"Finally... some action after too much cringe comedy."

"...What?"

Kaida stared at Viktor like he'd lost his damn mind. The three bandits were sprinting toward them, weapons raised, murder in their eyes—and this perverted bastard was making jokes?

But Viktor's expression had shifted. The usual lazy smirk was gone, replaced by something colder. Sharper. His dark eyes tracked the approaching bandits with an intensity that made Kaida's instincts scream.

The chain between their wrists rattled as Viktor moved.

Fast.

Too fast for someone his size.

His free hand shot to Kaida's storage ring, and before she could protest, a blade materialized—her sword, sleek and deadly, the steel catching the filtered sunlight through the trees.

"Hey—!"

Viktor didn't answer. His fingers wrapped around the hilt, and he swung.

The motion was fluid. Graceful. Like water flowing downhill, inevitable and precise.

The bandit leader—six-foot-three of muscle and scar tissue—raised his short sword to block, confidence radiating from his stance. He'd fought plenty of soft nobles before. This would be easy.

Their blades met.

CLANG!

The impact sent vibrations up Viktor's arm, and for a split second, he felt it—the raw difference in physical strength. This bastard was strong. The kind of strength that came from years of real combat, not system-granted skills.

Viktor's knees buckled.

"Shit—"

The bandit leader grinned, yellowed teeth showing through his beard. "That all you got, you fat fu—"

Viktor tilted his blade.

Just a fraction. Just enough.

The leader's sword slid along Viktor's edge with a screech of metal on metal, the force redirected downward into the dirt instead of into Viktor's body.

And Viktor moved.

His sword danced.

That was the only word for it. The blade spun in his grip like it had a mind of its own, reversing direction mid-swing, the edge whistling through the air toward the bandit leader's exposed neck.

The leader's eyes widened. "Wha—"

SHING!

The blade stopped.

Not from Viktor's will.

The purple chain around his wrist snapped taut, yanking his arm backward with brutal force. The sword's edge halted inches from the bandit's throat—close enough to draw a thin line of blood across the scarred skin.

"WHAT THE FUCK, KAIDA?!"

Kaida, who'd been pulled forward by the sudden jerk of the chain, stumbled into Viktor's back, her bare shoulders hitting his spine. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

The chain. The cursed betrothal chain connecting them. It had stopped Viktor from delivering the killing blow.

And the bandit leader noticed.

His hand shot to his neck, fingers coming away red. His expression shifted from shock to fury to something darker. He laughed—a low, rumbling sound that made Bella's ears flatten against her skull.

"Well, well... looks like fate's on my side today." He stepped back, rolling his shoulders. "Thought I'd have to work for this kill."

The rat-faced bandit cackled, his high-pitched laugh grating on everyone's nerves. "Boss is gonna slice you up slow!"

The younger one with the axe licked his lips, eyes darting to Bella. "Dibs on the cat girl after."

Viktor's tail lashed behind him—violent, erratic. The spaded tip cut through the air with audible cracks.

"Kaida," Viktor said quietly, his voice cold enough to freeze blood. "When I move, you move. Got it?"

"I don't take orders from—"

"GOT IT?!"

Kaida's jaw clenched. But she nodded.

The bandit leader charged.

This time, Viktor didn't meet the attack head-on. His Blade Dance instincts screamed at him—don't block, redirect—and he listened. He sidestepped, pulling Kaida with him via the chain, and the leader's sword whistled past his shoulder, missing by inches.

Viktor's blade came up in a tight arc, aimed at the exposed armpit.

Clank!

The rat-faced bandit's dagger intercepted, sparks flying. The bastard had moved faster than Viktor expected, covering his leader's blind spot.

"Nice try, noble scum!"

Kaida snarled. Her free hand—not chained to Viktor—shot out, grabbing a rock from the ground. She hurled it at rat-face's head with vicious accuracy.

THUNK!

The rock connected with his temple. Blood spurted. The rat-faced bandit stumbled, dazed.

"YOU BITCH—"

A blade of pure pink light materialized in the air.

No warning. No sound.

It just appeared, hovering for a split second before shooting forward like an arrow.

THWIP!

The rat-faced bandit's scream was cut short as the pink blade pierced clean through his left shoulder, severing muscle and bone. His arm—dagger still clutched in the hand—fell to the ground with a wet thud.

"AAAAAAAGH!"

Blood fountained from the stump. The bandit collapsed to his knees, clutching the ruined shoulder, his face pale with shock.

Viktor's head snapped toward the source.

Rustina—the pink slime—sat perched on Bella's shoulder, her gelatinous body rippling with energy. Her cute, round eyes were locked onto the screaming bandit with predatory focus.

"Kyuu!" Her voice was cheerful. Almost playful.

Viktor blinked. "What the—"

The bandit leader didn't hesitate. He swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for Viktor's neck, using the distraction.

Viktor's instincts kicked in. He dropped low, the blade whistling over his head, and swept his leg out.

The leader jumped back—but Kaida didn't.

The chain yanked Viktor's ankle mid-sweep, throwing off his balance. He hit the ground hard, shoulder slamming into the dirt.

"FUCK!"

Kaida, pulled down by the chain, landed on top of him. Her knee drove into his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

"Get OFF—"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO FELL!"

The bandit leader raised his sword overhead, both hands gripping the hilt, preparing to bring it down on Viktor's exposed skull.

And then the world went dark.

Not metaphorically. Literally.

A massive shadow engulfed the bandit leader, blocking out the sun. His eyes widened, pupils dilating as he looked up.

A dragon.

Purple. Translucent. Gelatinous. Massive.

Rusty—the purple slime—had transformed. His body expanded to the size of a house, taking the shape of a serpentine dragon with sharp, crystalline teeth and glowing eyes. The creature's mouth opened wide, revealing rows of teeth that looked like they could shred steel.

"What the fu—"

CHOMP!

The dragon's jaws closed around the bandit leader's entire upper body.

The sound was... wet. Crunching. Like biting into an overripe fruit.

Trees splintered. The ground cracked. A massive chunk of earth—easily ten feet in diameter—was torn away with the bite, dirt and roots and the bandit leader's lower half all scooped up in one motion.

Kaida and Viktor, still tangled together on the ground, stared.

Through the translucent purple body of the dragon, they could see everything.

The bandit leader's torso. His head, eyes wide with terror and pain. His arms flailing uselessly.

And then the dissolving started.

His skin bubbled. Melted. Flesh turned to liquid, mixing with the slime's gelatinous mass. Bones cracked and disintegrated. Blood swirled like ink in water.

Within seconds, there was nothing left. Just a faint red tinge inside Rusty's body before even that vanished.

Thud.

The dragon landed, shrinking back down to its normal slime size—about the size of a large cat. It bounced happily, settling onto the ground between Viktor and Kaida.

"Kyuu!" Rusty's voice was cheerful. Proud.

Silence.

Complete. Suffocating. Silence.

The rat-faced bandit, still clutching his severed shoulder, stared at where his leader used to be. His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

"B-boss...?"

The young bandit with the axe dropped his weapon. His face was pale, lips trembling.

"M-monster... it's a fuckin' monster..."

Viktor, still lying on his back with Kaida on top of him, exhaled slowly.

"...Okay. That's new."

Kaida's voice came out strained. "Viktor."

"Yeah?"

"What. The fuck. Are those things."

"...Slimes?"

"SLIMES DON'T DO THAT!"

Rusty bounced over to them, rubbing his gelatinous body against Viktor's leg like an affectionate cat. "Kyuu kyuu!"

Rustina, still perched on Bella's shoulder, giggled. "Kyuuu~!"

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