Esperia raised a hand to her chin for a moment, pondering about Valerie's question after the playful poking of her stomach. "You could hide nearby, or just stay behind me~ I promise not a single fool will be able to lay their hands on you~"
And with those words spoken Esperia continued approaching the path they had been walking. Just as she had anticipated, there had been a wagon turned onto its flank, the wood torn at several parts and pierced with arrows while nearby its passengers were evidently putting on a last stand. A young lady, a noblewoman if her choice of attire was anything to be suggested was lying against the wagon, a small pool of blood spreading underneath her body. Collapsed beside her were two guards, each one pierced with several arrows while several more guards, around eight were being surrounded by a group of rough-looking bandits, the leader of the guards seemingly having just been slain just by the bandits.
"Mai... Mai... To think we'd stumble onto a robbery of all things, this trip keeps on getting more and more unfortunate~"
The bandits turned toward Esperia, one among them addressing the group: "You know the orders, no witnesses... kill her."
The bandits nodded at their leader, approaching the traveling pair as one of them spoke. "It's unfortunate you stumbled onto us-" Yet before he could finish his sentence a loud bang rung through the air, Esperia having drawn her gun and as she lowered the weapon slightly, the bandit that was addressing her collapsed onto the ground, a bullet having cleanly pierced his forehead.
"Mhmm, truly unfortunate... for you lot, I wasn't in the mood to get my trip with my darling interrupted~"
Another bang resounded as the second bandit collapsed, yet the remaining ruffians quickly regained their composure, dashing toward Esperia with their weapons drawn. The first attempted to swing sideways as her seemingly unarmed side, but the moment the blade clashed against her arm, the fact the weapon rebounded from it left the hoodlum off-guard.
A sudden grab of the man's throat and a plentiful squeeze of her fingers around his neck was enough to crush his throat, leading to the others to realize that they were not dealing with ordinary travelers. One of the remaining cutthroats instead tried to take his luck by instead turning his attention toward Valerie, raising his blade into her direction, but this clearly was the most foolish thing he could have done.
The sound of flesh tearing was enough to send an icy chill through the air, the playful demeanor of the young lady darkening remarkably as she used her prosthetic arm to pierce the man's back, such force being applied that she tore through his ribcage and retrieved his heart, the last beating of the organ in her hand making the vampire's eyes narrow as the man toppled forward onto the ground.
"If any of you even dare to touch my wife, I promise your deaths will be faaar from painless~"
With only one bandit remaining, the man hesitatingly backing away against a tree, it was clear he had lost any will to fight back!