Another intruder was looking to enter the room, but then Shinya showed up and drove his sword straight into the neck of the intruder and chopped it to the ground.
"Oi! Are you alright in there?" Shinya looked into the room and saw Himiko standing to her feet with Garfield beside her.
"Yes, what's going on here? Who are these guys?" Himiko asked as she walked out of the room and stopped in front of Shinya.
Shinya responded, "Seems some thugs got on the ship before its departure".
"I see." Himiko muttered, thinking of the next step she should take, "Garfield, track down where the intruders are and tell me their location once you've found it".
"As you wish." And like that, Garfield disappeared into thin air.
Once he was gone, Himiko placed her hand on the ground and closed her eyes as she tried to concentrate… She suddenly sprung open her eyes, "Found them!".
Himiko immediately stood up and looked at Eril, "Let's go… Eril!" She exclaimed, running toward the left path of the ship.
"Hai!"
With a slash of wind, Eril's body turned into magic and formed into a flashy blade in Himiko's hand.
Shinya just stood there, confused about what just happened, but he then later chose to follow behind her.
The ballroom on the ship was the base the place criminals chose to hold the people on the ship hostage. They gathered around 50 merchants and travelers there, while about 26 of them were roaming about holding weapons in their hands.
Their mission on the ship was to mog and find the relic they heard was on board the ship. The relic in question is called the Diris stone, a stone that is used to make tamers for all kinds of living things, from the smallest dwarfs to the biggest beasts including Divine beasts like Divanchi and it is very expensive.
The criminals began moving around, searching every area of the ship, looking for the stone in question. Seated on the stage was a man wearing a brown shirt, blue trousers, and a whip resting beside him.
The man's name was Rikor Elant, and the main leader of the criminals, he wore an eyepatch and had a red scarf underneath his eye making him look more menacing.
One of the male criminals came running inside the ballroom and kept his pace until he arrived in front of Rikor before falling to his knees with his head bowed.
"Rikor-sama, is this what we are looking for?" The criminals uttered, bringing forth a black glowing stone that was wrapped inside a brown rag.
Rikor's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the rock was the dimis rock he was looking for. "Yes!" He voiced out, slowly standing to his feet with a smile.
Rikor swiftly took the stone from the criminal's grasp and raised it close to his nose, inhaling its scent. "This is the genuine article," he remarked, a wide grin spreading across his face.
With the matter of the stone settled Rikor's twisted mind turned to his next objective - finding someone to satiate his bloodlust. "I'm in the mood for some fun," he announced with a sadistic chuckle.
Handing the stone back to the criminal, he retrieved his whip and strode purposefully toward the huddled group of passengers.
As he approached the hostages, his excitement grew, and his eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity.
Surveying the group, his gaze fell upon a man with a distinctive appearance. From the cut of his clothing and his confident bearing, Rikor deduced that the man was a bishop or an archpriest.
Without hesitation, Rikor made his way to the man and lowered himself to his level, his eyes locked onto his chosen victim. "You're a head priest aren't you?" Rikor asked.
The man trembled in fear, his eyes darting nervously as he tried to avert Rikor's piercing gaze. Rikor's lips curled into a wicked smile as he observed the man's distress. "Yes, really?" he drawled, savoring the terror that he was causing.
"My father was a priest too," Rikor continued with a dark chuckle, relishing the memories that his words evoked.
"He was a beloved figure in our village, always preaching about the importance of prayer and devotion. But you know what I despised the most about him?"
In one swift movement, Rikor seized the man's throat, relishing the sight of his victim's futile struggles. "He was so kind to everyone, except for his own family," Rikor spat out, his voice laced with bitterness. "Behind closed doors, he was a monster."
Rikor's laughter echoed through the room, a chilling sound that sent shivers down the spines of the other hostages. "And today, my dear fellow," he sneered, tightening his grip on the man's neck, "you had the misfortune of resembling my father.
Rikor was just about to snap the man's neck when a sudden cry of pain rang out from behind him. He turned, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the sight before him. Almost half of his men lay motionless on the ground, their lifeless eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
Rikor's gaze darted to the source of the massacre and found Shinya standing at the other end of the room, his sword slick with fresh blood. Rikor felt a flicker of annoyance rise within him as he demanded, "Who the hell are you?"
Himiko's voice joined the fray as she entered the room, a sword poised inside the body of another criminal. "I think we should be asking you that," she quipped, her eyes flashing with defiance.
Shinya's laughter cut through the tension in the room "Surprise, motherfucker," he snarled, his sword glinting menacingly in the light.
Rikor let out a deep sigh and turned his attention to the trio of heroes standing before him. "Ah, so you must be the heroes I've heard whispers of," he remarked with a hint of amusement. "But I'm afraid that it doesn't matter. There are only three of you, and you will need much more than that to defeat me."
His lips curled into a sneer as he surveyed the group. "You may have courage and conviction, but you underestimate the power of the criminal underworld. You are mere ants trying to take on a giant, and we all know how that story ends
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