I ran, brushing through the bushes and leaping from branch to branch, meters above the forest floor. The scream had stopped—but I could still feel it echo in the air. I stopped on a thick limb, perched high in a tree, and focused.
I closed my eyes and channeled mana into my senses.
Expand... see... farther...
A moment later, my vision sharpened, extending far beyond what any normal person could see. There—just a few hundred meters away, a white van, parked in a clearing. And three men.
I moved silently, gliding from tree to tree, until I stopped just above them. Hidden in the branches, I listened—channeling mana to enhance my hearing.
From inside the van, muffled cries.
"NOOO!! FATHER!!! MOTHER!!! BROTHER!!! SOMEONE HELP! I'M SCARED!"
A child's voice. A girl. Her sobs ripped through the still air. One of the men grunted.
"Shut that elf up. She's gonna attract attention."
The back doors to the van creaked open. One of them climbed in and I saw his face twist in a perverse grin.
"Damn... she's hot. Hey boss, how much do you think she'd sell for? Elf girls fetch a high price, don't they?"
"Heh," the boss chuckled, lighting a cigarette. "She's young. Still pure. A real beauty. With that face? Could make us millionaires."
The other man looked her up and down with a look that made my blood boil.
"We've worked hard. Why not have a little fun first?"
That was it.
I threw my sword without hesitation—straight through his skull.
The two remaining men froze in horror as their partner collapsed. I landed silently in front of them, my eyes cold behind the mask.
The closest man screamed and swung at me, his blade flashing in the moonlight. I ducked low, accelerating with my red lightning ability, and closed the distance.
Clang!
I swung, reinforcing my sword with mana, and sliced deep into his Achilles tendon. He collapsed with a howl.
"FUCK!!! MY FUCKING HEEL!!!"
The man scrambled out of reach, dragging his leg. "Boss! He's a mage! Be careful!"
The boss—Karou, from what the lackey called him—grabbed a large sword from the van, the blade already lit with orange flame as he infused it with mana.
"What are the chances? A masked brat like you's gonna sell just as well as the elf girl. Too bad you're not a girl—might've fetched more."
I stayed silent, rage swelling in my chest. These men didn't care about life—only coin.
"Name's Karou. Remember it," he said smugly. "And you're coming with me!"
He pointed his flaming blade at me, but he made one mistake.
He underestimated me.
Before his sentence was even finished, I was already behind his last standing man.
Slice.
A clean decapitation.
Karou's eyes widened in shock. He charged, flames flaring from his sword. He feinted a left swing, but his real target was my leg—he caught me, flipping me upside down with brute force.
Mid-flip, I reached out, grabbing his arm. I poured every ounce of my red lightning mana into my blade.
CRACK—SPLIT—PLOP!
"MOTHERFUCKER!!!"
Karou's arm detached cleanly and hit the ground with a wet thud.
I landed hard on my back, but quickly rolled to my feet. Blood sprayed from his shoulder as he staggered, clutching the stump.
"Y-you're DEAD!"
But his missing arm left a gaping hole in his defense.
I surged forward, dodging his desperate strike. Pivoting left, I caught him mid-swing—my foot swept behind his legs, throwing him off balance.
One clean strike.
Shk!My blade sliced through his ribs and pierced his lungs.
Karou collapsed in a heap. Dead.
I stood there, breathing heavily.
"Why do disgusting people like you even exist...?"
I turned toward the white van, heart pounding.
I opened the back doors—and froze.
She was beautiful.
A young elf girl. Light blue hair that shimmered in the moonlight. Her large turquoise-pink eyes were teary but unwavering. Her soft gown was torn, but she looked almost angelic—like someone from a dream. Maybe... even more beautiful than my mother.
For a moment, I couldn't believe someone like her existed in a world so cruel.
Snapping back to reality, I gently removed the duct tape from her mouth and sliced through the ropes binding her arms and legs.
Her eyes never left mine.
She stumbled slightly, and I helped her down from the van. It was getting dark—Sensei would be furious if I didn't return soon.
"You should be safe now," I said quietly. "You can go home."
She didn't move.
Instead, she stared at me. Worried. Maybe scared. Then, without warning, she threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
"Thank you for saving me!! I was so scared... they were going to sell me! I thought I'd never see my family again!"
Her voice cracked, trembling with emotion. Then she looked up at me, her eyes wide and sincere.
"Can you help me find my family?"
Blink blink.
She kept hugging me. My heart beat wildly.
Badump... badump...