The chaotic day of the "Hopeless Elf" had passed.
Half a month had slipped by. Suren and Ryuu walked side-by-side through the commercial streets of the Southeast District, conducting a routine patrol according to the schedule issued by the Familia.
"Suren, our route is confirmed."
Ryuu's voice was as steady as ever. A wooden sword hung at her waist, but her steps were uncharacteristically light.
Over the past two weeks, Suren had been busy crafting magic items for himself and the other members of the Familia. Hanging from his own waist was an inconspicuous accessory, the Leaping Necklace, which provided a permanent Jump enchantment. The Traveler's Robe he wore looked ordinary, but it was actually enchanted with a permanent Shield effect and lined with a hidden layer of armor. These pieces had cost a fortune to produce, but their utility in the field was undeniable.
The streets were bustling with people—merchants hawking their wares, adventurers chatting, and carriages weaving through the crowd. Everything seemed normal.
But beneath that veneer of normalcy, something was lurking.
As they reached the fountain in the central plaza, a stifled sob broke the peace. A plainly dressed human woman was looking around in a panic. "Mila? Mila, where did you go? Don't scare Mommy like this..."
She grabbed a passing member of the Ganesha Familia. "Please! My daughter was right beside me just a moment ago, and then she was gone! She's only six!"
The person she grabbed was a young human girl, about thirteen, wearing the emblem of the Ganesha Familia. It was Ardi.
Suren and Ryuu recognized her: Ardi Varma, the rising star of the Ganesha Familia, a Level 3 known as the "Poetry of Ivory."
"Good morning, Ardi," Ryuu nodded.
"Good morning, Ryuu-san, Suren-san," Ardi said, her expression grave. "This woman's daughter has gone missing. It happened only three minutes ago."
Three minutes. In Orario, three minutes was more than enough time for a tragedy to unfold.
Suren frowned. This street usually had excellent security; for a child to vanish in such a crowded place was highly suspicious. It was far too strange.
Ryuu and Ardi spoke briefly and decided to split up to search. Suren looked toward the northeast corner of the plaza, where there was an inconspicuous alleyway, its entrance half-blocked by an old bookstall.
"Ryuu," Suren said, quickly catching up to her as she started in the opposite direction. "I think we should check that alley in the northeast."
Ryuu stopped and nodded. "Let's split up. I'll stay with this lady and search the main street; you check the alley. Signal if you find anything."
The alley was deeper and darker than it looked. The walls on either side were high, blocking out nearly all the sunlight. Suren slowed his pace and whispered, "[Detect Magic]."
In his vision, faint traces of mana began to shimmer—residue left behind by someone casting a spell or using a magic item. The trail led deep into the alley. The traces were fresh.
After walking about fifty meters and turning two corners, Suren stopped.
On the cobblestones ahead lay a few items: an old hairpin, half a piece of bitten honey candy, and a single, tiny girl's shoe. But the Ryuu and the mother who were supposed to be on the main street were nowhere to be seen.
Suren knelt down, his fingers brushing the dirt near the shoe. There were signs of a struggle and drag marks—made by more than one person. He looked toward the end of the alley, where a rusted iron door stood ajar.
A trap.
The word flashed in his mind. It was too obvious.
Suren took a deep breath, his right hand resting on the hilt of his Mana-Flow shortsword. He didn't charge in blindly. Instead, he whispered a spell: "[Invisibility]."
His figure gradually faded, merging into the shadows of the alley.
Behind the iron door was a staircase leading downward, with dim magic stone lamps embedded in the walls. Suren descended silently, the Leaping Necklace making his footsteps as light as a cat's.
At the bottom of the stairs was a large underground warehouse. The air was stale, smelling of mold and a pungent chemical odor. The sight that met Suren's eyes made his pupils contract.
Ryuu was surrounded by four men in black robes. She held her wooden sword, her jade eyes cold as ice. But she wasn't moving—because the enemy had hostages.
The mother lay three meters behind Ryuu, a dagger buried in her chest. Blood had soaked through her clothes; she was no longer breathing. Further back, seven or eight more cloaked men surrounded a little girl who was curled into a ball in the corner, paralyzed with fear.
The leader of the cloaked men spoke in a raspy voice. "Only you? That 'Versatile' brat didn't come? Pity... but no matter. We'll finish you first, then lure him here all the same."
The leader thought to himself: These fools from the Astraea Familia are the easiest to deal with when you have hostages. They won't dare make a move.
Ryuu's voice was terrifyingly cold. "You killed her. You used her as bait."
In her mind, she saw the pleading look in the woman's eyes from just moments ago. If only I had been faster...
"Of course we killed her," another man cackled. "Did you think we'd leave her alive to identify us? She saw us. Even through the masks, she was a liability." He glanced at the corpse on the floor. She was just someone from the slums; no one would care if she died.
A third man spoke, his tone grim. "The Astraea Familia ruins our fun every single time! Today, you'll pay the price. You love saving people so much? Then watch as this child dies right in front of you!"
Dark Faction scum.
Suren moved slowly while invisible, looking for the best angle of attack. He mapped out the warehouse: the enemy positions, Ryuu's location, the exits. Five cloaked men stood near the entrance with their backs to him. Four others surrounded Ryuu, and the leader was further back.
Clear the small fry first.
Suren raised his left hand, fingers spread, aiming at the five men by the entrance.
"[Eldritch Blast]. [Eldritch Blast]. [Eldritch Blast]. [Eldritch Blast]. [Eldritch Blast]."
Five beams of dark-purple energy shot out silently! Casting while invisible meant the enemies had no time to react. The beams struck precisely at the base of their skulls. All five fell without a sound.
"Over there!" the leader roared, his heart skipping a beat. What kind of attack was that? There was no sound at all!
The invisibility faded, and Suren appeared. Using the boost from his Leaping Necklace, he lunged forward, bursting into the inner circle and landing beside Ryuu.
"[Shield]!"
The starlight protection chain on Ryuu's wrist flared, and a transparent barrier enveloped them both. Four weapons struck the shield simultaneously, let out muffled thuds, but the barrier didn't budge.
"Suren..." Ryuu's voice was thick with grief.
"I know." Suren looked at the lifeless mother, then at the terrified girl in the corner. His dark eyes were bottomless. "These pieces of trash... they're all going to die by my hand."
"Kill him!" the leader screamed, but his voice was tinged with anxiety. This was too fast! Something was wrong!
The remaining eight men lunged. Suren's right hand gripped his shortsword as a vibrant emerald flame erupted from the blade.
"[Green-Flame Blade]."
He didn't wait for them to reach him. He sprang forward like a coiled snake, the sword tracing an arc of green light. The first cloaked man raised his blade to block, sneering internally—A shortsword trying to break through high-quality steel?
But in the next second, he watched as his sword was severed in two without a sound. The emerald fire brushed against his chest. He felt no pain, only a sudden, intense heat, before his vision went dark. A horrific charred mark was all that remained as the jumping flame instantly leaped toward the second man.
The second man, rushing from the side, saw his comrade fall and felt alarm bells go off, but his momentum was too great to stop. The green flame enveloped him in an instant. He screamed as his fingers carbonized under the heat of the fire.
Suren pointed his left hand. "[Eldritch Blast]."
A purple beam tore through the man's throat. He felt a sudden chill, tried to scream but found no voice, and collapsed clutching his spurting neck.
The third and fourth men attacked simultaneously. They shared a look and flanked him from both sides—no matter how fast he was, he couldn't deal with both directions at once!
But Suren didn't retreat. He lunged forward, sweeping the Green-Flame Blade in a wide arc through both their waists. They felt a sudden heat at their midsections before their upper bodies slid off. They only felt the agonizing pain as they hit the floor, letting out shrill, dying screams.
In less than two seconds, four men were dead.
The remaining four backed away in terror, their hands shaking as they held their weapons. What kind of monster is this?! The intel said he was just a healer who knew a bit of magic. This wasn't a healer—this was a demon!
That was when Ryuu moved. Her wooden sword became a blur of light. Poking, stabbing, slashing, sweeping—every strike hit a vital point, fueled by her suppressed rage and guilt.
These scumbags... using people, treating lives as playthings...
The wooden blade shattered wrists, crushed throats, and snapped necks. Terrified by Suren, the four men couldn't even mount a defense. They were neutralized in an instant.
Only the leader remained. He scrambled back to the furthest wall of the warehouse, his face twisted in fear behind his mask. It was all over... a dozen men, dead in ten seconds.
He tremblingly pulled out a self-destruction device. This was his last resort—if he was going down, he'd take them with him!
"Die together!" he roared, reaching for the trigger on his chest!
Suren's eyes turned cold. "[Create Water]!" A massive curtain of water slammed down, soaking the man to the bone.
"[Mage Hand]!"
An invisible force gripped the man's wrist. The Firestone he was holding was snatched away, flying through the air as it began to glow, seconds away from detonating.
"[Control Flames]!"
Suren thrust his hands out, his mana surging. He forcibly redirected the energy of the Firestone, turning it into a half-meter-wide pillar of fire that shot straight into the ceiling! The fire tore through the roof and vented out into the sky above. Inside the warehouse, there was only a minor shockwave; all the destructive energy had been funneled away.
The Firestone turned to ash and drifted down.
The leader collapsed, staring blankly at Suren. His final desperate gambit had been dismantled so easily; even his self-destruction was a joke. As the black-haired youth walked toward him step-by-step, he felt a chill settle in his spine. This wasn't a Level 2. Is he truly Level 2?
A monster... when did Orario produce such a monster?!
Suren knelt in front of him. "Who sent you? Where is your base?"
The leader grit his teeth, though they were chattering. "I... I won't say a word. The Dark Faction won't let you—"
Suren smiled. "There really are people this stubborn. Let's see if your brain is tougher than your mouth."
"[Mind Spike]."
Suren pressed his index finger to the man's forehead.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The leader thrashed and shrieked, feeling as if a frozen needle was driving into his skull, churning through his brain and consciousness. Resistance was futile; his mind was being pried open, exposed to his interrogator. This pain... it was worse than any physical torture.
"[Detect Thoughts]."
Ten seconds later, the spell ended. The man slumped into a heap, his eyes vacant and drool leaking from his mouth. After the repeated trauma of Mind Spike and a mental probe, his will was broken.
"I... I'll talk... please, no more..."
Stuttering, he gave several addresses and names—all Dark Faction hideouts in the Southeast District. As for the mastermind, he only knew it was an "adult from above" whom he had never met.
Ryuu knelt beside the little girl, untying her bindings and checking her pulse. She let out a breath of relief. "She's alive, just unconscious." She turned toward the mother, her hands trembling. She reached out to close the woman's unseeing eyes. When her fingers touched the cold cheek, it felt like a knife in her heart.
If only I had been faster... If only I had taken out the one with the knife first instead of trying to negotiate... If only...
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to whisper a prayer of rest in the elven tongue. Suren walked over and stood beside her in silence.
"Just now..." Ryuu's voice was faint, as if she were talking to herself. "I wanted to neutralize the enemies before saving her. But the man with the knife... the moment I turned my back, he struck." She looked up, her eyes filled with a rare sense of bewilderment. "If I had attacked with everything I had from the start, if I had been more careful... she might have lived."
Suren saw the pain and self-blame in Ryuu's eyes. This elven girl took the death of every person she couldn't save as her own personal failure.
"It's not your fault," Suren interrupted. "This was a trap specifically designed for you. They knew the Astraea Familia wouldn't ignore a plea for help."
He paused and said seriously, "If we had attacked from the start while there was still hope for the hostage and she died anyway, we would be no different from them. That might be exactly what the Dark Faction wants—to see the hands of Justice stained with the blood of the innocent."
Ryuu was stunned. She had never considered it from that angle—that the enemy wasn't just trying to kill them, but to corrupt their beliefs. If she had attacked and accidentally killed the hostage in her haste, how would she be different from the unscrupulous Dark Faction?
After a long while, she nodded slowly. "You're right. But..." She looked at her sword-hand. "The fact that she died right in front of me will not change."
"Then get stronger," Suren said. "Strong enough to have the 'Justice' to end this."
Ryuu looked at him as the fading sunlight of the setting sun caught the boy's profile. She suddenly asked out of curiosity, "You don't seem surprised at all by this cruelty."
Suren was silent for a moment before whispering, "In my hometown, we have a saying: 'There is nothing new under the sun.' It's the same in every world. But it's precisely because we have lived in the dark that we hold onto justice."
Ryuu watched him and suddenly understood. Suren's calmness wasn't numbness. It was the resolve to keep moving forward after seeing reality for what it was. This was perhaps exactly what she needed right now.
Footsteps echoed from outside. Ardi burst in with the Ganesha Familia gendarmerie. She gasped as she saw the scene. After securing the area, she walked over to them. "The Dark Faction? They used a hostage as bait?"
"More than just bait," Suren said, pointing to the mother's body. "They killed her as soon as she was used. They were planning to sell the little girl."
Ardi's expression turned icy. "These scumbags!" She looked at Suren. "Suren-san, you're even stronger than the rumors say. That fire pillar just now was...?"
"They tried to blow themselves up with a Firestone; I funneled the energy away," Suren explained simply before handing over the information he had extracted.
Ardi noted it down diligently. "We'll move on these locations immediately. However..." Her tone became serious. "This was clearly a targeted strike. Suren-san, your reputation is too big now. There's a bounty on your head on the black market. Ryuu-san is also a thorn in their side."
"I suggest you don't go out alone for a while. Also, the Loki Familia has intel they want to share. Captain Finn wants to meet with you officially."
As she spoke, members of the Loki Familia arrived on the scene. After assessing the situation, their expressions were grim. "Using bait? They're losing all restraint. This is retaliation, and they're testing your reaction."
The Loki member turned to Suren. "Suren-dono, your position is delicate. As a member of the Astraea Familia, you naturally draw attention. This bounty will have every eye in the shadows fixed on you. Avoid being alone and stay vigilant at all times."
Suren nodded.
"Captain Finn wants to arrange a meeting as soon as possible. You pick the location. Some information needs to be shared in person."
"We will inform Lady Astraea," Ryuu said.
After processing the scene and sending the little girl to the hospital, Suren and Ryuu walked back through the twilight. Ryuu didn't say a word until their headquarters came into view.
"I keep thinking... if I could have been just a bit faster..."
"Then you would have fallen right into their trap," Suren stopped and looked at her. "Why did the Dark Faction use such a crude trap? Because they knew that when an innocent person is at risk, the Astraea Familia will always prioritize the hostage's safety. They used your virtue as a weakness."
Ryuu fell silent. It was true—the enemy knew them better than they knew themselves. It made her both angry and wary.
"What do you plan to do next?" she asked.
"Defending won't solve the problem. If they want to use me as a target, I don't mind doing a bit of fishing."
The corners of Ryuu's mouth lifted slightly, and a determined light returned to her eyes. "Do you need help?"
"Of course. If we don't hit back after something like this, our Familia would be a joke," Suren said. "But before that, we have to report this to Lady Astraea tonight. Oh, and I've already notified Finn and the others."
"I'll go with you."
The two walked through the gates of the Starlight Garden.
Behind them, the shadows of the street were stained dark red by the sunset. Night was falling over Orario.
In the deepest shadows, a pair of eyes watched the warehouse being cordoned off. It was the "White-Haired Ghost," Olivass. In his hand was a parchment with a bounty:
[Versatile] Suren: 10,000,000 Valis. Dead or Alive.
His fingers traced the amount as a low chuckle echoed in the darkness. "Interesting... it seems he's truly famous now."
His cold eyes narrowed, flashing with a cruel interest. "He's just a brat who knows a little magic. I'd love to break him."
"Let's see how long this new 'hero' can last. The Astraea Familia... the brighter you shine, the better you'll look when you're snuffed out."
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Danmachi: My Magic Style is Different from Yours (90 Chapters – Ongoing)
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