The market of Kertarimba Village finally fell silent. The bodies of the Bhayangkara knights were scattered everywhere, and blood flowed through the gaps in the dirt roads. Several stalls had been destroyed from the earlier battle, yet amidst all the chaos, Sancaka still stood tall. His body was barely injured.
The black gunblade in his hand still dripped with fresh blood. The group of Bhayangkara knights from earlier had not been a threat to him at all. Sancaka slowly looked around the market.
Fruits were scattered across the ground. Freshwater fish had fallen out of wooden buckets. Vegetables were trampled together with blood. The market that had once been lively with trade had suddenly become a small battlefield.
Then Daiva stepped out from her hiding place and immediately hugged Sancaka body. The child smiled brightly.
"Sa… Sa… ca…"
Even though her speech was stuttered and difficult to understand, Daiva face looked incredibly happy. Sancaka stared at the little girl for several seconds.
"Thank goodness you're alright, Daiva," Sancaka said.
He felt relieved seeing that Daiva had not been hurt. Then Sancaka remembered something. Daiva had been accused of stealing fish because she was hungry. Sancaka gaze fell upon an apple rolling near his feet. Fortunately, the fruit had not been stained by blood or dirt.
Sancaka picked up the apple and handed it to Daiva. Daiva immediately accepted it with sparkling eyes.
"Kha…"
CRUNCH.
The child immediately bit into the apple eagerly. Sancaka watched her for a few moments. Seeing Daiva eat made his mind feel slightly calmer.
"Finished eating? Let's go," Sancaka said.
Sancaka held Daiva hand and guided her away from the market area. Daiva simply followed obediently. While walking, her other hand still held the apple near her mouth.
CRUNCH.
The moment they stepped out of the market district, Sancaka immediately stopped. Because standing ahead of them were far more Bhayangkara knights, dozens of fully armed soldiers. Several villagers from Kertarimba stood behind them while pointing toward Sancaka.
"That's him!" one villager shouted. "He just killed many knights in the market!"
"Capture him now!" another villager yelled.
The atmosphere instantly became tense. Sancaka calmly observed the number of enemies before him. His red eyes moved from one knight to another, counting them silently. Meanwhile, Daiva beside him continued casually chewing her apple. She looked so calm, as if she did not realize the situation was dangerous.
CRUNCH.
Suddenly, Sancaka smelled medicine again.
"That medicinal smell again?"
WHUSSH!!
Someone suddenly jumped down from the rooftop of a house.
BRAK.
The red haired girl had appeared once more. Alfa stood directly between Sancaka and the Bhayangkara knights. Her black gloves looked slightly wet, as if they had just been cleaned repeatedly. She took a deep breath full of enthusiasm. Then she dramatically spread both her arms.
"I have returned!" Alfa declared.
The Bhayangkara knights only stared at her in confusion.
Alfa pointed toward the sky.
"I am, Alfa, will kill every Dharma in Uranion!" Alfa proclaimed confidently.
Then she waited for everyone's reaction. At first, Alfa expected everyone to be terrified. Instead, the Bhayangkara knights only stared at her blankly.
"Hey, what are you doing standing there? Move aside already," one knight said.
"Who even is she? Is she a local here?" another knight asked.
"She's not from this village. Probably just another weird girl passing through," one villager answered.
Alfa face slowly stiffened.
"…Huh?"
Behind her, Sancaka simply let out a long sigh. He was starting to believe that this red haired girl simply loved attention. Meanwhile, Daiva finished eating her apple. The child suddenly smiled brightly while clapping her hands.
"Ta… ta…"
CLAP CLAP.
Alfa blinked slowly. Her gaze lowered toward Daiva. A little girl stood beside Sancaka, smiling at her with admiration. Alfa immediately became slightly awkward.
"…Eh? Whose child is that?" Alfa wondered internally. She looked at Daiva, then looked at Sancaka. Inside her mind, Alfa began confusing herself.