The Useless Prince Is A Gangster

In the Thick Deltou Colossale Forest

Rin's heart raced as she watched Leonhardt crash through the bushes, thrown by a hard hit. "Leonhardt!" she screamed with panic as she ran toward where he landed.

A huge mercenary, the group's leader, blocked her path with a wide grin showing yellow teeth while his lackeys went after Leo to finish him off.

"Where you off to, little lady?" he growled while reaching for her wrist with a large hand.

Before he could grab her, a deep snarl cut through the air. Nimbus in panther form jumped at the mercenary. Its claws dug into the man's shoulder and strong jaws ripping off his face. The mercenary yelled, trying to push the animal off, blood spraying all across the ground.

Rin stepped back and a twig snapped behind her. She turned immediately and saw a skinny mercenary swing a fist at her head. Without thinking, she pointed at her staff and shot a burst of crackling lightning. The bolt hit right into his chest, throwing him into a tree with a loud *thud*. He fell to the ground unconscious.

Rin turned back to the mercenary leader, who roared in anger and pulled Nimbus off his face and slammed the panther to the ground with a hard crash.

"You damned cat!" he cursed as his torn face healed strangely fast, the skin fixing itself in a creepy way. He raised his huge axe as he pinned Nimbus under his boot, ready to kill.

"Get your filthy foot off him!" Rin shouted, her voice full of defiance. Her staff buzzed, charged with bright purple power, its tip glowing like a star. The mercenary's grin faded as he saw the violet head.

"Good luck," Rin said with a bold smirk. She fired a bright beam of energy blasting him through the forest, his body smashing through trees until he was gone for miles away.

Rin turned to run toward Leonhardt again, but a thin hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. A slim mercenary with a nasty grin stood over her. "Got you now, pretty lady," he sneered with his grip tightening as she tried to shake his hand.

But a bandaged hand grabbed the mercenary's arm tightly. "No," a low, angry voice growled. "I've got you." Rin's eyes widened as she saw Leonhardt's red eyes burning with cold rage. The other mercenaries who'd attacked him lay scattered on the forest floor unconscious.

Blood trickled from Leonhardt's forehead, but his eyes were fixed on the mercenary's hand holding Rin's pretty hand. "You've got some nerve touching her," he whispered. He slashed up the short sword, and cut clean through the mercenary's hand.

The man's scream echoed through the forest as he held his bleeding stump.

Annoyed by the noise pollution, Leo grabbed the man's head and smashed it into a tree with a loud crack which knocked him out instantly. "Pathetic filth," Leonhardt muttered while looking at him.

Rin wrapped her arms around him with relief washing over her as she buried her face into his chest. "Leonhardt, thank God you're safe," she murmured in a low soft voice.

He laughed while gently patting her back. "God? Please, it's me who kicked their asses," he teased.

"Shut up, you idiot," Rin replied playfully, a smile forming on her lips.

The huge mercenary leader flew through the air while his ripped shirt barely hanging on his scarred body after Rin's mana blast. His axe aimed right at Loe and Rin, his teeth clenched in a furious snarl.

Before the axe could hit, a shadow emerged from Leonhardt's feet which formed into a dark copy of him.

The shadow clone lifted a black sword, easily blocking the mercenary's axe with a loud *clang*. The force sent a gust through the air, shaking nearby leaves.

Leonhardt, still holding Rin gently, let out an annoyed sigh. "Seriously?" he muttered with frustration. "Can't a guy get one moment with his girl without you oversized lunks ruining it?" Rin gave him a look, her pink eyes sparkling with amusement and slight irritation.

The shadow clone dissolved and Nimbus jumped on the guy with a deep roar, his black panther body a blur of deadly speed, tearing his face. The mercenary screamed, clawing at the panther, blood pouring down his chest.

With an angry roar, the mercenary ripped Nimbus off and threw him to the ground with a hard thud. He raised his axe to slice the stunned panther in two. But Leonhardt moved in a flash of speed.

His fist smashed into the mercenary's jaw with a loud crack, snapping the man's head back and making him stumble.

"Hands off my cat," He growled with his crimson eyes burning with anger.

Nimbus shook off the hit, his black fur bristling as he circled the mercenary with a low growl. The mercenary, holding his torn face, swung his axe wildly, but Leonhardt dodged with easy grace, his movements almost teasing.

"What's this? Big guy can't land a hit?" he mocked while ducking another swing and landing a quick punch to the mercenary's guts, making him gasp and bend over.

Nimbus leaped again, his claws slashing across the mercenary's back, ripping what was left of his shirt and drawing more blood. The man roared, turning to swat at the panther, but Leonhardt punch crashed into the mercenary's cheek with a bone-breaking pop.

"You're embarrassing yourself," Leo said with a sharp grin as he dodged another clumsy axe swing.

"Stop showing off, Leonhardt," Rin called with an annoyed tone. "Finish him already."

"showing off?" Leo replied, his eyes fixed on the mercenary. "I'm just taking out my frustration on this guy."

Nimbus bites the mercenary's leg and pulls him off balance.

The man cursed loudly as stumbled.and Leonhardt took the chance, grabbing the mercenary's arm and twisting it behind his back with a hard yank. With a swift kick to the back of his knee, Leo sent him crashing face-first into the dirt.

Nimbus jumped onto the mercenary's back, pinning him with a fierce snarl. Leonhardt crouched beside the struggling mercenary, spinning his short sword before tapping its flat side against the man's bloody cheek.

"Here's the deal, big guy," he said, his voice low and threatening. "You picked the wrong day to mess with us. Should've stayed wherever Rin's blast sent you, it would've saved you a lot of pain."

The mercenary spat blood and muttered in a rough voice. "You'll pay… for killing my brother."

Leonhardt raised an eyebrow. "Brother? You'll have to be more specific. I've lost count of the fools I've killed." He leaned closer with a mocking tone. "Was he the loud one? Or the ugly one? Help me out here."

The mercenary's pain-twisted face suddenly broke into a creepy grin, his eyes shining with something dark.

Leonhardt's smirk faded as a chill ran down his spine.

"Leonhardt, behind you!" Rin shouted urgently as she aimed her staff past him.

Leo turned around immediately only to see a figure standing behind him—a cloaked figure in a black, emotionless mask. Leonhardt hadn't even noticed his presence.