As the bandits closed in Zycor took an aggressive stance. The bandit holding Aisha hostage yelled, “Don’t you move! If you do, the girl dies!”

Zycor stopped instantly, sneering at him. Baz and Mylon began to fight the four that were on their side, each taking two. Baz threw out a wide swipe of his hand, forcing the two bandits to step back. Baz used the opening to draw his axe and swing it down at the bandit in front of him. The bandit was able to parry the blow, sending the axe into the ground as he rushed the half orc. Baz, despite being thrown off by the parry, grinned. “Bad move!” he shouted as a torrent of water came from his feet and swept the bandits’ feet from under him, forcing him face first into the road.

Bringing his axe up, Baz chuckled, “You probably should have considered the possibility I can use magic too, you dumbass!”

And with that, Baz dislodged and brought his mighty war axe down into the bandits back. Removing the axe from the now corpse, Baz frowned, “Damn, didn’t disintegrate.”

Mylon, blocking a strike with his shield which staggered the bandit, commented, “For the last time Baz, you do NOT have disintegration powers.”

Finishing his sentence, Mylon slammed his shield into the recoiling bandits face. He quickly shifted his shield towards the left and blocked the second bandit's strike. He followed up with a thrust of his sword aimed at the bandits chest. Before the strike hit its mark, however, the bandit managed to get out an Ignite order. The bandit was immediately propelled upwards, landing on a roof and reorienting himself.

The second bandit fighting Baz took advantage of the latter being distracted by Mylon's fight by rushing him. Baz, realizing the position he put himself in, took a step back and brought his axe down as quickly as he could. Due to being caught off guard, his strike completely missed. As the bandit closed in on Baz he stepped into the puddle of water from Baz’s earlier attack. The moment he did, someone said, “Converge, Chain,” and a bolt of lightning flashed past Baz, striking the water he managed to stagger out of and causing the bandit to be violently electrocuted.

Baz turned towards the spell's origin and saw Zycor. The bandit holding Aisha went to slit her throat, but before he was able to, a bolt of lighting shot from the electrocuted man past Zycor and struck both Aisha and her captor. The electrocution forced him to release Aisha as he stumbled back while the latter fell to her knees. Baz yelled, “Behind you kid!”

Zycor readied himself to dash as he coldly replied, “I know, it’s not a problem. Worry about your other opponent, he’s not down.”

Finishing his comment, Zycor began his blitz while Baz blocked the mentioned bandits' weakened attack with the hilt of the axe. “Not today fucker!” Baz shouted as he thrust the attack back at the bandit. Zycor took off towards Aisha’s former captor as he held out his arm and delivered a devastating lariat. The blow sent the back of the bandits’ head into the ground. Mylon yelled to Aisha, “Can you do something about the two bandits that are left? Last thing we need right now is more of these bastards.”

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He then parried another hit and brought the pommel of his sword down onto the bandits head, severely disorienting him and bringing him to his knees. Using his shield to bash the other bandit to throw him back, Mylon proceeded to cleanly decapitate the kneeling bandit.

Aisha staggered to her feet and managed to throw her hands up, conjuring the strongest wall of fire she could muster. The bandits stepped back from the flames, not wanting to burn with their clothing.

Zycor walked over to the bandit lying on the ground who was, surprisingly, still conscious. Zycor put his boot on the bandit’s arm, then proceeded to viciously break it. The sound of his screams instantly halted the battles. Zycor crouched down as everyone present looked on. “You are definitely not the one who ordered this, you’re too weak and pathetic. Who gave you the order?” Zycor demanded.

The “bandit” responded through his sobs, “I’m not scared of a brat having a tantrum! Once the vice commander gets here, it’s over for you!”

“And you think you’ll survive that long?” Zycor coldly asked.

He then stood up, walked to the other side, and broke the “bandit’s” other arm, followed by both of his legs in the same, brutal fashion. His screams rang out again each time, causing the remaining bandits to grimace as they took steps away from the scene. Zycor repeated his question, “Let me ask again. Who. Gave. You. The. Order?”

The “bandit”, sobbing, revealed, “It was from the vice commander of the Velathrian royal knights, Volnir! H-he was there when your village was razed! I-I gave you your answer plus some extra information! S-so please, l-let me live!”

Hearing about this Volnir guy's involvement not only in today's events, but what occurred at his village, caused Zycors rage to skyrocket. Zycor then sat on the knight's chest and began to beat his face in. Each punch was delivered slowly, deliberately, and with his full force. He kept hitting and hitting, until the knight’s face was nigh unrecognizable. Even at that point, however, he continued to wail on the knight's face, it was as if he had lost himself to the intense anger and madness. The remaining bandits had long since fled at this point. Mylon, shocked at the brutality of what was before him, stammered, “H-hey, Zycor, that’s enough. H-he’s dead.”

Aisha cried out, “Zycor stop! It’s over!”

Infuriated at the disrespect Zycor was showing the dead, Baz began to approach him. As he did, he said, “I know you are angry, we all share in that anger. But he is dead now, so it’s time to stop!”

As he finished speaking, Baz picked Zycor up from his armpits. As Zycor thrashed around trying to free himself, shouting all the expletives he learned from Baz, Baz continued, “Yeah, he was probably scum. I know the rage you are feeling is all consuming, trust me I have been there. But it’s over now! Calm. Down.”

After about a minute or so, Zycor stopped thrashing around, Baz’s words finally having sunk in. Baz set him down as he collapsed to his knees. His rage having subsided, Zycor began to shed tears as he looked at his hands covered in blood. He had never killed a person before, it felt as though he had lost a piece of himself. At the same time, however, he was unable to forget how nonchalantly that same man had ordered his own friends, his new family, killed along with himself. His goal was only reinforced by these thoughts. He would find Volnir, and the other man who was there at his village… and he would be sure to send them to hell himself.