The shine of the brilliant commercial street doesn’t reach its back alleys. Here in these tight and dark alleys, cafes and bars lie dormant, waiting to open when the sun sets.
I rely on the map of the capital that was sitting on a corner of my mind to cross the many small paths that are like a labyrinth, until I reach a dead end surrounded by building walls.
When I see what’s going on there, I jump out before I can even put strength in my core.
“What are you doing!?”
“Ahn… Tch, the hell are you!?”
I see a man with a knife and a woman with her back to the wall. It couldn’t be more obvious what is happening.
“Please help!”
“Shut up!”
It’s the middle of the day, but it’s dark as night, and I can’t really see his expression. But I can tell his eyes are sly as a snake’s, and they are glued on me.
I take my staff out of the holster on my leg, and slowly walk towards him.
“I’m a member of the ministry of magic. Put the knife down and let the woman go.”
“Dammit… Why’s someone like you here…!?”
It doesn’t look like the man is going to meekly obey me. He keeps alternating between pointing the knife at me and the woman, and inching away from me… No, he’s getting closer to her.
“I told you to get away from her!”
“Kya!?”
He ignores my commands, and puts the woman’s arm behind her back while pointing the knife at her neck.
“Don’t get any closer! If you care what happens to her!”
“Kuh…”
He’s using the hostage to stop me. I might be able to catch him off guard with fast magic, but I don’t have the ability to control it in a way that it doesn’t also hit her.
…Isn’t he… Isn’t Weiss coming?
I can’t help but feel regret. This wouldn’t be happening if he was here.
“Are you listening? Don’t do anythin’ stupid! First put the staff on the ground and raise your hands!”
The woman’s eyes of grief pierce through me.
…I can imagine her terror all too well, as death touches her neck. I need to calm her down first.
I put the staff on the ground, and a high pitched clanking sound runs through the stagnant air.
“I did as you asked. Now can you let her go?”
“Not yet! Kick it over here!”
I kick the staff his way, and he carefully picks it up with the knife still pointed at her neck. He’s just as prudent and sly as he looks.
“Tch…”
I can’t use magic without a staff, so I’m left with no way to attack. In fact, my life is in danger now. I learned combat techniques against knife wielding opponents in the ministry of magic, but I have been far away from actual combat for so long that all that’s left in my head is the theoretical side.
“…”
All I can do at this point is wait for Weiss to show up. But as I glare at the man to resist how I can, the woman points at me with a surprised expression.
“Lady, behind you!”
“…!? Guah…!”
A burning pain makes my vision flicker.
My hands felt like they were twisted off, but they are still attached to my arms. But the big hands grabbing my wrists and raising my arms from behind are enough to make me despair.
The long black hair covering those hands is distinctive of the physically strong beast people.
“Hey, what are you doing, partner?”
I hear a deep voice behind me, and the man holding the knife smiles.
“He! Too bad for you, miss ministry of magic! We’re a team!”
“What…!?”
I assumed the man was acting alone. I didn’t feel another presence behind me at all…
“Ministry? What are we gonna do with her?”
“Guh…!”
The beast man pulls me up. He probably doesn’t think of that as an attack, but his strength makes my arms creak. It’s like a monster is biting me.
“Isn’t it obvious… Hey lady, you really shouldn’t go to a back alley like this by yourself. The capital’s been dangerous lately… Well, too late for regrets.”
The man then throws the knife over here, and the beast man catches it like he’s used to it, before pointing it at my neck. The other man already has another knife in his hand, creating a dull shine near the woman’s neck.
“…Let… Go…!”
I struggle as hard as I can, but the difference between a human and a beast person’s physical strength is too much.
When he moves the hand holding the knife, it looks strangely slow in my eyes.
“Well then… die.”
“…Weiss…!”
I close my eyes and say the name of the man I love. It’s the last thing I do.
…I should have told him how I feel. How awful it is for life to end with such regret.
…
“Did you call? Geez, you’re surprisingly fast.”
“Guoh…!?”
The voice I wanted to hear comes from above.
“…Weiss!!”
I open my eyes and look up, and see Weiss coming down from the roof of a building. Then I notice smoke coming from the beast man, who is lying on the ground.
…Who would have thought that I would come to thank his practical skills that I hated so much back in school? I’m sure I wouldn’t believe it if someone went back in time and told me.
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