"Don't be afraid. They have been stuck as new recruits for a long time. They don't even have a class, yet they bully people with weapons." Lenn said while trying to grab his sword, but he didn't take it with them since it was a fun tour in the south region of the city.
"Our elder sister could beat them one on one, so if we take two each, we can make our elder sister proud of our power. Ugh... I forgot my swords." Renn continued where his brother left off.
Vincent sighed. Kazumi reminded him how annoying such events were. Unexpectedly, almost all of the situations ended with simple action. Furthermore, he was on probation, the twins couldn't fight without a weapon, and Lupa couldn't make a scene since she is a non-human.
Vincent looked around, and no person was around them. He, however, spotted what resembled a cloak at the edge of a wall. 'They are probably only going to spy on us... let me use the modern way of doing things.' Vincent thought of his next plan of action.
Vincent smirked upon the thought of enacting something he saw and read many times. His fingers twitched, and his body wanted to move on its own accord from a trill he couldn't put a finger from where it came.
After Vincent fought against monstrous beings too much to handle and still managed to survive, the four teens didn't feel threatening, even if they held lethal weapons in their hands.
Vincent felt confident as he looked at Ester and said, "At least they have eyes. You heard them, right? You're charming."
Ester blushed upon hearing this from the smug-faced Vincent. She noticed how Vincent was displaying a proud expression even if they might have to fight.
"Go away and don't talk about my elder sister like that!" Lenn expressed anger with his fist clenched.
"Go somewhere else, perverts, or we will teach you a lesson. " Renn clenched his fists for a fight as well.
"Don't be like that. Men are born to share, right?" One of the four threatened with a knife in his hand.
"You!... huh?" Lenn grit his teeth prepared to throw a punch when he felt a hand holding him back.
"Leave it to me, boys. I need to show my girls how cool I am. Don't you two need to see how strong your teacher is?" Vincent said while stretching his arms and shoulder in an easygoing manner.
Lupa became angered after feeling a sense of bloodlust. However, Ester stopped her by asking to stay back and protect her and Tula.
Lupa expressed unhappiness as her ears lowered down. Lupa wanted to fight, but she remembered that Vincent would ask if he was in trouble a few moments later.
'I hope they are strong. I hope Vincent asks for help. I want to get a reward, hehe.' Lupa giggled with a cunning thought.
"You guys are in luck. There are no people around us." Vincent said with a smirk.
"We know. That's why your women will be ours." One of the four said.
"The three beauties look high class, unlike the slums ones." Another disgustingly said.
"Let us go or attack me. Choose wisely since we are on probation and there might be secret soldiers watching us. I don't think you want to let them write a report such as, "Four idiots tried to assault someone, but they got their asses handed to them." Vincent said with his most condensing gaze he could possibly pull.
The taunt worked. The four teens became angry, held their weapons tightly, and rushed to swing at Vincent with the intent to injure and possibly kill him.
"Ahhh noo!!! What am I going to do! I'm going to die!" Vincent loudly shouted for any soldier spying on them to understand that the situation became dire. Dire enough for self defense.
"Heh... trash will be trash... Overheat." Vincent said with a sly smirk.
[Overheat activated.]
[Mutation starting to alter the host...]
[Mutation process finished.]
[Race altered to mutated human for its duration.]
As Vincent mutated and became stronger, the four aggressors and the twins stared in awe at the sight before their eyes. The night was creeping, mysterious hot wind blew from the mutating Vincent, and the light from the gauntlets and emerald eyes became more noticeable in the dark.
"Yu-yu-you are dead!" One of the four threatened with his knife waving in front of Vincent. It was easy to tell he was starting to have second thoughts after watching Vincent's sinister glowing eye and a smirk as if he was about to play with them.
Vincent raised his arm and let the thrusting blade collide with his hand protected by the hard-to-break blood gauntlet. Vincent grabbed the blade and said with a hoarse threatening voice, "Bitch slap!"
*Smack!... thud!*
A teen soon lay on the ground without getting back up. He was knocked out cold from the devastating slap delivered with a gauntlet harder than metal. Vincent had swung his mighty hand across the teen's face like a professional slapper, and it was hard to call it self defense at this point.
Lenn's and Renn's mouths opened from astonishment. Such a manner of fighting technique made them happy to learn new things. Furthermore, both now deemed Vincent as a person fit to train them, help them become stronger, and maybe one day, surpass their father and uncle.
'Bitch Slap is strong!' Lenn and Renn thought in admiration. Not in their wildest dreams did they think a slap could incapacitate a person in one blow.
Behind the twins were the girls. Tula stopped trembling behind Ester after watching Vincent win with a single slap. Plow in her hands could take a breather as Tula was shaking her too much.
Ester didn't feel afraid since Vincent decided to use his ability. However, the opposite could be said for Lupa. She was scared Vincent would win without a tough fight and leave no chance for her to intervene, save the day and receive another reward while triumphantly smirking at Ester and Plow.
Lupa became so angry that she wanted to beat their asses herself for being so arrogant and weak at the same time.
Vincent rushed forward when the remaining three teens became flustered. "Tripple Bitch Slap!" Menacingly said Vincent with a cold condescending smirk. He didn't give them the chance to attack him this time. If they had a weapon, they were ready to use it.
*Smack! Smack! Smack!... THUD!*
Vincent exhaled to relax, and his ability stopped. He made sure to store all the Mutated Ask to leave no evidence like usual. Strangely, storing Mutated Ash didn't show in a notification message for some reason.
[Overheat deactivated.]
[Host Race returning to human.]
"And that's how you take out the trash with self defense." Vincent clapped as if cleaning his hands and turned around while trying to look cool.
"Teacher is right! Teacher used one slap for self defense. Look at them, exaggerating to make others think we are bullying them." Lenn excitedly said.
"Yeh, yeh. A slap is mainly used to insult someone and not knock a person unconscious. Teacher should have thrown a good punch for what they wished to do." Renn seemed not to be satisfied with the outcome. He wanted to make them pay for insulting his sister. Like his father, Renn seemed to be overprotective of his sister, more than Lenn.
"Shall we go back home?" Vincent said, brimming with confidence.
Everyone agreed and continued heading home. Lenn and Renn walked in front with a smug grin on their faces.
Tula walked beside Vincent with Plow in her arms while praising, "Big brother is the best, hehe."
Ester and Lupa walked next to each other. Lupa was acting jealous while Ester consoled her with a head pat from time to time. Their bond kept growing and their relationship becoming better. They felt like sisters on every passing day.
*The location where slapping happened*
A soldier whistled, and a group of soldiers donned in black approached the four teens on the ground. The soldiers in black gazed at the four with an inflated cheek.
"Follow our lord's orders and interrogate them. The confidential subject has been involved in trouble; however, it's not one of their creation. I deemed it as excessive self defence, but our lord shall decide the final say. Send this message while I shall continue my surveillance." The same man that was secretly following Vincent and the others said before leaving to continue following them.
The soldiers donned in black followed the order and took the four teens and their weapons with them for interrogation.
Before Vincent arrived at Tula's family residence, he saw a noble with a chain in his hand. The chain had three slaves attached by an iron collar.
Lenn, "Don't make eye contact."
Renn, "Let's hurry."
Vincent quickly understood the situation and went beside Lupa. He placed his arm over her shoulder and covered her from the noble's sight with his body to the best he could.
The noble could only take a glimpse of a beastman with a white tail before Vincent, and the others quickly left in a hurry. He murmured something to himself and continued walking.
[That disgusting man kept staring at Lupa till we left his sight. At least he isn't following us. I felt a chill when he squinted his eyes to catch a glimpse at Lupa. We should be thankful for Ben's suggestion, or else we would need to fight a noble.]
-I noticed a few people secretly looking at Lupa today. I hope none of them are slave traders.-
[Yea... Lupa would kill them.]
-No. I would kill them.-
[...]
Kazumi never thought of hearing such words from Vincent's mouth. She never thought he would think of killing another person. But for such a thing to happen to a loved one makes a dangerous thought of killing more possible to happen.
A while later, Tula's family house entered their view. After entering and heading to the kitchen, they saw Yula and Ben discussing something with an empty wine bottle on the table.
"Mommy, we're back. " Tula went near her mother with Plow in her hands. She placed the little fox on the table near her mother and went to bring a small bowl with water and a piece of bread to feed Plow.
Yula was a bit surprised. She needed to live with her daughter for a few more days to get used to the new Tula. At least she only saw her daughter smiling all the time.
Yula then also noticed how her two sons weren't thinking of the sad subject of their father and uncle passing. Lenn and Renn appeared to be happy instead.
'You brought warmth to my house. Thank you.' Yula secretly thanked Vincent while making a heartfelt nod.