Six Months Earlier
The midday sun burned high, its merciless light scorching the battlefield, glinting off blood-slicked armor and broken stone. The air thrummed with the guttural snarls of monsters, their twisted forms surging across the ravaged earth, claws tearing at dirt, jaws snapping with hunger. Renji stood amidst the chaos, his heavy armor dented but unyielding, his sword a blur of steel as he carved through a beast's hide. Its body collapsed, ichor spraying, joining the pile of corpses at his feet. His knights fought around him, their blades hacking at the relentless horde, but the monsters, summoned by a ruthless bandit crew, were too many, too fierce for ordinary men.
A beast with spiked tendrils lunged, its maw aimed at a young knight's throat. The man's sword faltered, his armor screeching under a glancing claw. Renji's shout cut through the din, "Hold fast!" but the knight stumbled, the monster's weight bearing down. Renji moved, his blade slicing through the creature's flank, dropping it before it could kill. The knight gasped, scrambling back, but more beasts closed in, their roars shaking the ground. Renji's men were faltering, their formations crumbling under the onslaught, blood and sweat mingling in the dust.
Renji's chest heaved, his grip tightening on his sword. The villages these bandits had burned, the lives their monsters had claimed, flashed through his mind. He couldn't let his men fall. As a beast with glowing eyes charged, pinning another knight against a shattered boulder, Renji's instincts surged. The air hummed, his "Accelerate" ability kicking in automatically, though no system creature hovered at his shoulder, unlike the glowing manifestations he'd seen with others.
The world slowed, the chaos stretching into a sluggish haze. Renji became a storm, his sword a silver streak slicing through the beast's neck, freeing the knight in a spray of dark blood. He didn't stop, his body a blur as he tore through the horde. A monster's claw swiped, but he ducked, his blade splitting its skull. Another lunged, jaws wide, only to meet his sword's edge, collapsing mid-roar. His knights watched, their fear giving way to awe, as Renji carved a path through the chaos, a whirlwind of steel and death, his armor gleaming despite the gore.
The battlefield quieted, the last monster falling under his blade. Renji's breath came hard, the adrenaline of "Accelerate" fading, leaving a bitter weight in his chest. He despised how the power made him feel, less a knight, more a force beyond human limits, but it had saved his men. The young knight he'd rescued staggered upright, muttering thanks, but Renji's eyes scanned the horizon. The monsters were dead, but the bandits who'd unleashed them were still out there.
A shout broke the stillness. "There!" a knight yelled, pointing to a pile of splintered timber and shattered stone, half-collapsed like a ruined shrine. Shadows flickered behind it, deliberate, human. Renji's sword stayed drawn, his steps quickening as he closed the distance, his men trailing cautiously, their armor clanking, their trust in him unspoken but absolute. The air grew thick, the stench of blood and dust heavy under the midday sun.
Rounding the pile, Renji faced a ragged group of six bandits, their cloaks torn, faces etched with defiance. At their center stood the leader, his stance relaxed, almost mocking, as if the slaughter of his monsters was a trivial loss. A serpent-like creature hovered near his shoulder, its scales glinting like oil, slit eyes glowing with malice, marking him as a System User. Smaller creatures floated near the other bandits, jagged wings and coiling tendrils pulsing faintly, each a manifestation of their power, humming with latent energy.
The leader tilted his head, a smirk curling his lips as he met Renji's gaze. "Quite the powerful knight you are," he drawled, voice lazy but sharp with venom. "Cutting through those beasts like they were nothing. We aren't so different, you and I."
Renji stopped a few paces away, sword low but ready, his armor scarred but gleaming in the sunlight. The bandits shifted, hands hovering near weapons, their system creatures twitching with anticipation. Renji's shoulder remained empty, the absence of his own system creature a heavy void, but his resolve was iron. His men spread out behind him, blades drawn but holding back, giving him space to face the threat alone, their faith a steady anchor.
"Such strength…" one bandit muttered, voice low, eyes wide with awe as he stared at Renji. Another, gripping a notched dagger, whispered, "Such speed…" His system creature, a spiky orb, pulsed faintly, mirroring his fear. A third, half-hidden behind a broken beam, hissed, "That must be him…" The words carried dread, recognition, as if Renji's blade had carved his name into their world.
Renji's gaze locked on the leader, his expression cold, unyielding. "Your reign of terror ends here," he said, voice steady, cutting through the murmurs like a blade. "Surrender now, and the kingdom's justice will deal with you."
The leader laughed, a sharp, grating sound that echoed off the ruins. "Justice?" he sneered, his serpent creature coiling tighter, eyes flaring red. "You're a fool to let us live, knight. Kill us now, or you'll regret it." His hand twitched, fingers curling, the air shimmering as his system creature hummed, signaling an ability stirring. The other bandits tensed, their creatures buzzing, poised to strike.
Renji's instincts flared, his body taut, the "Accelerate" ability still pulsing faintly in his veins. The leader's taunt lingered, but his focus was absolute, senses honed to a lethal edge. The sun beat down, sweat beading beneath his armor, but his sword remained steady, an extension of his will.
The leader's smirk widened, his hand jerking upward as his serpent creature hissed, glowing brighter. "Now!" he barked, and the air crackled with the hum of system creatures activating. The bandits surged forward, weapons flashing in the sunlight, their movements swift but no match for Renji's.
He moved, "Accelerate" kicking in instinctively, the world slowing to a crawl. His sword arced, a silver streak that caught the first bandit before his axe could swing. The man's chest split, blood spraying as he crumpled, his system creature winking out like a snuffed flame. "Such speed…" another gasped, dagger halfway raised before Renji's blade found his throat, silencing him. A third lunged, mace swinging, but Renji sidestepped, his movements a fluid dance, driving his sword through the man's side, dropping him to the dirt.
The remaining two bandits faltered, their system creatures dimming, courage fraying. "That must be him…" one stammered, backing away, his clawed creature fading. Renji's sword flashed, severing the fourth bandit's arm as he raised a crossbow, the man collapsing with a scream, his weapon clattering uselessly.
The leader's eyes narrowed, his serpent creature blazing as he unleashed his ability. The air warped, a shockwave rippling outward, shattering stone. Renji surged forward, "Accelerate" pushing him beyond human limits, his sword a blur. The shockwave grazed his armor, denting plates, but his blade struck true, slashing the leader's side with a deep, clean cut. Blood sprayed, soaking the dirt, and the leader staggered, clutching the wound, his creature hissing in fury.
"You…" the leader growled, voice thick with pain, his serpent creature flickering. "Think this is justice? You're a leashed dog!" He lunged, a dagger flashing, but Renji's reflexes were untouchable. His sword snapped up, knocking the blade away with a clang, and he drove the pommel into the leader's chest, sending him sprawling.
Renji stood over him, sword raised, the sun casting his shadow across the fallen bandit. The last bandit froze, his system creature dimming as he dropped his weapon, hands raised. Renji's men surged forward, securing the survivors, their shouts of triumph cutting the air. Renji's focus stayed on the leader, blood pooling beneath him, his serpent creature barely glowing, fading like a dying ember.
"You're all the same," the leader spat, voice weak but venomous. "Righteous fools. You'll regret sparing me." His eyes burned with a dark promise, chilling Renji's core, though his face remained resolute.
"Your crimes end here." Renji said, voice cold. "The kingdom will judge you." His sword gleamed, a final warning as his men bound the leader's wrists, dragging him to his knees. The surviving bandits were shackled in silence, their system creatures dormant, their fight extinguished.
Renji stepped back, chest heaving, "Accelerate" fading, leaving only the weight of his duty. The battlefield quieted, save for the groans of the wounded and the clink of armor. His armor, scarred and bloodied, felt heavier. He turned away, eyes on the horizon, the leader's words echoing like a storm waiting to break.