Veer smashed heavily on the ground, staring at his bleeding shoulder in horror. He had lost his entire right hand from just one arrow. He sat up, looking over his shoulder, seeing the mangled bodies of their guild members—some chests blown apart, others heads simply shattered into pieces.
"What such of demon is she?! How can arrows cause so much destruction?!" He asked himself, holding his hand, his warrior-class defenses proving utterly useless.
"Leader!!"
His only healer in his guild rushed towards him, but before she could even start healing him, a pressure, far stronger than any monster’s pressure they had encountered, descended all over the village, forcing them all to their knees. This wasn’t merely fear; it was overwhelming Spirit Energy oppression.
"What the?!"
Kino was stunned. He couldn’t even raise his head; the surviving bandits were all simply forced to the ground by the pressure.
"I actually thought Humans will come together and work as one... Wait, what am I saying? I never have such a thought."
The pressure reduced just enough, causing them to raise their heads to the voice, staring at the blue-haired beauty walking inside the village like it was her garden. Her demeanor was unsettlingly calm, contrasting sharply with the carnage around her.
"Oi! Why are you all on the ground? Are you paying homage to me? That’s so sweet." She said with a chilling smile, walking towards Veer.
She stopped in front of him, and squatted down to be face to face with him, her eyes utterly devoid of pity.
"You have only one choice if you want to live. And it’s very easy: what you’ll do is drop all your monster cards, gold coins and weapons on the ground before you. That’s all I need." She said with a businesslike smile.
"You--?!" Veer began to protest, fueled by pain and lingering pride.
"--I what?!!"
Mirabella cut him off, and with her word, the pressure on one of the nearest bandit members instantly multiplied. He shattered into a bloody paste on the ground, his bones all pulverized. It was a swift, visceral display of power.
"If you dare say anything else, you’ll be next." She said coldly, her message crystal clear.
"You are a monster." Veer muttered with gritted teeth, his defiance fading.
"Monster?"
Mirabella stood up, took three steps backward, then removed the pressure from the healer.
"What are you doing?" The healer asked, staring at Mirabella, confused by the pause in the brutality.
"I need him alive, I don’t want him to bleed out, heal him." She ordered. Mirabella was practicing controlled extraction, ensuring her loot source survived long enough to comply.
The healer stared at her fearfully, and slowly moved to Veer, placing her open palms some inches from his injuries. Green light appeared on her palm, slowly healing Veer, and after 20 seconds, the injury was healed, but the hand was permanently gone.
"Thanks." Mirabella said with a smirk, and opened her palm. To the shock of everyone, the same healing skill’s green light was now visible on her own palm.
{Skill copied: Spirit health: Heal self and one target with 10% of your spirit energy. 100 Spirit energy per use. Epic class.}
{Maxed Skill: Spirit health: Heal self and 100 targets with 50% of your spirit energy. Can Instantly restore the targets’ full health, and restore limbs. 10,000 Spirit Energy per use. Epic class.}
’Impressive skills... With this, Carl won’t die, as long he doesn’t get his head cut off or heart remove. But, the maxed skill used more Spirit energy than the starting skill. This is a first.’ she thought in professional surprise, her expression remaining flat. The healing skill was the true reason for her delay.
"Thanks for this skill, for this... I will let you leave, get lost!!" Mirabella offered the healer a reward for being the source of a useful ability.
The girl stared at Mirabella, then at Veer, hesitating—a final flicker of loyalty or fear. After some seconds, she turned and walked towards the gate.
"Seems she likes you." Mirabella muttered, watching the retreating figure. Then, with a flick of her fingers, the earth beneath the healer trembled and shot forward, instantly shattering her into a spray of blood, then redrew back into the ground.
The betrayal was swift and absolute. Mirabella eliminated the healer not for revenge, but because she was a loose end who knew Mirabella’s technique and location.
"You monster!!!" Veer screamed at her, throwing a desperate, one-handed punch with his left.
Mirabella simply stared at the incoming hand, and with a subtle exertion of energy, the hand was cleanly severed from his shoulder.
"AHHHH!!" He screamed in agonizing pain, collapsing in a heap.
"Hey... I know your galaxy bracelet is somewhere around here. So just bring out all your loots and these pain will stop." She said with a smile, the contrast between her pleasant expression and the torture she inflicted making her terrifying.
"Let the Leader go!!" Kino yelled from his spot, trying to be the hero.
"Oh! Yes... We have an assassin here. Warriors tend to be stubborn, especially when asking them questions, but the other bloodlines..." She walked towards Kino, and removed the pressure on him, letting him get to his feet.
"Now... Tell me what you know, and have, or you’ll end up like him." She said, gesturing to the mutilated Veer.
"Ok. These are my--" Kino began, trying to comply.
WHOOSH!!
Kino shot forward, utilizing his assassin speed, only to strike an afterimage with his hidden dagger. He froze in shock, feeling the cold blade of a dagger on his neck, with Mirabella standing behind him.
"Did you think you’re faster than me?"
"You?! I thought you’re a mage?! How can you move like an assassin?!" Kino asked in horror, feeling the dagger blade pressing on his neck.
"Useless." Mirabella’s assessment was cold and final. She rushed him forward, the next moment: Sunder, appeared in her grasp. With a flash, Kino’s head flew from his shoulder, falling in front of Veer. Then the body slumped.
".....?!!!!"
Veer’s and the remaining fighters’ eyes widened in terror, staring at the grim Reaper smirking at them, confirming that class boundaries meant nothing to Spectral.
"Ok... Should we do this again." Mirabella walked towards Veer, but before she could say anything, countless monster cards, weapons, and gold coins appeared on the ground, while the purple monster cards were hovering slightly above the items. Veer, now missing both hands, had used a voice command to release everything.
"That is all! Please... Please help me!" Veer quickly pleaded, completely broken. His right shoulder was healed, but the left was still bleeding; if it continued, he would surely die.
Mirabella took all the purple monster cards, and some epic class weapons, and nodded in satisfaction, completely ignoring his plea for life.
"That’s why it’s good robbing bandits. You don’t have to do all the work, and you won’t even feel guilty doing it! You guys are so great." She said with a bright, utterly sociopathic smile, causing the remaining group to stare at her like she had grown two heads. For Mirabella, the only difference between her and the bandits was that she was better at the game.