Water lily, a massive plant, at least ten feet wide, floated in the deep lakes nestled within the heart of the wilderness. Its broad pad, thick and unusually stable, was capable of supporting several people at once depending on its size, and yet it drifted with an almost unnatural gentleness atop the water, as though it belonged more to the surface world than anything rooted beneath it. There was something quietly deceptive about that stillness, something that made it feel less like a plant and more like a presence simply pretending to be harmless. This plant was remarkably resilient, capable of surviving extreme heat, bitter cold, floods, and even infestations, standing as though it could not be broken by the trials of nature itself. Yet beneath that calm image of survival lay a far more sinister truth, one that remained hidden until the moment it was already too late to escape it.
From its blossoms, the water lily secreted a nectar that permanently intoxicated the unwary, not in an immediate violent way, but in a slow, creeping erosion of clarity that settled deep into the mind like an invisible weight. Thoughts would begin to blur, perception would soften at the edges, and even awareness itself would start to lose its sharpness, collapsing gradually under a subtle but relentless chemical influence. Its pad, while appearing to be the safest and most stable surface, became dangerously deceptive during drought seasons, swelling unnaturally as though breathing on its own, releasing a faint hallucinogenic scent that drifted silently through the air, quietly distorting perception and drawing nearby creatures into a false sense of safety that felt entirely natural until it was already too late to question it. Then came the roots, sprawling through the water like living tendrils that did not simply grow but seemed to listen, swaying with a disturbing rhythm as though responding to something unseen beneath the surface of reality itself. The older roots rose toward the surface, disguising themselves as solid ground, blocking sunlight and creating a convincing illusion of stability where there should have been none. One misstep was enough, because the smallest root would react instantly, wrapping around its victim with precise and unfeeling coordination, stiffening with terrifying certainty, and dragging them beneath the water without hesitation or struggle. Once submerged, the roots would pierce and drain their prey methodically, extracting every trace of nourishment until nothing remained but absence. Even aquatic creatures were not spared, as the intoxicating influence reached them as well, pulling them into the same slow, quiet, and inescapable fate that required no violence at all to feel absolute.
"can we rest here for a while" the woman with the red belt requested. "I can't use detection magic properly for the time being. Plus my magic casting was bit faulty because of the magic wave that kid did"
The masked guy with a black belt analyze the situation first, while Hanabi was being tied up. "we can still use camouflage to hide. As long as we don't rush, everything will be fine. But we have to leave the place, we can't stay here."
"I understand" she replied. "but I will not use magic to assist our hiding. As long as my condition won't return to normal."
As they began to pack up. Hanabi was being carried by the guy with the blue belt.
Hanabi's situation, worsen by being paralyzed. Losing all hope as he was as helpless. The thought of being sold already put him into misery, he was only left crying as the man carries him began slowly making a step.
"open the path" Black belt guy ordered.
Following his order, the guy with a white belt put his hands on the ground. Immediately the grass field gave a path by making an open row as the grasses began dying.
But beyond their awareness, someone was already watching them from afar. Blue belt guy, immediately noticed something was wrong, as the shoulder he put Hanabi gone light. Replaced by a rope... No, a whip.
He did not flew because he was gripped tightly. He vanished suddenly, which means hanabi was teleported.
"HEAD'S UP" the blue belt guy shouted.
Everyone looked at him as they didn't saw what happened. As they noticed in his shoulder where Hanabi used to be was now just a wrapped whip.
Everyone immediately on guard, as they grasp the situation.
"FIND HIM" the guy with a black belt ordered.
The girl immediately followed the order, but since her magic was faulty she used more energy than neccesary to successfully find the boy, and discover what what wrong.
"EARTH MAGIC" as the red belt girl found a possible intruder hiding nearby, she immediately launched an attack to the supposed location Creating a large pole. That attack was the one that catapult Hanabi.
A person avoided the attack effortlessly, leaping through like not having a problem at all, while carrying Hanabi through her shoulder.
As she landed at the tree, her appearance was finally revealed, and everyone immediately felt a strong surge of danger.
They saw an adult woman, yet the way she dressed felt strange and intentionally alluring. A dark purple cloth wrapped tightly around her chest, leaving most of her upper body bare, while equally tight shorts ran down to just below her knees. The outfit clung to her body so closely that it almost looked like a second skin, dark and unsettling against the fading light. But it's not just the clothes that caught their attention. In her hand was a whip, yet the thing trailing from it wasn't leather similar to what replaced hanabi. A thin metal string like chain followed the motion of her arm, glimmering sharply whenever it caught the light. It moved like a living thing as she swung it.
Before she was found out, she gave Hanabi a potion that slowly healing him from the effect of the toxin that paralyzed him. Though Hanabi still can't run, to say the least he can now moved his body properly, as he was placed at the side of a tree to lean.
The masked bandits position themselves for the possibility of combat, as everyone began drawing their weapon. Except for the black belt guy. He barely moved the moment he saw the alluring lady. Hinting a sense of familiarity or recognition to her identity.
The lady didn't said a word to Hanabi. Instead she began walking closer to them, not intimidated by their number.
"are we fighting her?" woman with a red belt asked.
"no.... We need to run!" the black belted guy answer with great fear.
All of his allies go confused as they looked at him sweating in fear.
"who was she?" someone asked, not knowing what's going on.
"that's.. Water Lily" he answered as the black belt guy trembles in fear.
"THAT WATER LILY?!" guy with the white belt question.
Everyone's thought shift from preparing to fight, to run away if possible. The name alone was more than enough to shatter their morale.
"I thought she re-" failed to noticed the woman they were talking, pointing her available hand forward as if she was reaching on something. One of their companion suddenly pushed the guy with a black belt forcefully.
The moment they noticed, the one who pushed already had his head pierced by the sharp end of the whip's handle. As the whip moved by some sort of force that launched itself forward returning to its owner.
Everyone's fear grew stronger within them, at that moment, all of them knew, their situation was beyond dire.
Seeing the situation, one of them mindlessly charges ignoring the obvious danger. As one charged three followed immediately.
The other 4 that was supposed to be the heads of the group saw the situation, but realized can no longer do anything at the matter. They desired to follow, but only if things favors them.
But their action was futile. Straight forward attack, full of fear, driven by madness. As the alluring lady began to take action, despite the distance. As she whip through the air with her weapon. But before the whipping sound she made ends, she vanished appearing behind the four, and continues to walk forward. As the four stopped moving the moment their heads fall first to the grassy ground.
Seeing the situation, the leader left with no choice but to act, based on what he had while only seeing one glimpse of chance.
"You four run! We will buy you time! Report this as soon once you arrived at the hideout." the guy with the black belt ordered the remaining combatants.
Without a second thought they run to the path that was made by the guy with the white belt. While the remaining four blocks the way.
"do you think we can win this" the blue belt guy ask with a glance of hope. As he conditioned himself while arming his hands with a gauntlet.
"no" black belt guy answer.
That moment the three understood their circumstances. Their main goal was not to win, nor to kill the woman. But to buy time as much as possible.
"prepare for an attack" the black belt guy ordered everyone.
"Luniacia Martial" the woman suddenly stopped walking forward. And called the woman in red belt.
Despite the surprised, they didn't let their guard down while they listen.
"by violating countless laws, and committing countless crimes. You are stripped by your noble status and sentenced you to die."
A non surprising news, as it didn't shook the 4 even a little. But the alluring woman didn't seem to mind, instead she seems to felt satisfied with their resolved.
Finally, the woman took one more step forward. Rising both her arms holding a whip, as she began to release a deadly intent. The battle now began, as Hanabi watched from supposed safe distance.
The white belt guy took the first counter measure. The moment he felt the deadly intent, he immediately put his palm at the ground.