Hound

The alley was very narrow, with high stone walls on both sides.

The ground was paved with gray flagstones, one after another, stretching to the distant fork in the road. Footsteps echoed softly within, one after another, unhurriedly.

Ubel walked a little behind Lanto. She turned her head to the side, her purple eyes scanning the empty alleyway.

"Where is this place? There's not a soul in sight."

Her voice carried a hint of amusement.

"What are they going to do by bringing me to a place like this? I'm so scared!"

Lanto walked ahead of her without saying a word. He adjusted his glasses and stared calmly into the depths of the alley.

"The area west of Empire Square is currently closed to the public; it's not a popular spot."

"Yeah."

Ubel withdrew his gaze and looked towards the end of the alley. In the distance, he could vaguely see the colorful flags decorating the edge of the square, hanging quietly in the evening light.

"The person behind me is really close. So--"

She didn't stop walking, and the hint of laughter in her voice became even more pronounced.

Are we being driven to a dead end?

Lanto didn't look at her; his gaze quickly swept across the walls on both sides. The alley was straight, with no other exit.

"We're almost there."

His voice was flat.

"We're at our wits' end. We probably really can't escape."

Ubel chuckled softly.

"Glasses Guy, I know you're always very careful."

She naturally walked around a few scattered pebbles on the ground.

"I understand, you wanted me to escape, that's why you kept leading me this way..."

Lanto followed behind her, also avoiding the rubble. His movements were steady, and his face was expressionless.

"Really? Then I hope you'll also remember that I really dislike talking nonsense."

"You, Glasses Guy..."

Ubel drawled out the words. Across the alleyway lay an old wooden pole, probably left behind during the transport of building materials. Without stopping, she reached out and lightly touched Lanto's arm, using it for leverage, and gracefully leaped over it.

Upon landing, she didn't let go. Instead, she used the same position to pull Lanto forward half a step, allowing him to clear the obstacle just as smoothly.

Then she let go, turned to look at him, and her eyes held a mischievous glint.

"... Do I have to tell you to 'shut up' for you to understand?"

Lanto didn't falter; he merely glanced at her.

We're running for our lives.

"Uh-huh."

Ubel smiled again. There was a shallow ditch in the ground ahead, washed out by the rain earlier. She reached out again, this time grabbing Lanto's wrist and using his strength to pull him forward, and the two of them stepped over it together.

When she let go, she tilted her head.

"I'm not from the Empire, so I've never heard of any 'Magical Special Forces' before. Tell me about it? Otherwise, with you all so nervous, I don't know how to share your fear."

Lanto glanced at her. The wind in the alley was so light it was almost imperceptible.

"The Magical Special Forces are a special unit within the Empire Army composed of mages; they are..."

If you dislike unnecessary talk, you can put it simply.

Simply put--

Lanto adjusted his glasses.

"It's the strongest force assembled by the Empire's most powerful group of mages."

Ubel's face broke into a smile.

"Really? Then why should we, First-Class Mages... be afraid of them?"

"First-Class Mage is indeed the strongest mage on the continent, but First-Class Mage is still a mage. That alone is a disadvantage. The empire has been using magic for warfare for a long time, but many of our mage skills are specifically designed to deal with Demons and monsters."

"In other words, the empire is supporting a group of mages born to fight. It's no exaggeration to say that if these people wanted to, destroying a small country wouldn't be difficult for them."

Ubel raised his hand and gently tapped his cheek with his fingertip, looking thoughtful.

"Really? Wouldn't it be a huge problem if these people rebelled?"

"'Shadow Warriors,' 'Sacred Staff Court' —there have always been rumors that the Empire harbors a special agency specifically to deal with mages, in order to prevent any rebellion."

Lanto glanced behind him. At the end of the alley, a tall figure emerged from the corner and walked towards them. He wore a dark uniform, had short blond hair, and held a short, black stick in his hand.

"The Magical Special Forces are the empire's officially recognized force, specifically tasked with suppressing internal rebellions. They are arguably the empire's most powerful weapon on the surface."

Ubel followed his gaze and saw the person. The curve of her lips remained unchanged.

"Oh. It's displayed to scare people."

"It should be said that having such a team openly targeting mages is necessary for the Empire. It serves as both a deterrent and a demonstration of strength."

Lanto turned his face back.

"The Magical Special Forces are also part of the Empire's defense. After all, there will definitely be mages among the invading enemies. Whether it's suppressing internal rebellions or fighting external wars, whether the opponent is human or Demons— "

His tone was indifferent.

"--They are all 'hounds' specially trained by the Empire to hunt down mages."

Ubel turned her head to the side, her green ponytail sliding down to her shoulder.

"It's about 'smell' and 'hunting dogs.' It sounds like you have some personal grudge against them?"

She blinked.

"It's as if they've chased you themselves."

Lanto pursed his lips slightly.

He didn't answer immediately. The alley was quiet, save for the faint whistling of the wind as it passed through the narrow passage.

His gaze was fixed on a point in the air, unfocused. Behind his glasses, fragmented images flashed by—in a dimly lit room, his mother gripped her cane tightly, her back against the door, her body taut like a fully drawn bow. Outside, footsteps approached, steady and rhythmic, carrying an undeniable sense of authority. Then, the door was pushed open. Backlit, an old woman in a crisp uniform, her eyes sharp as knives, stood there, the insignia on her epaulets gleaming coldly in the dim light.

The image flashed briefly before disappearing.

He didn't say.

"We're being chased by them right now. That's a fact."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Boom--!

A deafening explosion occurred.

The spot where Lanto had just stood, along with the stone walls on either side, was struck violently by an unseen force. Bricks shattered, dust billowed, and the entire section of wall collapsed inward, with bricks and rubble cascading down like a waterfall, instantly engulfing the area.

Look closely, and you'll see that it wasn't an ordinary rock that fell.

It was the entire exterior wall of three floors—windows, bricks, and even a small section of broken eaves—that came crashing down.

Just before the sound rang out, Ubel had already leaped forward, landed, and turned around.

Smoke and dust filled the air.

She looked at the ruins and raised her hand to straighten her slightly disheveled skirt.

"That's really straightforward. Not even a greeting."

The smoke and dust gradually dissipated.

Noi stood at the other end of the alley, his short stick pointing diagonally at the ground. Around him, the remains of dozens of buildings—whole walls, corners with windows, even decorative stone carvings—floated erratically in mid-air, slowly suspending and rotating around him.

He raised his eyes and looked at Ubel.

"Not saying hello?"

He spoke, his voice steady, devoid of emotion.

"That's really going too far. During your escape, I clearly issued multiple magical warnings, signaling you to surrender. You chose to ignore them."

Ubel walked to a piece of fallen wall and touched the cut surface. The cut was surprisingly smooth.

"Ah, so that's what those annoying magical signals meant."

She turned her head and raised her voice slightly into the smoke and dust.

"Glasses Guy, you should have told me about something this important sooner."

Noi understood instantly.

"I see," he said. "You're not from the Empire, but that blond kid is—that information is somewhat valuable."

He took half a step forward, and the floating building debris adjusted its angle and position slightly with his movement.

"Stop immediately and surrender. Otherwise, I will take military action."

Ubel ignored him. She was still touching the stone, her fingertips tracing its cold, smooth surface.

"Is the Glasses Guy still alive?"

She waited a moment. There was no movement from the smoke and dust.

"... No reply. Oh well, maybe they've already slipped away."

She lowered her hand and turned to Noi. Her purple eyes, in the fading light, reflected the strange shadows of the distant, floating giants.

She smiled.

The next instant.

She appeared directly in front of Noi.

They were so close they could almost count the lines on his uniform buttons. His long green hair cast a brief afterimage behind him as he shifted position, not yet fully falling down.

Her right hand had somehow grasped the oddly shaped short cane, and she swung her arm out.

The staff sliced through the air, leaving a sharp, cold arc of light, and silently slashed towards Noi's neck.

Noi's eyes sharpened.

The nearest stone wall instantly shifted and blocked his way.

"Snap."

A sound so soft it was almost inaudible.

The stone wall, along with another section of beams and columns behind it, was smoothly cut away. The cross-section was as smooth as a mirror.

But Noi himself had already retreated rapidly the instant the wall moved, narrowly avoiding the aftereffects of the arc of light.

The massive building wreckage was sliced apart by a magic that could "Nothing Is Uncuttable," like a hot knife through butter, crashing to the ground and kicking up even more dust.

"Since the Glasses Guy might be gone..."

From within the smoke and dust came Ubel's voice, carrying a strange, satisfied sigh.

That means I can finally do whatever I want a little more.