Annihilation of the Mosaz Cartel
“Next. Who’s up?”
“Huh…?”
The thugs’ faces drained of color. Just seconds ago, they probably never imagined they’d be the sacrificial lambs.
But they weren’t total amateurs, it seemed. They snapped into action right away.
“Fuck, she’s here! Attack!”
“The boss said to bring her back alive…”
“You see what happened to the captain and you’re still saying that?”
All of them turned their guns on me in unison.
Wind Cutter core still resonating
The cheap mana cores in their energy rifles flickered to life with a high-pitched whine.
I tilted my head.
“Hmph, ganging up on me like cowards?”
Letting out an impressed hum, I extended my left hand.
Whoooosh—
At my gesture, the surrounding winds whipped into a ferocious storm, engulfing the thugs.
“Reverse.”
As I clenched my fist with a shout, they blinked in confusion.
“Huh?”
Crack!
The winds spun in the opposite direction, pulverizing their neck vertebrae.
The thugs were wiped out in an instant.
I retrieved my Grimoire while staring at the anticlimactic scene.
“Y-you…!”
Walter gripped my shoulder with a trembling voice.
“Yeah?”
His face was a picture of bewilderment, like he had no clue what was going on.
“You okay? No serious injuries?”
He was still gingerly rubbing the back of his head where he’d been hit.
“I’m fine, but you… y-you’re a mage…?”
“Didn’t my outfit give it away?”
I replied, lifting the brim of my witch hat with a smirk.
“Even so, I never expected a mage in a backwater like this…”
“Eh, I’ve got my reasons.”
Flashing a bright smile, I picked up the walkie-talkie from the floor amid the sprawled bodies. I’d also rifled through the cyborg captain’s corpse for the car keys.
“Everyone can relax. That organization’s done for by the end of today.”
Better to uproot annoyances right away.
The villagers stirred at my bold declaration.
“Wh-what…! How…?”
“Is that for real?”
“Mage lady, thank you!”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“What the hell…”
“Walter, see the villagers safely home. No worries here. I’ll wrap this up quick and head back.”
Walter nodded vigorously, sweat beading on his forehead.
“G-got it. Be careful out there. Thanks for earlier…”
I headed to the village entrance. First thing I spotted was Eddie, the guard, slumped near the sentry post.
Looks like he’d tangled with the thugs and lost.
Shit.
Fortunately, I sensed vital signs—he’d live.
In front of the sentry post sat exactly what I was looking for: a modified passenger van.
Probably their ride.
I hopped into the driver’s seat and shifted gears.
Vroom!
I’d never driven for real, but I’d prepped thoroughly in GTA for situations like this. No sweat.
Thud!
Static—
Click.
The radio went silent amid the noise.
“What total idiots. They warn about the ‘cunning bitch,’ but never consider the transmission itself might be a fake.”
Sound Control effect fading
The gravelly man’s voice reverted to my clear girlish tone as the spell wore off.
Fake report sent—they’d let their guard down. Perfect time to strike. I sneered at them and kept driving.
Click!
“This the high beams…?”
The van barreled down tangled roads, high beams blazing.
Hoooonk! Hoooonk!
Intel said the Mosaz Cartel HQ was in F Block.
“Hey! You psycho witch! Fly a broom or something! License forged in an alchemy lab?”
‘You’ll know it when you see it,’ they’d said—so the HQ building had to stand out.
“Organic entity ahead with impaired cognition operating vehicle. All driver-assist AIs, maintain 10m distance. Passenger survival rate plummeting.”
Screech—
I planned to test some unused spells while crushing the cartel scum.
“Miss, just quit driving! Walking’d be safer!”
Especially earth magic—I’d never tried it. The one that piqued my interest: Stone Skin. My fragile girl body needed extra defense.
Thump! Thump!
Mulling ideas, I finally reached F Block.
Beyond the van’s hood, black smoke billowed before a garish building.
Unlike the chaotic chicken-coop slums of the residential zone, this screamed central F Block.
Built on extortion money from ‘protection’ fees, no doubt.
The neon sign blazing atop it—Mosaz Cartel—oozed their greed.
Memorize: Trap Detection
……
I parked on a side street, imprinted a few spells before stepping out.
The Mosaz Cartel building was ringed by a tall fence.
Two helmeted thugs at the main gate freaked out when they saw me.
“Wh-what the hell? Who are you?!”
“Me? Silence.”
“Silence…? That your name…?”
One yanked out his radio to report.
“How the hell are you here? Where’s Kayle’s team?!”
I shrugged.
“What, can’t I visit? Your boss wanted to see me, so here I am.”
My teasing words froze their stares.
Bang! Bang!
They exchanged hand signals in a flash and opened fire without questions.
Exactly what I’d been waiting for.
Trap Detection
Modified to trigger on threats, Trap Detection activated Stone Skin, hardening my flesh.
Attribute Imprint: Tracking | Aim Correction: Projectile Prediction | Advanced Aim Correction: Bullet Time
Three shooting spells fired off simultaneously.
Incoming bullets traced red paths to impact points, revealing dodges and deflections. Tracking imprint corrected for error.
The mental acceleration was brief, but enough for counterattack.
Ting-ting!
Perfectly angled ricochets blew the sentries’ heads apart.
Splat! Splat!
Combat over.
Any outsider watching would’ve found it bizarre: shooters getting their own heads popped.
I stepped over the corpses toward the Mosaz Tower entrance.
Pre-cast Silence muffled the shots; garbled radio reports wouldn’t transmit right.
Plenty of time.
The first-floor door was sealed tight.
Instead of smashing it, I pulled out my Grimoire.
Shrrk—
Sound Control
Beep-beep-beep—
I closed my eyes.
Sound waves echoed outward, mapping a virtual layout.
Echolocation.
Mosaz Tower first floor: window in rear restroom.
One thug exiting restroom.
Large hall on first floor. Most thugs gathered there.
Including the sensed leader: seven total.
Predicted movement radius: max 8 meters.
Beep-beep-beep—
With the layout confirmed, I canceled Sound Control and knelt, pressing my right palm to the ground.
Dig | Earth Wall
Rumble rumble rumble…
My intent spread through the earth, carving runes beneath the first-floor hall.
8-meter radius predicted: draw a generous 10-meter circle.
“…”
Done.
Lifting my palm, I performed the final step.
Pulled out the walkie-talkie, then triggered lightning magic.
Chain Lightning
Crackle—
Target: not flesh or foes, but the signal.
Tiny chain lightning rode the radio waves.
Why send it? —
“…Yawn.”
Michel yawned from boredom. He’d been ordered to assist Kayle’s incoming team until the boss returned.
Squad leader Hugo chewed him out.
“No yawning. Stay sharp. Dwayne warned us a hundred times to watch that witch till the end.”
It wasn’t empty talk—Hugo knew mages’ treachery from hard experience.
They could revive even after headshots.
With Noah back from the john, Hugo briefed the team.
“Focus up. Kayle’s team in three minutes.”
Then—
Static—
Familiar voice from the radios.
Hugo, laser-focused, barked.
“Roger! Two ranks, now!”
‘All of them…? Why suddenly…?’
Hugo could relay orders himself—why all radios?
‘Must have a plan.’
He issued the command anyway.
“Radios on, everyone!”
“Yes sir!”
Michel, Noah, Ezra… all seven standby radios activated, Hugo included.
Immediately—
‘Why’s that grunt’s voice…?’
Before Hugo could react, the voice shifted.
Like a horror flick ghost, words pieced together in shifting voices.
“……!”
Shock rippled through at the freakish anomaly.
Hugo knew the type.
Mages.
They’d been played from the start.
Op team probably annihilated.
Mimicking the dead to mock them.
“Damn it, fuck! Radios off! Now!”
Hugo roared, but too late.
Countdown voices—Kayle’s, Jackson’s, Alex’s—hopping radios.
Fwosh!!
As six voices intoned Sacrifice, a dark purple magic circle glowed on the hall floor, ripping souls from the standby squad.
Invisible giant hands crushed them at grotesque angles.
“Gaaahhh!!” “Kahaaak!” “Urk, uuuugh…” “Guhk……”
Chaos as the six writhed in agony.
Lucky or unlucky, Hugo—sole non-target—saw it:
The witch strolling casually through the opening front door.
“You…! You bitch…!”
She just smiled faintly at his shout, purple eyes ominous.
Whispering:
“Your soul is mine.”
As I reached out, six purple soul orbs flew to me, trembling.
Ritual magic Sacrifice: souls torn via rite.
Unlike standard spells, rituals demand prep: circles, sacrifices, oaths, incantations.
Potent but demanding high skill.
I’d forced it on them—with Grimoire aid.
A scam contract.
Earth magic pre-planted the circle.
Micro Chain Lightning disrupted signals, Sound Control faked voices/oaths.
They bought it, synced to the ritual—I reaped the benefits.
My ploy.
Explaining politely to Hugo—who craved details before death—his face paled in horror.
“Demon…! Not human…! Why’s something like you in the lower districts…? Don’t tell me you’re the one who trashed Ether Bio Pharma recently—”
“Shh.”
Better shut him up before more slips.