The Black Mages' Prey
At the sudden voice, I reflexively spun around. Three shadows stood behind me, fanning out to surround me from all sides. Beyond them, two wolf monsters prowled in threatening circles, saliva dripping from their jaws as low, savage growls rumbled from their muzzles.
"We felt so bad hearing you cry that we gave you one last moment of peace..."
"Hey, but my idea was right, wasn't it? I said we should at least check first. What if we'd just killed him outright?"
"...True enough."
The shadows chattered as if appraising me. Because I'd been too busy weeping to stay alert, I hadn't noticed their approach. Each wore a black robe pulled low over their heads, their appearance deeply suspicious. Occasionally, red glints flashed in the air, and they commanded the ferocious monsters as if they were extensions of their own bodies. Those traits alone told me exactly who they were.
Black mages. Heretics who had traded their souls for the power of forbidden dark magic. Every detail matched the stories I'd heard of those wicked figures.
"...Who are you people?"
"That scar under his eye is a bit of a shame. Still, he's pretty enough to fetch top price."
"Right? I wonder how much we could get..."
"I asked who you are!!"
"Huh?"
I shouted with all the fury I could muster. Only then did the shadows stop talking and turn their heads toward me.
"Still got plenty of fight left in him. That's the beauty of youth."
"...Are you trying to kill me?"
"Hmm? Was that what you wanted to know?"
"We were planning to at first. But your looks are too good to waste. You'll never lack for women in your life. I'm jealous, truly."
"What nonsense are you— Just answer me...!"
"Let's see. First, we'll need to give him some medicine. Don't worry. It's actually for your own benefit."
"Medicine...?"
"You'll be going through all sorts of things from now on. Losing your mind completely will be far better than staying sane. It'll also keep you quiet, so that's a bonus..."
"What are you..."
"Heh... I can't stop drooling no matter how many times I look. Who would've guessed we'd get such a bonus?"
"Check with those perverted noblewomen ahead of time. I think they'll pay the most."
The black mages chuckled among themselves. The whole situation was absurd. From what I could gather, they intended to sell me off like some kind of auction prize. I'd heard black mages couldn't integrate into society and lived in the shadows, surviving through theft and plunder, but I never imagined I'd become their merchandise.
"...I'll kill you all."
"What?"
But it wasn't fear that filled my head. It was a crushing sense of injustice and rage.
"...I'll kill you. All of you worthless scum. And those beasts that destroyed our village. I'll tear every last one of you limb from limb and make you suffer before you die..."
I spat the curse at them, my voice thick with hatred. I'd already endured too much sorrow and pain. Now I couldn't even properly mourn my family before being sold off as goods. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't recall committing any sin grave enough to deserve this punishment.
"Puhaha! He's got more spirit than his face suggests."
"I was like that once too. Youth really is something..."
"Let's wrap this up. We should bind him just in case."
Yet the black mages only laughed harder, mocking me as if my words were nothing. One of them wiped away imaginary tears and began tracing patterns in the air with his finger. Five burning red rings soon materialized before him.
"You'd best give up any pointless resistance. If one of these hits the wrong spot, it'll hurt terribly. Not that we care, of course..."
The black mage withdrew his hand. The floating rings began drifting toward me, their slow speed clearly meant to prolong my terror and humiliation until the very end.
But despite my earlier bravado, I had no way to escape this situation. The wall behind me remained intact, blocking any retreat. The other three directions were sealed off by the black mages. Even if I somehow broke through, the wolf monsters waiting behind them would tear me apart. More than anything, I no longer possessed the strength or will to even try.
Was this how it would end—bound by those grotesque rings, drugged, and sold off to some unknown fate? All I felt was anger and sorrow. If only I'd had power, I wouldn't have met such a helpless end. I could have protected the village, my mother, my friends. I wouldn't have disappointed Yeon or let her go...
-Boom!
"Huh?"
I had just resigned myself to my fate when the black mage, who had been maintaining a leisurely pose, suddenly let out a dumbfounded sound. At the noise, I reflexively lifted my bowed head. The fiery rings that had been flying toward me had vanished without a trace. All I could see were tiny, sparkling red particles slowly fading away.
***
"What the...?"
"Rang. We don't have time for games. If a patrol catches us because of this..."
A scolding voice from his colleague reached him from the side. The black mage named Rang, who had been staring blankly, finally came back to his senses.
"Ahem, what was that...?"
Rang cleared his throat and traced the pattern in the air once more. Five burning rings reappeared, and with a sweeping motion of his hand, he sent them forward again. Their target was the same boy slumped on the ground ahead.
-Boom!
But once more, the rings dissolved the moment they reached a certain point. The mana composing them flickered like fireflies before scattering into the air.
"...What the hell is this? Did he put up a barrier? But the mechanism is completely different. And the intel clearly said he was powerless..."
Rang muttered in bewilderment. Two consecutive failures should have been impossible. At first, he'd thought the boy had erected a barrier, but barriers were simply defensive spells that repelled magic. A defensive spell that outright erased its target had never been heard of in either modern magic or black magic. Moreover, according to their prior information, the boy was supposed to be an ordinary person incapable of using magic at all. Their observations over the past few hours had confirmed the same.
An uneasy feeling began to creep in, but Rang quickly steadied himself. Opportunities like this didn't come often. Finishing the job quickly and getting out was the priority now.
Having made up his mind, Rang once again launched the binding rings at the boy.
"This fucking..."
Yet no matter how many times he tried, the result never changed. The moment the rings entered a certain range around the boy, the magic scattered without fail. Rang's face twisted with sudden rage. This time, he poured a massive amount of mana into a large-scale spell. Several enormous glowing red spikes materialized and hovered before him.
"Hey! What are you doing?! If that hits him, the drugs and everything else—!"
"Shut your mouth!"
The other black mages cried out in alarm, but Rang paid them no heed and hurled the spikes at the boy. They shot forward at a speed far greater than before.
-Boom!
Once again, the magic scattered helplessly. Because it had contained a considerable amount of mana, the resulting shockwave was just as intense. Countless red particles exploded outward, painting the sky around them like falling petals.
"You two, try it."
"Huh?"
"I said try it now! That bastard's got something..."
Rang snapped irritably, urging his colleagues. Under his glare, the other two reluctantly cast their own spells. Before long, the same bewildered expressions appeared on their faces.
"This can't be... What is this..."
"...Something's wrong. Maybe we shouldn't have been told to kill him after all. If magic doesn't work..."
The plan to secretly smuggle the handsome boy away had long since been abandoned. So had the idea of selling him on the black market for a tidy profit. Rang glared at the boy with a murderous expression and drew a small dagger from his robes. All traces of his earlier laughter had vanished. With a tense posture, he kept his eyes fixed on the boy, who still sat motionless, staring blankly into the darkness with unfocused eyes.
-Grrrr...!
Woof! Woof!!
Just as Rang was about to approach the boy, the wolf monsters suddenly began barking furiously toward the ruined buildings behind the black mages. Noticing their reaction, another black mage scanned the ruins and shouted to his companions.
"Damn it! Put up barriers, quick! Someone's—!"
But his words never finished. Something flashed from outside their field of vision, and a massive fireball slammed into his neck, severing his head. He didn't even have time to scream. His headless body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
"What the—!"
"They're coming from behind!"
As if the fireball had been a signal, magic began raining down on them from all directions. The black mages who had been surrounding the boy moments ago were now the ones being hunted.
-Boom! Boom!
-Yelp! Yip!
Thanks to the barriers they managed to deploy, they avoided direct hits, but that was all. The wolf monsters were riddled with holes and died instantly. The black mages found themselves unable to take even a single step in any direction.
-Thud!
"Guh...!"
A precise strike slipped through a gap in the barrier and pierced Rang's side. The attackers were adjusting their targets even while changing positions in the darkness—an extraordinary level of skill. Whether they were connected to the boy or not, Rang could be certain they weren't some amateur vigilante group.
"Ha, shit...! Shit!"
Rang cursed, regretting ever accepting the job. The pay had seemed generous for a simple request involving ordinary people, but now look at him.
"I knew the fortune-telling was bad! That's why I said we shouldn't take it! I'm out of here!"
One of his colleagues, who had been enduring the bombardment with him, seized a momentary opening and attempted to flee. The fact that the most enthusiastic one among them was now saying something like that was almost laughable.
"Hey! You goddamn bastard...!"
-Slash!
"Aaaargh!"
Just as Rang was about to unleash a torrent of abuse at the fleeing man, a figure emerged from the darkness and a flash of light cut through the air. His colleague screamed loud enough to shake the mountains and rolled across the ground.
-Thud!
Suddenly, something monstrous flew toward Rang's feet. He recognized it immediately. It was his colleague's arm, still twitching as it spilled the last of its blood.
"Th... This is..."
"Hey. Lower your hand. Unless you want to end up like your friend."
Just as he was about to speak, Rang realized a gleaming blade was now pressed against his throat. The figure who had severed his colleague's arm had approached from directly behind him. The man holding the blade was tall, with a fierce expression.