Chapter 53 Bandits

As the group walked, the path became more defined and the thick forest began to thin out. They had been walking for hours without encountering any problems, but everyone was still on high alert due to the potential threat of bandits. Suzuka and Olivia were quietly chatting and laughing, with Olivia flirting playfully and Suzuka humoring her. But suddenly, Olivia's expression turned serious and her gaze became fixed on one particular tree.

She leaned in closer to Thomas and whispered, "Thomas, there's a bandit hiding in that tree over there." Thomas nodded in agreement and signaled for the rest of the party to be on guard.

As the party continued down the road, Olivia kept her eyes on the bandit hiding in the tree. She whispered to Thomas, "There's only one bandit up there. Probably a scout, let's not alert him and see what he does." John nodded in agreement, "Yeah, let's keep going and see what he's planning." Thomas replied in a hushed tone, "Agreed, let's keep moving and keep an eye on him." The group continued on, keeping a watchful eye on the bandit as they walked, unsure of what his intentions were.

Olivia walked next to Suzuka, her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready for action at a moment's notice. The bandit remained hidden, watching the group as they walked by. Thomas, John, and the rest of the party kept a watchful eye, their weapons at the ready in case the bandit made a move. The tension in the air was palpable as they passed the bandit's hiding spot, unsure of what his next move would be. Eventually, the bandit made no move and the party continued on, relieved that they had avoided a confrontation. But it was short-lived relief.

Right after they passed the hiding bandit, Olivia suddenly tensed up and her hand reached for her weapon. "Thomas!" she shouted, pointing towards the forest. "Ambush!"

Thomas quickly turned his head and saw a group of 20 bandits emerging from the trees. They were heavily armed and had evil looks on their faces. "Everyone, ready your weapons! We're under attack!" Thomas shouted, drawing his sword and readying his shield.

The rest of the party quickly followed suit, drawing their weapons and taking defensive positions. Suzuka, who had never been in a real battle against bandits, felt her heart pounding with slight fear and excitement. Olivia stepped beside her and said "Hey, don't get too excited," she leaned toward Suzuka and with a soft voice said, "They won't cause us problems, let us do the talking, no need for the bloodshed." 

Suzuka nodded in agreement.

Bandits surrounded them from all sides and waited for their leader to show up. The party tensed up as the leader appeared, their weapons at the ready. The leader, a tall, muscular man with a scar across his cheek, sneered at them and said, "Hand over your valuables and no one gets hurt."

Thomas stepped forward, his hand on the sword. "Bandit! You chose the wrong people to rob," he said firmly.

The leader laughed. "You're outnumbered and outmatched. You're in no position to make demands."

The bandit that was hiding in the tree finally showed himself. He was a bandit's scout and information broker. He walked toward the bandit's leader and started to talk, "Leader! I respectfully advise reconsidering our actions. The woman, with a dual sword, that's Olivia, champion of the Grand Minotaur tournament. It's not worth our effort and lives, and by the looks, they don't carry anything of value."

Bandits leader tapped the man on his back and said, "So! That is the champion everyone talks about, huh?!"     

Olivia stepped forward, her hand on her sword hilt, she was in a good and cheerful mood, "Yes, that would be me. I have to compliment you Bandits leader, you have intelligent people who say smart things, surely the leader is as smart too."

The leader's face twisted into a scowl, "Listen here! Dont get too comfortable with that pretty smart mouth of yours. We have you surrounded if you haven't noticed. And we outnumber you as well. So don't get cocky with me just because you won some stupid tournament. You bitch!"

Olivia flirtatiously chuckled, "Oh! Haha... hmmm... bitch... been a while since someone called me that, mmmm..."

Thomas stepped forward, crossed his arms, and said, "Listen, and listen closely..." Thomas turned his head to one side, checked bandits, then turned to another side and looked back at the bandits' leader, "There are two ways how this can go... you and your men clear the path, and we all walk our ways..." Thomas looked back at his party members then back at the bandit leader and continued, "Or we kill every single one of you and leave your dead bodies to feast on monsters." 

John followed after Thomas, "No one got hurt, no insults were thrown, no need for a pointless fighting."

Olivia with an excited voice taunted the bandit's leader, "Oh, pick the first option, our adventure was boring, nothing to kill for days, and my babies are hungry for blood." Olivia said as she tapped her sword handle. 

 The leader of the bandits sneered, "Heh! An obvious taunt! It's not worth the time and effort to deal with you lot. He gestured with a circular motion of his hand, signaling his men to clear the path.

The bandits stepped aside, revealing a clear path to pass through. As they walked past the bandits, Suzuka could feel their eyes on her. She knew they were up to something and her instincts were telling her to be ready for anything.

 Thomas and his party continued on their journey, Olivia turned around and looked back at the bandits. She could see their leader still standing there, watching them with a sinister grin on his face. 

  As Olivia's attention shifted away from the bandit leader, he barked out to his comrades, "Hand me my bow and arrow. I'll send these fools off with a farewell gift." The bandit leader had the wrong impression thinking that Thomas and his party were on an escort mission and that Suzuka was the one they were tasked with delivering safely.

As the bandit leader pulled the string of his bow, he aimed it directly at Suzuka and let out a sinister laugh. "You may have escaped us today, but you won't be so lucky next time," he sneered. "You and your friends will all fall to our blades."

With a swift motion, the bandit leader released the arrow from his bow, aimed directly at Suzuka. But before the arrow could reach its target, Michael, who had been walking at the rear of the party, recognized the whistling of an arrow and quickly reacted attempting to intercept the projectile. Unfortunately, his reaction was too slow, and the arrow narrowly missed John. Olivia sensed the arrow too, her sword was already coming down from above to strike down the arrow before it hit Suzuka. 

 Suzuka's head twisted with a fluid, serpentine movement, her eyes locking onto the bandit leader with deadly intent. With a sudden, swift motion, she reached out and snatched the arrow out of the air with her bare hand. The bandit leader's eyes widened as Suzuka's fingers closed around the shaft, her grip powerful and unyielding.

With a cold, menacing glare, Suzuka began to slowly bend the steel arrow between her fingers, her muscles flexing as she applied more and more pressure. The bandit leader's eyes followed the movement of the arrow, watching in horror as it began to crack under Suzuka's crushing grip.

The other bandits realized just how dangerous this woman truly was. Suzuka's gaze never wavered, her eyes locked onto the bandit leader as she continued to bend the arrow until it finally broke in half with a sharp snap.

The bandit leader's face went pale as he realized that he and his men were lucky to not engage in a fight. Suzuka's eyes promised death and destruction.

With a final, menacing glare, Suzuka let the broken arrow fall to the ground and turn away from the bandits then continued walking. "Wow! What a poop stick, he launched an arrow at us." Suzuka tried to play it off cool.

As everyone was complimenting Suzuka for how she caught the arrow, Olivia couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as she saw Suzuka's fierce gaze. It was the same look she had given her when Suzuka grabbed her arm, and it filled Olivia with a mix of emotions and excitement. 

She could feel her heart racing as she watched Suzuka's menacing look, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of attraction toward her, couldn't help but feel a surge of sexual excitement. 

Olivia couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as she watched Suzuka. She was so fierce and powerful, it was hard not to be turned on by her.

Olivia kept sneaking glances at Suzuka as they walked, her mind racing with all the different things she wanted to do to her. She wanted to hold her tightly and kiss her, but she knew, now was not the time. Instead, she decided to flirt with her, trying to lighten the mood.

"Wow, Suzuka, you are amazing!" Olivia exclaimed as they walked. "I've never seen anyone catch an arrow like that before. You're so powerful and fierce, it's incredibly sexy."

Suzuka couldn't help but feel a flush of embarrassment at Olivia's words. She tried to push the thoughts away, but it was hard with Olivia's flirtatious words ringing in her ears.

 Olivia gave her a playful wink, "Maybe after we get back to town, you can show me some of your moves," she said with a sly grin.

Suzuka couldn't help but smile, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement at Olivia's words. She knew she couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards Olivia and couldn't wait to see where this would lead.

But! Olivia's fantasy bubble popped, "What are you talking about, Olivia? We turn in our current quest and move out right away. The caravan escort quest, remember? Don't tell me you forgot. And the next quest after the caravan too. No time to joke, okay." said Thomas.

Olivia with a sad voice said, "Oh... yes, the quest... I won't be able to show you around the town, Suzu. Uwu..."

  Suzuka didn't look upset and with a smile, she said, "Don't worry Olivia, we can meet and catch up when you come back. I doubt I will be able to return to Woodmill town any time soon."

Thomas said, "I apologize and don't want to sound rude, but we can't help you with anything more than escorting you to the hunters guild. We will go straight there after we enter the area."

Suzuka started to shake her hands in an apologetic manner, "Oh, no, no... no need to apologize. I will manage on my own, I am grateful enough." 

Olivia asked with concern in her voice, "So, do you have any idea what are you going to do when we are in town? Do you know anyone there? Do you have money on you?"

Suzuka put her hand on Olivia's shoulder and said, "First, I will sell all the items I collected while I was stranded in that forest. Bill the minotaur told me I can sell it for a few gold coins. Then I will look for a cheap inn to stay in as I try to join the hunters guild. I will take a few quests to try and get money for my travel back home. But I imagine that will take me a long time."