Ao launched forward in a blur, slamming a straight punch directly into Thug B's face.
The man flew backward and hit the ground, completely unconscious, blood spilling from his mouth.
"Crap…"
Thug C muttered—just moments before Ao's fist came straight for him.
CLANG!!!
The blow was blocked by C's staff, metal ringing sharply. The two immediately clashed again.
A flurry of punches and kicks rained down on Thug C, but he managed to deflect them all.
Then his staff whipped around and cracked Ao across the head.
Ao didn't even try to dodge. The blow landed clean, splitting his lip and spraying blood.
"This guy… he's barely conscious.
He's just running on adrenaline now, huh? Well, that makes this easier."
Thug C thrust the sharpened end of his staff straight toward Ao's chest.
Ao twisted away at the last second and countered with a jab to the face—another splatter of blood.
He followed with a hook—
—but C managed to guard it, stumbling backwards with fading clarity.
He coughed violently, blood filling his throat, dribbling down his chin as his vision blurred.
The shadow of the "Mad Dog" loomed over him, swallowing him whole.
All he had to do was look up— and there it was.
That crazed, feral face. One wrong move and Ao would tear him apart.
Thug C squeezed his eyes shut, surrendering himself to fate. Ao's fist drew back, ready to end it—
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!!
Six gunshots exploded beside his ear.
Before he realized what happened, Ao's body was falling.
Pain erupted across his shoulder, chest, and leg like wildfire. His knees buckled—
THUD—CRASH.
Ao collapsed face-first onto the concrete, blood pooling rapidly beneath him.
"H-Holy… hell…
I thought I was done for… thanks, boss…"
Thug C turned toward the van—the source of the gunfire—just in time to see Thug A staggering out.
He'd regained consciousness somehow, holding a smoking handgun. Even through his red Meca mask, his face was drenched in blood.
"Let's go. Now. Before any mages show up."
"What about senpai…?"
"Leave him. We can't haul that giant around. A mage'll be here any minute."
Ao lay motionless on the concrete, blood slowly spreading beneath him.
His face was ghost-pale, one cheek pressed against the ground, now stained scarlet.
So… I really fell here…? No… get up…
His trembling hand tried to press against the ground, but his strength failed him.
He could hear everything— his fading breath
the drip of his own blood the slowing rhythm of his heartbeat
—but nothing else.
I'm not done… Get… up…
His legs kicked weakly, driving him upright for a moment. He rose like a broken marionette, swaying uncontrollably—
—and collapsed back to his knees.
"What the hell… he's still alive?"
Thug A froze at the sound of footsteps splashing in blood behind him.
"Guess you didn't hit anything vital, boss. You missed twice anyway."
"Shut up!! I've never used this model before!!"
"Then why didn't you use the SMG from the start?"
"Because ammo is expensive, duh! If I misfire, it's a waste!!"
Thug A smacked the back of Thug B's head.
"S-Sorry, boss…"
"…Not yet…"
A faint, broken whisper escaped Ao's lips. His barely living face lifted, glaring with hatred.
He staggered forward.
"Aww… pathetic, isn't he?"
"I'll finish it. Won't take long."
Thug A approached, raising his staff toward Ao's failing body.
"Don't hold a grudge, kid. I'll make it quick and painless.
Fireball…"
A massive orb of fire formed before him, casting the street in crimson light.
Ao stared into it with fading eyes. His legs buckled, vision blurring until all colors smeared together.
So this is it… If I'd just run… If I'd just left it to the mages or the cops… I wouldn't be dying like this.
Stupid… really stupid…
He saw himself again— clinging to the cliff he imagined earlier.
But this time his fingers slipped.
His body plummeted into the abyss.
The fireball surged toward him— ready to reduce him to ash.
Ao closed his eyes, thinking of his past, his family— and let himself fall.
BOOOOOM!!!
The explosion roared through the district, flames engulfing everything.
The witnesses hiding nearby screamed silently, watching Ao disappear in the blaze.
No counterattack. No movement.
Just fire.
Thug A and C stood before the inferno, paying mock respects to the smoldering boy.
But then—
"…Honestly… why do villains always overdo it?"
A calm voice echoed inside the flames.
Everyone froze.
The fire suddenly dispersed—
revealing a tall man, about 190 cm, standing unscathed at the center.
Golden hair, glowing in the lingering embers. Sharp, flawless features like something sculpted from mythology.
Long elf ears trailing elegantly behind him.
And on his shoulders— a black uniform with thin gold trim…
and a purple cape.
An elf mage had arrived.
Ao looked up weakly at the figure. Realizing help had come, he allowed himself to fall completely limp.
Like someone falling off a cliff— only to catch a tree root at the last instant.
"Oh crap!!! Get the thing!!! NOW!!!"
Thug A screamed toward the van.
Thug C immediately complied, yanking out a loaded SMG. He leaned out the open door and fired in a blind panic.
RATATATATATATA!!!
Bullets filled the air wildly.
"This is dangerous. You're gonna hit civilians."
The elf mage lifted a hand— and twitched a finger.
Every bullet warped midair, twisting out of shape before losing all momentum and clattering harmlessly to the ground.
"Impossible… he tracked bullets at that speed…!? Those were real bullets!!!"
"No choice!! RUN!!!"
The two leapt into the van.
FWIP!
"Not happening."
The mage appeared in front of them instantly— so fast neither had time to scream.
WHAM!!! THUD!!!
He slammed Thug A into the ground, knocking him out cold.
Then he grabbed Thug C by the collar and hurled him into a nearby wall.
Both were unconscious within a second.
The mage was already beside Ao's barely-breathing body, murmuring an incantation.
A soft green glow enveloped his hand— forming into bubbles of light.
He placed it gently against Ao's chest.
The bubbles spread across Ao's body, covering him from head to toe.
Immediately, wounds closed. Color returned to his skin. Bullets slid out of his flesh as if pushed by invisible hands.
His breathing slowly steadied.
"Made it just in time… Thought he'd die on me."