ETERNAL

Chapter 6: Virtued Man

Franco's Fury Unleashed

Franco grabbed leonard carrying him in his shoulder running deep within the forest. The man's breaths came in ragged gasps, the echo of tragedy etched into his very bones. Trees blurred past, their leaves whispering secrets of ancient battles and forgotten oaths.

Hachizen's voice, cold as the frost that clung to the underbrush, sliced through the air. "I don't like to chase," he declared, his eyes unyielding. "Fetched him for me."

Hachizen's men knelt, their forms dissolving into mist. "Yes, Master Hachizen," they murmured, their voices hollow. Shadows swallowed them whole, leaving only the memory of their obedience. "Your brother owe me this... Leonard," He said in a cold tone.

The forest trembled, its ancient boughs bearing witness to a brutal dance. "Where are you even taking me?!" Leonard's demand hung in the air, but Franco remained silent-a sentinel of vengeance. Shadows clung to his form, their edges sharp as the kunai hurtled toward Leonard.

In a heartbeat, Franco acted. Leonard's body met the ground, the earth absorbing the impact. The kunai missed its mark, a mere whisper of death. But another figure blurred past-the kimonos, the black mask-an assailant seeking to end Leonard's tale.

Franco's grip tightened, fingers digging into fabric. "Running away like a little bitch?!" he snarled, hurling the man toward a gnarled tree. The impact echoed-a symphony of pain and retribution. Leonard watched, breathless, as Franco's fist met gut and wood splintered.

Yet danger loomed. Another adversary, eyes aflame with vengeance, lunged. Leonard's life hung in the balance, but Franco was no mere protector. He was a force-a tempest of wrath. "Get distracted so easily?" Franco taunted, his signature technique unleashed.

[Viking Smash]-the hammer materialized, its weight a promise of annihilation. It met flesh, bone, and earth, leaving the man's face battered, a ruin of defiance. These were Hachizen's men, pawns in a twisted game. But Franco? He was the storm-the harbinger of Leonard's salvation.

"What a beast..."

Franco's forearm struck Leonard's stomach, the impact jarring. Then, with relentless determination, Franco hoisted him once more. They stumbled through the forest, shadows clinging to their heels, until they reached Franco's refuge-a place where vengeance and secrets intertwined.

"Thanks for saving me," Leonard gasped, gratitude etching lines on his battered face. "We could've died if not because of you."

"Who said we?"

Leonard's confusion hung heavy in the air. What did Franco mean? Was this alliance merely a ruse, a dance of shadows?

"W-what do you mean by that?"

Franco's eyes bore into him, unyielding. "You thought I was gonna help you?" His voice, like a blade unsheathed, cut through Leonard's hope. "I came here to collect your bounty, not to help you, you murderer."

"I-i promise I didn't do it!" His voice cracked, and he knelt before Franco, fingers gripping the worn leather of the lumberjack's boots. "I would do anything-anything-just don't hand me to the authorities, please!"

Franco's gaze bore into Leonard, the weight of judgment heavy. He considered the man's plea, the echoes of guilt and desperation. "Hmmmm... No."

The scene shifted-a cruel tableau. Leonard, once a lumberjack seeking only to provide for his family, now caged like a wounded animal. The bars closed around him, a prison of betrayal and vengeance.

And there, beyond the shadows, stood the bandit-a merchant of souls, a broker of fates. Gold exchanged hands, the clink of coins sealing Leonard's doom.