MLIV C1, P2- "Les Misérables"

"Les Misérables" is the second Part of "Miracula Luxia IV" 's first Chapter.
It was released on 05.05.2022.
== Plot ==
After accepting the mission to help an old friend and forming a small squad to achieve victory, Adam heads toward the town of Nightgrove with the intention to make everything right again.
However, something is truly amiss over there. Something worse than a deranged madman is threatening the safety of the people living there.
Adam's duty is to purge all impurities from the tainted soil he steps on. And yet, this might become worse than he expected...
== Story ==
Adam and his team takes a ride toward the town of Nightgrove.
While Adam and Jon prepare for the worst to happen, Akira looks at the area outside and sighs.
"It's been so long since we met Mr. Selmae's brother."- She says to her brother- "Do you think that he's truly lost his mind?"
Adam shrugs.
"To be honest, I do not know whom to believe anymore."- He says- "When we reunite with him, we will determine whether he has remained the same or has joined the darkness again."
Jon turns around.
"What if he truly is bad?"- He says- "Do we have to kill him?"
Adam shakes his head.
"I refuse to give up on an old friend, especially in those dark times."- He says- "I will try my best to console him and assure him that he has not lost everything. Staying united in a time like this is our duty and I do not want to see him shying away from it."
Akira looks down.
"But... what if he's unable to change?"- She asks- "What if we have to... use something else than diplomacy?"
Adam sighs.
"Then, I guess we have to... to... "
He looks down.
"We will do what it takes to free this world from the chains of evil."
Soon, they arrive at their destination, more or less intact.
"This the final stop."- The driver says- "Enjoy your stay, kids, for it won't be a peaceful one."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"It will not be... peaceful?"- He asks- "What are you implying, sir?"
The driver says nothing else. He simply watches his clients leave and drives away.
"What a stange man."- Akira says- "And I thought that we'll get an actual warm reception in here. God, I was so wrong."
Jon points at the town.
"That's the least important of our problems right now."- He says- "Check out the state of this place."
Akira walks into the town with her companions, surprised to see that nobody emerges to greet them.
"Oh. So this is how they will treat us? Leaving us to explore the place by ourselves?"- She says- "How kind of them. Now, the only thing that could make it worse is getting attacked by a band of outlaws."
Adam sighs.
"You are worrying way too much."- He says- "Just stand by my side and strike down anyone who would dare to stand in our way. Once we find Derek, we will convince him to join us and leave this place for good."
Akira sighs.
"If only it were this easy... "- She mutters.
Unsurprisingly, Nightgrove is almost like a wasteland. There are no signs of life anywhere in the city. Many of the shops are closed. The streets are empty and devoid of any boisterous crowds that walk around everyday.
Worst of all, it is quiet. Way too quiet.
"At this time of the day, towns like these are filled with people."- Jon says- "Where did everyone go?"
Adam glares at his surroundings.
"Suspicious or not, we have a mission in our hands."- He says- "A friend of ours is in danger and we must do whatever we can to drag him away from here."
Akira nods.
"Then let's take a look around."
The three of them explore the seemingly deserted town, hoping to find clues that would lead them to Derek's whereabouts.
And yet, despite their best efforts, they fail to find anything.
Akira and Jon plan to head back, but Adam refuses to give up. He valiantly walks further into the city, intending to find the answers on his own.
"Wait, Adam! It's too dangerous!"- Jon says- "Perhaps we should just go back to Thais and... hire some reinforcements to help us out?"
Adam shakes his head.
"I will not stand helpless anymore."- He says and takes a step forward- "Every second that we waste doubting ourselves is a chance to reach Derek. So, show some initiative and reassemble the broken pieces of your confused minds. I know that it is scary, but I am positive that we can succeed."
Akira and Jon stare at each other and sigh.
"Do we have another choice?"- Akira says- "Derek's our friend, too."
She glares at the road ahead.
"And yet, I feel like something bad's bound to happen."- She adds- "Keep your eyes open. Disaster will strike soon enough."
As Adam moves forward, he scans the area for possible clues. He looks at the buildings, knocks on the doors and shakes his head when no one responds.
Finally, he looks down and sighs.
"I guess that our expedition truly was in vain."- He says- "Derek is gone. We were too late."
And then, he notices something he failed to see before. A faint bootprint, left in the dirt ahead of him.
Adam leans foward and gets on his knees. He touches the dirt, picks up a bit of it and watches as it slowly crumbles its way out of the palm of his hand.
"Umm."- Akira says- "Is that supposed to be something important?"
Adam nods.
"This foot of whoever stepped over here is the same size as Derek's."- He says- "It is clear that the boots that they wore at the time they were here match those that Mr. Selmae described to us. Large, comfortable and heavy. That is what makes it all clear."
He turns around.
"There is a spark of hope, after all."- He says- "Derek is nearby. I am sure of it."
Akira shakes her head.
"What if someone stole Derek's boots and pretended that he was him?"
Jon shrugs.
"Or what if he was another person whatsoever?"
Adam sighs.
"I will take my chances."- He says- "Fake or not, I refuse to let this opportunity slip away from us."
He motions for Akira and Jon to join him. They do so.
As soon as they get there, they look at the bootprints and, soon enough, they realize that Adam is right.
"Those belong to Derek!"- Jon exclaims- "But... what in the world is he doing here?"
Adam gets up and cleans the dirt from his pants.
"Some things are still a mystery to us. Nobody knows when he came here... or why."- He says- "And yet, this does not make anything clear yet. Did he come all the way here alone? Or was he accompanied by someone else? What if he is hiding from someone, if he is in danger right now and we are not aware of it?"
He sighs.
"I know not whether following those tracks will achieve anything, but I will still try."
As Adam moves forward, Akira shakes her head.
"Okay. Now, I'm really starting to get worried."- She says- "If Derek is actually in here, does this mean that we're not alone?"
Adam sighs and points at a small band of outlaws that is a few miles ahead of them.
"Does this answer your question?"
Akira looks at them and sighs.
"Yes, it does."
Adam and his allies step into shooting range, prompting some of the desperados to draw their guns.
"We know not why you're here stranger, but you should know that this is our town."- One of them, possibly their leader says- "And you just crossed the line."
Akira and Jon take a few steps backwards. They are too afraid to do anything against this grizzled gang of notorious bandits.
Adam shakes his head. His hand inadvertently gets closer to his weapon.
"As much as we would love to get rid of you, we assure you that we mean no harm. For now, at the very least."- He speaks for his allies- "If you claim that the town is yours, then we will not interfere."
The bandits are confused.
"Then why are you here?"- Their leader asks- "Nobody comes in this town without something in mind."
A small group of townsfolk gathers at the town square, curiously watching the new arrivals. However, the cold stare of the bandit leader makes them very nervous, so they decide to stay away from whatever confrontation is about to happen.
"And if you think that you're simply going to get away from us, it'll be bad news for you."
Akira leans closer to Adam.
"Is this man threatening us?"- She whispers to him- "Should we just... take the insult and leave like that?"
Adam shakes his head. At this point, his hand has moved much closer to his weapon.
"I will try to keep them under control."- He says- "If something bad happens, you have my permission to talk with your sword instead."
He turns to the bandits.
"Now that I think about it, we do have something in mind."- He says- "We are looking for someone important to us. And you are standing in our way."
The bandit leader raises his eyebrow.
"Oh. Is that so?"- He says- "Then how can we help you out?"
Adam glares at him.
"We are looking for a man who goes by the name of Derek Darkheart. A former bandit leader who left his home, searching for redemption and the chance to correct his past mistakes."- He says- "Do you happen to know where he is?"
The bandits stare at each other for a moment, as if not taking this question seriously. Then, they turn around and laugh.
"Derek Darkheart, huh? That miserable, broken man?"- The bandit leader says- "You're only wasting your time, kids. He's not in the condition to think independently, let alone decide what is good or evil."
He smiles.
"Yes. We're looking for him, too. He's a nuisance to our society, so we'll take care of him. Very soon."- He says and aims his gun at Adam- "Since you're trying to help him out, I'm afraid that we have to stop you. People like him don't deserve to live. And neither do you."
Akira and Jon draw their weapon. Those are fighting words for them and it is clear that they are ready to fight.
Adam does the same. And yet, he still cannot shake away the feeling that Derek is still somewhere nearby.
"So, you intend to kill us all."- He says- "Perhaps that is not a very smart idea."
The bandit leader raises his eyebrow.
"And what makes you think so?"
Adam shakes his head.
"Even if you manage to end our lives, things will only go downhill for you and your gang. You may get rid of me, but my allies will eventually hunt you down. Bring you to justice and make you pay for your crimes."- He says- "Is this really what you want, outlaw?"
The bandit leader smirks.
"You plan to bring the law down on us?"- He says- "Kid, you're being delusional. There is no law left in this world. The only thing that still stands is chaos. And it empowers us. Makes us feel stronger."
He smiles and aims his gun at him.
"You can't get rid of the chaos."
Adam smiles.
"Is that so?"- He asks him- "What if I told you that we are not simple strangers?"
One of the bandits takes a good look at Adam and realizes who he is.
"Um, boss. I think that we're in big trouble."
The bandit leader turns around.
"What?"- He says- "What do you mean.
The bandit points at Adam.
"Have you ever heard of Jared Kaos?"- He asks him- "Yup. That kid over there's his son. And I think that the girl's his sister."
The bandit leader smirks.
"So what?"- He says- "Kaos or not, they're still going do-- "
Before he can finish the sentence, Adam fires an arrow in his direction, nearly piercing his leg.
"Gah!"- The bandit leader yells- "You little brat!"
He turns around and points at them.
"Attack them now!"
As expected, a bloody gunfight ensues, forcing the townsfolk who are watching them to go back into their hiding spots.
Adam leaps back and fires a few arrows at the bandits. Although they fail to hit them, they set the ground on fire, forcing them to scream in pain as their boots are melted away.
"Aah! It hurts!"- One of them says- "Maybe we should flee, boss."
The bandit leader shakes his head. He takes a step forward and pulls out a second gun from his pocket.
Aiming both of them at Adam, he says:
"A true hombre doesn't surrender."
Having said that, he leaps forward and fires a few gunshots at Adam.
The young hero leans back and successfully avoids them, watching as they hit a nearby rock instead of him.
Meanwhile, the bandit leader douses some soil into his gun and tosses a match into the barrel. He watches as both guns are set on fire, wielding them with glee in his eyes.
"You made a big mistake, Adam Kaos."- He says and laughs- "Now, you shall face the wrath of the Nightgrove watchmen!"
As Adam prepares to cast a spell, he starts to fire them wildly at him. 
The young hero is left surprised and unprepared. Such an act of desperation is familiar to him, yet serves as a valuable lesson whenever he is forced to take care of it again. It is traumatizing and awe-inspiring at the same time.
"Now that... is a blast!"- Akira exclaims- "I wonder how long he can fire those literal flamethrowers before his fingers melt like butter!"
Adam sighs.
"Whose side are you on, Aki?!"
Akira shrugs.
"What?"- She says- "I was just wondering."
The bandit leader laughs.
"There's no secrets, lady."- He says- "I'm invincible."
Adam shakes his head.
"Everyone claims to be so."- He says- "But can you back your words with actions?"
The bandit leader smirks.
"Watch me!"
And yet, what comes next surprises him greatly.
Adam teleports away, appearing just behind his enemy, slicing him with his sword a few times before he can turn around. Then, just as he prepares to attack him back, he is whisked away and teleported somewhere else.
The bandit fires his guns wildly, accidentally striking one of his own people in the chest, making him fall on the ground and quickly bleed to death.
As the rest of his allies panic, Adam appears behind him and quickly forms a battle standard that blinds him temporarily, as well as casting a spell which releases three wisps of light that make their way toward his unsuspecting enemy, striking him in the chest, leg and shoulder.
In a desperate attempt to recover, the bandit leader fires his guns wildly again, only to realize that the standard is insubstantial. Thus, he is horrified when his bullets strike one of his fellow bandits in the head instead.
And yet, he does not surrender. He continues to shoot as Adam teleports behind him, even though this means that he will hit one of his own people instead. 
One after one, his allies fall in battle, killed either by him or Akira and Jon. Some of them are terrified enough to flee the scene instead, making the wise decision to stay away from this battle.
Finally, the bandit leader deduces where Adam is going to appear and fires a single bullet at him.
This time, it manages to strike him in the right shoulder.
"Adam!"- Akira yells and runs toward her brother, hugging him as he falls on his knees.
The bandit leader laughs. He takes a few steps forward, stopping just a few feet away from Adam, and points both of his guns at him.
"It looks like you've been defeated, mighty hero."- He says- "Any last words before I blow your brains out?"
Akira prepares to attack him, but Adam stops her.
"I told you that I have everything under control."- He whispers to her- "This is just a part of the plan. Stay back."
Resigned, Akira makes the hard decision to step away and leave her brother to whatever fate the bandit leader has in store for him.
Or perhaps she knows that he has a plan in mind?
Adam does not look up. Instead, he simply smiles.
"Does it matter?"- He says to him- "You are clearly more competent than me. There is no point to fight back."
The bandit leader smiles.
"Ah. You finally see the truth."- He says- "I'm glad that you'll die, knowing that you ain't the king of this world."
As he prepares to fire a bullet into Adam's head, the young hero looks up and whistles to Akira.
Taking the hint that she has to make her move, the girl punches one of the bandits in the face, takes his gun and shoots the bandit leader in the back.
"Argh!"- The vile man yells- "What's going on?!"
As he inadventently stumbles forward, Adam leaps to his feet and grabs his legs.
"Don't you dare!"- He yells- "I'm going to make you pay! I swe-- "
Suddenly, Adam throws him back, slamming his entire body into a nearby building and shattering his skull.
As the bandit leader weakly stumbles out of the crash site, Adam grabs the two guns that he dropped and fires two gunshots at him. Both of them strike him in the head, ending his life before he could even say his last words.
The rest of the bandits are shocked by their leader's defeat. They attempt to get away, but Akira and Jon prevent them from doing so.
"Just where do you think that you are going?"- Jon asks them- "You have the guts to attack us, and they try to flee like a bunch of cowards?"
Akira nods.
"Where is your honor, you filthy outlaws?!"- She yells at them- "Your leader was right! There is no law left in this town!"
She aims her gun at one of them.
"So, we will restore it!"
Adam looks at her and shakes his head.
"This is not how we should treat our enemies, Aki!"- He says to her- "I know that they are mad and unpredictable, but they are still people like us. Maybe we should give them another chance!"
Jon nods.
"I think that Adam is right."- He says- "It's too early to make decisions like those. Such an act may anger the entire town... or maybe even worse!"
Akira shakes her head, not letting go of her gun.
"I'm tired of giving second chances."- She says- "In this world, it's either us or them. And, since they gave up on whatever families they might have, it's clear that they have nothing left to fight for."
She aims her gun at one of the bandits.
"Sorry, buddy. Nothing personal."- She says- "I just want to make an example out of you."
Adam and Jon attempt to stop her, but it is too late. She is already resigned to making everyone pay.
Before the situation can escalate any further, a nearby door opens.
A dirty-looking woman runs up to them, waving her hands in the air.
"Stop, children!"- She yells- "Don't hurt them!"
Alarmed, Akira turns around and almost shoots her.
"And why shouldn't we do that, lady?"- She asks her- "Those people attacked us! They are dangerous!"
The woman shakes her head.
"I understand your frustration, but they are not your enemies."- She says- "It was just a big misunderstanding! I promise!"
Akira is unconvinced by her words, but Adam whispers something to her and succeeds in getting her to lower her gun.
"You say that those people did not want to hurt us?"- Adam says- "Then why didn't you stop us before everything got worse?"
The woman quivers in fear.
"I was afraid that the leader of this town would punish me, so I had to stand back."- She says- "Forgive me. It won't happen again."
She glares at the bandits.
"Alright, boys. There's nothing left to look at,"- She says to them- "Back to business. We have a lot of work to do."
The bandits are clearly disturbed by the fact that their leader was killed. And yet, they agree to let it go for now. 
Grumbling, they stumble away from the scene.
"Why don't you come with me, children?"- The woman says and smiles- "I can take you for a walk. See if you can learn something else about this place."
Adam and Akira stare at each other briefly. Something bothers them a lot.
But then, they realize that they don't have another choice and decide to accept the offer.
"Very well, then."- The woman says and smiles- "Welcome to Nightgrove. I hope that you enjoy your stay."
----Somewhere very far away, a mysterious man peers at a glass orb, watching as our heroes make some progress in their journey. His face is mostly obscured by the shadows all around him, but the malice in his eyes is disturbingly clear, even to the untrained eye.
"It looks like our plan is finally set into motion."- He says- "Soon, our victims will fall into our trap!"
He turns around just as one of his allies pours a glass of wine for him.
"This is not the time to celebrate, you fool."- He says- "The kids haven't even stumbled close to us yet."
The servant sighs.
"I thought that we did it, sir."- He says- "Please accept my apology."
The man shrugs.
"Oh, well. It doesn't matter."- He replies- "Everything's going way too well."
He laughs.
"Ah, the mighty hero Adam Kaos. Played around like a useless little toy."- He mutters- "And yet, he still stands his ground. He never turned down a challenge, so he will be a worthy opponent."
Another one of his servants enters the room and present the plans of the day to him,
"Sir, the predictions of our prophets are more than clear."- He says- "It's only a matter of time before Mordred Darkthrop's soul is brought back from the afterlife."
The hooded man laughs.
"Ha! This is too good to be true!"- He says- "Continue to do your duties, servant! We're on the way toward something incredible!"
The servant nods and orders the rest of the people watching them to continue working.
"The soul of Mordred Darkthrop lies deep within these ruins. His secrets are valuable to me, so he will be invaluable in taking my revenge against the pathetic human race."- He says- "Once we make our way deeper underground, I will cast a spell that reveals the exact location where he died. Then, I will use the dark powers granted to me by the gods above to free him from the bonds of unlife and help him conquer the world again. As a reward for my services, I am sure to receive unlimited power. And that... will be more than enough!"
He turns to the servants under his command.
"The future's in our hands, my friends."- He says- "Soon, our true master will be free!"
== Trivia ==
* The title of this Chapter is a reference to a popular historical novel by French poet Victor Hugo that goes by the same name.
** In addition, it is also a reference to Derek Darkheart, who shares a few similarities with "Les Misérables" 's Protagonist- Jean Valjean. For example, both of them were villains in the past who have struggled to live normal lives for many consecutive years. In addition, both of them have been searching for redemption and a chance to redeem themselves for their past actions, although Mr. Valjean is still being chased by members of the law, while the only thing that is chasing Derek himself is the guilt that he cannot escape from.