"Martial Arts: Fatal Edge!"
The bandit leader charged forward, leaping into the air with a roar as he slash his sword down toward Shido.
"...Interesting." Shido simply nodded to himself, pinching his chin thoughtfully, while pinching his chin observing the Martial Arts used by the bandit leader. When the blade was above to slash him, Shido effortlessly evaded the sword, however his calm look made the bandit leader feel humiliated.
"Don't look down on me!!!"
The bandit leader roared at the top of his lungs, launching a furious barrage of sword slashes at Shido. Swords blurred through the air with deadly intent, but it was all in vain. Shido already saw the trajectory of his sword slashes.
"A-Amazing."
Climb, watching from a short distance, could hardly believe his eyes. Shido evaded every strike without even breaking a sweat. He never thought he would see someone so strong in such a young age, if he think of his age, then the boy in front of him should be the same age as him but his skills are likely to be on par with the Head Knight of Re-Estize Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff.
"Haaa.... This is getting boring." Shido let out a yawn, stretching slightly as if he were tired showing how disinterested he was.
"D-Damn it!" The bandit leader felt helpless since he couldn't even hit Shido once even if he used Martial Arts.
Cornered and desperate, he chose to gamble everything on one final move. His aura flared as he shouted.
"Martial Arts: Severing Blade!"
A crimson hue ignited along the bandit leader's blade, erupting into a violent aura that pulsed with power. The pressure it emitted sent a chill through the surrounding bandits and guards, making them instinctively step back.
With a furious roar, the bandit leader dashed forward that most people wouldn't be able to see.
"DIE!"
He raised his sword high above his head, crimson energy glowing along the edge of the sword, and brought it down with all his strength toward Shido.
Meanwhile, Shido's expression remained neutral.
Then, with the smallest motion, he slightly raised his hand.
"Slip."
A faint glow formed beneath the bandit leader's feet as a magic circle appeared. In an instant, his lost his balance, and he crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Ugh!"
"D-Damn it! What is t-" The bandit leader grunted and tried to stand up but his words was cut off.
Shido stepped forward without hesitation and swung his Elucidator in a clean, swift arc across the bandit leader's throat.
The bandit leader froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
He had never imagined his end would come so easily. Moments ago, he had raged and roared, confident in his strength, only to be toyed with and humiliated at every turn. Dodging all his attacks before he finally ended him.
And now, as the life drained from his body, regret overwhelmed him. He wished he had run. He wished he hadn't challenged the boy who moved like a shadow and struck like lightning.
But there was no medicine for regret.
As darkness took him, he closed his eyes, carrying only his remorse into death while his body became a cold corpse.
The body of the bandit leader fall on the ground with a thud sound making the rest of the bandits and guards wake up from their daze state.
"Run!"
Panic surged through the remaining bandits. Dropping their weapons in a frenzy, they turned and bolted in all directions, desperate to escape the monster who had just effortlessly slain their leader.
Their will to fight shattered. With their comrades dead and their commander lying in a pool of his own blood, there was no doubt, if they stayed, they would all die.
But Shido clearly had no intention of letting them go.
Without a word, he raised his hand. A small orb of black flame flickered to life in his palm, burning gently with an unnatural calm.
Though the flame was silent and still, it pulsed with an eerie aura.
The fleeing bandits focused solely on escaping, paying no mind to the black flame flickering in Shido's hand.
Without hesitation, Shido raised his arm and launched the black flames in his hand towards the group of fleeing bandits. As the flames grew closer the bandits didn't feel any heat at all making them sigh in relief that this black flame was just a small trick.
However, when the black flame landed on their back, in an instant, it detonated in a soundless black explosion, swallowing everything within a 15-meter radius.
There wasn't even a scream. The bandits were erased in an instant, consumed by the black flames without a trace, no bodies, no ashes. Just silence.
A few seconds later, Shido calmly waved his hand. The dark flames flickered once more, then vanished as if they had never existed.
Only then did the aftermath reveal itself. The area where the bandits once stood was now a scorched, lifeless patch of earth, blackened and empty. Not a single sign remained that people had ever been there.
Seeing this, the guards became afraid and thought that Shido might also try to harm the princess so they raised up their guards even when they were shaking from fear.
Climb was also wary of Shido but he couldn't ignore what Shido had done for them. Gathering his resolve, he stepped forward, standing tall despite the unease in his chest.
"Thank you very much for your help. Without your assistance, I'm afraid that the princess would be harmed." Climb bowed deeply towards Shido showing his gratefulness.
Shido turned his attention towards Climb after he sheath his sword. He observe this blonde haired young man that seemed to be the same age as his. He look so pure and someone with a deep sense of justice. Shido then thought of his tragic end in the Anime and couldn't help but sigh internally thinking of his naivety.
"Don't be," Shido replied, shaking his head. "I was just helping as I passed by."
"Even so, we're grateful for your help." Climb felt weird when he notice the look on Shido's eyes but he didn't pay much attention to it since he was thankful of him.
Moved by Climb's sincerity, the rest of the guards, now realizing Shido meant no harm, slowly relaxed their stance. One by one, they bowed their heads, offering their silent thanks to the boy who had saved them.
"By the way, my name is Climb," he said, placing a hand over his chest in a formal gesture. "May I know your name, sir?"
Shido paused for a moment, considering the question. Giving his real name could draw the attention of certain undead king if he should his Japanese name.
"My name is..." he said, letting the words hang before continuing with a faint smile. "Acheval Dresissen. You can just call me Acheval."
Climb blinked, a bit surprised by the familiarity. "Is that... really alright?"He hesitated, unsure if it was disrespectful to speak so casually.
"Of course," Shido replied with a small smile. "I don't like formalities either. Besides, we're about the same age, so it's fine."
Climb relaxed at that, thinking that Shido was a nice person putting him at ease. "I see... then once again, thank you for your help, Acheval."
He smiled back and extended his hand.
"Don't worry about it." Shido accepted his hands and shook it.
"Climb."
A sweet, gentle voice called out from inside the carriage, drawing Climb's attention immediately.
"Yes!" Climb responded eagerly, then turned to Shido, gesturing slightly to excuse himself. He jogged toward the carriage, eager to attend to the voice's call.
Shido, however, couldn't help but glance at the carriage with interest. The mention of the princess piqued his curiosity.
"...The Golden Princess, huh?" he murmured under his breath, a hint of intrigue in his tone.