10 feet under the ground

   “Lilith, are you okay? Can you stand?” I asked, never taking my eyes off the trees.

   She swallowed hard, forcing herself up despite trembling legs. “Y-yes…” she murmured, brushing dirt off her dress. Her crimson eyes darted to the destroyed bench, then back at me. “…I couldn’t even see the spell.”

   “That’s because it wasn’t a spell. He used pure mana as a ranged weapon.”

   I raised my voice, projecting it toward the shadows beyond the trees. 

   “I can see you back there. No point hiding—come out.”

   For a moment, the night held its breath. Then, from behind a tree, a figure emerged. Cloaked in dark ninja garb, his mask shaped like a bat, his very presence radiated silent death. His movements were measured, every step precise, like a predator closing in.

   I brushed the dust from my pants with exaggerated calm, then pointed to the broken bench. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to destroy the state property?”

   The masked figure didn’t answer. Instead, with a flick of his hand, another wave of mana sliced through the air.

   I raised one of my Arcana cards, its surface glowing as it absorbed the attack like water into a sponge. The card shimmered yellow.

   The assassin froze—clearly not expecting that.

   I smirked. “Sorry to disappoint, but these cards absorb mana.”

   His hesitation lasted only a heartbeat. Then, with a blur of motion, he drew two sleek daggers and charged forward. His footwork was sharp, his angles deadly—he probably has a lot of experience in killing. 

   But I'm not planning to die yet.

   I flicked the glowing card into the air. It shattered with a crackle, releasing eight electric bullets that spiraled toward him like hunting hawks.

   The assassin twisted and flipped with astonishing agility, weaving through the barrage. Each bullet missed him by inches, bursting against the ground in showers of sparks. He was fast—too fast for ordinary men.

   When he leapt high, daggers poised for a downward strike direcly at me... but I didn’t move. 

   Or more like I didn't have to.

   BANG.

   The assassin’s body jerked violently midair, a small dart embedding into his back. His limbs went limp, and he crashed to the ground beside me with a heavy thud.

   I glanced at the tranquilizer dart protruding from his back, then turned to Lilith with a lopsided grin. “Well… that was close.”

   Lilith, still pale, pouted faintly. “Would someone mind explaining what is happening?”

   Before I could answer, a familiar voice rang out:
   “Master! Lilith! Are you okay?!”

   I turned. Emerging from the shadows was Luna, a sleek sniper rifle slung over her back. Her silver hair glistened faintly under the moonlight, her eyes sharp but softened with relief. Beside her trotted Bel, his small hands still faintly glowing with the residue of mana.

   “Yes, we are fine." I showed her a thumb up. "That was a great shot, by the way.”

   Luna’s cheeks flushed pink, her lips tugging into a modest smile. “Thank you very much, Master.”

   Bel, standing proudly next to her, puffed out his chest. “And me? Didn’t I do a good job too?”

   I chuckled, ruffling his hair. “Of course you did. The sniper rifle you made was excellent. Right, Luna?”

   She nodded firmly. “Yes, Bel. It’s a very impressive piece of work.”

   Bel beamed at the praise, bouncing slightly on his heels.

   As I once mentioned before, during our time living in Zephyra’s house in the forest, Bel was always curious about everything. But especially about Zephyra’s inventions. She noticed something in his curiousity and decided to teach him the basics of magical engineering, as well as spells tied to it.

   One of them was the Materialization Spell—the ability to turn mana into solid form. The spell itself isn’t difficult, but the challenge lies in details. To create an object, you must perfectly visualize its structure: every spring, every trigger, every mechanism. Imagine trying to conjure a gun, one that fires darts silently, at long range, without jamming. Not an easy feat, right?

   And yet Bel had done it. That boy truly had talent.

   “Sorry to interrupt, but...” Lilith spoke up, still unsettled. “Can someone finally explain what just happened?”

   I turned to her, expression sharpening. “That was an assassin. Most likely sent to eliminate us. I mean—after all, we did burn their entire hidden business to the ground. It was obvious something like this would happen.”

   Lilith stiffened. “Are you trying to suggest that… the Silverbane Family sent him? There is no way they are foolish enough to make enemies of the Naberius Clan.”

   I shook my head. “I doubt the Silverbanes even know it was us. They probably only know that someone burned their entire business to the ground, and they want the culprit erased before it causes them more trouble.”

   Her eyes widened. “…So they don’t even know who they’re targeting?”

   “Exactly,” I said. “This assassin belongs to a cult that specializes in manipulating pure mana. The Silverbanes must’ve hired them to track down the one responsible. He probably followed the traces of mana I left behind when I torched that building. That’s how he ended up here.”

   Lilith’s face grew pale.

   “Anyway,” I continued, straightening, “he won’t wake up for a while. But better not waste time.”

   I looked at Bel. “Bel. Two shovels and a wooden box, please.”

   “Got it!” His small hands glowed, and within seconds, the requested tools materialized from swirling mana. He handed one shovel to me and one to Luna.

   Lilith’s eyes widened. “…What are you planning to do with those stuff?”

   None of us answered. Instead, Luna, Bel, and I exchanged glances, then slowly turned to her with the same mischievous, almost evil smiles.

   I rested the shovel against my shoulder. “We’re preparing for an interrogation.”

* * *

   After a long interrogation, the assassin finally cracked. We learned more than we expected.

   Both the incident in the forest and the one in the slums… were connected to the Silverbane family. And also, the family themselves had no idea who was responsible for destroying their hidden operations.

   Good. That meant we still had the upper hand.

   Now, all that was left… was to win tomorrow’s duel.

   And finish the Silverbane family once and for all.