Bandit Sieg had never suffered such humiliation.
Every sword he swung was driven by pure rage and murderous intent.
Even so-
Lucas Moore effortlessly dodged his every strike.
When it became clear he couldn't land a hit, Sieg shifted his attention to Zoro and Kuina, who were each carrying a large jug of sake.
Without a word, he abruptly redirected his attack, slashing toward the nearest one Zoro.
Zoro instinctively took two steps back, but he was still within range.
"Damn it," Zoro muttered, his expression grim. He tried to draw his sword, but his arms were full with the sake jug. There was no way he could unsheathe his weapon in time.
"Die!" Sieg roared, charging forward.
Kuina wanted to help, but she too had her hands full and couldn't act.
Just as Sieg's blade was about to strike Zoro
Lucas Moore suddenly appeared between them.
He drew Wado Ichimonji, and with a single motion, cleaved Sieg's sword cleanly in half.
Whether Zoro got hurt or not didn't matter much to Lucas Moore.
He just didn't want the sake to be smashed.
But to Zoro and Kuina, it meant something completely different.
"I knew it!" Zoro exclaimed, eyes shining. "You'd never just leave me hanging. You're really the guy I look up to."
Lucas Moore: "…"
Sieg stared at the severed remnants of his sword, his gaze fixed on Wado Ichimonji.
That blade… it wasn't ordinary.
His expression shifted. "Kid, I've changed my mind. Give me that sword, and I'll let you all go."
"No way!" Kuina was the first to object. "You can't trust a bandit's word. Lucas Moore, don't give them Wado Ichimonji!"
"Oh, so it's Wado Ichimonji," Sieg said, his eyes lighting up with greed. He locked eyes with Lucas Moore, voice full of hunger. "A brat like you doesn't deserve a blade like that. Hand it over, or I won't be so nice."
As he spoke, Sieg hurled the broken remains of his sword toward Sugimoto's cart, shattering several prized jugs of sake in an instant.
At the same time, his men surrounded Lucas Moore and the others.
Lucas Moore frowned slightly.
Those were limited-edition sake.
Ichinose Dojo.
Koushirou was calmly sipping tea in the teahouse with an old friend, the two engaged in pleasant conversation.
Just then, a villager burst in, visibly flustered.
"Master Koushirou, please come quickly! There's a group of bandits causing trouble in the village!"
"Bandits?" Koushirou set down his teacup and stood up at once. "Where are they now?"
"Over by Sugimoto's place," the villager replied urgently.
"Sugimoto's?" Koushirou paused. "Is Lucas Moore there? Kuina and Zoro too?"
The villager nodded. "Yes, they're all there. But they're just kids. They can't handle a gang of violent bandits. Please, Master Koushirou, we need your help."
"It's fine," Koushirou said, returning to his seat with a serene smile. "If Lucas Moore is there, there's no need to worry."
"Huh?" The villager was stunned.
Even Koushirou's friend looked uneasy. "Master Koushirou, are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Koushirou replied, lifting his teacup once more. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen."
Back at Sugimoto's.
Faced with Sieg's threats, Lucas Moore showed no reaction whatsoever.
He was, in fact, starting to get a little bored.
But the villagers didn't share his indifference.
They were frantic.
"Lucas Moore, just give him the sword! It's not worth dying over!"
"Yeah, you kids can't take on all these bandits. Just hand it over and stay alive."
"Don't be stubborn, kid! Bandits don't play fair. They'll kill you without hesitation!"
"Damn it!" Zoro shouted, growing angrier by the second. "Don't underestimate Lucas Moore! He's strong, way stronger than you think!"
The bandits burst into laughter.
"Haha! You think he's strong just because he dodged a few of the boss's swings? What a joke."
"He only cut the boss's sword because he's using a famous blade. Listen, brat, if you want to live, give it up."
Lucas Moore silently scanned the group. There were over forty of them.
Clearly, unless he took them out, they weren't going anywhere.
What a pain… He really didn't want to make a move today.
Still, the sake was bought. Might as well head back to the dojo.
He didn't respond.
Sieg mistook his silence for fear and grinned smugly. "You've got some skills, kid. Obey me, and I might even let you join my crew."
Lucas Moore couldn't be bothered to answer.
His eyes flashed.
An overwhelming sword aura burst out from him, rippling through the air.
And in the very moment Sieg finished his sentence
Lucas Moore vanished from view and appeared behind him.
He calmly slid Wado Ichimonji back into its sheath.
Sieg turned, stunned.
And then
Two long, clean gashes appeared across his torso. Blood erupted like a fountain.
The villagers stared in stunned silence.
"You…" Sieg's eyes widened. Before he could finish, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Boss!"
"Boss, hang in there!"
His men rushed over in a panic, checking his wounds.
"Damn it! He hurt the boss this bad?!"
"You're dead, brat!"
"Die!"
Sieg's men charged.
But Lucas Moore gave them just one look
They all froze, eyes rolled back, and collapsed like dominoes.
"Fools," Lucas Moore muttered, lifting his sake jug and calling to Zoro and Kuina, both still standing in awe. "Let's go."
"Ah, right!" Zoro blinked and turned to Kuina. "Hey, Kuina, snap out of it. Time to go."
"R-right!" Kuina shook her head and tried to collect herself. Her gaze followed Lucas Moore's back, her body trembling slightly.
She'd always known Lucas Moore was strong.
But not this strong.
For the first time, she felt something close to fear that she might never be able to surpass him.
"Hey, Kuina!" Zoro called again.
He could tell what she was thinking. He felt it too he was shaken.
"Don't overthink it," he said. "Let's just go back to the dojo."
Kuina nodded silently.
Together, they hurried after Lucas Moore, still clutching the sake.
Wherever Lucas Moore walked, the villagers instinctively stepped aside, making way for him.
Only after the three had disappeared into the distance did the villagers begin to recover from their shock.
"My god… What is Lucas Moore, exactly?"
"He took out an entire bandit crew by himself? Is he really just a kid?"
"He's terrifying. One day, he might even surpass Master Koushirou."
"One day? I'd say give it a year or two and he'll already be stronger."
"Either way, thank heavens Lucas Moore was here. Otherwise, we'd have lost a lot more than some sake."
"No kidding! So what should we do with these bandits?"
"What else? Everyone, let's haul them out of the village!"