Magic

The smoke and dust settled slowly.

Noi stood still, the short stick in his hand still pointing diagonally at the ground. His eyes, hidden beneath his hat brim, swept over the collapsed brick ruins before turning to Ubel, who stood steadily against the broken wall.

"What a hot-blooded fellow." His voice was steady, devoid of emotion. "It's been a long time since I've encountered an opponent who chose to resist."

He pulled down the brim of his hat.

"Then, begin the suppression."

The moment the words left his mouth, several massive pieces of debris—broken walls, entire floor slabs, and even a nearly intact three-story building—flooded down on Ubel from different directions.

Ubel's figure moved through the gaps in the wreckage.

She leaped up, lightly touching the tip of her toe to a fallen window frame, using the momentum to glide to the side, avoiding a sweeping stone beam. As she landed, her skirt billowed, then she quickly ducked, dodging a section of wall with an entire door that brushed past her back.

The movements were fluid, with an almost casual lightness.

But she was quickly analyzing the situation in her mind.

... Something still felt off.

The flow of magic and the manipulation of matter didn't quite match. The rhythm of his baton swings was almost like a conductor's baton guiding the wreckage's attack. But this was probably just a facade, a tactic to mislead me.

The trajectories of these buildings can be predicted and avoided with mere sight. The problem is, I haven't yet figured out the true nature of my opponent's magic.

Although this is something that bothers me a lot...

But if you wait until you fully understand the situation before taking action, it will be too late.

Ugh, fighting in this outfit and high heels must be so uncomfortable.

She gave up thinking.

Left hand gripped above, right hand below, both hands tightening their grip on the oddly shaped short staff. Body lowered, leaning forward, then with a sudden burst of strength—

He transformed into a blurry shadow and charged straight toward Noi.

Never mind.

Use this trick to end it all before unraveling all the mysteries.

This move is always the most effective at killing on first sight.

Her gaze locked onto Noi.

His entire body was exposed to her gaze, without any attempt to hide or back away.

The Gaze-Binding Magic is activated.

Two intersecting beams of magical energy appeared out of thin air, instantly binding Noi's body like invisible chains.

Noi froze.

He tried to raise his hand, but his arm only lifted an inch before freezing in mid-air. His fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly, but he couldn't move an inch further. The surrounding floating building debris also seemed to lose its pull, falling to the ground with a dull thud.

Smoke and dust rose again.

Noi lowered his head and looked at the magical chains binding him. He tried to mobilize his magic, but the power flowed through his body as if hitting an invisible wall, firmly sealed inside, unable to escape even a fraction.

"... Unable to control magic," he said softly, his voice devoid of panic. "Tsk, what powerful binding magic."

He raised his eyes and looked at Ubel, who had already rushed towards him.

What are the conditions for initiating this action?

The tip of Ubel's staff was firmly pressed against his throat. The cold touch of the metal traveled through his skin.

I won't tell you.

A smile curved her lips.

In short, you lost.

Noi looked at her, his eyes beneath the brim of his hat calm and still.

"Heh," he chuckled softly, "So you don't want to kill me? Fine. Your naiveté saved your life."

Ubel's pupils contracted slightly.

The next moment.

Without warning, two thick stone walls suddenly slammed into her from either side! The walls moved incredibly fast, and the resulting wind pressure tousled her long hair.

If you get caught in it, you'll just turn into a pile of minced meat.

Ubel pushed off with her feet, her body instantly rising upwards, narrowly escaping through the gap between the two walls that were about to close. She landed on top of one of the walls, regaining her balance.

The smoke and dust billowed out due to the violent movement, obscuring visibility.

Without direct eye contact, the binding magic quietly lost its effect.

Noi moved his newly freed arm; the joints made a slight cracking sound.

"Now I can move."

Ubel stood atop the wall, gazing at the blurry figure in the smoke and dust. His purple eyes narrowed slightly.

"... fight back?"

No, that's not right.

A target bound by the "Gaze Binding" spell should be completely unable to mobilize magic.

In other words...

Noi's voice came through the smoke and dust, steady and clear.

"I see. I can now narrow down the possibilities to the following two—"

"The target is either within your sight or precisely detected by your magic."

"This is the condition for activating your binding magic."

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, Noi's figure was revealed. He remained standing in the same spot, the short stick in his hand hanging naturally at his sides.

"Knowing this is enough," he said. "It doesn't matter which one it is. Because..."

Ubel moved again.

Her figure vanished from the top of the wall, transforming into a swift shadow as she lunged at Noi. Her staff sliced through the air.

But just as she rushed out—

Without warning, complete darkness enveloped her vision.

It wasn't the darkness of night, but a more absolute nothingness that stripped away all sense of light. She couldn't see anything; even the staff so close to her had vanished into the darkness.

At the same time, the magical perception that had been spreading around her was suddenly severed as if by an invisible hand. She could no longer sense Noi's magic, the outlines of the surrounding buildings, or even the solidity of the ground beneath her feet.

Both visual and magical perceptions were simultaneously blocked.

Ubel's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. She stood still, her staff held horizontally in front of her, assuming a defensive stance.

"..." She paused for a second before speaking, her voice tinged with surprise, but mostly with aroused interest, "You're really something. What did you do?"

Noi didn't answer her question, but simply dusted himself off and pulled his hat down lower again.

"One enemy has been successfully suppressed," he announced. "Is another one lying in wait? If he comes to rescue you, my job will be much easier."

Ubel blinked—though she couldn't see anything. She simply sat down on the spot, not caring whether her expensive dress would get dusty.

"Why do you think I would make such a scene?" She tilted her head, towards what seemed to be the direction his voice came from. "He's already run away. That guy's scared of you guys to death."

She smiled.

What bad things did you do to him?

Noi glanced at her. She sat amidst the ruins and dust, her long green hair slightly disheveled, her unfocused purple eyes staring into the void, yet a playful smile still lingered on her lips.

"Trying to buy time is not a good idea," he said. "Is he still around here, waiting for the right moment to attack?"

Ubel's smile deepened.

"Oh? Really?" Her voice was light. "So he hasn't left yet. He should have just run away sooner..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Without warning, she sprang up from her seated position, braced herself with her left hand on the ground, and charged forward. The staff in her right hand drew a sharp arc, slashing towards Noi's direction!

Hmm... I knew it. Although the Glasses Guy has a terrible personality and is a coward, he seems to really hate abandoning others. He was like that during the magician's exam...

The magic, capable of Nothing Is Uncuttable, tore through the air once more.

Noi clearly hadn't expected her to launch such a precise attack while he was blind and completely deprived of his senses. His eyes narrowed, and he quickly retreated to the side and back, simultaneously swinging his short stick upwards.

The suspended architectural ruins responded again, and several boulders crashed down on Ubel's path of attack from different directions.

But Ubel's charging trajectory was extremely cunning. As if she could see the falling boulders, her body made tiny twists and turns at the last second, avoiding each impact by the slightest margin. Her steps were somewhat unsteady—after all, she couldn't see and couldn't use her magical perception to adjust—but her speed didn't decrease.

What criteria is she using to make this judgment?

Noi frowned slightly. He quickened the swing of his short stick, and more debris joined the interception.

As Ubel charged forward, she narrowly escaped being hit several times. A shard of window frame grazed her shoulder, leaving a bloody mark. But she ignored it all, her only goal being the vague location ahead, which she could only determine by sound and the air currents.

The distance is rapidly closing.

Three meters. Two meters. One meter --

Just as the staff was about to touch Noi, a stone that came silently from the side struck her wrist, which was holding the staff.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

Ubel's wrist went numb, and his fingers involuntarily loosened. The staff flew out of his hand, spun in the air, and landed with a thud in a pile of rubble some distance away.

But her momentum didn't stop.

His right hand, now free of the staff, reached forward and grabbed Noi's tie. At the same time, his left hand rose up, blocking the short stick Noy was about to swing down.

The two remained locked in a stalemate.

Noi looked down at the woman who was almost pressed against him, her eyes unfocused yet gripping him tightly.

Ubel looked up. Although she couldn't see, a smile appeared on her face.

"Glasses Guy," she said, her voice slightly breathless from the exertion, "You're such a twisted character."

"It's really annoying. They want to run away but don't, and they want to fight but don't."

Noi tried to pull the stick back, but her left hand gripped it tightly. He frowned slightly in surprise.

"Surprisingly," he said, "You can't see anything at all. My magical perception is also sealed off..."

"Glasses Guy."

Ubel interrupted him. She turned her head to the direction of the empty ruins beside her and raised her voice.

Since it's nearby --

She tightened her grip, pulling Noi's body closer to her to ensure his head was fully exposed to some imaginary firing line.

I've created a good opportunity for you.

Her voice was clear, steady, and carried a sense of certainty.

"With your skills, you should be able to shoot this guy through the head."

Noi remained in the position where he was held by the tie and the short stick, without struggling, but simply raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the shadows of the broken walls and rubble around him.

A few seconds of silence hung over the ruins.

Then, Noi spoke. His voice remained steady, even carrying a hint of businesslike indifference.

"Although I really don't want to say lines that only villains would say..."

"But immediately cease your covert operations and surrender."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the silent ruins.

"If you make any sudden moves, I will kill this woman immediately. You should know that I can do it right now."

He raised his eyes and looked behind the broken wall where the shadows were heaviest.

"The outcome of this battle was predetermined from the start. You should know that whatever you do is too late."

"This woman will die because of your actions."

He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. Each word was clear, cold, and unquestionable.

I'll count to three.

Ubel gripped his tie tightly, his knuckles tightening slightly, but his smile remained unchanged.

"Glasses Guy."

She spoke crisply to the shadows.

"Let's do it."

The sound of the wind.

The distant, faint sounds of city celebrations could be heard.

The faint sound of brick and stone fragments rolling down the broken wall.

Then came the sound of footsteps.

It came from behind the shadow of that broken wall, very light and steady.

Lanto came out.

His crisp black suit was covered in dust, and the cuffs were slightly torn. His gaze behind his glasses was calm, and his face was expressionless.

He walked to a relatively open space and stopped. His gaze swept over Noi, who was being held by Ubel, and then fell on Ubel's unfocused purple eyes.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Then he spoke.

"... Ubel, I'm sorry."

He looked away and gazed at Noi.

I can't participate in this gamble.