“Get some of the drones there and show me the direction where it comes from!”

[Affirmative!]

Following that, a 3D holo-map appeared in front of me. There was a red dot around 200 meters in the east, implying that something was there. In response, I had no choice but to leave the ship and intercept it myself. Of course, I wouldn’t show myself so blatantly and instead will be observing from a distance. Need to be cautious, in case something like before happening again.

A while later, ATHENA reported with her cheerful voice, [Master~, some of the drones are above the target, here’s the record…]

Subsequently, a holo-screen was again projected into my HUD on my helmet. What filled my vision wasn’t the group of knights or any kind of wild beasts that I had been expecting, but a harmless figure of a girl around 10-11 years old. She was sitting near a tree and seemed to be fatigued.

What am I so afraid about? There’s only one dot anyway… Wait, she might be a trap or something. this thing might even be my hallucination. After all, I can’t be sure without checking it with my own eyes.

In the end, I decided to act myself and grabbed out my pulse rifle. My heart started racing as I took my step, the thumping sounds made my body sweaty. A moment later, I could see a figure of a girl with hip long white hair below the shade of a tree. As she had her back into me, I couldn’t look at her face clearly, but something made me wanted to protect her.

Protect her? No no no… I must be hallucinating! She might be a monster in human skin that hallucinates any creature in its surroundings by making anyone perceive her harmless.

I cannot let my guard down just yet. This world is too absurd and dangerous and in one mistake I make, it might get me killed without even knowing how I died. There wasn’t any harmed to be overcautious, I should aim my rifle to her.

One step, two steps, ten steps… Her face was finally visible. I could feel my eyes almost popped out from its sockets upon seeing her face. If I were to describe her in one word, she was the embodiment of purity. She had a long-silky and slightly wavy snow-white hair with a unique antenna in the middle of her head. A small cherry mouth and nose making her looked more harmless. She was also wearing a set of dresses that enhance her purity despite the strange attire it was.

Her pureness and innocents made me fell into a reverie but then, her two heterochromia eyes pulled me out. I dunno how to describe it, but her eyes gave me a feeling of strangeness. It feels like having light and darkness coexist in one place. A strange phenomenon I would say, though, it just enhances her uniqueness further.

Swallowing my saliva, I had to put the rifle down. At this moment, I couldn't help but question, Am I blind? How can a pure and innocent being like her be a monster? All her attributes deny all the facts about it. How can I harm such an existence like her? My morality didn’t allow me to do such a thing.

Realizing that I got myself vulnerable, I hit my knee so hard to make me rational again. Unexpectedly, the noise alerted her and made her looked in my direction. Shit, my foolishness has brought me another trouble.

“Pěnu therǒ?” The translation was embedded in my helmet; therefore, I could hear what she said although very obscurely.

I decided not to come out nor answer her question and just continued observing her from afar. Making a first contact without a plan with the native humans would be a bad move. After having no one answer her question, as if being spooked, she ran into the forest and out of my sight. Guess, that solved the problem, isn't it? No… I should have the drone observe her from afar.

Confirming that she was moving away from the ship, I let out a sigh of relief. However, I flinched upon seeing the recording presented by the drones. There, a group consisting of 5 knights were surrounding the pure girl with a bad intention.

One of the knights with a spiky hair was wickedly grinning while moving towards the girl. He was holding and rubbing his hands together as if looking at a prey. Although I was lost for words, eventually I decided to ignore it, as she neither had a connection nor presented any reason for me to save her.

“Huh… ǵǒ gaǵě are xe peerless worogu qagbiwo o rumor had said. ǵopǒ ǵǒ had bo choices, kado ǵǒ migbǒ o nicely ngě fu treated gently ǵǒ refuse rǒ resisting she nge pitiful kekpisha ngě fu treated roughly.” The heck are they saying? I’m not sure what he was saying but it seems that he was trying to threaten the girl.

“No! ñǒmisǒ pěne ro Lillie!” The girl moved her body backward but alas there was a tree at her back.

Seeing that the girl wanted to struggle, the spiky-haired knight grinned in satisfaction and moved his hand towards the girl.

“fu tekpemǒ Robert, o commander had said ǵo qa was an anomaly.” One other knight with a sword pointed to the girl's eyes, interjected with a warning.

“ǵǒ ñi dětigbi bo shoño colors běwě o eyes? That’s lǒso qa was being targeted kabu lifigě she.” The other knight said with disgust, contempt couldn’t be hidden in his eyes. Huh? does a heterochromia eyes considered taboo in this world?

“I misǒ ngegbe that! I don’t ěñu ǵǒ kabu pěpa si.” The spiky-haired knight replied for being annoyed for the interruption before he continued approaching the girl with a wicked grin.

The girl became restless, seeing that he was coming closer and closer to her. She tried to stare around the place and seemed to try to do something but then she closed her eyes in pain.

“I shengo ǵo ǵǒ got betrayed rǒ nge qixu ngě had nge shesha executed. There’s enge ěñu kabu migbibu anymore…” Hearing that, a crystal tear formed on the girl's glazed eyes, I noticed that it flowed to her cheek. Betrayed? Did she got betrayed just like I did?

At that moment, something hidden in my heart seemed to crack a little, hotness filled my chest and my body moved involuntarily. I don’t know why but if I were to not do anything, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

Trees after trees I passed through, question after question forming on my head. If I were to just let it happen in front of my nose, wouldn’t I be different from those jerks five years ago? No… I’ll be the same as them.

Finding that it was too slow, I activated the booster despite being in the forest and reached them in just a matter of seconds. Despite my recklessness, I stopped 40 meters away from them and got behind bushes before observing them with cold eyes.

I noticed that the girl's hands were being pulled by the spiky-haired knight. She tried to flail around but without any success. Grinding my teeth upon seeing such a thing, I aimed my pulse rifle to the foolish knight. Just then, the spiky-haired knight pulled the girl hard and made her fell to the ground.

Bang!

Just like a melon bursting, the headless spiky-haired knight fell into the ground, lifeless. Blood was spurting out from the headless neck of his. Although I knew that my hands weren’t totally clean, this was the first time that I killed someone directly. Despite that, my resolve didn’t wane in the least.

I don’t know if it was either perspective or reason. I feel that killing him was the right option. Without much hesitation and thought, I aimed the pulse rifle to the remaining knights while they still confused. The trigger was then pulled by me, making the bullet came loose from the bullet hole.

“Pěnu there? Nifě yourself!” I don’t know which one of the knights shouted that, but it made the remaining knights to wake up from their trance and tried to dodge the bullets. Hmph... Too late!

Regardless of their swift reflex, the bullets rained upon one of the knights and made him a beehive. Another unlucky one had his arm pierced and blasted into pieces. Since the bullet that came out from the pulse rifle was so strong, it was surprising that their body wasn’t blasted into pieces.

“wǒ arm! wǒ arm...” The one-armed knight screamed, rolling on the ground in agony.

Unfortunately, because of the shot of bullets just now, the knights finally knew my position and saw me behind the bushes. The remaining two knights then drew out their swords before charging into my direction from left and right. To my surprise, they got to my place so fast as if they were on steroids.

Before I got to do anything, the knights swung their sword to my neck. Unexpectedly for them, a shield reflected their sword and pushed their body backward. Responding to that, I took out my All Cut Sword before turning on the radiator and swinging it sideways, killing the two of them just like cutting two blocks of butter. And just like that, the battle ended with my victory.