Relentless Pursuit

Boooooooooooo!! 

Less than a minute later. 

Leo was chasing the group of male and female freelancers in the same old jeep the couple had been riding in. 

There was no need to explain what happened to the couple who pointed a gun at him. 

This time, I cast [Bloody Chase] on the woman's blood and run in that direction down the alley. 

Unlike the man named Mount, the woman seemed to have enough magical power to detect Leo's magic, but it seemed that she had no time to destroy it while being pursued like this. 

A red-tinted string is tied to the windshield of a car and changes direction as the head shakes. 

If it had been a chase with an ordinary vehicle, it would have been difficult, but even with Leo's rough driving skills, chasing a car without a rear wheel was possible. 

As I weave up and down the worn-out alleys and squeeze through the narrow streets, it doesn't take long before I see a car swerving along. 

I just stepped on the accelerator and rammed it into the car. 

Kwaaaaang!! 

Leo's body shook violently along with the vehicle, but the shield wrapped around his body strangely suppressed Leo's magical power control, preventing any bruises. 

He just turned the steering wheel so hard that the car slammed into the side of the road and was smashed. 

Woozijijikijik!! 

The old stone wall is being scraped away, and in an instant, the passenger seat door of the car rattles. 

Leo grinned as he heard the unidentifiable screams coming from inside. 

I wanted to drive until the side of the car was completely destroyed, but soon the narrow alley ended, and an open space appeared. 

The front yard of an abandoned, dilapidated, five-story building. 

To the side, a long stretch of equally closed railroad tracks, rusty and remnants of the past. 

As soon as there was space, the car quickly moved sideways to escape the Jeep's body ramming. 

The cars could be seen speeding away in the distance, but Leo watched them leisurely instead of stepping on the accelerator again. 

'There is nowhere to run.' 

I had already finished checking the magic power detection before entering the empty lot. 

The road back to the alley and the wide-open railroad side are blocked by Leo. 

Unless the two of you plan on climbing up the abandoned building and escaping, you should stop here. 

Even if that's what you were thinking, you wouldn't want to turn your back on Leo right in front of you. 

And by now… . it was time to sink our teeth into the advantage of numerical superiority. 

As expected, the car, which had been running smoothly but staggering, suddenly stopped and the car door opened wide from the inside. 

Instead of running away, the two men got out of the car and began to slowly walk towards Leo. 

Mount ground his teeth as he rubbed the back of his sore neck. 

"It's been a long time since I've been hit by a car. It's been a while since I've been hit by a car. It's been a long time since I've been hit by a car. Thanks a lot, you little shit." 

"Mount." 

"Trisha don't stop me. He's got a good sense of humour, considering he's followed me this far without ever missing a beat. We need to get him out of here and clean it up." 

"… … That's not wrong." 

The woman named Trisha then noticed the [Bloody Chase] Leo had used on her and drew up her magic power to shake it off. 

She also glared at Leo and glared sharply. 

"Hey. You're a freelancer too, right? That Madison guy is in a hurry, so he's reaching out to anyone, and it's no use getting upset now that you're a retard who's been trying to sell company secrets. Why are you meddling in something that's already over?" 

"If I really thought this was going to be the end, I wouldn't have let Madison live." 

Leo answered coolly. 

"...what?" 

"If we already have a customer for the blueprints, there's no reason to send Madison back alive. Wasn't it necessary to have someone to cover for the blueprints while they were being sold somewhere else?" 

Unfortunately, that's what it means to get hit in the back of the head on this floor. 

If you are going to risk your life for profit and loss and betray someone in a place where once-overturned trust is scattered like scraps of paper, shouldn't you do it properly? 

In that sense, the actions that Mount and Trisha took in betraying Madison were extremely awkward. 

At first glance, they seem to be people with some experience in this field, but it would be reasonable to assume that there was another reason for sending Madison, who was so naive and immature, away with only a bruise on her lip, rather than because they suddenly developed sympathy for her. 

And that meant the blueprints were still in their possession. 

Leo lightly flicked his hand as he took a fresh pack of cigarettes from his bosom in preparation for battle. 

"Hand it over. If you hand it over now and get out, I won't spare your life." 

Still, it is the most consideration Leo can give to a fellow freelancer. 

But the two seemed to find Leo's words quite offensive. 

"No, fuck, really… ... It's us who are trying to resolve this amicably. If you don't understand what I'm saying, we have no choice but to take action." 

From their point of view, where they had the numerical advantage, Leo's overbearing attitude was completely incomprehensible. 

It's strange that we can talk normally when our thoughts are so different. 

And all three of them did not attach any meaning to such conversation. 

Trisha muttered, drawing up her magic power with a murderous expression. 

"You'll spare my life? I'll just kill you, so beg for it!!" 

Wooooow!! 

At the same time, long strands of magical power stretched out from both of her hands and instantly attached themselves to the car and began to gallop towards Leo like a wild horse with its engine started. 

Boooooooooooo!! 

As soon as Leo saw her, he immediately knew what kind of sorcerer Trisha was. 

'A unique manipulation type of magic. And it's a very sophisticated type. If it's capable of manipulating a vehicle from that distance and crashing it...' 

Earlier, I was so focused on detecting the two people's presence in a state of confusion, including the smoke grenade, that I couldn't catch them, but if Trisha is a manipulation magician, then everything that happened earlier makes sense to some extent. 

The reason why a car suddenly started off without anyone in the driver's seat, or why it managed to drive all the way here even though one of its rear wheels broke, was probably because of her presence. 

Manipulative magic is notorious for requiring extremely precise techniques among various types of magic, but it has the advantage of allowing for a flexible response to a wide variety of situations, assuming that one has the ability to do so. 

However, the difficulty of innate magic is high, and increasing the range and application range of 'Magician', which is the basis of the manipulation series, is extremely difficult, so it is difficult to achieve great success unless you are born with the relevant talent. 

Or, perhaps, like Leo, he has the ability to instantly repair magic itself. 

[Marionette] 

He extends his magic wand with his index finger and connects it to the jeep standing behind him. 

By pouring magical power into a magician whose range cannot be increased due to the limitations of public magic, the range is increased and the scope of application is broadened. 

The headlights that had been off suddenly came on, and the Jeep, which started in an instant, leaped forward. 

Wooooow!! 

crash. 

Kwaaaaang!! 

The bodies of the cars collided at an angle and bounced in different directions with a loud noise. 

Scattered bumpers and body parts. 

The images of a passenger car narrowly slicing past Leo and a jeep zooming out into the distance and crashing into an old, abandoned building intersect. 

Through the black smoke billowing from both sides of the car, Trisha's eyes were seen widening as if they were going to burst. 

"Now, wait a minute… How did you use manipulation magic… ." 

"Idiot, focus!!" 

Is it actually that guy who looked sloppy that's coming to his senses? 

Leo immediately drew up his magical power as he heard Mount's roar. 

Woof woof!! 

A purple whip quickly shot out from the air, aiming for the direction where the two people were. 

Both Mount and Trisha easily dodged the attack, but the whip extended far past them. 

He immediately grabbed the rebar of the abandoned building behind them. 

Kkieeee...!! 

The support structure of the abandoned building, which was shaking due to the collision with the jeep that Leo had brought in, was mixed with [Gravity Bind], and the strong gravity pulled the misaligned balance down. 

Only then did Trisha's face turn pale as she realized Leo's trick, but it was already too late. 

Hold it while pulling your arm back. 

The old, rusty steel bars of the abandoned building could not resist the pull and collapsed like dominoes in an instant, covering the empty lot. 

shield 

Kwaaaaaaaang!! 

The concrete that supported the wall crumbled and hundreds of steel bars came crashing down from within. 

The rusted steel bars shattered from the impact of the fall, sending chunks of iron flying in all directions. 

Leo, who had created the board as he wished, immediately unleashed another powerful blast of magic. 

Phew...!! 

Take a big step forward and stretch out. 

The magical power that flows out from between the fingers takes on a concrete form along the path of intense thoughts and images. 

He quickly reassembled the remaining magical power and drew a new, bright blue bundle of lightning from the air. 

[Lightning Bound] 

Pah, pah, pah, pah!!! 

A sphere of intense light, as if condensed from dozens of bolt magics, descends. 

A burst of hot heat and intense light appeared, turning the darkening sky blue for a moment. 

Paaaaaaaah!! 

The rusted steel bars responded to the intense electric shock, and waves of bright blue electricity flowed across the ground, illuminating it. 

An area-of-effect skill that is bound to hit you unless you are quite skilled. 

I didn't touch the couple in the old jeep earlier, but these guys are different. 

He had no intention of taking it easy against those who were directly related to Leo's work and who had set out to destroy the body from the start. 

"… … … " 

It must have been a hit, but beyond the sand and dust, there was only a deathly silence. 

Leo waited quietly, biting into the cigarette and inhaling the smoke. 

I don't think I'll die like this, and even if I actually die, it's difficult. 

If the blueprints aren't in their possession, we'll have to find the broker called Madame through their mouths. 

And the life responses that caught Leo's senses did not disappoint his expectations. 

Kwaaaaang!! 

The mount burst out from under Leo's feet, squeezing through the rebar like a mole scurrying through sand, and slammed into his arm. 

What he holds in his hand is a straight sword that resembles a sharp awl. 

A stream of bright blue magic light bursts out from the blade and collides with Leo's shield. 

Woozijijijik!! 

The sword dug in with such force that it tore through Leo's two layers of shield and dug in. 

Penetration is more than meets the eye. 

The moment they clashed, Leo sensed it and quickly took two steps back while casting shock magic. 

Thump thump!! 

At the same time, he took out his revolver and aimed for Mount's shoulders, firing once each. 

Tatang!! 

However, Mount takes a moderate amount of shock magic and then dodges the bullets fired by Leo by shaking his body to the side, and then immediately moves forward. 

"… … … " 

It was a simple movement, but Leo's eyes, which recognized Mount's level with that one response, turned cold. 

The fact that he was able to deflect a shock spell that was not even visible the moment it was applied shows that he was no ordinary skilled magician. 

Even dodging the revolver's bullets was probably not because the bullets themselves were threatening, but rather because he was worried that Leo might be up to some trick. 

The third shield is breached, and immediately the fourth begins to shake. 

The power of the consecutive strikes that Mount unleashes with that sharp sword is proof that it is on par with the strength of the bandit-like man we met at the port. 

It was different from the past when you could simply receive it by stacking five layers of shields. 

I feel like I'm meeting increasingly higher level opponents as my enemies. 

Kwajijijik!! 

The fourth shield has been breached. If the fifth shield is breached, it is only a matter of time before Leo is exposed naked. 

In addition, the fact that Trisha does not show up is also something that cannot be overlooked. 

Although the crisis he encountered from a lightly received request was not trivial, Leo's face was still as cold as ice. 

Despite the opponent's skills changing from day to day, Leo's answer does not change. 

Just as I had initially decided, I will not avoid it, but rather move forward head-on. 

Wasn't the magical research that I had devoted myself to for so long also prepared for a moment like this? 

Taaak! 

As soon as he snapped his fingers, the shield that had been desperately resisting the mount's attack flinched. 

Wheeeeeeeeeeee!! 

In an instant, it began to rotate around an invisible starting point. 

Kagagak!! 

What at first appears to be a simple quivering shield starts spinning like crazy as if it has an engine, instantly throwing the mount off. 

As the point of impact, which had been concentrated in one place, shifted, the blade of the mount began to lose penetrative power and its strength began to deteriorate.