The final explosions still echoed through the forest.
Smoke and dust rolled endlessly into the night.
Entire sections of woodland had simply ceased to exist.
Crimson flames continued to burn where Aldric's Blood Magic had fallen.
For a brief moment—
everything became still.
Then—
**BOOOOM!!**
Four crimson streaks erupted from the devastated battlefield.
They tore through the smoke and rocketed into the night sky.
Halfway into the air—
they split apart.
One shot northeast.
Another veered southeast.
The third streaked directly east.
The last climbed even higher before banking sharply toward Eirundor's border.
Each left behind an identical trail of crimson mana.
For a single instant—
they looked completely identical.
Across the battlefield—
everyone froze.
"...What?"
"They split!"
"Which one's real?!"
A mage's eyes widened.
"...They're trying to escape!"
"Don't let them get away!"
The hesitation lasted less than a heartbeat.
Then chaos erupted once more.
"After them!"
"They can't have gone far!"
"One of them has to be the real one!"
Hundreds of figures launched into pursuit.
Mages soared into the air on wings of mana.
Wind-rune users shot after the crimson trails.
Flying magical beasts screamed through the sky.
Archers immediately drew their bows.
"Bring them down!"
A storm of enchanted arrows streaked upward.
Mana bolts.
Lances of ice.
Spears of stone.
Blades of wind.
Everything they had was unleashed toward the fleeing crimson streaks.
Some attacks connected.
One crimson streak exploded into mist.
"...A fake!"
Another shattered beneath a relentless barrage of spells.
"It disappeared!"
"Keep chasing!"
The remaining two continued racing toward the eastern horizon.
No one knew which was genuine.
Below—
the warriors cursed.
Unlike the mages—
they couldn't fly.
"Dammit!"
"This way!"
They sprinted through the shattered forest beneath the aerial pursuit.
Leaping over craters.
Vaulting fallen trees.
Following the crimson lights as best they could from the ground.
Along the border walls—
officers barked orders.
"Open the eastern gates!"
"Move!"
"Don't obstruct anyone!"
The massive gates rumbled open.
Mounted cavalry surged out first.
Behind them came soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers in a seemingly endless tide.
High above—
Lady Xiomara watched the four crimson streaks vanish into the distance.
She took a slow drag from her cigarette.
Then exhaled.
"...Clever."
Her sharp eyes tracked the remaining trails.
"They're forcing everyone to gamble."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"...Now let's see..."
"...which one of you idiots is actually chasing the real one."
One after another—
the last two crimson streaks were erased from the sky.
They burst apart beneath relentless volleys of spells.
Crimson mana scattered like rain before slowly fading into the night.
Then—
nothing.
Silence.
The mages hovered in the empty sky.
Their eyes swept across the horizon.
"...Where?"
"...Where did he go?"
"No..."
"That's impossible."
One after another—
they descended.
Expressions of utter disbelief spread across their faces.
They had chased every trail.
Destroyed every decoy.
Yet—
there wasn't a single body.
Not even a fragment.
Only fading traces of mana.
Confused voices spread through the ruined forest.
"Did he escape?"
"When?"
"Where did he disappear to?"
"Was there another illusion?"
"Could he still be hiding somewhere in the forest?"
Panic slowly replaced confidence.
Everyone scattered in different directions.
Some scanned the skies.
Others searched the smoking craters left behind by Aldric's attack.
Some even began sweeping through the surrounding forest.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
High above—
far from the chaos—
Lady Xiomara stood atop a watchtower.
A cigarette rested lazily between her fingers.
She exhaled another thin stream of smoke.
"...Huh."
Her sharp eyes swept across the sea of people below.
"...Where did you go, brat?"
She wasn't watching the forest anymore.
She was watching the crowd.
Watching how everyone moved.
Watching who was paying attention—
and who wasn't.
Then—
her eyes narrowed.
"...There."
A faint grin spread across her face.
Near the rear of the massive crowd—
a rabbit-eared demi-human wearing a dark cloak was quietly making his way toward the eastern border.
Toward Eirundor.
He wasn't running.
He wasn't panicking.
He simply wove through the confusion with calm, measured steps.
Just another frightened bounty hunter...
At least—
that was what everyone else saw.
Xiomara smiled.
"...I'll be damned."
"...Way to go, brat."
Her amused gaze remained fixed on the rabbit.
He never looked back.
Never hesitated.
Never moved faster than everyone else.
He simply...
kept walking.
Like someone trying very, very hard not to be noticed.
Then—
**WHOOSH!!**
A spear suddenly flashed toward the rabbit's head.
Its razor-sharp tip tore straight through—
only for the figure to dissolve into fading afterimages.
The real rabbit had already slipped three steps to the side.
Without losing momentum.
Without even turning his head.
He simply kept moving.
"...!"
Several nearby people froze.
"...What?"
A heartbeat later—
before anyone could react—
**RUMBLE!!**
The ground beneath the rabbit exploded.
Jagged stone spears erupted upward in a dense forest of razor-sharp spikes.
**SHHK!**
**SHHK!**
**SHHK!**
The rabbit flowed between them.
One leap.
One twist.
One step against the side of a rising stone pillar.
One effortless push.
He slipped through every opening as though he had already seen the attack before it happened.
Never slowing.
Not once.
The earth mage gritted his teeth.
"...Bastard!"
Beside him—
another spellcaster whipped around in disbelief.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Are you trying to start something?!"
"Are you blind?!"
The woman barked out a sharp laugh.
"...Me?"
She pointed toward the fleeing rabbit.
"I'm the crazy one?"
Her eyes swept across the crowd.
"Or are all of you just too damn stupid to notice him walking right past you?"
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"What?"
Silence.
Then realization spread like wildfire.
Faces changed.
Eyes widened.
The rabbit.
The seemingly ordinary adventurer.
"...WAIT!"
Someone shouted.
"STOP HIM!"
The woman folded her arms with a vicious grin.
"If none of you want that bounty..."
She tilted her head.
"...then kindly get the hell out of the way of the people who do."
"You bitch!"
A furious roar erupted from the crowd.
A red-haired man exploded forward.
Wind mana erupted around his legs.
**BOOOOM!!**
The ground shattered beneath his feet.
His speed doubled instantly.
The distance between them vanished in moments.
"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"
The glowing rune engraved across his leg ignited.
The wind howled violently around his spear.
With a thunderous step—
he thrust with everything he had.
The weapon became a streak of silver—
tearing through the air with overwhelming force—
aimed straight for the rabbit's back.