The evening was too quiet. After training, everyone was having dinner outside at the wooden table. The glow of the lamp softly lit their faces, dishes clinked quietly — an ordinary, almost peaceful evening.

  Kael felt it first — as if the air around the house had grown heavier. He lifted his head.

  The old man suddenly stood up, leaning on his staff, and stared for a long time at the forest path.

  From the twilight, people appeared.

  Six soldiers. Clean armor, cold faces, identical symbols on their shoulders. They walked calmly, not hiding, as if they were sure no one would deny them.

  Rin immediately stepped closer to the house.

  Elf stood next to her, hand on the hilt of her weapon.

  Nika silently pushed the old man’s granddaughter further into the yard and stayed close to her.

  “Hello, old man,” said the lead soldier. “Didn’t expect you to still be here.”

  “Leave,” replied the old man. His voice was calm, but fatigue showed in his eyes.

  The soldier smirked.

  “I heard about your son? He joined the Punishers.”

  Kael stepped forward, but the old man signaled him to stop.

  “He was like a son to me,” the old man said quietly. “I raised him. I taught him. But his path is not mine.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “You know he killed my brother,” replied the soldier. He stepped closer. “I couldn’t find him. But I remembered you.”

  His gaze slowly scanned the house.

  “Your life doesn’t interest me…

  But your granddaughter — now she’s quite a beauty.”

  The granddaughter paled.

  “Don’t you dare,” Nika said sharply.

  “So what?” the soldier chuckled.

  Elf looked at him coldly.

  “One step forward — you’ll regret it.”

  The soldier laughed.

  “You? A girl?”

  He stepped forward.

  Kael was between them.

  The sword in his hand trembled but did not lower.

  “Leave,” he said quietly.

  “And who are you?” the leader squinted. “The old man’s new pupil?”

  “He’s with us,” said Rin. “And you won’t touch him.”

  The soldier slowly looked over everyone.

  “Funny… so many defenders for just one girl.”

  He turned, as if about to leave.

  “We’ll be back.”

  And, without looking back, he added:

  “Take care of your granddaughter. They don’t stay untouched for long.”

  Nika clenched her fists.

  Elf stepped forward.

  Rin drew her weapon halfway.

  Kael moved before anyone else.

  Metal clanged.

  The soldier slowly turned.

  “So… a fight, after all.”

  The battle began.

  The first soldier, with a poisonous sword, rushed at Kael. Metal sparkled in the firelight, but Kael dodged and struck the hilt against his knee — a crack. The soldier fell with a scream.

  The second soldier used fog: a dense mist rose around him, concealing his movements. But Rin, sensitive to mana, noticed subtle shifts in the air and intercepted his strike, delivering a powerful blow to his stomach. The soldier doubled over, and the fog dissipated.

  The third — a regular fighter — charged, but Kael dodged, countered with his sword, and finished him.

  The fourth and fifth soldiers moved toward the granddaughter.

  “To her!” shouted Nika.

  Rin created a magical barrier, while Elf fired two magical kunai — hitting one in the leg and the other in the arm. At the same time, Nika’s quirk was already working, draining the enemies’ energy and giving it to Kael.

  The granddaughter remained safe, and the girls repelled the attack.

  The lead commander was left alone. His quirkallowed him to temporarily enhance the power of his strikes, and he summoned a magical snake the size of a dog. He stepped toward Kael.

  “Looks like I’ll have to deal with you myself,” he said.

  Kael gripped his sword tighter.