Reincarnation of Nikola Tesla in another world-Chapter 19: Bandit arc- 3

One of the wealthiest merchants in town had given up his home for Vaqihr's stay, and the people had treated it like a grand occasion. Decorations hung from the walls, fragrant incense burned in every corner, and a feast large enough to feed a noble's court had been prepared. Every inn and eatery had sent their finest dishes, each trying to outdo the other in an unspoken contest.

Outside, the town was abuzz with rumors. Important figures from neighboring towns were already preparing to visit, drawn by the recent events. The air was thick with speculation and anticipation.

A firm knock at the door. A young man entered, bowing low but standing with steady resolve. "Grand Wizard, I bring word about the chimera."

Vaqihr barely looked up from the parchment he was writing on. "Speak."

"The beast has been fed well, completely satisfied. The goat owners refuse to take the compensation you left for them. They have sent it back."

Vaqihr's quill paused. He turned his gaze toward the messenger, unreadable and calm. "And why would they do that?"

"They say it was an honor," the young man explained. "That you have already done more than enough for them."

Vaqihr let out a quiet breath, not in annoyance, but in mild amusement. He set his quill aside. "Then return the money to them once again."

The young man hesitated. "Sir, they will likely refuse, "

"Then tell them this," Vaqihr interrupted, his voice measured, but firm. "Had they not been willing, the chimera would have lost its restraint. Its hunger does not care for honor or duty. It would have taken whatever it could hunt... and that may well have been a person."

The young man stiffened, his throat bobbing as he processed the weight of the words. "I will make sure they understand, Grand Wizard."

Vaqihr nodded, dismissing him with a flick of his wrist before turning back to his parchment.

He sealed the letter, an official request to the capital, addressed to the high command. The village's guards had suffered greatly. Their armor had failed them. That was unacceptable. He requested a full set of clad armor be sent for the guard in command and noted that his investigation was ongoing. The details would follow soon.

Rolling the letter tightly, he fastened it to the leg of a pigeon. The bird cooed once before launching into the sky, vanishing beyond the rooftops.

Silence settled in the room. Vaqihr leaned back in his chair, letting his mind drift for the first time in days. There was still unfinished work waiting for him, things he had been making steady progress on before all this disruption. He had put it all aside for the sake of this village, and now, perhaps, it was time to refocus.

Then it struck.

A piercing pain lashed through his skull like a blade carving into his thoughts. His breath caught. His fingers dug into the armrest as the world around him melted away.

His clairvoyance had activated.

Images surged in waves, warped, broken, shifting in and out of sight. He clenched his jaw as his vision swam through layers of light and shadow, burning his mind as it twisted into something sharper, clearer.

A bright blue point flickered into existence.

His bleeding eyes twitched, and despite the pain, his lips curled into a smirk.

"There you are," he muttered.

The vision faded, the pain lingering like smoldering embers beneath his skin. His shoulders sagged slightly as he exhaled, a dry chuckle escaping his lips.

"Overusing this ability again..." He shook his head, wiping away the blood from his cheek. "Always a double-edged sword."

___

The air was thick with dust and tension. The bandits had stopped our carriage, and now we were surrounded. The horses stood restless, hooves digging into the dirt. The passengers had been forced out, standing in a tight group, guarded by men with rusted swords and cruel grins.

One of the bandits scratched his chin. "What do we do with them?"

"They don't look rich," another muttered, glancing over our ragged group with mild disappointment.

A third bandit crouched by the heap of stolen bags, rifling through them carelessly. "It's all junk. Clothes, stale bread, some cheap trinkets, wait." His voice shifted, excitement creeping in. His fingers dug into a small pouch, and the faint glow of mana crystals reflected in his greedy eyes. He pulled out six of them, their polished surfaces catching the light.

"Well, well," he grinned. "Diamonds in coal."

The leader stepped forward, taking a slow, measured look at us. Then, with a casual tone, he said, "Kill them. Bury the bodies by the road."

A sharp breath ran through the crowd. Someone whimpered. The old man beside me clutched his chest, his face twisting in pain. The younger man who had been helping him tried to reach out, but two bandits grabbed him and shoved him down. The others only laughed.

The vice leader, standing a few paces behind the rest, spoke up. "We can't just kill everyone we rob," he said, voice steady but indifferent. "Those carts over there? Abandoned. Someone will notice soon enough. And the stench of rotting bodies? That's another problem."

The leader clicked his tongue but nodded. "Fine. Then we take what we need and let them go."

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Before relief could settle in, another voice from the back chimed in. "Sire, at least let us have some fun with the women."

A different one added, "And the kids, we could sell them off. Even these boys. Good coin for healthy slaves. Let them carry the loot for us, then kill the rest."

I glanced at Aldric. His fists were clenched, his face pale but burning with anger. I stepped close and muttered, "Don't do anything stupid."

Brom was trembling, his breathing shaky. The old man groaned again, gripping his chest tighter. The bandits watched with cruel amusement, entertained by his suffering. Only the vice leader remained still, his expression unreadable. He didn't seem like the rest, less barbaric, but not exactly kind either.

{{_"Armor activated. Attack mode, power at 70%."_}}

Spark's voice rang in my mind. My pulse quickened.

_"No. Adjust to defensive mode. I'm not repeating the Blue Fire Dragon Inn disaster,"_ I responded sharply, memories flashing through my head, innocents caught in the blast, the barkeep and the servants lying still.

{{"Confirmed. Defensive mode engaged.}}

I exhaled. My mind raced through possibilities. I had been practicing fire spells and rune carving, but I had never thought I'd actually need them for survival. If I used my spinning fireball technique, I could eliminate the threat quickly. A controlled attack, accurate, lethal, but precise enough to protect Aldric and Brom.

I steadied my stance.

And then,

A dark blade pierced straight through the vice leader's chest from behind.

He gasped, eyes widening as he stumbled forward. The bandits froze. Then, as his body hit the ground, the figure behind him stepped into the light.

A woman.

Her eyes met mine, and she smiled. "I need you to come with me. But first, give me a second."

The confusion barely had time to register before everything descended into chaos.

Lilith moved like a flash.

Her sword flashed, quick, merciless. She was fast, too fast. The first bandit barely had time to raise his weapon before his throat was split open. Another lunged at her with a dagger, she twisted, sidestepped, and drove her blade through his ribs.

A scream. Then another. Blood sprayed across the dirt.

A bandit charged from behind. Without turning, Lilith flicked her sword backward, stabbing him clean through the gut before ripping the blade free in a single, smooth motion.

She was toying with them, all the while smile on her face.

One desperate man swung a heavy axe. She dodged it effortlessly, her body moving with practiced ease. Before he could react, she severed his hand at the wrist. He barely had time to scream before her boot crashed into his face, sending him sprawling.

The remaining bandits scrambled back, terror finally sinking in.

The carriage driver saw his moment. Without a word, he sprinted to the front, grabbing the reins. "Get on!" he shouted.

The passengers snapped out of their shock, rushing toward the cart. I grabbed Brom by the arm and pushed him forward. Aldric jumped in, gripping the side rails.

The horses neighed and lurched forward. The carriage rocked violently as we tore off down the dirt road, the driver yanking hard to steer us into the forest.

The ride was brutal. Tree roots and uneven ground made every jolt unbearable. We clung to the cart as it buckled and swayed.

Aldric, breathless, shouted over the noise, "If we had the mana crystals, we could be moving a lot faster!"

Brom, gripping the side for dear life, snapped back, "That would never work! You can't just scratch runes on a cart and expect them to function!"

Aldric groaned. "Why not?!"

"Because rune carving has to be precise! Every stroke, every angle, if it's off, even slightly, the whole thing fails!" Brom gritted his teeth. "Right now, the priority is keeping them off us! If they follow, start throwing whatever metal we have left. We can buy more back in the city, saving our lives is more important than saving money!"

I tried to glance back, my heart pounding. The bandits were no longer fighting. No more screams. No more clashing steel. No more spells exploding in the air.

Just silence.

And then, a figure.

A lone silhouette moving at an impossible speed.

My stomach twisted. My grip on the cart tightened. she was coming straight for us.