… It was supposed to be just a simple F rank quest. All we had to do was scare away a small group of giant rats who had been wreaking havoc on the adjacent fields.

Why is this happening right now?

We had suddenly been attacked.

It all happened in a flash. That man was just standing in the middle of the path one moment, then menacingly stood by Hilda's side as her arm fell to the ground and his was covered in blood the next.

Blood kept oozing from Hilda's broken arm. In one fell swoop, he tore apart her arm along with the chain armour covering it. I could just barely see part of her forearm bone peaking out.

… I can't die again. My new life here just started.

This is bad. This is really bad. What should I do? We specifically chose this quest because I didn't feel capable of killing yet, but I can't just stand here.

As I got lost in thought and panicking, I heard Sif yelling.

"HILDA, GET BACK, NOW!

LEIF, DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GO CAST SOME HEALING ON HER, AND CLAY FIND THE FLARE IN OUR CARRIAGE AND USE IT. WE SHOULD BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO AYLA FOR THE GUARDS TO SEE IT."

"OKAY." x3

Sif was once again proving to be the strongest in the party. She must have gone through countless life or death situations to retain her calm in these circumstances.

Sif hurried to the frontlines, unsheathing her sword, as Leif sought to rescue Hilda and I looked for the flare.

The stranger began crackling maniacally.

"Well, well, what have we got here.

You don't look half bad for your age, but you'll need a few hundreds more years before you could ever stand a chance."

"Shut up and fight me, you monster. I'll make you regret what you've done to my sister."

After that, Sif emitted a blinding light from her arm. She must have chanted that boosting spell she kept boasting about yesterday while we were training, which significantly increased her reflexes, speed and strength.

"Aren't you full of surprises? This might actually be fun hahaha."

I shifted my gaze to the frontline in order to get a closer look at the stranger. He wasn't even wearing armour. All he had on was a thigh-fighting black suit, covered by a dark scarlet vest with golden buttons and improvements over it.

He might have passed for an aristocrat if it weren't for his silly-looking cape on the back.

Dresscode aside, I wish I hadn't caught his stare that filled me with fear, the sight of that disturbing, eerie grin he sported while tasting the blood on his hand.

From all the stories Leif told me about Sif is an excellent fighter, the greatest warrior in their tribe around our age, so she should be able to hold her own against him until the guards arrive.

I had finally found this fucking flare and hurried to light it.

Now, all we have to do is hold him out for no more than 20 minutes.

As she started charging at him, my eyes could barely keep up with their speed.

Meanwhile, Leif had retrieved Hilda and began casting healing magic on her arm, but with his low proficiency for healing magic, the best he could just seal the wound.

The battle had been going on for barely a minute, but the battle ties seemed to have shifted already.

From their perspective, it must have felt like an eternity. Sif was starting to get out of breath, and she had several broken bones but kept vigorously swinging her sword with the bit of strength she had left. He continued to exhibit no signs of exhaustion and instead seemed to be getting bored.

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Is he just playing with her?

He still hadn't dropped that scary expression the whole time while trading blows.

The clanging was getting louder and louder, but where did that sound come from? He was only reflecting her sword with just his arm.

How the hell was he doing it? And why was it producing such a loud metallic noise?

What exactly is he...

… He can't be human.

The battle had come to a halt right after he shattered her sword and his mood quickly changed to disappointed and apathetic.

He groaned and muttered: "It was entirely my fault for getting my expectations up. I should've known better than to expect anything from you, pitiful, repulsive creature.

Your weakness is revolting."

Sif was enraged by his remarks, but she looked so exhausted she couldn't even talk back.

And then all our hopes were shattered at that moment. In one quick swipe of his right arm, he had torn apart the front of her neck. This monster was really just playing with her this whole time, and as soon as she bored him, he killed her.

Her death wasn't a quick one. She was gasping for oxygen as blood started flooding her lungs.

I didn't know her well, but as the little life left inside her was ebbing out, I felt like I had never understood someone better.

Without any facade nor need for words, too often deceitful, in this situation, at this time, she was her genuine self.

She clutched her golden pendant with the bit of strength left in her body.

In those sorrowful eyes and the dolour in her trembling lips, I could tell she was thinking of that girl from the picture, how she wished she could have been with her right now. The melancholy of the situation had fully sunken in, and the prospect of never seeing her again had become a reality.

I wish I could do something for her at this moment. But the crude reality is that we are all going to die, there isn't going to be any happy ending for our party, and no one is coming to save us.

All the will and hope we might have had to fight him had disappeared as swiftly as his swing. I felt nothing but self-pity and shame for being so helpless that I couldn't do anything to help Sif. We knew she was the most capable of the party, yet she stood no chance. All we could do was run, but given his speed, it was pointless to attempt.

He quickly took notice of it too, and he appeared even more irritated.

Was this monster frowning cause we had accepted our deaths? Did he want to play with us more, as cats do with rats?

No. I have to try at least.

But then, it was as if my brain and body had been disconnected, I couldn't move anymore, and my body had ceased to respond to any command I gave it.

Run… please, run right now.

Try as I might, my body still wouldn't respond to me.

He briefly disregarded us as he bit into what was left of Sif's neck.

A VAMPIRE?

… What is he even doing here? This forest is supposed to have only slimes, goblins and weak critters. It's supposed to be a place for D rank quests only. Then why the hell is he here?

At this sight, Hilda shirked. While Leif had a slightly regretful face, he seemed way too okay with this and not surprised about how the situation had unfolded.

Is he not even gonna try to fight? He is strong, that I know off.

Once he was done feasting on Sif's blood, he turned to my other two companions and killed Hilda instantly.

"Who'd have guessed that today I'd have the pleasure of slaying one of the Wretched? It wasn't a complete waste of my day," he said before impaling Leif's head.

"When I go home, I'll make sure to discipline Whitelaw... Ninurta's subject is nowhere to be found."

Then turned his head at me and started telling me something, but my rapid breathing and heartbeat were so deafening that I couldn't hear him anymore.

What's this warmth I'm feeling?

... Without even noticing, he cut my upper torso in half from side to side, shattering my ribs, heart and lungs.

I felt both excruciating warmth and cold as I had started to spit out blood.

I couldn't even scream from the pain since I had no oxygen. All I had left were a few moments of consciousness left.

Why did my existence here come to an end so abruptly and in such a pathetic and agonising manner? What was the point of bringing me into this world...?

—Somewhere else.

An unfamiliar ceiling?

Where am I...? WAIT.

MY CHEST, wait, huh, it's all normal. Was it all just a nightmare?

Wait.

No, my hoodie is still ripped to shreds. Did someone save us?

But how even with magic, I swear I died… he split me in half, but suddenly all the pain is gone.

The creaking door interrupted my panicking train of thought, followed by the sound of footsteps.