-Rin’s P.O.V-

After regaining consciousness, I immediately felt a change in my body as if a huge load had been taken off me. Gathering mana on the palm of my hand, it appeared as a yellow color indicating that I broken through the cyan rank and advanced to yellow rank.

Seeing the advancement Zilla congratulated me then proceeded to ask about a trance. Asking her what that was about, Zilla simply brushed it off saying it was nothing.

Since she wouldn’t tell I was about to take my leave until a loud crash filled the air. Looking at Zilla she nodded and we went into our shadows and traveled jumping from shadow to shadow.

Jumping from the shadow of a rock, to the shadow of a nearby daisy, to the shadow of a tree, we exited our shadow forms and landed on top of one of its branches and looked at the situation in front of us. An expensive looking white carriage with golden patterns is being targeted by about fifteen bandits in leather armor with their faces covered with dirty rags.

Guarding the carriage and fending off the bandits were five knights in shining iron armor valiantly fending off the attacks of the bandits with their swords. Near the slanted wagon, there’s a young girl hiding behind an old man in the same iron armor as the knights but with no helmet. With his short thin yet long sword he parried the attacks of the five bandits one after another getting slower with each block.

‘Go assist the knights with the bandits.’ Zilla said looking over Rin’s shadow.

‘Why?’ I asked looking casually at the battle down below.

‘You can test your newfound prowess having attained a higher rank and make new connections with the girl. She probably belongs to a noble family or even royalty, it’ll be good since she’s a naive little child watching a scene that would traumatize any child her age.’ Zilla replied.

‘If you say so.’ I complied.

Standing upright on top of the thick tree branch, I launched my feet forward, descending upon the nearest bandit. With a slight curved sword made of pitch black darkness I conjured on my right hand I decapitated the bandit’s head as I neared him, then rolled and kicked my feet back, launching myself at another bandit decapitating him as well.

Landing in the center of battle, everyone stopped and had their eyes glued upon me confused to what just had happened. Avoiding any more unnecessary troubles, my red and blue eyes turned pitch black giving off a dreadful feeling to everyone that saw it. With that I started manipulating their shadows impeding their movements and having them move at my will.

Controlling them like puppets I had them stab their own allies in the heart with their rusty blades immediately killing eight out of thirteen bandits, with the remaining five bandits on the old man and little girl.

Controlling the knight’s shadows and movement, to avoid any possible troubles, I casually walked to the five bandits,old man, and little princess.

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“Kid! You might have some fancy moves and magic but you're just a brat so de scattle! Before I gut ya!” One of the five bandits said with a vicious grin.

‘Looks like their not affected by your ‘shadow control’ Zilla said.

‘A work in progress’ I replied.

Slashing my pitch black sword behind me, creating a crescent shaped blood stain, I walked closer ignoring the bandit’s threats.

“Tsk this kid’s got some balls.” The same bandit said charging forward with his sword behind his shoulder ready to slash sideways in front of him.

Ducking the slash as soon as he swung his sword, I stretched my leg and kicked his groin causing him to retch forward in sudden pain. Following up I spun in a circle with my hand supporting my body, causing my stretched out leg to trip him, causing him to fall face first on the ground. After I spun in a full circle I used the momentum to stand upright and detach the head of the bent forward bandit.

Seeing me kill their friend in a matter of seconds the four remaining bandits were a bit rattled.

“So what if he killed one of us! If we attack him together there’s no chance of him winning since his elemental magic doesn’t affect us!” One of the four bandits shouted encouraging his allies.

Nodding their heads they smirked and charged together.

‘Do I have enough mana to do that?’ I asked Zilla nonchalantly watching the bandits charge.

‘You controlling Ten bandits and forcing them to kill themselves already took 20% of your mana plus the five knights you’re currently controlling,draining a percent of your mana every five seconds totalling at two percent lost. Right now you have 88% of your mana left, if you perform the elemental spell you want will cost you ten percent of your current mana, leaving you at 78% of your mana once the elemental spell is casted.” Zilla calculated.

Nodding my head, I stretched out my slightly closed palm looking like it’s about to claw something and had it face the four charging bandits.

‘Be pierced by the spikes of darkness’ I calmly chanted telepathically to the bandits causing them to visibly shiver but didn’t stop at their tracks.

Not like it mattered, four spikes, five inches at base and two inches at the tip completely void of color(pitch black) rose six inches tall from their shadows at a forty five angle impaling the charging bandits in their chest, killing them instantly then retracted back into the shadows of their dead and pierced bodies..

Lowering my hand I swept my gaze towards the old man now dead and without a head and the bloodied little girl with a bloody rusty sword at hand, sweetly smiling with a hint of madness at me and her spine chilling gaze scanning.