A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale

Side Story 17: Bandit Subjugation.

Side Story 17: Bandit Subjugation.

Listen up, holy knights of Origin Goddess Aurena! a commanding shout echoed through the ranks of knights, fitting for the leading commander of this squadron. Today, the Cardinal Vicar himself has issued The Knights of Aurena a church Quest to suppress a growing group of highwaymen, foolish enough to not understand their place in society. Their ignorance in threatening subjects and clergymen is a stain on our honor, as defenders of the Holy State of Aureolis!

Im getting the chills hereso this is how Yorshka usually behaves, huh? Its completely different from how she treats us.

It had been three days now since my class and I, Tatsuya Nagata, left the church on a carriage towards a nearby bishop's mansion. Because it was the closest place to the last sightings of the bandit group we were supposed to subjugate on the orders of the Church of Aurena, we were using the mansion as our temporary base.

After getting a night to prepare with my classmates and to rest, we were now receiving a speech from Yorshka before we start our task. She was fully clad in her beautiful white dragon-scaled armor while carrying her dragoon helmet in one arm and her spear in the other.

Assigned by the knight-commander himself, Yorshka was acting as the leader of the knight detachment for todays Quest. Although it might seem weird that this carefree knight was supposed to order all these trained warriors, especially if you knew the fact that Yorshka was a commoner among an order of nobles, her commanding voice and the intimidating pressure that she was exuding was almost similar to the one I felt from the Knight-Commander himself.

Looking around, none of the younger knights were disobedient, all of them were listening intently to Yorshkas speech. The aristocracy is prominent in this world as even the church showed how influential it was, so seeing these nobles act this way wasrefreshing?

Well, aside from them, the older knights that were assigned to each of our parties didnt look too pleased about the fact that Yorshka was their commanding knight. Naturally, as I bet each of them wanted this honor for themselves.

Today will be a perilous day, but do not forget that you are knights! Your training and faith are superior to these scoundrels, so hold up your weapons and fight with your brothers-in-arms to cleanse these filths! Yorshka raised her spear with fervor, invigorating the young knights into a cheer. And rest easy, for today we have Goddess Aurenas chosen, the heroes, with us. And with them, we have our two saint candidates, both given this honor by divine right. We have faith, righteousness, and our Goddess behind us our cause.

The cheers boomed around me, as not only the knights but also a few of my classmates were infected by the atmosphere, clapping and shouting in support of Yorshkas speech. This lasted a few more seconds until she dismissed everybody, telling them to get ready for the moment the scouting party returns, we would depart.

I wasnt so sure what to do in this situation as I had everything I needed on me, so I simply followed Kyouya back to our party.

Alright, wellthat was certainly a surprise. I didnt know that Lady Yorshka could be sotough, Tamae-san commented the moment our party The Misfits joined with hers, The Magical Biscuit.

She is a professional, and she did once say that the Knight-Commander himself recruited her, Misaki-san, our archer, explained with a finger on her chin. If the leading figure of an organization comprised mostly of noblemen personally recruits a commoner woman, then you should expect her to be competent.

I wonder how high her aura skills are. I can understand with the recently appointed knights, but even the older ones looked pretty nervous around her, Kohaku, our runeslayer, mentioned, tapping her sword Kotodama restlessly. I know I sound pretty nervous, but shouldnt we go and talk with Light-san, like, now? I know the plan is pretty safe for us, but I still want to go over everything with him.

Light, or how I like to call him Daisy, announced in that assembly that he had a plan for anybody who would prefer not to engage a bandit in the raid. He explained that some of our classmates werent mentally able or prepared to fight a human to the deathwhich I have to admit is very much true.

Despite my absolute hatred for that guy, I couldnt exactly go against my partys decision. Both Tamae-sans and my party decided that they would stick with Daisys plan while Akabanaes Fight with the knights plan only got one partys support.

After getting a few potions and supplies, our three parties discussed the plan again to make sure everybody knew what to do until the scout team came back. The moment Yorshka got a grasp of the situation, she announced that we would start the Quest.

All knights took out small brown figurines, which were designed after monsters, on command. Each of the knights injected a certain amount of mana into them and threw them on the ground, where those figurines quickly grew in size until they were all large enough for the knights to ride on them.

This was another manatech of this world. Instead of using animals or monsters as mounts, these knights would ride these things. The appearance of the monsters varied, ranging from pegasuses, manticores, griffons, etc. What all of them had in common was that they all could fly.

As we had to hurry and keep up with the knights, all 25 members of our class had to ride with one of the knights. Besides for Asaka and Aiko who rode with their respective escort knights, which means Yorshka and Elrick, everybody had to choose their own. Thankfully, the knights considered it an honor to allow an "Aurenas chosen to ride with them, so none of the knights were reluctant about it.

Lady Kazumi, it would be an honor to escort you to the battlefield, a knight offered.

Lady Haruka, if you are willing, then allow me to aid you, another proposed.

Lady Misaki, Ive heard that your archery is masterful. How would you like to ride this hippogryph and try shooting from it? I would also be thrilled if I could introduce my personal hippogryph to you one day, another knight suggestedok, that guy just flirted.

Well, it should have been obvious but the knights prioritized the girls first before any of us guys. Their dicks were so hard that it got so heated that the senior knights had to personally step in to prevent any further quarrels.

Once all the girls had a partner, the combined sounds of tch was so audible from the remaining knights that it actually made all of us guys cringe. Well, at least they didnt cause a fuss when we sorted out this part.

Traveling through the sky was a pretty fun activity. The cold air breezing through my hair really freshened me up and getting a birds eye view of the lands was pretty wild, especially when I saw how organized farming fields were. It was a totally new outlook on the world.

After what felt like a 30 min ride, we descended down, landing a few miles away from some woods, presumably where the bandits were hiding. The knights withdrew their figurines, shrinking them with their mana before Yorshka explained the plan for the operation.

Essentially, we would split into two groups. The first group would be the raiding party where Akanishis party would participate. Yorshka would be leading this group, and considering how strong she is, the bandits had to have somebody on her level to even slow her down from demolishing everybody. Seriously, even the younger knights were saying that it would be a cinch with the White Winged Dragoon.

White Winged Dragon? How did she get that nickname if she doesnt have any wings? I thought, curious about the origin of this epithet.

The second group, mine, would be responsible for long-range attacks. We would support the main raid with spells and arrows, acting as an artillery squad, to keep the bandits down. Daisy wanted to us to completely avoid the battle, but it seems like the knight's and the priests denied this suggestion.

Our three hero party would act as the core of this group. Although each knight was proficient with the bow and magic, most of them were more interested in joining the main raid as this would be the best way to gain honorand experience.

To make sure that we would be useful here, he had our mages and archers buy and upgrade skills that would benefit this strategy. We didnt have too much SP but it was enough for some of us to gain some useful spells and skills.

For example, our mages like Tamae-san and Nishio were able to use the buffing spells from the different magic skills like [Strengthening Flames] and [Swift Winds], transferring their effects after buying [Synergists Oath].

Asaka, as the saint candidate of our group, had to learn a few custom spells useful for her role. Of course, she already knew them before Daisy explained his plan to us. The church and Elrick were pretty persistent about having her learn those spells.

It was a pretty SP expensive plan, but, at the end of the day, it only matters that most of us were allowed to sit out from the main raid. I hate Daisybut that was a really considerate plan.

Karlst, we will need you in the raiding party, so get your party ready for combat, Yorshka suddenly announced, shocking Daisy and his party.

As Sir Karlst von Kriemhild was the supervising knight of Daisys party, that meant hey had to follow him. Karlst looked pretty pleased about this decision, but that couldnt be said about Daisy.

Lady Yorshka, what is the meaning of this? I thought we agreed that I would stay with the supportive party, Daisy complained with a scowl. Taking Sir Karlst and my party away would leave Asaka-san vulnerable to ambushes. What are you planning?

Sorry, kid, but the situation has changed. Well need Karlst with us, although technically you dont have to come, I still believe this a good experience for you, Yorshka explained with an aloof expression, leaving no room for Daisy or anybody else to talk up. Elrick, choose five additional knights to stick with you. Until I return, you are their commanding knight and your orders are to protect saint candidate Asaka and the remaining heroes. Aid them in their duties, also.

Yes, Lady Yorshka! Elrick called out, saluting by grasping his pendant of Aurena, a symbol of his faith.

Obviously, the five extra knights that Elrick picked out were a bit disappointed that they couldnt join the raid but quickly shrugged it off after Elrick reminded them that they would be guarding Asaka.

Why is everybody so excited about all of this?! Theyre about to go into a life-or-death situation

After Nishio, Asaka, Daichi, and Tamae-san buffed up the knights and wished them luck with a very religious, May the Goddess of Light sanctify your path, guiding you through darkness and trials. The Light is with you. As they had the idea that we were Aurenas chosen, they received it with gratitude, but it nearly reached reverence once Asaka said it.

A hero might be a gods holy appointed warrior, dedicated to fulfilling their will, but a saint was considered the mortal representative of a god. They had the same authority as their religions god themselves within their church. What they say, will be considered the words of god.

Of course, that will only happen after Asaka or Aiko become the saintess.

Well, there they go. Hopefully, everything will work out," Kyouya commented. "Keep your senses up, Tatsuya. We're in enemy territory."

No need to tell me twice, I have [Enhanced Enemy Sense] on the whole time, I responded, shaking my leg restlessly. Damn, not only is it cold as hell but I cant calm down at all. It feels like my whole body is vibrating at this point.

I dont think anybody would be able to sneak up to me while I have [Enhanced Enemy Sense] activated. Although it was only level 3, I dont think a group of bandits would be able to ambush us, especially if we have Elrick here with us.

However, that doesnt mean that I could just slack off. Random arrows or spells could fly to our direction. I guess I was sturdier than I was in Japan, but an arrow piercing my skull would kill me, nonetheless. I couldnt even try to calm down with how cold today was.

Lady Misaki, can you the other group from here? Elrick suddenly asked.

Mhmm, she confirmed. It really helps that all of them are wearing white. My arrows will hit from this distance.

As we were responsible for long-range supportive attacks, we needed Misaki and Haruka to scout enemies for our mages to shoot spells at. As our archers, they had the best eyesight and it also helped that Misaki was one of the few students who was ok with shooting at other humans.

Crying about our situation wont help us get back home. I didnt train to shoot at other people, but as the situation is forcing me into it, I better do it well, she explained. That contrasted Haruka who was still too scared to do it. At this point, I think she might never be able to get over her fear of fighting.

We were closely following behind the main group until we heard war cry and spells resounding through the woods. The fight had begun and that meant that our job had to start.

Our mages and the knights began shooting spells at the direction Haruka and Misaki directed them at. Some of the spells actually landed on a few bandits, confirmed by Misaki, knocking them back and enabling a knight or one of our classmates to land a hit.

Although my vision wasnt as good as theirs, I still was able to see blood spraying out of those bandits like a leaking garden hose. They would on the ground after getting slash and justlay there, twitching before they stopped moving in general. I know we caught them off-guard, but those people were dropping like flies.

So this is the strength of a knight against an average person?

The longer this kept up, with the main raid attacking and our long-range spells supporting them, the morale of the highwaymen quickly depleted to the point that a few of the bandits were consumed by their fear, either running away with damp spots on their pants or screaming like lunatics as they tried to crawl away.

It almost seemed like our presence was completely irrelevant. I know this is simply a PR move from the church to send us on this Quest, butwell, I guess it is helping a few of my classmates to get used to fighting humans and beastmen.

The beastmen really look like the ones in anime. Fur, animalistic features, all while walking on two legs.

Not all of the beastmen bandits were completely beast-like, however. Some looked like humans cosplaying beast with very minimal beast-like features, like fangs, longer claws, and fur-covered limbs, while having human faces.

When I was in Laveata town, I always wondered if there were any races that you would see in fantasy novels and shows. Yorshka confirmed there were elves, dwarves, beastmen, aside from demonkins, and that each of these races had variations of them.

I guess you could say that I was prepared to see them, it's just that I wasnt prepared to see how ferocious and primal-like these beastmen were. How they bared their fangs, howled like frenzied monsters, and attacked with unhuman athleticism and strength.

The more the raiding party advanced into the bandit camp, the more we had to go deeper with them. Thankfully, [Enhanced Enemy Sense] hasnt detected any enemies close to us yet, which meant that I didnt have much to do but I was just glad that everything was working proper-

Arggghhh! Urgh-! AHhhhHHHaarrrggghhhhurgh,

Haaaaaaaaarrrrgghhhhh! Harrrrr

Haaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr! Argh! Haaaarrgh!

What?!

Hansel! Gillian! Octovus! Goddess of the Depths, I plea to you, grant me the privilege to be one with your element. Your grace, your element I call, Water Ball!

What was going on?!

Loud, shrill cries of pain appearing from behind me sent a shiver down my spine, terrifying me as I wasnt expecting those sounds to be so close to me. As Elricks voice suddenly echoed through my eardrums, my body reflexively turned around, seeing him shoot a water spell to douse a burning knight.

Eeeeeeeeek!

What the hell!

Ear-piercing shrieks from the girls and shouts from the guys, my classmates voices directed my eyes towards two knights, both bleeding profusely. One was stabbed at the sides and had his throat slit, which was now flowing a river of blood. The other had his torso completely pierced through, leaving a hole large enough that we could see what was behind him.

Fuckin hell, Boss told us to attack their rear but who woulda thought that they had more mana bloods behind them, right, Macklemor? a human man grinned with glee, twirling two blood-stained daggers playfully.

"Yeah, I was wondering why so many spells were flying from the woods. It seems a few noble kids joined the Knights of Aurena in a church Quest? How curious," a red-robed human man with a staff called out with interest. Hey, Jasper, Kaian, take care not to kill the ones with the different outfits. The Boss said the slave trader is coming soon for our prisonersOoooohhhh! Are you another follower of our great God?! The man named Macklemor shouted at Daichi.

Fuckin shit, there he goes againKaian, that guys over there with the spear looks like the commanding knight. Ya want to take him on? the man named Jasper suggested, pointing at Elrick.

With that said, a lean panther-like beastman appeared from the shadows of the woods, flaunting his bloody spear with pride, Sounds like fun. Spear against spear, and a knight too? Ha, cant wait to get a knight-killing related Job for this, like you Jasper.

Owe ya a mug of ale for that, mate. Dont have too much fun, otherwise, the Boss and the others might have too much trouble. I heard the 'White Winged Dragoon' bitch is here today, Jasper stated, whistling as he summons a horde of bandits from behind him. Ok, lads! Kill the four remaining knights and capture the brats! Dont fuckin end them mana bloods yet, ya hear me? We need bargaining chips to get out of todays mess.

The bandits quickly surrounded Tamae-sans and my party with frightening speed, all having drawn their weapons, directed at us.

Lady Asaka-! Urgh! Elrick wanted to break through this formation but the panther beastman quickly dashed between them and attacked him with his spear.

Wrong target, human. Do me a favor and dont turn your back to a beast, eh? I know how much you noble bastards hate beastmen, but itll leave a bad taste in my mouth if I took you out so fast, Kaian provoked Elrick by baring his fangs, glaring at the blond-haired knight with predator-like eyes.

Tch, damn beast! You face a servant of the Goddess, sinner! Elrick shouted with wrath, pushing the panther away before engaging him in battle. Julius! Wendell! Protect the heroes with your life! Release the flare!

Heroes, Saintess Asaka! Stay behind us, now! Julius, one of the two still standing knights proclaimed, while the other, Wendell, shot out a red flare into the sky.

All of us crammed ourselves between the two knights, with the mages and archers in the center while Kyouya, Kazumi, Kohaku, and I acted as their frontline, completing the circle. Looking at them trembling while trying to keep a cool face despite how scared they were, I could only feel a sense of fellowship with them.

While we stared at the bandits that encircled us, Jasper went over to the charred body of the knight Octovus and callously pierced his throat with his daggers, Damn, these knights are low-leveled! Rookies, huh? Only got two levels for killing two, damn shame. He said with a frown.

Bastard!

E-Everybody, I-I-I identified them. I-Ill send you the infor-information now, Haruka suddenly announced with rattling teeth, terror in her eyes, as she fiddled with the blue screen of her party bracelet. Due to her unique skill [Foxian Slyness], she was able to identify people and bypass their [Identity Blocker], so the church gave her a unique bracelet that allowed her to send his information to everybody shes in a party with.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Profile:

Name: Jasper

Level: 29

Race: Human

Age: 30 Years

Job: Stalker

Status:

Health: 834/834 Mana: 171/171 Strength: 377 Intelligence: 149 Vitality: 338 Wisdom: 306 Agility: 741 Stamina: 834/834 Effects: None Skill: Physical Skills

[Unarmed Technique Lv. 2]

[Unarmed Mastery Lv. 5]

[Dagger Technique Lv. 5]

[Dagger Mastery Lv. 4]

[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 4]

[Sundering Enforcement Lv. 3]

[Stamina Strike Lv. 2]

Senses and movements

[Stealth Lv. 6]

[Accuracy Correction Lv. 5]

[Concentration Lv. 1]

[Prediction Lv. 6]

[Danger Perception Lv. 7]

[Probability Correction Lv. 3]

[Enhanced Enemy Sense Lv. 7]

[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 3]

[Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 1]

[Enhanced Vision Lv. 3]

[Tracking Lv. 6]

[Night Vision Lv. 5]

[Presence Killer Lv. 5]

[Evasion Lv. 6]

[Acrobatic Lv. 5]

[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 4]

Resistances

[Physical Resistance Lv. 5]

[Pain Resistance Lv. 5]

[Bleeding Resistance Lv. 4]

[Poison Resistance Lv. 3]

[Paralyzation Resistance Lv. 3]

[Torpor Resistance Lv. 1]

[Fear Resistance Lv. 4]

[Holy Resistance Lv. 1]

[Fire Resistance Lv. 4]

[Earth Resistance Lv. 1]

[Wind Resistance Lv. 2]

[Water Resistance Lv. 3]

Stat growths and related

[Health Recovery Lv. 4]

[Stamina Recovery Lv. 5]

[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 3]

[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 1]

[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 3]

[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 1]

[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 5]

[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 3]

[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 3]

Others

[Handicraft Lv. 5]

[Woodworking Lv. 2]

[Battle Mind Lv. 1]

[Leadership Lv. 2]

[Dismantle Lv. 5]

Job Skills

[Dagger Mastery Lv. 3]

[Agility Increase Lv. 1]

[Stamina Increase Lv. 1]

[Armor Piercer Lv. 1]

[Critical-Damage Amp]

Ability List: Dagger

[Backstab]

[Dagger Throw]

[Parry Blade]

[Vital Pierce]

Hes too strong! No, even that Mage Macklemor is the larger threat! Hes almost the same level as Elrick.

Jasper might be somebody my party could fight against if we ganged up on him and only him alone, but with all these bandits and that mage Macklemor supporting him, makes that plan impossible. He bandits themselves were weak, around our levels, however, their stats and skill quality were inferior to ours by a mile.

The normal bandits were around the strength of a G rank adventurer, Jasper was an upper E rank, while Macklemor could probably pass as a D rank at best. Unfortunately, that meant that we were grossly outmatched here.

The two remaining knights were new recruits, so they were around Jaspers strength while Elrick had to deal with another D rank bandit. We were only F rank at bestand this was a life-or-death situation where we arent in control.

What the fuck are we supposed to do?!

Everyone, we have to stall for time until the others come back. P-Please, stand behind us and allow us to protect you, Julius forced those words out, clearly distressed of the situation just like all of us.

"No, it's ok," Kyouya responded. "We can fight, at least, we can support you and cover your backs, Sir Julius and Sir Wendell."

T-The Warriors o-of L-Light are here to h-help. How c-could we back d-down-n now? Kohaku declared with teary eyes, trying to pump herself up with chunni talk, despite how much her body was shivering from sheer terror.

Why cant I say anything?! Talk, you bastard! Come on, Tatsuya, this is the time where you stand up and act heroically just like in an anime. Come on!

Nice talks, mana bloods, pretty brave talks. However, do us a favor and just give up, k? Jasper said with a smile. Well be rough with the capture but ya dont have to worry about us hurting ya.

Everybody looked at each other, their eyes clearly asking, Should we? I know we shouldnt trust these people but it beats dying. That was the rational decision, right? The correct one, r-

Fuck off! Fire Ball! Amidst the silence, where only the sound of clashing spears could be heard, Daichi shouted in defiance and shot out a fire spell with his staff. Im the hero here, motherfucker! No fucking piece of shit will stop me!

Woah! Fire, hear my command, for I am a servant of your lord, Reduce Heat! the giant fireball was aimed at Jasper, but quickly disappeared into thin air, having hit nothing. Thats the spirit, fellow Danterno worshipper! How about you join me and have me teach you, huh? Ill promise your safety as my apprentice!

How about you kill yourself, you son-of-a-bitch! O, I plead for your support, oh mighty flame lord! Grant me power, grant me strength, burn my enemies, Fire Ball! Daichi rejected Macklemors offer with another [Fire Ball].

Tamae-san! Nishio suddenly called out to Tamae-san, which she quickly responded with a nod. O, Goddess of Earth, we beseech you for your protection, Earth Wall!

Two walls of earth erupted from the ground, blocking our sides, creating a two-way chokepoint for us. Our two ex-class representatives quickly assessed the situation and created a way for the two knights to defend us from only two directions.

Seeing us defend ourselves, the bandits quickly rushed into the two pathways, grinning sadistically as they began to swing their weapons.

Tatsuya, lets go! Kyouya slapped my back before starting to help Wendell.

Y-yeah! I shouted out to hype myself up before jumping into the fray with my best friend, clenching my spear hard enough to create blisters.

The fight quickly descended in chaos as spells and metal clashed with each other. Macklemor continuously tried to stop us by launching high-level fire spells at us but the combined the efforts of Nishio and Tamae-san using water magic to protect us and Daichi using fire spells to counter them, prevented us from being destroyed by their mage. However, that meant that our three mages couldnt help us with the mob.

Misaki, who didnt lie about her statement, continuously shot out arrow after arrow with formidable accuracy. Although most of them were blocked by shields, a few of them did hit a bandit straight in the head, instantly killing them. This helped Tamae-sans party level up, which means their mana would continuously recover wit this way.

Kazumi and Kohaku both helped Julius out, swinging their personal weapons with adrenaline-empowered strength. Flames, water, wind all exploded from Kohakus blade as she continuously switched from one element to the other with her rune sword, while Kazumi supported both Julius and Kohaku by fending and debilitating the bandits.

While their side was doing alright, ours was having some trouble.

Asaka was the only healer amongst us, including the knights, so she was constantly on healing duty. Not only did she have to take care of our party but also Tamae-sans as everybody was receiving chip damage.

Haruka wasnt a fighter, despite me calling her our archer. Instead, she helped Daichi and Asaka out by helping them drink mana potions, all while screaming from the top of her lungs. It also couldnt be helped that her outfit was slowly being drench in tears as her eyes couldnt stop crying.

The biggest difference between our party to Tamae-sans was that we arent able to kill anybody. Both Kyouya and I were having problems landing the last hit on anybody as the mob of bandit kept protecting each other. The wave is only thinning due to Wendells efforts.

It couldnt be helped. The bandits might be weak, state-wise, but that didnt mean they were any less of a threat. Spading forks, farming scythes, hoes, axes, all they were carrying were farming weapons, no real swords or spears. They might not be as sturdy as our church-issued weapons but one clean hit to any of our vitals would mean death to us.

We also have to be careful of the stones that they were throwing. A thrown stone could knock any of us down if it hit somebodys unprotected head. We frontliners couldnt even dodge them as we had to block them, otherwise, our backline would get hit.

[Exhaustion (Minor)] inflicted on [Human, Tatsuya Nagata]

We were slowly taking down the bandits with this strategy, however, Argh, I c-cant cast any spells anymore. That didnt mean that we could continue this for too long.

Fuckfucking arcane corruption! Urgh,

Both Tamae-san and Daichi seemed to have reached their limits concerning arcane corruption. Considering the amounts of spells they were slinging around, it was obvious that they were accumulating too much for their body to handle. Even Asaka and Nishio were showing signs of fatigue.

No, Im out of arrows! Misaki cried out in distress, eyes widened in surprise and fear.

While the frontline was keeping up well due to our backlines support, the moment that broke down due to arcane corruption and lack of arrows, the bandits counterattack began.

Kyahhhh!

Ahhhhhh!

A spear of fire suddenly broke through the [Earth Wall]s, destroying them and reducing them back into rubble, demolishing our strategy now that the bandit can attack us from all directions.

Hey you tired, knight? Haaaa! slipping through our attention, Jasper went up to Julius and-!

Kyaaaaaaaaaah!

A shriek. An ear-piercing shriek escaped Kohakus throat as she tried to suppress it by blocking her mouth with her hand.

Nice, another level! Jasper shouted out in joy as the head of Julius dropped on the ground, bouncing lifelessly.

N-No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Keeeeeek!" Kohaku shrieked as she saw Julius' body slump to the ground.

Kohaku-chan, focus! Focus! Kazumi desperately tried to wake her up, all while defending her from attacks.

ARGH! as I was distracted by the two girls trying to support each other, I didnt realize the fire ball shot at Wendell as it crashes on him, lighting his armor up on fire. He flailed on the ground, screaming in pain as the fire slowly cooked him alive.

While this was happening, Kyouya and I couldnt do anything but defend him from stones and metal. We didnt have the time to smother the flames, neither did our teammates. All of them had their own troubles to worry about in this chaos.

Waghhh!" another scream resounded, almost like it was normal at this point, however, the person who let out that scream was no one other than-

Kyouya! I shouted, watching a bandit smacking his chest with a hammer, sending his falling on the ground from exhaustion.

Nice job, lads! Last knight, take him out and were done, Jasper suddenly said.

Wha?!

Stop, hes not a knight. Hes one of us! I cried out in desperationall for it to fall on deaf ears, as the hammer-wielding bandit ignored me and was about to hit him again.

Kyouya! Nooooo!

Kyouya? Not Kyouya, not Kyouya, not Kyouya, not my friend! NOT MY FRIEND! NOT HIM!

RUSH HOUR!

[Rush Hour] [Adrenaline (Major)] inflicted on [Human, Tatsuya Nagata]

A foreign energy began to surge through me, accelerating my heart, as blood pumped through my veins with increased speed, filling my body with adrenaline as my body started to break down anything to grant me energy. [Exhaustion (Minor)] disappeared from my status board and was instead replaced by [Rush Hour] and [Adrenaline (Major)].

As if my mind emptied itself from all my conflicts and hesitation, it immediately went into overdrive with a sole goal.

Protect my friends!

HAAAAAAH!

Gurck?! Bwuaaaah!

Using the increased speed that I got from my unique skill, I dashed forward, swinging my spear and piercing the bandits throat, before taking it out and slicing his head with a [Sweeping Farewell].

Experience has reached multiple breaking points. [Human, Tatsuya Nagata] has risen from [Level 12] to [Level 13]

Attributes have increased due to level up

Acquired 200 skill points

Despite my initial goal having been fulfilled, I didnt let go of my aggression. The effects of [Rush Hour] were limited because the longer I had it active, the more serious the aftereffects will be for my body. If I dont want to die, then I need to finish this as fast as possible.

AHHHHHHHHH!

Almost like a frenzy, I plunged myself into the bandit crowd, swinging my spear tirelessly, taking somebodys blood with every strike and movement. It got to the point where my vision was temporarily blocked from the sprays of blood, forcing me to rely on [Enhanced Enemy Sense] and [Enhanced Auditory Sense] to continue my assault.

Experience has reached multiple breaking points. [Human, Tatsuya Nagata] has risen from [Level 13] to [Level 14]

Attributes have increased due to level up

Acquired 200 skill points

Fuck this shit! Fuck this shit! As if Ill let you top frag, Tatsuya! KAMIKAZE! somebody shouted from behind me, simply ignoring me to face the foes before me.

Eventually, somebodys blade finally stopped mine, ringing a shrill sound from metal clashing, Woah, shit! Thats some strength, mate! Ya think ya can hit me, mana blood!

I couldnt see anything, but I could hear. At this stage, I wasnt able to distinguish it from the countless cries of pain, but it was enough to provoke me.

Ha ha! Can you even see with all that blood on ya face, mate? my opponent commented. Ya hearing must be pretty good if you can follow me around like this! How about I go silent, huh?

I needed sound to move right now. I needed it to find my next opponent, which means it was my biggest weakness right now.

Huh?! I let out, confused why I couldnt detect him anymore. No matter how much I stressed my ears, I couldnt feel his breathing at all. It was like he disappeared from my attention.

My instincts told me to wipe away the blood, but as I was about to do that, both [Prediction] and [Danger Perception] warned me to block instead. I did what my skills told me too, but

Argh!

Shit! Nice dodge at the end there, kid. One more second and I would have gotten your throat there, heh! he proudly flaunted his success.

As I crashed on the ground, a terrible pain assaulted me around my mouth. Touching it caused the pain to amplify, blood flowing down it like a river as my gambeson soaked up my own blood.

I wanted to see what it was. I wanted to see it so much that I wiped the blood away from my eyes, slowly clearing up as my tears cleaned them. My vision was blurry but it was enough to see the person standing before me: Jasper.

That oughta leave a nice scar for ya, kid. The lasses are gonna swarm ya the moment it heals up, hah! he said boisterously, playing with the dagger that he used to cut me.

[Exhaustion (Moderate)] [Starvation (Moderate)] [Bleeding (Minor)] inflicted on [Human, Tatsuya Nagata]

No, damnit! No! Stand up, body!

Despite all plea, my body was unable to move any further. I felt hunger, a ravenous hunger that was huge enough that I could eat the whole world with. But I could only helplessly look up, my body has reached its limit.

Not moving? Huh, ya shouldve learned how to control ya stamina first, before you go on fighting, kid, Jasper stated. Well, cant be helped. Ya brats put up a good fight and killed a few of my men, so gotta respect ya for that. Still, sorry, but yare still unlucky.

Beaten? Is Kyouya alive? Haruka? Asaka? Daichi? Tamae-san? Nishio? Kohaku? Kazumi? Misaki? Are they all right?! What happened with Elrick?! Where are the others?!

But none of those words escaped my mouth.

Welp, time to end thi-HUH, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?! he exclaimed, turning his back to me as he gazed up in the sky.

There the white silhouette of a dragon mysteriously appeared. Glowing so incandescently that I could even see it with my blurry vision. With a loud roar, the dragon descended on the ground, exploding, and sending a shockwave that shook the very earth that I was laying on.

Shit! That fuckin dragoon bitch! Its that fuckin White Winged Dragoon! Jasper shouted out in distress. Lads, go! Fucking run away now!

Huh!? Jasper what about these brats-!

Did ya see that, you fuckhead!? That white bitch will hunt us down if we capture these brats at this point. We fucking screwed up! If we only had been a bit faster! Jasper said, flustered. Fuck, somebody help Kaian! That knight injured him!

I wanted to continue watching. I wanted to see if Kyouya and the others were alright, but my eyes felt so heavy. So very heavy. So veryheavy

And darkness consumed me.

***************************

HTat.ya! aeUP! Wake the fuck up, Tatsuya!

Woah! I blurted out, grabbing onto somebodys arm. K-Kyouya?

His short black hair, his perfectly aligned chin, and black eyes that could mesmerize any girl into a dream world with him. My-My best friend Kyouya! Hes alive!

Huh, what is with that face, Tatsuya? Did you see a ghost when you were sleeping? he asked with a pale face.

Nah, he probably dreamed of coffee. That fulinoe tea, I mean. The church gave him so much but this addict used up all the tea leaves in a week, turning my head toward this stern voice, a blue-haired girl with defiant eyes glared at me with suppressed interest.

Asaka-san?

Is something the matter, Tatsuya-kun? a high-pitched voice directed my attention away from Asaka towards the petite girl that was sitting to her side, Haruka. Did you have a nightmare?

Hey, Daichi! Wake up! Sir Elrick told us that we are about to arrive, Kyouya shook the red-robed guy sleeping beside him, waking him up into a daze.

Im awake, Im awake. Urgh, these carriages are so uncomfortable. Couldnt they have given us a larger one? Or better yet, how about you two dudes sleep outside and let me enjoy the trip with all the girls, especially with Tamae-sans party, he complained with a lecherous gaze.

Shut it, trash, Asaka spat out.

"You aren't making yourself more likable with that, Daichi-san," Haruka criticized with a worried expression.

They were arguing with each other butthey were all alive.

Pfft-ha ha ha ha ha! I burst out in laughter, unable to hold it back.

Everybody looked at me with an expression of confusion until Kyouya built up the courage to question me about it, Sorry, sorry, guys. I was justI just dreamt about how we got here. You know, our first few months up until that bandit subjugation.

What do you mean how we got here? Its literally been three months since that quest. Dont speak like we spent years in this world, Asaka stated with a frown.

True, but it has been an experience, right? I countered.

Ill give you that. That bandit Quest was just the worse. We nearly died after that, urgh, [Arcane Fever] is just the worst. Kyouya-kun, Tatsuya, get better at dodging so I dont have to heal you two, alright? she insisted.

Yeah, I remember that fight, slapping my back with a firm hand, Kyouya began laughing merrily. I really owe you for that, dude. I honestly thought I was about to die back then, so you coming in clutch with your hero act was awesome. Damn, have I already told you that I seriously fell for you because of that.

Flustered, I punched his head with a fist, trying to punch some sense back into this idiot, Oi, you have! Stop joking around, Kyouya!

Hie hie, Haruka chuckled. But it is true that you were pretty heroic back then. You slashed your way through so many of those criminals that I couldnt help but be grateful to you. You were really cool back then, Tatsuya-kun!

Agreed, Asaka said with a teasing smile. You also got something nice from that fight, right? That scar on the left side of your mouth is pretty hot. It has elevated your averageness but 100%, you know.

I touched my lips, moving my fingers across the scar that I got from Jasper on that day. It really has been three months since that Quest, huh?

It was still crazy that we somehow survived that despite being terribly outnumbered. Unfortunately, none of the knights survived that ambush, aside from Elrick who dueled Kaian, that panther beastman, to a standstill, both receiving severe wounds from that fight.

I honestly thought that I would die on that day, but thankfully Yorshka did something that pretty much scared away all the bandits, even defeating the bandit leader. The Quest was a success, regardless of the fact that we couldnt capture all of them. As we routed them and they fled from the country, the church considered it a job well done and gave us all a reward.

Everybody there, from [Arcane Fever] to [Exhaustion], survived because Haruka was the only one who didnt receive too much damage. She nursed us with potions and herbs until the knights were able to reach us. We really owe the little scaredy-cat our lives.

After a while, the church finally announced that we were finally ready to venture out to the world. That meant that our original Quest was about to start.

However, somewhere during those three months since the bandit quest, our groups just split apart. We were all wounded from that battle, so I thought we would bond from it, but it seems both Daisy's and Akanishis faction couldnt.

On the day of our departure, our class split into three groups. Akanishis and Yuuko Takeshitas, the [Magic Breaker], parties went south-east to catch a boat ride towards the Folschreck Empire. Daisys went east towards the Magical Capital, Aleistunum.

And we

Pardon me, but if everybody is awake, may I ask you to look to your right? after knocking three times, a small wooden window opened up and Elricks voice could be heard, directing us to look outside.

What we saw there was a majestic city, so large that it could easily rival the capital city of Aureolis, no, I think it was even larger. Massive walls surrounded the city, protecting its citizens from any threat from the ground and above.

Look, Asaka-chan, there are griffons flying around! Haruka blurted out, opening the window of our carriage to shout at the one behind us. Kohaku-chan, look, look!

A black-haired girl with tints of red suddenly poked her head outside her carriages window, Woah, youre right! Ahhhh, fantasy! This is so anime! Kazumi-chan, Tama-chan, Misaki-chan, you guys have to look at them too.

As the right side was too crowded, I went to the left side, opened up the window, and looked up. Besides the wind flowing through my hair and the bright blue sky, the first thing to draw my attention was a platoon of griffon knights, flying through the sky in a formation. I think these knights belong to the famous Order of the Lionhearts, an order of knights riding griffons as their mount.

"Hey, what are you kids doing, huh? Some of you are already 19, so stop acting like a bunch of kids," a white-haired woman scolded us, manning Kohaku's carriage as the driver. "All of you are heroes so act like ones. If a guard sees you guys acting like this, they might give even me some trouble. So, calm down already!

Sorry, Lady Yorshka, we were just overwhelmed by the scene, ha ha ha, Kyouya apologized in our stead.

The Kingdom of Artorias, I uttered.

The Misfits and The Magical Biscuits both chose to stay with each other. Both parties decided where we wanted to go, and the first place was the Kingdom of Artorias. Although our Quest was to defeat the demonkin lord, we also had a duty to socialize and build up connections with the monarchs and leaders of this world, to help spread the influence of the church, so they could help us in our goal.

Im pretty sure they were driven with selfish desires, but I was thankful that we didnt have to plunge into demonkin territory just yet. We still needed to train and gain strength after all, and nothing was better than to go on an adventure.

Today is the present day, the 13th of AutumnSun in the year 2678, and we have arrived at the capital of the Kingdom of Artorias, Griffonpeak.