Crimson Swordsman: Shadow Monarch (Chapter 7)

𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔦𝔢𝔫

CHAPTER 14

On the road to Toph.

Morning came and Cyne opened his eyes.

He saw that there was no one around the campfire. He stood up and looked around.

Cyne went over to the overturned caravan but saw no one.

“Alph! Liz! Kezia!”

No one answered back.

(What the hell!? Where are they?)

He ran back to the campfire.

Suddenly, Cyne realized something.

“Either the gods must hate me or some idiot decided to kidnap them.”

Cyne looked around and spotted the horse they bought back in Nara.

He hurriedly got on and quickly rode ahead.

**********

In the distance he could see smoke coming from somewhere beyond the trees.

Cyne got off the horse and slowly moved around. He couldn’t afford being spotted.

(The distance of this bandit camp was not far from Toph. So why didn’t they send some people to deal with them?)

He walked closer to where the smoke was coming from.

As he approached, he heard some men talking in the distance.

Cyne couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.

Until……

Aaaack!

It was Liz!

Cyne carefully lifted his head to see what was happening.

To his horror, he saw the mage being badly beaten with a mace.

(Bastards! I have to do something.)

He looked around the bandit camp and saw Kezia tied up to a post, and Alph was lying unconscious on the floor with his body badly beaten.

Cyne had to find where the other injured party members were, but he couldn’t see them anywhere else in the bandit camp.

He then spotted a tent that stood out from the others.

(I’m guessing the leader is in there. I have to find a way to get in.)

He looked to the edge of camp and saw a bandit rummaging through a crate.

(I wonder what the guy is going to get.)

He slowly sneaked behind the bandit hastily grabbing a cloak out of the crate.

“Aha! I found it.”

The bandit smiled with joy.

He then put on the cloak and suddenly disappeared.

(Stealth cloak! I gotta get it.)

Once the bandit took off the cloak, a sword could be found deeply embedded in the bandit’s chest.

Hoaaak!

Blood shot from the bandit’s mouth.

Cyne hurriedly tossed the dead body into the woods and put on the cloak.

Luckily, the bandit didn’t make too much noise.

Cyne quickly entered the leader’s tent.

Cyne was surprised at the amount of weapons and armour this man had inside his tent.

To the right he could see a full knight’s armour neatly placed on the ground. And to his left, dozens of weapons were piled up like storage.

But in the middle of the room….

A greatsword displayed in all of its glory.

It was the work of a master blacksmith.

Magic energy also could be felt inside the blade.

(A sword blessed with magic….. Whoever owns this is no pushover.)

The room was full of weaponry but not a single person was inside.

Until…

Aack!

Cyne immediately felt pain in his right side as he collapsed into the ground.

A tall and intimidating man pulled out his dagger from Cyne’s body.

He then dragged Cyne out by his hair.

“Everyone gather around!”

The man threw Cyne into the ground.

The bandits immediately gathered around the man.

“Cyne!”

The badly beaten Liz cried out.

“Cyne get up!”

The man looked at Cyne on the ground and then looked at Liz.

“I see you know each other..”

The man spoke such an intimidating voice.

The man then pointed at Liz.

“Shut her up…”

Immediately a bandit came up to Liz and hit her in the head.

Oof!

Liz was lying on the ground unconscious.

Cyne looked at Liz, who was now lying on a puddle of her own blood.

(Liz…. Liz…… Damnit!)

Cyne quickly reached for his short swords in his back.

“Die you bastard!”

Cyne swung at the man

But the man caught the blades with his bare hands.

The man called out to one of his lackeys.

“Go to my tent and give me my sword!”

The bandit moved quickly.

With Cyne’s sword still in his hand, he attempted to kick the man in his stomach.

The man caught on to what Cyne was doing and pushed him back.

Aagh!

Cyne fell to the ground once more.

The bandits were cheering their leader on with shouts of praise.

Amazing!

Such strength!

The bandit then came back with their leader’s sword.

Damnit!

The man wielded the greatsword from earlier with such skill.

(If this man weren’t a bandit he could easily be a knight.)

“Get up”

The man demanded.

“I know, I know.”

Cyne activated his skill, Hunt. It made his movements more precise as he clashed swords with the man.

Clang!

The two were now evenly matched!

Everytime the bandit leader would strike with a heavy blow, Cyne would block and parry with ease.

Frustration was clearly seen on the leader’s face.

And then… a grin

“Cull”

The greatsword suddenly turned red, it’s blade reflected light back like a mirror.

(It must be the work of the magic stored inside of it!)

The bandit leader stepped forward and tried another heavy blow….

This time Cyne was completely outmatched.

When he went to block the greatsword, a chunk of his blade tore off.

(Crap! At this rate I’ll break both my swords.)

Cyne was suddenly pushed back.

Tud!

Cyne crashed into a crate.

(This hurts like hell!)

Cyne needed to hurry and finish this fight, his companions were dying and he had to save them!

Cyne felt the ring in his pocket again.

(I guess I have to use it again.)

He wore the ring and suddenly felt strength in his arms.

“Hunt”

Cynes eyes turned black, but he noticed something weird, somehow he could tell what his opponent could possibly do in the next few seconds.

Cyne rushed the bandit leader who had his guard up, and as he was about to clash blades with him once more.

He could predict the future movements of the bandit leader.

Maybe it was because of the ring, which doubled the wearer’s strength. Could it also strengthen a skill’s effect?

The bandit leader then went for a blow to Cyne’s knee, but Cyne could already see it coming a few moments ahead.

Cyne dodged and stabbed the red line on the bandit leader’s back.

Uggh!

Blood gushed out through his wound.

The bandit leader fell to his knees.

The leader was defeated.

The bandits, now in shock that their leader has been dealt with, surrounded Cyne and drew their weapons toward him.

Cyne had no energy left, the effect of Hunt was now gone.

The bandits rushed Cyne.

And then….

A sudden vortex of flame engulfed the bandits!

Ahh!

Screams were the last thing heard from them, when the vortex of flame disappeared, so did any trace that they ever existed.

Sizzle!

Cyne fell to his knees.

(What.. just happened?)

He looked up to see a black haired man with red eyes stare at him from a few feet away.

The man rubbed his eyes.

“So this is where the adventurers I hired ended up in…”

Author Notes: I have written up to chapter 21, and will be releasing them after the proofread.

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