I lay in the backseat while Roason Howi was in the driver's seat. I was wearing a white shirt of his, and he was wearing an overcoat over his hero costume. His white sallet helmet sat on the passenger's seat. The sunset dyed the sky orange. Its light glistened on the sea. Beside it, Roason's black hatchback zoomed toward that abandoned warehouse near the wharf.

"Remember, you will only come if I send you the signal. Don't exit the car without my permission," Roason reminded me the same thing again as he parked before the grimy, gray tin warehouse.

"I will, but just like what I said, you will call me right away," I answered, watching Roason get out of the car with his helmet.

Right after I closed my eye, Roason opened the car door and stuck his head inside, "Just don't worry too much. I may not be on the same level as you yet, but I still am one of the finest heroes out there."

I opened my eye and glanced at him. Behind the orange goggles on his sallet, there was a special optimism in his eyes. It did not originate from strength or confidence. It was just there.

He threw his overcoat into the car and went on his way. I just lay there, not thinking about anything in particular…

Perhaps it was time to worry about Roason, as we were likely walking into a trap. I had told Roason this before he booked the meeting with Lord Ky. I even warned him again after the Sovereign Agency sat the meeting in an abandoned warehouse away from crowds. There was really no liability on me since I had warned him about my concern twice. Granted, It would be bad if anything happened to him.

When had he become so reckless? He was always the prudent one back in the academy. Thinking about it now, I figured he was somewhat reckless before discovering the optimal use of his ability. I could still recall the time he fought only with his burning fists.

He was very stubborn back then. I literally had to tell him that technique was useless to make him dig into his thaumaturgy. Since then, he developed his prudent way of fighting…

As I reminisced about our time in the academy, I heard my phone ringing. That was the signal! Jumping up from the seat, I rushed out of the car, sprinting into the warehouse. The radiance of the falling sun was blocked by the thin tin wall. A glowing blue sphere flew right beneath the roof, illuminating the entire space between the four walls. The trace of past shipping cargoes was still on the floor, yet mostly covered under dust and grime.

Roason Howi, aka Calf Sun, stood a few meters away from the entrance, wearing his iconic white coverall with identical fire patterns extended from the tip of his shoulders.

Dozens of meters away, around the opposite entrance, was a woman in a black tuxedo. The hem was at the level of her white high boots, almost touching the floor. The ridiculously wide brim of her top hat and her blue scarf had her true identity hidden.

"Sable Blade," Calf Sun called the woman by her hero name, "What are you doing here? Where is Lord Ky?"

I stood behind Calf sun with a spell inside my closed fist. I was more than ready to fight. I was more than ready to force information out of her mouth.

"Lord Ky do not want to meet you. I'm here as his representative. Whatever you want to inform him, tell me instead," Sable Blade declared as she activated her thaumaturgy. A blue light of magic flared out of her right palm and turned black. The black magic energy transformed into a thin baton with a sharp edge. Although the dull stick had no keen edge, it could cut through any metal available to humans. That was what made her the strongest hero after my and Lord Ky's retirement.

"Is it true that he is into organ theft?" Calf Sun asked without hesitation and received a magic missile in response.

As we dodged apart, the woman swung her baton, drawing a dark crescent in midair. I had enough reflexes to spot her action, yet Calf Sun could barely react to the missile.

After Sable Blade launched her crescent, there would be a split second when she could not cast another spell immediately. What a fatal mistake! That instant was all I needed to land a spell, and a landed spell was all I needed to defeat her.

Yet something came to my mind as the crescent flew away from her. The crescent was targeted at Roason! I glimpsed in his direction just to notice him still focusing on the passing missile. That damn idiot!

I moved my eyes back to Sable Blade. Her baton was still in the air. She was not even facing me. That was my opportunity! But… I again glanced at Calf Sun. He was still unaware! Something had caught him. He was never so stupid before.

Uh! Screw him! I locked my eyes on the enemy and stopped. A vision flashed before my eyes. It was Roason, my friend Roason Howi, with only one arm. How could he ever hug Kiina again with that one arm? How would he explain it to his future child? I wanted him to be with me, not suffer with me.

I spread my holding fist.

Wall Spell.

A translucent, violet wall appeared before Calf Sun, shielding him perfectly.

The loud clash between the two spells stunned Calf Sun for a moment. I was also surprised but for a different reason. My 10cm barrier was nearly cut through. If I had spent a bit less magic energy into it, Roason would be dead now.

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"I see," the woman said as she lowered her baton, "Even with those injuries, you are still the real threat here."

Suddenly, she dashed toward me. She would catch me there if I were not Tale Nost.

Wall Spell.

Another wall was raised between us. She slashed right through. As her left foot landed on the ground, ready to propel herself forward again, I reached out my hand.

Laser Spell.

A giant shaft of light gushed out of my palm, devouring everything before my eyes. For an instant, I wonder how Roason was doing. Thus, I glimpsed toward him.

My sight stopped midway, and my laser paused. What? I looked back at Sable Blade just to find a black wall standing in front of where she was supposed to be. Blood climbed up my throat and seeped out of my mouth. A sable bolt was stuck in my stomach.

"Tale!"

I heard Calf Sun calling my name. The black wall and bolt faded slowly. That woman stood right there behind the wall. Her calm voice flew out from her blue scarf, "People call me Sable Blade and assume my thaumaturgy is to form a stick. Yet, that is only the dullest way of applying my power. My thaumaturgy 'Lightless Construct' enhances my magic energy and allows me to forge them into different shapes. Indeed, no normal wall spells can stand against the penetration of your laser beam. Yet, my enhanced magic energy is impenetrable and unstoppable."

So Sable Blade had been hiding her true ability since she started her career? Had she not, she would certainly be ranked in the same tier as Lord Ky and me. All those years of hiding just for this? For an edge in a secret fight? Why?

I dropped, and Calf Sun caught me before I reached the ground. As I lay in Roason's arm, that woman started yapping again:

"You are the first one, Ice Shaker. For more than a score, you are the only one who gets to appreciate an iota of my true power. But can you truly admire my art? Can a mediocre mage like you understand my grace? After all, your 'Pop Storm' is as boring as its user."

What did she just fucking say about my thaumaturgy? My "Pop Storm" was the strongest ability with the easiest trigger. If I could still clap my hands, she would never land a hit on me.

I had my hand on Roason's shoulder, attempting to push myself back on my feet. He held me down right away. Before I could continue, Roason yelled, "Please! We'll quit this! We won't bring this up ever again. We will be as quiet as mute. Please, just let us go!"

Completely ignoring Roason's pathetic begging, Sable Blade told him, "Unlike the rigid 'Pop Storm,' your 'Rider Blaze' and my 'Lightless Construct' are thaumaturgies that belong to real artists. I won't let you leave, Calf Sun, but if you put up a good show for me, I will give both of you a quick death."

I glanced toward Roason's lowered head and saw his glare of wrath. I ever so softly called him by his full name. I wanted to calm him down, yet the blood in my mouth refused to let me say another word.

I tried to grab Roason by his leg as he laid me on the ground. He did not stand a chance. How could he win if even I could not? Still, he charged forward, out of my grip, with his burning hands.

"Ahhhhhh!" Calf Sun threw his right fist at Sable Blade. She slightly shifted her body to his right and dodged his attack with ease.

Calf Sun immediately responded by swinging his left fist and received the same result.

Sable Blade kept orbiting him in the same direction, letting every punch miss to her left. She was playing with her prey. She was spinning Roason like a top. Why did Roason let her do this? How could he not notice it? What was he doing?

…

Hm?

Suddenly, Calf Sun veered around, sweeping his leg. The kick met Sable Blade from the left, going against the route of her rotation.

However, the difference in skill was still too wide. Sable Blade simply crouched down, letting the attack fly over her hat. While the kick was still in the air, she stamped Calf Sun on his standing leg.

Shit.

Watching Roason fall to the ground, she slowly asked, "Where are your tricks? Fight me like a true artist—"

"Huh-uh!" Sitting up, Calf Sun screamed in anger.

Wind Spell.

As he reached out his hands, two bursts of fire spurted from his palms. The flame entirely covered Sable Blade's shoulders and above. Granted, not a mark was made.

"Good. Good." She took a few big steps back, waiting for Calf Sun to stand up again.

Roason Howi's thaumaturgy "Rider Blaze" could ignite his spells, turning bursts of wind into bursts of flares. Although its effect was poor, it normally forced enemies to expend more energy on reinforcing their body than the amount spent on "Rider Blaze."

Standing on his feet, Calf Sun launched a heavy punch forward, flinging a huge wad of fire out of his fist. Following, he threw another punch and the one after it.

"Not bad." Sable Blade dashed into his attack. Wads of flame popped and disassembled on her, not leaving a burn on her clothes. Through the fading flares, she came to Calf Sun. Her clenched fists were covered in darkness.

Jump Spell.

Calf Sun propelled himself a dozen meters high. A surging flame was left on his path. Sable Blade instinctively parried the sudden yet weak flame, giving Roason a window to attack.

Shotgun Spell.

A volley of burning bullets dropped from the sky.

Wall Spell.

Sable Blade swung her arm upward. A blue barrier formed above her. As the pellets of fire rained on the wall, Roason was back on the ground. He was right before her.

The blazing punch flitted through the air. The tail of flares billowed in a straight line. Roason's fist smashed right into the woman's scarf, right into her face. The following explosion of dazzling flame had me shutting my eyes. Had he won? Did Calf Sun take down Sable Blade by himself? Had Roason Howi really made it?

…

When I could finally see again, I saw Sable Blade's black hair lying on the side of her pale face. The dark spike in her hand was stuck in Roason's chest. Despair was all I could find on Roason's visage. He fell to the ground as the spike faded away. With her usual indifference in her expression and voice, Sable Blade spoke again:

"I forgive you for destroying my hat and scarf."

What? What the fuck was she forgiving? This disgusting bitch!

"Since the fight was nice."

That was it? How could she ignore all his life, his love, his struggle, his character? This man was much beyond that stupid fight. This man was the one who cared for me. This man was the one who loved Kiina. This man was the one who would not bow to strength. This man was Roason Howi.

"Here is the quick death I promised," she finished her speech and forged a sable pole in her hands.

I could not. I could not accept this. This was not allowed to happen. Roason Howi would not die here! I had to stop her!