**Chapter 59 – The Journey to the Academy (Part 1: Day 2 – Rain and Bandits)**
**Day 2 – The Bandit Attack**
Second day: denser forest, the smell of damp moss and old rot. The sun barely penetrated the tall canopies, green light filtered like in a forgotten temple. Bandits attacked at noon—8 men reeking of rancid sweat and cheap alcohol, torn clothes, rusted weapons, hungry eyes gleaming with greed. "Fresh merchandise, orphans are worth gold!" shouted the leader, a scarred human, sword raised.
Joker and Harley acted first, pure madness shining in their eyes. Joker leaped from the carriage without using shadows—just running with a long knife from the storage, plunging it into the leader's neck with brute force, hot blood spraying across his face like red rain. The bandit fell gurgling, metallic scent filling the air. Harley followed, no hammer—just fists and laughter, kicking another's knee until the bone cracked like dry wood, then stepping on his throat until the final snap, laughing loudly: "Come on, come on, you fifth-rate clowns!"
Only then came the full madness—powers mixed with insane creativity.
Joker summoned shadows, but not as usual: they formed **giant clowns** dancing around the bandits, distracting them while he slashed tendons with the knife, blood spraying in arcs. The bandits screamed, shadows laughing like an insane audience.
Harley grabbed the pink hammer (now giant) and spun like a tornado—but not to crush directly. She slammed it into the ground, creating a **pink shockwave** that made the bandits stumble, then jumped on one and smashed the hammer into his skull with brute force—sound of bone cracking like thunder, pink brain splattering like hot confetti.
The other children joined with variety:
- Sylvara made **thorny vines** grow from the earth, wrapping arms and legs like living chains, thorns tearing flesh, fresh blood scent filling the air.
- Lirien sang a quick prophecy: "Weakness in the throat!"—guiding Astrid, who leaped and buried orc claws in throats, blood gushing hot.
- Rina used pink fire tails to burn hands holding weapons, the smell of charred flesh filling the air.
- Kuroe's chaos runes—bandits went mad, attacking each other with knives, blood spraying in red arcs.
- Marina released **superheated steam** straight into eyes, blinding and burning skin.
- Lysithea finished with "eternal hug"—hands enveloping the last bandit, bones imploding slowly with internal cracking sounds until silence.
Five minutes. Eight mutilated bodies, suffering before death: forced dances, living fears, illusions of eternal pain. Tomas, pale, fell to his knees: "You… are absolute monsters. I've never seen anything like it." Joker smiled, wiping blood from the knife: "Good monsters. Family monsters." Harley laughed, spinning the hammer: "And we're just warming up!"
Group hug afterward—thirteen bodies covered in blood and mud, laughing and crying from adrenaline. Lysithea whispered: "You are my greatest madness… and my greatest pride."
(to be continued…)