Overwhelming Dominance
The men who had surrounded him were now frantically scanning their surroundings with bewildered expressions, confused by Bagan's sudden disappearance from their sight. But if it had been that easy to detect him, he wouldn't have vanished in the first place. The uncertainty of when and where the vanished Bagan might strike next filled the air with a chilling tension.
Hidden in the shadows after leaping over the encirclement to strike the rear of his foes, Bagan descended upon the mage trembling with fear at the very back of the group.
"Up there!"
The moonlight illuminated Bagan, revealing him to one of the men who had been glancing around. The man shouted the warning without missing a beat, but realizing it didn't mean they could stop him.
"Whoa!!"
The mage clutching his wooden staff saw Bagan dropping from above but couldn't react in time. As a mere 2nd Circle novice who still needed to chant even basic spells of his class, he had no choice but to stand there helplessly. He stared blankly, confronting the reality that he was about to be overwhelmed, before Bagan's fist slammed into his stomach. His body folded at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Guh!"
Without pausing, Bagan followed up with a powerful kick while the man was still doubled over.
Boom!
The man crashed into the wall, coughing up blood as he collapsed. Bagan turned to deal with the others, but they seemed more mentally prepared than expected. They were already closing the encirclement. Or perhaps they had never considered the mage a true comrade to begin with. Bagan, who had intended to use the mage as an example to instill fear, felt somewhat awkward.
He quickly changed tactics and vanished into the air once more.
"Don't lose sight of him! He'll show up again!"
Bagan realized he was wasting effort on these guys. There was no need to descend and engage in close combat. He stood firmly in midair and addressed them.
"This is getting annoying. Let's wrap this up quickly."
His position had been revealed, but it didn't matter. Even knowing where he was, they could do nothing about it. Thanks to Sally, he had come to understand that he could wield magic up to the 9th Circle.
"How is he flying in the sky!"
The men looked considerably flustered, their formation crumbling into complete disarray. Some even tried to flee.
"Uwaaaah! I'm out of here!"
The others grew equally agitated at those words. The man wielding the machete tried to maintain control over the remaining members with forced composure.
"Get a grip! That's obviously just an illusion!"
Bagan had seen enough of their desperate pleas. Without further hesitation, he fired Mana Arrows at those attempting to escape. These were pure condensations of mana, untainted by any elemental properties. However, strengthened by his heart's core and the Release trait, these Mana Arrows were no longer the standard 1st Class attack spell everyone knew. Their sheer size made that obvious.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The mana arrows pursued the fleeing criminals' backs, piercing them with greater speed and precision than their desperate flight could evade.
Thud, thud, thud!
The sounds of men dying in succession echoed from those who had tried to run, making the sudden reversal of the situation crystal clear. The machete-wielding leader despaired upon realizing they were the weak ones. His expression resembled that of a soldier who had charged recklessly only to find himself surrounded by enemies. Bagan could practically hear the frantic spinning of gears in the man's head as he desperately searched for a solution.
"I can hear your brain rattling all the way over here. What, got that many thoughts swirling around? You sure talked a big game earlier. Just keep it simple. Get beaten up and die. Easy."
Bagan's mocking words only deepened their terror. The roughly ten remaining men trembled uncontrollably, reduced to the pitiful state of abandoned kittens on the roadside.
Unable to organize his thoughts, the machete wielder screamed wildly. It was a final, desperate struggle for survival.
"Anyone who can use magic, cast defensive spells at least!! What the hell are you all doing standing around?!"
The men who had clustered together in a circle were indeed in a vulnerable state, unable to defend against attacks from any direction. Even bunched up, there were five swordsmen including the machete leader, two who appeared to be mages, one dual-wielding daggers, an archer, and one without any weapon.
Whoong!
At the machete wielder's frantic command, two mages who had been hesitating finally deployed a Mana Barrier. Their skill level was mediocre at best—they had to continuously channel mana to maintain it, evident from how they kept their hands outstretched into the air. Even a 3rd Circle mage could maintain mana cohesion without such effort. Their inability to do so made their lack of talent painfully obvious.
"All set to block?"
Bagan deliberately gave them time to prepare. He was curious just how desperately they would struggle. No matter how much they prepared, he wouldn't break a sweat, but he didn't want to miss out on the entertainment.
"Looks a bit weak. Go ahead and try blocking this."
Once again, Bagan cast Mana Arrow. Around his floating form, shapes of pure mana materialized and took the form of arrows. They spun rapidly before shooting toward the group.
The reason he kept using Mana Arrow was simply because their level warranted nothing more. But the machete wielder, assuming Bagan could only use that one technique, actually smiled.
"We're good! It's just Mana Arrow! That's all he's got! The moment the arrow grazes the barrier, hit him with arrows and magic!"
It was a solid judgment. Perhaps the best strategy they could devise in their current situation. Of course, that only applied to normal circumstances.
Whiiiish!
The Mana Arrow suddenly changed trajectory in midair. This was possible because Bagan hadn't lost control of the mana infused within it. Their barrier didn't cover all 360 degrees.
"W-what the—!!"
Unfortunately for them, there was no way to avoid being horribly defeated.
Thud, thud, thud!
"Guh!"
"Aaaargh!"
"Gack!"
The screams of no less than ten men rang out in succession. Only after the battle had ended did Bagan finally descend to the ground.
(That was underwhelming.)
"You can say that again."
(They were so insignificant it feels like a waste of the power of Condemnation.)
"Yeah, it really seemed that way."
After exchanging a brief telepathic conversation with Sally, Bagan looked at the men who were still breathing.
"I wonder if these guys have bounties on their heads?"
If they did, the rewards probably wouldn't be very high. None of their faces looked particularly memorable. 'Now that I think about it, I haven't checked the wanted posters yet.'
The notice board installed at the city's central fountain displayed wanted posters issued by the Demeca guards. It featured everything from internationally recognized dangerous criminals to petty offenders who had committed minor crimes in small villages and fled. As he had said earlier, he didn't recognize any of their faces, so they probably weren't heinous criminals. Still, earning some money before his living expenses ran out didn't sound bad.
"Guess I'll hand them over to the guards and make some cash."
It was then that one of the fallen men struggled to his feet.
"Oh, Flang."
His name was Flang. A silver-ranked mercenary with a reputation for being shady, yet no one around him had ever suspected he was connected to the underworld.
'Damn it, I never heard he was this strong.'
He had simply been enticed by the client's claim that Bagan had luckily risen to gold rank and decided to try killing him. But after facing him directly, the reality was completely different from what he'd expected.
'He's at least titanium rank. There's no way a Mana Arrow could be that powerful.'
His assessment of titanium rank was the highest evaluation he could give, simply because he still didn't truly understand Bagan. He had never seen a mage who could fly through the sky, nor had he ever heard of a Mana Arrow that could accurately home in on its target. Because of that, even though Bagan currently looked more defenseless than ever, Flang couldn't easily bring himself to attack.
"Hmm, from what I saw earlier, you seemed pretty composed. And you deflected the Mana Arrow with your sword, so it only grazed you..."
Bagan had wondered if Flang might have completely deflected the Mana Arrow if he hadn't been using a machete. The man was a surprisingly disciplined warrior. If the others were closer to a disorganized mob, this one was like a hunting dog faithfully carrying out his superior's orders. He focused solely on his assigned mission and remained unaffected by other distractions. His aura and judgment proved it. But in the end, he was still a criminal.
"You're completely useless. So, are you going to die, or what?"
It was an incredibly harsh question to ask someone barely standing. Since he'd given him a choice, he would have to decide. The question reached Flang's ears, and his response was swift.
"I'm sorry!!"
The knees that had been locked with extreme tension suddenly went limp. He bowed as low as physically possible and spoke in a desperate tone.
"I-I have committed a terrible act. I dared to harbor impure thoughts of attacking Lord Bagan."
His exceptional eloquence momentarily halted Bagan's thoughts. It was so different from what Bagan had expected that it caught him off guard. And one could say Flang's plan had succeeded.
"I wasn't actually asking you to beg for your life."
"You don't have to show mercy. Considering what we tried to do, death would be more than deserved. However, there is a reason we attempted to harm you, Lord Bagan. If you would kindly hear me out, I would be grateful."
Flang's plan was to sell out his client. When it came to survival, there was nothing he wouldn't do. And he couldn't help thinking how much better it would have been if he had done this from the beginning. Looking at his subordinates lying there unconscious like corpses, that was all he could think.
There were unwritten rules to follow in the underworld, but the man standing before him was far more terrifying.
"Let's hear it then."
Bagan was curious who had tried to assassinate him, so he listened attentively to what Flang had to say.
(Clorsus, perhaps?)
Just as Sally suggested, Bagan had the same suspicion. Still, he wanted to hear it confirmed.
"It's Papan from the Iron Fist. He came to us and instigated the assassination of Lord Bagan."
This was unexpected. Not him, but his subordinate. 'If it's Papan, that's the guy nicknamed the Sewer Rat.'
(Was it independent action, or was he abandoned?)
'Probably. Either way, the clear fact is that they tried to kill me.'
As the situation took an interesting turn, Bagan imagined various scenarios and glared at Flang.
"Hey, I'll spare your life. In return, spill everything. Who's your boss?"
"B-boss, you say..."
Bagan grabbed the man's head, which was bowed so low it was practically prostrating, and lifted it up. Looking him straight in the eyes, he said,
"The guy who rules the underworld."
The underworld of Demeca was like a single living organism. From the lowest street gangs to the crews whose faces appeared on wanted posters, they were all connected through a point-based organization under the guise of tribute and protection. Some were even linked to underworld groups in other cities, making it difficult to identify who truly controlled the organization. That was why he would have to track them down one by one.
"T-that... I cannot say."
"Really? Then you're useless. Let's just kill you."
Flang faced the greatest crisis of his life. Should he sell out the boss of the underworld that dominated Demeca's night streets, or uphold his loyalty and die? There wasn't much time.
"I-if I tell you, what will happen to us?"
Such a question might have irritated his opponent, but for Flang, whose only goal was survival, that level of composure had vanished long ago.
"You didn't really cause me much harm, and using magic was actually pretty fun, so I'll just hand you over to the guards. Nothing too harsh."
That was Bagan's honest impression. It was clear they were all trash. It was also clear they were evil that he needed to eliminate. But if he was being completely honest, this would help with bigger matters. Besides, as Sally had said, they were so insignificant that using the power of Condemnation on them felt like a waste.
'They'll probably just end up in prison.'
(Most likely.)
Having heard Bagan's words, Flang made up his mind.
"It's Drake."
"I figured as much. So you were part of a pretty high-ranking crew, huh?"
Since it was a point-based organization, the information available to insignificant crews was naturally limited. However, even Bagan knew that the master of Demeca's night streets was a man named Drake. The reason he asked despite already knowing was to confirm the information.
To Bagan, Drake was a man who had committed sins so vile he couldn't even be recycled—like food waste beyond redemption.
'The point organization connected to Drake is involved with slavery.'
(Then we must condemn him.)
'Exactly.'
Having spilled everything, Flang quietly bowed his head and waited for Bagan's judgment. After pondering for a moment, he took a deep breath of the sticky night air, only to feel stifled.
'This is such a hassle. I just want to wash up quickly.'
That was the truth. Making money or whatever else didn't matter. The desire to soak in warm water and wash away his fatigue took precedence over any thoughts of what to do with these men.
"Hey, turn yourselves in when morning comes. I've memorized all your faces. You know what'll happen if you run, right?"
This statement meant he was giving up on the bounties for capturing them. Since those who surrendered voluntarily usually received lighter sentences than those who were captured, it was actually a favorable outcome for them. Of course, that wasn't why he had decided to do it.
"O-of course! We'll confess to everything we've done by morning and turn ourselves in!"
To Flang, who feared Bagan's retaliation far more than Drake's, the thought of running away didn't even cross his mind.
'Let's go, Sally.'
(Okay.)
Bagan headed toward the inn he had originally been aiming for. The night streets of Demeca, which had been like the aftermath of a storm, were now completely cleaned up thanks to Flang, who was preparing to confess to all his crimes.
Meanwhile, upon arriving at the inn, Bagan, feeling hungry, asked Ganesha,
"Ganesha, is there any food left?"
"There is. Shall I make you something? Any other services?"
"If there's warm bathwater too, I'd appreciate that."
"Alright. What do you want first?"
There was no hesitation in his answer.
"The bath first."
After speaking with Ganesha, she headed to the bathhouse attached to the inn to prepare the water. Bagan went up to his room on the second floor and spoke to Sally.
"I'll take out the book. Want to read?"
"Yes."
Bagan smiled lightly upon seeing Sally, who had already materialized and was sitting at the desk.
"When I was fighting those guys earlier, I felt a surge of vitality throughout my body and my physical abilities improved. That was your power, right?"
"Yes. From now on, no matter what evil you face, you won't feel any fear."
It seemed to be more of a passive ability rather than something she directly bestowed. Finding the power interesting, Bagan nodded and retrieved the book she had borrowed from his subspace.
"Here, read this."
"Okay."
Bagan watched Sally open the book immediately and begin reading as she answered, then left the room with a light heart.