Boom!
"Mike stumbled backward, the recoil throwing him off balance."
He breathed heavily as he fired.
"It… it was an accident!" he shouted, his hand shaking violently as the gun clattered to the floor.
His knees threatened to buckle, and sweat prickled along his temples.
Mike's mind raced , I didn't mean to… this can't be happening.
Frieren's voice cut through the tension, calm as ever.
"Interesting," she said.
Frieren stood perfectly still, waving her hand subtly as the air shimmered.
I made the wall invisible. No extra worry for the others, she thought.
"A subtle shimmer traced the hidden barrier, passing unnoticed by Mike."
Frieren's fingers lingered in the air, guiding the invisible shield with practiced ease.
Then she knelt, holding the broken bullet, brushing her hair behind her ear delicately, as if plucking a flower.
Is this what humans use in the absence of magic? she thought.
Mike swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on Frieren How can she stand there like nothing happened? he thought
A cold pulse crawled down his spine, tightening his throat.
Mike's mind raced , There's something… different about her. Too calm yet .. Too powerful, he thought as he dropped to the ground.
His palms slapped the floor, trembling with the weight of the realization.
Lucy rushed to her father, collapsing into his arms.
Her breath shook against his shoulder, fingers gripping the fabric of his jacket.
Humans… they find ways to protect themselves even without magic. Clever, Frieren thought as she slipped the bullet into her pocket.
Frieren kept staring at the hats until she found a wide-brimmed pink hat crowned with a blossom. She blinked when she saw it.
This one works, she thought.
A small, almost invisible lift softened her brows, the closest she came to delight.
"Now excuse me," Frieren said as she stepped toward where Mike should have been.
Her stride stayed unhurried, as if danger couldn't concern her.
Mike stood frozen, gripping his radio. "Are you all coming or what?!" he barked.
"She's leaving! Come now!"
Lucy's father's grip tightened on her shoulder. Lucy stared at him. "Dad?" she asked.
"You… you're not going to flee without paying for crushing my cameras!!" he shouted, his tightened fist pointed toward Frieren.
His knuckles whitened; even he wasn't sure if he meant it.
"Those eyes were evil… I saved you from them," Frieren said as she stared at the hat.
Her tone remained flat, almost distracted , as if the hat mattered more than the accusation.
"W-what are you talking about?" Lucy's father whispered.
His throat bobbed as he swallowed, dread creeping into his expression.
"Evil eyes? That reminds me of something…" Mike's wide eyes scanned the shop's surroundings
until they landed on the broken cameras.
"So it was you!!" Mike said to Frieren with a forced laugh.
Frieren's fingers brushed the brim of the pink hat before she stepped toward the shop's exit.
Her posture stayed calm, almost ceremonial, as if walking through a threshold she already owned.
"Disappear for now," she said to the hat, and the hat vanished instantly.
A faint ripple of magic stirred the air.
Only Mike saw the hat vanish before his eyes; Lucy and her father saw nothing but a soft glow behind Frieren's back.
Lucy's breath caught, while her father instinctively stepped back, unsure if he should run or protect her.
"They're coming!! I—I'm not alone…!" Mike barked as he covered his face, terrified she might cast another spell on him.
His shoulders shook, knees bent as if preparing to drop.
Frieren turned to the trembling officer, then to Lucy , but her gaze lingered on Lucy.
Her eyes softened, a rare flicker of warmth edging through the cold calm.
Then she sighed. I just wanted a hat… how did things come to this?
"I am not alone either," she whispered as she stepped toward Lucy.
She held Lucy's hand firmly, her own hands glowing
Lucy's fingers trembled inside Frieren's grasp, warmth spreading across her palm.
"I think I didn't thank you enough," Frieren whispered.
Her voice softened in a way Lucy hadn't heard before.
Lucy blinked, staring at Frieren, who was preparing for something.
"Let's fly out of here," she said.