The request

The small village where Aya and Nosil found themselves had long suffered under the shadow of bandit raids. Each year, these ruthless marauders would descend upon the villagers, demanding a share of the meager harvest. The fields, never bountiful to begin with, yielded even less under such oppressive terms.

For nearly six years, the cycle of extortion continued. Every harvest season, the villagers were threatened with the kidnapping of their daughters if they failed to comply. The fear and tension grew with each passing year, pushing the community to the brink of despair.

Fed up with the relentless plundering, the villagers decided to seek help from the Eris family's army. Desperation drove them to send a plea for protection, hoping the military might finally put an end to their suffering. However, their request seemed to fall on deaf ears. Months passed without any response, and hope began to wither away.

Just as the villagers were resigning themselves to another year of submission, a glimmer of hope appeared when Aya and Nosil, clad in military uniform, arrived in the village.

"We've waited so long, I can't believe you finally decided to help us..." one of the old women exclaimed. "Why are you late?" Her voice trembled with a mix of relief and frustration.

Nosil scratched his head, unsure how to respond, so he simply smiled. Aya, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"There are many requests from other villages," she explained gently. "You are not the only ones, as you know... The important thing is that we came now… right?"

Mina, a young girl, stepped forward, her brow furrowed in concern. "Why did only two of them come, Mother? The gang numbers in the dozens."

Mina's question echoed through the crowd, stirring a wave of confusion. The villagers began to murmur among themselves, "True, where are the rest? It is not possible that they sent only two soldiers… come on"

Aya's patience wore thin. "Thank you for the food," she said curtly. "We will take care of the thieves. Show us where they are."

Nosil looked at her in amazement. "Are we really going to do that? I thought our mission was different… you know"

Aya whispered in his ear, "We need a place to hide for a while until things calm down… And don't forget the food."

Nosil disagreed with her plan, but Aya dragged him outside by the head. Before leaving, she turned to the villagers. "Well... where do we find this gang?"

One of the women stood up and led Aya outside. Pointing to the top of the village's neutral mountain, she said, "They always come down from there… Their hideout is often at the top."

"Are you just going to go... and not kidding?" the woman asked, her voice quivering with concern and fear.

Aya looked at her confidently. "There's no need to be afraid… We'll come back after we take care of things… so long"

The villagers gathered to see Aya and Nosil off. "Be careful... they have no compassion," they called out. " Give them hell…".

Nosil, skeptical, turned to Aya. "Are we really going to do this? Since when do you care about such naive things?"

"Don't make a big deal out of it," Aya replied coldly. "We are just crushing some insects, nothing else. I will handle the matter myself, don't interfere."

Nosil sighed. "Okay, do what you see fit. Just don't bring me into the matter if Maya gets angry with you."

"Don't be afraid," Aya reassured him. "It has nothing to do with our mission… Just don't make a big deal out of it, okay?"

Nosil nodded reluctantly, and the duo headed into the forest, beginning their climb up the mountain. The steep, tree-covered terrain provided perfect camouflage for the gang's hideout.

As they ascended, they noticed footprints and traps scattered along the path, leading them to the hideout.

"Why don't you spare us from the fatigue of the climb?" Nosil complained, but Aya remained focused and advanced silently.

At the mountain's peak, guards spotted the approaching strangers and swiftly notified their leader, Vika—a strong, savage woman.

The gang, consisting of twenty-two members, included thieves, and criminals, in addition to some kidnapped girls' servants. They had built a stone-walled stronghold with a single guarded gate.

"Boss, we saw two kids ascending here. They wear military outfits... What should we do?" one of the guards reported.

Vika, indulging in her habits, was busy inside her room with a man she just selected, she took her time before responding.

She eventually emerged from her quarters, a mix of curiosity and suspicion on her face. "You said we have visitors!... Since when do we get visitors from the army?" she mused. "Did you say only two?"

"Yes, we only saw two, they are ascending right now" the guard confirmed.

Vika found the situation suspicious. "Okay... We don't want problems with the army… Ask them to leave. If they don't, greet them appropriately with our way..." she instructed.

The guards prepared for a possible confrontation, their unease growing. "Why do soldiers appear here now? What brought them?" Vika pondered. "It is unlikely that they sent high-ranking people just to catch us bandits. This is not the custom of the Erisians..."

"Then why are they here", guards replayed, Vika annoyed by their concerns, " hell how would I know that? Damnit". Everyone shouted up.

Aya and Nosil approached the stronghold, dodging arrows shot from behind the trees. A voice warned, "This is our territory. Go back… That was just a warning, but next time it will be serious."

Aya scoffed at the threat. "Do you call this a threat?"

Behind the trees, the bandits whispered nervously. "What will we do now? They look strong…Did you see how he avoided the arrows?" one asked.

"Shut up, you moron" his companion replied, hands trembling. "Boss will kill us if we fail to push them away."

Fear was evident among the bandits. "Don't mess with the Vika gang… This is the last warning."

Aya lost her patience. "If you don't get out now, I will cut all your throats," she threatened, her voice icy.

Nosil stepped forward. "Wait here a moment. I will talk to them," he said to Aya. Approaching the bandits, he was struck by an arrow, but he removed it effortlessly and continued advancing.

The bandits were stunned. "Is it possible that I didn't seriously injure him?" one muttered.

"Impossible... That arrow pierced his body. Only someone with a high rank would not fall from an injury like that," another said, their fear mounting.

Seeing that, the bandits started fleeing one after another.

Nosil grabbed one of the fleeing bandits. "Okay, Vika gang… We only want to talk to you. Where is your hospitality?"

The captured bandit, trembling, nodded in agreement. Aya joined Nosil, and they followed the bandit to Vika's stronghold.

Inside, Vika was furious at her men's failure. "Fools... How can you escape from just two soldiers?"

"But, leader... They are not just two ordinary soldiers. We pierced his body with arrows, but nothing happened to him," the bandits explained, fear evident in their voices.

Vika, angrier than ever, "Get lost fools", then she prepared for battle. Outside, Nosil and Aya reached the stronghold's gate. They were greeted by the sight of small huts, animal pens, and chickens roaming around.

They marched dipper, witnessing the life hood of the gang.

Finally, they arrived at the main house in the center which Vika stays at.

The bandit opened the door fearfully and announced, "Chief... the two strangers want to talk to you."

"Let them in," Vika commanded. As soon as the door opened, the bandit ran away.

Nosil entered first but was met with a swift arrow. Aya caught it mid-air and tossed it aside. "You can take things from here now," Nosil whispered to her.

Inside, Vika sat on her chair, surrounded by her men. "Are you the leader here?" Aya asked.

Vika responded with a glance. "What if I am? What's your problem?"

"I just want to ask you for a favor," Aya replied.

Vika was puzzled. Why would a soldier come all this way to ask a favor from a gang? As Vika pondered, Nosil sat near the door, sunlight streaming onto his body. The sight triggered a memory in Vika—an ancient legend about a terrifying creature destined to eliminate humanity. Her body shivered with fear.

Vika knelt suddenly, ordering her men to do the same. Confused and reluctant, seeing the pride of their fierce boss crushed wasn't something easy for them, they hesitated but ultimately obeyed. "What are you waiting for? Show your respect right now," Vika demanded.

Everyone knelt before Nosil, who was as puzzled as Aya. But when the men raised their heads, they saw a red light streaming from Nosil's body—a sign visible only to those who showed respect.

It was one of the marks that belonged to the legendary hero RAM.

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