Villain's Requiem

Boom! The deafening explosion from the sword clash reverberated throughout the camp, instantly alerting the entire base.

The blast served as an unspoken summons, prompting the occupants of the makeshift shelters to rush out into the open in a state of panic.

Those who had been outside were caught off guard by the sudden explosion, leading to confusion and chaos.

"What's happening?" "Are we under attack?" The air was filled with panicked questions and shouts.

The vice leader emerged from the largest makeshift house, seeking answers amid the surrounding commotion.

"Remain calm, you dogs!" he bellowed, his commanding presence tempering the panic and restoring a semblance of order.

"Where are the watch guards? What caused that explosion?"

He strained his eyes in the direction of the watchtower, his gaze piercing through the thick smoke.

QDespite the obscuring haze, he could make out the silhouette of at least one figure. "Someone, investigate!" he yelled, sending one of the men sprinting towards the tower.

Fear gripped the sprinting man as he approached the watchtower, his heart racing with uncertainty. He took the stairs one step at a time, his senses on high alert. "Hey, what's going on?" he yelled as he hurried up the stairs.

Drip... Drip... The eerie sound of blood splattering onto the ground filled the air before he could reach the top.

As he ascended to the higher level, he was met with a gruesome sight: a young man's back, and the lifeless body of his friend, his head blown to pieces, blood flowing freely.

Panic overtook him, causing him to reach for his sword, momentarily distracting him from the enemy in front of him.

However, his efforts were futile, as a blade slashed through his throat. The last thing he saw as his life slipped away was the black-haired young man standing before him.

"[Devour]," the young man muttered, as an ominous black mist enveloped the two lifeless bodies.

"Three down," he whispered to himself, before descending from the watchtower with an air of elegance.

His presence did not go unnoticed as he approached the crowd gathered in the center of the establishment.

"Who are you?" one of the bandits growled, drawing his sword from its scabbard.

However, the young man seemed to defy the laws of physics, vanishing from his original position and reappearing in front of his attacker in the blink of an eye.

With a swift, deadly motion, he slashed at the bandit's neck.

The bandit attempted to block the attack, but the young man's blade sliced through both the sword and the bandit's neck with ease.

Thwack!

The sound of the blade biting through flesh and bone echoed through the air.

"Four down," the young man muttered, his eyes scanning the remaining bandits.

He stood motionless, his gaze fixed intently on the vice leader, who stood behind his subordinates, observing the scene unfold.

The air was thick with tension as the bandits awaited their leader's signal.

However, one of them couldn't contain his emotions any longer. "AHHHH!" he screamed, charging at the young man with reckless abandon.

But his attack was short-lived. After covering only half the distance, his movements slowed, and he crumpled to the ground, his legs impaled by two icy lances.

The young man strode towards the fallen bandit, his sword twirling in his hand.

"How pitiful," he whispered, shaking his head. "A group as weak as this, causing so much trouble for the adventurer's guild?"

He positioned his blade to deliver the final blow to the immobilized bandit's exposed neck.

Just as the young man was about to strike, one of the bandits shouted, "STOP!" But before he could intervene, the young man raised his free hand, and a burst of flames erupted from his palm.

Whoosh!

The flames engulfed the approaching bandit, reducing him to a screaming, flailing torch.

The young man's gaze never wavered from the vice leader, who stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the unfolding carnage.

The air was heavy with the stench of burning flesh and the sound of screams.

"Five down," the young man whispered, his eyes locked onto the vice leader as he swung his sword in a deadly arc.

The blade bit deep into the bandit's neck, severing his head from his body with a sickening crunch.

Splorch!

The sound of the decapitation echoed through the air, followed by the thud of the headless body hitting the ground.

"Six down," the young man murmured, his gaze never wavering from the vice leader.

The vice leader's face twisted in a snarl as he bellowed, "What are you waiting for, you fools? Kill him! All of you, together! Now!"

The vice leader's command galvanized his remaining teammates into action. They charged forward, a ragtag group of desperate men.

However, their numbers meant little against the young man's overwhelming power.

The young man blurred into motion, reappearing before the first bandit and striking him down with a swift decapitation.

A second bandit attempted to attack from behind, but the young man sidestepped the blow with ease.

He concentrated his mana in his feet and unleashed a devastating kick, sending the bandit crashing to the ground with a loud thud. The air was knocked from the bandit's lungs, leaving him gasping for breath.

Without hesitation, the young man redirected his mana into his fist and delivered a crushing blow to the third bandit, who was rushing towards him.

The force of the punch was immense, causing the bandit's head to burst into tiny pieces.

Splatter!

The sound of the bandit's head exploding echoed through the air, followed by the thud of his lifeless body hitting the ground.

The fourth bandit attacked with a dagger, but the young man was too fast.

He swung his sword with incredible speed, striking the bandit with a blow that sliced through his skin, skull, and bones with ease.

The bandit's body crumpled to the ground, joining the growing pile of corpses.

One by one, the bandits fell before the young man's relentless onslaught. They were cut down like wheat, their bodies falling like leaves in an autumn breeze.

The remaining three bandits, including the vice leader, were paralyzed with fear. They could only watch in horror as their comrades were slaughtered before their eyes.

The two bandits turned to the vice leader, their eyes wide with terror.

The vice leader's face was twisted in a snarl, his teeth bared in desperation and fear. "Who are you?" he spat, his hand reaching for the blade slung over his back.

The young man approached, his eyes fixed on the vice leader. He was covered in blood, his sword dripping with the viscous fluid.

The air was heavy with the stench of death, and the vice leader could feel his own mortality staring him in the face.

"I am your demise," the young man stated, his voice devoid of emotion as he continued his approach.

The vice leader's face twisted in anger, and he unleashed a mighty roar, releasing his aura in the process. "Raaaahhh!" he bellowed, the sound echoing through the air.

"You bastard. I am an [E-] rank warrior. Just because you killed a bunch of [F] rank nobodies don't think that puts both of us in the sam-".

The vice leader's words were cut short as the young man suddenly appeared before him, his fist clenched and ready to strike.

The vice leader didn't even have time to react before the young man's fist connected with his stomach, sending him flying into a nearby settlement.

Boom!

The impact shook the ground, and the vice leader's pained grunt echoed through the air. Crunch! The sound of splintering wood and shattered bones filled the air as the vice leader crashed into the settlement.

The two remaining bandits trembled with fear, their eyes wide with terror.

"V-vice leader!" one of them stuttered, his voice shaking with fear.

The young man barely spared them a glance before vanishing and reappearing in front of them.

With a speed that defied human comprehension, he grasped their necks and whispered, [Frostbite].

A chilling frost began to spread from their necks, freezing their skin, muscles, and bones in a matter of seconds.

The two bandits were transformed into ice statues, their faces frozen in perpetual terror.

Their eyes bulged from their sockets, and their skin was stretched taut over their frozen muscles.

The young man's gaze lingered on the statues for a moment before he muttered, [Devour].

A dark, ominous mist enveloped the frozen bodies, absorbing them into nothingness. The mist seemed to writhe and twist, like a living thing, as it consumed the statues.

A faint smile played on the young man's lips as he felt his strength increase. He turned his attention to the vice leader, who was struggling to get back to his feet.

The vice leader's face was twisted in a snarl, his eyes blazing with fury. The young man's smile grew wider as he raised his sword, the blade glinting in the fading light.

Clang! Boom!

The vice leader charged forward, his sword flashing in the air. The two blades clashed, sending a shockwave through the air.

The sound of steel meeting steel echoed through the air, accompanied by the scent of blood and sweat.

The young man's smile never wavered as he blocked the vice leader's attack. In a mocking tone, he said, "And then there were two."

The vice leader's face twisted in rage, and he launched himself at the young man, their blades clashing in a flurry of steel and blood.