Encounter

Oka was very unhappy.

He had traveled all the way to Egypt on orders from the family head to assassinate some brat, only to spend three miserable days and nights staking out the Muggle airport, eating, sleeping rough, and freezing. And then—news arrived—the target had left by sea.

Furious, he vented his frustration on a Muggle woman, casting Obliviate to wipe her memory clean.

He hadn't given the matter much thought. While the International Confederation of Wizards explicitly prohibited casually casting Black Magic or spells on Muggles—No-Maj, Mortals, whatever you wanted to call them—the Statute of Secrecy trumped all. Obliviate didn't fall under "harmful" spells in their view.

Besides, coming from a prestigious pure-blood Black Wizard family, the laws of the British Ministry of Magic were more of a matter of "contribution" than strict compliance.

But he forgot—this wasn't Britain. It was Egypt.

The Egyptian Ministry of Magic didn't play games. He was almost immediately targeted by the local Aurors, and it had taken every ounce of his cunning to shake their pursuit.

Now, though free, he couldn't cast spells recklessly. One wrong move, and not only would he be imprisoned, his entire family's reputation would suffer.

So here he was, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity—a single, clean kill with no witnesses.

His eyes landed on two brats in the distance. He compared them to the photo in his hand, scowling at the dense crowd of Muggles. Two sharp-eyed men in trench coats patrolled nearby—Aurors, no doubt.

He snorted in frustration, yanking his hood lower over his face.

The Aurors had followed him here.

He cast one last glare toward Kai Adler, then disappeared into the crowd.

—

At the same moment, Hermione studied the map in her hands.

"Kai, I found the museum! Let's go!"

She turned, only to see Kai staring off toward the crowd.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Kai smiled casually. "Let's go."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him but didn't press further. She flipped her long hair, walking ahead.

This guy doesn't even realize it himself, but whenever he shows that smile, he's hiding something…

Kai blinked, puzzled.

What's wrong now?

The rest of the day, Kai accompanied Hermione around Alexandria, Egypt's bustling port city. They snapped photos, visited museums and libraries—mostly the latter at Hermione's insistence.

When Kai suggested they stay overnight because he was "tired," Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Did walking through a library tire you out?" Her tone was pure sarcasm.

"No," Kai shrugged, "I just think we don't need to rush. We can leave tomorrow."

Hermione tilted her head thoughtfully, studying him.

"…Alright."

She turned away.

"Careful—!"

Thud!

Not paying attention, Hermione bumped into someone behind her. She gasped as the person stumbled back, their cane clattering to the ground.

Hermione immediately noticed—the man's eyes were tightly closed. Blind.

"I'm so sorry!" She bent down to help pick up the cane.

But her wrist was caught mid-motion.

Kai's hand firmly grasped her wrist as he knelt, retrieving the cane himself. He handed it back to the man.

"Sorry, we didn't see you."

"It's alright," the man replied.

He was tall, dressed in a long gray robe, a headband holding back short, fine black hair. His closed eyes were still, unseeing.

The man accepted the curved-hand cane, which was inlaid with a small, shimmering red gem. He smiled faintly and walked away, his cane tapping rhythmically along the ground.

Kai watched him head toward a nearby hotel, thoughts turning over.

How lively…

Another Stand User.

He was beginning to wonder if he radiated some kind of magnetism for these people. Everywhere he went—another Stand User, another encounter.

But he didn't dwell on it. Stand User or not, they were all just passersby. His real problem was still lurking nearby—the little tail that needed clearing.

"Let's go to the hotel up ahead," Kai said, gesturing forward.

The two of them made their way toward the same hotel.

Behind them, just out of sight, the air rippled faintly—like the surface of water disturbed by an unseen force.