(Eris POV)

With Manami's Technique in teleporting me to my hometown, I should be able to return back to the capital city by the day after tomorrow once I'm done with this little business.

The town I had grown up in was even smaller than Master's. Where Master's at least had a stone wall around it, mine didn't even have a wooden fence around its perimeter.

A few buildings were scattered around with not much semblance of any city planning done. The entire place just screams of poor city management.

The orphanage was located beside the town's garbage dump while the town hall was built on top of a cliff on the Death Mountains itself. It was obvious that whoever was in charge of this town's planning was drunk or had completely no idea what they were doing.

The only reason this place can even be qualified to be called a 'town' was because of the number of people present in it. Although there was also the fact that most of them were just passing through, I guess everyone overlooked that.

I stepped past the signpost that had the words "Death Pass Town, fifty meters north" etched on it.

The town doesn't seem to have changed much since I was gone. In fact, it looked even more run down than before. I could see that some of the buildings around here have fallen into disrepair with some of them even missing roofs.

Not even sure if this was caused by brigands, natural disasters or just a lack of maintenance.

Ya know… I always wondered who is the dumbass in charge of this place? [Bait]

Someone without a shred of common sense probably. [Eris]

Actually… Practicality… [Laverna]

Ah, this one understands. The town was only built as a rest stop for people seeking to traverse the Death Mountains, not as a place for permanent residence. So it didn't make much sense to properly manage the town since there's only refugees or the desperate going in and out anyway. [Denna]

Whatevs. More important is how we gonna do this? Just barge up to the shitheads' door and start purging? [Bait]

This one humbly suggests to check on the orphanage first. There may be one of them there. [Denna]

Ya really think it's gonna be that convenient? [Bait]

I suppose it's as good a place to start as any. [Eris]

I made my way towards the building with broken windows and crumbing walls. The local lord obviously thought it wasn't worth his coffers to maintain such a thing and let it fall into disarray.

Pushing open the doors, I was just in time to witness five men standing over a group of children. Four of them were currently corralling the older kids into a group while the last one stood and watched at the side, his back facing me.

Master… Blessed… [Laverna]

Indeed. It seems Master has blessed us today to be able to meet these pricks. [Eris]

Five of them, heh heh heh. This is gonna be fun! [Bait]

Rapping my knuckles on the door loudly, I drew all of their attention to me.

"Greetings gentlemen. Is this one intruding on something?"

The man that was watching over the others' work stepped forward, blocking my view to his friends. He revealed himself to be an old fart. He had the white hair, long beard, pompous attitude and everything.

"Lady, this doesn't concern you. I would suggest you turn around and leave before something happens to you."

"Heh heh… Is that a threat ya wee little bitch?"

The man crossed his arms, "It's a promise."

I shifted my left foot slightly behind me, bringing my sword in view, "Try…"

The man lifted his arm, showing me his entire arm that was cloaked with an aura of black coloured miasma.

"You are nothing but a foolish swordswoman. Since I'm in a rather good mood today, I'll just cripple you and leave it at that."

Full Focus… Lightning… [Laverna]

Everything around me turned a shade darker in colour, I could now see the a black aura around the men in front of me, evidence that they were all Practitioners of Dark Techniques.

I pulled out my sword, letting it rest by my side while I watched the man in front of me.

Full Focus, Earth [Eris]

"Ya seem to be quite full of yerself eh? Actin' all big and shit just 'cause ya got ya little piss goons ta back yer up?" I mocked him.

The man scowled at me, "I don't need help to deal with a puffed up, ignorant girl like you."

This one reports Full Focus for Fire, ready. [Denna]

"I see yer not just full of yerself but also a big dumbass, yer gunna lose an arm for that."

"Hmph, you're just a frog in a well. You have no idea of what's outside of your world little girl."

"Ha! If yer so sure, why don't ya come over here and try this?!"

I slashed out my sword in an arc, the Air quarks that I had gathered manifesting into a blade of air sliced towards his arm.

Not at all expecting that attack, the blade sliced off his arm cleanly at the elbow, separating the appendage from the rest of his body.

I grinned, "Who's the puffed up ignorant little bitch now? Ya poser?"

You are enjoying this way too much. [Eris]

Can ya blame me? It's not often for me ta go all out ya know? Wahahaha! [Bait]

This one humbly reminds you not to go overboard. [Denna]

Overboard? With these guys? Impossible! [Bait]

I dashed forward while the man was still screaming and clutching at his stump of an arm.

My sword was thrusted towards his other shoulder, intent on disabling him in order to continue torturing him.

But to my surprise, one of the men that had been behind him dashed in front of me, parrying my thrust away with a sword of his own.

"Elder… It would do well not to let your guard down," The man standing in between me and my target said monotonously.

"Tch… Shut up. Just deal with her. Bloody piece of… Urgh, can't believe I lost an arm in a place like this."

I moved my sight to my new target, smiling when I saw the calm behind his eyes. He never saw me as a threat to begin with.

"I suppose you want a duel?" I asked, looking at the jian he held at his side.

"It is not often I get to find a swordswoman of a calibre like yours. No one really practices the sword seriously in this time and age like me, where I am already at swordmaster level. I would not let an opportunity like this pass. The fact that you can also use Elemental Quarks even when you're not a Cultivator, that is intri--"

My sword stabbed towards his leg, the man just managing to deflect it away at the last moment.

"You are really talkative for someone with such a boring face," I laughed.

He frowned at me, "Don't you have any honour as a swordswoman?"

"Honour? That's some cheap words you have for a group of grown men bullying kids. Besides, I'm not here to have an honourable duel, I'm here to torture and purge all of you. I don't even mind if all of you came at me at the same time you know?"

The man pointed his sword at me, "That won't be necessary. I am more than enough to deal with you myself."

"Kekeke! I will enjoy making you eat those words!"

Without the need for anymore words, the both of us dashed towards each other.

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