Hi all, author here again!

This chapter came out quite fast because I happened to have a good amount of free time but spotty internet so I couldn't play games, therefore I just continued writing the chapter. ^^'

I will tell you in advance that this chapter is a little short and ends with a cliffhanger, so if you feel that you can't stand the suspense you can hold off reading and wait until I post the next chapter.

Also, from this chapter on I will signify viewpoint switches with more obvious visual, since I feel a single horizontal line is prone to readers missing the switching point.

In any case, hope you like it.


[X][X][X]


It was a hot day with little to no clouds present.

A guy was standing around on the outer wall of an old fort, watching the surroundings outside the wall.

He wore a leather armor set from shoulders to knees, and he had a longsword sheathed at his hip. He wore no helmet at all so everyone else could see his shiny bald head.

Nearby, his comrades of three men were sitting around in a circle, eating some roasted meat of a wild animal they had caught this morning.

"Still not done eating yet? My stomach is screaming here!"

He shouted to them, feeling upset thanks to the damp sensation all over his body. The armor and hot weather made him sweat all over that he could smell his own odor.

The three men just laughed him off.

He just sighed, knowing that there was no use telling them. He then went back to watching the surroundings.

Still, he was not too unhappy, since the last few days had a few nice hauls. One case was a traveling merchant who had fired all his escorts for asking too much. He could never forget the face of regret that merchant had when he slashed his sword clean through the merchant's neck. And just yesterday they caught a rare magical animal that definitely would sell well in the black market.

The life of banditry has not been that bad so far for him. He was free to go all out in any fights, and his comrades surprisingly were decently easy to work with.

He knew very well that this way of life came with a huge risk, but even if he would go down in battle and his life would be cut short, he was determined that there would be no regrets.

"Hey, get down there and have your meal. I'll switch with you"

He was delighted hearing that, since it was finally his turn to gobble on the roasted meat.

However, just right after he turned towards where his other comrades were sitting...

He suddenly couldn't breathe.

He had felt an impact sensation on his neck, but he had no idea what that was.

He reached his hand to his neck, and that was when he knew the horror.

An arrow had struck his neck.

No... Not like this...

He tried calling for help, but nothing came out. His comrades screamed in horror and ducked to take cover.

I still... have not...

And then his vision went black. Another arrow struck his head through the skull. Life left his body and he dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.


[X][X][X]


Seven human figures silently walked through the woods from Tranmere Village. At the very front was Rubeus Frohd, chief of Tranmere and also former Mithril rank adventurer specialized in stealth and recon. His right leg was not how it used to be, but he could still walk and sneak normally for about one hour before it started to give in.

Behind him was the team of adventurers he had hired to assist him in his current mission. Two Platinum ranks and four Silver ranks.

His current mission was to sneak into a nearby bandit camp and destroy the bandit group from within. He happened to know a secret path that lead into the heart of the old fort the bandits used as their camp.

"Alright, we're here"

The group stopped near a rather large and old tree. Frohd looked around one of its roots and dug the ground near it. After the dirt was shoved away, a stone hatch was revealed underneath.

"It's pretty heavy, so I need someone strong to open it"

"Leave it to me"

The one saying it was a rather small female warrior. Frohd had a little bit of doubt seeing her stature, but he had to take back his words when she casually lifted the hatch with one arm.

"You're stronger than you look. Lily, wasn't it?"

"Thanks, and yes"

"Let's get going then"

The group entered the cave beneath the hatch. It was unsurprisingly dark inside, so the magic caster of the Silver rank group conjured a light wisp to illuminate the way.

The way in the cave was straight with no side tunnels or such. After less than ten minutes they arrived at the end, which was a staircase leading to another hatch at the ceiling. This one was also made from stone.

Frohd pushed the hatch open slowly, trying to take a peek. After making sure that the situation was clear, he pushed the hatch all the way.

Soon, all the others came out from the hatch. The room they came into looked like a prison cell, and they came in from under what used to be the bed. The door was wide open.

Frohd peeked outside the door to make sure the coast was clear. He looked left and right, sharpening his senses.

"No bandits here for now, but I feel something else... Follow me"

The group went deeper into the rows of the prison cells. Inside the furthest cell, the group saw something strange.

It was pretty much a fox, but the fur color was unnaturally pink and purple. Also, the size was too large for a fox, being as large as an adult lion while its body shape suggested that it was still a very young fox. Its neck was chained to the wall. It was unclear whether the fox was sleeping or knocked out, but it sure was unconscious.

"While I have no idea what this thing is, anyone can guess that it sells for a high price in the black market"

Frohd made the remark and everyone else seemed to agree with him.

"We will release it later when we're done with the bandits. Leave it there for now. Also, Lily"

"Yes?"

"Stay here and guard our entrance. In case things get hairy, we need a secure escape route"

"Uhh..."

Lily seemed to hesitate, looking at the other Platinum rank adventurer. Could this man be her father figure, or something of an authority for her? Frohd then looked at the man and asked.

"Your name was Ryu, wasn't it? Is it alright if we have Lily to stay behind?"

Ryu took a few seconds to come up with an answer.

"Alright. Lily. I'll be counting on you"

"Alright, Ryu-san!"

With things settled, the group sans Lily went to the entrance door of the prison corridor. Frohd sharpened his senses to count the number of bandits behind the door.

"Four... Two on the left and two on the right a bit further. Everyone ready?"

The others nodded with weapons drawn.

"Just to make sure. These are ruthless bandits who has killed my villagers with no remorse, so you all should show no mercy"

Everyone else showed hesitation when they heard Frohd's words. He let out a little sigh.

"Fine, just knock them out or something. Don't blame me if something wrong happens to you"

Frohd then put one hand on the door, preparing to push it open. His other hand gave a countdown signal for the others.

3...2...1...

He pushed the door open hard. The raid from within has begun.


[X][X][X]


Shifta!

Deband!

As soon as Frohd opened the door, Ryu casted both of his buffing techs. The group then stormed through, knocking out every bandit personnel they saw.

Nazan!

Ryu kept using the only tech he felt the least lethal. Nazan was a tech which created a single burst of air at melee range towards where he pointed his weapon. He controlled the amount of photon projected so the tech was just strong enough to blow the target away across the room, causing them to hit themselves hard onto a wall.

The element of surprise really worked in their advantage. Throughout their trip they never had to face more than three enemies at the same time. Usually the pattern just began with Frohd doing a stealth attack on one, Ryu blowing another across the room, and the Swords of Darkness team piling up on the third if there was any.

Something felt strange though.

The amount of bandits inside the fort was too low.

They once passed a room which had been arranged like a throne room for the bandit leader, but the leader was nowhere to be seen. After passing that room they barely encountered any enemies.

"Do you think they have escaped, Frohd-dono?"

"I don't think so. The ones we eliminated so far didn't seem to be preparing to leave"

"Could it be that... something is happening outside?"

"We can't know until we see for ourselves"

The group then hurried to the nearest door that lead them to the courtyard of the fort. When they opened the door, behind it was a view they had not expected.

"What the...?"

"What just happened?"

"What's going on here?!"

"Ninya, get back inside and don't look if you can't stand it"

"N-no, Lukrut. I will manage..."

There were dead bodies everywhere.

At least twenty dead bodies could be seen strewn all over the ground. All of them had been killed with a variety of methods. Some had been punctured by arrows, some had wounds that seemed to had come from a claw, some others had bite marks.

"Spread out and see if any of them are still alive. Remain vigilant, whoever did this might be still around"

The group spread out in pairs, slowly walking through the bodies. For Ryu, it was still much more manageable than what he had seen in Mot Village and Carne Village, but he had no idea if the Swords of Darkness could withstand the horrible view or not.

"Hey! This one's still alive!"

Dyne shouted, and everyone else rushed to him. The bandit next to him had bite marks on many parts of his body. Dyne tried to heal the bandit, but then he realized something.

"No use. He has been poisoned. My healing spell won't help. Even an antidote won't help if the poison has settled this far"

"Hey, tell us what happened here!"

The dying bandit tried to speak, but he coughed blood all over his mouth. It was a struggle to say anything.

"F... Fo-x..."

And then life left the bandit's body after he muttered that one word.

That one word was enough to trigger Ryu into running back inside the fort.

Ryu rushed through the rooms of the old fort, he went towards the place where the group had entered from. The dungeon containing the prison cells where Lily stayed behind.

Please be safe, Lily.

The trip felt like forever for Ryu, but he eventually reached the dungeon door. He opened it and ran to the deepest cell where the strange fox creature had been contained.

"Lily! Are you there?!"

He shouted, but there was no answer. When he reached the prison cell, he looked inside.

To his horror, nothing was there.

The fox creature was gone.

Lily was gone.

The only thing remaining was one of her gauntlets, lying on the floor.


[X][X][X]


"Go!"

Frohd opened the entrance door, and the rest stormed through, leaving Lily alone in the corridor of the dungeon. Maybe not exactly alone since there was this large strange fox creature, but that didn't matter because it was unconscious.

"Guard duty is boring..."

Lily mumbled, walking in circles in front of the prison cell where the strange creature was kept. She had not said it back then because Ryu was her master and she had to obey no matter what. No complaints either in front of his face.

Lily then sat down on the floor leaning to the wall at the end of the corridor. That way she could still see the whole corridor. Once in a while she glanced at the cell containing the fox creature.

"I wonder..."

Lily stood up and tried rattling the cell door. Just as she thought, it didn't budge. A rather new padlock, contrasting the old bars, secured the door. Still, the door as a whole was very old and rusty.

"Here goes nothing!"

Lily gave the door a hard kick, and the whole door fell down, separated from the columns of rusty iron bars. Despite the noise, the fox creature didn't wake up.

"That was surprisingly easy"

Lily then entered the prison cell and slowly approached the fox creature. When she got close enough, she kneeled with one knee and reached her hand out to touch it on the forehead.

She then gently rubbed the creature's head. She didn't feel anything because she was still wearing her gauntlets. She then took her right gauntlet off and gently rubbed the creature's head again. It felt warm and a little fluffy.

"You poor little fellow. What have they done to you...?"

Lily said that with a warm smile. She knew her words wouldn't reach the creature, but she wanted to speak her mind anyway.

"Hang in there. We will set you free once we're done with the bad guys"

"Hey! What are you doing with our Sacred Beast?!"

The sudden unknown voice caught Lily by surprise. She quickly stood up and turned around, and she saw the person who had shouted at her.

It was not exactly a person.

It was a fox anthropomorphic. A foxman.

The foxman was about 2 meters tall and his body was very well-built. He wore a set of light armor, and there was a large sword strapped at his waist, implying that he was a warrior.

An enemy? Not good! No time to re-equip my gauntlet!

She was at least glad that the one she had removed was not the one with the shield. She quickly drew her sword and took a battle stance.

"A female, huh? Pretty strange that those bandit scums recruited a female, quite a small one at that"

That sentence made Lily realize that the foxman was not one of the bandits, and he thought that Lily was. She had to tell him that he had misunderstood.

"No, I'm not one of the bandits!"

"I don't care"

"W-what?"

"Bandit or no, any human who has touched Sacred Beast with their dirty hands must be exterminated!"

Hearing that, Lily could conclude that there was no more negotiations. His misunderstanding didn't matter from the beginning. He would come at her fully intending to kill because Lily had touched the fox creature behind her.

The foxman drew his large sword and assumed a battle stance. As expected, he held the sword with two hands. Lily assumed that any strike with that sword would be deadly but a bit slow, so she prepared for making evasive moves.

The foxman jumped forward with his sword readied to do a vertical downward strike, but he did not jump at Lily.

Instead, he struck the chains linking the fox's neck to the wall. The fox creature was now practically free, although still unconscious. After that, he immediately looked at Lily with an intimidating glare.

He quickly closed the distance and struck with a wide horizontal slash. Lily jumped back to evade, and she was not hit. But the room was not that big, so now a wall was right behind her after the evasion.

Knowing this, she immediately ran forward and did a diagonal slash. The foxman managed to block the slash with his sword, and as a counter attack he did a kick to Lily's stomach. Thankfully, she managed to block the kick with her shield, although the force pushed her back to the wall.

This guy got strength. Is it the trait of demihuman?

Lily then remembered something she had recently learned. She drew her other sword, quickly charged forward, and right when she was close enough she jumped and did a spinning slash. The foxman blocked the attack with his sword, stopping her spinning. He pushed her back with great force.

But this is what she had expected.

Lily used the pushback force to spin herself the opposite way, and right when she landed on the ground she extended her leg and did a sweeping kick. The foxman did not expect it, so he fell down with his back flat on the floor. Before he could do anything his right hand was stomped, forcing him to let go of his grip on his sword. He had been disarmed. In addition, a sword was pointed right at his neck.

"Just kill me"

"No. You take this Sacred Beast of yours and go home"

"I can't. You have touched the Sacred Beast. I have to kill you or die trying"

"Can't you just cut it out?! You-"

SCREEEEEEEEEECH!

Before Lily could finish her sentence, a loud noise was suddenly heard. Lily looked at the source. The fox creature has woken up, and it was clear for her that it was angry. Most likely because it saw her threatening the foxman.

The foxman didn't miss the chance. He quickly raised his right hand with all his strength, throwing Lily off balance. Before Lily could do anything, the fox creature pounced her, pinning her to the ground.

"Thank you for your help, Great Femzek"

"Hrmhh..."

The fox creature, seemingly named Femzek, made a sound and looked at the foxman while still pinning Lily to the ground.

"I see. You want her for yourself. Let's take her back to the village and prepare the ritual, then"

"Ark!"

The fox creature, seeming to understand, replied in excitement. It then looked at Lily and radiated a strange aura directed at her. Lily's consciousness gradually faded away.

No... Please no...

I still have to serve my master...

Master... Ryu-sama...

And Lily lost her consciousness.

She had no idea what happened afterwards.

She had no idea how long she had been knocked out cold.

When her mind finally regained consciousness, she tried to move, but she couldn't. Maybe she was still paralyzed by the strange aura? She had no idea.

Her eyes felt heavy, but she slowly forced herself to open her eyes and see her surroundings.

The first thing she saw right in front of her eyes... were her own knees, and a rope coiled around them.

That was when realization hit her.

Her being unable to move was not because she was still paralyzed. It was because she was tied up.

Her arms were tied behind her back. Her legs were tied together with thick rope at the ankles and right below the knees. Another set of rope were tied right above her knees and tethered to her neck with short link of ropework. The ropes binding her ankles were also tethered to the ropes binding her wrists behind her back, locking her body into fetal position. Her mouth was stuffed with... something, and then gagged with some kind of leather cloth.

They have removed her armor suit, but thankfully she was still wearing her shirt, socks, and shorts.

She tried breaking the rope with all her strength, but she quickly learned that it would be useless because she noticed the ropes gleaming a little, implying that they had been enchanted.

Learning this, she tried wriggling her body around to have a better look at her surroundings. After rotating her body a full circle she concluded that she had been put into some kind of small storage room. There were wooden barrels and crates around her, and some other stuffs. Sunlight entered the room through a single open window. She could escape through that window easily, if she was not tied up.

The sunlight felt like a late afternoon sun, although she was not sure at all. That could mean either she was knocked out for just a few hours, or it was actually a morning sun and she had been knocked out for nearly a full day.

One silver lining was that they were corteous enough to put her on a thin leather mattress instead of directly on the hard wooden floor.

Despite all the information she got, she could not do anything. Everytime she tried to break the ropes with brute strength, the ropes gleamed, implying that the ropes had been enchanted with some kind of durability magic. She couldn't wriggle out of the knots either because they were very tight.

At this point, she fell into depression. She was deeply ashamed. Her master was counting on her to guard the location, but she failed her mission and got captured.

I'm such a failure...

Some tears leaked from her eyes.

I failed my master...

I'm useless...

That's why...

I deserve to be abandoned...

You have abandoned me, right...?

Ryu-sama...?