Breaking the Illusion

Shirone's magic was unique, and she liked that about him. But even more than that, she liked that he was a person who could empathize with the pain of others.

Because for her, the only reason to keep living was to shatter the hypocrisy of those around her.

"We'll be meeting soon."

Marsha stretched her arms, loosening her body.

The bracelet on her wrist flared with an intense glow, and in the next instant, it launched her straight toward the edge of the cliff.

Emerging from the valley, Shirone and his companions looked like a complete mess.

Though they had washed their faces in the water, their tattered clothes were still stained with blood—some of which they couldn't even be sure was their own.

The fact that there were no additional enemy reinforcements was a relief.

Considering the valley fortress's strategic importance, it was highly likely that the forty men they had just annihilated were the elite forces of the Parrot Mercenaries.

Even if there were remnants left, they would not pose much of a threat.

"This way."

Amy pointed in a precise direction.

According to her spatial memory, they had moved approximately twelve kilometers from the point where the battle had begun.

Factoring in the slope, their actual linear progress on the map was about seven kilometers.

Watching Amy use her Crimson Eye like a compass, Tess was impressed.

'Karmis... Truly an all-purpose ability.'

As they crossed the mid-slope, they finally came upon a proper road for the first time.

Tess took the lead, examining the tracks. Faint, but unmistakable, the marks of a wagon were visible on the dirt path.

"From here on, we're in their territory. In other words, we've breached the outer defenses."

To the exhausted group, this was welcome news, but they knew better than to let their guard down.

Even though they had eliminated most of the enemy forces, they had yet to encounter any of the commanding officers.

"The hideout should be at the end of this path. Yuna must be there too. We have no choice but to move forward."

Tess's eyebrows twitched.

"Get down!"

From the dense forest beside the road, a projectile shot out faster than an arrow.

Shirone's group had already started moving, but they couldn't completely evade the shockwave of the explosion.

"Kugh!"

Shirone was thrown backward by the impact, slamming into the trunk of a tree. Gritting his teeth, he immediately leaped to his feet.

Peering through the foliage, he saw the area where the projectile had landed, now engulfed in roaring flames.

"A Fireball?"

No—it couldn't be. If it were, Tess would have sensed it even earlier.

"Shirone! Watch out!"

A second and third attack followed.

Even as Shirone dodged, Amy's eyes flickered rapidly, tracking the trajectory.

'Over there!'

With a quick calculation, she fired off a series of Flame Strikes deep into the forest.

"..."

She wasn't sure if she had hit the enemy, but no further attacks came.

Tess shouted.

"Show yourself! Hiding and ambushing like a coward!"

The bushes rustled as a man stepped forward.

The speed at which he covered the distance was astonishing.

"Impressive. It seems your progress was no mere stroke of luck."

'Who is he?'

He was about Rian's height, but his slender frame suggested agility rather than brute strength. Despite having no eyebrows, he slicked his hair back with an air of confidence. His pale, snake-like appearance sent an unsettling chill through the group.

'No, more than that… he's strong.'

They all felt the same instinctive tension.

After a moment of silent observation, Amy spoke first.

"Who are you?"

"Deputy Commander of the Parrot Mercenaries. Agado Freeman."

The revelation of the second-in-command made Shirone's group tense.

But on the bright side, it meant they were close to their goal.

Amy took a step forward.

"I'll handle this. You guys go save Yuna."

Normally, numerical advantage was a key tactical principle, but in a hostage situation, the rules were different.

Even if they defeated Freeman, unless they executed their operation simultaneously, their objective—rescuing Yuna—would be impossible to achieve.

"But..."

Shirone glanced into the depths of the forest.

Ten soldiers were lying in wait.

Even though he had assumed there wouldn't be any more elites, these men were on par with the enemies they had fought in the valley.

'Were they running two separate units all along?'

For a mercenary group, it was quite a feat to divide their forces into two specialized divisions.

In fact, these men were Freeman's direct subordinates.

Since they followed different combat doctrines, they could never mix with Falcoa's men.

Regardless, if Freeman and his elite troops were here, it meant this was the final gate.

'Even if we break through, Yuna will be in greater danger. Someone has to leave now.'

As Shirone hesitated, Amy pointed at the weapon in Freeman's hand.

"Shirone, look at that. It's a gun. The hidden soldiers will have them too. They might not be as strong as him, but..."

Shirone recognized it.

Unlike magic-infused arrows, which required special arrowheads, guns were designed specifically to fire magic bullets.

While the narrower specifications made them much more expensive than enchanted arrows, their rapid-fire capability was a game-changer in combat.

Judging by the design, it was a revolver-style gun with a rotating cylinder.

Shirone understood what Amy was implying.

"Alright. I'll leave it to you."

The enemy's firing range likely extended several hundred meters.

Even if Shirone closed the distance with teleportation, they would simply move farther away.

However, a trained sniper could match them shot for shot at the same range.

And among them, only Amy—who specialized in long-range combat—had the expertise to counter this strategy.

"I'll block their path with Fire Wall. When I give the signal, use that opening to escape."

As Shirone nodded and stepped back, Rian and Tess also prepared to move.

Amy's eyes locked onto Freeman with intense focus.

"Now!"

A circular blaze erupted on the ground, trapping Amy and Freeman within.

Before anyone could react, the wall of fire surged several meters high, cutting off any interference.

Even as the searing heat filled the space, Freeman calmly observed the flames.

Maintaining a high-level spell like Fire Wall for more than three seconds required immense mental fortitude.

After ensuring Shirone and the others had escaped, Amy finally released the spell.

Freeman was genuinely impressed.

'Three seconds...'

A brief window of time, but more than enough to allow allies to retreat in battle.

Building a five-meter-high wall under combat conditions? Even seasoned professionals would struggle with that.

"Admirable. Sacrificing yourself for your friends."

Amy's pale face betrayed her exhaustion, but she smirked.

"Sacrifice? Please. I sent them away because I can handle you on my own."

"Is that so? You look quite exhausted. Unfortunately, I'm in a hurry, so I can't wait for you to recover."

Freeman extended his left arm, and another gun slid out from his wide sleeve.

'Dual guns… So he's a Gunner.'

Amy's eyes burned fiercely.

"You think you can match me in targeting?"

Her Crimson Eye gleamed red, and a spiral of fire coiled around her.

"You picked the wrong opponent this time."