Chapter 9: Call this fate:

Yumiko slung her belongings over her shoulder and bolted from the guild entrance, her heart pounding as her boots hit the cobblestones. The vibrant city of Headwich enveloped her in its chaotic energy, the scent of spices and roasted meats mixing with the clang of a nearby blacksmith’s hammer. Her eyes darted in every direction, searching for the man. He couldn’t have gone far.

Street vendors lined the roads, their stalls overflowing with colorful fabrics, trinkets, and steaming bowls of food. The city was a melting pot of races, religions, and cultures across the world. One after another, they stepped in front of her, thrusting their wares into her path.

"Fresh fruit, miss!"

"Handmade jewelry, finest in the city!"

She dodged left, then right, muttering rushed apologies as she pushed past them, her focus fixed ahead.

Outside a dimly lit tavern, a large, bald man was enjoying a tankard of ale, his booming laughter mingling with the rowdy crowd outside. Yumiko swerved to avoid a particularly persistent vendor, only to collide with the man, spilling his drink all over his large chest.

"What the hell!" The man roared, rising to his feet, his hands dripping with ale. His beady eyes searched for the culprit, landing on Yumiko as she backed away.

"Sorry!" Yumiko called out, fumbling through her pouch before pulling out a silver coin. With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed the coin toward him. It spun through the air before clinking to the ground, rolling gently until it came to rest against the man’s boot.

“Get back here!” He yelled, tightening his hands into a fist.

She didn’t wait to see his reaction. Her legs carried her forward, her gaze scanning the street, left and right, as she searched for the blonde man. He couldn't have disappeared that quickly. Not after their encounter at the guild.

Crossing a small stone bridge, she slowed momentarily, leaning over the edge. Below, the heart of the city pulsed with life, the streets teeming with people. Laughter, music, and chatter filled the air, and for a brief second, she almost lost herself in the beauty of it.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him—a tall, blonde man moving with strong strides, his hands buried in his pockets as he weaved through the crowd, avoiding most of the bustle. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of his familiar brown shirt. It was him.

Without thinking, Yumiko climbed onto the edge of the bridge, steadying herself against the stone railing. Her breath hitched as she prepared to jump, heart racing as she calculated the drop.

“Wait!” A distant shout came from behind her, muffled by the city noise. The bald man whose drink she’d spilled was lumbering toward her, but his words barely registered in her mind. His voice was lost in the sea of chatter and market sounds.

Yumiko took a deep breath and dropped.

The wind whipped past her face as she reached out, her fingers grasping the gutter of a nearby building. With a swift, practiced motion, she repelled down the wall, her boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. Around her, people gasped in confusion, some pointing at her as if she’d materialized from thin air.

She didn’t pause. Her eyes locked on the man ahead, and she sprinted after him, shoving her way through the thick crowd once more. “Mister!” she shouted, her voice hoarse from the effort. “Mister!” She called again, closing the distance between them.

But he kept walking, oblivious—or uninterested.

Frustration boiled inside her. “Blondie!” she finally yelled, loud enough to catch his attention.

The man stopped, slowly turning around, a look of surprise flickering across his tired, greasy face. “You again?” he muttered, his voice tinged with annoyance. “What do you want now?”

Yumiko skidded to a halt in front of him, panting as she struggled to catch her breath. “I... I wanted to thank you,” she managed between gasps, her heart still racing from the chase.

Lukas stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “You’re welcome,” he said flatly, turning on his heel before she could say anything else. “Bye.”

Yumiko stomped her foot on the cobblestone street, her voice sharp with frustration. "Where do you think you’re going?" she shouted, watching as the blonde man—Lukas—dismissively waved her off without so much as a glance.

Ignoring the crowd pressing around her, she jogged up to him, falling in step beside him. “Let me properly thank you,” she insisted, her breath a little ragged from the chase, but she refused to back down.

Lukas barely slowed his pace, his eyes fixed straight ahead. “You already did,” he replied, his tone indifferent. “This is the second time I’ve heard it now.” His long strides ate up the distance as if he wanted to be anywhere but near her.

Yumiko huffed, struggling to keep up. The narrow streets were growing more congested, and Lukas seemed intent on weaving through the densest parts, as if hoping she’d give up. But she wasn’t so easily deterred. “More than that, I wanted to apologize!” she said, sidestepping a vendor’s cart as they neared the busy market district. “Would you stop for just a second?”

But he didn’t. Lukas kept walking, his voice low and exasperated. “Leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

The rejection stung, but Yumiko wasn’t about to let him slip away again. In one quick motion, she reached out and grabbed his arm, tugging on him hard enough to make him stop. Surprised, Lukas turned, his brow furrowing as he looked down at the small woman who now stood defiantly before him, her grip tight and determined.

She released his arm, finally holding his attention. “Now,” she said, her voice calmer but no less firm. “Thank you for paying my way and for returning my brother’s sword.” Her expression softened as she clasped her hands together in gratitude. “More importantly,” she continued, bowing deeply, “forgive my actions for fighting you.”

The bow wasn’t just any gesture. Lukas recognized its meaning—he’d seen it before, a sign of deep respect and humility, one her brother had often shown in the past. For a moment, as Yumiko remained bowed before him, something flickered in Lukas’s eyes. The distant, tired expression he wore seemed to crack, if only for an instant, as if the old Lukas was stirring beneath the surface.

But before he could respond, a voice broke through the noise of the crowded street, cutting sharply into the fragile peace between them.

“You bitch!” The angry shout came from behind them. Lukas and Yumiko both turned, their eyes narrowing as a burly man stomped toward them, his face twisted in fury. Three other men trailed behind him, clearly his lackeys, and together they formed a menacing wall of muscle and scowls.

Lukas raised an eyebrow, glancing at Yumiko. “Friends of yours?” he asked dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Yumiko shook her head, perplexed. “I’ve never seen them in my life.”

The lead man stopped in front of them, fists clenched at his sides. He was the same bald man Yumiko had bumped into earlier, his once-drenched shirt now stiff with dried ale. “You’re the one who knocked into me in the street!” he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her. His face was red with anger, and his voice carried the weight of a grudge long simmering.

Yumiko blinked in confusion, trying to recall the incident. “Uh…”

“And you threw a silver coin at me!” the man bellowed, stomping his foot in frustration like a child denied his way.

Yumiko smacked her fist into her palm as realization dawned on her. “Oh! Now I remember! Sorry about that again!” she said, bowing quickly.

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But the man wasn’t having any of it. “Like hell you are!” His glare intensified, his fists tightening as he took another step forward. “You think a single silver coin can pay for what you did?” he snarled. “This shirt you ruined costs double that, at least!”

Yumiko sighed, already reaching for her coin pouch. “Here, I’ll just—”

Before she could finish, the man slapped the pouch out of her hand, the clink of metal coins scattering across the cobblestones. The crowd paused momentarily, watching as the coins rolled and settled. Yumiko froze, eyes narrowing as she straightened up, the polite facade dropping from her face.

Before Yumiko could get a word out, Lukas threw his arm in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. His voice was low and edged with irritation. “How about you leave now before you ruin my mood too?”

The bald man standing opposite them broke into a wide grin, his eyes gleaming with arrogance. He glanced at Lukas’ guild tag, the small copper level-one symbol shining faintly in the sunlight. Then his gaze shifted to Yumiko’s level-six tag. His smile grew even broader.

“You two are just a couple of small fry,” he sneered, puffing out his chest. With a smug smirk, he pulled out his own tag, displaying the level-seven insignia like a badge of honor.

Lukas’ gaze darkened, the playful indifference in his face vanishing in an instant. He fixed the man with an icy stare that made the lackeys behind him shuffle uneasily. “Baldy,” Lukas said in a low, dangerous voice, “it seems you’re not reading the room very well.”

The air around them seemed to grow heavier, the tension crackling like static before a storm. The bald man’s smile faltered, then twisted into fury. “Baldy?” he shouted, his face flushing red.

“You dare insult me?” the bald man bellowed, his voice booming through the street. His face twisted in fury, and with each word, flecks of spit flew from his mouth. Yumiko instinctively recoiled, turning her head just in time to avoid the wet spray.

His nostrils flared, his bloodshot eyes fixed on her and Lukas with murderous intent. “I’ll show you how outclassed you are!” he snarled, his teeth grinding together.

With a furious stomp, the bald man’s boot slammed into the ground, sending a deep, resonating thud through the street. The earth shuddered beneath him, cracks spidering out from where his foot had landed. His muscles tensed, and the air seemed to vibrate with the raw power he was channeling. He was an earth-cast user.

“Pulverizer!” he roared, his voice reverberating through the alleyway like a war cry. The ground beneath his feet exploded as jagged shards of stone shot out in every direction. Razor-sharp rock fragments tore through the air, hurtling toward Yumiko and Lukas with deadly speed, the force of the magical attack leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

Chaos erupted as the crowd around them screamed in terror, fleeing in every direction to avoid the magic-fueled attack. The ground exploded where the earth shards struck, sending dust and debris into the air.

Yumiko rolled backward effortlessly, dodging the attack with a practiced grace. As she regained her footing, she glanced up, her heart pounding. Lukas had already avoided the attack and was already charging at the bald man, his hands engulfed in flames that flickered hungrily, casting an eerie glow against his face.

The bald man grunted, slamming his palms into the earth once more. A thick wall of stone rose from the ground just in time to block the wave of fire Lukas unleashed. The flames collided with the barrier, sending heat waves rippling through the air. Even from a distance, Yumiko could feel the blistering heat on her skin. She threw her arm up instinctively, shielding her face from the intensity of it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. One of the lackeys, emboldened by the distraction, hurled a knife in her direction. Yumiko’s reflexes kicked in. She rolled to the side, the blade missing her by inches. As she came up on her feet, another lackey charged at her, wielding a staff that crackled with raw magic. He swung at her with all his strength.

Yumiko ducked under the swing, her movements swift and fluid. In one seamless motion, she surged forward, driving the heel of her palm upward into his jaw with a resounding crack. The man’s eyes glazed over as he was lifted off his feet, sent flying backward. He crashed onto the cobblestones, unconscious before he hit the ground.

The two remaining lackeys stared in shock, their bravado evaporating as they watched their comrade crumple like a rag doll. “J-Justin!” one of them stammered, shaking his head in disbelief. “Get up, man!”

But Justin didn’t stir.

Meanwhile, Lukas rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another earth-shattering blow from the bald man. His movements were smooth and controlled, like he had done this a thousand times before. Without missing a beat, he raised his hand and shot another burst of fire at his opponent. The flames roared toward the bald man, but he only laughed.

“Again with that same trick?” the bald man mocked, slamming his hands into the ground once more. Another wall of earth erupted from the street, blocking the fire as easily as the first. He grinned behind the barrier, confident in his defense.

But Lukas wasn’t aiming to burn him this time.

By the time the bald man finished summoning his wall, Lukas was already at his side. The man’s eyes widened in disbelief as Lukas appeared next to him, faster than he could react. Panic flashed across his face. He had never seen anyone move that quickly before.

With a swift and brutal motion, Lukas swung his fist, connecting hard with the side of the man’s face. The force of the punch was enough to send the bald man staggering sideways, his consciousness slipping away. As his vision dimmed, his eyes caught a final glance of Lukas’ level-one tag, confusion flickering in his mind.

How? It was his last thought before his body careened into one of his stunned lackeys, collapsing in a heap.

The remaining lackeys clutched their heads, groaning as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. They exchanged nervous glances, clearly debating whether this fight was worth continuing.

Yumiko stepped forward, coming to stand beside Lukas, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips. “Nice punch,” she said, casting him an approving glance.

Lukas stood over the crumpled men, his expression cold and irritated. The lackeys were a pathetic sight, scrambling backward on their hands and knees, their faces twisted in panic. One of them, pale and trembling, raised his hands in a plea for mercy. “P-please! Mercy!” he begged, his voice cracking under the weight of fear.

Lukas clenched his fists, ready to deliver another strike, when Yumiko suddenly stepped in front of him. “Stop!” she shouted, her arms stretched out as if to shield the groveling men from his wrath. “They’ve had enough!”

The bald boss, still on the ground, groaned in pain. His bloodied face twitched with anger, and humiliation burned in his eyes. This wasn’t over. He refused to be humiliated by a couple of low-level nobodies. Slowly, his shaking hand moved to the pouch at his side, fingers brushing over the smooth, metallic surface of a magic-infused grenade.

While Lukas and Yumiko were distracted, the boss channeled his remaining strength, pouring magic into the grenade. His lips curled into a twisted grin as the energy crackled in his palm. “Eat this!” he snarled, hurling the grenade with all his might.

The object spun through the air, its glow intensifying as it neared them. Yumiko’s instincts kicked in. Without a second thought, she turned on her heel, her leg snapping up with a speed that left onlookers breathless. Her boot connected with the grenade mid-flight, sending it rocketing high into the air, far above the rooftops.

A thunderous explosion erupted in the sky, the magic dispersing harmlessly in a large cloud of fire and smoke. The bald man’s eyes widened in disbelief, watching the detonation with his mouth agape. Slowly, Yumiko lowered her leg, her expression calm and focused.

The remaining lackeys, frozen with fear, glanced up at Lukas, who still loomed over them like a vengeful spirit. Their terror only grew as one of them, voice shaking, pointed a trembling finger at him. “Th-that’s the freak! The Hero of the North!”

The bald boss’ heart stopped. The Hero of the North? His eyes darted to Lukas’ face, and then to the tag hanging around his neck. Could it really be him? In a panic, he scrambled to his feet, shoving his lackeys aside as he tried to flee. “We’re done here!” he shouted, his voice quivering with fear. His companions, realizing they stood no chance, quickly gathered their unconscious friend and followed their leader, disappearing into the crowd like rats.

As they fled, the people hiding in the nearby streets began to emerge, their cautious gazes turning to admiration. A murmur spread through the crowd, and soon enough, cheers and applause rang out. The bystanders, thrilled by the spectacle they had just witnessed, clapped in approval. Some even called out praises, but Yumiko barely acknowledged them.

She dusted off her hands, throwing Lukas a smug glance. “I could have handled that easily without your help, you know.” Despite the boast, her grin was bright, a mixture of pride and relief.

Lukas gave her a sidelong glance, his expression as unreadable as ever. “I thought you were a level six.”

Yumiko laughed lightly, bending down to retrieve her fallen coin pouch. She scooped up the scattered coins and, with a playful flourish, pulled out a new, shining guild tag. “I was in such a rush to find you, I forgot to put this on.” She held up the tag, the silver engraving of level seven catching the light. “They promoted me right before they released us. Isn’t that great?”

Lukas studied her for a moment, his gaze lingering on her prideful grin. Though she continued to talk about her efforts of getting to where she was at, her tales rang silent to Lukas’ ears. Halfway between her speech, he turned to leave, his footsteps steady as he began to walk away once again.

“Wait!” Yumiko called, darting forward to grab his arm. Her grip was firm, holding him in place. “Don’t leave yet.”

Lukas stopped, looking over his shoulder at her with an annoyed stare. “You already thanked me—three times, actually. So leave me alone.”

Yumiko’s expression shifted, the lightness of before vanishing as a more serious tone took over. “That’s not the only reason I chased after you.” Her voice was quiet, but her eyes locked onto his with an intensity that couldn’t be ignored. “I was sent to find you by someone else. Call this fate.”