Chapter 7

Episode 7: Crimson Eyes Flashing in the Dark Night

It was the same week as the day when the periodic exams were held at the Magic Academy.

Shion had visited the royal capital during the weekend holiday.

From the town near the western part of the kingdom where the academy was located to the royal capital, it was about a two-hour ride on the magic-powered train.

On this day, a magic-related product exhibition aimed at magicians and merchants, held once every six months, was taking place at a venue in the royal capital.

This exhibition was the very reason why Shion, who usually spent his holidays honing his magic skills, had gone through the trouble of traveling all the way to the royal capital.

Normally, only magicians and buyers of a certain rank or higher were allowed entry, and Shion, being just a C-rank magic student, didn’t qualify. However, this time, Shion was able to participate in the exhibition using a pass he had received from his father.

Shion’s father was a prominent merchant in the country who had attended this exhibition many times in the past, but due to scheduling conflicts, he couldn’t make it this time and had given his pass to Shion.

At this exhibition, a wide variety of magical tools were on display, ranging from everyday items that even ordinary people could use to professional combat gear, as well as new products of equipment and accessories for magicians.

Faced with the array of enchanting products, Shion felt like a child again, excited on the inside, but he never showed it, maintaining his usual cool demeanor as he walked around the venue.

While enjoying the products on display, he also blended in with the crowd of top-tier magicians, acting as if he were on par with them.

After about an hour and a half of wandering through the various booths, mingling with other magicians and buyers…

“That was a fulfilling time…”

Shion left the venue with a very satisfied look.

When he arrived, Shion had only carried his entry pass and wallet, but now he held a pair of black gloves in his hand.

This exhibition was primarily a showcase, and most booths didn’t sell items individually, except for taking orders for bulk purchases. However, some booths offered samples of their products.

The black gloves Shion now held were one such sample. They were black leather gloves with the fingertips cut out, commonly known as open-finger gloves.

They were one of the products that most matched Shion’s taste at the exhibition, and the merchant had gladly handed them to him when he showed interest.

“…Well then, shall I head over there?”

With a contented feeling, he left the venue and headed to his favorite spot in the royal capital.

◆

The place Shion headed to after the exhibition was a factory site located a bit further into the outskirts of the southwestern part of the royal capital.

Previously, many factories had operated here, but due to the poor location, more and more factories relocated, and about fifty years ago, all the factories had moved away.

Now, only abandoned factories remained in this deserted area.

This abandoned factory site was Shion’s favorite spot whenever he visited the royal capital.

To ordinary people, it was a desolate area with no entertainment or tourist appeal, but for the eccentric Shion, the dark atmosphere of the abandoned factories was irresistible.

Dressed in a black jumper, black pants, black boots, and the gloves he had just received at the exhibition, Shion strolled through the factory site.

In the dark atmosphere where anything could be lurking, he imagined himself as a member of an underground organization heading to a hideout, savoring the unique ambiance of the abandoned factories.

As the day turned to night and it became completely dark, he climbed to high places like the rooftops of the abandoned factories, enjoying his cool time.

…That’s when it happened.

“Ahhh!! Stop, don’t come any closer!!”

“!!”

Suddenly, a woman’s scream was heard nearby.

When Shion looked in the direction of the sound from his high vantage point, he saw a figure being chased by three men──.

◆

In the ghost town of abandoned factories under the dark night, a figure ran, gasping for breath.

It was a woman with her hood pulled so deep that her eyes were hidden.

She ran as if escaping from something, swinging her arms and legs with all her might, desperately moving forward.

“N-no way…”

She turned a corner to escape the gaze from behind and entered an alley, but mercilessly, it was a dead end. Though her eyes were hidden by the hood, her face was drenched in sweat, and her lips trembled with fear.

“Too bad. The fun game of tag ends here, miss. Heh heh heh.”

“…!!”

The woman turned to face the three men chasing her and glared at them.

“W-who are you people?!”

She shouted at the men with a threatening tone, but her voice and legs were shaking with fear.

One of the men, with a lecherous expression, replied.

“Eh, we’re just some good workers. It’s just a job, miss, no hard feelings, but we’ve been hired to do this. Sorry, but you’re gonna have to die.”

“…!”

The clear intent to kill. The inescapable, real terror only grew, making her hands and lips tremble uncontrollably.

“But hey…──before we kill you, we’re gonna have a little fun with you, miss.”

The man leered at her body through her robe, and the other two laughed lewdly.

“Y-you’re not good at all!!”

The woman tried to put on a brave face. But the man’s words forced her to imagine being toyed with and then killed, accelerating her fear.

Paralyzed by the absolute despair before her, the woman tried to back away but couldn’t muster the strength in her legs, and she collapsed to the ground. Her face twisted in despair and fear, she still tried to back away from the men toward the dead end.

The men, as if enjoying her fear, slowly closed in on her.

“S-stop! Don’t come any closer, please…! I-I’m begging you…!”

“Heh heh, don’t be like that. Before you die, we’re gonna give you a good time, miss.”

The men, with their ugly grins, continued to approach her.

“N-no, no, no…!”

The woman’s earlier bravado was completely gone.

Faced with the overwhelming terror closing in, she shook her head desperately, trying to deny the reality. She tried to back away, but her body was blocked by the wall behind her, and she could no longer create any distance from the men.

But the men didn’t stop.

In the rising tide of absolute despair, the woman, unable to even scream, clung to a desperate prayer.

“(Please… someone, anyone, help me…!!)”

──That’s when it happened.

“Yo, bros, you seem to be having a lot of fun here.”

“──…!!”

A voice came from above her.

The voice was calm but carried a dignified resonance, giving her an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

The owner of the voice jumped down lightly from the rooftop of a building about five meters high, landing in front of the men and blocking their path.

“Mind if I join in?”

The figure was a black-haired man wearing a black coat and black open-finger gloves.

And his eyes──were glowing crimson.

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