Bear School Astartes

The situation evolved almost exactly as Lann had planned.

When these bandits saw that the one charging at them was alone, the advantage of numbers emboldened them.

They ignored the members of the Ranger Group rushing towards the ferry, wanting to concentrate their strength to take down that intimidating giant first.

After all, in their experience, dozens against one, the entanglement should end in mere seconds.

But then the Demon Hunter began to swing his sword.

The extraordinary power, combined with the sharpness and resilience of Aron Dite, could cause destruction far beyond their imagination!

"Swoosh!"

In a one-against-many battle, the magical runes on the Lady of the Lake's Sword, powered by its swings, hardly ever dimmed!

The magic runes on the sword left a lingering trail of light in the air.

Lann charged directly into the group of bandits.

These long-bloodthirsty marauders excitedly thrust their weapons toward Lann's body at the sight.

But a flash of golden sword light, and all weapons were neatly severed.

Lance shafts, handles of two-handed axes, samurai sword blades... All meeting an arc-like smooth break aiming at Lann!

The Lady of the Lake's Sword is a divine weapon, and Lann has yet to encounter anything matching its sharpness and resilience.

And now, these East Japan bandits, clad in crude armor, are incomparable to the heavy knight born from great expense and innate talent from the West!

The first strike severed the weapons, as Lann advanced further with quick footwork.

The scope of the second strike already covered their bodies!

It was still the horizontal swing that had the widest range of attack.

The intention of such a simple attack was apparent even to the bandits.

Some quick-reacting individuals had instinctively blocked the blade's path with their broken weapons.

But then, the look of slight relief on their faces vanished like water droplets on a hot stove.

For after the initial reflex of emergency defense, they immediately realized one issue—

If their weapons could block... then the first strike should have had no effect!

Face to face with the Demon Hunter's calm feline gaze, they wore expressions of sudden panic.

With a sudden grip of the studded leather gloves on the sword hilt, the golden glow on the sword reached a resplendent peak!

[Slash Charge]—Level Nine!

And the next strike... would have double the slashing power of the previous one!

The trail of light flashed by, and a sweep struck as if unhindered.

Crude armor, broken weapons, fragile bodies...

The Lady of the Lake's Sword steadied again, now on the other side of a line of bandits. Its golden glow had dimmed after the strike.

Then came the sound of sparse falls.

The impact of bodies landing abruptly on the blood-soaked mud.

There were eight bandits who came to besiege Lann, intending to skewer him like a porcupine.

Being too numerous to spread out, three in the back were jabbing with long spears.

When the magic on the Lady of the Lake's Sword was fully charged and swept through with golden light, the eight close bandits turned into sixteen pieces.

The three further away, due to the length of the blade, only had their torsos slashed open with wounds large enough to fit a rice bowl in.

Plenty of bandits were still charging toward Lann, only failing to be part of the first wave due to initial positioning.

But their vile urge to draw blood kept pushing them forward with screams and howls.

Yet all action halted abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed, following that last sword strike.

The blood-soaked mud still held the consciousness-sapped limbs screaming and writhing.

The three whose torsos were slashed opened slumped to their knees with a 'thud' due to massive blood loss, unable to even lift their arms.

In just one encounter, this little bandit group of forty lost eleven members.

The cause of all this... that 'man'?

He had merely swung his sword twice.

"Is it the [Sword Saint]?!"

Bandits stunned on their assault path trembled as they shouted.

"Is Iwami Yixin here?!"

Fear was making their limbs cold and immobile. It clouded their minds, blurring distinctions between the elderly and the young, East Japan armor and Western armor.

So Lann could see, their main trunk muscles desperately trying to mobilize the leg muscles, but their legs were rooted to the spot, motionless.

Lann understood their feelings.

After all, in a single encounter, more than a quarter of forty men were wiped out.

The fragmented bodies seemed like a display at the kitchen of an unhygienic restaurant, sprawled across the ground.

They indeed should be afraid.

And after the initial shockwave of terror, they would naturally recall the instincts of living creatures.

To flee.

"The boat..." A bandit stammered with trembling lips, "Get the boat ready!"

Thus a bloodthirsty bandit swarm rushed toward the ferry.

But in the direction of the ferry where they initially paid little attention stood the Ranger Group, who had already cleared sporadic enemies and secured their formation.

"Hold the line!" Kotaro shouted, his face contorted with fury.

"They are a broken army! Just a single burst of momentum!"

Kotaro clearly saw some of these men, trying to run faster, had even discarded their weapons and armor as they fled from Lann.

Upon turning back, they found that to board the ship, they needed their gear.

Since those who discarded their gear ran the fastest, they collided with the Ranger Group's line at the forefront.

Without any suspense, they were immediately slaughtered.

The armed bandits behind tried to press forward, but their spears and axe blades could only strike at their comrades' corpses.

The more panicked, the more chaotic; the more chaotic, the more panicked.

In the end, Lann and the Ranger Group crushed them in the middle, then cut them down with swords and arrows.

Just like Lann's plan, no one escaped.

"Sir, what's our next move?"

As the Rangers executed the downed bandits, Kotaro inquired by Lann's side.

At this moment, Lann picked up a short bow used by the bandits for examination.

East Japan lacked materials to make recurve bows, rendering the short bow weak. Only by extending the bow limb to over two meters could they achieve battlefield piercing power.

And the craftsmanship of this short bow seemed out of place for ordinary bandits.

Lann's initial guess was right; someone had 'sponsored' these bandits.

The bandits' quality dictated they could not be the main force in the plan. Now, with even the bandits preparing to cross the river, it signaled that...

The Demon Hunter's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Board the boats, burn the remaining ones after seating."

After issuing the orders, Lann's gaze drifted downstream along the rushing Longquan River.

By now, the sun was setting, and the river was illuminated as if it were on fire, or blood.

"I hope Hirata Manor can hold out a little longer."