The Laughing Swordsman

Apollo raised his bokken.

"Do not hit her."

Maya was holding onto her face and crying.

"It's ok..."

Maya's father bowed while holding his injured arm.

"Sir, it's her that's ungrateful. She does not wish to thank you."

Maya's brows furrowed.

"What? That's not what you said."

Maya's father frowned and raised his uninjured arm.

"You unfilial daughter!"

Apollo's eyes became bloodshot and he bolted towards them.

Maya's father swung his hand without mercy.

At the rate Apollo was running, he wasn't going to get there in time. Maya had already cringed, bracing herself for her father's hand.

Apollo's eyes widened once he saw a teardrop fall from Maya's face.

His bokken flashed.

"AHHH-"

Maya's father lost his arm. It fell into the snow with a thump, leaving him with a stump.

He used his injured arm to cover the stump and slow down the bleeding.

Apollo giggled with a wide smile and he was still five meters away.

"I said... don't hit her."

Maya's father glared at Apollo. The fact that Apollo killed the demons for the villager's sake did not even cross his mind.

"You... Devil."

Apollo laughed.

"I am the Devil?"

Maya's father frowned. He no longer bothered with Apollo.

"My fellow brothers and sisters, do you see what this heartless murderer did to me? We must band together and take him out! This is our only chance at survival!"

Maya curled into a ball, wrapping her arms around her knees.

As for the villagers, they appeared hesitant.

"But... didn't he kill those strange monsters?"

"It's not like we could fight..."

"...But he attacked one of us."

Maya's father frowned. His breathing was becoming heavy.

"Don't you see? He has already tried to kill me. He may have strong offensive capabilities, but his body is not invincible! He is already heavily injured right now!"

That little push seemed to be what the villagers needed.

"We cannot let him slaughter all of us, we must act."

"He... is only human."

"Don't forget he is the thief that stole from us!"

Apollo's neck twisted and a laugh uncontrollably seeped through his lips.

His laughs were so loud that they overshadowed the murmurings of the villagers.

"So that's the type of person you all are? You would rather believe what someone else tells you over what you see with your own eyes?"

The villagers frowned.

"Be quiet you devil!"

"How could we trust a thief like you?"

"You just want an excuse to kill us, don't you? Then bring it on!"

The villagers charged towards Apollo while Maya's father slowly backed off.

Apollo's eyes widened.

"If I am what you consider to be a devil, then I don't want to be what you consider an angel."

So these were the people he saved. He understood now.

He glanced at Maya. She was unable to meet his gaze and turned away.

Apollo's grip on his bokken tightened.

Nothing was stopping him now.

The villagers were unarmed. They planned to take him down with just their fists.

How foolish were they?

Blood splashed.

Screams rang out.

Cries of fear and pleading echoed throughout the village.

But over it all, were Apollo's laughs.

The villagers were no match for Apollo. They were weaker than even the one-horned demons.

He was the harbinger of death. Every swing would brutally mangle a body, painfully sending them to the afterlife.

Apollo's face was smeared with bright red blood, making his unsettling smile stand out more.

One after another, a villager corpse would fall to Apollo's feet.

Soon he was surrounded by corpses and only a few villagers were left alive.

An old man fell on his rear, trembling. He tried to crawl backward but was unable to put strength into his hands.

"S-Sir... this is a misunderstanding! I..."

Apollo walked forward slowly.

"Hmm? Are you sure? You said I was a thief, did you not?"

The old man flailed his arms.

"Ah, no, no, no. I was just joking! How could you possibly be a thief?"

Apollo giggled.

"So you don't think I am a thief?"

The old man nodded hurriedly and forced a smile.

"Of course not! No way!"

Apollo laughed.

"But that's where you're wrong."

The old man froze.

"What?"

Apollo smiled mockingly.

"Because I am a thief! After all, I'm going to steal your life!"

The old man fell into despair.

"No! No, please-"

His head flew off. Even when it landed and rolled in the snow, an unwilling expression remained on his face.

There were still two villagers. They were middle-aged women that stayed at the back. They were screaming after they witnessed Apollo's cruelty.

The women no longer believed that they could reason with Apollo.

One of them fell onto her hands and knees, shivering. She had given up.

The other woman took off, running as fast as she could.

Apollo noticed the woman run away but was in no hurry.

He walked over to the woman on her hands and knees. Hearing Apollo approach, the woman froze and closed her eyes.

Apollo knelt next to her.

"Hey."

The woman slowly opened her eyes and turned to look at Apollo.

"Ye-Yes?"

Apollo smiled playfully.

"Why aren't you running?"

The woman bitterly smiled. Her smile was filled with mockery, mockery of herself.

"Haha... would you let me live?"

Apollo pointed towards the woman who was running away as a soft giggle seeped from his lips.

"Look, over there! Don't you see how far she is? At this rate, she might escape!"

The woman slowly turned her head over. She saw the woman already got quite far.

"Ah... why didn't I run?"

A laugh uncontrollably burst from Apollo, but he quickly suppressed it.

"You can run right now! Don't give up just yet!"

The woman blinked. For a few moments, she could not understand the words she heard.

"Ah, I..."

The woman began panting and got up to her feet with shaking legs.

She spun around and stumbled away.

Her fear made her steps unsteady, but she still did her best to run away.

Laughter burst out from Apollo. He could no longer suppress it.

Once the woman heard the laughter, she realized how foolish her hopes were.