Chapter 9: Steel Assassin(4)

In the slums of District 8, where rundown buildings stood in rows, a deserted alley housed a restaurant with no customers.
The Valiant members, surrounding the suspiciously unsanitary establishment, coerced the owner’s cooperation—few would dare refuse armed men.
Since Dagas, hiding upstairs, would notice any commotion, the operation—from securing the perimeter to reaching the second floor—proceeded smoothly.

“The path’s narrow. Should we hang back a bit?”

“That’d be best.”

Like most buildings in District 8, the hallways were too cramped for a large group to maneuver comfortably.
Cynel and I were just observers, not combatants, so there was no need to crowd the door.
I deliberately stood far back, watching as the Valiant executive, Liam, who’d taken Mr. Trillo’s place, issued an order after confirming the door was locked.

“Tear it down.”

Valiant, a criminal outfit unfazed by the city’s rules, naturally took a brute-force approach.
District 8’s underdevelopment meant security forces would take ages to arrive, giving Valiant time to act fast.
Some members grabbed tools to pry off the doorknob.
Then, something bizarre happened.

“Keuk!”

Taang!

A gunshot rang out from behind the closed door, and the man at the front collapsed instantly.
The bullet had pierced a thick iron door.
The Valiant members froze, stunned by the absurdity.
The attack didn’t stop.

Bang! Taang!

Two more fell amid the gunfire, and the locked iron door gave way, collapsing.
A man with long, flowing hair emerged, clad in shoulder armor—Dagas Phillip, the Ironclad.
Using the slanted door as cover, he scanned the hallway.
One step. Two steps.
Our eyes met, and in that instant, Cynel yanked me toward her.

“Boss!”

Taang!

A bullet ripped through Liam, who’d been in the line of fire.
He staggered and fell, and I followed Cynel’s pull to a corner out of Dagas’s sight.

“…Thanks, Cynel.”

Without her, I might’ve been hit.
I drew my pistol, exhaling shakily.
As I caught my breath, Dagas’s voice echoed.

“[Sharpness].”

Crack!

A shot followed, and a bullet tore through the left wall, leaving a massive mark on the opposite side.
I had to rethink my assessment of Dagas.
I’d assumed his “Sharpness” magic just enhanced cutting power, but this bullet punched through thick concrete.
It could shred most bulletproof gear with ease—a true magic bullet.

“Tch, missed?”

Dagas clicked his tongue, frustrated.
Plenty of Valiant members remained in the hallway and downstairs.
If he lingered, they’d overwhelm him.
Knowing this, Dagas leapt over the railing, bolting outside using the terrain to his advantage.

Bang! Bang! Taang!

Valiant’s men fired, but he broke through their encirclement and escaped.

What to do about the fleeing Dagas?
Faced with this sudden variable, I quickly made a decision.

“Cynel, we need to catch him.”

“We’re going after him?”

She seemed worried about Valiant’s promise to handle the capture.
But that wasn’t the priority.
Letting a criminal who’d seen our faces escape was a risk in itself.

“They’ll probably pay more if we catch him. He’s got a bounty, after all.”

Dagas had seen us chasing him—an assassin who knew his enemies.
Letting him go meant he might come back for revenge.
If we didn’t stop him now, he’d be a future threat.

“Got it. [Haste].”

Cynel nodded, casting her magic and leaping over the railing.
I moved toward the railing to follow, then shook my head.
This wasn’t a jump I could make.
The stairs were safer for me.

“[Telepathy].”

I cast my own magic and rushed down the stairs.
Reaching the first floor, I saw Valiant members chasing Dagas.
Following them directly wouldn’t help—I’d never catch up.
Instead, I ran down an opposite route, sending Cynel a telepathic message.

– “I’ll give instructions like this from now on.”

If the recipient was already tuned, I could send telepathy without line of sight.
Unfortunately, with no way to hear Cynel’s reply, I made a mental note to get her a walkie-talkie later.
For now, I calculated Dagas’s likely escape route.
As a 3rd-circle magician, I had magic but no notable combat skills.
Facing Dagas before Cynel would likely end in my defeat—quickly.
My goal wasn’t to win but to buy time.
Tracking his path, I entered a building I predicted he’d pass.

“Haa, ha…!”

My breath was ragged as I climbed the stairs.
Reaching an open railing suitable for shooting, I paused to catch my breath.

– “Pace your stamina.”
– “Keep chasing him, and you’ll hit a gray building. I’ll slow him down, so lure him that way.”

Cynel’s Haste was fast.
On open ground, she’d catch Dagas easily.
But he was an assassin familiar with the terrain, and Haste burned through her stamina quickly.
We needed to end this before she was exhausted.

“Whew…”

I drew my pistol and took aim.
My prediction was spot-on—Dagas appeared, turning into the alley.
Holding my breath, I aimed slightly ahead of his path and fired.

Bang!

The first shot narrowly missed.
Dagas glanced my way.

“…”

The miss was just the first shot.
He took a moment to aim back at me.

Bang!

Then, something unreal happened.

“[Sharpness].”

Dagas raised his gauntleted arm, and my bullet was deflected by the iron plate.

Kak!

The bullet shattered on impact.
His superhuman reflexes and magic made it possible.
Stunned, I snapped back to reality as Dagas kept running.
I reloaded, projecting a siren sound toward him.

– Weeeeeeeeeing.

Dagas froze, startled, thinking security forces had arrived.
He quickly reversed direction, passing me again.
I aimed my reloaded pistol at him.
Dagas, watching me, raised his gauntlet as before.
But that trick only worked once.

– Bang! Taang!

I fired a feint shot, creating an opening.
Dagas flinched, moving his gauntlet at the first sound.
My real shot, aimed slightly to the side, hit his left arm.

“Kwak…!”

Dagas stumbled, clutching his shoulder.
The double-shot had landed cleanly.