He used such n.o.ble and domineering words, 'No one has to die today,' as if with a wave of his hand, he'd swat aside Yos.h.i.+o and his goons into meat-paste against the mountainside.

Taree had really wanted to see the storied Meat-to-Paste Technique.

He even put his wrists together in a strange, almost ritualistic display, as if he was confident of his actions-- as if he'd practiced the movements hundreds and thousands of times in the past.

Taree really wanted to see the storied Turtle Beam or even the Hadou Fist.

No. Taree shook her head. It must have been some trick. The Chosen One could handle himself-- he must have some ulterior motive. Even a coward would run away before surrendering so thoroughly!

Pale was holding a thick log, half his size, balancing that, his metal spear, and Tamaki, the unconscious archer.

"Meet you back at base, Lone!"

Pale ran.

Taree was caught by surprise-- he ran quite fast, and his short running legs looked funny carrying all the extra and unbalanced weight. Tamaki looked especially pitiful with how his long legs dangled over the short boy's shoulders and an arrow still sticking out of his back.

"Taree! Gotta keep up!"

"Oh!" Taree yelped, das.h.i.+ng away and creating a cloud of dirt. A group of four ninjas converged on her location with swords drawn but moments too late. She had sprinted away with Pale's warning, her leg strength leaving a deep divot in the dirt.

…

"Awww, Boss! Bucket didn't even try!" Dragan shouted indignantly.

Tycon didn't respond to Dragan's moaning. He found Bucket's actions perfectly acceptable.

It was the situation with Barza left him clueless. Surrendering to the enemy without a fight? Was he a genius for the distraction? What kind of plan was running through the man's head? And if this was all his plan, how would he guarantee his own safety?

The risk that Barza was taking was so grossly perilous that Tycon refused to believe it was so simple. And it was only further hazardous, realizing that the enemy would also refuse to believe it.

But unpredictability shatters the status quo. With the enemy unbalanced, Barza could land a fatal strike at a revealed vulnerability.

Brave or foolish?

Tycon sincerely hoped he'd be pleasantly surprised.

…

Barza Keith stared blankly with a turned head after how quickly Pale had deserted him. He slowly turned his head to look back at Yos.h.i.+o.

He knew he had f*cked up.

"Chosen One!" Taree yelled from a distance.

A new thought had quickly solidified in his mind and alerted every sense of his being. He needed to run. He needed to run as fast as or faster than Pale. Or Taree. Or maybe he'd beg Pale to drop the blonde kid, in order to slow the enemy.

Though his energy was drained after the Gann fight, hearing the young girl's voice spurred him to action. He yelled out powerfully, blood coursing through his leg muscles and courage filling his heart.

"I'm coming!"

Pain surged through his body.

During Barza's lapse in concentration, Yos.h.i.+o had closed the gap, sinking a solid knee strike into his abdomen. Yos.h.i.+o's hands never left behind his back, nor did the s.a.d.i.s.tic sneer leave his face. Yos.h.i.+o hopped up with a spin, and a second kick sent Barza skidding along the ground until he smashed through a rotting log.

Yos.h.i.+o landed expertly on the toes of his left foot before pointing with his chin, "You, you, and you, come with me after the girl. The rest of you, take care of the outsider!"

…

Dragan continued to complain, "Boss, did you see? He just ran!"

Tycon raised a hand to stop him, "Mister Dragan, your capability to react quickly and accurately during combat is admirable and I daresay one of your best traits."

"Oh! Thanks, Boss--"

"--But your plan is reckless. Bucket would be outnumbered, entrapped, and without support. At Bucket's level of combat, he is able to effectively resist the attacks of two Bronze-Rank combatants, at best... And only for a finite amount of exchanges."

Dragan gnashed his teeth and averted his eyes but didn't argue. Tycon felt that Dragan had been Iron-Rank for so long, he'd likely forgotten what it's like to be weak. A normal mercenary would despair at becoming surrounded. Dragan, however, would revel in that there'd be so many people to murder.

"Mister Wroe, I approve of both the coordination method and, if a chance shows, attacking and slaying the team leader. However, the teamwork is unreliable. On the field, there is an unfortunate casualty. On the field, there is a young girl whose ability cannot be easily gauged. And the number of attackers makes the situation rather dismal."

Wroe nodded slowly in understanding, "So the tactical withdrawal?"

"Or a quick withdrawal as Bucket has chosen. Full points." Tycon stated calmly as if the boy wasn't in a life-threatening situation below them.

"Well, where are they going?" Wroe asked.

"They need something-- anything, a chokepoint, an ambush, coordinated hit-and-runs…"

Tycon opened his arms, motioning to the two of them, "Or perhaps reinforcements? Mister Wroe.

Wroe's blue eyes glowed like gems underneath his white hood. "You have need of my services, Boss?"

"Must you? You're not impressing anyone. It's just Dragan and me up here."

"What? Am I doing something?"

"...Disregard. Mister Wroe, I need you to go a.s.sist Bucket."

Wroe leaned backward, his head resting on his interwoven fingers, still glaringly suspended in the air. "Huh? He looks like he's got it, though."

"The boy was being chased by--" Tycon sighed. "Just… Just go."

Wroe stood up, taking care to keep his balance on the tree branch. "Aye, Boss. I'll be goi--"

"Wait." Tycon raised a hand, his head down, deep in thought. "Are you… Seven h.e.l.ls, I still can't believe I'm asking this, but are you capable of a.s.sisting Bucket without revealing your presence?"

"Oh, sure," Wroe responded a bit too quickly for Tycon's comfort. "He'll never know what hit him."

As Wroe was about to turn, Tycon quickly stopped him, "WAIT!"

"'Sup, Boss?"

"For the purpose of this exercise, you may not directly attack Bucket."

"Got it."

"Wait… For the purpose of this exercise, you may not summon creatures incapable of distinguis.h.i.+ng Bucket from an enemy."

The last command seemed to stun Wroe. He lowered his hood and scratched at his blue hair in thought. "Oh. Um. I'll think of something?"

"And Mister Wroe, do watch your step."

"Don't worry, Boss, it's probably fiiiiiiiiiii--" Wroe slipped off the tree branch, falling and screaming.

Tycon didn't bother looking down. "Mister Dragan, the Veil will soon be-- What is it?"

Dragan was trying to stifle his laughter, "That guy's only been messing with magic for like a week, right? I wonder if he knows that a Teleport Spell usually brings the momentum from the beginning of the cast, past its completion."

Tycon grinned, "That's his problem, not ours."

Dragan returned his grin, "What's the plan, Boss?"

"Mister Dragan, do make certain Mister Barza isn't killed. Discreetly, if possible. With violence and great prejudice, if you must."

"Caaaan I do both?"

"I do admire your creative mind, Mister Dragan. Do as you will."

"Ahaha!" The big man chortled, hefting his dark-metal greataxe onto his shoulder. "What'll you be doing, Boss?"

Tycon took a deep sigh, looking off into the distance after Bucket and his whelpling companions. "I'll be ensuring Wroe doesn't accidentally kill Bucket."

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"Ehhh. He's f.u.c.ked, Boss. Can't we just get a new kid?"

"Sod off, Dragan."