"KILL THEM! DON'T LET ANYONE ESCAPE!"
An Adventurer shouted with burning fighting spirit.
Clashing swords and colliding magic erupted throughout the city as hundreds of cult members attacked the capital, Jatumheim.
The Adventurers from the guild and the knights of Jatumheim united against the cult.
Even though the number of cultists wasn't as many as the Adventurers and city soldiers, their frenzied assault still put up a difficult fight.
They had to be cautious in battling the cult, because while fighting them, they also had to protect the civilians.
On one of the tallest buildings in the city, at its peak stood a man in a black cloak. His pale face and dark circles under his eyes made him look like someone who hadn't slept.
He wore a crazed smile on his face. His cloak was stained with blood, adding to his insanity. That blood wasn't his own, but that of several knights and Adventurers he had killed.
He was a high-ranking member of the cult, assigned to the Jatumheim kingdom.
"Those foolish demons... If only they hadn't been caught, our plan would have gone so much more smoothly! Well, no helping it now!..."
Even while complaining, he kept that eerie smile.
With a crazed expression, the man shouted down to the cult members below.
"O SERVANTS OF HIM, kill them all! Offer the blood of those heretics as a sacrifice to Him!"
""Ooooh!""
At their superior's command, the cultists grew even more frenzied in their assault.
Watching his subordinates, the cult leader burst into manic laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! YES, KEEP KILLING, KEEP SLAUGHTERI—UGHK!"
Before he could finish his words, someone leapt at him from afar and kicked him in the chest, slamming him to the ground.
The cult leader felt a crushing weight on his chest, unable to move even an inch.
He realized that he was pinned down by someone's foot, and his whole body was enveloped in an unfamiliar Aura that paralyzed him completely.
When he saw who it was, he realized with shock that it was none other than the most influential figure in the Jatumheim kingdom.
With a forced grin and struggling breath, the cult leader muttered that name:
"Cyrus... Heheh..., I..."
*Crack—BOOM
Before he could finish, King Cyrus raised his other foot and stomped the cult leader's head, crushing it and shattering the rooftop beneath them.
"With this, those bastards are nothing anymore."
Throughout the cult's attack, Cyrus had been moving around, saving his citizens and leading them to safety. During the rescue, he realized that the cultists possessed power far beyond their own ability.
After telling Magnus, Magnus discovered through his magic that the cultists were being empowered by someone else.
Magnus pinpointed several sources of that power, and Cyrus ordered Magnus, Keil, and several top Adventurers to handle those points while he himself would take care of the rest.
After killing the cult leader, Cyrus saw that the soldiers and Adventurers were beginning to push the cultists back.
He sighed in relief just as Magnus flew toward him.
"Cyrus!! Flitz and Shirakawa Haru are nowhere to be found!"
"WHAT?"
"I found the guards you assigned to protect them under hypnosis. I tried to detect their location, but I couldn't find anything. They may already be beyond the reach of my magic."
"...."
Were they kidnapped? Could this entire cult attack just be a diversion?
The troops Cyrus had prepared to guard the heroes weren't ordinary—they were a special unit. And yet they had all fallen under hypnosis! Even a third-tier mage specializing in illusions shouldn't have been able to pull that off so easily.
Cyrus suspected the culprit might be at least a mid-level demon. But why would a demon of that level work with cultists? Cyrus's head swirled with questions.
At that moment, a flash of light appeared in the sky several kilometers from the capital, followed shortly by a small explosion.
*BOOOM
Cyrus and Magnus exchanged knowing looks, both thinking the same thing—that the explosion might have come from Flitz or Haru. Magnus immediately proposed an idea.
"Cyrus, let me go there! You stay here and defend the capital."
Without waiting for Cyrus's reply, Magnus leapt into the air and flew toward the source of the blast.
"...."
Watching Magnus leave, Cyrus turned back and hurried to assist the troops in suppressing the cult and evacuating the remaining civilians.
**********
When Magnus arrived at the explosion site, he saw three figures standing there.
He felt relieved—it was just as he suspected. The three were Flitz, Haru, and a personal servant of Fixl whom he had seen before.
But something was strange about the servant. Somehow, both Flitz and Haru seemed tense in her presence, and Magnus also noticed she was constantly radiating demonic energy.
"Haha..., perfect timing. I'll hand you over to the cult, and take Flitz to my master. Two birds with one stone—today must be my lucky day...."
Magnus finally understood. So it was this servant who had kidnapped and taken the two heroes out of the capital.
Of course, he wouldn't allow that.
"Hohoho, sorry young lady, but I think today isn't your lucky day!"
"Magnus North...."
Startled by Magnus's sudden appearance, Mel's face immediately turned serious.
Her plan of taking the two heroes was instantly abandoned, and her focus turned fully toward Magnus.
"I suppose you're right, old man. Meeting you is nothing but bad luck."
Magnus North—one of the disciples of the great witch from 400 years ago. He was what all mages aspired to become.
Rumor once had it that he defeated one of the dragon kings of the Chasos continent.
Even if that rumor wasn't true, his power was still feared and admired worldwide.
"Since you're here, I'll retreat this time."
"I won't let you escape."
Seeing Mel try to flee, Magnus unleashed his magic.
[Light: Judgment]
*Kiiiiiiinnngggg
A pillar of light descended from the sky, targeting Mel. But before it could strike, a strange circle with several patterns appeared above Mel's head, blocking Magnus's spell.
"T-that!!"
Magnus noticed the circle wasn't Mel's doing, but from something else.
That strange circle reminded Flitz and Haru of the moment they were summoned to this world.
Magnus too was shocked—not because his spell was blocked, but because only one person he knew could create such a circle: his own master.
Could his master still be alive?
Moments later, the pillar of light dissipated as if it had run out of energy.
"Heheh, you're strong, old man, but you're no match for my master."
"Little girl, is your master the great witch?"
Hearing his question, Mel burst into laughter as if she had just heard something ridiculous.
"Hahahaha, looks like you're mistaken! Hahaha, do you think my master is the witch who taught you magic? Just imagining it is hilarious."
Magnus didn't flinch at Mel's mockery. He wasn't one to be disturbed by such trifles.
"Haha... of course, my master is my master, not yours! Besides, my master is a man!"
After saying that, the circle above Mel's head shifted, forming new patterns.
Mel twitched slightly, then looked at Flitz.
"Haa, I'll get scolded again for sure... Time for me to go back. See you next time, Flitz. If I get the chance, I'll take you to meet my master."
As if pulled by something, Mel was sucked into the circle, leaving the three behind. The strange circle vanished soon after.
"""..."""
**********
In a certain place at dawn, a man in gardening clothes was looking at his vegetable garden with a smile.
He was a handsome man, with white hair and blood-red pupils.
As he admired the garden behind his house, he sensed something and frowned.
Someone had suddenly appeared inside his house.
Removing his boots, he entered through the back door.
Inside, he saw the back of a figure sneaking around quietly, as if trying not to be noticed.
"M-E-L."
"Hh!"
Startled at hearing her name, Mel turned around to face him.
"G-good morning, Master... Were you looking at the garden?... Well, it really is a fine morning for gardening... Aha.. Ahahaha...."
**********
"So, you met the destined heroes and found one of them is a Voidstrider!... And because Magnus attacked you, the spell I placed on you activated?"
The man sat in a chair, staring at Mel, who sat on the floor.
Mel, with tears on her face and several lumps on her head, nodded.
After receiving a scolding and a few smacks, she explained everything that happened after she ran away from home.
Yes—this was Mel's home. And the man glaring at her without mercy was her master, who had raised her since childhood.
"Are you certain the one you met was a Voidstrider? From your story, why was he so weak?"
"Yes, I'm sure. You know my intuition is sharp, Master."
"You're right."
The man nodded. When it came to Mel's intuition, he believed it 90%. Somehow, her intuition was almost always correct, so he had no choice but to trust her.
"Well... I don't know much about Voidstriders myself. I only know of two groups of them, and they were all extremely strong. Maybe not all Voidstriders are powerful?"
Since childhood, Mel had always heard from her master about how powerful Voidstriders were. He would always tell her about their absurd strength.
Of course, Mel never believed him. She always felt her master exaggerated.
"Mel, let's go to the garden!"
Hearing she was being dragged to the garden, Mel rose half-heartedly and entered her room.
After a while, she came out dressed like her master—in gardening clothes.