Chapter 9 – Night Hunt

The sun was setting when Makino noticed something strange.

He didn't show up today.

For the past few days, that mysterious man – Yato – had been coming to the bar every afternoon. Always calm, always with that sharp gaze that seemed to see more than it should. They would talk, exchange a few words, and he even helped her with some tasks when he saw she needed it. Nothing too special.

And still, she found herself waiting to see him walk through the door.

Makino sighed, feeling her face warm.

She already had someone she liked, or at least that's what she thought. It had been so long since she'd seen that person that she was starting to question her own feelings.

But before she could get lost in those thoughts, the bar door swung open with force.

She turned, and her heart raced.

Eleven men walked in at once, dirty, smelling of booze and sweat. Bandits.

The bar fell silent.

The customers looked at the men cautiously, but no one said a word. It wasn't uncommon to get strangers in, but these guys... they were here for trouble.

Makino took a deep breath and forced a professional smile.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she said, grabbing a cloth to wipe the counter. "What can I get you?"

The leader, a short and stocky man with a scar on his forehead, smirked.

"I want you to stay quiet and make this easy for us, girl."

Makino felt a chill run down her spine.

"If you want something to drink, I can—"

CRASH!

A chair flew at the shelf of bottles behind the counter, shattering glass everywhere.

She took a step back, swallowing hard.

The situation was spiraling out of control fast.

"Hey!" One of the villagers stood up, clenching his fists. "You think you can come in here and do whatever you want?"

The leader of the bandits didn't even bother responding. He just turned and punched the man in the face, sending him crashing to the floor. Before anyone could react, two more bandits began kicking him mercilessly.

No one else moved.

The customers looked away, some already standing up to leave in silence.

Makino tried to step back, but before she could move, she felt rough hands grabbing her arms.

"Looks like we found what we came for," one of the bandits said, tying her wrists.

"Let me go!" She tried to pull her arms free, but the knots were tight.

Another man threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

She saw the bar's customers, frozen, eyes full of fear.

No one would do anything.

And so, the bandits left the bar, taking her straight into the forest.

---

Time was a valuable tool, and I couldn't act as if I already knew about the kidnapping. If I rushed after the bandits right after they took Makino, it could raise suspicions.

So, I waited.

Thirty minutes.

Long enough to ensure the bandits were far away and that when I went to the village, my reaction would seem genuine. During that time, I watched their movements through my falcon's eyes. The group moved slowly through the forest, carrying Makino and stopping occasionally to argue about the path.

When the time was right, I headed down to the village.

The bar was my first stop.

The door was wide open, one of its hinges broken, leaving it hanging from one side. Inside, the place was wrecked. Glass shards were scattered everywhere, tables and chairs lay in pieces, empty bottles rolled across the floor. The strong smell of alcohol mixed with freshly broken wood still lingered in the air. But there was no one there.

I left the bar and went straight to Mayor Woop Slap's house.

I already knew where it was. In my first days in the village, I learned who the authority figures were, and the grumpy old man was the main one. If something happened in the village, this was where people gathered to complain or ask for help.

When I arrived, I found a group of villagers outside. Fifteen, maybe more, murmuring amongst themselves, worried.

I approached quickly, my face set in a concerned expression.

"What happened at the bar?"

My sudden arrival made everyone turn to me. The mayor studied me for a moment before answering.

"Mountain bandits," he said, irritated. "They stormed in, wrecked the place, and…"

He paused, clenching his fists.

"They took Makino," one of the women added, her voice trembling.

I let my expression harden, showing exactly what they expected to see—rage and shock.

Before the mayor could continue speaking, I turned and ran.

"Hey! Wait, boy!" he shouted after me. "If you go after them alone, you'll get yourself killed!"

But I was already gone.

My spear was hidden in a hole between the roots of a tree at the village's edge, a spot I had chosen specifically for moments like this. I grabbed it without wasting time.

It was a simple yet functional weapon. A rustic wooden shaft, slightly thicker at the base for a better grip. The blade at the tip was a sharpened piece of iron I found in an abandoned camp days ago—probably a tool someone had lost. The attachment wasn't perfect, but it was sturdy enough for a short battle.

I climbed the mountain swiftly, knowing the path well enough to avoid making noise. My shadows moved around me, restless, as if eager for what was to come.

As I neared the camp, I moved even more silently.

Then, I saw him.

One of the bandits.

Leaning against a tree, distracted, staring at a beetle crawling on the ground.

I gripped my spear and advanced slowly, each step measured. When I was close enough, the idiot finally noticed my presence. His eyes widened.

But it was too late.

With a firm motion, I threw the spear.

The metal pierced his neck with ease, the impact slamming him against the tree. His hands shot up to his throat, blood spurting between his fingers as he choked. His eyes filled with desperation, his mouth opening and closing, trying to gulp air that could no longer reach his lungs.

His knees buckled, and after a few seconds, he collapsed forward, writhing until the light faded from his eyes.

But his final breath wasn't quiet enough.

I heard footsteps approaching.

Two bandits.

I quickly hid behind a tent, keeping perfectly still.

"Did you hear that?" one of them asked, his voice tense.

"Yeah… What the—" He froze when he saw his fallen comrade.

They stood frozen for a moment.

"Shit," the other muttered, eyes scanning the forest. "Someone's here…"

They took a step forward, searching between the trees. One of the fools even raised the torch he was holding, trying to illuminate the darkness.

I took advantage of the distraction.

Grabbing a stone, I crept up behind one of them.

Without hesitation, I swung my arm and slammed it into the back of his head with full force.

The sound was muffled, but the sensation was clear.

His skull caved under the impact.

He dropped like a sack of potatoes, not even having time to react.

The other turned just in time to see his friend hit the ground. His face twisted in horror before he charged at me, sword raised.

But what he didn't expect…

Was my shadow moving before he could reach me.

Black hands emerged from the ground, gripping his ankles. He stumbled, crashing face-first into the dirt.

Before he could react, another pair of hands appeared, pinning his wrists down.

He screamed, struggling uselessly against the shadows' grip.

I crouched, grabbed his sword, and without ceremony, drove it into his back, straight through his heart.

His body convulsed for a second, then fell still.

For a moment, only silence remained.

I stood up, observing the three corpses. I had overestimated these bandits. They were even more pathetic than I had imagined.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward into the camp without hesitation.

But the last bandit's scream before dying had already alerted the others.

As I neared the camp's center, I saw eight of them gathered.

They stood with weapons drawn.

I didn't back down.

On the contrary.

I smiled.

"You kidnapped the wrong person."

My voice echoed through the camp, loud enough to pass through the tents and reach Makino, wherever she was.

If she didn't know I was here yet… she did now.