Raven began to rise...
He stood slowly, his body stiff but holding back every tremor of fear. The atmosphere of the forest suddenly changed; the wind that had been rustling softly now stopped, the leaves fell silent. It was as if the earth was holding its breath, watching the battle to come.
The three of them exchanged glances. Their gazes sharpened, no longer merely mocking. There was something they sensed.
The axe-wielder leaped down. He landed lightly on the ground with a cynical smile, scraping his two axes together to produce a hoarse sound that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
With slow steps, he approached Raven, his shoulders swaying like a predator about to pounce on its prey.
"jhdfihufaufrhfah," he muttered in that strange language, chuckling softly.
Raven didn't move. His head was bowed, his body trembling... but there was something behind the gaze now hidden beneath the shadow of his face.
Suddenly, the axe man charged with ferocious speed. His two iron weapons were raised high, the dim light of the forest reflecting off the cold blades, before being swung hard towards Raven's head.
CRACK!
The air shook...
Raven moved, his body ducking with the same reflexes he had used to dodge the arrows earlier. The axe struck empty ground, creating a loud vibration. The earth cracked, fissures spread, and a cloud of dust instantly obscured the view.
The axe snorted roughly behind the dust cloud, breathing heavily.
"Nkfannfandf??" he muttered, as if asking where Raven had disappeared to.
Before he could find Raven's position, something shot out from behind the dust a sharp rock swooped toward him at incredible speed. With reflexes, he blocked the rock with the axe in his left hand, shattering it into flying fragments.
CRACK!
However, it was only a distraction. From the gap in the dust, Raven's figure appeared like a hunter's shadow, his gaze sharp and wild. With low and agile movements, he slid forward, taking advantage of the axe's initial attack, his body immediately moving closer to his opponent.
The axe wielder, holding the axe tightly in both hands, realized the attack just in time. With deadly reflexes, he spun his body as fast as lightning and swung his right axe straight at Raven's neck, ready to slash with full force.
In his mind, he had already hit his target.
But Raven had other plans. Just before the axe reached its target, his sand-covered hand threw sharp dust into his opponent's eyes. The coarse grains of sand entered the axe-wielder's retinas, causing him to scream in surprise.
"AARGH!"
His body immediately swayed, losing its balance. The swing aimed at Raven missed his neck by a few inches. That was the opening Raven had been waiting for. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, hitting his opponent's body with his shoulder, then knocking him to the ground with a loud thud. Raven climbed on top of him, his knees hitting the axe-wielder's arms hard, holding the deadly weapon down so it could no longer be raised.
The axe-wielder roared, his muscles tensing, trying to break free. But Raven had already ducked, his hand darting towards his opponent's face and grabbing the axe-wielder's eyes.
CREK!
A shrill scream pierced the air.
"ARRRGHHHHHH!" Blood spurted, splattering Raven's face, who no longer showed any hesitation or fear. With a brutal motion, he ripped out both eyes, holding them in his palm like rotten fruit freshly picked.
The axe screamed hysterically, his body writhing, but he could do nothing because of the pain. Raven stared blankly, breathing heavily, his fingers stained with thick red blood. Without a word, he grabbed a large rock beside him.
Without hesitation. Without mercy.
CRACK!
The rock hit his opponent's face.
Once...
Twice...
Three times...
Raven continued to strike, repeatedly, until the sound of breaking bones mixed with splatters of blood that stained the ground. The axe man's face was no longer recognizable, just crushed flesh covered in blood.
The two people in the trees froze, silent for a moment after hearing the terrible scream from behind the cloud of dust. Their eyes stared intently downward, at the ground still covered in fog and thick dust from the previous collision.
When the fog and dust began to thin, the figure they were looking for appeared. Raven stood tall, his body covered in blood, holding a rock that had now turned a deep red color. On the ground lay the body of his companion, his head crushed beyond recognition, blood flowing and soaking the dry ground.
Seeing this scene, the two remaining bandits looked at each other. There was a tension they couldn't hide.
"Dnanfanfn??" muttered one of them, his voice choked as if asking how this could be.
Raven stared at the stone in his hand, then slowly turned his head toward the two figures in the tree with a faint yet terrifying smile.
"Yeah... it should have been like this from the start," he said softly.
His gaze sharpened, his smile curving into a crazed expression.
"This is right... this is how it should be. I have to... live."
His eyes widened, his face covered in bloodstains. His lips stretched into a wide grin.
"Only two left..." he muttered again, his voice sounding like a deadly whisper.
The two people in the tree suddenly shuddered. A chill ran down their spines. It wasn't just the gaze of an ordinary enemy, it was the gaze of a predator who had just tasted the thrill of the hunt. Their bodies reacted spontaneously fight or die.
In a split second, the spearman leaped down from the tree, moving as fast as lightning, his spear thrusting towards Raven with a series of practiced movements. The air whistled from the speed of the thrust.
Raven reflexively threw the blood-stained rock right at the oncoming attack. A loud crash occurred, creating a vibration that forced the spearman to pull his weapon back.
His eyes widened, unable to believe the power he had just felt. He immediately took a few steps back, keeping his distance, his legs braced.
Above, the archer who had been watching growled, then shouted in a foreign language Raven had never understood before.
"Jhsfhdafhjafeajl!" he shouted. Followed by another shout: "Kjafhdhfleaklek! Kfdsahfhlaewafk!"
Raven only had time to mumble, "What are they talking about...?" But the next sentence that came out of their mouths was clear to him, as if a mysterious curtain in his brain had been lifted.
"There's something strange about this kid," hissed the spearman. His breathing was rapid.
"He can find the loophole in my attack technique... and cancel it out with just a stone."
"Didn't he come from that iron carriage? They're supposed to be just ordinary merchants, right?" replied the archer, his voice trembling between anger and doubt.
"I don't care if he's one of the merchants, but this kid in front of us is clearly a monster, and we have to kill him now. Otherwise, we'll be the ones who die!" The spearman straightened his body, looking at Raven warily.
"Are you sure? Their goods look expensive... especially that iron carriage. If we sell them, we can get a lot, maybe enough to keep our base alive longer." The archer was still trying to think logically.
"You're crazy! This kid just killed one of us with his bare hands. And you want to let him live? I feel... he didn't have any Qi flow before, but now... is he even human?" The spear spat on the ground, his jaw hardening.
The archer was silent for a moment. His breathing was heavy. "His expression... you saw it, right? He seemed to enjoy it."
"This is no time to talk!" The spearman gritted his teeth.
"If you want to shoot, shoot now. Don't give him room to move!"
"Okay," the archer finally nodded.
"You attack first. When he's focused on you, I'll fire. Don't give him a chance to dodge."
Raven stood still, his eyes watching their every move. The voices in his head echoed softly again, faint but clear.
Kill... or die...
Kill them all...
And this time, Raven listened.