The bandits are the first to make a move, jumping out of the forest with close range weapons in hand.
There isn’t that big of a difference in our numbers, so if they’re choosing to come at us like this, is it safe to assume that they’re confident in their abilities?
The knights respond by holding up their shields, and taking position while paying close attention to the bandits’ movements.
“Urah!”
The bandits yell and charge.
We’re mostly just swinging our weapons at the ones directly in front of us, but when we subtract the wagon drivers and the ones guarding them, we’re still outnumbered.
Hikari and I split, and each move to one end of our line to support the knights being attacked by multiple people.
One bandit is taken by surprise when I suddenly jump out from behind a knight, and stumbles after his attack is repelled.
I don’t miss that chance, and quickly unleash a Swordslash. His sword is flung away, so I hit him with the flat of mine, leaving him unconscious.
I raise my head to look for my next opponent, but the battle is already over.
“Is it over?”
Richard walks over here while surveying the area around us. He then slowly unsheathes his sword, and swings it down.
“Wha!?”
His target is the bandit I left unconscious. The blade rips through his body, leaving a clearly fatal wound.
I look at Richard, and he speaks plainly with a rigid look on his face.
“It might be good to capture them alive, but that depends on the time and place. Right now, killing is the correct option. At the very least… Until we thin out their numbers more.”
His sharp eyes make it impossible for me to argue.
He’s right. If we leave him unconscious, he might recover and join them again while we fight. Even if we tied him up, he could still free himself.
From that point of view, killing is the right choice. The bandits still outnumber us three to one.
But…
“Are you all right, master?”
As I struggle with what is right, Hikari talks to me.
She grabs my hand, and looks up at me with a worried expression.
I close my eyes, and take deep breaths until I calm myself.
Then I picture it in my head. Killing a bandit… And I choke.
I have killed someone before, but even that doesn’t sit completely right with me.
Back then.. It was an emergency. For Mia’s sake.
No, that’s just an excuse I made for myself, in order to pull the trigger.
But what about now?
They’re the target of a subjugation quest, so it goes without saying that these bandits have been doing bad things. Regardless of their reasons, that fact doesn’t change.
They’re bad people coming at us to kill us. There’s no need to hold back.
But…
I open my eyes, and see Hikari’s.
They’re trembling with worry.
If I hold back, Hikari… I feel disgust, and it stops me from thinking any further.
I’m doing it again. Running away from what I do by making it about someone else.
I look at the bandits coming this way to make up my mind.
If I fire magic at that group now, that’ll be enough to end that threat.
I understand that, but that’s all. I can’t do it. Not yet anyway.
“Sora, you don’t have to be in front if it’s too much for you. You can focus only on protecting yourself when you’re attacked. Is that all right with you too, young lady?”
“Yes. Got it.”
Richard starts giving instructions, and the knights take up formation.
All I can do is watch from behind them.
The clash starts in a very simple way.
I guess neither side has long range attacks, and they both attack head on.
I’m honestly surprised that the bandits are crashing into the knights without waiting for the others. They’re throwing away their numerical advantage, but it might be because no one’s taking command on their side.
The second round ends with another overwhelming victory for the knights, and we start moving again.
Apparently they want to secure a place where they can fight without having to worry about dodging bandit corpses.
We follow the knights while watching their backs, and when they stop, we hear a flute.
The bandits running this way slow down, and slowly walk with their weapons in hand.
And then, the bandits running in the forest come out and join them.
If they attacked, they could’ve probably taken out one of the groups, but Richard didn’t give the order.
I would’ve probably hesitated too if I was in command.
The bandits approaching us now feel different than the others.
I think Hikari is feeling it too, because she’s putting away her dagger and gripping a throwing knife.
“Are they not retreating…”
The bandits’ fighting force has been almost halved.
These might be stronger than the others, but surely they saw how strong the knights are, even if they were far away.
I would’ve thought they would retreat into the forest, either to lure the knights there or to escape, but no. It looks like they’re planning to fight head on.
Could it be that this is just what bandits are like in this world?
“Master, they’re coming.”
And just as Hikari says, the third round starts.
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Thx for chapter. Yeah this 3rd round seems like it’s going to be a lot more dangerous, I wonder if mc will be able to kill a bandit
Thanks for the treat.
The problem with mainstream Japanese MC is… they’re mostly wimpy even if they have ABSOLUTE POWER~
They already said it’s fine to kill bandits since they do things monsters usually do or even worse~
Maybe this is a trial made by Ignis to check if Sora’s heart will break like the heroe’s did in the intermission
MC’s inability to do what’s needed will probably cost someone’s life.