The Masked Man knocked out almost every rogue with his otherworldly strength and speed, but he purposely left one rogue unharmed.
"Spare me, please have mercy!" the last rogue cried out loud, his voice overwhelmed with fear.
"Hmmm..." The Masked Man smirked beneath his mask as he heard the rogues plead.
"You see, that's the only thing I don't do," the masked man spoke, his voice icy and resolute. "I never forget or forgive."
Hearing the masked man's words, the last rogue fell to the ground and gulped in fear, realizing the hopelessness of his plea. The masked man lifted the last rogue from the ground; the last rogue offered no resistance and accepted his fate. With a final blow, the masked man put the last rogue out of his misery.
"That was fun while it lasted..." The Masked Man murmured to himself.
The Masked Man turns back his crimson eyes, searching for the rogue leader, but he is nowhere to be seen. "Now, where did that cat run to...."
Meanwhile, the rogue leader had taken refuge in one of the village houses, hiding behind a bed. The rogue leader was terrified; he heard the painful cries of his men and their pleas, as well as the Masked Man silencing them. His entire body was shivering. He regretted the moment he came to this village.
"Baammm....!!" In frustration, the rogue leader slammed his hand on the bed.
Just as the rogue leader slammed the bed. He heard the hissing of a woman from the bed. He looked underneath and saw Hiroshi's pregnant mother hiding there. Hiroshi's mother also saw the rogue leader and tried to get out of his reach, but he was fast and grabbed her leg. With cruelty, the rogue leader dragged Hiroshi's mother by her leg.
He grabbed Hiroshi's mother's hair. "Let me go!" she cried in pain as the rogue leader pulled her up.
"How can I let you go? You're my exit from here," The Rogue leader spoke with an evil smirk beneath his hood.
The rogue leader then pulled out his dagger and placed it to Hiroshi's mother's throat. "Now, be quiet before I do something stupid again."
The rogue leader had taken Hiroshi's mother as his hostage. He dragged Hiroshi's mother out of the house to confront the Masked Man.
"Let me go, please!" Hiroshi's mother cried out loud, pleading with the rogue leader.
The masked man spotted the rogue leader the moment he walked out of the house. The rogue leader was holding Hiroshi's mother's hair tightly while placing a sharp dagger to her throat. He was not giving a single opportunity for the Masked Man to take him down or Hirsohi's mother to escape.
Hiroshi also saw his mother as a hostage and tried to breach the barrier, but Rin stopped him, knowing the consequences of touching the barrier. Her grip was firm and gentle at the same time. Unable to break free from Rin's grip,
Hiroshi cried out loud. "Mom! She's my mom, save her, please!" Hiroshi pleaded with the masked man.
The Masked Man looked straight into Hiroshi's mother's eyes with his crimson gaze and spoke. "There will be no harm done to you...." His voice was gentle and calm as he spoke to Hiroshi's mother.
Just as the Masked Man finished, the rogue leader closed the small gap between his dagger and Hiroshi's mother's throat, making a small cut. A small amount of blood began to leak as she groaned in pain.
"Trust you? No, trust me; nothing will be okay," the rogue leader spoke with cunning.
"Leave her, and you can leave," the masked man spoke while gritting his teeth in anger.
"You're in no position to command me anymore, so just do as I say," the rogue leader sneered at the masked man, tightening his grip on the dagger. He then released his grip on Hiroshi's mother's hair and raised his hand in the air, while keeping the dagger clenched on her throat.
He cast a spell, "Ebon Rejuvenation!" Multiple waves of dark purple magic emerged from his hand and instantly healed all of his men who had been taken out by the masked man.
The rogues stood up in confusion, but were still scared of the masked man. They quickly analyzed the situation and surrounded the Masked Man.
"Leave her, and leave this village," the masked man, unbothered by the situation, demanded again.
"We'll come to that," the rogue leader quickly responded.
The rogue leader wanted revenge for his humiliation. "Your sword, give it to me NOW!" The rogue leader made a small cut on Hiroshi's mother's throat as he demanded the Masked Man's sword.
The masked man took a deep breath and threw his sword on the ground. "Fine, take it and leave...."
"Hold him," the rogue leader ordered his men to grab the masked man.
The rogues hesitated for a second but managed to gather their courage and tightly held the masked man. The masked man showed no resistance to the safety of Hiroshi's mother.
"Do what you want to do to me, but leave her alone," the masked man said.
A cunning smile filled with satisfaction appeared on the rogue leader's face. "She would have been fine if you weren't here."
As the rogue leader spoke, he delivered a cruel strike and cut Hiroshi's mother's throat, and threw her to the ground.
"Mom!" Hiroshi cried out loud.
"Let me go, my mom needs me," Hiroshi pleaded with Rin to release him.
The Masked Man's eyes widened in anger at the rogue leader's move. He tried to get closer to Hiroshi's mother, but the rogues held him tight making him unable to move. His crimson eyes were locked with Hiroshi's mother.
As Hirsohi's mother struggled to breathe. "Please take care of my son," she murmured to the masked man.