CRASH!
The wall with the gaping hole was suddenly shattered from the outside. A bald man wielding a massive battle-axe stepped through the newly created breach, the entire section of the wall crumbling behind him.
“You little brat! Regret what you’ve done!”
The bald man looked like he’d lost his mind over his partner’s defeat—but in reality, this was just a ruse to distract Hulim from his true goal: darting outside to grab his weapon.
It had to be said that Hulim still lacked experience in combat against other humans. With more seasoned judgment, she might have noticed the inconsistency between the bald man’s initial caution and his sudden, reckless rage.
“Lesson learned. I’ll be more careful next time......”
Hulim muttered calmly to herself, her expression remaining as impassive as ever.
“What did you say, you little punk......”
Now the bald man was genuinely enraged.
“You think you can beat me with that measly stick?!”
He raised the battle-axe high above his head and charged at Hulim with blinding speed, swinging the axe downward with all his might.
BOOM——!!
The wooden floor splintered beneath the blow, a crater opening up where the axe struck. Splinters flew everywhere, some even hitting Fran, who was still tied up and helpless on the ground.
Hulim had already leaped away the instant before the axe fell, leaving the bald man’s attack to hit nothing but empty air.
But she’d also noticed that Fran had been caught in the crossfire.
This won’t do...... Fran might get hurt.
With that thought, Hulim immediately changed her fighting strategy. She’d just put some distance between herself and the bald man—but in a single quick step, she closed the gap and closed in on him.
“You little——!”
Seeing Hulim dare to engage him at close range only fueled the bald man’s fury.
He lifted the axe high once more, bringing it crashing down toward Hulim again.
Yet Hulim dodged with effortless agility. No matter how the bald man swung his axe, Hulim always managed to evade, her movements faster than his every time.
How...... how is she so fast?!
The bald man was utterly bewildered. They were both using the Strengthen spell—but his speed couldn’t hold a candle to hers, as if her version of the spell was specialized for velocity.
What the bald man didn’t know was that Hulim’s Strengthen spell was no different from his. The gap in their speed came from another source: she was also casting the second-tier wind magic, Lightness—a spell that reduced her body weight and eliminated air resistance, boosting her speed to incredible levels.
Since Lightness had almost no visible effect when activated, the bald man never even noticed it.
“Quit darting around like a flea! Get over here——!”
The bald man roared in frustration,
“——and DIE!”
BOOM——!
The battle-axe began to spin rapidly around him, turning into a whirling storm of steel that threatened to slice anything within its reach to pieces.
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Hulim leaned backward, her body nearly parallel to the ground, as the axe storm whistled just inches above her face.
Then, she extended her left hand toward the bald man, chanting an incantation under her breath at lightning speed.
“【?????????????????????......】”
“Huh?”
The bald man frowned, confused by her gesture—but the confusion quickly turned to agony as he realized what she was doing.
“Flash.”
“AGH——!”
After a scream of pain, the bald man stumbled backward, clamping his hands over his eyes.
Damn it! She’s a dual-element mage?!
He cursed his own carelessness, struggling to pry his eyes open to see his surroundings. The axe in his hand swung wildly in all directions, a desperate attempt to ward off any counterattack.
But the close-range strike he feared never came. Instead—
“Fireball.”
BOOM!
The fireball collided with the wildly swinging axe, erupting in a burst of flames. The bald man was thrown backward several meters by the force of the explosion, his clothes singed and smoking.
“You bastard!”
A triple-element mage?!
Panic surged through the bald man’s heart.
For a warrior fighting a mage, letting the caster maintain distance was the worst possible mistake!
Ignoring the searing pain of his burns, he tightened his grip on the scalding-hot axe handle and charged at Hulim again, swinging the weapon wildly in a chaotic flurry of strikes, hoping to land a lucky hit through sheer brute force.
But Hulim used her superior speed and small stature to her advantage. She weaved effortlessly through his storm of slashes, not a single strike landing on her. Meanwhile, her wooden stick struck him repeatedly, hitting various parts of his body.
Thanks to the Strengthen spell, the bald man could endure her blows for the time being—but it was only a matter of time before he was overwhelmed.
Anxious and desperate, the bald man’s eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape route.
When his gaze fell on the bound Fran, a malicious idea sparked in his mind.
That’s right...... This brat is here to save that noble girl! If I take her hostage, I can get away!
With no time to hesitate, he acted.
“HYAH——!”
He let out a roar, spinning the axe into a whirling storm once more. Hulim was forced to dodge, slowing her relentless assault—and giving the bald man the opening he needed.
Now!
The bald man bolted toward Fran, his eyes blazing with excitement.
Almost there! Just a little closer! If I grab her, I can use her to threaten this brat—maybe even turn the tables and kill her!
Fran was within arm’s reach. The bald man stretched out his left hand, already envisioning his victory—when a figure suddenly flashed in front of him.
The small, slender form stood there, wooden stick clenched tightly in her right hand, her body slightly crouched. She stared at him with that same calm expression, and uttered two words.
“Hunter’s Gaze.”
ROAR——!
To the bald man’s eyes, it was as if a colossal beast had appeared before him, towering over him with overwhelming menace. A massive claw descended toward him, slow yet unstoppable.
Three streaks of cold light flashed in an instant, striking his neck, chest, and abdomen simultaneously.
BOOM——!
The bald man’s body was sent flying at the fastest speed he’d moved all day. He crashed through the last remaining intact wooden wall, slamming into the street outside and collapsing unconscious on the ground.
The battle was over.
The once windowless shack was now open on all sides, its walls reduced to rubble, the roof creaking precariously as dust and debris rained down.
“It looks like it’s going to collapse.”
Hulim glanced up at the crumbling ceiling, then hurried over to Fran’s side.
“Waaaaah...... H-Hulim——!”
Fran looked up at her, her voice trembling with tears.
“It’s okay. You’re safe now. We’ll talk outside—this place is about to fall apart.”
Using a fire spell to burn through the ropes binding Fran, Hulim helped her to her feet and led her out of the shack.
Moments after they stepped outside,
CRASH!
The entire building collapsed behind them, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air.
“Waaaaah...... That was so scary! I thought I was going to die! Waaaaah!”
Once they were away from the danger, Fran’s tense nerves finally snapped, and she burst into loud, heaving sobs.
“It’s alright. There’s no more danger now. The bad guys are defeated.”
Hulim did her best to comfort Fran.
“Waaaaah...... Th-thank you...... Waaaaah...... Hulim......”
Her attempts at comfort seemed to backfire—Fran cried even harder, her tears and snot soaking into Hulim’s clothes.
“......”
She really was terrified, wasn’t she.
Hulim helped Fran out of the ramshackle slum and handed her over to the patrolling town guards. When the guards learned that the daughter of Baron Banton, the ruler of Mentor Town, had nearly been abducted by foreign slave traders, they were utterly stunned.
They immediately mobilized a large contingent of guards, stormed the slum, and arrested the two unconscious kidnappers. The entire slum was subjected to a thorough crackdown—and for a long time afterward, Hulim noticed that the ramshackle slum had become surprisingly quiet.
