Kaito and Dex walked alone to a nearby alley and noticed something, the alley was quiet, too quiet.
Kaito noticed it the moment he turned the corner—no merchants shouting, no footsteps, no laughter drifting in from the main street. Dex's ears flattened, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he sniffed the air.
Kaito's hand rested on the wrapped shaft of his spear.
"Something's wrong," he murmured.
A soft cry cut through the silence.
It came from deeper in the alley.
Kaito moved first, boots silent against the stone. Dex followed at his heel, body low, muscles coiled. At the far end, a girl was pressed against the wall, cornered by two men in worn cloaks. One held her wrist too tightly; the other rifled through a satchel at her feet.
"Please," she said, voice shaking. "I don't have anything else."
"That's not for you to decide," one of them sneered.
Dex growled—sharp, sudden.
The men turned.
Kaito was already there.
He didn't shout. Didn't threaten. He simply stepped into the alley, hood shadowing his face, spear angled downward but ready.
"Let her go," he said calmly.
One of the men laughed nervously. "And who are you supposed to be?"
Dex stepped forward, teeth bared, icy blue eyes locked on them. The temperature in the alley seemed to drop—not from magic, but from pure intent.
The second man swallowed. "Hey… let's just—"
Too late.
Kaito moved.
The spear snapped up, the blunt end striking the first man's wrist with surgical precision. Bone cracked. He screamed and collapsed. The second man lunged, but Dex was faster—leaping, slamming into his legs and sending him sprawling.
Kaito planted a boot on the man's chest and lowered the spear until the blue-wrapped shaft rested against his throat.
"Leave," Kaito said quietly. "Now."
They didn't argue.
Moments later, the alley was silent again.
The girl slid down the wall, trembling. Kaito stepped back immediately, giving her space, while Dex sat beside him, watchful.
"Are you hurt?" Kaito asked.
She shook her head. "N-no… just scared." She looked up at him, eyes wide. "You didn't use magic."
"I didn't need to," he replied.
She glanced at the spear, then at Dex. "Thank you. Both of you."
Dex gave a short, proud bark.
Kaito helped her up, retrieved her satchel, and handed it back. "Stick to the main roads. And don't walk alone."
She nodded quickly and ran.
When she was gone, Kaito exhaled slowly. His hand clenched once—heat stirred beneath his skin, just a reminder—but he forced it down.
Dex looked up at him.
"You did good," Kaito said, resting a hand on the husky's head. "Both of us did."
They walked back toward the noise and light of the market, unnoticed, unnamed, leaving behind nothing but two groaning thieves and a girl who would remember the quiet warrior and his blue-eyed dog.