It wasn't long before I left the others. Everyone had something to do in preparation for the upcoming tournament, but I had my own business to attend to. I had several stops to make before the tournament, which was over a week away. The places I needed to visit were relatively close by, but even with time on my side, I knew I had to be quick and gather the information I needed.

As each day passed, I felt my thirst for vengeance slipping further and further away. Clutching my sword tightly, I reminded myself of my purpose and my past. Drawing strength from the anger and turmoil that once consumed me, I used them as weapons to fuel my revenge. My master had taught me that if I could learn to control my anger, it could become a powerful weapon.

Using the trees as cover, I moved swiftly towards my destination. Jumping from one branch to the next, I gained speed while exercising my legs. The forest was peaceful and quiet as always, but I remained vigilant for any unexpected dangers.

As I reached the heart of the forest, I stumbled upon a village in the third kingdom that I had never seen before. From a distance, I could hear screams coming from within the village. Although I was a warrior, this was not my fight. So instead of confronting the situation head-on, I decided to bypass the village by jumping quickly and silently from tree branch to tree branch. In this way, I was able to avoid attracting any unwanted attention.

Standing on the branch of a tree, I witnessed a disturbing scene unfolding below. A group of soldiers of the epic, together with their subordinates, were forcibly taking children from their families in the village. Their aim was to recruit new soldiers, and if a child refused to become a soldier, he would be used as a slave.

I knew that if I intervened, it would not be long before reinforcements arrived. It would not be wise for me to go to war here. So I decided to leave. But when I turned to leave, my eyes fell on a mother desperately clinging to her child as the soldiers tried to take him from her.

Her screams echoed through the jungle as her child screamed for her. Other children joined her, their cries for their homes piercing the air. I tried to block out the sound and turn round, but my hand was already reaching for my katana.

There were five soldiers at the top of the village and eight more in the cars below. In the middle stood an elite soldier I didn't recognize. When the boy who had been taken saw me in the tree, I jumped from the branch and started to attack.

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Upon unsheathing the katana, I swiftly took down thirteen soldiers. The children, exhilarated by the chaos, quickly ran back to their families, oblivious to what had just happened. I pressed the blade of the katana against the throat of the elite soldier. Though he was an elite soldier, he didn't possess the speed to avoid my strike, and I could tell from the look in his eyes that he recognized me.

The soldier was taken aback, impressed by my skill. He raised his hands in the air and gave a slight smile.

"Wow, the legends are true. The white Death himself stands before me," he remarked.

"Is there anything you want to say before you die?" I asked.

"If you kill me, my boss will send an army to destroy this village and everyone in it. But, if you spare me, I will turn a blind eye. After all, I admire you," he replied.

I scoffed. "Do you really think your boss cares about you?"

In a firm, assertive tone, I added, "Try it and see, but if any harm comes to the people here, you will be held accountable."

"If I ever come across you in this village again, I will make sure to leave a trail of your blood behind," I warned.

The soldier merely smiled and said, "We will meet again, but it won't be here."

The distinguished soldier surprised me by not attacking and just riding away. Breathing a sigh of relief, I sheathed my katana and turned my attention to the children and families, no longer screaming in terror, but now standing in awe and admiration.

As I was about to continue my journey, a familiar figure appeared in front of me. It was a girl with wings, someone I had known for a long time. She and her grandfather had once saved my life, and I expected her to be angry with me for the chaos I had just caused.

But she greeted me warmly with tears in her eyes.

"It's been a long time, Shou."

"Yes, it has, Karina. How are you?" I replied.

"I'm fine. How about you?"

I knew the answer to my question, so I asked her, "What brings you here?"

"I came to help the villagers, but it seems you already have. Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'm fine, and so are the villagers," I reassured him.

"Good. So, what brings you here?" he asked.

"I need to talk to you about something," I replied.

I didn't expect to find the person I was looking for so soon. Seeing a familiar face after a long time was a very nice feeling, I was happy to see her.

But I didn't know why she was here, I didn't know why she was trying to help people here, I didn't want to bore her with my questions for now, but she was still as beautiful as I remembered.

We could not stay here any longer in case reinforcements arrived, so we directed the people to the city to ensure the safety of the people here. Karina and I continued on our way by following a different route.

I was being careful because I didn't know much about the area we were moving through, but Karina was moving confidently as if she was quite used to these places.