Getting spoiled in a woman dominating world Chapter 510: Near the lake [2]

The approaching bandits quickly closed the distance, fanning out into a loose semicircle.

Their leader, a scarred man wielding a heavy axe, jeered as he pointed his weapon towards Brandon. "Well, well... looks like ’this man’ decided to bring a pretty whore out for some fun. Bad timing."

Another bandit let out a crude laugh, his gaze fixated on Freya's figure. "Capture the man. Take the woman alive. She looks great."

The remaining bandits joined in with vulgar chuckles, their eyes crawling over Freya's body with undisguised lust.

A few even licked their lips, already picturing what they would do once Brandon was subdued.

Freya's eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation crossing her features.

In the very next moment, the air itself seemed to rend apart.

Sleesh-!

A cold, sharp blade sang through the space separating them.

The bandit leader's face remained contorted in a mocking grin as Brandon's sword cleaved directly through it, vertically from forehead down to his chin.

Crunch.

A gruesome spray of brain matter, blood, and shattered bone exploded outwards.

The leader's body held its upright posture for another half-second before collapsing like a puppet whose strings had been severed.

Before the others could even utter a scream, Brandon surged forward, his sword arcing again in a single, fluid motion.

His blade sliced cleanly through the neck of the bandit closest to him.

The man's head ascended in a perfect arc, tumbling through the air before landing with a wet *thud* directly at Freya’s feet.

Freya gazed down at the severed head for a brief moment, then calmly kicked it aside as if it were mere refuse.

Her lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "Now that’s my man..."

The bandits' lecherous leers instantly dissolved into raw terror.

Their eyes widened, mouths agape in shock as the reality of the situation finally dawned upon them.

In less than two seconds, two of their comrades lay dead.

Brandon casually flicked the blood from his blade onto the twitching corpse of the leader. "Who ordered you to kill me?"

The remaining bandits staggered backward, their weapons trembling in their grasp.

The man who had so crudely laughed about capturing Freya now appeared on the verge of soiling himself.

Sleesh-!

Another bandit was severed from shoulder to waist in a single diagonal cut.

The man’s body split apart with a sickening wet sound, his organs spilling onto the grass as he collapsed in two separate pieces, his screams cut short.

That was the breaking point.

"RUN!" someone shrieked.

The bandits immediately broke formation, scattering in a blind panic towards the treeline in a desperate bid for survival.

One bandit attempted a desperate overhead slash as he tried to turn and attack Brandon.

Brandon sidestepped with effortless grace and drove his blade through the man’s spine, twisting it slightly before pulling it free.

Another bandit, hands shaking, tried to nock an arrow, only for Brandon to appear before him in a blur, severing both of his arms at the elbows with one precise cut.

Screams reverberated through the lakeside clearing, blood spraying across the verdant grass and delicate wildflowers.

The once serene setting had been transformed into a brutal massacre.

Freya stood near the rock, observing the carnage with an expression of surprise. "It seems I underestimated him. Also, where did he draw that sword from?"

A dark, undeniable satisfaction gleamed in her eyes as she watched Brandon move among the bandits like a grim reaper.

One of the fleeing bandits attempted to circle around towards her, likely believing she posed an easier target.

Freya noticed him, her hand tightening on the dagger as he reached out to touch her.

However, before she could even make a move, the man’s fingers were cleanly severed from his palm just before they could reach her.

In the subsequent instant, his hands, body, head, and legs were slashed to pieces.

His body literally disintegrated mid-stride, the distinct pieces hitting the grass with wet thuds.

Freya cast a glance at Brandon, who now stood before her, turning to meet her gaze with a gentle smile.

With a giggle, she blew him a flying kiss. "Mwah!"

Chuckling, he dashed forward without another word, transforming into a blur of motion as he continued to hunt down the remaining fleeing bandits.

When the last bandit fell, silence once again descended upon the lakeside.

Brandon remained motionless for a moment, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.

A single bandit still clung to life, writhing violently on the ground a short distance away.

Both of his arms were severed at the elbows, and he was bleeding profusely.

Brandon approached the man and crouched down. "Who ordered you to kill me?"

The bandit looked up at him, his eyes wide with pure horror. Blood bubbled from his mouth as he shook his head frantically.

"N-No... you monster! Get away from me! You’re going to kill me anyway!"

Brandon let out a quiet sigh and turned his head towards Freya. "Bring me that dagger."

Freya quickly complied, walking over and handing it to him without a word.

Brandon grasped the dagger and, without any preamble, drove it straight into the bandit’s thigh with brutal force.

"ARRRRGHHHHHH- AARRRRRRR!"

The man’s agonizing scream tore through the tranquil air around the lake.

Brandon's body convulsed as he twisted the blade, deliberately grinding it against bone and muscle.

Blood poured from the wound, saturating the grass beneath him.

"Yes," Brandon calmly muttered, "I intend to kill you regardless, but you won't experience a peaceful end."

He withdrew the dagger with a wet, sickening sound and immediately plunged it into a different spot on the man's leg.

"ARRGHHH! STOP! PLEASE, I BEG YOU!"

The bandit's eyes bulged, bloodshot and wild. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he thrashed helplessly on the ground.

"If you tell me who sent you, I will grant you a less agonizing death."

He twisted the dagger once more, grinding it deeper into the flesh.

The bandit unleashed another blood-curdling scream that reverberated across the lake.

"N-Nacirfa Kingdom!" the man finally gasped out. "Someone from the Nacirfa Kingdom! They paid us! Their orders were to bring you in alive!"

Brandon’s eyes narrowed slightly. He removed the dagger and promptly stabbed it into the bandit’s other leg, twisting it forcefully.

"You're not deceiving me, are you..."

"ARRGHHH NO! NO! JUST KILL ME NOW!! AAHHH!"

The bandit's screams became hoarse as he writhed in unbearable agony.

Brandon finally ended his torment with a single, precise thrust directly into his heart.

He then extracted the dagger and casually wiped the blood on the deceased man's attire.

"Nacirfa Kingdom..." he murmured to himself before rising.

Freya stepped closer, retrieving the dagger from his grasp.

"Why would the Nacirfa Kingdom target you? They have maintained neutrality for decades. Launching such a direct assault on the Goddess's Shadow... that's sheer recklessness."

Brandon’s gaze shifted downward as he pondered, "I'm uncertain."