The Hero's Puppet Master

Valture's fist smashed into Ronan's face, the crunch of bone resounding through the clearing. Blood trickled from Ronan's split lip, his left eye already swollen shut. Valture seized his collar and pulled him close, sneering.

"You thought you could beat me? You're nothing but a worm."

Ronan's head dropped, his breathing shallow. Blood ran down his chin, puddling in the dirt below. Then, faintly, a laugh broke from his battered lips, low and mocking.

"What's so funny, brat?" Valture growled, shaking him. "You've lost. Beg for your life, and maybe I'll make it quick."

He raised his bruised face, one eye swollen shut but the other still sharp and defiant. "Begging? Nah," he rasped. His bloody grin grew wider. "Just… waiting for the fireworks."

Before Valture could react, a golden beam of energy slammed into him, throwing him into a tree with a loud crack. The tree trunk split on impact, leaving him dazed.

Ronan fell to his knees, blood trickling down from his lips and his beaten face. He turned to look at the source of the gold light, his one good eye widening.

Aurelia stood over at the edge of the clearing, no longer that frightened girl hiding behind her bushes. Her body lit up with golden energy and her eyes burned like twin suns.

Her voice was chilly and steady, cutting through silence. "I said. DON'T. TOUCH. HIM."

The wind was stopped by the might in her words. Many of the bandits felt some hesitation, their swords quivering in their grasps.

One bandit, either brave or desperate, charged at her with blade raised.

Aurelia raised not a hair. She moved a hand, golden energy rolling around her fingers. It wasn't long before golden tendriils erupted from the soil.

The tendrils wrapped up the bandit, grasping him tight. In a scream that was strangulated into a gasped choke, the tendrils crushed his body with that sickening crunch, resulting to nothing but a broken and limp mess.

Ronan, still on his knees, rubbed the blood from his mouth. With a grin growing on his face, despite the pain, he hoisted himself to his feet, his eyes fixed on Valture, who struggled to rise.

"Not done yet, are you?" Ronan muttered. Using Shadow Step, he disappeared and reappeared behind the stunned leader.

"Nighty night," he said, banging the blunt side of his mini-axe into Valture's temple. The giant went down, unconscious.

Ronan exhaled a shuddering breath, staring at his chipped axe. He dropped it to the floor.

"Guess that's scrap now," he said. His eyes met the shine of steel along Valture's side—a sword in a sleek black scabbard.

Curious, Ronan pulled the blade free. The black katana shone with a sharp edge, the kind that looked like it could cut through anything. He gave it a quick swing, feeling how smoothly it moved.

"Oh yeah," Ronan said, grinning. "I'm keeping this."

He was distracted again by the bandits surrounding Aurelia-ten in all. They had charged at her but were halted by gleaming golden shields that enveloped her. Her voice reached a crescendo, as multiple glowing gylphs spun above the air.

She lifted her hand and spears illuminated gylphs rained down. The flesh tore and bones shuddered. Blood splattered across the clearing. And the screams of the bandits didn't last too long. They fell, one after another.

With the final strike of the spear, there was an unbreakable silence in the clearing.

Ronan was resting his weight on the black katana, taking a long low whistle as he looked upon the scene before him. "The complete monster."

Aurelia stood there, her body still glowing with power, her eyes unfocused. The power swirling about her seemed almost out of control.

Ronan used Shadow Step again and appeared behind her. "Alright, sunshine, that's enough," he said softly.

He pressed a pressure point at the back of her neck. The golden light dimmed, and Aurelia slumped into his arms, unconscious.

Ronan carried her with care, weaving through the chaos as if it was nothing. A few desperate bandits tried to stop him, lunging from the shadows.

But Ronan dodged their strikes with ease, his movements smooth and calm. He didn't even bother looking at them.

"Try harder," he muttered, his tone mocking.

He reached a sturdy tree on the edge of the battlefield and gently set Aurelia against it.

Ronan exhaled, cracking his neck as he stood. "Alright, time to clean up."

The remaining bandits circled him, their faces twisted with fear and anger.

Ronan shook his head, letting out another low whistle. "You're either brave or really, really dumb."

He held up the black katana, its edge glowing faintly. "Let's see what this thing can do."

He whispered, "Partial Aura."

The blade pulsed with dark energy, and a heavy fog spread through the clearing.

Then, blue flames erupted along the sword's edge, flickering and roaring like a wild fire.

The energy coming off Ronan was oppressive, heavy. It seemed to press down on everyone in its vicinity.

One of the bandits dropped his sword and collapsed to his knees, shuddering. "W-what is this…?" he whispered, barely above a breath. Another shrieked and took off into the forest. A third fainted dead away. The rest stood, frozen, gripping their weapons with trembling hands.

Ronan's grin grew sharp and dangerous. "That's it?" He raised the katana, the blue flames burning brighter. "This isn't even my full Aura Release. Just a taste."