Consequences

Ino shouted back at the crowd, forming, “Everyone take it all! Feed your families well.” She rushed off the carriage towards the black robes; there were four of them.

Right behind her, Sorin was also running with her. They used wind to create distance away from the people to make sure they didn't get harmed. “Ino, two each.” A small nod came from her, and they split.

Ino begins by casting a huge earth wall that slides across the street like a fortress waiting to crush its invaders. The two black robes, however, quickly shift from wind magic to earth. As both of them have their staffs out, they quickly turn the earth into mud, causing it to collapse before gliding over it.

“You two are sneaky! I like a bit of fun.” Ino gave a crazed smile as she unleashed fire waves that could melt someone in a second. The right mage glided in front of the other and cast a water spell, causing the fire to turn into mist. “Water, you play dirty!”

Ino quickly switched plans, jumping herself onto a rooftop then casting wind slashes straight at the two. Each shot missed, but as the wind piled up behind them, a circular shape formed.

As the two black robes started to get pushed back into her attack, they both used earth to stabilise themselves. Ino quickly took a look around. “No one around. That's good.” Her palm extended out as fire erupted into the wind, causing an inferno behind them. It spun rapidly, causing the air itself to suffocate.

Sorin quickly gave a glance from the side of his eye as he was battling the other two black-robed mages. "Don't destroy everything! As one of them slashes wind at his neck, he twists himself under it and casts water that envelopes the robed figure before freezing it solid.

“I will try!” Ino continued sending fire towards the now stuck robed figures, fighting against the heat and the wind pushing them back. The left figure below looks up at the roof, taking out his staff and casting a water shot straight at Ino, who ducks underneath. “Water really is annoying…” She jumps down from the rooftop, effortlessly gliding across the main street straight at the man before lunging herself straight at him, causing him to fall into the raging inferno.

From her right, the other robed figure stared in shock at the sight. A staffless mage woman who outsmarted them was pitiful. A manly voice erupted, “I won't let someone like you win, not after this. Not ever.” he spun himself around, using the earth to bounce himself further away as he cast another water shot, realising Ino can't defend it; Ino could only use wind to deflect.

Sorin kept glancing over; he was more interested in seeing how she held herself up than the robed mage against him, and he started noticing the weird dodges Ino had been doing.

She controls three magic types; earth was used to save me, and she just used fire and wind. She can't fight with water, especially considering they are highly trained.

He stares down the mage in front of himself "Im done with you.” he rushes over towards Ino before pushing her out of the way onto another incoming blast, using his own water magic to parry the attack at the man, sending him back. “Take care of the other one. You're really like a cat, you know. Can't handle a bit of water.”

Ino got rid of the raging inferno before retorting, “I was handling it perfectly fine! And our time to leave is now anyway.” Ino pointed at the empty carriage. They both nodded, “Let's get back to Chikaru.”

Ino took the lead, jumping onto the rooftop, followed by Sorin; The mages seemed to be focused on their downed teammates. They both jumped from rooftop to rooftop, seeing the occasional person smiling at them from below; it was a really beautiful sight to behold, especially for Sorin.

This feels rather good actually. I just gave out tons of food to a bunch of people who needed it, but at the same time I did take from the mages. It's not really all good. Not the hero I want to be anyway.

As they reached the end of their jumping journey, her face got serious, almost unsettling, as she went completely dead silent like she was stalking everything. “When I tell you to dodge, you jump to the right, understood?” Her tone dropped an octave; it wasn't a joke. Sorin just nodded, as they continued. Tension rose in their body until the moment they hit “Dodge!”

They both jumped in opposite directions as a huge burst of flame rained upon them, crushing a cottage they were standing on near the hatch. It burned brightly, almost explosively. The entire building they stood on was on fire.

“AHHH!” people from the inside screamed; it was an innocent family. Not only innocent, but they had no magic; they were commoners.

Without taking another second, Sorin jumped down, casting water towards the building, but Ino quickly dashed at him before sweeping his legs with a wind burst. Sorin stared up at the sky, confused by why she would do that. Before he could even talk, he was already held by Ino as she jumped down the sewage system with him.

From above the hatch, the bright sky turned bright red. Forcing Sorin to look away until the moment he hit the hard floor of the sewage system. “What was—” he was stunned; the spell power was like if somebody decided not to even care about their lives or the people around them.

That family, they are dead. There isn't a way they haven't died. I was so close; if I just had twenty more seconds. I could have made enough water!

Sorin stared up as Ino was on top of him, guilt written all over him. Ino stared back down without any remorse. “You were going to die. You couldn't save them with whatever that red-haired guy was shooting at us.”

“What do you mean? How did you even catch a glimpse of him that fast? Leave that for later. We have to go through the same thing.” he jolted up with anger at Ino. His body aggressively tried to throw her off.

She didn't budge; however, “Do you think that they are still alive? They are dead, and so would you be if I didn't come. That spell was too much even for me. I didn't expect to need to learn more, but I was wrong. That magic capacity to pull something like that is even at your level or beyond.”

“Do you think I care about how strong someone is? A whole family is dying.” Sorin managed to slip himself out before trying to rush back up the hatch, but Ino quickly used her palm, hitting him into his stomach, which sent him a couple of metres away.

Ino stared towards him, blocking the hatch to the surface. “You are going to die if you do that. You are not going.”

Sorin's fist balled up, ready to strike her, but he knew he could even do the slightest dent to her. He was mad, but where could he put that madness to use? He didn't know. He then uttered his final words, “I'm done here. I'm here to save people, and you just let at least a couple of people die for just me. I won't accept that. Nothing good comes from me being around. I want to leave this place. I promise I will help you one day, but I need a new experience to change. I'm not ready for this.”