“C-Chief?”

  “The sooner you open your mouth, the better it will be for you.”

  Sharv glanced at Varsha and said.

  “Varsha, hold his hands.”

  “Hands?”

  Varsha didn’t quite understand, but she didn’t think too much at the moment and simply did as Sharv instructed.

  Grip!

  She moved behind the bandit and gripped his arms tightly. The bandit had no idea what they were going to do to him.

  Shiver!

  When a person is faced with the unknown something unfamiliar, or a situation he cannot predict—his mind begins to race uncontrollably.

  So much so that fear takes root in his heart, even if the unknown thing or circumstance is completely harmless.

  And the same thing was happening to this bandit. He didn’t know what Sharv would do to him next, and his head began filling with terrifying thoughts.

  Sharv stared at him in a completely emotionless manner.

  He understood this human instinct, 'the fear of the unknown', and was deliberately using that emotion against the bandit.

  Flinch!

  The bandit felt even more terrified the longer he looked into Sharv’s eyes. And soon enough, he decided it was better to open his mouth.

  “C-Chief!… you’ll find him a little west from here! In the west there’s a small village named Duriya! We captured that village and turned it into our base! The Chief, his name is Abhimanyu, you’ll find him there! Please, let me go!...sob!sob!”

  The bandit broke down crying.

  Sharv placed his hand on the bandit’s head and said,

  “It’s good that you spoke. But I cannot let you live. Your death is certain. If not by me, then by her. One of us will kill you. So abandon any hope of survival.”

  ‘!!!’

  “So now that he’s finished talking, can I kill him?”

  Varsha asked.

  Sharv removed his hand and gave Varsha a nod. Seeing that, the bandit’s mind went blank.

  He was stupid, and driven by fear. These two kids had already killed their whole group and now only he was alive.

  Why would they even bother to let him live? At last he realized; there was no way he was leaving here alive.

  Varsha smirked. She released the bandit’s hands, drew her sword. The bandit begged her,

  “No...sob! Please...Let me live, sob! sob! I have kids bac...”

  But with a single strike, she severed his head from his body. The moment she cut off the bandit’s head, a deep sense of satisfaction filled her.

  These bandits had chased her for so many days, tormenting her endlessly. She was saved by Sharv back then.

  Right now she's here to get Sharv join her, but she also want to kill all of those bastards by herself too.

  She had been carrying a great deal of anger toward them, and now it finally burst out.

  Varsha turned toward Sharv and asked.

  “So, are we going to Duriya village now?”

  “...What do you mean we?”

  “We. As in both of us?”

  “Don’t lump me together with you. I came here to find my uncle’s killer. You’re only here to settle your score with these bandits. Our paths are different.”

  ‘Tch! Looks like bringing him along won’t be easy…’

  Then she said,

  “But at the very least, you’ll need someone’s help to fight the White Frost Bandits’ Chief, Abhimanyu. After all, you’re searching for that spear-wielding martial artist, aren’t you? Even if our paths are different, our goal is the same; to kill the Chief. And you want that too, don’t you? Because these bandits had a hand in your uncle’s murder.”

  Sharv said nothing.

  Everything Varsha had said was true. Even if their reasons were different, their destination was the same.

  And Sharv, deep inside, wanted to wipe out these bandits as well because they had given a map to that spear martial artist, who directly or indirectly found and killed his uncle because of it.

  But if he had to face such a large bandit force, he would need help. This wasn’t some fantasy tale where Sharv was the hero who could kill them all alone.

  He would need assistance from someone.

  “Haa! As soon as this Chief is killed by us, after that, you go your way, I’ll go mine.”

  Sharv said, then began walking westward. Varsha smiled, and in her heart she thought.

  ’I won’t let you slip away so easily.’

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ***

  In a pitch-dark room, a man sat on a chair by a table. His face was hidden by the shadows, but his hands and feet were pale, white as milk.

  The man had long hair, and as he sat there, it seemed like he was waiting for someone to arrive.

  Knock! Knock!

  Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in.”

  the long haired man said, and the person standing behind the door opened it and stepped inside.

  The man walked a few steps, then stopped in front of the table, lowered his head slightly, clasped his hands together, and spoke respectfully to the man seated on the chair.

  “I pay my respects to the Society Leader.”

  The long haired man seated on the chair was none other than the Society Leader of the Crimson Heaven Society.

  The Society Leader gestured for the man to sit. The visitor, who was actually the, Vice Leader, quietly sat down.

  Then the Society Leader asked:

  “Vice Leader, the matter we discussed, when will it arrive?”

  The Vice Leader thought for a moment before speaking:

  “As you commanded, we have already sent the Third Elder to retrieve it. Soon he will bring back ‘that thing’ from the White Frost Bandits. It should be in our possession by this evening. But…”

  The Vice Leader hesitated. He knew what he was about to say would anger the Leader, yet he had no choice.

  Taking a deep breath, he continued,

  “…the fifteen orphan children we requested might take some more time.”

  The Society Leader glared at him with fury.

  “I told you, our time is running out!”

  The Vice Leader felt suffocated under the weight of his Leader’s rage.

  The objects on the table, glasses, wine, fruit, flowers began to tremble under the pressure of the Society Leader’s power. Closing his eyes, the Vice Leader spoke cautiously.

  “…Yes, I understand, Society Leader. But I also have a good solution for this problem.”

  The Leader’s anger lessened a little. He looked at him and asked.

  “…Speak. What is your solution?”

  “My idea is that instead of those fifteen orphans, we can use the top new candidates who arrive this year.”

  The Leader took a long, thin pipe, smoked it, then said.

  “The top new candidates of this year?…Hmm. Continue.”

  “The children who come this year to take the entrance trial, the top candidates, we can use them. No one would suspect those new children are from Crimson Heaven Society, because they are newly recruited.”

  “...”

  ”...And since they will already have gone through the trials, their combat skills and strength will be far greater than those orphans. That way, we won’t need to waste time training the orphans to fight and kill. This will save us valuable time... And it would also be a great move to see if there is any traitorous intentions among the higher ups within the Society. That is my proposal. But of course, the final decision rests in your hands, Society Leader.”

  The Society Leader paused in thought. The Vice Leader’s logic was sound. It would save time, and would also accelerate the plan he had in mind.

  ‘The Vice Leader doesn’t seem like a traitor…’

  The Society Leader had spent many years working alongside him in the Crimson Heaven Society.

  Not once had he felt even the slightest hint of betrayal. The Vice Leader had always been the most loyal, yet the Leader never fully trusted anyone.

  After hearing this suggestion, his doubts about him began to fade a little.

  The Society Leader rose from his chair. As soon as he stood, the Vice Leader also stood in respect.

  The Society Leader turned his back while smoking and said:

  “I like your suggestion, Vice Leader. Let us proceed with that plan.”

  The Vice Leader smiled faintly.

  “That pleases me greatly, Society Leader. I will begin making the preparations immediat...”

  Before he could finish, blood began dripping from the Society Leader’s hand.

  Drip!

  The crimson drops fell onto the floor.

  “Society Leader?! That blood?!”

  “Shh. Stay calm… Vice Leader, it’s nothing. Just a minor illness.”

  The Leader, whose back was still turned, slowly turned around. This time, a faint ray of light revealed his face.

  His face was pale as death, as if all the blood had drained from his body. A few thin strands of beard and mustache marked his cheeks. Without looking directly at the Vice Leader, he spoke:

  “Time is short. We must move quickly. First, let ‘that thing’ arrive. Then we will continue with the next phase.”

  ***

  “Is this the Duriya village?”

  “Seems like it…”

  “There are two entrances into the village. At both sides, two guards are standing. By the looks of them, they seem to be bandits themselves.”

  Varsha and Sharv stood a little distance away, behind the dense trees, watching.

  Outside the village, only a few guards were posted, just two at the gate, but from inside they could hear many people talking and footsteps moving about.

  “You attack from the front, and I’ll go from the back.”

  Varsha told Sharv but Sharv interjected.

  “…No, you take the front. I’ll go from the back.”

  Sharv started walking and left.

  Varsha just stood there, glaring at him. She wanted to yell at him, but in the end, she forced herself to head towards the front path.

  ‘What a stubborn boy he is…’

  When they had set out, Varsha had asked Sharv if he would like to come with her. But without even listening to her fully, Sharv had cut her off coldly and said:

  “I told you before, didn’t I? We are together only until we kill the White Frost Bandits’ Chief. After that, you go your way, and I go mine. If you ever try to drag me into your affairs, I’ll forget that you helped me some days ago—and I’ll cut off your head right then and there.”

  Varsha after listening this sensed an unknown pressure, and didn't dared to say anymore than that.

  She understood that, Sharv does not wants to get entangled in her affairs, and had other goals.

  But Varsha really wanted him to for some reason, as if her instincts were telling her to not let this guy go away.

  “Haa!... I waana return back home.”

  Meanwhile, Sharv slipped out from behind the trees and made his way to attack through the rear path of the village.

  He looked at his sacred thread and whispered.

  “Come out.”

  At once, Vijay’s spirit emerged. His eyes fell upon the two guards standing at the rear gate of the village.

  ‘You want me to kill them?’

  “Yes, but keep one alive.”

  ‘But why?’

  “I want to try something on him.”

  Vijay let out a long sigh, then began walking towards the guards. The guards could neither see nor hear Vijay’s spirit.

  Which is why they had no idea when he suddenly appeared right beside them.

  With a swift motion, Vijay used a peacock feather in his hand to slice open the throat of one guard.

  Slpatter!

  Blood spilled everywhere.

  Seeing this, the second guard froze in terror. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

  Then suddenly, an invisible force yanked his arms behind his back, gripping him tightly.

  “W-Who’s there?! What kind of trick is this?! What the hell is happening?!”

  His eyes darting around, only to see a boy walking calmly towards him. It was Sharv.

  “W-Who are you?!”

  The guard demanded.

  Sharv didn’t answer. Instead, he gestured towards Vijay, who was holding him from behind, and said.

  “Shut his mouth for me.”

  “What nonsense are you? Release me now, or I’ll...”

  But he was cut off.

  Vijay’s peacock feather flew straight onto the guard’s mouth, sealing it shut. He tried desperately to blow it away, but it wouldn’t budge.

  Now trembling with fear, the guard stared at Sharv, who approached with emotionless eyes.

  Sharv stretched out his hand and placed it right in the middle of the guard’s forehead.

  And then,

  “Let there be a void beyond darkness. From nothingness, unshaken stillness remain. Freed beyond truth and falsehood, dissolve into infinity. Let the powers of demons and god alike be rendered futile. Let the rivers of blood flow. Life itself vanishes into emptiness, and all revered blood dissolves into the ultimate.(1)”

  ’What the?!’

  Vijay shouted. His expression changed the moment he heard those words.

  Tak!

  Sharv, pressed two fingers from his other hand straight into the guard’s chest, directly upon his heart.

  Vijay's eyes widened in shock.

  ‘Th-this is why you wanted me to capture him alive?!’

  Immediately, the guard felt something surge within his body.

  “Muhhh! Muhhh!”

  He tried to scream, but the peacock feather silenced him. His body writhed in agony, yet he had no idea why.

  Sharv had hit straight at his heart.

  His eyes turned blood-red, streams of blood spilling from them, along with blood pouring from his mouth.

  Even Vijay’s peacock feather was now drenched in crimson. Before long, the man collapsed and died violently on the spot.

  “Tch! I thought I’d succeed in one attempt…”