I sprinted across the expansive grounds, frantically chasing the man who’d stolen my Black Blade. I didn’t have Lynne’s skill for pinpointing Zadu’s location, but he must not have been used to the sword’s weight—he’d left more than enough traces behind to guide me. He couldn’t be far.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I spotted my target up ahead. The garden’s trees rustled in the wind as he darted between them. He must have seen me too because he glanced over his shoulder. Determined not to lose him, I surged forward and leaped.
“[Physical Enhancement]. [Featherstep].” The ground fractured beneath my feet. Then, in the next instant, I was right behind him. “Finally, I’ve caught up with you.”
Zadu clicked his tongue. “Even with a decent head start. Seriously, what’s with you? And why’s this thing so heavy?” He put on another burst of speed, shattering the earth with each step—but even that wasn’t enough to shake me. I matched his acceleration with ease, probably because the weight of the Black Blade was slowing him down.
“Could you please give it back?” I asked.
“No. Have you not been paying attention?”
“It’s really important to me.”
“And I should care because...? [Alchemy].”
Zadu drew a silver blade that began to glow red. It split into an uncountable array of wicked, cross-shaped daggers, which hovered in front of his chest. As one, they spun in a quick flourish—then shot straight toward my face.
[Parry]
A forceful sweep of my arm was enough to scatter the blades. My execution wasn’t perfect—blood sprayed from the gaps in my defense—but a quick application of [Low Heal] patched up the injuries without issue.
“The hell?” Zadu grumbled. “Who repels mithril without a weapon?”
“I used to practice something similar all the time,” I said. “I could do this all day—provided your attacks stay light enough.”
“Absurd as ever, aren’t you? This is getting to be a real pain, so could you do me a favor and die? [Call Lightning].”
[Parry]
A furious thunderbolt flew from Zadu’s free hand—only to be slapped aside. My arm went numb up to the elbow, but it was just enough to divert the bolt past my body and into the trees behind me, where it exploded in a magnificent burst.
“Seriously? Are you even human anymore?” Zadu asked. “Your first reaction to lightning shouldn’t be to smack it with your bare hands.”
“Again, I’m drawing on a lot of past experience. A skeleton practically drowned me in it once.”
“A skeleton? What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“Anyway, look—can you just give it back? I need it for work.”
“My answer’s not going to change. [Alabaster].”
Zadu’s next spell conjured countless sharp icicles, reminiscent of the ones Lynne used from time to time, then sent them hurtling toward me. I could probably have turned them away with my arm, like I had the silver daggers, but they looked so cold that I didn’t want to touch them. Instead, I scooped up a pebble conveniently resting by my foot, crushed it, and tossed the remains into the oncoming onslaught.
“[Stone Throw].”
Every icicle shattered into pieces, scattering shards that froze the ground solid. I’d made the right call by not touching them—even a few frost particles brushing my cheek iced it over.
“Once again, he proves he’s deranged,” Zadu remarked. “I’ve never seen anyone handle that attack the first time they face it.”
“I just got lucky,” I said. “I’ve seen a friend use similar magic before.”
“You know, it just occurred to me—could you be even more of a pain without this thing? Your movements aren’t at all as I remember them.”
“You might have a point. It does feel easier to move.”
I’d grown so used to carrying the Black Blade that its weight no longer bothered me—but going without it felt surprisingly freeing. Zadu had made an excellent observation.
“Still, that doesn’t mean you get to keep it,” I said.
“Wasn’t trying to convince you,” Zadu drawled. “[Crimson].”
The next attack to close in on me was a gargantuan fireball—except it wasn’t composed of ordinary flame. The incandescent sphere unfurled as it moved, blooming like a fiery flower until a blazing barrier stood between Zadu and me. The flames were so intense that the air around them shimmered, and the ground melted without even making contact with them.
I really didn’t want to touch the flaming flower, but I had to do something. Zadu would escape me otherwise. I caught a glimpse of his grin from beyond the barrier as he leaped over the high walls enclosing the palace grounds.
“[Featherstep].”
I took a deep breath and charged straight into the heart of the inferno. Flames licked my entire body—but they wouldn’t do any lasting damage as long as I kept moving.
“You won’t get away!”
Burned all over, I burst through the flames and gave chase once again. Fortunately, my injuries were light enough that [Low Heal] made short work of them.
“Every time I think you’re out of surprises...” Zadu muttered, exasperated. “What’s wrong with your head, jumping straight into all that fire? Honestly, it’s ridiculous that you’re even chasing me.”
“Well, you stole something from me. Seems pretty normal to want it back.”
“That’s really not what I was getting at.”
Zadu sprinted across the city’s rooftops, shattering tiles with each step. I struggled to keep up as he led me through a dizzying maze of terrain, leaping between squat buildings, narrow alleys, and high ledges. A jolt of terror shot through me with every ascent, but there was no time to complain. I forced myself not to look down as I continued my dogged pursuit.
“You don’t give up, do you?” he sighed. “Why are you so determined to get this thing back?”
“Because it’s not just mine. Someone else entrusted it to me.”
“Then why not be more forceful? You wouldn’t need to chase a dead man.”
“Hey, I could never go that far.”
“Yeah? Why not?”
“Why would I, when we can talk things out? I’m getting through to you right now, aren’t I?”
“What are you babbling about...?” Zadu sprang high into the air, landing atop the spire of a tower in what appeared to be a plaza of some kind. He cocked his head, staring at me. “Hey. Just gotta ask—you really believe what you’re saying, don’t you?”
“Of course. I’m not saying anything that strange, am I?”
Zadu examined me for a few moments. “I see. So you are a lunatic.” A smile spread across his black-bandaged face, like a fissure opening in the earth, as he maintained his balance atop the narrow tower’s spire.
“You’re free to think that,” I said. “But seriously—can you give my sword back? Please?”
“How many times have you asked me? I can’t. Gotta take this back with me to finish a job.”
“Would you do anything if you were paid to?”
“Almost.” Zadu shrugged. “If you’ve got a problem, take it up with my client.”
“Can you tell me who they are?”
“Hmm? Of course not.”
I stared at him in confusion. “Then what am I supposed to do?”
“If it were up to me? Die here, or give up. Either one would make my life easier. [Crimson].”
Zadu conjured another flaming mass in the shape of a flower and hurled it straight at me. This time, I was confident I could dodge it—but doing so would let it crash into the buildings and people behind me.
“[Tiny Flame].”
I gathered the flames that flickered at the tips of my five fingers into the palm of my hand, then thrust them forward, meeting the giant fireball midair and halting its momentum. Both attacks dissipated on impact, leaving me with little more than a few burns from the firepower of my own [Tiny Flame]. I wasted no time patching them up with [Low Heal].
✦ ✦ ✦
Zadu stared at me, his head still cocked as he scratched his cheek with his free hand. “That strange healing magic of yours... I’ve been wondering for a while now—it’s not unlimited, is it?”
I paused for a moment. “To tell you the truth, I don’t really know.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
“But now that you mention it, I don’t think it’s ever run out.”
“You’re a freak of nature from head to toe, aren’t you? Don’t think I didn’t notice how you used that minor fire spell. Watching you feels like the whole world’s gone mad. Nothing’s worked so far, but...”
Suddenly, Zadu was behind me. He made a sweeping cut with a silver blade that hadn’t been in his hand just a moment ago.
“What if I do this?” he mused aloud.
I didn’t need to dodge—the blade didn’t even graze me. Instead, the tower behind me cracked and split apart, spewing rubble toward the plaza below.
“Are you out of your mind?” I asked. “There are people down there!”
“So?”
“[Physical Enhancement]. [Featherstep].”
With a single kick, I shot off the rooftop and landed among the startled crowd below.
[Parry]
I intercepted the falling rubble with my arm, breaking it apart in midair. Some of my blood scattered with the debris, but it looked like everyone else had come out unscathed.
Up above, the man responsible looked far too pleased with himself, his shoulders shaking with amusement. “Strange, strange... Ever so strange,” he called down. “Usually, the weak become stronger by banding together. But you—you’re the complete opposite. The more useless hangers-on you have around you—the more dregs you’re surrounded by—the weaker you get.”
Zadu laughed—and with ruthless speed, destroyed the remaining towers around him.
“What are you doing?!” I shouted.
“It really is strange. Why cling to all that deadweight? You’d get so much more done on your own.”
A fresh torrent of rubble rained down toward the crowd.
[Parry]
“See?” Zadu said, still laughing as I frantically swept debris aside. “When you’re surrounded by small fry, you waste your time on pointless things. I guess you really are insane.”
He grinned, and a flock of silver cross-shaped blades appeared above his head. They arranged themselves into neat rows and columns, blanketing the sky, while the bandage-faced man began to blur and become transparent, like a mirage.
“Crap...” I muttered.
“See ya, weird guy. Not that I ever want to run into you again.”
“Wait. Please!”
As soon as I moved to pursue him, countless silver blades launched at the people around me.
[Parry]
I repelled the blades with my arms, sustaining more than a few cuts in the process. Blood ran freely down my body, but thankfully, everyone else was unharmed. There was just one problem.
“Damn... He got away.”
When I looked back toward the rooftop, Zadu was gone. And he’d taken the Black Blade with him.