The night passed quietly, almost too quietly.
There were no strange movements, no signs of danger. Just a long silence under the pale moonlight. Yet all three of them—Shirou, Elliot, and Amelia—knew deep down that this wasn't the end. It was just the silence before the storm.
And they were right.
When the clock struck midnight, the chaos returned.
The enemy struck hard, without warning, like a tidal wave crashing onto the shore. Shadows moved across the field. The number of attackers this time was even greater than the last, and moreover, an all-out attack from the southern part of the mansion.
"Tch… The Rust Blades had this many members?" Shirou gritted his teeth as he gazed at the overwhelming horde swarming in from every direction.
Elliot's voice came through the communicator, slightly winded, "They must've hired help… There's no way a mid-tier gang could gather this many men in one night."
Although most of them were far weaker than the trio, the sheer number alone made the situation a hassle. But still… it wasn't something they couldn't handle.
Shirou darted into the crowd, his crimson blade slashing through enemy after enemy. His speed was nothing short of a blur, a ghost weaving through flesh and steel.
From above, spears of ice rained down, piercing the ground and the bodies of the unfortunate thugs below. Amelia was supporting him from the rooftops, her cold eyes locked on the battlefield like a hawk.
Elliot's voice crackled through the communication device. "Status?"
"No sign of Kane yet," Shirou replied, ducking a swing and countering with a spinning slash. "If he's here, he's hiding his mana."
"Stay alert," Elliot responded.
"Obviously," Shirou muttered, knocking down another thug and turning his eyes toward the chaos around him
[You have defeated the opponent]
The battle was going smoothly, at least on the surface. But Shirou couldn't shake off the strange feeling in his gut. Something was off. The way these thugs fought—it was different from before.
"They're fighting defensively," Shirou murmured, slicing through two more enemies. "Last time, they were reckless, trying to break through us. Now they're buying time… stalling."
"Stalling? Why would they do that?" Amelia's voice came in sharp through the earpiece.
"If their goal is the mana crystal storage, they'd have to get inside the mansion," Elliot said. "And there's no way anyone could enter without us sensing it. Even Kane wouldn't be able to suppress his mana that well."
Shirou agreed. All the guards stationed inside the mansion were trained to detect mana fluctuations. Any intruder would be sensed instantly. But….
Shirou's eyes narrowed.
"…No," he muttered, realisation dawning like lightning. "No… They wouldn't… Those bastards."
"Hey, Elliot," Shirou said, his tone turning serious. "I need to check something. Can you and Amelia hold this position?"
"Go," Elliot replied without hesitation.
Shirou vanished from the battlefield in a blur of lightning and wind.
—
At the far northern edge of the mansion's property, hidden beneath layers of dirt and illusion magic, three figures stood in front of a freshly opened hole.
The earth had been cleared away, revealing a dark stone passage leading to a secret chamber. Inside the chamber, a faint blue glow lit up the walls—the glow of pure, refined mana crystals.
Kane's eyes sparkled as he gazed at the treasure. "Finally… It's ours."
He turned to the men behind him. "Take everything. I want it all."
Cruz, the lean man with wild eyes and a wicked grin, glanced at Kane sideways. "You mean we want it all," he corrected with a smirk.
Kane cleared his throat and nodded. "Right, right. We want it all."
Just as the men stepped forward to begin the extraction, a blinding crimson arc slashed down from above, striking the earth in front of them with a loud boom
The men froze.
From the dust and fire, a boy emerged, his blade wrapped in flickering red flames.
Shirou stood tall, his voice calm but full of fire. "So… which one of you is Kane?"
Kane stepped forward, the moonlight casting shadows over his muscular frame. "So Lucus told you, huh? We expected as much."
Shirou tilted his head, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Lucus? Nah. That guy wouldn't tell anyone where he hid his crystals—not after one of his own men turned on him."
"Then how did you—?"
"I just figured it out," Shirou interrupted. "Lucus himself said you broke into his house the first time but couldn't find the exact location—only because the local officers showed up. But if you'd had more time, you might've discovered it. That much was clear from your last attempt.
The thing is… the authorities only arrived after about twenty minutes during your previous attack yesterday. That's plenty of time.
And yet, you are still left empty-handed. Or maybe… You did find it. Right at the last moment, perhaps."
He stepped closer, lowering his sword slightly. "I wouldn't blame you, really. After all, who would ever think that the secret chamber was buried in the northern field—outside the mansion—instead of hidden deep within the mansion's heavily fortified walls. This whole attack is a distraction, a stall tactic to give you time. Bad acting, by the way. Those thugs outside are horrible at pretending to fight seriously."
Kane narrowed his eyes. "So what if you figured it out? You're alone. Both your friends are still out there, busy fighting. That means no one's coming to save you."
Cruz licked the edge of his dagger. "You're just a brat facing two early adept-level fighters. You won't last a minute."
"Two?" Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell are you?"
"Name's Cruz. Leader of the Viper Den gang," he said, grinning. "And the last name you'll ever hear."
Suddenly, both Kane and Cruz launched themselves at Shirou in perfect sync.
But Shirou didn't engage them head-on.
Lightning surged through his legs as he twisted his body and slipped between the two of them with inhuman speed, leaving behind nothing but wind.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Shing!
A cry of pain burst out as Shirou's blade plunged straight into the chest of the man behind them—one who had remained perfectly still, unnoticed by everyone.
"LUKE! NO!" Kane shouted, watching the man collapse.
Shirou pulled his blade free, blood dripping from the edge.
[You have defeated the opponent
"I couldn't sense your mana even though I saw you standing there," Shirou said coldly, "but when I attacked the first time, I felt something—just for a split second. A flicker of mana. Then I noticed his face. He lost focus and reactivated the ability for a moment. That's when I knew… He was suppressing your mana signature, wasn't he?"
Kane's body tensed as his aura surged.
Cruz's grin disappeared, replaced by raw killing intent.
"You bastard…" Kane growled, mana rising around him like a storm.
"They're strong," Shirou muttered, adjusting his grip on the flaming sword.
Still, he smiled.
With one hand, he pointed the blade toward both men. "If you kneel down and beg, I might let you live."
"I'LL RIP YOU APART!" Kane roared.
"No choice, huh?" Shirou smirked. "But spoiler alert—"
He lowered his stance.
"—you both die."
In the next instant, all three of them moved.