Deep in the Forest…
The tension in the air was so sharp, it felt like it could slice through steel.
Dozens of savage bandits were in front of Mr. Taka, weapons drawn and eyes blazing with bloodlust. Just as the fight seemed inevitable, Bandit One suddenly raised his hand, halting the clash.
"What's wrong? Who is this old man?" Bandit Four asked, his voice edged with suspicion.
"Yeah…" Bandit One replied, his gaze fixed on the calm figure before them.
Bandit Six leaned forward, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "So… you know him?"
Bandit One hesitated. His eyes narrowed, shadowed by doubt and unease. "Not exactly. But I've heard the stories."
A slow drip of blood fell from the dense canopy above, splattering softly on the forest floor.
Bandit Five staggered toward the group, barely able to stand. His right arm hung uselessly, severed cleanly, crimson liquid dripping steadily from the wound.
"I hate you," Bandit Five growled through clenched teeth.
"That was an accident!" Bandit Six shot back defensively.
Bandit Five snarled, "You better explain who the hell that crazy grandpa is…"
A cold wind whispered through the ancient trees, rustling leaves and carrying an ominous chill.
Mr. Taka remained perfectly still. His suit jacket fluttered softly behind him like a silent flag. White hair slicked back, his expression unreadable. And his eyes—still closed, as if waiting for the next move in a game only he understood.
Bandit One spoke, his voice laced with tension.
"He's the man who can cut anything… if he wants to. Always keeps his eyes closed. Never opens them—not even in a fight."
"An old man in a fresh black suit, white hair slicked back like he's walking into a ceremony, not a battlefield."
"And his katana? He never draws more than two inches of it."
"Two inches is all he needs to destroy anything in his path."
"They call him… The Executor."
Everyone froze.
Silence.
Even the wounded bandits were holding their breath.
Bandit Six clenched his fists, his voice a mixture of disbelief and fear.
"Yeah, I've heard of him. I think everyone has… How the hell did we run into him?!"
Bandit Four shook his head in disbelief.
"No way… I thought we were just fighting some crazy strong gramps!"
Bandit Five's voice dropped low, heavy with dread.
"…Then we're finished."
Bandit Four glanced around nervously.
"Can't we just run?"
Bandit One's eyes darkened as he spoke coldly.
"You can try. But no matter how far you run—if he marks you, you're already dead."
Bandit Four let out a frustrated grunt.
"Tch. And just when it was getting fun…"
Mr. Taka stood silently in the center of the clearing, eyes gently shut, his right hand resting calmly around the sheath of his katana. The blade remained sheathed—but ready.
But inside his mind, thoughts stirred.
"What should I do with them?"
"They can be threats to the Great Village… I just need a reason."
"Let me see… What could they do that would harm the people?"
"…Ah. That's right. Say someone from our village goes for a walk and these bandits show up, threatening them."
"If that villager refuses to hand something over, they could die on the spot."
"If that's even a possibility, then yes…"
"…they are officially a threat to the Great Village."
The corners of Mr. Taka's mouth tightened.
The judgment had been made.
Bandit Six spat on the ground, frustration boiling over.
"Screw this. I'm out."
Bandit Four glanced once more at Mr. Taka's motionless form.
"He looks like he's just napping. I'm gone too."
Without another word, they vanished into the thick trees, swallowed by the forest's shadows.
Bandit Twenty-Four and Bandit Eighteen exchanged looks, then started walking away as well.
"Yeah, same here," Bandit Twenty-Four muttered.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Bandit Eighteen agreed.
But before they could disappear fully, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the forest's stillness.
"Are you a threat… to the Great Village?"
A wave of crushing spiritual force erupted from Mr. Taka's body.
The entire forest seemed to groan. Even those trying to escape stopped dead in their tracks, frozen by sheer intensity.
Bandit Eighteen's voice trembled.
"W-What is this…!?"
Bandit Twenty-Four's legs felt like stone.
"I can't move…!"
Bandit One's eyes darted nervously as he stammered out,
"N-No! Of course we're not! We were just… playing around! We won't ever come back! Please! Just let us leave!"
But Mr. Taka didn't move a muscle.
Desperation mounting, Bandit One turned to the others.
"Let's go! We're done here!"
A cold, low voice sliced through the tense silence.
"…Lie."
Bandit One's face drained of color.
Mr. Taka's voice grew stern, unyielding.
"You all… must be executed."
In a single motion, Mr. Taka bent his knees.
Shing—Clack.
He drew his katana two inches from the sheath… then sealed it again.
The sound of slicing wind echoed through the trees.
All at once, the bandits in front of him—along with several massive trees behind them—were cut in half.
So fast… I didn't even see it…
And that wasn't even a spiritual slash… just a raw slash…
If he added spirit force to that… just imagine the damage it would do.
—Bandit One's final thoughts as his body split in two.
Blood soaked the ground. Leaves turned black.
And Mr. Taka looked up at the sky, expression unchanged.
Two more remain.
Far away, Bandits Four and Six landed in another clearing.
Bandit Four wiped sweat from his brow as they put some distance between themselves and the clearing.
"We got distance."
Bandit Six glanced back over his shoulder, brow furrowed.
"They should've followed us… I wonder if they made it."
Bandit Four shrugged. "Who knows? Let's just keep moving until we reach the base."
But the moment they turned—
Mr. Taka stood there, waiting.
Suddenly, Bandit Four's eyes widened in shock.
"Wha—!?"
Bandit Six spun around, panic flashing across his face.
"How!? What happened to the rest of them?!"
From the shadows, Mr. Taka's calm voice rang out, cold and unwavering.
"You are both… threats to the Great Village."
Bandit Four tightened his grip on his weapon, determination flaring.
"Then let's go down swinging!"
Bandit Six cracked his knuckles with a fierce grin.
"You bet!"
Bandit Six leapt high, chain machete swinging.
Mr. Taka's hand moved just slightly.
Shing.
The blade was drawn two inches—and Bandit Six's arm hit the ground.
Bandit Six cried out, clutching his arm.
"M-My arm…!"
Bandit Four shot him a sharp glare.
"Pay attention, you old—!"
Bandit Four tried to swing his chain axe, but Mr. Taka did the same—drawing just two inches of his katana—and sliced Bandit Four clean in half.
"Damn it…" Bandit Four thought, pain and shock flooding through him.
Bandit Six suddenly collapsed, hitting the ground and dropping to his knees. His breath came out in shaky gasps as the weight of what he'd just realized crushed him.
Bandit Six's voice trembled with despair.
"We're… dead."
Mr. Taka vanished behind him like a shadow.
"Huh—?" Bandit Six barely had time to turn his head.
Before Bandit Six could even react,
There was no sound, no warning—just the sudden, chilling silence.
In the next heartbeat, his head was severed clean from his shoulders.
And just like that, Mr. Taka vanished—only to reappear on the dirt path where this all began.
"Time to get back on track," he said calmly, eyes still closed, expression unreadable.