Part 3
Hans Versalles advanced calmly, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the forest without ever lowering his guard.
His relaxed pace contrasted with the precision of his movements. He was ready for any interruption.
After two months of tracking and preparation, he finally had the upper hand. His prey's mistake had been trusting Haruto. An unforgivable lapse.
"I suppose I should thank your friend," he muttered, glancing at the unconscious Rina slung over his shoulder. "Without him, this would've taken longer."
He paused to adjust her, as if she were a trophy.
"The fight was fun, but the king wants you alive. No reason to drag out the show."
Then he stopped.
In front of him, Kizuna hovered defiantly in the air—her tiny figure planted firmly, as if she could block his path.
"Put Rina down and leave! You still have time, Kizu!" she shouted with fierce resolve.
Hans raised an eyebrow. A dry laugh escaped him.
"Haha… don't make me laugh. You're the bunny's little pet?"
Kizuna didn't budge. She pointed a tiny finger at him.
"Last warning, Kizu! Give Rina back, or you'll regret it!"
Hans frowned. He lowered Rina carefully, as if actually considering the offer.
"Come on out. You know you can't ambush me."
Haruto stepped out from between the trees, calm. His eyes locked on Hans.
"Ambush? I was just waiting for you to shut up."
"So what, here for another beating?" Hans scoffed. "The elf's not around to save you this time."
Haruto didn't respond right away. He just stared.
"Thought so," Hans continued. "Walk away now and you live. Otherwise…"
He drew a dagger. The blade glinted in the forest light.
"No one crosses me and walks away unscathed."
Haruto tightened his grip on his weapons.
"I don't know why you want Rina, but I'm not leaving her behind."
He paused.
"If I can't protect a friend, then I'm not really their friend."
Hans smiled, tilting his head.
"Interesting... I like that conviction. I like breaking it even more."
He tucked his right arm into his pocket.
"I'll only use my left. That'll be more than enough for you."
Haruto gave a faint grin.
"Hope you don't regret that…"
Kizuna floated beside him, glowing just as Haruto summoned Aka-Oni.
Everything exploded in a heartbeat.
Hans vanished—reappearing behind Haruto, tapping his back with a single finger.
"Touché. See the difference?" he whispered. "You're way out of your league."
But Haruto didn't react. He faded instantly—an illusion.
From a nearby tree, his voice broke the silence:
"Did you really think I didn't know that?"
Hans spun sharply, scanning the forest with sharp eyes. His expression began to tighten.
"What the hell was that?" he muttered, irritated.
"That?" Haruto replied, appearing at his side with a smirk.
Hans stepped back, surprised. Something in his usual confidence began to crack.
"What's going on…?" he murmured, trying to read his opponent's movements.
Then he saw it.
Ten copies of Haruto surrounded him—each one aiming a gun at his head. The silence turned suffocating.
Hans narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting… very interesting..." he muttered, though this time his voice sounded less sure of itself.
Haruto stepped forward, adjusting Aka-Oni.
"Do you still think the gap between us is that wide?"
Kizuna gave off a faint glow. All of Haruto's clones loaded their weapons in perfect sync.
"Wind Bullet!"
The projectiles tore through the air, converging on Hans from every direction.
But he didn't flinch. He moved like a dancer through blades, weaving between each attack with flawless motion.
His daggers flashed as he destroyed each clone with surgical precision.
"Hiding behind illusions? Disappointing… Though I guess that fits your style. Bunny-like," he added sarcastically, skewering another clone.
The gunfire stopped. Hans stood tall, breathing steadily… but then, a laugh drifted through the air.
"A magician never reveals her tricks, Kizu~," Kizuna sang, glowing brighter.
Immediately, a fresh wave of clones emerged like shadows, surrounding Hans once again. Each one aimed, unmoving, weapons ready.
Hans snorted.
"This is starting to get old…"
His daggers caught the sunlight filtering through the leaves as he shifted stances, clearly annoyed.
From a distance, Haruto watched.
"Frustrated? We're just getting started," he said with a calm smile.
Kizuna pulsed with energy, and a thick fog burst from the clones, swallowing the forest clearing.
"Let me show you what I learned in Durkheim," Haruto's voice echoed through the mist.
Hans tensed. The clones vanished into the fog… and then, one by one, they reappeared—now wielding katanas.
They struck from every angle. Hans parried with precision, his daggers clashing against steel again and again. But the attacks kept coming.
Finally, he growled and drew a short sword with his right hand.
"Enough..."
"You're getting more annoying than I expected…" he muttered, though his frustration was beginning to show. "But an artist can't disappoint his audience."
With a swift motion, he activated a hidden mechanism beneath his sleeve.
A small launcher unfolded and fired sharp needles that tore through the mist like heavy bolts, tearing down the clones one by one with deadly accuracy.
The fog began to clear. Hans stood tall, scanning the area with sharp eyes.
Then something caught his attention.
Near Rina—still unconscious—a tiny fairy with lilac hair was hovering.
Hans frowned as he saw her smashing a glowing rock against a bracelet on Rina's wrist, triggering a flash of magical energy.
"What the hell...?" He stepped toward them—but it was too late.
Rina and the tiny fairy vanished instantly, leaving only a wisp of energy hanging in the air.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Hans roared, slamming his fist into a tree and splitting it in two. The crack echoed through the entire forest.
Moments earlier...
Haruto held the bracelet designed by Thalindra. Beside him, Kizuna floated curiously, while Olivia examined the device with her usual calm.
"This is the plan," Haruto explained. "I'll use Rina's Multiply ability to create clones. Then, I'll cast spectral magic to generate a dense fog. That should keep Hans busy."
He paused, his expression growing more serious.
"When he's focused on the clones, Olivia will place the bracelet on Rina's wrist and activate this ignisite stone. That'll teleport her straight to Thalindra's forge."
Olivia, perched atop her giant floating pillow, nodded.
"Confirmed. Understood. Versalles knows Kizuna, but not me. That gives me a tactical advantage, Master," she said, adjusting her holographic lenses with precision.
"So exciting, Kizu! You're like that blonde ninja now, right?" Kizuna exclaimed, twirling in the air with excitement.
Haruto laughed.
"That's exactly where I got the idea. Though… I don't have enough mana to use Manga Read right now."
"Tch! And how are you supposed to be a ninja without a nine-tailed fox, Kizu?!" Kizuna protested, puffing out her cheeks.
Haruto gave them a confident smile.
"I don't need a fox. I've got you two."
Both of them floated proudly, glowing just a bit brighter.
Back in the present…
Hans turned toward Haruto, raw fury blazing in his eyes.
The theatrics were gone. Only the threat remained.
"Playtime's over," he said in a low, tense voice. "I warned you, didn't I? This is what happens when you get in my way."
With cold precision, he unstrapped a massive crossbow from his back and aimed it without hesitation.
This time, he meant it.
Haruto didn't move. He held his gaze steady on his enemy.
"I'm not letting you walk away after what you've done," he said firmly, knowing he was balancing on a knife's edge.
Kizuna floated beside him, softly glowing.
"Don't worry, Haruto-kyun! You've got your ninja plan, Kizu!"
Hans caught that flicker of confidence in Haruto's eyes. His own smile returned—darker than before.
"Perfect... If you want to play hero, I'll show you why no one gets in the way of my missions and lives to tell the tale."
The metallic click of the crossbow echoed like a trigger pulled on fate.
The next assault had begun.