“If I defeat you, will you let her go?” I asked as Feyt.

The bandit leader cocked his head up, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

I turned my back from the stairs, facing the bandit leader directly.

“A duel, between you and me.”

The bandit leader studied me with his gaze. He must’ve thought I was crazy for even thinking of dueling him.

Heck, I was thinking the same thing.

Then, he spoke up. “Who are you? Do you even know this girl?”

I nodded, trying to keep my expression firm.

His eyes flicked between me and Carine, his expression remained dead cold. But then, a small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I see how it is. Sure, why not? I’ll admit, that’s a respectable thing to fight for.”

—? What’s he talking about?

He turned his attention to the other me, sizing Carine up as well. “You seem pretty tough, too. Alright then, I’ll play along. A duel it is. You two against me.”

Really?! That’s a jackpot!

I slowly got up as Carine and stood beside myself.

The bandit leader, still sitting, pointed a finger at Feyt. “But if I win, you join me.”

Why?!

“My crew’s been getting sloppy,” he continued, as if reading my thoughts. “I could use someone with potential, and you’ve got something, kid. If you win, I’ll let both of you walk away. But if you lose… she stays, and you join my ranks.”

I didn’t know what potential he saw in me, but the idea of being molded into a criminal under his command churned my stomach.

But, I had no other choice but to agree to his terms. This duel was the only way I could save both of me!

I glanced at our surroundings, making sure the things I needed for my plan were still there, and then I glanced back to the bandit leader, observing him.

He was older, his face lined with years of hard living, and there was a coldness in his eyes that told me he’d seen more than his share of violence. I was clearly no match for him. Still, I had to believe I could outsmart him.

I forced myself to nod. “Agreed.”

The bandit leader’s grin widened. He stretched with a groan, then moved to a nearby crate and kicked it open, revealing a cache of stolen weapons. He grabbed two shortswords and tossed them at our feet. The swords landed softly on the carpet.

“You two fight with swords, right?”

Both of me nodded as we picked up our swords. The weapons were heavy, and our bodies still ached from the bandit’s earlier throw. Just holding them steady was a struggle, but there was no turning back now.

The bandit leader casually strolled to the other side of the room, where a single halberd leaned against the wall. He grabbed it and twirled it around his arm as if it weighed nothing.

“You ready?”

I nodded again, holding one sword in each pair of hands.

The bandit leader tapped the blade of his halberd on the ground, the sharp clang echoed through the room.

“Don’t expect me to hold back.”

One wrong move, and we’re toast!

I focused Carine’s eyes on his legs, watching for any sign of movement.

Then, without warning, he lunged forward, his halberd slicing through the air.

I barely had time to react, diving to the side as the blade whistled past where my head had been just a heartbeat ago.

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Wait, he’s seriously aiming to kill us?!

No, I didn’t have time to ponder about stuff like that. If I had to do it, I had to do it then and there.

I mean, sure, anyone with half a brain would call me an idiot for challenging this guy to a duel—especially after he wiped the floor with me using nothing but his bare fists.

Our only card to play was the darkness, and wouldn’t you know it, this room was lit up like a festival, with five lanterns merrily flickering away, making sure there wasn’t a shadow in sight.

But here’s the thing: my real advantage wasn’t the darkness itself. It’s the fact we can navigate through it in a way others can’t.

And as luck would have it, this room was practically begging for just that kind of thing.

Lanterns. A large carpet. Wooden furniture everywhere.

You see where I’m going with this?

The bandit leader locked his gaze on Feyt and lunged again, this time with a vertical slash.

I made sure I positioned myself just right, and…

Now!

I dodged to the side as the halberd smashed through the ornate wooden table behind me. The table’s contents tumbled to the floor, including a lantern.

However, it didn’t shatter as I hoped it would. Instead, it landed softly on the carpeted floor.

Dammit!!

The bandit leader didn’t give me a moment to breathe. He swung his halberd upward, and I dodged just in time, thanks to Carine’s eyes watching from the sidelines.

“Impressive dodge,” the bandit leader commented. “I was right, you do have potential!”

Shut up!! I need to think here!

If dropping those lanterns isn’t enough… Then!!

I quickly moved as Carine, knocking over the lanterns near me and then smashed them directly with a sword. The glass shattered with a sharp crack.

With a loud whoosh, the carpet caught fire, engulfing the entire room in flames. I jumped back to avoid the heat.

“Wha–”

The bandit leader’s eyes widened in surprise, and I seized the moment, lunging forward with both bodies. He barely deflected the blows, but the force pushed him to the center of the room.

The fire spread quickly, jumping from the carpet to the wooden furniture and crates. Smoke began to billow upward, thickening the air.

The bandit began to violently cough, his stance broken. He glared at us as he realized what we had done.

“So this was your plan—!!” the bandit growled, coughing between words.

I suppressed the urge to smirk, this was a life-or-death situation.

The smoke gathered near the ceiling, where the bandit, standing tall, was forced to breathe it in. Meanwhile, both of me were significantly shorter than him, only slightly affected.

Feyt’s eyes started to itch from the smoke, so I closed them instinctively, relying on my ears instead, listening for the bandit’s coughs.

Carine’s eyes, on the other hand, were completely unaffected, almost as if the smoke didn’t exist. The thought that my Talent could be [Enhanced Sight] was slipping further and further.

But whatever it was, the conditions were perfect.

With Feyt’s ears—

With Carine’s eyes—

—A smoke-filled room is the perfect battlefield for us!!!

image [https://i.imgur.com/FQV6o5Q.png]

—

Kyrat and the rest of the villagers were scouring the forest for any signs of Carine and Feyt as they were heading towards the cave.

The thick underbrush made travel on horseback impossible, forcing them to navigate on foot. The darkness pressed in on them, and Kyrat felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature.

When they arrived at the forest entrance, they discovered several horses outside. Kyrat recognized them as the same ones he had seen on the market hours earlier.

“They’re definitely here,” He said. “How long until we reach the cave?”

“Not sure,” Rayn responded. “I haven’t been here in a while.”

“It should be near the river,” one of the guards said, stepping forward. “It’s a bit far from here. Follow my lead.”

The group, a dozen men strong, moved cautiously through the dense forest. Kyrat was grateful for their help, he didn’t know how long he would be scouring this forest if it weren’t for them.

No one spoke as they made their way toward the cave. Even the crackling of the torches felt too loud in the silence. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves set Kyrat on edge, worried it might alert bandits of their location, or worse—monsters.

He knew with [Spatial Awareness] nothing would have caught him off guard, but he couldn’t help to feel anxious.

Then, the group stopped abruptly.

“Wait!” The guard in the lead signaled, holding up a hand. He nudged Kyrat forward. “Look.”

Down there, on the muddy grass. Dead bodies.

Kyrat’s heart sank in worry.

He rushed ahead and crouched down to one of the dead bodies, inspecting its mortal wound. A gaping hole, the size of a spear, marred the man’s chest, blood soaking the ground beneath him.

He moved to the next body, and then the next, each with the same clean, deadly wound.

But none of them were Carine or Feyt. A cold relief washed over him, mixed with dread. These men were bandits, but they were also dead.

And that meant someone—or something—had killed them.

Rayn and a few of the villagers joined him, their faces pale in the torchlight.

One of them gasped, his eyes widening. “This wound… this is the Bandit Hunter’s work!”

Kyrat turned to the man, his brow furrowed. “Bandit Hunter?”

Rayn nodded. “Yes. We don’t know who he is, but we’ve found dead bandits like this countless times near our village. Always with wounds from a spear.”

“Every few months, we find a fresh batch,” another villager added. “It’s thanks to him that bandits are rare around here.”

“I see,” Kyrat inspected the wound once more. The wound was clean and precise—like it had been made by a professional.

But why was the Bandit Hunter here? And more importantly, was he friend or foe?

Bandit Hunter…

Kyrat couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, that the man behind the spear might still be out there, lurking in the shadows.

During all these confusing thoughts, only one wish was clear in his mind.

Carine… I hope you’re safe!

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image [https://i.imgur.com/RdC5Gde.png]