"Who are you guys?" William asked, stepping forward in front of me and Bob. He gripped his axe with both hands, completely unfazed by the whole stunt Phoenix just pulled.
"Do you guys know him?" Evelyn whispered to us from the side.
"Actually... we kinda accidentally bumped two of them when we first entered the forest," Bob replied, scratching the back of his head.
Phoenix put her curved dagger behind her neck with a tap and a smirk. "We are...Black Eagle."
"So you guys are Black Eagle," Maya said flatly, her cold gaze sweeping over the group like a targeting system. "The ones with a bounty from the palace for stealing from the vault."
"Oooops..." Phoenix said with mock surprise, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Looks like our little shopping trip got leaked."
The crew laughed and grinned like background actors whose only role...well, laughing and grinning.
"Enough chatting," Phoenix said, still smiling. "Now tell us, fat guy and... the other one. Where are our belongings? It's not very polite to steal from others, you know."
"I'm not fat guy! I'm Bob, and this is Alan!" Bob snapped. Ah yes, thanks Bob, for introducing us to the people who literally want our heads.
"And for the record, those items weren't yours to begin with," Bob added, puffing his chest. "We just returned what wasn't yours and plan to bring it back to the palace!"
"So the whole 'we're selling rare items' thing was a lie, huh?" Evelyn said, side-eyeing us so hard it might've left a dent in our pride.
We both smiled awkwardly, trying our best to look like innocent babies caught with cookie crumbs on our faces.
"Luckily, the treasure's not even with us," Bob whispered, visibly relieved. "You stashed it under the bed at the inn, right?"
While still safely behind William, our human shield, I blinked. I reached into my bag. Then opened it.
Inside, glittering like doom itself, was the red jewel and every single shiny thing we looted from the bandits.
Oops.
I turned to Bob with the most apologetic, dumb smile I could muster.
Bob froze. Then hissed through his teeth in a very loud whisper, "Why did you bring it here?! I told you to hide it under the bed at the inn!"
"I planned to, but I was too tired last night and ended up falling asleep," I said, offering the kind of excuse you'd give for not doing your homework.
"What are you whispering down there for? For the last time, give us our treasure back!" Phoenix snapped, clearly starting to lose her patience.
The other bandits began to move in, spreading out into a half-circle that neatly cut off our path back to town.
"We have to fight again? Ugh, my legs are already tired..." Evelyn groaned like someone being dragged out of bed for school on a Monday.
Maya chimed in, "Do we fight, William? My mana's already below half. It'll be risky to face them now." She looked at William, awaiting his call.
William's brain was working overtime. As the leader, it was on him to come up with a plan, to fight or to retreat.
With the team's current condition, fighting back was a massive risk. The enemies looked organized, and with that dangerously intimidating woman leading them, their chances of survival were paper-thin.
Retreat? Also a gamble. The bandits had already blocked the path back to town. If they tried escaping in the other direction, there was a high chance the party would get split up, and get lost, and getting lost in this forest was pretty much signing your own death certificate.
William glanced at his party members. All of them looked determined, tense, and on high alert. Memories of his last expedition with his seniors flashed through his mind. He clenched his teeth and said:
"Guys, run. I'll hold them off."
He looked dead serious.
"Woooow. A true gentleman! I love this kind of guy," P-Cock said, wiggling his body in a dramatic, girly fashion that made a few of the bandits visibly gag.
"I'm sorry, everyone," I said, my eyes fixed on the ground. "Because of us… you're all caught up in this."
"It's fine, Alan," William replied firmly. "I already chose to let you join us. Whatever happens now, it's a risk I already accepted."
"What are you even saying, Will?" Evelyn snapped. "You think we'll just leave you behind like that? No way. We're in this together. No one's getting abandoned."
She raised her bow, arrow already nocked. Her eyes shimmered slightly, maybe with tears, but her gaze was sharp and unwavering.
"Do you think we're still little girls, William?" Maya said, her voice steady as she raised her staff. "We're old enough to take care of ourselves."
Watching them, something stirred inside me, a heat, a fire, a sudden burst of courage that I didn't know I had.
"Yeah, bring it on! I'll fight them too!" Bob shouted.
Even the otaku guy beside me felt the heat, his eyes were blazing with fire.
"Looks like we don't have a choice," I said, stepping forward. With a flick of my ring, I summoned a sword : sleek, black, and elegant. The sunlight hit it just right, making it gleam dramatically.
For a moment, I actually looked like a main character… you know, the kind who stands up after getting beat down and says something cool.
Too bad I was still shaking on the inside.
"You guys…" William looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. "Then let's go to hell together!"
Hell?
Hell no.
I'm not ready to die yet! Please don't jinx it, man!
"Yeah, that's better!" Crow said with a sneer, spinning his dagger through the air before catching it with a flourish. His grin widened, sharp and eager, like he was moments away from slicing someone just for fun.
"Huhh... I hate bloodshed," P-Cock sighed dramatically. Then, without skipping a beat, he reached behind his back and pulled out a pair of spiked knuckles, slipping them onto both hands. "I really hope we don't end up fighting... hmmm."
The way he said it with his obviously forced feminine voice, tilted head, that fake pout, that didn't match at all with the violent gleam in his eyes or the way he flexed his fingers like he was imagining someone's skull between them. He was about to crack heads like watermelons at a summer picnic.
"You guys are really courting death, huh?" Phoenix said coldly. Her eyes gleamed with menace. "Well, if you insist… we'll grant you a quick one."
With a subtle gesture of her left hand, she signaled to P-Cock.
"Yes, sis?" he responded, stepping forward acting like a cute idol girl.
"Don't kill those two," she said, pointing subtly toward me and Bob. "We still need answers about the treasure. The rest? Do whatever you want."
Her voice was calm, almost sweet, but the command sent a chill down my spine.
"Got it, sis," P-Cock nodded. Then, raising one hand like a cheerleader, he announced to the crew,
"You heard her, everyone! Spare those two guys and do whatever you want with the other three! Have fun!"
"YEAHHH!"
The bandits roared in excitement, grinning wildly as they readied their weapons.
Then… silence.
Everyone stood ready, weapons drawn, eyes locked on their enemies. No one moved, but the air was thick with tension.
The only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the wind… and the distant chirping of birds.
A strange contrast to the storm that was about to erupt.