The small dog tag-like plate hanging from Vixella's neck glinted copper as the sunlight shone upon it.

Alexei, on the other hand, had a silver plate.

Plates indicated the rankings of adventurers.

The ranking systems worked like this... If one defeated the following enemies in a party, they will attain the set rank.

If one could defeat the following enemies alone, without external help, then they'll by default be given a rank higher.

Defeating bandits and such varied since their abilities varied too.

Thus, you would need solid proof such as their loot, gear, etc.

Unranked – Has no Combat Merits (No Plate) F

Beginner – Goblins, Wolves (Copper Plate) E

Novice – Hobgoblins, Bandits (Bronze Plate) D

Apprentice – Skeletons, Orcs, Dire Wolves, Bandits+ (Iron Plate) C

Adept – Ogres, Minotaurs, Magical Beasts, Bandits++ (Silver Plate) B

Expert – (Comparable to Minion-Demons) Drakes, Death Knights, Bandits+++ (Gold Plate) A

Master – (Comparable to Great-Demons) Liches, Elite Death Knights, Bandits++++ (Platinum Plate) S

Legendary – (Comparable to Arch-Demons) Dragons, Bandits+++++ (Crystal Plate) X

CHUK!

An arrow had landed right before the wagon horses, causing them to sneer and halt in panic.

According to the plan they had all agreed on, Qatar immediately rolled into the wagon covers to hunker down.

Alexei and Vixella then immediately sprung into action as they both hopped out the back and met by the front.

By extruding waves of magic and bouncing them back, Vixella immediately sensed the enemies ahead of them.

Five bandits stepped out from the tree line nearby with varying weapons and gear as they snickered about.

Alexei, at the foremost front, brandished his kite shield and bastard sword before presuming an imperial fighting stance.

By placing himself behind the safety of his shield and keeping the sword raised, Alexei was keeping his opponents in check.

In the background, Vixella kept a loose composure as she held her Falchion concealed underneath the cloak.

Alexei backed a few steps closer to the wagon. "These guys are bad news! How about we just hand over the cargo?"

"Alright..." Qatar flinched as he peeked out of the covers, "Hey! Uh, guys-!? Just take the wagon and let us go?"

"Oi oi... You're not in the position the bargain, fatass...!"

The bandit to the side raised his sword at Qatar from afar.

"So, we meet again. You're from Connor's party, no?"

Vixella lowered her cloak's hood and smiled at them.

"Boss-!? She saw through our disguise so easily-!?"

"Wait, really-!? Vix... Which one of them is Connor?"

Vixella was a bit surprised that Alexei wasn't questioning her words.

Well, perhaps having the enemy be Connor's party was in his favor.

She could see the anticipation in Alexei's eyes.

And so, "that one," she pointed her finger over.

"Alright, Connor! A Rogue Adventurer, are we now-!? A few cuts won't be illegal... Right-!?"

Alexei abruptly rushed past the three henchmen to clash with Connor who drew his blade.

"Damnit, this guy...!? How dare you ignore us-!? Ugk-!?"

One of the four who ran at Alexei's back was hit by a rock.

The rest of the bandits turned their attention towards Vixella who was tossing another rock up and down in her hand.

She then threw it with her whole momentum forward as the rock struck the same guy's forehead, knocking him out.

"A tip from your senior, wear a helmet, shitheads-!" Vixella then picked up another rock and threw it.

However, it was avoided by the next bandit she aimed at. He then growled. "Shit, we're occupied...!"

One of the other bandits shouted over towards Connor who was still grinding against Alexei. "Boss, need help-!?"

"No! Take care of that woman for me! I can handle this shitty coward alone just fine!"

Connor grunted as he was pushed himself away from Alexei's bastard sword that was grinding against his short sword.

"Damnit, Connor, why did you choose to become the thing you hated so much-!?"

"Haha, Alexei... Now you're acting all tough-!? You little shit, my sister wasn't able to die peacefully because of you!"

Connor exerted out as his blade slashed at Alexei who kept up his sword's guard and slanted away his furious blows.

"Fuck... You don't have to remind me!" After parrying Connor's shortsword aside, he retaliated, but Connor avoided it.

Looking over at the stalemate of a fight, Vixella sighed to herself in disappointment.

Just then, the three remaining henchmen surround Vixella. "Keh... Vixella, was it?"

Vixella raised her hands in surrender.

"Is there even any point in us fighting?"

The three looked at each other before they laughed aloud.

"Oh, look at her boys... She's quite a funny one, isn't she-!?"

The bandit lurched his sword at Vixella, but she simply slanted her form aside and pushed the blade's flat side away.

It was done in such a fast movement that the henchman didn't understand what caused him to lose his striking balance.

"Wha-!? I shouldn't have skipped breakfast today!"

"Excuses dude, you just suck! Let me handle it-!"

"Stop! Seriously, is there any point in us fighting?"

Vixella sighed loudly as the men looked at each other.

"She's right, bro... Why the hell are we even doing this?"

The other one paused. "Well, the boss told us to do it..."

"Sheesh. Can't you guys think for yourselves? Why are you even listening to him?"

But as the other guy was about to speak, Vixella hinted a stop with her hand.

"What? Because he used to save you in the past? So you're becoming a criminal with him? Really?"

Vixella shook her head, "There are much better things to do in life than to live life on the run, y'know?"

The three men fell silent as the one who had his blade drawn sheathed it.

"You... Shit, you're right... Damn... So, what are we supposed to do now?"

Vixella shrugged. "We can pretend to fight each other and hope those two settle it out without hurting each other too badly."

"Her idea isn't half bad. But how is this going to go? I've never fought a person for real before."

"Huh? But you said you killed a lot... Well, me neither, actually-!?"

"Yeah, but we did beat up and rob a few by acting tough..."

They then all looked over at Connor and Alexei who were still circling each other like cats.

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"We're not bad people. The boss... He's just gathering confidence by doing this stupid act..."

The henchman continued, "Then today, he was finally ready to confront Alexei and sort it out."

"Ahem!" Vixella coughed to gain their attention, "Rock paper scissors! The loser gets beaten up the most, how about it?"

She then hinted at her cheek, "I can use healing magic so it's fine to beat the crap out of me as well... No problem, yes?"

"Damn, despite how you look, are you some sort of masochist-!?"

"Heheh, we aren't going to go easy just because you're cute if you lose!"

"Alright, three- two- one- GO!" Vixella said so but did not throw a hand herself.

The three threw out a Scissor, Rock, and Paper each.

"Huh? Who wins if it's like this- Wait, why didn't she throw?"

"That's because-"

In that split second, Vixella drew out her Falchion, took it by the blade, and struck a triple home run on them with the handle.

She then ducked and avoided an arrow that came from the sixth henchman, an archer hidden in the bushes ahead- "What?!"

And before he realized it, he had already been knocked out cold by a rock was thrown straight into his face.

"A tip from your senior in life... Wear helmets if you aren't agile enough to dodge most simple projectiles!"

Vixella then idly skipped over to grab a rope from Qatar's wagon and tied up the five unconscious men.

"Oh... Young Miss... It's already over? You sure are quite strong... But aren't you going to help your friend?"

They then looked over at Connor and Alexei who were immersed in their duel, not even knowing what had happened around them.

"Well, you head back inside the wagon and keep your eyes and ears shut. Some scary stuff is about to go down, Mister..."

"Okay, Missy- Good luck... Hahaha..." Qatar nodded and complied as he climbed back into the wagon covers and hid.

In the background, Alexei and Connor's blades were still clashing without anyone getting more than just some light grazes.

It seemed they had fought one another before if going by how they were preventing each other with precise parries and chambers.

SWEEP! SWOOP! SWISH! Connor closed the distance with his slashes.

"Unlike you, I've improved my technique over all these years... Now, prepare yourself-!"

Connor boasted out as he finally got around Alexei who got tired of blocking and attacked him.

Alexei's thinner leather paddings by the left knee were easily sliced clean through.

"Gah!" and before he could react, his right shoulder was also stabbed, "Gyahg-!?"

Blood gushed about as Alexei staggered down to one knee and lost grip of his weapon.

Reflexively, he braced himself and raised the shield arm, but was kicked down from the side.

But before Connor could continue, he caught an adventurer handbook that was thrown at him.

"You should read that. The adventurer guidelines say that adventurers should be nice to each other."

"And what if I don't want to be nice?" he tossed it back at her feet, "Will you do something about it?"

Vixella kicked it up and tucked it behind her chest plate.

"Hm, that simply depends on how my mood is today-"

Alexei grasped Connor's leg as he growled from the ground.

"Leave her out of this...!" But was kicked and rolled away.

Feeling something was off, Connor looked around for a bit to see his henchmen all tied up in by wagon.

Just then, his reflexes kicked in upon seeing how Vixella had already closed the distance between them.

"And here I thought you were holding back your speed."

"Wh...!?"

CLANG!!! A loud crash of steel came as Vixella's Falchion clashed Connor's Shortsword which nearly flung out of his grip.

The recoil was so intense that even with a skillful and decent parry, Connor was thrown back and forced into a recovery roll.

"You hit hard for a woman," Connor looked down at his unsteady and shaking grip, "I guess the rumors weren't all lies."

"Hm, I doubt anyone would dare to lie about me? Also, I could hit harder if you want?"

Upon seeing Connor wearily back off a few good steps, she paced over to heal Alexei who was groaning on the ground.

A bubbly magic formation formed as bright firefly-like lights quickly reappeared to seep into Alexei's bleeding wounds.

"Thanks..." He slowly sat up and felt that the pain alongside bleeding had completely stopped.

Alexei then reached for his bastard sword and was about to get up, but right before he could-

From somewhere in the bushes ahead of them was a cloaked figure aiming with a crossbow.

Prowling there for many minutes, she who finally saw the chance squeezed the handle to shoot.

"This bitch... She's been getting all the attention recently... I'll kill her today... Hehehe... DIE-!!!"

The bolt racked off, soaring straight for Vixella's center mass; it was a shot meant to kill without remorse.

At this point, Vixella had already taken note of this imperceivable attack that was coming straight at her.

Thinking to put her starter breastplate to the test, Vixella stood up and slanted her form to ricochet the bolt.

But much to her calculations, the breastplate was easily punctured through at even the best possible angling.

The sudden pain that came to her pierced chest splurted blood from her mouth as she fell over backward.

Her eyes were dead blank as her body flayed out into a motionless display... With no further movement.

An unexpected pause then came to all of them who were nearby.

"V-Vixella...? H-Hey... Vixella!" Alexei quickly scrambled over and held her who was staring lifelessly at the skies above.

"You crazy bitch-!? I... I never told you to kill anyone-!? I was only going to teach this coward a lesson!"

Connor barked back into the treeline just to be met with a burst of ominous hysterical laughter echoing as a reply.

"Now you've done it... I'll kill you, all your friends, and your fucking family- Aagghh!!?"

Alexei got back up but was jabbed in his lower leg by Connor's shortsword.

His sword was then whacked out of his loose grip as Connor held onto Alexei's gorget with a regretful look, sword pointed at the neck.

Alexei growled at him under the pain, "Do it, you piece of shit...! I wonder what your sister will think if she was here... Fucking do it...!"

"Shut up... Shut up! Now that it's come to this... There's no going back- I didn't want to this Alexei, I'm sorry-!!!"

But before Connor could finish Alexei off, a bright flash of blinding light enveloped Vixella's body behind them.

A magical formation of about a foot in diameter appeared above Vixella's body, clicking like broken cogs of clockwork.

Both Alexei and Connor flinched as the seemingly idle formation shattered and fired off a dense beam of eviscerating light.

Somewhere upon a hidden tree branch, the crossbow woman's life was claimed by the realm in that mesmerizing instant.

Connor let go of Alexei and raised his sword, taking steps back as he watched Vixella's body slowly raise from the dead.

"Reanimation...!?" He unsteadily gripped his blade at Vixella who had stood up in a slouched form, glaring dead at him.

A low growl of annoyance came from Vixella as she grasped onto her face.

Alexei who was on the ground also didn't understand what had just happened.

But then, he saw Connor who had circled behind Vixella with his sword poised-

"Vix, behind you-!!!"

But before she could regain her bearings, Connor's shortsword had impaled through her lower back as her form arched upwards.

As blood trickled down the brim of her mouth, Vixella creaked her head over her shoulder to face Connor with an annoyed face.

At that moment, Connor let go of his sword and fell onto his bum, shaking. "Y-You... You're not human... W-What are you-!?"

With his shortsword still lodged through her chest, Vixella slouched down to meet him. "Hm... Would you like to find out!?"

Vixella then extruded all her bloodlust, which caused Connor to start screaming, but it was cut short as she whacked him out cold.

She then yawned and stood back up. "What an amateur, he didn't even go for my heart... Still... Bring a cursed relic next time."

Vixella looked over at her right hand which had been gripping onto her Falchion extremely tight all this time.

"Calm down, we're not killing any more people today... Damnit, calm down!" finally, she was able to sheath it.

Her fingers clicked. A bubbly healing magic formation appeared to stop Alexei's bleeding.

"Ugh, I hate this sleepy feeling when I get 'killed' and remember those shitty memories..."

Alexei who retrieved his weapons faced her but kept his guard up "Vix... You're bleeding... And the sword..."

"Aah, right... Sorry," she pulled it out before her abdomen wound was quickly closed with healing magic.

She then handed the bloodied shortsword to Alexei who was standing there, dazed. "I'll let you keep this."

Alexei then made a serious look. "Vix... About earlier... You... Gah, what was that about-!?"

Finally, it seemed like Alexei couldn't care anymore and decided to ask her about it outright.

"Hm, that? It's because I'm a summon. Summons don't die unless their Life Force is depleted."

"A summon? What's that? Sorry, I don't know too much about old and advanced magical terms."

"Hm, you're right... I guess there wouldn't be any summons nowadays, huh."

Vixella glanced down before looking back up, "Well, I'm still human."

"What-!? You're not even going to explain-!? You expect me to still believe you after seeing that shit you pulled off earlier-!?"

"Well... About that, I have nothing to say in my defense... But in the end, I am still human, just like you... At least, I want to be..."

Vixella looked at her hand and clenched it. "Can I not...?" and then smiled at Alexei; it was a smile filled with sadness and regret.

In the end, all summons would cease to exist after their duties were fulfilled.

However, from some unknown shred of luck, Xiveall did not cease to exist.

Thus, all he wanted... Was to simply live a normal peaceful life as a 'human'.

Although Alexei wanted to retort, he did not know Vixella's predicament well enough to say anything further.

His face began to crumble so he turned it away to hide it... He was at a complete loss for words to say at her.

There was a long moment of silence until Qatar popped his head out of the wagon which caught their attention.

"Ooh! It's over! Well done, Missy! Young Man! Are they dead...?" He inspected one of them, "No? Let's tie and load 'em up then head our way!"