Chapter 43 - Hunt

What I was planning was for hunt to happen, a massacre would ensue among them, the bandits. All military tactics are in the end just another way of hunting but instead of beasts, it was a way to hunt humans.

A hunt would only happen if we have enough knowledge on the prey. Assuming that this was the most basic knowledge of a hunt, it would mean requirement of understanding and information on the bandits.

This was in itself a problem for I didn't know enough to even have a rough outline on how the bandits work. They could be a good old hand in this hunt.

So I had to see for myself if the plan I had in my mind was even viable. So I went ahead with the scouts and observed all the bandits from a faraway point, through a binocular.

After observing for four or five more hours, only then was I satisfied. I had grasped a little understanding on how those bandits work. I could even speculate how they came to be.

But all in all, I could only say that this group was a ragtag group of civilians. Delinquents who would always be behind the alleys causing troubles, these sort made most of their forces.

When power reaches the hands of people like them, then their cruelty only grows. They might have been dealt a shitty hand when they were born. But it did not justify the innate cruelness they displayed.

Women were hit, bullet shots resounded throughout the desert. The exhilarating faces they displayed when the powerless cowered was enough to give me an idea on how they would think and react on anything or what they truly were.

Beasts who clawed others in numbers. This was the only way they could ever be described. Even Predators hunt only for survival and not for sport. But these sc.u.ms would even gnaw at the bones if they could.

A war was just the trigger for their already organised activity to take the next step. An Armed Private Force. But looking at them I could only say this, their confidence had gone beyond reasoning.

If they could, they might even fight Alchemists. This was most probably the reason why they didn't exist in the original series. Their fated demise was just pushed earlier by meeting me.

After this I could plan the next steps without anymore needless waste of time. If I don't make haste then they will lay waste to the human resources they have at hand.

Women don't need to be protected, they can do that just fine by themselves. I will make this scenario their fuel for the strength they can weild but lack.

So I sent the scouts to bring or discuss with the bandit leader. All they had to do was show fearful and an extreme expression of consideration. With this it would make them feel like they have been playing us, just before I deal the UNO reverse card.

I wouldn't poison, starve or try anything else. I was going to wipe them out in the first exchange. The hunt needed to be clean, no it needed to be a massacre. Hunters don't don the mask of a reaper for they don't need to, after all they are still able to instill that fear in their prey.

With this the plan had been smoothened like a blade thats edge had been cleaned. They had been asked to enter negotiations in a crossroad on a small ruin just nearby. The scouts at the end of their meeting only had to offhandedly remark 'Its not like we can win against their numbers'.

This would add a thought in their minds that we were truly outnumbered and were open to negotiation. After which they would add grim conditions just to crack at us. A joke, they would most likely say grunt like dialogues, this one for example 'Your wife was a fine piece'.

Why, because they held the upperhand and poeple like them only like to flaunt it more than neccesary. This style of doing things was truly like a random scammer on the streets suddenly becoming the CEO of a conglomerate.

So the leader remained cautious, and he decided to take up at the least 60 of his men. Now while I knew my plans were good, but they weren't flawless.

If I had to state a few, one would be quality. From what I could gather these bandits had raided a few times, most likely these glorious achievements became the source of their pride, arrogance and confidence.

On the other hand I lacked veterans, the number of experienced personal I had on hand was only 10. The remaining were civilians who had recently been handed guns which numbered around 20. All in all I had only 30 people who could fight and among them most possibly only 12 to 15 had ever fought.

The second was quantity. Honestly the numbers are only 1 to 7, if we consider that all participants have skirmished before. Even then its just a gross estimate. I do not know if all of their members have truly ever fought and escaped from a battlefield. This makes me overestimate their strengths or forces, or underestimate them entirely.

Then the third would be knowledge or information. An entire war can lack anything but information. Without food supply you can still make a last stand. Without ammunition you can only retreat back. Without information, you can only die without knowing why.

The gap was vast and it became wider the more I focused on the finer details. But then I realized, we were still a starting group. It wouldn't matter even if we lost, it would be experience. For no real starting group can readily function like a gear or a well oiled machine. This thought became the foundation to bridge the gap.

Mistakes can be made, traps can fail but we cannot be perfect. Of course I am not talking about me. No one is perfect except me, and to cover those flaws will be mine and their freinds responsibility.

A diamond can shine anywhere but gold has to be melted and reforged for it to truly shine within our expectations.

So I removed the more detailed parts and said to them, to trust me. I would not fail them, if they did not fail me. As we glossed over certain parts, it became easier for the militia and soldiers to perform within theirs and mine expectations.

After a few hours the Bandits arrived, they numbered 60. Their leader was just trying to flaunt themselves in front of me. Which is kinda foolish if you consider the fact that I could end or create worlds at will.

When they reached their destination and no one was within sight. They felt it, they felt what a predator would feel when they feel the throes of a trap. But since they are humans the tell tale signs became even more obvious.

But I was never planning on letting them see the blade, I would reap their lives before they could even experience fear. The less time our battle took, the more confident the bandits remaining in th camp would be.

I had already planned to camouflage our battle as an overwhelming win for the Bandit team. So as soon as they had reached the benchmark for the trap. What they faced was grenades from one direction and blazing bullets from the opposite side.

Perhaps they had never faced a well planned team before, for they gained casualties like nothing, and it was even before they could pinpoint the whereabouts about my already moving militia.

So as soon as the casualty reached 12 and incapicitated started reaching the number of 18, they escaped. But like I said before I already had an inkling in what kind of actions they could or shall i say would take. A few griped by fear fired here and there wasting bullets. Others formed two different group and tried escaping through the untouched pathways.

One guy was shot by four different people from four different angles. Even if he was the protagonist it would be hard to escape unscathed. Well we all know he isn't the protagonist, so he lost his life right then and there.

After this the divided team tried escaping. The pathways had nothing wrong with it except that there was a Giant pit somewhere in the middle. Was it one or was it two. I made the plan so tedious because I wanted to achieve a victory without any casualty.

When is a plan perfect without any complications. Its when your subordinates blindly trusts you. Thats what happened, as soon as the front liners fell in the trap. The ruins which had been so silent till now experienced noise.

From the side of the pathways littered by ragged ruins came out the well hidden militia. Armed with guns, they truly showcased just why the gun replaced cold weapons so effortlessly.

With a resounding and heavy fire the area had already been cleared of stragglers before they could even blink. Have you ever heard of a mass execution by guns. In this kind of scenario the criminals are placed in front of a wall and gunned down.

Repeat this scene with at least an amount of 20 or 22 people. But instead of the relieved sighs or the knowing smiles, add surprised faces, an emoticon if you like. That would be the scene you would see.

The remaining bandits who fell inside the traps weren't so lucky. Because another small group was already throwing grenades, rolling in it. A grenade shows its true capability in an enclosed space, where the person is restricted and unable to escape.

( Militia PoV )

One person inside the trap saw the grenades looked at the surroundings and immediately climbed the hole and tried escaping. That was until the grenades exploded mid way and his actions became futile.

Some of us had never reaped a life before and they vomitted whatever they had eaten. The Commander would not allow a hungry soldier to fight, even if it meant that the workforce would be less. Their countenance had paled and this might even plague them forever.

The fearsome bandits had been wiped out like Wolves rebelling against a group of Lions. This showcased the truly odd mind, the Child Commander Sho wielded. A wicked and devious mind, one who could pulverize the bones if he could.

As if the fact that we won was in itself a mere trifle he again started laying down the plans to rescue the women remaining at the camp. It was as if an Evil God had come to play or mess around. The child did not feel human at all.

Maybe what we required in times such as these, are Demons like him to fight back the Demons we saw on the battlefield. Selling yourself to a Demon to save someone can be considered a good deed. After all sacrifices are the ingredients for every Heroic fairy tale.

( Back to Sho )

After my next actions had been planned. I saw them feel apprehension towards me. One one side they felt awe, at the same their fear was also blatant.

I had to break the ice some how, so I said "You guys are always focusing on the unnecessary needs of life. You think that something like this needs time to be digested, or at least gain some recognition".

Their faces showed it, they wanted praise or at least a say in how good or well they had done. But I could not, for the enemy today was only bandits. It was a shame in itself that they had been running around due to them. Now I had to praise them for this small trifle. No Way.

"I hate to say this but they were only bandits, whose movements were blatantly obvious. To the point that a newbie strategist could get rid of them without trying to. Today you have hunted them but tomorrow I will set higher bars, will you still be able to follow me. No, run on the footsteps I intend to leave. If you are just satisfied by beating bandits who weren't even trained. I am dissapointed".

"Though I will praise the ones who have just recently held guns and fought with us. After all they were the ones who were actually in a fair battle. No they were in an even more serious disadvantage. Yet they held themselves and stood with us. Today's praise is only deserved by the civilians who have fought with us. As for the veterans who think that this was an accomplishment. 10 rounds around this ruin".

Immediately groans could be heard, the atmosphere had started to clear up. The tension building the air had settled down. Their apprehension had toned down and they truly revelled in their colleagues misfortune. While I entertained them with punishments, I layed down the simple plan for the rescue, which did not really require one.