Why are they doing that? What are they planning?” 

 

The captain frowns. “I do not know. We’ll see.”

 

I cross my arms and lean back as I try to keep my emotions in check. I can’t afford to let myself lose control. Not again.

 

I turn to the captain. “I won't let them win. The Midnight Raiders will not take control of Corrina Village."

 

The captain looks at me and slowly shakes his head dismissively. “Don't. Don’t say that. They already have, and there is nothing that you or anyone else can do. Consider Corrina Village history.”

 

He really has lost all hope.

 

Man, I really don’t understand myself. I lost all hope myself, saying I wanted to die and that I’m sick of this world. But here I am, saying that I won’t let those bandits have their way, acting like I’m some kind of storybook hero. 

 

Fuck it. If I’m going to die today, I may as well die fighting. I’ll give those Midnight Raiders all that I’ve got.

 

Maybe the other adventurers aren’t able to do much, but there’s one thing that I have that they don’t, and that’s a Sacred Weapon of my own.

 

And if this raider has one like the captain says, then I guess it’s time to fight fire with fire. I may be only a Beginner Wielder, but I have to try something.

 

I look down at my hands and close my eyes, whispering a short prayer as we continue on our way to the center of Corrina Village. Things were going to go down, and I was as ready as I could be.