Rise of the Legendary Emperor

Bandit leader shuddered when he heard Don and he saw Don as the Devil reincarnated. This youngster just killed his comrades like chopping vegetables, what sort of maniac or person could do that he thought. If gods could hear his thoughts, they would smite his butt because he was just going to kill Arwen and some elves moments ago.

On the other hand, the elves seemed to quite lighten up and their previously pale face started to return to normal as their body was slightly loosened up.

After a few moments without getting attacked by the bandit leader, Arwen's senses slowly came back to him and Amaryll watched this scene without even batting an eyelid, her eyes held a mix of tension and excitement and fear.

Bandit leader cast away all his doubts, shortcomings, and prepared to battle with Don as he clutched his fists so tightly while the nails started to penetrate his palms.

"I do not know what powers you hold to kill my Lisa and others easily but I'm not them, I will kill you and avenge them with your blood" as he said, the bandit leader took his daggers out of his armor and started to inject magic in them, the daggers shone with light green color like sunlight reflecting on a jade stone.

"Take out your sword brat I don't want to kill you with a single attack" the bandit leader shouted threateningly.

"No need you are just a bigger ant" Don replied, his voice was still cold.

Hearing this bandit leader almost coughed up blood in anger, he was a leader of a ferocious bandit group, he killed countless other beings and never in his life, felt humiliated like this.

A young brat who is not even half of his age was comparing him with an ant, how ridiculous is that but he felt that this brat can back his words.

"Come on then, you don't want to make your friends wait for you in hell".

"Ahhhhhhh bastard!" The bandit leader couldn't hold his anger anymore as he leaped towards Don, veins on his eyes already started to crack, and turned his eyes into blood red. The bandit leader was going all out in this fight and this was a fight to the death for him.

The bandit leader swung his daggers at Don like a madman, there was no finesse or technique in his moments, just fury and anger.

Unlike Arwen who was weak in close-combat, Don was an expert so he simply dodged the bandit leader's attacks. It was like a perfectly choreographed dance as every time the bandit leader swung his daggers at him, Don would simply evade like he already knows what's going to happen.

This made the bandit leader more furious and his moves became more and more disoriented.

He was a peak level master magi and just a little bit under the great master level.

Just like he was toying with Arwen now Don is toying with the bandit leader.

"Hmm, how does it feel to be toyed with huh?"Don asked while evading the bandit leader's attacks.

"Bastard stop running, fight me head-on if you dare" the bandit leader screamed as he was getting more inflamed, the veins on his head hands were bulged out.

"I just take this as your final wish" as he said Don stopped evading and raised his right hand like he was going to strangle the leader's neck, the leader was confused seeing what is his opponent doing

However soon he got the answer to his question when the air around him started to thicken and the ground beneath him came to life as the mud turned into hands to grab his legs firmly.

"Wha what sorcery is this? why can't I see any magic fluctuations around you?" the bandit leader shouted and struggled to free himself from the ground.

Magic fluctuation would appear when a magi cast or use magic, no matter the levels, a magi was no exception for magic fluctuation, the stronger the magi or the spell, the stronger the fluctuation that would appear around him/her.

Magi could determine other magi's power and level noticing the magical fluctuations but the bandit leader could not see a single particle around Don is fluctuating, in fact, he was not wrong since this is one of the many secrets that Don holds.

Don didn't mind the bandit leader's words as he started to clench his fist to force the bandit leader to fall to his knees while the daggers in his hands hit the ground with a sound of 'clink'.

"Are you feeling powerless? Not like when you beat innocent people huh?

Now I will give you two choices, the first choice is you answer my questions and I'll kill you instantly without causing pain" Don paused for a moment before continuing

 "The second one is, you don't answer and I'll torture you slowly till you die or answer my question, so which one do you prefer?"

Just when he heard this, the bandit leader began to laugh like a maniac and replied "No matter what I do, you will kill me so why do I want to answer your questions, torture me much as you want, I ain't giving you shite"

Seeing the mad laugh and hearing what he just said, Don shook his head

"Pity I didn't want to use this so soon" as he said Don flicked his hands, his ring in his right hand let out a small flicker then a spider-shaped bug appeared in his palm. It was like a mixed breed between spider and cockroach and seeing this horrible bug made the bandit shudder in fear.

Don brought the bug near the face of the bandit while the bandit was screaming and struggling, the bug's eyes seemed to look in the direction of the bandit and its front two spider legs slowly began to rise. 

And in a second, the bug suddenly jumped on his face and quickly crawled into the bandit leader's head through his nose.

The bandit's mind went blank for a moment and started to scream in agony.``Take it out!! take it out!! I can't" he could not even finish his sentence as he wrestled with the ground as his body was twitching and rolling on the ground.

Don watched the bandit's pain and struggle for a moment, in this silent night, the only sound of flame and the bandit's agony could be heard around the elven tribe. The elves watching this scene could not be happy seeing their captor's fate, some of the elven women closed their eyes because the pain he seemed to be going through is so horrible.

After a while, Don did something with his hands and the bug crawled out of the bandit's body through his left ear, the twitching and rolling of the bandit leader finally came to an end.

"Who ordered you to capture the elves and how did you manage to reach this tribe so far deep into the woods without being noticed?"

The bandit was still in pain but he realized that death is better than experiencing that pain again so he began to tell him the truth.

"Mi Mi Minister Brian ordered gave us this mission"

"Why?"

"Because most of the slave traders are his shops and he.." gulp "He has a weak point for the elven woman " he was afraid to say this because he didn't want Don to start the torture again so he quickly answered the next question.

"As for how did we get here without getting noticed, we got the precise location of the tribe from one of the elves we captured a while ago and we had the support of a mysterious wizard. He was the one teleported us near the tribe "

"Mysterious wizard? How did you meet him and what's he look like?"

"We met him in the manor of minister Brian and I could not see him because he wore a hood and black mask and full black robe"

"You don't want to keep things from me," Don said threateningly.

The bandit's eyes went wide as he remembered that there was an eagle embroidered on his black robe.

"There was an eagle embroidered on his robe near the chest now let me go I answered your questions didn't I?" the bandit leader started to plead with Don.

Don looked at the bandit then he turned his gaze towards Arwen and kicked the dagger towards him as the dagger landed near Arwen's hand.

Arwen knew what Don's intention so he slowly picked it up and picked himself up after a struggle, the bandit also got the gist of the situation.

"He is not mine to kill, he is yours," Don said to Arwen.

Hearing Don, Arwen nodded slightly and started to limp towards the bandit while the bandit kept screaming

"No no don't kill me, have mercy please" he couldn't continue just when Arwen placed the dagger on the bandit's neck yet Arwen didn't cut his throat but hesitated for a moment.

Arwen knew that he has to do this and if the situation was reversed the bandit leader would not show mercy. Don also noticed the elf's hesitation but did or said nothing, 

While Arwen was struggling to decide what to do, he heard Amaryll shouting at him "Kill him Arwen he is not worth your mercy" this was the final push Arwen needed as he slit the bandit leader's throat.