Five days had passed since the warning of an impending attack, and the mansion remained untouched. Not a single shadow crept too close, not a single sound hinted at danger. Yet, the calm felt more like the silence before a storm than a sign of safety.
Strangely enough, something had changed during those five days—and it wasn't the weather or the lack of bandit activity. It was Amelia.
She had started acting… weird. Like, "cold stare from across the room" weird. Shirou noticed it on the first day—her usual chattering had gone missing, like someone had stolen it in the middle of the night. No snarky comments, no sarcastic eye-rolls. Just awkward silence and the occasional glare that said, "I will bury you with that smug face." Every time he tried to talk about their abilities—especially his—she would suddenly remember she had somewhere else to be. Like three feet to the left. Or behind a tree. Or washing dishes," really dishes".
Shirou wasn't exactly a genius when it came to emotions, but even he could tell—Amelia was jealous. Not the dramatic, soap opera kind. More like the "Oh, you can use three elements and clone yourself? Great, I'll just go cry inside my hollow pulse" kind. To make matters worse, Shirou had been teasing her about it nonstop. Little jabs like, "Hey, want me to summon three more of me to help with your mood?" or "Don't worry, one day you'll unlock sarcasm level two." Honestly, he didn't mean any harm. But clearly, the jokes hit where it hurt—right in her elemental pride and Shirou had to admit, it felt good.
Now, on the fifth night, it was well past midnight. The air was still and the moonlight filtered dimly through the dense trees that surrounded the field outside the mansion. The trees were tall and thick, acting like natural walls. It was the perfect cover—anyone watching from a distance wouldn't be able to spot them patrolling.
As usual, Shirou, Amelia, and Elliot moved quietly around the perimeter of the mansion. They didn't talk. Their footsteps were soft, barely disturbing the grass beneath them. All three of them had suppressed their mana signatures, but like all mana users, they couldn't hide it completely. A faint trace always leaked out—enough to be detected by anyone with a sharp sense.
In this world, suppressing your mana was a basic skill. But mastering it was another thing. Only when someone fought did their full power truly show. Some even chose not to hide their mana at all, using it to show off their strength or scare away enemies.
Then, it happened.
Shirou suddenly paused. A faint mana signal. It was far, but it didn't belong to any of them.
Elliot caught it too. "I sense movement," he whispered. "West side.
Shirou nodded. "There's more. South and east as well."
Amelia was already reacting, moving back toward the mansion. They all did. The plan they had discussed earlier didn't involve rushing in right away.
The field was large, and with the attackers sneaking in, they would move slowly and cautiously. That worked in the trio's favour. Their goal was to wait until most of the enemies were inside the field, then strike.
A few minutes passed. The mana signals grew stronger and closer.
Then Elliot gave the signal. "Now."
Lightning surged through Shirou's body. His speed increased drastically as he dashed forward, a bright flare following him. The Ashbringer, his blade, glowed with a crimson flame as he raised it high. Before the first thug could even react, Shirou was already in front of him.
Slash--
The blade cut cleanly, sending the man flying backwards. Without stopping, Shirou tilted his body and swung again.
[You have defeated the opponent.]
He didn't pause. He moved like a blur between enemies.
[You have defeated the opponent.]
The mana signals from the south and east confirmed it. The thugs were coming from multiple directions. Ironically, that made things easier. Their plan involved drawing them into a tighter space, and now, the enemies were walking into it on their own.
There were only two rules in their strategy. Rule one: don't kill unless necessary.
That one annoyed Shirou.
So many enemies, all easy kills, and he had to hold back? All those wasted experience points! Still, Elliot had made it clear—they needed information from the attackers. Killing all of them would make that impossible.
But there was a loophole: if you didn't have a choice, then it was allowed.
That was good enough for Shirou.
[You have defeated the opponent.]
Rule two: split the battlefield. Shirou would attack from one side, Elliot from another, and Amelia would strike from the centre. That way, they could surround the thugs and stop them from escaping
Most of the attackers were in the early apprentice stage. A few were at the late apprentice level. Nothing too dangerous, but their numbers were still a threat. One mistake could be deadly.
Some of them used elemental abilities too—fire, wind, even water. This added an unpredictable layer to the fight. But Shirou was calm. Focused. His movements were precise, each slash of his blade hitting its mark. He didn't waste time or energy.
Amelia proved to be a major asset
She was scanning the battlefield like a hawk. Her eyes darted from one enemy to the next. She timed her Hollow Pulse perfectly, using it to disrupt the mana of the attackers at the exact moment they tried to attack. Sometimes, she even cast wider pulses, hitting multiple thugs at once.
The wider the attack, the less powerful it was, but against apprentice-level enemies, even a weakened pulse was enough to throw them off. Their mana shields would break for a second—just long enough for Shirou or Elliot to strike.
Meanwhile, Elliot was holding the west side. And he was doing his job very well—maybe too well.
Ice covered the ground wherever he passed. Some thugs were frozen solid. Others had ice spears piercing their arms or legs, pinning them in place. But Shirou noticed something strange.
None of them were dead
[You have defeated the opponent.]
Elliot was actually avoiding lethal blows
[You have defeated the opponent.]
Shirou, on the other hand, didn't share that restraint. He held back when he could, but if it came down to it, he didn't hesitate. The battlefield wasn't a place for mercy. Not when your life was on the line.
[You have defeated the opponent.]
[You have leveled up.]
Despite this being their first time fighting together as a team, everything was going smoothly. Shockingly so.
Shirou's adaptability was beyond anything Elliot expected. He moved with the rhythm of the battle, syncing with Amelia's attacks and predicting Elliot's defenses. He covered weak points, supported from the sides, and switched targets seamlessly.
If someone had been watching from afar, they might think this trio had been training together for months.
Finally, after about fifteen minutes of intense fighting, it was over
The remaining thugs—those who hadn't escaped—were now lying on the ground, groaning in pain or frozen in place. All the ones who had been too slow, too loud, or too arrogant were now captured.
The mansion grounds were quiet again.
The night had returned to silence.