Chapter 3 : The Beast, the Scout and the Forty Bandits

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It was morning

Both Dean and Serena were at the tavern from yesterday that was so perfectly fixed that it was looking like it was just built, with Dean looking with a stern gaze at a nervous and silent Serena that was eating her pancake "So," he said, getting her attention "why you began travelling? Didn't I tell you to train for a whole year first in order to get at least one offensive spell and *then* travel?" he asked in a tone filled with concern and anger, but Serena then smiled proudly.

"Hehehe, of course I remember, but what you *don't* know is that I already found a way to protect myself, and I can demonstrate it to you right now." she said proudly, with Dean being taken aback for a while and then sighing.

"Sigh, ok then, let's see what you have, Serena." replied Dean half heartedly, uncertain of the credibility of her words much to her enthusiasm and after a while, both were outside the village and had a distance between them "it will be just a demonstration, ok? It doesn't have to be a battle" she said but Dean shook his head.

"We *will* battle, Serena. It will be pointless to have an offensive spell and not use it even in a spar." claimed Dean serious, with her then sighing and bringing her grimoire out.

"Alright, you asked for it, Dean. **Scan Magic: Sign of Weakness**!" shouted Serena as her grimoire flipped pages and a pulse of magic washed the area they were in, with Dean's body having some white glowing symbols on various spots, with said symbols being all around him on objects and creatures alike, much to his confusion.

"I don't know what you are planning, but this surely isn't an offensive spell Serena. I will end this and send you back. Beast Magic: Wolf Bite plus Gazelle Gallop!" he said as his feet and hands were clad in animal auras but before he could move, he felt himself being hit on the right knee and he saw Serena's thumb finger up and her index finger stretched while having leftover mana on it, "a Mana Bullet?Sure, that's a way to protect herself but-" he thought and then froze for a second, realizing something while standing up slowly "I see, this spell of yours reveals the weak points of anything and by hitting them, you can do a lot of damage." he deducted, with her fired up smile and gaze being his answer "good job" he said while smiling.

Three hours later

"Agh!" a voice of pain and despair was heard in an underground cave as a black hooded man was crushed by a shadow hand and then dropping down on the floor lifeless "That damned kid!" said a black cloaked man with a demonic mask "We are the Forty Night Demons! A gang that not even multiple Magic Knights could ever bring down and now, a nobody kid thinks that he can defeat us? What a joke!" said the man furious, with his grimoire flipping pages and his shadow growing in length and becoming a swirling portal on the ground "Come forth, my men, let's restore our name and honor!" shouted the man, with the members shouting fired up.

Dean was walking alongside Serena who was busy eating her dessert, but then he stopped her "Hm? What's wrong?" she asked only to see for herself a shadow portal from which many black cloaked guys surrounded them and the tall demon masked man slowly appeared.

"You are the kid that's hunting and sabotaging my members, right?" he asked furious, with Dean then making a notion at Serena to get back with a serious look, with her doing so. "It's meaningless to try to protect her, as my men will crush you both, you are finished!" claimed the leader happy, but from a hill, a well dressed woman smiled.