Chapter 301 On Stakes
*SLASH*
Another head flew into the air with a splatter of blood following it. Lyrian had no expression on his face as he continued to move.
Maybe it was that the bandits were fully clothed, but he felt no remorse for them. Their punishment was fully justified in his mind.
The bandit who spoke to Jalil moments prior met up with another one. "Kano! What do you think we should do!?" He exclaimed urgently.
"I don't know, Helan! But he's ruthless! I don't know how many he's killed, but I know that most of them are already dead!"
"How come we don't see the heads anywhere!?" 'Helan' said in a bewildered tone.
Shivers went down 'Kano's spine. "Don't even talk about it so casually," he paused, "I have killed so many faces that I can't even remember them all... but seeing the faces of my own team on the floor... I can't deal with it."
Eventually, the two made their way to the center of the goblin village. There, it seemed all of the remaining bandits met up.
They looked to be channeled there somehow since all of them arrived there at the same time.
In total, there were only five of them. As soon as they arrived at the center, however, all of their hearts felt as though they skipped a beat in unison.
Their lungs expanded, as their eyes widened at the horrific sight in front of them.
They all stopped--the devastating feeling weakening their bones and willpower.
What they all saw at once was the heads of their 9 lost comrades stuck onto the 9 of the 15 spears in the middle town square.
A few fell to their knees, breaking down into tears.
"Ruthless... how can someone be this ruthless," Helan exclaimed in utter shock and sadness.
At that moment, Lyrian appeared on top of one of the hut roofs in front of all of the five bandits.
One who was crying on his knees looked up with scrunched brows and an enraged face.
"YOU BASTARD!" He exclaimed with immense emotion behind his voice, spit flying out of his mouth.
Lyrian met the angry gaze with an indifferent one.
"I won't let you live! No matter what happens I swear to get my revenge!"
Dashed forward, appearing in front of the bandit at once.
The bandit quickly rose to his feet, gripping his dagger. He lunged forward without warning slashing at Lyrian--who stepped to the side with grace and avoided the attack.
The bandit didn't stop there. As a few lizardmen, and all the other bandits stared, the bandit kept on attacking Lyrian.
Each attack was fueled with rage. Each attack had full force behind it, full killing intent.
However, each attack failed. And with ease, Lyrian dodged and swatted away the bandit's slashes and thrusts.
Panting heavily, the bandit faced Lyrian's cold gaze again. This time, his anger had disappeared.
His hatred was still prominent, in fact, there was nothing he hated more in his life but the face in front of him.
Someone who had taken the heads of his lifelong friends and stabbed them onto spears for display.
How cruel of an act. Only a demon could do such a thing...
However, that anger that he once had to fuel him fully disappeared with his failed efforts.
Still, he tried to swing at Lyrian, but he put no more strength behind it. Soon, he realized that he was powerless in this situation.
He realized that no matter what he did, he was helpless. He couldn't avenge his friend... he couldn't even touch Lyrian.
His words of revenge held no more meaning. His anger, his thoughts, and his life held no real meaning in this situation, and that was clear to see now.
With this realization falling on top of his shoulders like a mountain, his legs gave out and became limp.
He fell to the floors, breathing in weak gasps. Lyrian walked to him and grabbed him by the hair, lifting his body up to face him.
Lyrian looked into a pair of void-like, devastated eyes.
"Do you want to live?" He asked as a deafening hush sounded for the next few moments.
"...Ye--"
*SLASH*
The other bandits winced in horror. In fear, and in shock. Lyrian looked at them, as Helan abruptly spoke.
"Why!?" He screamed, "Why did you ask him if he wanted to live in the first place!? What kind of monster are you!?"
Lyrian's head tilted to the side, as an irritated expression donned on his face.
"Why did I ask him? I did him a favor. I bet that amongst every person he has ever slaughtered, he never asked a single victim whether they wanted to live or not. I'm sure they wanted to be asked that very question, yet only he was granted that liberty, and by no other than me."
Helan was speechless. He let out a forceful exasperated sigh and looked toward the ground.
"Let's get it over with..." He said, gripping his blade.
"Okay."
"Fine."
The other bandits replied, gripping the hilt of their own daggers.
"We are useless!" Helan suddenly shouted.
"We are useless!" The other three shouted back in unison.
"We have no family! No virtues! No heaven!"
"We have no family! No virtues! No heaven!"
"We deserve to die!"
There was a short silence...
"We deserve to die..."
At that moment, they all roared in an emotional fury and stormed at Lyrian.
Lyrian didn't hesitate to run forward at them, ready to slice through all of them.
As he reached ten feet of them, a voice cut through the air and rang in both his and the bandits' ears.
"STOP!"
A bandit yelled from afar. Helan recognized this voice and turned to look at who it came from with a horrified expression on his face.
"No..." He muttered just before he could catch a glimpse of the speaker behind that voice.
"NOO!! Why did you come back, Jalil! You damn fool!" He cried in agony.
'I bet my life on you...' These were his final thoughts.
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