"Hey, you two, and that kid! Get out of the Mana Sedan!" the burly man kept shouting as he waved his long saber, leading his twenty-odd men toward them.
Yet aside from Hawat, who looked a little nervous and frightened, Joshua and Winnie showed no trace of anxiety. Instead, both began to laugh.
"Hey, Winnie, have you ever run into bandits before?" Joshua asked her casually.
Winnie studied the twenty-odd burly men approaching them with interest and shook her head.
"Do you think any bandits would dare rob me?"
Joshua laughed. "Fair point. All right, Winnie, I'll leave these fellows to you. Hawat, come on. Let's get out of the way and watch your aunt show her might."
Winnie shot Joshua a reproachful look. "What do you mean, 'show my might'? You make me sound so fierce." Then she stroked Hawat's head and said gently, "Be good and wait over there with your uncle. Watch me deal with these fools who have a death wish."
Hawat nodded and obediently followed Joshua to the roadside, watching Winnie with wide eyes full of curiosity and excitement.
Back at home, he vaguely remembered hearing his mother mention that this aunt, who was always so kind and affectionate toward him, seemed to have another very impressive identity...
Once Joshua and Hawat had moved aside, Winnie turned toward the twenty-odd approaching bandits. Her lips curled into a dangerous smile, and she raised her hand.
Whoosh-
Several head-sized fireballs instantly formed around Winnie, then flew toward the bandits.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom-
Half the fireballs struck the ground, setting off a series of violent explosions. The other half hit some of the bandits directly, blasting them off their feet and instantly engulfing them in flames.
The burning bandits let out heart-rending screams and rolled frantically