Corrin and Wyn dashed through the forest, not wasting energy to speak as they chased after the distant caravan. They’d started running before sunrise, sleeping only a few hours to replenish their energy before crossing the enormous valley at a pace like a normal person’s sprint. After they’d started however, Corrin’s pack was weighing heavily on his shoulders, and he could feel it slowing him down even through his mana enhancement. The only solace was that the shade of the forest kept the sun off them, and it was a cool day, so they didn’t have to run in the sweltering heat.

Corrin wasn’t actually circulating mana to his legs; he’d realized over the journey that focused channeling had its own drawbacks. While he focused mana to places like his legs, he couldn’t channel new mana from the air. This meant that for constant activities like running long distances, it was actually better not to circulate to his legs, and instead keep a constant draw of mana while he ran at a pace below his top speed. By keeping the rate of usage lower, it seemed to help with his stamina, and the strain on his channels was lessened. It wasn’t as easy as walking, but keeping a natural circulation helped him from burning it out too quickly.

To his left, Wyn was panting, a faint purple glow burning behind his eyes the only sign of his spirit fire. The previous day had been a long one, and at the very least, Corrin’s body was actually enhanced. The strain was still there for Wyn, he was just burning it away, and he might collapse if he stopped using his blessing. They reached what appeared to be the sight of earlier skirmishes—several trees had arrows sticking out of them, and he even spotted a few bodies hidden in the underbrush. That must have meant they were getting close.

Finally, Corrin heard sounds of battle from ahead. He glanced towards Wyn, who nodded. Corrin flared his mana, circulating it heavily to his legs, and dropped his pack as he rushed ahead. A minute later, he burst out of the tree line, and finally got a good look at the chaos ahead.

He’d come out to the side of the two groups. As expected, it seemed a merchant caravan was under attack from raiders in the area. Elder Irym had told Corrin and Wyn to watch out for them on their journey, especially out here in the country where there were less organized patrols and knights, though he didn’t think that country bandits would be much of a threat to the two outside of their numbers.

Several carts and covered wagons appeared to have been blown to shreds in the battle, though there weren’t any signs of firestone scars or other explosives. At the top of the hill, a ring of merchants had formed, standing against a dozen or so bandits. By numbers, the merchants seemed better off, but among them, it seemed many had just grabbed whatever it seemed they could find, like a piece of wood or a broken sword. Only one or two of them looked like actual warriors.

Corrin looped around to the east, cresting the top of a large boulder nearby and peering over the top, still unnoticed by either group. As he did, he got a good look at an unusual face-off. To his left was a woman, around his own age. She had dirty blonde hair and was dressed in finer clothes than most of the other traders. She was holding herself well, but Corrin could see the way her body shook, legs trembling even as she tried to hold it in.

Across from her was a large man in a heavy black coat. He wore a red bandana and had a rough face, covered in scars. His coat—which seemed constructed from thick leather—was reinforced with mail around his vital areas, and a black chain wrapped around his right arm, a small scythe hanging from the end.

Corrin caught the end of their conversation. “...That look in your eyes when you realize I’m just going to kill you all anyway!”

Corrin’s mind whirred, this was the perfect time to make an entrance! He scrambled to the top of the rock and tried to stand heroically. “Well hang on a second!” He jumped to the ground and pointed his sword towards the bandit captain, who looked towards him with a look of surprise and disdain.

“If you want to touch a single person in this caravan, you’ll have to fight me first.” Corrin looked towards the girl and winked, trying to send the message that help was here.

Silence. No one said a word, and the longer Corrin stood there, the more embarrassed he felt. The captain made a gesture towards the other bandits, and they rushed towards Corrin, finally kicking his brain into gear.

Three attackers from three different angles, but all to his front. Corrin’s experience in fighting multiple attackers wasn’t non-existent, but he was a little rusty since most of their more recent training had been related to monsters. Better to play it safe. He dashed to the side, forcing them to adjust in such a way that two would reach him before the third, then raced forward to meet them on his own terms

He flipped up a dagger from his belt and deftly threw it towards the man on the right, striking him below the arm. It wasn’t enough to kill him, but it distracted him. Dusting off his dagger throwing skills in the weeks following his dungeon accident had been well worth it, causing the man to yell in pain and slow down, not a lot, but enough.

Corrin channeled mana to his legs, shooting forward like a tempest as he clashed with the first attacker one-on-one. He didn’t intend to give the other man time to join.

The first had a dagger, so Corrin struck quickly, using his longer reach to attack as soon as he got in range. The man clumsily tried to parry, but Corrin’s blade was too fast, cutting his fingers and disarming him. A swift kick knocked him to the ground as Corrin moved on.

The second one recovered from the dagger wound and turned towards Corrin, but his defense was sloppy, and Corrin quickly overwhelmed him, slipping past his defenses and striking towards his midsection. Just as he was about to be struck through, the bandit jumped back, escaping with a minor gash across his midsection, a non-lethal blow.

Corrin intended to press the attack, but before he could, the third bandit arrived, getting between them. He swung his blade at Corrin’s head, but it was too slow. Corrin flared his mana and shot past him in a low crouch, slashing at the man’s ankle. He hadn’t even hit the ground by the time Corrin punched the second man in the chest, sending him sprawling.

Corrin stepped forward to continue the fight when he felt a pricking sensation in his mind and noticed something flash into his peripheral vision. He hastily ducked as a blade whisked just past his head. Only years of instinct, honed fighting against unnatural monsters saved Corrin from what happened next.

The blade turned in midair, whipping back around towards him, aimed for his legs. Springing up from his crouched position, Corrin vaulted backwards, flipping in the air as the blade passed underneath him.

As he turned, he realized the source of the unnatural movement, it was the scythe-chain weapon held by the leader of the raiders, who had apparently thrown it at Corrin’s head while he’d been distracted. It seemed like an impractical weapon, but Corrin wasn’t one to judge, and it had almost done the job. The man flicked his wrist and the blade hopped up into his waiting hand.

“You’re one quick little rat! Much more interesting than the old fellow I just killed.” He smirked, wrapping the chain back up around his arm. “However, you face me now, Din Kai, captain of the Black Scythes, Scourge of the Grass Sea. I’ll enjoy cutting you down.” He sneered, brandishing the scythe.

One of the merchants gasped, “The red bandana—it can’t be, what’s he doing all the way out here?”

Apparently though, the word had never reached Straetum, as Corrin had never heard either the name or title before. So, he laughed, “Who announces themself like that? Write that on your letters? ‘Love you ma, signed The Scourge of the Grass Sea.’” He kept laughing, the thought of it hilarious for some reason.

The man grunted but didn’t seem too affected by the jeer. “I hope your blade is as sharp as your tongue, whelp. If you die too quickly, I won’t be able to savor killing you” His face morphed into an evil grin, and he licked the edge of his blade, drawing a drop of blood.

Oh good, he’s insane, Corrin thought.

“Please be careful!” One of the merchants shouted out, “That man is infamous for his strength and cunning, he’s already killed hundreds, even some knights from the capital! They say he fights like a demon.”

Fear and excitement warred in Corrin’s mind, as he regarded his opponent more seriously. This man had killed knights before? That wasn’t likely to be a good sign for Corrin, were knights the same as spirit knights? A commotion sounded from further down the hill, and the sound of blades clashing echoed up the slopes. Wyn had arrived, but he may not be able to make it in time. Either way, Corrin couldn’t afford to hold back, his grip tightened, fighting his sweaty palms. “A demon huh?”

Despite his nervousness, he couldn’t help but grin as he settled into his stance. “I’ve met demons before. He’s not one.”

Corrin dashed in, trying to close the distance so he could get within striking range, but Kai was fast, throwing the blade forward and forcing Corrin to knock it aside. Undeterred, the marauder yanked on the chain, pulling it back towards him. Corrin spun to the side, desperately avoiding the follow up that would’ve caught his back, before deflecting another blow immediately after.

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Corrin quickly realized that the man, Din Kai was strong, stronger than any other opponent he’d faced in real combat. The speed and precision with which he maneuvered the chained weapon was astonishing, and Corrin had never fought against anything like it. Several quick exchanges put Corrin completely on the back foot, dancing away from every strike by a hair, but one mistake could prove fatal if he wasn’t careful.

The scythe whipped around from Corrin’s left, he brought his sword up to catch the blade, but caught the chain instead. It bent around his sword, the scythe biting into his shoulder. Kai pulled on the weapon, likely trying to pull Corrin towards him, but Corrin spun and let the scythe be ripped from his shoulder instead. Then he jumped back, creating more distance. It was a poor decision, and he knew it. At range, the longer weapon would have a distinct advantage, but he needed time to think. He rolled his shoulder, trying to adjust to the pain as Din Kai grinned confidently. Even without his direction, mana drifted to the area, strengthening it. Luckily it hadn’t cut him too deeply, he’d be fine.

One thing was certain, as much as he hated to admit it, Din Kai was the stronger fighter. The gap wasn’t large enough that Corrin couldn’t win, but enough that it was by no means a likely outcome. He could try to wait for Wyn to show up, and he was confident that two-on-one would be a different story. But that wasn’t a real victory. What Corrin wanted was to win on his own. He wouldn’t get stronger by waiting for Wyn. He needed a way to close the distance between them and get in striking range.

“You should know better than to back away from me.” Din Kai remarked.

“Yeah maybe…” Corrin grunted. He focused his attention and let his mana pool in his legs. It flared for a moment, and he dashed forward, trying to get inside Kai’s guard.

Kai sneered, the scythe flashing in behind Corrin. His timing would have to be perfect, he kept going, the blade was breathing down his neck. He dropped into a slide, drenching his lower half with most of his mana. Hitting the ground so suddenly sent a jolt up his body, and the mana would do nothing to prevent the scrapes accumulating on his legs other than heal it later, but it allowed the blade to pass over him.

Corrin slammed his knee into the ground, lurching his body upright as his hand seized the black chain, which lagged behind the head of the weapon, and pulled it tight, Kai wouldn’t be able to escape him. The bandit yanked on the chain, keeping it tight, but Corrin held fast.

“I’ve got you.” He lunged towards the bandit, his blade flashing.

“I’ll admit kid, you’ve got some real talent, and your reflexes are incredible. You’re a strong one, but…” Kai dropped his chain, upsetting Corrin’s balance as the force suddenly disappeared. Then the bandit jumped backwards, hands reaching into his coat.

Throwing knives!

Corrin brought his arms up to cover his vital areas, but the knives lodged themselves in his arms and stomach. It stung, but the flow of mana helped to dull the pain. He tried to steady himself, but Din Kai was faster. Corrin felt a sharp crack in his chest as a heavy fist impacted it, knocking him onto his back.

“You lack experience, a real knight wouldn’t have fallen for a trick like that,” Kai sneered from above him. “I’ll make you an offer though… Join my crew. You’ve got some real potential; all you have to do is kill some of these merchants and I’ll let you in.”

Corrin gritted his teeth, his fingers clawing at the dirt. What the hell kind of offer was that? He was right though, it had been a mistake to assume the chain scythe was the only weapon the bandit had, and an even bigger one to assume he’d fight fairly.

“Come on, get up!” He jeered, “I haven’t finished playing with you yet.”

“Shut up,” Corrin growled.

“What’s the matter? Ready to give up already? For some reason I assumed you were the type to try and prolong your own pitiful life!”

For reasons Corrin couldn’t explain, anger blossomed in his chest at the man’s words. He took in a long breath, filling his body with as much mana as he could. “I said shut up!”

He launched off the ground, mana swirling into his limbs as he ran forwards. When the scythe flew towards him again, he met it with all the force he could muster. He felt a sensation like a small explosion in his arms, and the scythe was blown completely away, launched back towards Kai who grunted in surprise as the blade buried itself into the dirt near his feet.

Kai grabbed the hilt to meet Corrin’s next strike, matching him in a real melee for the first time. Pushing through the aching in his arms, Corrin yelled out defiantly as he hammered down a barrage of blows onto the man, who deflected each one with his own furious movements. As it stretched on, Corrin realized something dire, for all that mana granted him, Kai was faster and stronger still.

Is he using mana as well?

He should’ve known this power wasn’t only his to have, but it was a shock. For the first time in years, Corrin fought against someone whose speed was actually above his own.

Kai slashed at Corrin’s head, and he deflected just as he felt an impact against his leg, a sweep kick, not very strong, but he was unbraced against it. His leg started to buckle, and the ground rushed up to meet him. Corrin turned it into a roll, dodging the following strike, when he looked back though, dirt sprayed into his face as Kai kicked it up at him. He raised his sword, blocking the next attack through pure, blind luck before dashing away, desperately swiping the dirt from his eyes.

The snaking weapon chased him from behind, forcing him to dodge and deflect as he beat a retreat towards one of the larger carts.

“Where are you going?” Din Kai yelled.

“It’s called a strategic retreat dumbass!” Corrin shot back.

His opponent laughed, a twisted, sickening sound. “This isn’t some honorable battle between you and a friend! I’m not going to wait or chase you just because we’re fighting!”

Corrin’s heart dropped as a cry of pain rang out from beside him. He spun around to see the scythe tear through a man’s shoulder, spraying blood onto the rocky ground.

“What’s wrong?” Kai taunted, “Didn’t you say I’d have to go through you?”

The scythe shot towards the young girl he’d reassured earlier, and Corrin launched himself towards it. He didn’t have a hero complex like Wyn did, but he’d keep his word, and he wasn’t just going to let people die right in front of him. He couldn’t reach the scythe in time, but the blade wasn’t the only part of the weapon. Corrin dove forward and yanked on the chain, halting its momentum as he slid across the ground.

He looked over at the stunned girl, “Get away from here!”

She finally managed to run a moment later, just as Kai erupted into a fit of laughter that Corrin could only describe as deranged.

“So many sheep to slaughter! Can you save them all, little swordsman?”

Corrin’s vision tinged with red, this wasn’t a man he was fighting. He’d been thinking about it all wrong. Din Kai may have had intelligence, and the ability to communicate, but this was no different than putting down a monster.

Corrin sprinted back towards Din Kai, who grinned madly. He reached into his coat once more. Corrin held his sword ready for more knives, but when Kai threw them, he realized the bandit hadn’t been aiming for him.

Corrin flared his mana once again to abruptly shift direction. A sharp pang shot through his legs at the sudden change, but he made it just in time to slash the knives out of the air before they hit a child hiding from the rest of the battle.

His legs disappeared from under him as the scythe swept into his boots, pulling them to the side. He landed hard on his back, knocking the breath from his chest. As he lay there gasping for air, it was all Corrin could do to choke out a warning to the young boy, “Go hide somewhere else, it's too dangerous here.”

He couldn’t see Din Kai anymore, but the sound of chains rattling against the ground grew closer and closer. He came into Corrin’s view, his broad shoulders and scarred face blocking out the sky.

“Aren’t you going to get up?” He taunted. “I thought you were going to save these people.”

Corrin forced his body to rise. An impact struck his chest, and he was sent tumbling across the ground again, scrapes opening across his body on the harsh surface.

His limbs were drained of power. He needed to refresh his mana, but he couldn’t catch his breath.

Rough fingers grabbed his hair, pulling his head up into Din Kai’s cold eyes. Corrin stared back, his own eyes brimming with anger. “What happened to your jokes boy? You were so talkative earlier.”

Corrin’s foot shot up, striking Kai between the legs. The man doubled over in shocked pain, letting go of Corrin. But Corrin couldn’t rise either, slumping back to the ground.

“You…” Corrin sucked in air, forcing a smirk onto his face. “You’re not even worth my jokes. You’re too stupid to get them anyways.”

He’d created the moment he needed, and as fresh mana suffused his body, Corrin could feel his power returning. Unfortunately, Din Kai was recovering from the cheap shot Corrin had landed as well. For the first time, his eyes were burning with anger of his own. As the two of them got back in their stances, each prepared to tear the other one apart.

“I’m going to kill you slowly,” Kai growled. “Then, I’m going to kill every merchant here. I’ll even use your sword to do it. Just for the fun of it. Look over at that child. Do you see the hope in his eyes? You’re responsible for it, which is going to make it even more fun when I kill you, and that look dies with you.”

Wyn’s voice rang out across the battlefield, “Spirits, you love the sound of your own voice.”

Corrin looked over, Wyn was standing on one of the adjacent merchant carts, his large figure looking down on them both. Corrin’s time was up.

Wyn jumped off the cart and strode towards them, Din Kai jumping back and readying his stance.

“Another one huh, that’s fine, two pests are just as easy to kill as one.”

“Hey Wyn, glad you could make it to—” Corrin was interrupted by Wyn hitting him on the back of the head. “What the hell!”

“You’re an idiot.”

Corrin gaped. “Hey that might be true but it’s still uncalled for!”

“I can tell you weren’t fighting this right. I can tell you’re angry just looking at you. Snap out of it. You’re not thinking clearly. If you were, you wouldn’t have ended up like that.”

“What are you talking about? I was doing everything I could to win.”

“He’s stronger than us, and I think you know that. Which means you should’ve changed your objective to stalling for backup. Unless you thought I couldn’t handle the goons on the way up here. Don’t let some random guy get you so riled up.”

“I wasn’t—” Corrin started to protest, but decided against it when he saw Wyn’s glare. He really didn’t need two opponents right now. “Fine, you’re right.”

Wyn sighed. “Can you still fight?”

“Who do you think I am?” Corrin grinned, letting more mana course through him with each breath. “Of course I can.”

“If you’re done talking…” Kai shed his coat, revealing another chain scythe strapped to his leg, it was slightly smaller than the first, and tightly bound to prevent it from making too much noise. With practiced ease, he looped both around his arms before letting the blades hang from his hands.

Corrin laughed. “So, you were holding back on me huh? That stings… I’ll admit Kai, you’re stronger than me for now. You won our fight.”

“You think adding one more weakling will change the outcome?” The bandit captain sneered.

“Only one way to find out.”

Wyn stepped up next to him, both boys holding their swords out front, “Ready?”

“Always.” They stepped forward.