Making Accomplices 3

"...You lot."

Isha's lips twisted. The saintess's eyes, drowned in sorrow just moments ago, blazed with fury in an instant.

"Why are you here?"

Golden aura erupted from Isha's entire body with a rumble. Not as intense as blood-red mana, but still a overwhelming force that seemed to devour space itself. The display cases in the shop trembled and shrieked.

"Did you come here to trample even Dessoir's precious memories with your filthy feet?!"

"No, you're the one who was just about to steal—"

Isha snapped irritably at Adel's words, realizing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her earlier actions had been caught.

"Shut up!!"

Isha lost her reason. To her, this place might have been the only holy sanctuary left to reminisce about the Dessoir she'd sent away. And here were her killer and his accomplice, frolicking in that sacred space.

"I'll kill you all. Turn everything to ash!"

"W-Wait a sec!"

Despite Adel's pleas, Isha's hastily summoned mana backlashed and began to run wild. An ultra-wide-range mana explosion that crushed space itself.

Crash! Shatter! The display case glass shattered one by one. The shockwave rippled toward the limited-edition figures Adel cherished so dearly.

"Nooo!!"

Adel screamed. I placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"Adel. If this keeps up, those are done for."

"...Huh?"

Her eyes followed my gaze.

"If they get caught in Isha's mana storm, your Dessoir limited edition will end up as plastic scraps. One of only five in the whole world. Gone forever."

Adel's purple eyes flashed. Fear? Dread? Awe of the saintess? None of that mattered in the face of the catastrophe that was limited-edition destruction. Only the righteous fury unique to an otaku burned within her.

"This is driving me insane!!"

Adel shot to her feet. She pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from her pocket—the one I'd given her.

"Hey, Estelle! Don't touch my figures!!"

"Why are they yours?"

"Because I... bought them fair and square?"

Adel glanced at me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and I nodded in affirmation.

"That's ridiculous. But before that, can you even escape this place?"

"Whether it works or not, I'll show you right now!"

Adel swung her staff. A formula she'd only known in theory, never tested in practice. But genius madness turns the impossible possible.

"Equation deployment! Imaginary substitution! Mana stream reversal!"

Whirrr! A purple magic circle unfurled from the tip of Adel's staff, tracing complex geometric patterns. It was brief. Incomplete. But because it was her. Fueled by her singular determination to protect her figures, she boosted efficiency by 300%.

Isha's golden aura halted mid-air, snared like a fish in a purple net.

"......!"

Isha's eyes widened. Her rampaging mana was being forcibly contained by mere equations scrawled in the air.

"What is this?"

A technique that countered mana flow by reversing it. The riddle the magic academia had failed to solve for a century. And now it was manifesting before her eyes, all to protect some toys.

"Nngh! Arghhh! They can't break! Absolutely not! That's mine!!"

Adel held her staff firm even as blood streamed from her nose. Imperfect, but she'd temporarily subdued the saintess's power.

I watched the scene with immense satisfaction.

"As expected of a genius. I always pick the right people."

Her motive—figure protection—was impure, sure. But results-wise, she was exceeding expectations.

Isha stared at Adel in shock.

"Adel, how do you..."

Using such advanced magic to block her. In Isha's eyes, Adel was no longer a hostage or victim. She looked like a full-fledged villain, partnering with Lee Han and gaining the power to oppose her.

"Hiding power like this... You'd better prepare yourself."

Isha glared at Adel, grinding her teeth.

"Western witch."

From Adel's perspective, the misunderstanding had deepened irreparably. But for me, it was perfect. That misunderstanding would bind her tighter to my side, make her stronger, and keep her from leaving.

"Now! Run!"

I checked the dazed Isha and the staggering, nosebleeding Adel, then grabbed Adel's collar and bolted outside.

"M-My figure... Did you grab it?"

"I got it, you idiot! So run!"

Adel dangled from my side like luggage but clutched her box tight. We raced up the stairs and out before Isha could regroup her mana.

Behind us, Isha's desperate scream echoed.

"Stop right there, you thieves!!"

Screech! The van halted with a guttural engine roar. Seoul outskirts. An abandoned factory zone unmarked on any map, shrouded in eerie fog. A place that would make any normal person's legs shake just approaching.

"...Hey. Where the hell is this?"

Adel clutched her precious Dessoir limited-edition box and asked.

"What else? Our second hideout."

"Hideout? It looks like a ghost would pop out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠any second!"

"More precisely, a figure storage vault."

"What? Am I understanding this right? And you see that skull mark on the entrance?"

Red Skull.

"That's the Red Skull faction mark!"

A vile guild infamous for kidnappings, organ trafficking, and contract killings. Even the underworld stuck out their tongues at these scum.

I opened the car door and stretched.

"You know it well. That's why we're going in."

"Are you nuts? Walking into the tiger's den ourselves?"

"Tiger? Nah, just a roach nest."

I grabbed the cash bag and pizza box from the trunk.

"You know how much motel rooms cost in Seoul? Plus, we're wanted—no check-ins. But here? No deposit, no rent, perfect soundproofing. And best of all..."

I pointed at the factory entrance.

"Plenty of servants to clean up after us."

"Servants? You're seriously insane."

Adel waved her hands in horror, but I was already kicking open the rusty factory door.

Abandoned factory basement. Red Skull hideout. A hall thick with acrid cigarette smoke and the stench of blood. A massive round table sat in the center, surrounded by dozens of vicious-looking villains gambling away.

"Hey, how much ransom for the guy we snatched this time?"

"Dunno. Family's selling their house—supposedly scraping together 2 billion."

"Black Moon's screwed. Time to upgrade gear with this cash."

Scum chatter. Perfect marks to fleece.

Boom!! The steel basement door crumpled like paper and flew into the hall's center. Gambling tables shattered, cards scattered. Villains who dodged screamed and tumbled.

"Wh-What the hell! Who is that?!"

"Raid! Black Moon bastards! Weapons up!"

From the dust cloud, my coat flapping, I strode in. Behind me, the purple-haired girl cradling her figure box coughed and followed.

"Cough, cough! Hey! Can't you break doors gently? Dust'll scratch the box! Condition affects the appraisal value too!"

"Just airing the place out. Air's stale."

I stepped on the fallen steel door like a red carpet and stood tall.

"This the Red Skull main base?"

The stunned villains gawked.

"Who the fuck are you?! You know where you are?!"

The biggest brute. Action captain Doki. He drew his twin axes with murderous intent. B-rank certified brute strength.

I scratched my ear with my pinky.

"Here to notify you the landlord's changed. Vacate."

"Wh-What? Landlord?"

"Scratch that. You can stay. But..."

My eyes flashed golden.

Rumble!

"G-Guh!"

Doki's stance turned humbly submissive. Instinct screamed: That's no human. A top predator in human skin. Run or be eaten. Cells yelling for survival. But as action captain, pride overrode fear.

"K-Kill him! All rush! It's just one guy!"

Doki's scream unleashed dozens of villains, skills flying: fireballs, ice shards, poison arrows. The cramped basement flashed with multi-element magic.

"Lee Han! Dodge!"

Adel screamed. I opened the pizza box right there and took a bite of the last slice.

Ting! Magic hit an invisible barrier before reaching me. Basic trait from the Dragon Heart: mana barrier.

"Wh-What?! Magic's not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠working!"

"What's that around him?!"

I chewed the pizza and turned to Adel.

"Adel. They're noisy. Shut 'em up. Dusting my meal."

"Damn it. I'm carrying stuff! No hands free?"

Adel grumbled. As incoming magic threatened her figure box, her eyes narrowed.

"Can't you lot buzz off?"

Adel cradled the box one-handed and swung the other.

"Gravity reversal."

Hummm! Charging villains floated up like helium balloons. Some smacked the ceiling, flailing.

"Wh-What?!"

"G-Get me down! Can't move!"

"You want down? If you insist."

Adel flipped her palm and slammed downward.

Thud!! Dozens crashed into the floor. Tiles shattered, concrete cratered. Some foamed at the mouth and passed out without a scream.

Situation cleared in seconds. Only the guild leader trembled in the corner—Red Skull himself.

He crawled over, forehead to my feet.

"Sp-Spare me. Take all the money. Vault code's 486. Please, just my life..."

I squatted and patted his cheek.

"Who said anything about robbing you? We're not that barbaric."

"Y-Yes?"

"Let's draft a work contract first. Need porters, cleaners, safety managers for our party."

"Wh-What..."

"Good terms. No insurance, but room and board provided. Sleep in the cells, eat leftovers. No quitting, though. Only death gets you out."

I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Got it? Now, remodeling starts."

"Huh? Did I hear wrong?"

My grip tightened.

Crack! Collarbone crunch. He tried to scream, but my killing intent choked it off.

"Move out. Execute."

"Ex-Execute!"