Thud!

Scarface froze.

The pointed hammer had buried itself between his eyebrows. His eyes bulged, disbelief fixed across his face.

His heavy body pitched forward.

Before it could strike the floor, a pair of slender but steady hands caught it. Raine lowered the still-twitching man onto the porch without making a sound.

His hands had remained perfectly steady, but his heart was hammering against his ribs.

Immediately before the attack, he had put his last Attribute Point into Agility.

When it came to an ambush, speed was everything.

With enough speed, even a bird could punch through an airplane's reinforced windshield.

And Raine had been wielding a carpenter's hammer.

He took the short sword from Scarface's waist and found a finely made hand crossbow as well. He aimed it through the window and waited.

No reaction.

The black-bearded man inside was pulling down his trousers. The exposed girl before him commanded almost all his attention, and he failed to notice the small shadow slipping in behind him.

Twang!

A black bolt sank into the tall man's lower back. He screamed and spun around.

Before he could see who had attacked him, a sharp gust struck his face.

Pchh!

The short sword plunged into his throat.

Blackbeard never even managed to pull up his trousers. He clutched the wound with both hands, eyes bulging as he stared at the undersized figure before him.

His body seemed unwilling to fall. He staggered backward, slammed into the wooden table, and only then collapsed, twitching now and again like a snake with its spine ripped out.

Raine had delivered the thrust with every scrap of strength he possessed, executing a Step Thrust beyond his usual ability.

"Hah... hah..."

He stood drenched in sweat, dragging air into his lungs. If not for the violent rise and fall of his chest, he might have been mistaken for a statue.

That single thrust had emptied him.

Across both his lives, this was the first time Raine had killed anyone.

Exhaustion filled his body, and confusion clouded his eyes.

*I killed someone?*

*I killed someone.*

*No. This wasn't murder. I was protecting someone.*

After a long moment, the confusion faded.

His fists tightened and resolve kindled in his gaze.

*I may be powerless to change this world, but I have to become strong.*

*Strong enough to protect myself.*

*Strong enough to protect my family.*

*Strong enough to protect the people I choose to protect.*

Anna stood trembling, clutching her torn linen coat over her pale body. She watched Raine through tear-filled eyes like a frightened fawn.

When she finally recognized the familiar boy who had saved her, she flung herself into his arms and held on tight.

Even with her warm body pressed against his, Raine felt no improper desire. He gently patted her back.

"Don't be afraid. You're safe now."

Then he said, "Put your clothes on, Anna. I'll check outside, just in case."

Anna gave a startled cry. Only then did she realize she was almost naked. Her face turned crimson, and she hurried to dress.

She turned sideways to hide herself from his view, though the movement only outlined her graceful figure.

Raine suddenly stiffened.

There was movement outside Anna's door.

*Damn it.*

Someone must have discovered the body on the porch.

The brief softness in the room vanished.

"Get dressed. Quickly!"

Raine tore the short sword from Blackbeard's throat, drawing out a spray of blood. He turned to shield Anna behind him and leveled the sword at the doorway.

Anna scrambled into her clothes. One look at Raine's taut posture told her that danger had returned.

It seemed he would have to spend his Skill Point after all.

Just as Raine prepared to put it into the Great Bear Breathing Method, a familiar—and thoroughly unwelcome—figure appeared in the doorway. Several fully armed elite Night Watchmen followed close behind him.

*It's him.*

Raine released a long breath and let his body relax.

Hamilton, however, was several times more shocked than Raine.

After considerable effort, he had finally received reliable information that suspects in the child disappearance case might be active in this area tonight. This was the last scene he had expected to find upon arrival.

Could a child really have done this?

Two vicious wanted criminals had been killed outright.

They were not strong by Hamilton's standards, but either man was more than an ordinary youth could handle. Yet the bloody scene made one fact plain to the town sheriff: the thin boy holding the bloodstained sword had done it all.

When Raine dealt with Drunk Jack, his temperament and talent had impressed Hamilton and stirred his desire to nurture the boy.

What Raine had accomplished tonight left him stunned.

There was no chance Raine had fought both criminals head-on, especially with a defenseless girl nearby who could have been taken hostage. Even Hamilton would have found the rescue troublesome under those circumstances, since every move would have placed the girl's life at risk.

Yet Raine had saved her and killed both men.

He possessed courage and cunning in equal measure.

From that moment on, Hamilton no longer regarded Raine as a child. In his mind, the boy had earned a place alongside the elite Night Watchmen under his command.

Hamilton studied him from head to toe, eyes gleaming with thought.

Killing and shedding blood had changed Raine's entire bearing. Before, he had possessed a touch of immaturity, like an uncut gemstone. Now one face of that rough stone had been polished, allowing the first glint of brilliance to shine through.

"You did this?"

Hamilton already knew the answer, but asked anyway.

"Yes, my lord. These men broke in at night and intended to assault a girl. I was nearby, heard the disturbance, and killed them."

Raine continued in an even voice, "Under the Empire's public security regulations, I trust I haven't broken the law this time, Sheriff?"

The experience of killing had transformed his state of mind.

He had already decided there was no point concealing anything from Hamilton. The sheriff was experienced and perceptive; an attempted deception was more likely to work against him.

"Hah! Of course you haven't broken the law."

Hamilton laughed and walked toward him, waving a hand to the men behind him.

"Come, Raine. Tell me how you killed them. Your strength isn't bad, but you could hardly have defeated either one in a direct fight."

Several elite Night Watchmen in black leather armor entered and began tending to the bodies.

The moment they saw the corpses, every one of them paused. They looked up at Raine in shock, their expressions seeming to ask how a child so young could be so ruthless.

Before long, a lean, capable-looking Night Watchman reported back.

"Lord Hamilton, one of the dead was wearing a human-skin mask. We've confirmed that he is Scarface. The other is Blackbeard. Both were suspects in the child disappearance case, and both were wanted criminals."