(Regaleon's POV)

The boss used his battle axe to defend from my sword, but the force of my attack had pushed him out of the door and onto the railing of the second floor. He fell from the railings and down to the first floor with a strong force.

*BANG*

The boss' body gad a strong impact that it made a huge whole onto the wooden floorboards of the first floor. Smoke from the impact spread all over the first floor receiving area.

"*Cough cough cough* that f*cking son of a…" I heard the boss cursed.

With the smoke all over, visibility was hard, but I can tell where the boss' location was after he spoke. Before he finished his sentenced, I launched an attack once again, aiming for his neck for a quick kill.

The boss' eyes went wide when the smoke cleared out on my sudden rush. He was taken by surprise, but he was able to use his battle axe to defend once again.

"F*ck, who are you?!" The boss shouted in rage when we were but inches away, with our weapons between us.

"You do not need to know." My lips raised in one side to make half a smile.

The boss used his strength to push me away from him. I can see sweat forming in his forehead, his breathing became ragged.

'He is feeling afraid.' I smirked. "It looks like you have quite good reflexes for a bandit. It is a shame you put such talents in bad ways." I said with a hint of regret in my voice.

"Shut up!" The boss yelled out loud. "Who are you to lecture me?!" He growled.

"I am no one in particular." I shrugged my shoulders. "But today, I will be your executioner, so prepare yourself." I looked at him like a hunter looking at his prey.

The boss flinched and felt my killing aura. Without any further words, I launched an attack at him with full force.

The bandit's boss was able to parry my attacks, it just proves that he has good fighting abilities.

'But all he could do is parry and dodge my attack.' I thought while I continued rendering him blow after blow.

The bandits' boss was clearly getting tired with my powerful attacks. He has no way to make an attack towards me because he was busy dodging my attacked that are meant to kill him in one go.

"F*ck this!" The boss yelled in irritation. I can see his hands that were holding his body axe shaking. "Huyaahhh!"

Surprisingly, he made a bold move after seeing a once second gap in between my attacks. His battle axe was aimed at my body, but I was able to dodge in no time. It was impressive that he was able to swing such a big battle axe around, that just shows how powerful his strength was. But even if he can swing the big battle axe as is, it was still heavy, and it slows down its attack time. I can easily dodge such an attack.

But what surprised me was the bandit boss was able to make a follow up attack after the first swing. He was coming right at me, swing upon swing. I can read his movements easily and so I was able to dodge with my great reflex.

'He has impressive strength. I give him that.' I thought. 'Too bad he used it in doing bad things.'

My reason to kill me did not change even if I saw such potential in him. People with bad intentions and have done bad things does not have any place in my army. Even with superior skills, one cannot be included under my ranks.

At the last boss' swing, I parried his attack and sent him flying out of the building. He ended up lying on dirt after receiving just a parry from me.

"You have quite good skills." I praised him. "But too bad, your skills are no match for me." I walked out into the open.

The boss was bruised all over. He spit our blood and stood up with the help of his battle axe. I can see his eyes darting around.

'He is planning on escaping.' I thought and smirked.

"Are you trying to escape?" I asked him with a mocking tone. "I think that will not be possible for you."

"What did you say?!" The boss was both astonished and irritated with my words. "What do you mean by that?"

"Are you not wondering where the other bandits that came with have gone?" I asked him.

The boss understood what I meant in no time. He looked around and saw no one in the vicinity.

Just a while ago from Tempest's eyes, I saw at least some dozen bandits coming here with their boss. Their target was the store house full of food stocked for the coming winter season. They thought that everything was according their plan. They would not have thought that my men were waiting inside the dark store house and ambush them from the inside and outside as well.

"What have you done to me men, you b*stard?!" The boss yelled in anger. I was surprised that he has such affection towards his men.

'Comradery between thieves.' I thought.

As a reply to his question, I raised my hand as a sign. My men then went out from the shadows. They had the bandits tied up. There was a small battle, but it only lasted for a few minutes until my men was able to subdue the bandits and they surrendered willingly after.

"B-Boss…" One bandit said.

"We are sorry boss." Another had said.

"We have let you down." One other bandit said.

"You lot…" The boss looked at his subordinates with grief. He could have never thought that we were lying in wait to ambush them.

"Your subordinates were no match for my men." I said as a matter of fact. "It is good that they new to surrender before they were struck dead. My orders were to kill those that does not want to surrender."

The bandits that were captured shivered with my words. They knew that my words do not have a hint of a lie on it.

"You b*stard. You planned this all along." The boss said. He was quite quick witted. "Who the hell are you?!" He pointed his axe towards me.

"You have no right to speak to him that way!" Chris was obviously enraged with the bandit boss' use of words and tone. I raised a hand at Chris to stop his advancement.

"If you would like to know who I am, then I will tell you one of my names in the battlefield." I said with a smirk. "I am called the Black Devil."

The bandit boss had his eyes wide in shock with the mention of my nickname. That means he knows who I am just by hearing it.

"So, you are… the Black Devil." The boss said with a shocked tone. But then he had composed himself and stood firmly on the ground. He pointed his battle axe towards me with fire burning in his eyes. "You, Black Devil. I challenge you onto a one on one duel. Winner takes all!"

It has been a while since I was challenge in a one on one duel. It was a kind of duel where we can avoid more deaths and shedding blood in the battlefield. It was intended for the leader of both parties to have a one on one duel, with the winner who takes it all.

The last one that had challenge me into such a duel was my half brother in the last civil war for the throne of Grandcrest. I have accepted my half brother's challenge and fought him within the levels of his capabilities, meaning I did not use magic against him. I killed my brother in that duel only using my superior sword skills that rivaled his.

"Your majesty, you do not need to stoop low and accept this challenge." Chris said with a worried tone. "I can do it in your stead."

"No need, Chris." I waved my hand, denying his offer. "His proposed duel is between the two leaders of both parties, that is me and him. I accept your challenge." I said with dignity.

I have discarded the cape I was wearing onto the ground and readied myself in this duel, the bandit boss did the same. The surroundings became silent, that even a drop of a needle can be heard. The atmosphere was intense and both of us were on high alert.

In such battles, the one with the upper hand was the one to launch an attack first. I watched every muscle of my opponent waiting to block or attack, depending on my opponent's action.

"Hurryyaaahhh…!" The bandit boss made the first move. He was running straight towards me, charging with all his might. The boss axe was right above me in no time.

'Fast…. But not fast enough.' I thought.

I took a step forward and used the cross-guard of my sword to deter the angle of the axe. His axe was out of balance with my action, and with a blink of an eye my blade had made a deep cut onto his broad chest.

The wound on the boss' chest was too deep that blood had gushed out in an instant. He had his eyes wide in shock and took a step back. He held his chest, staining his hands full of blood.

"No… this is not over." The boss still went and charged at me. But his balance was off that I suspect was because of the huge blood loss.

I parried his next attack and he fell down on the ground with a thud.

"It is over." I pointed my sword at him. "You have lost."

The boss was lying on the ground and was not able to get up any longer.

"No! Boss!" His subordinates started to shed tears.

"I… accept my defeat." The boss said.

"Any last words?" I asked.

"If I have any last word *cough* then please *cough cough* do not kill my men that had surrendered." The boss said, his eyes started to cloud.

"You have my word." I said. "The ones that have surrendered will have a fair trial in the courts of Alvannia. They are fortunate that this country does not have a death penalty like Grandcrest has for murderers and rapist."

"T-Thank you." The boss said. And with his last words I pierced my sword onto his chest and to his heart.

edited by: nalyn

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