I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

As the blinding light dimmed into the night, the skies became filled with the loud voices of people's worries. It had seemed like day had come before its time thanks to that light, but its subtle disappearance puzzled them more than its abrupt appearance.

The people had begun to gather around the fight scene, where the source of light originated, but not a single human was to be found.

Even the dead bodies were gone. All that remained was the subtle remainder of a battle that had been won one-sidedly and the broken orb that stored the light.

****

Raph and Elsie suddenly reappeared in the white room, Ziza and Merthy sticking their gazes on them as they did so.

Raph sighed in annoyance as he rubbed his eyes while he finally let Elsie down.

"Are you hurt?" She asked as she stretched her hands towards his face.

He held it softly and shook his head.

"The light was sudden and bright, but I protected myself fast enough, and these two saved us at the right time.."

His gaze slowly hardened as he turned to the two women seated around a table.

"Must be nice watching from here, huh?"

Ziza and Merthy gave him a wry smile in return.

"We can't influence your battles. They're meant to build your persona for the people".

Raph raised a brow in confusion. "They aren't even aware of who fought in that battle thanks to your quick thinking". He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he walked up to the table and grabbed a free chair.

"Those were bounty hunters?" He asked.

Elsie sat next to him as well, a small smile on her face.

"They must have followed me from the "

Raph remained silent in response, his thoughts reeling in.

"Those vermin will come back for revenge….it's exactly why I wanted to kill them all". He said with a sigh.

"They used a blinding orb…haven't seen one of those in a while". Merthy said. "It is Something you would use on reconnaissance missions or something similar, so using it as a means of escape was a smart thing".

Of course, Merthy had not meant any harm by what she said, but the pressure that nearly choked her to her knees in the next minute after her statement made one wonder if she did.

Ziza glanced at Raph, her pupils constricting at the sight before her.

"Are you…Contemplating those vermin?" He asked, his tone bitter and full of rage.

His brows were furrowed and his gaze twisted into a suppressed fury.

"Raph" Elsie called, placing her arm over his.

The pressure was released on Merthy, and the poor woman could finally breathe soon after.

"They're my problem. I can deal with a bunch of Bounty Hunters" Elsie said with a hushed tone. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

Though, Raph thought otherwise. He had worked with bounty hunters once. A bunch of crooks beyond the north. They were a rowdy bunch, but when it came to business, there were no feelings involved. And now, a bunch of them were after Elsie; how could he not be furious?

He sighed inwardly. "You're right, but Bounty Hunters are dangerous, especially Invaders".

"Are you assuming that they arrived from Beyond?" Ziza asked with a raised brow.

Raph glanced at her in confusion, and then his gaze slowly softened. "You can see what's happening, but not hear it?" he asked.

The woman suddenly went silent and Merthy sat up at his statement.

'...What?' He wondered.

"Well….that's no good," he said with the click of his tongue. "Anyways, those bounty hunters will be after Elsie so I want you guys to keep a watch on her at all times".

Elsie pouted her lips. "Raph, I can protect myself", she said.

"Yes, and I very much don't doubt it but that thing they used today". Raph muttered as the image of the orb exploding into a blinding light that completely disarrayed him played in his head. "There's no telling what kind of tricks they'll use next. The 5 Pillar Meeting is in two days now, and I'll still need to go over to the Rugged Coin Tavern. There's no telling what they're going to do".

Elsie remained silent for a moment as a sigh escaped her lips.

It would have been a lie if she said she had not experienced Something like this before, in fact, this was her fifth to seventh encounter with Bounty Hunters. Every time, she had annihilated them, except that one time when she didn't.

"Fine, but I'm still coming with you. You can protect me while they watch".

Raph nodded in agreement as he stood up from the chair. "I'm guessing you guys brought us here to save us….can you take us to our room then? I need to prepare early for tomorrow".

He had found his target, or sort of did, now he just needed time to talk to him.

'Why did it seem like he was scared?' He wondered.

The forgotten first son of the King, Plum Swanstorn was alive and well.

Ziza clicked her finger and a portal appeared in front of Raph.

"Please take care of yourself. You are our Blind Swordsman for a reason". She said as Raph and Elsie walked through it.

Ziza sighed and glanced at Merthy with a smirk.

Merthy's brows furrowed into a frown as she turned away. "Don't even think of it" she muttered, though Ziza paid no heed to her warning.

"Serves you right" Ziza said with a giggle as Merthy growled at her in annoyance.

****

Far away from the free zone, towards the Western District of the Drifting Wheels Gang, four figures with five mounts headed down the street in utter silence.

The leader of the Bounty Hunters and his three other brothers were spared their lives, but the scars that had been imprinted on them that day were something that would forever drive them for life.

The thinnest amongst the group who had been put into an unconscious state from the beginning of the battle was called Bick. He had woken up from his forced slumber a while ago as they walked back in shame.

The silence that suffused around them was alien, something he had never experienced despite wanting it all his life.

Growing up with six talented younger brothers had always put pressure on him, but after losing three of them, he had realized the hard way, how much they meant to him.

With a sigh, he turned towards the leader of the group and also their youngest.

"Brother Vick. Why don't we call it a day and go home?" He asked with a low tone in his voice, but he didn't need the usual talk down from his brothers to know that was a terrible idea.

"He killed our brathers". Vick, the leader of the group said with clenched teeth. His rage seethed in his eyes as he struggled to keep the tears from falling while his two other brothers led their mounts.

The dead bodies of their fallen brothers were kept on three of them, while the rest were left free.

"We need to get back at him, brather! We need to," One of the others said, his voice shaky from his swelled-up emotions.

They had lost three brothers today, something that had never occurred to them before. It was painful and, most especially, embarrassing.

"That man! That man knew something. That was why he asked for us to work together" Bick said with venom in his voice.

"We need to get him to pay"

A tense silence suffused around them for a moment, until Vick looked up at the sky, his gaze fixated on the moon.

The image of Raph appeared in his head, and a soft sigh escaped his lips. "The Moon Demon"

He muttered and looked away. "That wolf is ours. We brathers must claw our way to get it". He said. "Victory comes to those who rise again. Remember Mama's words?!"

The three brothers whimpered as tears flowed down their eyes, their voices rising like mournful ghouls.

Their teeth were clenched, and their fists tightened into small fists. The rage and sorrow they felt washed down their eyes like a fountain, as they lost themselves in the pain of losing a loved one.

"Let us avenge our Brathers" Vick muttered, his gaze filled with crimson rage.

Some few minutes passed, and the Four men had arrived at the Drifting Wheels Gang, where Timon was waiting for them patiently. His arms rested on a great sword that exuded brilliance and mastery as his knights lined beside him in front of his building.

There, the four Bounty Hunters halted, their gaze fixed on the old man who had seemingly warned them.

A tense silence grew between them until Vick took a step forward and stretched out his hand.

"We, Brathers, have wronged you. We shall follow your lead to capture what is ours"

Timon glanced at the man's arm and then at his expression. A smirk formed on his lips as he stretched his hand forward for a shake.

They grabbed each other arms firmly and shook once, their gazes fixed on one another as plans of dreadful revenge brewed within their hearts.