The bandits forced the women to the ground, pinning them with brutal strength. Nearby, the younglings stood frozen—terrified and powerless—as more bandits closed in around them. One of the women broke free and tried to run, but she didn't get far. A rough hand caught her and dragged her back.
"You're not going anywhere," the bandit hissed into her ear, a sinister grin curling across his face. "For a beauty like you, our masters will pay handsomely," he added, his voice low and mocking.
From the treetops above, Aelira watched in horror, her heart pounding as she saw her people violated and surrounded. Rage boiled within her. Without hesitation, she leapt from the tree, diving like a hawk toward the earth.
She landed hard and fast—a blur of motion. Before the bandit could react, her right leg lashed out, crashing into his side and sending him sprawling. In the same breath, her left arm reached out, pulling the captive woman away from danger.
The other bandits recoiled in shock. "What the—?! Who the hell are you?!" one of them barked.
"I should be asking you the same thing," Aelira shot back coldly, eyes sharp and alert as she scanned every direction. "What are humans doing in Sylvereen Forest? It should be impossible to enter. And more importantly—who gave you permission to attack my people?"
"Ah, we don't owe you any ans—wait a minute..." The lead bandit narrowed his gaze, then pointed. "You… you're a Sylvereen Warrior, aren't you?" A crooked grin twisted across his face. "Well, well... our masters will be very pleased with this catch."
He raised his hand. "Boys! Get them!"
Aelira stepped forward, unwavering. "Don't get ahead of yourselves," she warned. Then, with her back to the frightened girls, she added firmly, "Stay close to me."
From the treetops where Aelira had leapt, another figure stood perched—a man clad in black armor, silently watching from above. His gaze followed the scene unfolding below the Sylvereen Field, every detail absorbed with sharp precision. He had witnessed everything, yet even with that knowledge, he found himself stunned. How did it come to this? he asked himself, confusion flickering in his thoughts despite knowing exactly what had happened. Still, this... this was not what he had expected.
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After dodging the first attack, then the second, Dennis paused to analyze how the initial strike had even been possible. Hidden among the branches of a tree, he tried to piece together an explanation. Just as he was narrowing down a theory, he heard the elf warrior's voice.
He had been found.
There was nowhere left to run.
Taking his chances, Dennis called out, "Look, whoever you are—I have no intention of fighting!"
He tilted his head slightly to the right, just enough to peek through the leaves. "I only want to get out of this place!"
Maybe this was it. Maybe there was still hope.
But no.
The elf warrior spoke again—this time, with no hint of amusement.
"I don't care what you want. If you truly wanted to leave… why did you run?"
I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Dennis thought bitterly. Why did he have to run?
"You're right," he admitted. "That was my mistake!"
The elf warrior remained silent.
Was that it? Had Dennis been granted a way out?
But the answer rested on her final judgment.
"You are right," she finally said. Then her tone sharpened. "...However, I don't see you as innocent. You're no ordinary man—and I cannot let you escape!"
"Damn it," Dennis muttered beneath his suit of armor. "So be it," he whispered, preparing for the finest hour.
Next thing—Dennis is running and leaping from tree to tree, desperately trying to shake off the relentless gaze of the pursuing elf warrior. He checks his radar—she's still right behind him.
"Surrender! You can't run!" the elf warrior shouts.
Easy for you to say, Dennis thought. His radar blinked—the elf warrior was gaining on him.
"Activate: Boost acceleration!"
Booster pack kicked in. Without slowing, the jets on his boots and back fired, launching him through the air at breakneck speed. He landed firmly on a tree branch, barely breaking stride. But that wasn't all.
Landed on the branch, putting distance between them in just two seconds, the elf warrior surprisingly flashed forward at the same instant—meeting him right at his destination.
As if time slowed, Dennis turned—and was shocked to see Aelira already there, weapon in hand, swinging to strike.
Tension surged through Dennis, and his face said it all—raised brows, wide eyes, and gritted teeth bared in a gaping mouth.
Aelira closed in to strike. Swoosh! Dennis ducked just in time, dodging the slash and putting space between them.
How is this possible?! Aelira thought. Even with his face hidden behind a mask, she couldn't read his intentions—or predict his movements. He reacted so fluidly, almost as if he were on par with her. But that couldn't be… could it?
On the tree branch, Aelira stepped forward, weapon raised, and swung her hand while moving on continuously performing multiple slashes at Dennis. But every time she did a slash, Dennis managed to evade her blade with precision.
Dennis then dodged a slash, side-flipped, and hurled smoke charges at Aelira. Boom! The smoke burst on impact—but not for long.
Undeterred, Aelira charged forward, having learned from their last encounter. Or so she thought.
When she emerged from the smoke, something unexpected happened. Dennis sprinted up a tree trunk and leapt off toward her. Mid-air, he grabbed something from his pocket and planted it on the back of her neck, while sticks the landing.
Aelira hadn't realized the charge plantedon her neck—her focus was entirely on him. After Dennis made his landing, she turned, ready to strike. Too focus, her mind led her astray.
The device on Aelira's neck activated instantly, and her limbs went limp---subdued---as she collapsed, hitting her head on the ground. Dennis looked down and said, "When I said I didn't want to fight, I meant it. But you left me no choice—I had to use nonviolent methods."
Aelira turned her head to the side. She tried to speak, but her mouth felt sealed, shut by a strange material—though she could still breathe through her nose, effortlessly uninterrupted.
"Don't worry, this won't kill you—just keep you down until your friends come looking," Dennis said. "I hope you understand." With the threat neutralized, he stood back and checked his headset display.
No… this can't be, she thought, powerless.
Lying there, imprisoned, Aelira felt a familiar ache—one tied to her past. It was like reliving her training days all over again. Her trainer's words echoed: "You'll never be strong enough." Then, Seris's face—her sister—flashed through her mind.
No! I won't let that happen! she screamed in her mind. Aelira's body began to glow—then rapidly intensified, like a blinding light that shone brightly just as the sun did.
Dennis stared at her, awestruck. "That… doesn't look good?"
Boom! Another explosion erupted.
This time, Dennis was sent flying—blasted off his perch by the explosion. He hadn't expected that. Mid-fall, he fired his grapple and hooked a distant tree, reeling himself in. Then—snap! The rope gave out. He dropped, landing near the ground, stumbling before dropping to one knee in a rough, dynamic pose.
"Hah… hah… hah…" Dennis panted, harder than usual.
Aelira, who had been subdued moments before, now landed swiftly and precisely—unharmed. She drew her blade revealing herself in the light from the shadows, ready to strike.
"I guess we're on equal footing… hah, hah. Alright, let's do this," Dennis said.
Activate: Shade Blade!
A metal blade materialized in his right hand, ready—just as he always was—to fight.
Their swords clashed in a blur of motion, the ring of steel echoing through the trees. Aelira leapt with precision, aiming a powerful strike, but their blades met again in midair, locking them in a tense standstill. She pushed forward with overwhelming strength, forcing Dennis back until he triggered his boosters to sidestep just as her blade smashed into the ground. He countered quickly, aiming to strike—but Aelira unleashed a burst of radiant magic that flashed blindingly in his eyes, sending him flying with a sudden blast.
As Dennis struggled to rise, she was already upon him, pinning him down; their blades met again, but this time, she was on top. Forced onto his back, Dennis barely caught her blade between his palms, the edge trembling inches from his chest. His arms shook—he was losing strength.
How is she this strong? he thought, teeth clenched, the pressure unbearable.
Just when it seemed Dennis was about to meet his end, Aelira's ears twitched—she heard voices in the distance and instinctively turned toward the sound. In that brief moment of distraction, her grip loosened. Oh no, she realized, catching her own lapse too late.
Dennis seized the opportunity; he clutched her blade with one hand and, with a surge of strength, slammed his gauntlet down with the other, snapping the sword in half. At the same instant, he activated his boosters with a second command, launching himself forward while still lying on the ground—sliding beneath her in a blur of sparks and smoke.
Dennis staggered to his feet, still catching his breath. That was too close, he thought. But what happened next caught him off guard—Aelira didn't press the attack. Instead, she suddenly turned her attention elsewhere, ears twitching as if hearing something beyond the trees. Without a word, she dashed through the bushes and leapt into the treetops, disappearing into the canopy.
Dennis stood frozen, sword still in hand, completely flabbergasted. "What...?" he muttered, unsure whether she'd fled, sensed danger, or something else entirely.
Dennis had a crazy idea—should he follow her? No, that was insane. Absolutely crazy. He had been seconds away from becoming tomato soup, and now he was thinking of chasing after the very person who nearly killed him? Yet... something felt off. His instincts told him she hadn't just fled without reason. That sudden retreat—it didn't make sense.
Grinding his teeth, Dennis made a choice. "Screw it," he muttered, and bolted after her. "Hey—wait up!" he shouted, crashing through the brush in pursuit.
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Like a lone watchtower at sea, Dennis kept a sharp eye on Aelira as she moved through the chaos, cutting down bandits with precision and purpose, defending those who once sought to harm her kind. She fought with relentless focus, her movements fluid and deadly, whittling down their numbers with ease. It almost seemed as though the tide was entirely in her favor—until reinforcements arrived.
Four towering giants emerged from the treeline, their heavy steps shaking the ground, followed by a hooded figure cloaked in dark energy. Dennis narrowed his eyes. These weren't enemies he'd seen before, and that alone made his pulse quicken. Whatever they were, he intended to find out.
The battle was escalating beyond control. Aelira fought with everything she had, striking down wave after wave of common foes and even managing to hold her ground against the towering giants—but her focus was split, and the real threat lingered in the shadows. The dark mage. She had no time to deal with him.
Worn and breathing hard, she left herself open for just a moment—and that was all it took. A blast of dark magic struck her side, hurling her across the battlefield. She tumbled across the dirt, finally rolling to a stop near her people. "Aelira, are you okay?!" Seris cried, rushing to her side, hand outstretched. Aelira winced, breathing heavily, but forced herself to sit up. "Hah... hah... I'm good," she said through grit teeth. "I didn't expect a dark mage."
The Bandit Leader stepped forward, his presence commanding, "Well, you can't be too careful, can you?" he said with a smug grin. His eyes scanned the battlefield with satisfaction. "Our masters granted us full support for this expedition… and I'd say—" he spread his arms wide, "it's a good one!" His voice dripped with confidence.
Dennis paused. His eyes locked on the scene before him: Aelira was worn and wounded. Being overwhelmed and mocked like prey. A part of him stirred, a flicker of anger and urgency rising within. Do something, it whispered.
He remembered the rule—the one vow his mercenary group lived by: Don't kill the innocents. It wasn't just a saying, it was a code they all promised to follow, no matter how brutal the mission.
Dennis had always taken it to heart. Even among a crew of highly skilled, often deadly operatives, they held fast to their ethics. And now, watching what was unfolding, his conscience flared. She wasn't the enemy. Not truly. Not today.
In an act of pure instinct and free will, Dennis made his choice—one that would endanger his own life, but in return, protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Without hesitation, he launched himself from the treetops. As he soared through the air, eyes locked on the battlefield below, his voice rang out, firm and resolute—
"Activate: Legion Mode---Chip No.17!"