Rendezvous.

Sunrays passed into the tent, highlighting Octan's coat. He had worked through his coat, allowing it its pristine white once more.  As he threw it over his shoulder, as his arm slid through the sleeve, the sewed shoulder had caught his eye once more. It wasn't something he couldn't permanently fix with a little skill, but he believed using this body's mana would taint the coat, so he left it as is.

Octan then unsheathed his sword, taking a look at the edges. They had run dull, as expected after a night's slaughter. The metal was of nothing special, nor its crafting. He had picked it up at a market once while crossing town, as he had done with his previous weapons. He had no use for 'masterpieces,' he believed his raw strength to be more than enough.

Starting the day, he attempted for the tent's curtain, leaving. As he did, a sudden sound could be heard, someone had closed the distance to him. Turning his head, Lena was standing before him, eyeing him with her usual blank look. He was sure he had made sure both of them were asleep, which Kouko was still. 

"There is nothing for you to carry here," Octan said.

Lena nodded.

"Do as you please," He scoffed, walking away.

Lena followed.

Lena followed Octan into the camp's market, a place she had only been through once. Though quite a memorable once at that, she remembered how cramped and busy the place was, noisy and lively. However, it had betrayed her memory. The entire market stood aghast, everyone rigid in place, making way for the 'Great Ranked.' She could hear them whisper and mumble to each other, they had both feared and resented Octan's presence, not due to his well-deserved personality, but rather to his 'Rank.'

Lena gave them the crowd a glance and went back to facing Octan's back a couple of steps behind him.

He moved with purpose, his steps, though careless, had a destination in mind, one that Lena was sure she could guess.

Soon, they found themselves before the Tavern-turned-bar. The one Lena had an arm-wrestling match in. 

Octan stood before it, studying the adventurers around him. He placed a hand over the handle of his sword, clanking his weapon. Some adventurers jumped in place, anticipating hostility, an action brought by their anxiousness. Octan rather took off his weapon, placing it on his back, he would not unsheath his weapon. 

Octan then stepped into the door, killing another air. As he entered, the tavern went silent, not a word to be heard. It was clear, whatever image the adventurers had of the man, it had fear within it. Lena looked around for the traveler, but he was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps he didn't stay? Lena thought, focusing back on Octan.

Octan reached the bar, sitting on a wooden stool he called for the barman with a tap at the bar's surface. The barman approached Octan, unlike the adventurers, he was confident with his presentation, he was of the guild's staff, people who cherished the Ranked rather than fear or resent them.

"What could I get you, Sir?" The barman asked.

"Nothing, I have a question," Octan said.

As Octan began conversing with the barman, the adventurers gradually returned to themselves, allowing Octan to fade into the back of their minds.

"A question, Sir? Please, do inquire. It would be the guild's pressure to answer you." The barman said.

"What happened to my share of the Warmongs' loot?" Octan asked. "I had expected it to be delivered by morning, yet I awoke to an empty tent.

"Warmongs, sir? What could you be talking about?" The barman asked.

"Now, on which side are you?" Octan asked the barman.

"The adventurers' side, Sir."

"An answer befitting the guild," Octan replied in a scoff, standing as he escaped the conversation.

Lena followed.

As he left the Tavern, Octan picked one of the adventurers, one of a smaller stature, one he could easily drag away with him. The man complained as he was forcibly dragged away, his party members watching in fear. None had stood up for him as the man got dragged out of the tavern.

Octan stood outside, throwing the man onto the wall.

"W-what is it you want, Ranker?!" The man barked.

"Look now, I will allow this remark. Anymore out of you, and I will retreat any care I had placed within this camp."

"Y--" The man swallowed his words, glancing at the Kid behind Octan. He felt no malice towards him, it was simply 2 people existing before him. One of which could crush his being in but a gesture.

"Good," Octan said. "Now, tonight, gather what adventurers you can, and bring them over to my tent. You know it don't you? The same one you eye every night as you curse my party to sleep."

"W-Why?" The adventurer questioned Octan.

"Why?" Octan repeated, "Because."

"Fine," the adventurer stood, his eyes still glaring at Octan. "Just don't expect much, without reason, I doubt any adventurer would pay you any time."

"Do what you can," Octan said, walking away.

Lena stayed for a moment, still watching the man as he glared at Octan's retreating back.

"What is up with him, huh kid? All that power got to his head?" He questioned Lena, a hand to his shoulder, seemingly it had impacted with the Tavern's wall.

Lena didn't reply, instead following behind Octan, leaving the man behind.

"Yeah, well fuck you too..." The man said, falling to his bottom.

Octan didn't speak on the way back to Lena, and neither did Lena expect him to. They moved back in silence.

As night fell, Octan sat watching an oil lantern hanging by the center pole of the tent. Despite having mana lanterns, Octan had requested the guild to provide an oil-based one instead. "Better ambiance," he claimed.

"Did he really not tell you anything?" Kouko asked Lena--both sat away from the man. "Why would he suddenly call for the adventurers to collect here?"

Lena shrugged.

Usually, Kouko would be by Octan's side rather than her, but Octan had specifically told her to keep away from him tonight. It seems that he was organizing his thoughts.

"They are here," Octan said, taking a stand and strolling over to the curtain entrance.

Lena got up and followed, and so did Kouko.

Outside, Lena could see the adventurers approaching in the distance.

A few dozen at that, a minority of the camp, but when considering the nature of the call, it showcased the power behind the title Ranked.

As the adventurers stood before Octan, lined in their armor and gear, Octan eyed them one by one.

"Why are we here?" A demanding adventurer started.

"Yeah, I would like to know as well. My part said we should be a part of whatever the Ranker had in mind." Another adventurer said, seemingly a tank.

"Aha! I knew it, you were coming along just for favors after all!" A magician started at the tank's words.

"Oh, shut it, as if you are coming for something else." 

"Of course, I'm coming to help out the effort. Unlike you, I'm not here to earn a quick buck, I'm here to stand against the demon lord."

"'Stand against the demon lord,' he says. Do you even hear yourself? How did you even make it this far with such childish fantasies." The armored adventurer mocked.

"Childish?! You damn fool!" The magician barked. "We are humanity's only hope, how far do you wish to allow his reign? If not us, adventurers, then who is to stand up against him?!"

"I don't know, and I do not care. We gold carved have no chance. We have long reached our peak. So, if even The Everett stands no chance, a mindless fool in a constant battle against minions, who are we?" The armored adventurer said.

"Don't you dare disrespect Sir Everett! A man such as yourself doesn't own the right to utter his name!" The magician said.

"Hah, would you look at that," The armored adventurer said, looking at Octan. "What do you think, Mr Ranked? Do you believe humanity stands a chance against the demon lord?"

The magician turned to face Octan as well, his eyes furiously demanding an answer.

Octan watched the two. His face was the same as always; impassive. He cared not for their squabble, he cared not for their opinions, nor their beliefs, he didn't even think about humanity. What did bother him, was the happenings within the camp. Something he found an eerie familiarity within.

"No. The Ranked adventurers stand no chance against the demon lord. You have heard of it, didn't you? The case of the Arcane dragon a couple of years ago." Octan said facing the magician. "If the Arcane Fist fell to a lowly Arcane dragon, do you believe the ranked ever stood a chance against the demon lord?"

"B--..." The Magician attempted to retaliate, yet words escaped him. 

"Good. Right now, escape delusions. I do not care what you whisper to sleep, at this very moment we stand within reality. Ideals and beliefs be damned. Today I will speak to you words of utmost importance, tomorrow you are to share them. We aim for a quarter of the camp at the least."

"Excuse me," A polite adventurer called raising a hand, his manners betraying his burly build. "I do not doubt you, Sir. It's just that, I have met a Ranked before, The Rigid Champion, that is. And--excuse me when I say it--You do not emit his kind of... Presence?"

Octan raised a brow at the man. He hadn't expected anyone to question his standing, especially with the arrogance he had kept showcasing. Still, it wasn't something he had to worry about. He didn't need to showcase any kind of identification, a feat should be more than enough to prove his validity.

"What would prove me as one?" Octan asked the polite adventurer.

"Oh, then if you don't mind me asking, what is your specialty?" The adventurer asked.

"I have no need for consideration. Speak of any action."

Lena could see doubt grow in a couple of adventurers' eyes. Had they thought he pushed his bluff too far?

"Then... Please do something impossible." The adventurer asked.

Octan watched the man, studying him.

"Hey," The armored adventurer said, calling out to the burly man. "Do you even realize how stupid you just sounded?"

"That is the least I would expect," The burly adventurer said, his eyes following as Octan stepped over to him. "Rankers are not bound by the same rules as us after all." He then faced down, facing the ranked adventurer he had towered.

"Now," Octan said, raising a hand towards the man's chest. Precisely to the left. "You will die, for but a moment."

"Die...? " The burly adventurer said, his eyes suddenly widening in shock,  "...!" He had sensed something, something unnatural.

Then, with an eerie thump. A horrifying squash, one that was a wet squelch, as if pressing a sack of liquid. As if tearing flesh, imploding organs. As if crushing a heart.

The man continued to face Octan, terror showcased at its utmost. He coughed, blood escaping him, and his nose bled. His breath stopped, and his body went limp, falling to his knees.

The other adventurers jumped, each making distance from Octan. Pure horror covered their being, not only had he murdered a man in cold blood...

"What did you do?!" An adventurer had demanded of Octan. "How did you crush his heart?! You didn't even pierce his chest!"

"Simple really," Octan said, gazing at the corpse below him. "I applied pressure to it using my own mana, enough to pulverize it."

"You-- You passed his boundary?!" Dread. Pure dread.

This wasn't a simple feat he had showcased. It was an obtrusion. A fact that had left them careless, a concept that protected their mentality, has now been broken. 

Octan crouched down, placing a hand over the man's back.

The adventurers watched in horror, shaken to their feet. They understood every single one of them was under the man's whim. He hadn't even needed to take a step, a simple gesture, that was their life's worth.

Octan then stood, still gazing at the burly corpse.

As he did, the man shot up, screaming as he did. An understandable reaction, he had been killed and revived after all, not a regular experience even to an adventurer.

"You... You..." There was no respect in the man's eyes, only fright. "You passed my boundary... You... A human... A person... And crushed my heart at that... You did..." The man mumbled to himself, gazing at his arms. 

"You believe me now?" Octan asked.

The man simply nodded, still in shock.

"The rest of you?" Octan said, spinning around and facing the few dozen adventurers. 

Not a single one made a sound, all at the tips of their feet.

"Now," Octan said, retreating towards Lena and Kouko, the latter of whom watched their eyes hollow. "I tell you, tomorrow, same time, same place. I need more of the camp. Tell them that what we are fighting is not the demon lord's army, but flesh and blood of our own. If we do not band together, we will be the fools of a Sage."

Once more, Octan was left with no reply.

Octan eyed them over.

Perhaps I did overstep, he taught.

"Be on your way, that is all for tonight," Octan said, retreating to the tent.

Lena glanced at the burly man, still in a state of disbelief, then followed Octan.

Kouko kept outside, falling to her knees as she embraced herself.

"He... He passed his boundary..." A man mumbled to himself among the adventurers. "And maliciously at that... Hell, he even brought him back to life..."

"What monsters... The Ranked... To think you can't even be in peace... To think all it takes is a wrong glance..." Another mumbled.

Some started on their way back, their steps heavy.

The others soon followed.

The only one left was Kouko. She sat, embracing herself, her shoulders shaken under the cold moonlight.

Tonight, the men and women who left that grouping will forever think twice, will forever consider their words, and will forever fear. Fear the glance of another human. What was impossible, what had brought them comfort, what had assured them safety? Now, it was nothing but naivety. Tonight, they understood the fragility of their existence.

Kouko continued to shake.

How, how am I to travel with such a man, She thought. How am I to spend another moment with such dread?