Misaki dashed at full speed through the narrow alleys, forcing her way through the confused crowd, her eyes fixed on the thief who moved with incredible agility. He wasn't an ordinary thief—he was a professional, his movements fast and precise, as if he knew every corner of the city by heart.
She saw him push off a wooden crate, then leap onto a rooftop with astonishing flexibility, using his jumping power to cover distances beyond what ordinary people could manage.
"I don't have time for this…" she thought quickly, then focused her energy in her legs. With a strong push, she leapt directly onto a wall, bounced lightly off it, landed on the rooftop, and continued the chase.
Jumps between buildings followed in rapid succession, the sound of footsteps striking rooftops in quick rhythm. The cold air stung her face, but she didn't care. All that mattered was the distance between her and him—she was closing it bit by bit.
Faster… if I jump at the right moment, I can catch him—
But before she could execute her plan, she noticed something strange… suddenly, a thick gray mist began emanating from the thief's body, spreading unnaturally fast, curling around him and swallowing the space between them.
Misaki froze. The mist wasn't normal… it moved like a living creature, hiding him completely from her sight.
"Damn… I can't see him. Is this his ability?"
She remained in a ready stance, senses fully alert. His footsteps vanished completely. There was only silence…
Then—suddenly, she felt movement behind her! She turned quickly, but before she could defend herself, she was struck on the shoulder, knocked backward. She didn't even see where the blow came from!
"When—?!"
She heard his voice from within the mist, calm but carrying a cold edge:
"Do you really think a girl like you can catch me?"
She gritted her teeth. This was the worst-case scenario… fighting inside his mist meant she couldn't predict his attacks.
But she wasn't without options. She took a deep breath, focused her energy, and summoned a crystalline blue sword in her hand, glowing with shimmering watery light. It was transparent, as if made from pure water, radiating a cold aura. She thrust the sword into the rooftop with force. Immediately, a circular wave of water spread around her, touching the surrounding mist. As she did, droplets condensed on the thief's hidden body, revealing his movements within the fog!
"There you are."
Without wasting a second, she charged toward the source of movement, her sword blazing with blue water energy. With a swift strike, she attacked the thief—
—but he blocked at the last moment, a weapon appearing from the mist… thin blades, like condensed air!
The water blade clashed with the mist blades, sending a massive pressure wave through the rooftop.
Misaki narrowed her eyes, gripping her sword tightly.
"I won't let you escape again."
He looked at her, then smirked coldly.
"We'll see about that."
Misaki planted her feet firmly on the rooftop, her water-imbued sword glowing between her hands. In front of her, the thief stared through the mist, his sharp blades reflecting the dim light.
She didn't wait. She surged forward, using the water energy from her legs to accelerate her movement. With each step, she left wet streaks on the soaked rooftop.
The thief didn't move, as if he was waiting for something.
"Why isn't he attacking?"
Before she could reach him, the answer appeared…
Suddenly, the mist around her moved like a living creature! Wisps of fog lashed out like whips, surrounding her from all sides, attempting to restrain her.
Misaki sharpened her focus, lifted her hand, and unleashed a pulse of water around her, breaking through the mist's binds. But part of it wrapped around her leg, throwing off her balance for a moment.
"This is bad!"
The thief seized the opportunity, lunging toward her like a deadly shadow, his sharp blades aimed directly at her left side, where her defense had briefly faltered.
But…
Misaki smiled.
As he neared, she bent her body with incredible flexibility, letting him pass by, while at the same time swinging her water sword to strike his exposed side.
"Impossible…!"
But the thief was fast too. He blocked her attack at the last moment, yet the sword's water energy pushed him back, landing heavily on the rooftop across from her.
Misaki straightened, lifting her head confidently, then waved her sword lightly, sending droplets of water flying.
"It's not fun being on defense, is it?"
The thief didn't reply immediately, but he rose, wiping a small trickle of blood from his mouth. His gaze sharpened, as if this was the first time he was taking the fight seriously.
Then, without warning, he raised his hand…
Suddenly, the mist thickened ominously, covering the sky above them completely. This time, it wasn't just a visual barrier—it was changing.
Misaki felt a chill run through her body. Something about this mist triggered her instincts… this was no longer simple camouflage. Even the city seemed stunned by the sight.
"What… is this?"
From within the darkness, the thief's voice came angrily:
"I'll make you regret daring to scratch me, you little brat."
The black mist surrounded her from all sides, wrapping the air around Misaki, nearly immobilizing her. But her eyes never stopped scanning, trying to locate him amidst the dense darkness.
I have to stay calm… if I lose focus now, the battle is over. Misaki thought to herself.
Her veins pulsed, every sense on high alert. She couldn't see him clearly, but she felt his movement in the air. His motions were so fast that the mist became part of him, completely hiding him within the clouds.
But she had learned to fight in the dark. She knew how to use her water power to detect his movements.
"If you hide in the mist… you can't escape the water."
With a confident smile, Misaki thrust her sword forward again, closing her eyes briefly. Moments later, she gripped it tightly and drove it into the rooftop with force… a magical circle suddenly appeared around the surface.
A massive wave of water burst outward, like a raging torrent, pushing the black mist aside.
A moment later… a loud echo reverberated through the fog.
"I've found you!" Misaki whispered to herself.
The thick mist wasn't enough to shield him from the incoming attack. With every second, the water intensified, the sword radiating immense energy, increasing the power of her strike.
As the mist parted, she finally saw him!
The thief tried to flee, but the wave was faster. He leapt to the next rooftop, but Misaki was faster, propelling herself upward, unleashing another water strike from her hand like a projectile, catching him in midair.
"You won't defeat me, little girl," the thief said, clenching his fist, releasing thick ash-like mist from his hands.
"That won't save you," Misaki replied, shaking her head lightly.
In a flash, she lunged at him, her water sword ready for a finishing blow. The attack was too fast for him to block. Upon impact, the abandoned rooftop beneath him shattered under the sword's power, flooding the surface below. Misaki had planned to lure him to an isolated area, and she had succeeded.
At that moment, movement ceased. The thief stared at her from within the scattered mist.
"You've lost," Misaki said calmly, watching him collapse into the abandoned building.
"I'll kill you next time," the thief muttered.
He fell to the ground, enveloping the building in an even denser mist, forcing Misaki to inhale it without realizing. Suddenly, she felt a heavy pressure on her chest; breathing became nearly impossible, each gasp like inhaling thick liquid.
"Wh-…cough…cough…cough…agh…"
She coughed violently, as if her lungs were tearing, collapsing to her knees, hand pressed tightly to her chest.
When the mist dissipated, the thief had vanished with it.
"Where did he go?! Did he just say that nonsense and vanish again…? Cough…agh…" Misaki struggled to her feet, lifting her water sword to the sky, letting the daylight glint off it. It disappeared.
"The map!" she suddenly remembered, eyes scanning around frantically.
The Light Map was still nearby on the ground. The thief was gone, but the map was just a few steps away. There was no time to waste.
Misaki sprinted, grabbed it quickly, and took another deep breath, painful but necessary.
"Thank goodness… the map's unharmed… but…ugh…what did I even inhale?"
The map spoke, its voice low and compassionate this time:
"Are you alright?"
Misaki replied, exhausted:
"I… I'll be fine… I just need fresh air."
She held the map carefully, wiping the traces of the fight from her face, then looked at the blue sky, her eyes glowing with renewed determination.
Misaki stumbled out of the abandoned building, breathing heavily, hand pressed to her chest.
"Cough…cough…what…?" she coughed again, deeply and painfully, as if something heavy remained in her lungs. The air around her felt light, but inside her chest… it was as if the mist had never fully left.
A weary female voice came from the map:
"Oh, excellent… stolen, fighting in the mist, and now you're suffocating? Please, not while I'm in your hands. That's not dignified for my position."
Misaki smiled despite the pain and whispered hoarsely:
"I'm fine… almost."
She tried to steady herself, then turned resolutely toward the old woman's stall to reassure her.
But before she could reach the alley, she heard heavy footsteps behind her.
"You! Stop there!"
A stern voice came from behind. Emerging from the alleys was a group, all wearing Hunter uniforms, their badges marking them as city security.
Misaki froze, eyes full of worry and fatigue.
"What do they want from me, the security?"
The leader approached her strictly:
"Energy bursts were detected in the abandoned building minutes ago. There's evidence of damage and water use. Explain yourself."
Misaki pointed shakily at the map:
"There was a thief… he stole this. I only tried to recover it. I didn't attack anyone."
One of the hunters glanced at the wet ground and the debris, and said coldly:
"Excessive water power… Unauthorized energy use is prohibited."
Suddenly, the map quivered in her hand and spoke:
"Oh really? And you'd rather let the thief escape with me? This girl saved me! Isn't there anyone in this city who appreciates sacrifice?"
The hunters gathered around in astonishment.
"Does… it talk?!"
The leader replied harshly:
"Even if it talks, it's not a valid witness. It could be programmed to cover up a crime."
At that moment, the old woman emerged from the alley, slightly out of breath, shouting:
"Stop! This girl is innocent! She returned the map after risking her life!"
One hunter coldly replied:
"There's not enough evidence."
The old woman, standing in front of Misaki, shouted angrily:
"What evidence is more obvious than this?! A talking map, and a girl clearly marked by battle?!"
But the leader unleashed an energy blast from his hand, pushing the old woman to the ground.
"Grandma!" Misaki screamed, running to her.
The map, unusually angry, said:
"These aren't hunters… just scoundrels wearing badges!"
The hunters surrounded Misaki and grabbed her.
"You'll come with us."
She tried to resist, but it was futile—not because she was weak, but because the old woman was there.
"Let me go! I didn't do anything wrong!" Misaki shouted, defending herself bravely.
"We'll confirm that when you come with us," the leader said coldly.
Slowly, she was escorted between the hunters, body tense but submissive, eyes watching every movement helplessly.
Her resistance broke gradually, and she surrendered without attempting to escape.
"Fine… I'll go with you… but don't touch grandma."
"What did you say!" the old woman shouted, struggling to stand.
Misaki smiled gently at her:
"It's okay, grandma. I promise I'll be fine."
"Misaki…" the old woman murmured sadly.
The leader nodded and signaled to move.
"Let's go."
The hunters followed their leader toward the security center.
But suddenly…
Darkness spread across the city, a heavy black cloud appeared in the sky, thickening suspiciously, as if absorbing the light from the streets.
"Don't tell me that…!" Before the leader could finish, the black cloud erupted, and dark monsters emerged, screaming and roaring, their bodies black with glowing red eyes.
"Everyone, to your positions!" the leader shouted, his voice filled with real fear.
The hunters ran toward the monsters, leaving Misaki and the old woman behind.
Misaki bent toward the old woman, helping her sit.
"Are you okay?"
The old woman spoke, exhausted:
"Go… you can't fight in this state. You don't look well."
Misaki, breathing heavily and trying to stand, replied:
"I… I won't run. This is my chance to prove myself."
The old woman knew that no matter what she said, she couldn't change Misaki's determination.
"At least… come visit me when this chaos ends. My house is in the eastern district, near the Wishing Well. I'll wait for you, Rain's sister."
Misaki looked at her steadily and smiled:
"Understood. I promise to come after I finish dealing with these strange monsters."
She summoned her water sword and rotated it in her hand until it glowed again.
"Cough…cough…!"
She coughed violently, kneeled while pressing her hand to her chest, gasping as if the mist still lingered in her lungs.
She placed the map in her bag, and the map said in a calm voice this time:
"You can barely stand… and yet, you go fight? You're… pitiful. I like that."
Misaki let out a small laugh despite the pain, then took a long, deep breath, gathering the last of her strength before moving forward.
"I was born to make a difference… even if it's small."
She took her first staggering steps, then quickly regained balance, water under her feet beginning to surge anew.