The staff member went rigid. Before the grim-faced Kulahi and the others, the crystal vanished.
It meant the release order for the worst Mage in existence had been approved.
The staff member declared in a trembling voice.
"The system evaluation… has passed. There is no danger. Overall assessment: 12,300. 'Void'—this is impossible. How did you—"
Like I wouldn't want to know that too.
The release application had breezed past every hurdle that should have existed, without so much as breaking a sweat. The moment I spoke to him, the man who hadn't reacted to anything until now finally responded—and without any negotiation whatsoever, he accepted the request.
If it hadn't worked, I was planning to apologize to Nora. Now nothing made sense.
The Void stepped down to the floor, let out a small breath, and dusted off his arms.
"So this is the anti-magic field… I don't know the原理—er, the principle, but I see why that woman locked me in here."
The strange power the Void had been radiating—the one that even blocked the City System's interference—was now gone. No, that power being sealed away was the prerequisite for the City System to release him.
If the City System had released the man, then he shouldn't bear us any ill will.
The Void held out his palm toward me, who still hadn't grasped the situation. The next instant, a massive crack split through the glass that had been separating the room.
"Tch. Can't use magic worth a damn… Well, it can't be helped."
"…Wait, is he actually safe?!"
He was already committing acts of destruction from the get-go.
"Heh heh… He's a once-in-a-generation master criminal, so even with his powers sealed, he can probably do that much," Zurii said. Both Zurii and Kutorii had their faces twisted. I was glad there were people who shared my values for once.
The door opened and the Void walked out nonchalantly. Kulahi, who had been standing beside it, stepped forward with a combative grin.
It seemed he was back in top form, purple lightning dancing through his jet-black hair.
"To think we'd cross paths again—what a strange twist of fate. Without a mask, you can't fool my eyes. ……But I'll welcome you this time. Krai is the one who decided to release you. Still, you'd best watch your step. My power now isn't what it was during the Martial Emperor Festival."
"……So you're the Thunder Emperor? ……I see, so every member from back then has gathered in one place. A tasteless combination, but interesting in its own way."
The two locked eyes, sparks flying between them. Could they have known each other?
They didn't seem particularly friendly, but I hoped at least they wouldn't cause any trouble.
"Now, now, let's get along. By the way, what should I call you?"
"Call me whatever you like. I'm not the Boss anymore."
The man fixed me with a gleaming stare.
§ Please never come back again.
Bidding farewell to those parting words from the staff member, I left the prison and summoned my spider.
The man we'd released—code name Void, real name Kuuhi—fortunately showed no signs of rampaging anytime soon.
He glanced at the prison's security and spoke with a bored expression.
"I see. Indeed a threat—if you can't use magic, that is. ……Now I understand why I fell under that woman's jurisdiction rather than mine. In this city, you'd genuinely struggle against her one-on-one."
"That woman? Who do you mean?"
Kulahi had been hovering nearby like a shadow. Kuuhi answered him.
"A sword demon who cut her way to the top of an entire organization with a single swing of her blade. Her name is 'Sword Tail.' You'd best be careful—her sword can't be dodged by any ordinary Mage. You'll almost certainly end up fighting her in this city."
"Sword demon, huh… Interesting. Krai!"
"I didn't come here to fight, you know."
Whoever that Sword Tail was, all I could do was pray she wouldn't get in our way.
We climbed aboard the spider and headed toward Nora's building.
As the spider leapt between buildings, I stared out at the scenery in a kind of escapist haze—until I noticed a large crowd gathered on the street below, making a commotion.
Something was being projected onto the wall of a wide building.
We were already in Nora's territory. I lowered the spider down to take a closer look.
Projected on the building's wall were the figures of Nora and Alisha racing across the rooftops, chasing each other.
Zaza and the others had been in the crowd—they spotted us and came running over.
"Krai! Look, look! Nora and Alisha are having a race right now!"
"Oh, wow…"
"They're both super fast! I'm so jealous!"
Ruru pointed excitedly at the building wall.
So that crowd was all spectators… She had said she'd play around with Alisha, but I didn't think she'd actually do it literally.
"Whoa… that's fast."
"Heh heh heh… Zurii, ain't she faster than you?"
"Shut up! Besides, I'm the kind of Thief who doesn't run!"
Rusha and the others bickered while watching the feed.
But just as they said, the two of them were fast.
Scaling, leaping, and climbing across buildings with varying heights, using their full bodies—it was genuinely impressive to watch.
Nora was in the lead, with Alisha trailing about ten meters behind. Both of them had exceptional athletic ability. There was no hesitation when jumping between buildings.
Alisha did calisthenics every day, so I always figured she was pretty athletic, but Nora was on yet another level.
She was physically superior to me, a Hunter, and it wasn't even close.
"That's your employer this time—Nora Cord, is it? I'll have to test her."
"Seems like it'd make for good training."
Kuuhi scaled upward as if charging through the air, and Kulahi leaped after him.
Zaza and the others were frozen stiff, but I politely looked away from them. They were about to shatter my entire understanding of Mages…
"……Still, Alisha is impressive too. I can't believe she can keep up with Nora."
"Nora's been boosting herself, you know? In this area, she's strong enough to count from the top!"
Zaza and Ruru seemed to give up on commenting about Kuuhi and changed the subject.
If what they said was true, then maybe Alisha was actually absurdly high-spec…
"Oh, they're almost at the finish!"
"Of course Nora isn't going to lose. Alisha gave it her all, but—"
Nora leaned her body far forward, sprinting across the rooftop like the wind, while Alisha mimicked her posture, teeth clenched, face beet red, refusing to give up. Beyond the gap between the buildings, a glowing arch came into view.
That must be the finish line. No matter how you looked at it, this was Nora's win.
Alisha's movements were impressive in their own right, but even to an amateur eye, the gap was obvious. Alisha already looked like she was at her limit, while Nora—though clearly feeling the strain—still had a touch of composure left.
A few more seconds would settle it. The spectators' excitement was at its peak. They were screaming their support.
I'd never seen people this hyped up before.
I felt myself getting swept up in the frenzy, raising my hand and shouting along.
"Alisha, hang in thereeeee!"
—That was when a gust of golden wind streaked just above Nora as she sprinted at full speed.
Nora slammed on the brakes at the sudden intruder and screamed.
"What the—?!"
No—that wasn't wind. It was a man.
A man wreathed in lightning, and another man gliding after him in pursuit. The Thunder Emperor and Kuuhi shot past Nora and the others at staggering speed, then veered right just before the arch and ran straight down the face of the building.
They seemed to be arguing as they descended, but what the hell was that just now?
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Princess Alisha wins!!"
"Oh."
Snapped back by the explosive eruption of cheers, I turned my gaze toward Alisha.
There she was—collapsed past the finish line with a satisfied smile—and Nora, staring at her with a blank expression.