The sound came first.
BANG!
A sharp crack split the evening air.
Null turned instinctively.
Something small and fast tore through the wind toward him — too fast to dodge, too sudden to understand.
A bullet.
It reached him in an instant.
And then—
It vanished.
Gone.
As if reality itself refused to let it exist.
Several meters ahead, empty air shimmered faintly.
A figure slowly appeared, distortion peeling away like broken glass.
An assassin stepped forward.
Dark clothing. Masked face. Cold eyes.
Invisible magic faded from around his body.
"…Interesting," the assassin muttered. "So the rumors were true."
Leo stiffened beside Null.
The man tilted his head, studying them carefully.
"I think this bounty is worth it."
Before Leo could react—
The assassin moved.
A blur.
Wind burst outward.
Leo felt a hand grab his collar and suddenly the ground disappeared beneath his feet.
In less than a heartbeat, he was dragged backward.
A blade pressed against his throat.
Leo froze.
The assassin stood several meters away now, completely outside Null's unseen boundary.
"Don't move," the assassin said calmly.
Null's expression darkened.
"…Let him go."
"Not happening," the man replied casually. "You're dangerous. I prefer insurance."
Leo forced a weak smile.
"Null… small suggestion… don't do anything crazy."
Null didn't answer.
Something changed.
The air around him grew heavy.
Invisible pressure spread outward.
The assassin frowned.
"…What?"
The unseen boundary expanded.
Slowly.
Silently.
Until—
It touched him.
For a single second, confusion crossed the assassin's face.
His magic flickered.
The invisibility enchantment collapsed completely.
"What—?"
That moment was enough.
Null moved.
He crossed the distance instantly and struck.
A punch connected with the assassin's face.
Then another.
And another.
No hesitation.
No restraint.
Each strike carried raw fury.
The assassin crashed to the ground, unable to react as Null kept attacking, fists rising and falling again and again.
Leo struggled free and shouted—
"NULL! STOP!"
Another punch.
"NULL!"
Leo grabbed his arm.
"You're not a devil!"
The words cut through the rage.
Null froze.
His breathing was uneven.
The pressure in the air faded, shrinking back to normal.
Silence returned.
Null stepped back slowly.
"…Sorry."
Leo exhaled in relief.
"It's okay. I'm fine."
They both looked down.
The assassin lay motionless.
Too motionless.
Leo knelt beside him, checking carefully.
Then his expression changed.
"…He's dead."
Null said nothing.
The wind passed quietly over the road.
Leo stood up after a moment.
"…We should leave the body here."
Null nodded once.
Without another word, they began walking toward Ather City again.
Night approached quickly.
Lights appeared ahead.
Buildings.
Roofs.
A settlement.
Leo sighed in relief. "Finally. I thought we'd be walking forever."
But as they got closer, something felt… off.
The architecture was different.
Metal structures mixed with wood.
Gears decorated walls.
Mechanical sounds echoed faintly through the streets.
At the entrance stood a large sign:
CLOCKWORK TOWN
Leo stopped.
"…Wait."
Null looked around silently.
"This isn't Ather City."
People walked past wearing strange outfits decorated with brass accessories and ticking devices. Lanterns glowed with artificial light instead of magic flames.
Everything felt unfamiliar.
Different.
Wrong.
Leo scratched his head.
"Did we take the wrong road?"
Null didn't answer.
His eyes scanned the surroundings carefully.
"…Let's check the inn."
They followed memory toward where their rented room should have been.
Step by step.
Turn by turn.
Until they stopped.
Leo blinked.
"…That's not right."
Instead of an inn, a massive clock tower stood before them.
Its gears rotated slowly, producing a deep rhythmic ticking.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The entrance door was slightly open.
A cold draft flowed from inside.
Leo swallowed.
"I officially don't like this place."
Null walked forward anyway.
They entered.
The door creaked shut behind them.
Inside the tower—
Someone stood waiting.
The assassin.
Alive.
Perfectly unharmed.
"…Welcome," he said calmly.
Leo's eyes widened.
"…Null."
The assassin smiled beneath his mask.
"I was wondering when you'd arrive."
Leo grabbed Null's arm.
"RUN."
They turned instantly and sprinted out of the tower.
They didn't stop running.
Not once.
But when they burst outside—
The town was gone.
No buildings.
No streets.
Only trees.
A dense forest surrounded them on all sides.
Leo nearly stumbled.
"What is happening?!"
Branches snapped under their feet as they ran deeper into the woods.
Breathing grew heavy.
Fear pushed them forward.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed.
Leo jerked forward.
His body collapsed instantly.
He hit the ground without a sound.
Time stopped.
Null froze.
"…Leo?"
No response.
Blood spread beneath Leo's head.
Null slowly turned.
The assassin stepped from behind a tree, lowering his gun calmly.
"Perfect shot," he said casually.
Silence filled the forest.
Null knelt beside Leo.
"…Get up."
No movement.
"…Leo."
Nothing.
Null stared at him, waiting.
Expecting him to laugh.
To complain.
To stand up like always.
Seconds passed.
Reality settled in.
Leo wasn't moving.
The world became quiet.
Too quiet.
Null's head slowly turned toward the assassin.
His face had changed.
Empty.
Cold.
The assassin tilted his head.
"That look… you want my head, don't you?"
Null moved.
A single leap closed the distance between them.
But the moment the assassin crossed into the invisible boundary—
He disappeared.
Vanished completely.
Only one thing remained.
His gun fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Silence returned.
Null stared at it.
Then slowly picked it up.
His hands trembled.
Tears formed in his eyes.
"…They were right."
His voice was barely a whisper.
"I am a devil."
He raised the weapon.
"My death means others can live happily."
The barrel pressed against his head.
His finger tightened.
Suddenly—
The gun was ripped from his hand.
It flew through the air and landed far away.
Null blinked.
"…What?"
Leo stood behind him.
Alive.
Breathing.
Annoyed.
"What are you trying to do?!" Leo shouted.
Null stared at him in disbelief.
"…Leo?"
Leo crossed his arms.
"You seriously gave up that fast?"
Null stepped forward slowly.
"…I thought…"
His voice broke.
"I thought I lost you."
He grabbed Leo and pulled him into a tight hug.
Leo froze for a moment before awkwardly patting his back.
"Yeah… I noticed."
Null pulled away, still shocked.
"But… how?"
Leo scratched his head.
"That's what I want to know."
The forest remained silent around them.
Questions filled the air.
Reality itself no longer felt trustworthy.