The sun rose gently over the small village, casting a golden hue across the modest homes and vast fields that surrounded the area.

In the center of the village, Sam stood before his large wooden house, a structure that dwarfed the other homes nearby.

A wide dirt road stretched in front of his home, flanked by simple houses on either side. The villagers had gathered here in numbers, their voices buzzing with concern and curiosity.

Sam raised both hands in the air, calling for attention. "Please, everyone, quiet down and listen to me!" His voice carried over the restless murmurs, and gradually, the crowd settled into silence, their anxious gazes fixed on him.

Sam took a deep breath before continuing. "I know it's early, and I'm sorry for pulling you from your homes like this. But what I have to say is important."

The crowd murmured softly, exchanging uneasy glances. A woman near the front stepped forward. "Sam, who are these people? Why are there bodies lying here?" Her voice trembled, reflecting the unease shared by the others.

Sam nodded solemnly and raised a hand to calm the whispers before replying. "Earlier this morning, while we were returning from our hunt, we found these people in the forest. They were dead."

A wave of shock rippled through the villagers. Gasps and murmurs filled the air as they began to speculate among themselves. Sam raised his voice again, trying to regain control. "Quiet, please!"

When the crowd fell silent, he continued. "The way these people died... it doesn't seem natural." From somewhere in the crowd, a man called out. "Maybe they were killed by animals?"

Sam turned toward the man, his expression grim. "At first, we thought the same thing. But their injuries don't match any animal attack I've ever seen. Something else is going on here."

The villagers began whispering nervously once more, their fears evident. Sam could see the anxiety spreading like wildfire.

To calm the rising panic, Sam raised his hands again. "I understand your concern, but I assure you, we'll handle this. We've faced many challenges before, and we've always found a way through. This incident is no different."

One of the villagers voiced the fear on everyone's mind. "Sam, but this isn't like anything we've seen before! This is happening now, not during the Emergency Days."

The mention of the Emergency Days—an event tied to a dangerous annual phenomenon—sent a chill through the crowd. Sam addressed the concern.

"That's exactly why I've decided to take action. I will travel west to meet with the members of the Sword soku Clan. They are powerful warriors, and I'm certain they can help us."

The crowd fell silent, digesting this information. Adam, standing near the edge of the gathering, furrowed his brow. "Sword soku Clan?" he thought. "Why would Sam seek help from them? Shouldn't he go to the king or the noble families? Isn't this their responsibility?"

Adam's confusion deepened as he noticed the growing fear in the villagers. The name "Sword soku Clan" seemed to evoke a mixture of reverence and trepidation. Adam couldn't quite understand why everyone seemed so unnerved, but he decided to keep listening.

Sam took another deep breath and continued. "I know this isn't an easy decision, and I don't expect everyone to understand. But I believe the Sword Clan can help protect our village. This is why I'm asking for volunteers—people brave enough to join me on this journey."

Before Sam could finish, a man in the crowd raised his hand. "Sam, you know what happens to people who leave the village and travel through the forest. Half of them never come back!"

The statement sent a ripple of unease through the crowd. Adam's mind raced. "Half of them die? Then how do people travel between cities? How does trade even happen?" These questions swirled in his head, but he kept his thoughts to himself, focusing instead on Sam's words.

Sam acknowledged the man's concern with a nod. "I won't force anyone to come with me. This journey is dangerous, and I understand if you choose not to volunteer. But I need brave souls who are willing to take this risk for the safety of our village."

The crowd grew eerily quiet. The fear of the forest was deeply ingrained in the villagers. They knew of the magical beasts and feral creatures that roamed the woods, making any journey perilous.

Sam's heart sank as he scanned the crowd. Not a single hand was raised. He had hoped for at least a few volunteers, but the villagers' fear was palpable.

Just as despair began to creep into his thoughts, a single hand shot up. It was Ricky, Adam's father.

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Sam's eyes lit up with relief, and a small smile crept onto his face. "Ricky," he thought, "I knew you wouldn't back down." Ricky's courage seemed to spark something in the others.

Slowly, more hands began to rise. One by one, villagers stepped forward, until ten volunteers had committed to the journey.

Adam watched his father with a mix of admiration and concern. "Dad..." he thought, unsure of what to feel.

Beside him, Yami's eyes filled with tears. Adam noticed her trembling and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Yami, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

Before Yami could respond, Sophia spoke up. Her voice was soft but carried a note of sorrow. "Didn't you hear, Adam? Half of the people who try to cross the forest never come back."

Adam's heart sank. He finally understood why Yami looked so distraught. He glanced at Eric, who was standing nearby, his face equally clouded with worry. Adam clenched his fists, a storm of emotions brewing within him.

His deep voice echoed across the crowd, carrying a mix of resolve and urgency. "We will leave tomorrow morning," he declared, raising his hands to quiet the murmurs.

"With any luck, we'll reach the Sword Clan in two days and discuss this matter with them."

Just as the villagers began to process Sam's words, a powerful voice cut through the air. "You don't need to go anywhere," it announced. "The Sword soku Clan has already arrived to handle this situation."

All heads turned toward the source of the voice.

Emerging from the narrow pathway leading to Sam's home were eight figures clad in tight, traditional samurai garb. Their imposing presence froze the crowd in place.

Each of them carried a katana at their side, and their faces were partially concealed by fabric that left only their sharp, calculating eyes visible.

Adam stood among the villagers, his eyes widening as he caught glimpses of the samurai through the sea of people. He muttered under his breath,

"Samurai... they look just like the ones from Earth's history." The traditional outfits, the disciplined strides, and the aura of authority they exuded made Adam feel as if he had been transported into a feudal Japanese tale.

At the head of the group was Sinu, a tall, broad-shouldered figure clad in black. His gait was deliberate, and his sharp gaze seemed to cut through the crowd like a blade.

As Sinu moved forward, he scanned the villagers intently, his mana sensing ability working in overdrive.

Among the sea of anxious faces, he felt a distinct mana signature radiating from the crowd. "There's a mage here," he thought, his lips curling into a subtle smirk.

Meanwhile, Sam stepped out from the crowd, his heart pounding.

Unlike the villagers, who were unsure of what they were witnessing, Sam recognized the group immediately. "Sword soku Clan members," he whispered, his voice tinged with both respect and apprehension.

Sam moved quickly to the front, bowing deeply before the samurai. "It is an honor for our village to host the esteemed members of the Sword soku Clan," he said, his voice steady despite the tension.

The villagers murmured among themselves, their confusion evident. One elderly man spoke up, "Are these the same samurai we've heard about in the stories?"

Another nodded, his voice trembling. "They must be. Look at their weapons and presence. Sam knows what he's doing."

Adam's heart raced as he heard the name "Sword Soku Clan." Memories of his encounter with Mark flooded back, especially the moment Mark had confessed that his mission was assigned by the clan.

"So these people are behind the attack," Adam thought, his fists clenching. "They're not here to help—they're here to finish what Mark started."

His mind swirled with questions. "Why is the Sword Soku Clan targeting this peaceful village? What do they have to gain from this?" But no answers came, only a growing sense of dread.

Unbeknownst to Adam, Sinu was also deep in thought. His mana sensing ability kept drawing his attention to the crowd. "This mage," Sinu mused, "Their mana is strong but unfocused. They must be hiding among these villagers. But why did they break the treaty and kill Mark?"

Sinu's sharp gaze darted through the villagers, his mind working to pinpoint the source of the mana signature. Sinu stepped forward, his boots crunching softly against the dirt road as the crowd parted before him.

The other seven samurai followed closely, their movements precise and synchronized. They stopped before the line of white cloth-covered bodies that Sam and his hunters had brought back earlier.

Sinu's eyes narrowed as he extended his hand toward one of the bodies.

A subtle wave of mana pulsed through the air as he unsheathed his katana with a flourish. The blade shimmered in the sunlight, exuding an aura of deadly precision.

With a swift motion, Sinu sliced through the white cloth covering one of the bodies. The villagers gasped as the cloth fell away, revealing Mark's lifeless form.

Sinu's gaze hardened as he examined the familiar crest burned into Mark's hand—a clear indicator of his allegiance to the Sword Soku Clan.

He crouched beside the body, his gloved fingers tracing the wound on Mark's head. "A single, precise attack," he muttered under his breath. "This was no accident."

The realization struck him like a thunderbolt. "A mage did this," Sinu concluded. His expression darkened as he stood, his katana glinting ominously in the light. "But why? The treaty between mages and the Sword Clan has stood for centuries. What could have driven this mage to act against us?"

Sinu turned toward the crowd, his piercing gaze landing on Sam. "Do you know who this man is?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the tense silence.

Sam shook his head, his tone respectful yet firm. "No, sir. We found these bodies in the forest this morning. None of them are from our village."

Sinu's lips curled into a cold smile. "This man was one of ours—a member of the Sword Soku Clan."

The revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd. Whispers spread like wildfire as the villagers tried to comprehend what this meant.

Adam's blood ran cold as he watched the scene unfold. "They've already realized a mage is involved," he thought. His mind raced, trying to formulate a plan. "If they figure out it was me, this village will be in even greater danger."

Meanwhile, Sinu continued to address the crowd. "Whoever killed this man has broken an ancient treaty—a grave offense against the Sword Clan." He sheathed his katana with a practiced motion, his tone growing colder. "Rest assured, we will find the one responsible."

Adam's fists clenched at his sides. He felt the weight of Sinu's words pressing down on him, but he knew he couldn't reveal the truth.

As the chapter ends, Sinu's sharp eyes scan the crowd once more, his suspicion growing.

The villagers, oblivious to Adam's role in the events, look on in fear and confusion, unaware of the storm brewing among them.

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End of the chapter 13.