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Ryuu and Shirou's steps slowly left the quiet plain, passing through the rows of trees that once again covered the artificial sky of the eighteenth floor. Silence accompanied them; only the sound of leaves and the tread of their shoes on the damp ground could be heard. The scent of wildflowers still carried on the wind, faintly, like memories reluctant to leave.
After a while, Shirou glanced sideways, looking at Ryuu's face, shadowed by her hood. "So," he said in a light tone, trying to break the ice, "your first matter is finished. Just the second one left, right?"
Ryuu didn't answer immediately. Her eyes gazed at the path ahead, veiled in a thin mist. "The second..." her voice was soft, almost like a murmur. "I'll handle it myself."
Shirou stopped walking, looking at her questioningly. "Yourself? Why?"
The elf also stopped but didn't turn around. "Because this is a matter you shouldn't be involved in," she said coldly, but her voice trembled faintly. "I don't want to drag anyone else in. Especially not you."
Shirou sighed, then tried to calm her. "If I let you go alone, later the souls of Alise and the others will be angry with me, you know?" he said, half-joking.
But Ryuu suddenly turned, her voice rising. "No, Shirou!" Her sky-blue eyes shook, holding back emotion. "You... don't understand. This matter... will taint your dream."
Shirou fell silent. He caught a glimpse of how Ryuu's calm expression had now changed to one of worry—not for the enemy, but for the possibility that she would drag Shirou into the darkness that had once swallowed her.
Shirou looked at Ryuu, his tone calm but full of curiosity. "This... is about your revenge, isn't it?" he asked softly, trying to open a path for conversation between the two shadows clinging to the elf's face.
Ryuu took a deep breath, her right teeth clenching slowly. Her blue eyes glistened, then she gave a stiff nod. "Yes," she answered, her voice hoarse. "Back then, when hunting the Rudra Familia—I didn't manage to kill them all. Some escaped. That sin still clings to my chest."
Shirou frowned. He tried to recall the Guild's rules, the consequences—"But aren't you a Guild fugitive? If you start killing again, your life as a waitress could be ruined. Syr, Anya, everyone who trusts you—they will suffer," he said, probing the practical side of the problem.
Ryuu looked up, her gaze hard. "I've already considered that," she said quickly. "But I can't live just waiting with regret. I must finish this before I can dare to face Goddess Astraea again." Her tone was filled with a cold determination, like a gleaming blade.
Shirou looked at her for a long time, then his voice became firm. "In that case, let me come. I don't want you to dirty your hands alone." He stepped closer, his shadow touching her shoulder like a slowly sealed promise.
"Don't!" Ryuu cut him off, her voice leaping, her sapphire eyes blazing. "Haven't you always said you want to save everyone? So why are you following me, when I'm the one who's going to ruin your dream?"
Shirou sighed, suppressing his welling feelings. "I want to be a hero, not a saint," he stated firmly. "And I won't let you act recklessly alone."
Ryuu snorted, her tone turning bitter. "Heh, you just can't take 'no' for an answer when it comes to helping others, can you?" She blamed herself for dragging Shirou in—guilt wrapped in sarcasm.
Inside Shirou's heart, something naive swirled. Silently, he thought: Maybe not all members of the Rudra Familia deserve to be killed. And I don't want Ryuu to be blinded by revenge. The thought hung like a thin mist as they stood at the forest's edge.
Their footsteps fell rhythmically among the roots and dry leaves—tap... tap...—as the forest path began to reveal the view of Rivira in the distance again. Shirou brushed his arm, looking at Ryuu from the side. "Do you already have information on the target you're pursuing?"
Ryuu growled softly, her lips thinning. "It's hard to get information about the remnants of the Rudra Familia," she answered briefly. "They move around, hide in underground groups, or use fake identities. Even my former informants are now too scared to talk." Her voice held weariness; her blue eyes were slightly hazy as she recalled the past.
Shirou nodded. "Then let's search in Rivira first. That city is full of merchants, adventurers, and... people willing to sell secrets if the price is right." He lightly patted his bag; the sound of magic stone fragments clinking together—clak-clak—reminded them of their funds.
Ryuu glanced sideways, doubtful but resigned. "Fine. Though I doubt we'll find anything. But—you'll have to help prepare the 'grease.' They won't talk just out of pity." She took a breath, her low voice half a complaint.
"Got it," Shirou replied casually, his tone reassuring. "The magic stones from earlier are decent. We can pay informants, buy liquor, or... give tips that will loosen their lips." He gave a slight smile, but behind it was determination: he wouldn't let Ryuu walk into that shadow alone.
***
Amidst the bustle of Rivira's market, the sounds of haggling and the tread of adventurers mingled with the scents of metal, medicinal ingredients, and street vendor food. Isama, the silver-haired dark elf, looked annoyed while carrying a pile of supplies in both hands. "Tsk... just because he's the leader, that Jura orders people around so easily," he grumbled, dropping a coil of rope on a merchant's table. "Potions, camping supplies, dry rations—I'm the one told to buy it all. Lazy bastard."
He roughly shook his hair, his ears twitching in annoyance as he handed over some coins. "Leader, he said. More like a leech stuck to my wallet," he muttered again while signing a small note from the merchant.
As he was about to pick up the last bag of potions, something in his peripheral vision made him stop. Among the crowd, he saw a woman in a dark green hood speaking calmly with one of the herb merchants. The ends of her short hair spilled out slightly from under the hood—pale green, almost glowing softly under the Dungeon's artificial light.
Isama stared unconsciously, his pupils narrowing. "So beautiful..." he mumbled reflexively, but the words caught in his throat as his eyes focused. That facial structure, the sharp gaze, her light yet controlled movements—it all felt... familiar.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples. "Wait... green hair, green cloak... oh no."
He swallowed, taking half a step back. "That's Ryuu Lion... damn it..."
All the stories Jura had told over the last few days suddenly echoed in his head—about that self-righteous elf who almost sliced him up multiple times, about the revenge and stupid obsession that might now truly lead him to his grave.
And what made him more nervous was that the elf wasn't alone. Walking beside her was a red-haired young man, carrying a bag and speaking to her calmly. Isama hadn't seen that man before, but the look in his eyes... was different. Calm, but sharp, like someone who knew exactly when to kill.
Sweat dripped. He glanced towards the alley where Jura usually waited. From there, the shadow of the cat-eared man could be faintly seen, leaning casually against the wall and looking around with a bored expression.
"Oh no..." Isama whispered, his heart beating fast. If Ryuu sees Jura here, she'll definitely—
Without a second thought, he immediately turned, leaving all the purchased goods on the merchant's table. "Just keep the rest!" he called out, his steps quick, almost running away from the crowd.
Jura's life could be over in a matter of minutes.
He ran past rows of tents, his cloak fluttering behind him. Go back to the Rudra Familia headquarters? No way, they're crazy too. Besides, if Jura really gets killed by Ryuu Lion, the whole group could be the next target.
He clicked his tongue, his face sour but his tone desperate. "Damn it, screw Evilus. I choose life."
And with quick, decisive steps, Isama disappeared into the crowds of Rivira, leaving behind his companion—and perhaps his fate—to the hands of the Gale Wind, who was unknowingly walking towards her prey.
***
Shirou placed several medium-sized magic stones on the merchant's table, his voice flat but polite. "This is for your time," he said, though his disappointed tone made it clear the information he'd just heard was utterly useless. The merchant nodded quickly, happy to receive payment without having to deliver results.
"I told you, it's hard to get news about the Rudra Familia remnants," Ryuu said softly behind him, her tone somewhere between tired and annoyed.
Shirou turned, shrugging slightly. "Yeah, you're right." But then his gaze caught a subtle change in the elf's expression—Ryuu's characteristic calm suddenly faded, replaced by tension painted on her face.
"Ryuu?" Shirou called softly.
But Ryuu didn't answer. Her eyes widened, her breath caught as she stared towards a narrow alley across the market. There, a brown cat-eared man was leaning casually against a stone wall, playing with a coin between his fingers with a bored look. His movements were light, but that face... Ryuu couldn't possibly forget it.
Jura.
Ryuu's breath hitched hard. In an instant, the long-suppressed anger ignited. Her hand automatically rose to the sword hilt at her waist, her lips parting to scream that name—
"JUR—!"
But before the sound could escape, something warm and soft covered her mouth. Shirou's hand. At the same time, his other hand gripped Ryuu's wrist, which was about to draw her sword.
"Sssttt..." Shirou whispered near her ear, his voice low and firm. "Calm down."
Ryuu glared at him sharply, her body trembling with the urge to fight. But Shirou didn't loosen his grip. He looked back, his brown eyes radiating unshakable calm. "It's crowded here, Ryuu," he whispered gently but firmly. "You'll attract the attention of the whole city if you attack him now."
Ryuu bit her lip behind his hand, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The sounds of the market remained bustling around them, as if the world was unaware of the anger about to explode in its midst. Shirou slowly lowered his hand but kept a firm grip on Ryuu's wrist—wary in case the girl became reckless again.
The elf bowed her head slightly, closing her eyes, trying to take a deep breath. But behind that feigned calm, her hand still trembled faintly. "He..." she whispered lowly, full of long-pent-up emotional poison. "He was one of those who escaped back then."
Shirou nodded slowly, looking towards the alley that now felt darker than before. "I know," he said gently. "But not now, Ryuu. Not in the middle of watching eyes."
Ryuu stared straight towards the alley, her breath a whisper yet full of coldness. "I won't let him live," she uttered, her voice almost choked—a promise that was more than a threat, but a long-held oath rekindled.
Shirou nodded slowly, his face still calm. "Fine," he answered, then added in a strategic tone, "but it's better if we kidnap him first. Let's find out where the other Rudra Familia remnants are hiding." His eyes swept over the crowd, assessing the possibilities. "If we get information from his mouth, it'll be more useful than killing him on the spot."
Ryuu looked at him, the furrow in her brow clear. "But how?" she murmured, considering the risks—Rivira's peace, the possibility of panicking citizens, and, of course, Jura, who wouldn't just surrender.
Shirou reached for his bag, then from behind the cloth and leather, he projected a round object—it looked like a fruit at a glance, but shimmered faintly with reflected light. With a light movement, he grasped it; around the object appeared the effect of swirling smoke—a smoke bomb, subtle and dangerous in his hands. Pffft, a small sound like air rustling as the projection stabilized. "This is a smoke bomb," he whispered, demonstrating how to use it. "You distract the crowd—create a small commotion. Throw this in the middle of the market, and the smoke will envelop everything; people will run or panic. In the midst of that chaos, I'll pull Jura to a quieter place."
Ryuu frowned, then nodded slowly, her blue eyes gleaming with a plan. "So I distract, and you kidnap Jura?" She double-checked, confirming the role she would play.
"Right," Shirou answered. "I have a place—a small hut behind the row of trees, a safe spot for interrogation. Follow me there after you throw the smoke, I'll move quickly."
Ryuu took a deep breath, covering her mouth with the small mask she always carried—a green cloth covering her nose and mouth, protecting her from dust and pungent smells. She accepted the smoke bomb from Shirou's hand, holding it tightly. "Alright," she said, her voice flat and full of commitment. "I'll do it."
Amidst the noise of Rivira's market, the two figures exchanged looks—one holding back anger like embers, one igniting strategy like sparks. They prepared, each holding their part of the plan that would change that night.
***
Jura stood at the end of the narrow alley, his ears twitching restlessly while his fingers played with a coin. Ting—cling—cling. The small metallic sound echoed off Rivira's damp stone walls. He snorted softly, his tail swaying lazily. "That Isama is taking forever," he grumbled in an annoyed tone. "Just sent to buy some stuff, takes an entire era?"
But before he could continue his grumbling—
Puff~!
A strange sound came from the direction of the crowd, followed by a burst of thick smoke that rapidly expanded, swallowing the market. In a matter of seconds, visibility dropped to just a few feet. Merchants began to scream in panic.
"Wha—what is this?!"
"Smoke!? Where did it come from?!"
From within the gray mist, a green shadow moved swiftly, almost invisible. Swish! Swish! Stalls were sent flying, tables toppled, and cloths were flung aside. The green-hooded figure passed between stalls, her steps light but forceful enough to cause chaos.
"Protect your valuables! It's a robbery!" shouted one of the merchants, his voice hoarse with panic.
That shout only made things worse. People started running in all directions, pushing and shoving, creating a small riot in the heart of Rivira.
Jura covered his nose with a cloth, his tail standing stiff. "What the hell...?" he muttered, stepping back, his eyes scanning the direction of the thickening smoke. The sound of quick footsteps echoed behind him, faint, almost like a whisper in his ear.
"Who's there?" he said warily, looking left and right. But before he could react further—
Thud!
His back hit something hard and cold. He turned around, and his eyes widened. A figure in a black coat and a skull mask stood right behind him. Red eyes glowed from behind the skull's eye sockets.
"What—"
Thwack!
A swift blow struck the back of his head. Jura's world instantly spun, his vision went dark, and his body collapsed helplessly to the ground. The last faint clinking sound of the coin he had been playing echoed softly on the stone floor before silence enveloped the alley, now shrouded in thick smoke.