Chapter 5: Battle with the Bandits

The night, once still and silent, now roared with chaos.

Bandits scrambled to their feet, some still dazed from sleep, others already gripping their weapons. The flickering bonfire cast jagged shadows over the clearing, illuminating the scene in eerie flashes of orange and black.

Harvis exhaled slowly, his stance shifting, weight balanced perfectly between his feet. His blindfold-covered eyes betrayed no emotion.

Then—

The first bandit lunged.

A towering brute of a man, wielding a massive axe. He swung in a wild arc, the blade whistling through the air.

But Harvis was already gone.

He slid beneath the attack with inhuman speed, the axe carving only empty space. Before the brute could react, Harvis twisted his body, delivering a sharp elbow to the man's ribs. A sickening crack followed as the bandit staggered backward, gasping.

Harvis didn't stop.

He pivoted, stepping forward in one fluid motion. His fingers brushed against the bandit's wrist—then, with a precise twist, he wrenched the axe from his grip.

The brute barely had time to register what had happened before the axe buried itself deep in his chest.

A gurgled scream—then silence.

One down.

Alex stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat.

That speed… that precision…

Harvis was playing with them.

The other bandits hesitated for a heartbeat—then roared in fury, charging all at once.

Harvis moved.

The first came at him with a sword, his attack fast but predictable. Harvis sidestepped, knocking the weapon aside with the back of his hand before driving his knee into the man's gut. As the bandit doubled over, Harvis spun behind him, grabbed the back of his head—slam—and smashed his face into a tree.

The second was already swinging.

Harvis ducked low, feeling the blade whistle just above his head. He grabbed the bandit's wrist and twisted—snap—a scream of agony tore through the night. The sword clattered to the ground. Harvis caught it mid-drop and drove it through the man's throat.

Blood sprayed across the dirt.

The third bandit hesitated—just for a moment.

Harvis vanished.

One second he was standing still—the next, he was directly in front of the man.

The bandit barely had time to blink before Harvis's palm slammed into his chest.

A shockwave burst through the air.

The force sent the bandit flying backward, crashing into a wooden crate with a loud crack. He did not get up.

The remaining bandits faltered, their earlier confidence crumbling into fear.

"This… this isn't normal," one whispered.

"He's a demon," another choked out.

Harvis rolled his shoulders, his expression unreadable behind the blindfold.

"Are you done?" he asked, his voice calm.

The bandits snarled in defiance, but their hands trembled on their weapons.

Then—

The bandit leader stepped forward.

He was different from the rest. Taller. Broader. A scar ran from his temple down to his jaw, his left eye clouded white. He carried no sword—only a pair of curved daggers, spinning effortlessly between his fingers.

Unlike the others, he did not charge recklessly.

He simply watched.

Studying. Calculating.

"You're fast," the leader said, his voice gravelly. "Stronger than you look."

Harvis said nothing.

"But speed alone won't save you."

Then he vanished.

Harvis's instincts screamed—he twisted just in time to block the first strike.

Steel met steel.

A shockwave rippled through the air as their blades clashed.

The leader was fast—very fast. His daggers blurred in the firelight, striking from every angle in a relentless storm.

Harvis countered everything.

He ducked, dodged, parried—moving with inhuman grace, his blade intercepting each attack with razor-sharp precision.

The leader grinned. "Not bad."

He kicked.

Harvis barely shifted in time—the blow grazed his ribs, sending him skidding backward. The leader pressed forward, closing the gap in an instant.

A dagger sliced toward Harvis's throat—he caught it with his bare hand.

Alex gasped.

Blood trickled from Harvis's palm—but he didn't flinch.

The leader's eyes widened.

Harvis smirked. "That all?"

Then—he twisted.

The dagger was ripped from the leader's grasp. In the same motion, Harvis flipped the weapon and drove it deep into the man's shoulder.

The leader stumbled back, eyes wide in disbelief.

Harvis didn't stop.

He lunged—fist slamming into the leader's gut. The air left his lungs in a painful wheeze.

Another blow—this time to the ribs.

Then a final, brutal strike to the jaw.

The leader collapsed.

The remaining bandits froze.

They stared at their fallen leader—then at Harvis.

He wasn't even breathing hard.

A long, tense silence.

Then—

The first bandit ran.

Then another.

Then the rest.

Within moments, the clearing was empty—only Harvis and the bodies remained.

Alex stood frozen, gripping Lily tightly. His breath came in short gasps, his hands shaking.

Harvis turned to him, wiping the blood from his hands. "You alright?"

Alex didn't respond.

His stomach churned.

The way Harvis had fought… the efficiency of it.

It wasn't just skill.

It was experience.

Harvis had done this before. Many times.

Alex swallowed. "You… you killed them."

Harvis tilted his head. "Yes."

"You didn't have to—"

Harvis's voice was sharp. "Yes. I did."

Alex flinched. "But—"

"They would have come after us. Again and again. I don't take chances."

Alex's fists clenched. "That's not—"

"Not what?" Harvis cut in. "Not right?" He let out a cold chuckle. "You want right and wrong? Then go back to your safe little world."

Alex bit his lip, unable to respond.

Harvis turned away. "We need to go before more of them come back."

The silver-haired girl stepped forward, her gaze lingering on Alex. "He's right. We should move."

Alex hesitated—but then felt Lily's small fingers tighten around his.

She was safe.

Because of Harvis.

Because of what he did.

Alex exhaled. "Fine."

No more words were spoken.

The three vanished into the forest, leaving the blood-stained clearing behind.

Behind them, the bandit leader stirred.

His fingers twitched.

His eyes fluttered open.

And then—

A low, rasping breath.