This isn't Fabled Folktales

Powder observed silently as Aizen advanced, positioning himself between her and the criminals that stood before them, embodying a protective stance in response to the initial manifestation of danger.

“Future world leaders? How embarrassing,” Powder replied to the three bandits' introduction. Her voice was deliberately low, conveying her indifference towards their identities.

She cast her gaze upon Aizen, who maintained his stance in front of her, his eyes assessing the bandits obstructing their path to safety. Powder mirrored his scrutiny, quickly noting the weapons they possessed, while also searching for subtler details—from their posture to the way they fidgeted under the moonlight. Despite the numerical advantage of three against two, the bandits did not appear particularly thrilled about being interrupted mid-action. Their confident words seemed nothing more than a child's pretense to mask their underlying unease.

Powder could sense the tension intensifying, and in an instant, it culminated in a full-blown confrontation. Shiro engaged Aizen, their blades clashing, while Kuro and Akai joined the fray. Powder tightened her grip around her tanto, drawing it from the sheath with a single, fluid motion. Kuro glared at her, reminiscent of a feral beast poised to pounce.

Kuro lunged forward, attempting to stab Powder with the points of her daggers; however, Powder deftly retreated beyond her reach. “Why is a little girl like you wielding a blade?” Kuro mocked, eyeing the tanto in Powder's hand with disdain.

“To take down monsters like you,” Powder responded with calm assurance, her demeanor resolute as she stepped forward to engage in battle.

Though Kuro's towering height easily overshadowed Powder's, she refused to be intimidated. Instead, she harnessed her agility to evade Kuro's strikes, deftly sidestepping and parrying occasional blows from Akai's scimitar.

As the battle continued to drag on, Powder began to realize that despite the two of them holding their own, they still weren't making much of an advance against the three criminals. More or less, they were all fighting to tire each other out, to see who gives in first against the others fierce stance.

Powder could feel the strain in her arms; each subsequent parry or block resonated through her, as the onset of fatigue became apparent. A decisive action was imperative, for they could not sustain this effort indefinitely.

The sudden sound of a blade piercing flesh abruptly diverted her focus from the battle. Aizen had positioned himself between the female criminal and Powder, resulting in him being stabbed in the side by one of her lethal daggers. The young kunoichi inhaled sharply as she witnessed Aizen succumb to the ground.

This situation was dire.

A new surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins as she deftly adjusted her throw to the right. She released her tanto in a swift motion, observing it embed itself into Akai's thigh. Akai emitted a loud cry, hastily extracting the blade from his leg and discarding it to the ground. It was a modest victory, but the hefty man could no longer maintain a stable stance with his injured limb.

The other two criminals appeared to hesitate upon witnessing Aizen collapse in a heap. Despite their criminal nature, they seemed unprepared for the gravity of their actions.

Anger surged within Powder, compelling her hands to instinctively form intricate hand signs. Six flaming darts materialized around her, before launching themselves at the bodies of the criminals—two darts per assailant. A chorus of curses pierced the night air as the three bandits realized they were suffering unexpected casualties. Kura signaled to the others to retreat, determining that their objective was not worth the potential cost of their lives.

Once the three vanished into the obscurity of the dense forest, Powder hurriedly knelt beside Aizen. Her eyes scanned the scene of his injury, the crimson blood stark against the moonlight. She needed to escort him back to the settlement, and swiftly. [Exit]

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