The village of roots and crimson leaves trembled with life as Jack led Lys, Rigel, and Siora through the narrow pathways. Houses were carved into the massive trees, others dug beneath the thick roots, creating a layered haven of wooden bridges and glowing oil lamps. It was hidden, quiet, and alive with fearful eyes.
From the shadows, faces peeked out. Men and women, pale and thin, watched as the three strangers walked past, strangers who carried themselves like gods in armor of otherworldly craftsmanship.
Lys moved like a spirit among them, her white hair catching the dim light, her calm aura pressing down on the air like soft gravity. Rigel, walking beside her, stretched lazily, his armor faintly humming with restrained telekinetic energy. Siora trailed slightly behind, brushing blood off her gauntlet, her gaze sweeping over every movement in the treetops.
Whispers spread quickly.
"Who are they?"
"They don't look like mercenaries…"
"Those armors… are they blessed by runes?"
"Or cursed…"
The murmurs followed them like ripples in a pond. The villagers' awe was mixed with fear, they could feel unknown power leaking from these strangers, subtle and heavy.
Rigel tilted his head, smirking. "So, Lys, how exactly do we announce ourselves to these people? Tell them they're all being relocated to Aethelgard like it's a picnic?"
Jack glanced nervously between them. "M-maybe we should call for the elder first, my lady. But the Red Bands—"
He never finished.
A thunderous crack shattered the air. The earth shook beneath their feet as dust and leaves burst upward from the village square.
Dozens, no, hundreds of Red Band soldiers emerged from the shadows and rooftops, blades and spears flashing in the dim light.
Rigel's smile widened. "Ah. Now that's an announcement."
Then came the thud, heavy, deliberate, and ground-splitting.
A figure dropped from the highest tree like a meteor, landing with such force that the earth itself splintered beneath him.
He stood tall easily twice Rigel's height with muscles like sculpted stone and tattoos glowing faintly red along his arms. His hair was ash-gray, his eyes gleaming like molten iron.
Jack's breath hitched. "N-Nod…" he whispered in horror. "That's Nod. He's powerful as the vice captain of the red bands…"
Nod rolled his shoulders, the sound of popping joints echoing through the clearing. "Well, well…" he rumbled, voice deep as a cave. "What do we have here? Fancy dolls walking into my village?"
Rigel took one look at the man and snorted. "Your village? You mean the place you're using as a playground for extortion and slavery? I must say, your decor's impressive, I particularly like the smell of piss and misery."
Nod's eyes narrowed. "You talk too much, boy."
Rigel rested his sword lazily on his shoulder. "And you look too stupid to be that big. Must be hard breathing with all that muscle clogging your skull."
The air thickened. A ripple of killing intent spread through the Red Bands.
Jack took a half-step back, heart hammering. He could feel the weight of it, the tension that comes before a storm.
Lys finally spoke, her voice soft, almost serene.
"Rigel. Siora. Test their worth. Let me observe how this world measures against ours."
Rigel's grin sharpened. "Gladly."
Siora cracked her knuckles, her expression unreadable. "As you wish, my lady."
Hundreds of Red Band soldiers drew their weapons.
Rigel lifted his sword. "Siora, the crowd's yours. I'll play with the big one."
Siora didn't answer, she simply leapt upward, her telekinetic aura igniting in a burst of blue light. The air around her exploded outward, and she vanished into motion, diving toward the swarming soldiers like a falling star.
The villagers screamed as the ground trembled again, Siora's descent marked the start of a massacre.
But Lys didn't move. She simply watched. The twin wolf pups in her arms whimpered softly, and her eyes were calm, distant and reflected the chaos ahead.
Inside her mind, Kyle's voice resonated, low and steady.
"Lys, keep the villagers safe. Make sure none of them get caught in the crossfire."
"Yes, my lord," she answered silently, raising one gloved hand. A faint, translucent barrier of telekinetic energy rippled outward from her, wrapping the entire village square in a dome of invisible force.
Screams, explosions, and metal crashes echoed within, but none crossed beyond.
---
Rigel turned back to Nod, the smirk faintly lingering on his lips.
The giant towered before him, muscle and rune-lit fury, his steps cracking the ground like drums of war.
Rigel's eyes narrowed slightly. Then he raised his hand.
The air folded inward with a violent rush. A burst of telekinetic pressure struck like a hammer, sending Nod skidding backward through a fence, through trees, until his body smashed into a thick trunk. The impact split it in two, the sound echoing across the village.
Gasps rippled through the Red Bands.
Nod staggered forward, blood dripping from his mouth, grinning through the pain. Runes crawled across his flesh like molten veins.
"Not bad," he growled, his voice rumbling through the clearing.
Rigel's gaze sharpened, but his expression stayed calm, almost bored. He raised his sword, its edge glimmering faintly blue.
Nod slammed his fists together, triggering a surge of enchantments. The air around him warped, the ground fracturing beneath his feet as he lunged.
He moved fast, too fast for a man his size. His punch struck like thunder, shattering the air itself.
Rigel met it with a thought.
The blow stopped midair, his telekinesis halting the strike inches from his face. The ground under Nod cratered from the redirected force. Rigel flicked his wrist, sending a shockwave that hurled Nod backward, smashing him through the remains of a hut.
Wood splintered. Dust rose. Nod roared in defiance.
He charged again, blood steaming on his skin. Each step shook the soil, every rune along his body burning brighter, threatening to tear his flesh apart.
Rigel descended lightly from the air, feet touching the ground with ghostlike grace. His sword moved before him, guided not by his hands but by his mind.
The first slash carved across Nod's chest, drawing a fountain of blood. The second followed immediately, horizontal, driving him sideways into the dirt.
Nod roared again, striking upward with both fists. The blows met invisible resistance, bursting the air apart in concussive waves. Trees toppled, soil ripped open. Rigel stepped through it all untouched.
A flick of his finger and Nod's arm twisted sideways, bones cracking. The giant bellowed, swinging wildly with his remaining strength. Rigel sidestepped, eyes cold, and sent him crashing to his knees with a telekinetic shove that flattened the grass around them in a perfect circle.
The villagers could only watch the impossible, one man dismantling a monster.
Nod staggered up again, his body leaking light from overstrained sigils. "You… bastard…" he snarled.
Rigel said nothing. His sword flicked once more. The cut ran from shoulder to hip, deep enough to expose glowing muscle beneath. Blood splattered across the dirt, sizzling faintly.
Still Nod didn't fall.
He charged again, roaring through broken ribs, every rune on his body blazing in defiance. He swung with both arms, raw power breaking the air apart.
Rigel raised his hand.
The strike froze.
Nod's body jerked mid-motion, every muscle locked in place as invisible force wrapped around him like chains. The ground cracked under the weight.
Rigel clenched his fist.
The air imploded.
Nod's body slammed into the ground hard enough to crater it. The impact sent debris flying, trees bending under the shockwave.
For a moment, silence.
Then Nod stirred, coughing blood, forcing himself up again with trembling arms. His body was half broken, but his eyes still burned red.
Rigel finally stepped forward, expression devoid of amusement now.
"Durable," he muttered under his breath.
The sword vanished from his side, reappearing above Nod, suspended in the air. It plunged downward like lightning.
Nod raised both arms, catching the blade between his palms. The force drove him to his knees, his bones creaking, blood spraying from reopened wounds.
Rigel's eyes glowed faintly.
The sword ignited in blue flame.
Nod's scream echoed through the dome as the weapon drove him into the earth, the light swallowing his silhouette. The impact thundered across the square, shaking the barrier Lys had raised.
When the dust cleared, Nod still breathed, barely. Half-buried, his body was mangled, yet his spirit refused to die.
Rigel exhaled slowly, brushing blood from his lip. He looked down at the ruin of the man beneath him.
"Strong," he murmured, turning away. "But not enough."