A clap split the air. Felina's fingers moved rapidly, forming a sequence of symbols too complex to be followed by untrained eyes.
On the final motion, her thumbs met, creating an empty space between her palms. The empty road that had held nothing before suddenly distorted. A dead demonic horse appeared.
A demonic horse is a terrifying monster that lives in the same world as demons. The underworld, or what can be called "Hell". Their ranks vary. Low, mid, and high. Each tier possesses destructive power that cannot be compared to one another, depending on its type, and their strength can be distinguished by their horns. However, they all share one common trait. A tail of red or black fire.
A single demonic horse alone carries catastrophic power. Blue, red, or orange flames that spew from its mouth can devour buildings in an instant. A single kick can split the ground, leaving long cracks filled with blazing fire at every step.
It would be far worse if they moved in groups.
Just a few of them are enough to destroy a large city. Dozens could erase a nation, perhaps even wound a continent. If their number reached the hundreds, the human world would approach Doomsday. But that is impossible.
Around ten demonic horses that attacked several districts had been summoned by a mysterious group to destroy the entire city. One of them had been quietly killed by Mr. Zuhen Mudelk after he noticed the demonic horse behaving strangely.
Their true objective is still unknown. But one thing is certain. The invisible barrier was not meant to protect other districts from the demonic horses. It exists to protect the demonic horses.
That group knew that mid- and high-tier Receivers were present in this city. Including Hollow, whose existence is hidden within, along with its terrifying contracted creature.
They feared their plan to destroy the city would fail. So they used a third-tier spell to construct the invisible barrier, ensuring that the destruction could be maximized before the demonic horses were pulled back.
Although the spell is highly vulnerable to a full-force attack, it is sufficient to distort perception. Every area covered by the barrier appears intact, just as before, without the slightest trace of destruction.
"You must be wondering and asking, 'Why did you come here,' right?" Zuhen said as he extinguished his cigarette against the stone road. He ground the last ember beneath his heel until it died out.
"We intend to capture you," he continued, a faint smile on his tired face.
Zavi's eyes widened. His mind had not even begun to process the sentence when Felina was already behind him, both her hands pressing firmly on his shoulders.
"Hey, damn it. What are you doing?" Zavi's voice rose. Panic and fear began to creep into his mind.
They fell silent. A few seconds later, Zuhen slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a folded, coarse sheet of paper. He opened it slowly, smoothing the creases, then lifted it so Zavi could see.
Printed on the paper was a piece of news and an illustration of someone. The ink had faded, but it was still clear enough to understand. Only the head and chest were depicted. The face was slightly blurred, but still recognizable.
A wanted poster.
The words were clear. Suspected terrorist. Reward 1000 Zen. Beneath the illustration, in bold letters, was the name Zavi Actitus.
Other names were also listed, each with an illustration. Maeressa Yashiki. Firaya Yevaya. Aaron Kwok. Aldera Smith.
'How did they know my name and put it on that poster? Damn it. What should I do now? Ren and Isabelle. Did they see this too?'
Panic gnawed at his thoughts. After looking at the poster once more, he forced himself to speak, his voice low even as his eyes kept darting in every direction;
"Where did you get that poster?"
'Is this because of the four people who met me in Hava? And that's why... that woman keeps appearing in my mind, then disappearing again? And... Is there interference from someone inside who spread that identity to the people who placed that bounty, the church?' He swallowed.
His gaze sharpened as he spoke, the corner of his lips lifting slightly;
"Don't tell me this is just some cheap trick to extort money from me."
"Damn bandits," Zavi muttered softly.
"And that poster. It's not just my name, right? There are four others besides me."
His voice grew hoarse. His breathing became irregular. Sweat dampened his temples as he studied their expressions, as if they were considering something about him.
Zuhen, on the other hand, looked relaxed. He took out a pack of cigarettes, slipped one between his lips, then lit it.
'It seems that man will come to kill him.'
One long drag. White smoke drifted upward, slowly fading.
He folded the poster neatly and slipped it back into his pocket. The cigarette now rested between two of his fingers. His eyes sharpened, his expression hardening with something difficult to read.
"Yes," he replied as he exhaled. "Because there are others. Not just you. Seeing that reward, I became… interested, and"
His sentence was cut short. Felina gave a subtle signal, and Zuhen immediately closed his mouth.
"About that, right?" he said softly.
Zuhen nodded, then switched to a language Zavi did not understand.
Thin smoke still lingered between them.
Zavi's eyes widened for a moment when he heard the unfamiliar language.
Meteromena? But earlier he spoke to me in Talazze, the language used in the cities of Norn. Maybe that's a regional dialect. But what language is Zuhen using now?
Meteromena; an expression often used by people across Norn, including in the Talazze Lirei language, to express confusion due to a lack of understanding of information or speech that sounds foreign and strange.
For a moment, confusion filled his mind.
"Not just you."
Zuhen let out a soft breath.
"That's obvious. I can see it. Do you think I'm blind?"
Zavi frowned.
Felina clicked her tongue softly. Without warning, she flicked Zavi's ear repeatedly, hard enough to turn it red.
Zavi clicked his tongue.
'This woman. Was that really necessary?'
He jerked his head away irritably. "Hey, are you insane? Let go of my hands. Now!"
His patience snapped. The throbbing in his ear and the stiffness in his arm made the words spill out.
He broke free from Felina's grip and stepped aside, creating distance while keeping both of them in sight. His jaw tightened. A sudden heat emerged in his hands, unfamiliar, as if something was pressing from within.
'Should I go back to that house? I already marked it to return there. But they seem to know I'm a Receiver from Prisoner.
After thinking quickly, two plans formed in his mind.
Zavi grabbed both of his wrists, summoning the remaining wolf while forming another animal imitation. A box jellyfish, known for its deadly venom.
Even at the first level, the basic ability of a Prisoner allows them to create animal forms from imagination. The imitation can replicate movement, sound, shape, and the danger of that animal.
Zavi had once seen a box jellyfish in the news when he was still in school. On Earth.
That creature is among the deadliest in the world, attacking the heart, nervous system, and skin cells simultaneously. The pain is said to be unbearable. He had no choice.
Within seconds, a swarm of transparent jellyfish appeared, spreading a layer of water around them. Zuhen and Felina were trapped inside it. Zavi remained outside, with the wolf at his side as a guard.
Inside the water layer that resembled gelatin yet possessed strong durability, the two of them were confined and still, carefully observing their surroundings. Except for Zuhen, whose thoughts drifted to rumors about someone who had taken two primary senses from a group of people.
'Insane. Does he have two abilities in one body? That should be an abnormal condition. How is he still sane, and talking to me so casually?'
He assumed Zavi possessed two different powers. That was possible. For those who no longer valued their lives.
"Sir," Felina said softly, wiping the sweat from her forehead, a side effect of the ritual, temporary exhaustion. "The horse has already been pulled out. And those strange jellyfish are getting closer."
Zuhen took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "Yes. It seems I'll have to get a little rough with him."
A faint bluish smile appeared on his face.
He pulled Felina into his embrace, preventing her from being dragged deeper into the spreading water layer.
He did not realize that several newly formed box jellyfish had drifted behind him and stung him simultaneously. The sensation was so subtle, like dust settling on the skin.
"Huh?"
A few seconds later, after the painless sting, his breathing became irregular. His heartbeat turned chaotic, and the way he perceived the world began to distort.
But he did not panic.
He stood upright, his lips moving silently as if reciting something. No sound reached Felina.
"Say it... once."
Outside the water layer, the stone road beneath Zavi's feet began to tremble violently. A soft blue light shot upward, then spiraled around his body, forming a cylindrical barrier that imprisoned him in a gentle yet suffocating glow.
Zuhen smiled as he saw it. He forced himself to remain standing, aware that if Zavi moved, the spreading pain would stop. The venom would not kill him, but it still inflicted overwhelming agony.
When Zavi saw his wolf shatter instantly as the blue light appeared, his jaw dropped open. Panic began to creep into his mind, leaving him no time to retaliate or even react.
"What is this light?" he muttered, his breath tight. "That wolf was destroyed by it. Is he forcing me to move so he can save himself?"
With no other choice, Zavi leaped backward. The water layer and the jellyfish evaporated, disappearing without a trace.
"Tch. Damn ability. Move even a little, and it becomes useless."
He slipped his hand into his coat pocket and gripped his knife tightly.