"I really want a promotion," Finley said as he wore a small grin.
Two days ago, after finding the body, he immediately made preparations to consult a spirit known as Orobas.
Orobas was a spirit that could see things humans couldn't, and he was also quite loyal, which made him any Exorcist's go-to spirit for information.
This was the spirit that had led him to the strangely dressed man in front of him. Of course, that wasn't all.
He started speaking, "Greetings, I'm Finley Harwick. Apologies for coming a bit late, I took a detour. A thin, scared man with a magical signature told me there was some powerful high mage here."
Luca frowned a little. The description matched one of the mages he had met just a while ago in the gathering, the paranoid man called Smoke.
Which probably meant he was dead too.
He didn't care whatsoever. Luca only had one thing on his mind, and that was to escape.
There was something about the spirit behind Finley that gave him the creeps. It was far too powerful for him in his current state.
'I'm totally fucked here,' he grunted inwardly.
All the accumulated physical energy had already worn off. He felt around his consciousness and could only sense a small trickle of mana left in the pool. One last spell was pushing it.
His eyes darted quickly, searching for any possible route of escape.
If he turned to run out of the alley, he wasn't sure he would be able to dodge an attack from behind. If he stood still, he would definitely die.
It seemed like everywhere he turned, the path was guaranteed death.
So what could he do now?
'I need to stall till I think of something.'
"The Inquisition could only muster this?" he said in a hoarse voice.
Finley perked up, not expecting Luca to actually say anything.
"Bold words to say for someone masquerading as a High Mage, Mr Burning Man. Rather strange that I've never heard anyone with your epithet on the Execution Slate."
Luca's next words got stuck in his throat briefly, but he bounced back quicker than was even noticeable.
"Execution Slate?" He laughed. "Many mages know to stay out of the Church's eye, and many more know to grease its palms."
Those words had an effect, enough to make Finley snarl a little.
'Its working.'
"You best watch your mouth. Even if I said you weren't pretending, you're still not in any state to fight. Anyone with half a brain could see you're stalling."
'Or not.'
'I can't anger him too quickly. I need to switch the topic.'
"You must not be aware of the darkness that threatens to shroud this city yet."
"Oh? Darkness, is it?"
"Pestilence knocks, and you're all pawns in a bigger game."
Truthfully, it was a load of horseshit, but it appeared to put Finley in enough thought for Luca to make a move.
BOOOOOOM!
A large ball of flames exploded from his hand, baking the already damaged cobblestone as Luca poured the last bits of his mana into that attack.
Then he turned tail and ran as fast as his tired legs could carry him.
SWISH.
Finley reacted nearly immediately, almost as if he had expected the attack to come. An upward burst of wind emerged beneath him, propelling him up like he was flying.
It was just enough time to see Burning Man tuck his tail and start fleeing.
Finley called on Paralda, the King of the Sky, using his elemental energy to shoot himself forward. The Eye of God medallion on his chest still shone with a soft glow, proof that the summoning channel was still active.
Paralda was the four-winged elemental spirit behind him, in charge of all directions in the sky.
His contract with this stubborn spirit was what had earned Finley the premature nickname of Saint of the Four Directions at only the 3rd rank.
And he wasn't about to be embarrassed by some weakling.
FWOOSH!
He struck his hand down and a thick blade of wind fired right where Luca was turning around a building. Instead of continuing straight, the wind cleaver curved around the corner and continued heading straight for Luca.
'Shit shit shit!'
This was more trouble than he had signed up for. It was absolutely not worth it.
Luca turned into another street and this time found himself on the open road. There was a wide canal separating the street into two. The bright moon reflected onto the surface of the water, making for a beautiful scene.
Unfortunately, he couldn't sit to admire it.
It was abruptly interrupted by a sudden voice.
"There's the mage!" a loud yell emerged from a corner in front, and the sound of armoured feet trampling came closer.
Dozens of bronze-armoured guards poured out from the streets ahead, forming a large barricade to block his escape.
"I'm not done with you yet, Burning Man!" Finley's voice called out from behind.
He was surrounded on both ends.
The bronze-armoured guards were completely covered, with no way to tell their facial expressions, but he could still sense their tension.
Luca's eyes drooped slowly. There was no more stalling here, but he had to do something. Anything.
And then something occurred to him.
A wide grin popped up on his face, stretching the black mask. It gave him an eerie look at that moment, one that scared all of the bronze-armoured guards present.
But it didn't matter.
He raised his hands in their direction to cast a spell and…
He ran!
Luca sprinted as fast as he could, jumping straight into the canal just a few metres away.
FWOOSH~!
Multiple tiny blades of wind manifested in the air at that moment, stabbing him right in the back.
Luca couldn't even tell exactly what he was feeling in that moment. Between the warm embrace of the water and the sharp piercing pain of a dozen spears in his back, it was rather serene.
All he could see now was darkness.