Dominick's strike had been hard and fast, but Haru's reflexes were quicker. Their swords clashed, sending a flurry of sparks into the air. Aiko moved to the side, using his agility to keep the bandit leader off balance. Haru was in the thick of the fight, trading blows with Dominick and using bursts of wind to throw his opponent off guard.

Despite his strength, Dominick seemed almost reckless in his attacks, swinging wildly at Haru, who expertly dodged and countered. The sound of clashing steel echoed through the forest, drawing the attention of the other bandits. They started to close in, their weapons ready, but Aiko wasn't about to let them join the fray.

"Catch me if you can!" Aiko taunted, throwing another smoke bomb to create confusion among the bandits. The thick cloud of smoke shrouded the clearing, obscuring the view. Aiko dashed through the haze, using his staff to trip and disarm a few bandits along the way. His goal was clear: create enough chaos to give Haru a chance to finish the fight with Dominick.

Haru knew he needed to end this quickly. He unleashed a burst of wind from his sword, sending Dominick reeling backward. The bandit leader stumbled but quickly regained his footing. His face twisted with rage, and he lunged at Haru with a powerful strike. Haru parried, deflecting the blow to the side, and countered with a swift kick to Dominick's chest. The impact sent Dominick crashing into a nearby tree, momentarily stunned.

"Let's go!" Aiko shouted, grabbing Haru's arm and pulling him toward the forest. The smoke was beginning to clear, and the bandits were regaining their bearings. Haru knew they had little time before they were overwhelmed.

They sprinted through the trees, the sound of shouting and crashing branches growing fainter as they put distance between themselves and the bandit camp. Haru could hear his own heartbeat in his ears, adrenaline pumping through his veins. They ran until they reached a small stream, where Aiko signaled for them to stop and catch their breath.

"We should be safe here for a moment," Aiko said, leaning against a tree and panting heavily. "Nice work back there. You handled yourself pretty well."

Haru nodded, still catching his breath. "Thanks. But we need to keep moving. Dominick won't be happy about losing that map."

"True," Aiko replied, pulling the map from his cloak. "But now we have the upper hand. This map leads to a hidden treasure, and it's not far from here. If we can get there first, we might find something to help us deal with Dominick and his bandits."

"Lead the way," Haru said, ready for whatever came next.