A long time passed with no sign of the hunter. For a moment, it felt as though they were finally safe.
"We're going back to the city center to find that guide," Ficky stated firmly.
"Why?"
Ficky didn't offer an explanation. Instead, he quickened his pace, his strides becoming longer and faster until he was nearly sprinting toward the plaza. Aya struggled to keep up, her lungs burning from the effort of following him.
Just before they reached the Statue of the Legendary Slave, Ficky came to a dead halt.
"Ouch!" Aya, who had been running full tilt to catch up, slammed right into his broad back.
"Someone's there," Ficky whispered.
"What? Who?"
In the distance, near the statue, a chaotic battle was unfolding. A group of adventurers was relentlessly attacking the hunter with a barrage of magic. It was Una's crew—Reen, Glen, Ter, and the massive Aguyaga, the same group Ficky had defeated earlier.
"That big guy is still moving? He's tougher than he looks," Aya noted.
"More importantly, why is Una here... oh, right. Like I said, everyone is hunting that killer."
Aya didn't have a clear memory of what happened after Una first attacked her, but she knew Ficky had intervened. She watched in awe as Una and her team combined their spells to corner the hunter.
"Back then... what did you actually do to her? I don't remember much, but Una's hand?"
Again, Ficky remained silent. However, the answer was obvious; Aya had noticed the faint bloodstains on his clothes earlier.
"Fine, if you don't want to tell me, just say so."
"Why the attitude? I didn't tell you because it's too gruesome for a girl to see," Ficky countered. "Just remember: this isn't your world. You can't afford to be relaxed, and you certainly can't afford to make friends with everyone you meet here."
Ficky's words were likely meant to protect her, but to Aya, they felt suffocating, like a cage. She fell silent, her mind racing with unanswered questions. Suddenly, the pain she had felt earlier returned, throbbing painfully in her shoulder.
It was a night of misery for many. Whether they were beast-kin, spirits, or demons, they all shared a fear not unlike that of humans. Una's group fought like wild animals, clearly unwilling to let the hunter escape.
They coordinated their attacks—mages and swordsmen striking in tandem from different ranges—while Una led the charge on the front line.
Ficky began to move toward the center of the plaza, intercepting the path where the hunter was trying to flee from Una's group. Aya grabbed his arm.
"Don't go!"
"You're the one who shouldn't go anywhere," Ficky snapped. "I told you not to get involved. Listen to me for once—stay here!"
Another wave of agony washed over Aya. Shocked by the intensity, she let go of his arm and slumped forward, her gaze falling to the ground.
"It hurts..."
She collapsed onto the dirt, clutching her shoulder. A searing, white-hot pain radiated from her slave mark, spreading across her body. It was unbearable. Aya lay there, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.
"Hey! What's wrong with you?!"
Ficky knelt to support her. He called out to her, even using his usual insults, but she couldn't hear him. She was drenched in a cold sweat, her body trembling violently.
"Hey! Snap out of it!"
Suddenly, one of the hunter's weapons whistled through the air, narrowly missing them. While the hunter was busy with Una's team, he clearly still had his sights set on Ficky.
"That guy again! I knew it... he's not just after me for the sake of it."
Ficky scooped Aya's shaking body into his arms and took off. He tried to retreat, but more weapons rained down around him. He glanced back and saw the hunter closing in, with Una hot on his heels.
"Hey! Why are you running?!" Una screamed at the hunter.
"I have no business with you. Let's talk another time!" the hunter shouted back.
"What?! You coward!"
The hunter whipped off his cloak and threw it toward Una. This was no ordinary fabric; the cloak hardened mid-air, slamming into the ground and creating a massive barricade that blocked Una's path.
With Una delayed, the hunter resumed his pursuit of Ficky and Aya. He was incredibly fast, fueled by a wind-acceleration mantra. He moved with a speed that rivaled a wolf's. He threw another set of talisman-pinned weapons.
The weapons struck the ground, and blue flames erupted to form a wall of fire. Ficky skidded to a stop, only to be met by a thrust from a long sword coming from behind. He ducked to the side, the blade missing him by an inch.
"You're stubborn," the hunter hissed.
"Allowing yourself to be killed by me would bring such peace to this world."
"Your magic is unique," Ficky remarked, ignoring the hunter's threat. "Was my theory right? Are you really from another world?"
"I don't need to answer that."
The hunter refused to engage. In a flash, Ficky vanished into a dark, narrow alleyway where not a single lamp flickered.
I have to get away from him, or this girl will...
Suddenly, a figure stepped out from another alley. Ficky stopped in his tracks.
"It's pitch black here. Can you even see me?" the voice asked.
"Barely," Ficky replied, his eyes adjusting.
"You're a woman... and who is that behind you?"
"My master. Now, give that slave to me."
Ficky didn't know these people and had no intention of handing Aya over.
"Relax," the woman said. "I'm a slave too. And among us, a master's order is absolute. I'm here to help her."
As Ficky looked closer, he realized the woman bore a striking resemblance to the Statue of the Legendary Slave. With no other way to help Aya, he lowered her to the ground, though he kept a firm grip on her.
"Do you even know what a slave mark means?" the woman asked cynically.
"It's a magic spell that forces a slave to obey every command. If she resists—even subconsciously—the pain becomes excruciating."
She was indeed the Legendary Slave of this city. She began to perform a ritual on Aya, her touch causing the glowing mark to settle. Even in the dark, Ficky's sharp eyes tracked every movement.
"A slave mark isn't something to be given lightly," she continued, her voice sharp.
"What were you thinking, binding a young girl like this to yourself?"
"I didn't make her a slave because I wanted to," Ficky countered. "It was the Kingdom of Aurora. King Gorgeous performed the binding using my blood."
"Then you've clearly underestimated the weight of this mark."