[Leona's POV]
Three RedTails were riding toward me at full speed on their horses.
Mounted combat wasn't my specialty, but in that situation, it was inevitable. As long as they didn't dismount, I'd be an easy target if I did.
I spurred my horse forward to gain as much speed as possible. I couldn't let them surround me.
Just before we crossed paths, I changed direction, forcing them to give chase. I had to turn my back on the enemy, but at least I avoided being flanked.
All three were lower-ranked than I. Two were Bronze Rank 5, almost reaching Silver, and one had just been promoted to Silver Rank 2.
Despite their lower Ranks, they were all experienced warriors and outnumbered me, which disadvantaged me.
When I changed direction and they began chasing, the closest was one of the Bronze Rank fighters, with the Silver Rank right behind.
The other Bronze Rank had fallen behind a bit, he'd wasted time sheathing his sword to draw a shortbow.
I'd lose too much time if I kept looking back to see their positions, so I enchanted my senses and entered a trance state.
My focus narrowed entirely on sensing the presence of my enemies.
I was just a Beastfolk half-blood. My senses weren't as sharp as Felicia's, for example. But this was a technique my father had made me train to exhaustion.
It was dangerous, losing awareness of your surroundings in battle could be fatal. But I had no other way to face three enemies at once.
The RedTail with the bow was ready to shoot. My only chance against him was to use his companions as a shield.
The moment he held his breath to fire, I changed direction, placing another RedTail between me and the archer.
He hesitated, and that moment of distraction caused him to miss.
But that maneuver had consequences. The Silver Rank managed to get close and took the opportunity to strike.
His sword came at my back with high speed.
I was forced to defend myself by holding my sword behind me, in an awkward position. I had to put much more strength into the block than usual, but it paid off.
When his blade finally struck my body, I had diverted it from my neck, his original target, and it clashed against my armor, already weakened, causing only a scratch.
The chase continued for some time. We circled around the battlefield, I constantly on the defensive, forced into awkward movements to avoid the archer while fending off the two swordsmen.
At least their attacks weren't coordinated, so defending myself was manageable. They only managed to land a few shallow cuts.
But my horse was starting to tire.
He'd been trained for battle and would keep running until death if needed, but that wasn't what I wanted. I needed to find a way out of this stalemate.
My opponents had run out of patience and were finally coordinating an attack.
Unfortunately for them, I was more experienced, and reading their movements to think of a counterattack wasn't hard.
The Bronze Rank swordsman approached from my left and thrust his sword in a way that left me no option but to dodge.
They intended to force me into a position where I couldn't avoid the Silver Rank's attack.
I played along and dodged the first strike, making my horse change direction. Then, suddenly, I made him stop abruptly.
He dug his front hooves into the ground. We still slid forward for a few meters, but it was enough. The Silver Rank rushed past me at full speed, too far ahead to land a blow.
The archer, right behind him, realized what was happening too late; he was within my sword's reach.
The look of shock on his face as my blade sliced through his bow and struck his chest almost made me feel sorry for him.
His horse kept galloping forward, but he fell to the ground beside me, with a serious wound in his chest.
He wasn't dead yet, but no longer a threat.
The other two only managed to stop nearly fifty meters away. The maneuver I had used to halt was risky, especially on uneven terrain, and they didn't dare try the same.
I used that moment to cast a rejuvenation spell on my horse. They were still at a distance, but would likely resume the attack soon.
"You won today, Little Lion. Let's see if that happens again next time."
That voice pulled me out of the trance and nearly gave me a heart attack.
My heightened concentration made me oblivious to my surroundings, but even so, I shouldn't have failed to notice someone getting that close.
I had no time to react. A powerful aura began pressing down on me.
It was as if the whole world had been placed on my shoulders, I could barely breathe.
When I turned and saw who the voice belonged to, my soul nearly left my body.
A Beastfolk Alpha from the Lion Clan, Peak Gold Rank, was right beside me, tending to the archer I had just wounded.
"What was your father's name?" the Lion asked.
Of course, he'd know I was a half-blood from his clan.
"Aen'Czarif." The pressure he exerted was so immense I didn't dare not respond.
"Son of Aen'Czarell?" he asked. I just nodded.
"Aen'Czarell was my distant cousin. That makes you my cousin, too."
I nodded again. His aura still crushed me, I was alive only because he allowed it.
"I believe your father was a skilled swordsman. At least Aen'Czarell used to brag about it."
I stayed silent; he didn't seem to expect a response.
"He trained you well, but you need to improve your trance control. I got too close too easily."
He spoke while continuing to dress the archer's wound. The other two RedTails just watched from a distance.
"Too bad you're just a half-blood. You've got potential, you'd make a fine wife."
That insult finally made me speak.
"I already have an Alpha. I don't need another."
I had grown up being insulted by Beastfolk for being a half-blood. My father taught me to never lower my head to those insults. Remaining silent now would be an insult to his memory.
No aura in the world would make me disgrace my father's name.
"So he really is an Alpha. A human Alpha, if that's not strange, I don't know what is."
He said it with a grin. I agreed, so I had no reason to reply.
"As they say, live long enough and you'll see things you never imagined."
He finished the field dressing, then lifted the archer onto his back like a sack of grain.
"My mission here is done. Until next time, cousin. I hope you're stronger when we meet again."
He gestured to the other RedTails, and they left.
Only when he moved far enough for his aura to no longer affect me did I finally breathe normally again.
My heart, which had been racing the entire time, slowly calmed down.
Soon after the Lion Alpha departed, a horn was sounded, and the bandits began to retreat. The attack was over.
We had survived, but honestly, only because that Gold Rank didn't intend to kill us.
He could've wiped out every warrior here by himself if he wanted to.
Internally, I prayed his last words wouldn't become a prophecy.
I had no intention of ever fighting that monster.