"Wow! Ooooh!"Dick continuously exclaimed in admiration, watching the birds fly in perfect formation at Witchasha’s command."That's amazing! So that's the power of Druids!"Mei-rin felt like crying.Not because she was scared and sobbing about being kidnapped, but out of sheer annoyance and frustration at why she had to be captured with *that* guy.Regardless of Mei-rin's pathetic gaze from behind, Dick was striking up conversations and chattering away with the Hupa tribesmen.It was hardly the reaction of someone tied to a chair as a hostage, their safety threatened."Wow, I never knew that Druids could control different types of animals!"Dick's sociability shone through, no matter the time or place."Oh, but I heard the person you guys are chasing, Byulya, controls rats and insects? If that's true, wouldn't finding us in this city be a piece of cake?"Mei-rin turned around with a furious expression. Why did he have to say that?!"It's impossible for her to find our location with her power."Witchasha stated definitively."We've installed 200 totems throughout the city. They are secret Druid techniques that make animals lose control. Unless she personally goes around and uproots all the hidden totems within today, she won't be able to pinpoint this location.""Whoa~ You guys prepared thoroughly, big bro!""Of course, it doesn't matter if she finds us. Then we'll just engage in battle."Witchasha clenched his fist."But attacking someone summoned by Kizen directly could cause problems. We will cleanly take her life after she completely abandons her professorship.""Ah-ha! So that's how it is!"Dick nodded, diligently flattering him. Mei-rin just sighed deeply."Chief!"Just then, a Hupa tribesman rushed in and whispered into Witchasha's ear. Witchasha's expression hardened coldly, and he turned his head, staring at Dick with sharp eyes."Such a petty trick…"Dick merely maintained his cheerful smile."We're moving our hiding place right now!""Yes!"One Hupa tribesman effortlessly lifted Dick, chair and all, upside down. Dick let out a surprised 'Ugh!' and laughed."Ah! The blood's rushing to my head, big bro!""We're moving to another place because of you!"Another man approached Mei-rin. She hunched her shoulders and glared at him."Hey, let me make this clear! If you lay a single hair on me…!"But he seemed to have no intention of arguing, ignoring Mei-rin's warning and grabbing her shoulder tightly.'Ugh, it hurts!'Just as he was about to lift Mei-rin, chair and all, that's when it happened.KWA-AAAAANG!With a deafening roar, an explosion erupted from the ceiling.Debris from the ceiling rained down, and thick smoke and dust billowed up from the explosion."Wh-What's going on?!"As the Hupa tribesmen murmured in confusion, someone descended from above.Shwa-rurururuk!Shwa-rururururururuk!In the thick dust, silver tentacle blades swung in all directions, sending Hupa tribesmen flying. The man who was about to grab Mei-rin was also thrown back.She widened her eyes and shouted."Simon!"Simon, who had landed on the floor, gazed at the Hupa tribesmen with cold eyes, then smiled when he saw Mei-rin."Thank goodness. Are you hurt anywhere?"***30 minutes ago.A slum district pub."Ugh, this is annoying."Byulya scratched her head irritably. She had a frustrated expression, as if things weren't going well."What's wrong, Professor?"Simon quickly asked."My children aren't under proper control. It seems those Hupa bastards have set up totems."She rose from her seat. A dangerous, chemical-like smell wafted over. "I'll have to go myself. Leave finding your friends to me, and you go hide somewhere, like with the guards. Don't go wandering around uselessly and get caught."With those words, she vanished through the gaping hole in the pub's ceiling.Simon, left alone, sighed.'I should search again too.'Just as Simon was about to leave the pub, he heard it.-KIIIIIIIIIIIIII!A piercing, screaming sound came from far away.'This sound!'It was the sound of Dick's new music box. It was a signal that Kamibarez had found something.Simon immediately dashed out of the pub and ran towards the sound.'Lantern! Lantern! Where is it?'He found it quickly. Since 'A Thousand Lights' hadn't begun yet, a lonely lantern floating in the night sky was visible.Simon ran frantically towards it."Kami! Where are you…!""Simon!"He saw her gesturing, a finger pressed to her lips. Simon quickly approached her and quietly asked,"Did you find them?""Yes, I think so."She pointed to the ground with the fingertip on her lips. A bright red drop of blood was dried on the pavement."Blood drop?""Yes. It's Dick's blood."Kamibarez, true to her vampire lineage, was sensitive to the smell of blood. It wasn't difficult for her to distinguish who someone was by their blood scent."It seems Dick intentionally cut his finger or something while being dragged away and squeezed out blood to drop on the ground! Following the blood scent, I found some suspicious men.""Typical Dick."Simon smiled. He thought no one could match his quick wit."Lead the way where the scent goes.""Yes!"The two walked stealthily through the dark streets."There."Kamibarez, pressed against the alley wall, pointed with her fingertip. Two men in robes were loitering near an old building.They were tall, with broad shoulders and sturdy builds. They weren't just low-ranking guards; these two were skilled warriors.If they weren't taken out in one go, they would immediately escape and alert their comrades inside. "Let's cast curses and then enter.""That's a good idea! But it's a bit far. What if we miss?"Simon raised his arm, checked his wristwatch, and grinned."I have a good plan."***The two men in robes were guarding the entrance to the hideout.Their mission was simple. If anything happened, they were to respond and then go inside to report the situation.Other than occasionally dealing with drunkards causing trouble on the street, there was nothing particularly difficult. "It's starting again today."The man on the right spoke in the Hupa tribe language.A Thousand Lights had begun, and countless lanterns were rising into the night sky."Big bro, why do they do things like that?"The man on the left replied."I don't know. Maybe because the stars aren't very visible here.""More than that, this city is suffocating. I want to quickly kill that woman and return to the plains."As the two men chatted, two lanterns that should have ascended into the sky seemed to lose power and drifted weakly downwards."Hmph."The man chuckled. The lanterns fell near them."Some people can't even fly these things properly.""It's torn. Looks like it got caught on something and ripped."The men casually picked their noses and exchanged words, not thinking much of it.Just then, the magic circles hidden inside the lanterns flashed.<Sickness><Blood Pressure>Simon's and Kamibarez's curses, respectively, spread like smoke, penetrating the two men's bodies."...!"The men simultaneously felt intense dizziness and staggered. Simon, swift as a gale, plunged into the gap and struck the right man's abdomen."Gah!"As the man's body bent backward, Simon leaped onto his back and struck the back of his head with an elbow, knocking him unconscious."Big bro!!"One comrade was taken down in an instant. The moment the left man tried to react to Simon, someone clung to his back like a leech, covering his mouth and nose.Pwing!Something from the attacker's hand entered his nostrils. His nose and mouth tingled, and blood began to pour out, blurring his consciousness.'Intruder!'The man desperately tried to maintain his awareness, sending his hand behind him. Then he forcibly tore off whatever was clinging to him and threw it away.A small girl with light purple hair fell to the roadside, letting out a faint groan."This!"Just as the man was about to stomp on her, there was a loud *CRACK!* and his vision spun. Simon's fist had smashed into his face, distorting it.Before he could get up from where he lay sprawled several meters away, Simon swiftly rushed in and kicked him in the jaw.The man immediately lay unconscious, showing the whites of his eyes."Kami! Are you okay?"Simon rushed over in alarm. She nodded bravely and took Simon's outstretched hand to stand up."Yes, thank you, Simon."As she stood, Simon quickly removed the robe from the fallen man on the ground, then grabbed his shirt and yanked it open.'Whoa!'Kamibarez gasped in surprise and covered her eyes. Strange patterns, painted with natural dyes, were visible on his abdomen and chest."It's the Hupa tribe. Confirmed.""So Dick and Mei-rin are being held here.""Yeah. It's only a matter of time before they realize the guards have been subdued. Let's move these guys and prepare to infiltrate immediately.""Yes!"Kamibarez clenched her fists and nodded, then grabbed the body of the man lying far away and strained with an 'Hmph!'…It didn't budge.In the end, she had to activate her Internal Jet Black Operation to enhance her strength, then dragged him to a secluded corner.Simon had already moved the man's body aside and was calculating the infiltration route.'This is…!'He looked up at the building's ceiling, his eyes gleaming. A magic circle was visible on the roof.'It's Mei-rin's dark magic.'Reading the formulas, he saw 'cold' and 'gathering'. If it was Jet Black Elemental Magic, it was definitely Mei-rin.To secretly leak Jet Black and remotely draw a magic circle on the building's roof while captured—that was indeed the skill of someone from the Ivory Tower.'Then I'll go from here…'Simon signaled the infiltration route to Kamibarez with his finger. She nodded, preparing her own dark magic.Next, Simon took out two zombies from his Subspace and attached them to the roof. Then he stepped back and prepared for Corpse Explosion.Just then, voices were heard from inside the building."You're saying there was a trail of blood like a river in the hallway?""Yes!"It seemed Dick's blood trail was starting to be discovered.They were coming out. At this rate, he and Kamibarez, who was preparing her dark magic, might be discovered. 'Going in now.'Simon gave Kamibarez the signal to enter, then clenched his right fist, which was extended towards the zombies.'Corpse Explosion!'KWA-AAAAANG!The two zombies caused a massive explosion. The steel-framed building's ceiling collapsed with a roar, and the debris filled the interior with thick dust.Simon threw himself into it.Due to the explosion's smoke and dust, the interior was barely discernible. He heard the panicked shouts of the Hupa tribesmen.Simon landed safely and firmly planted his left foot on the ground.'Gate Opening!'Shwa-rurururuk!Shwa-rururururururuk!In the thick dust, silver tentacle blades swung in all directions, sending Hupa tribesmen flying.'Got it! Dick and Mei-rin?'Simon looked around. Someone had lifted Dick, who was tied to a chair, and he saw a man reaching for Mei-rin, who was similarly tied to a chair.Simon sent Overlord towards Mei-rin to knock the man away, while simultaneously opening his Subspace and summoning skeletons.'Go.'Chak! Chak! Chak!Bones clung to Dick's chair like magnets, then flew and stuck him to the wall."Simon!!"Mei-rin's shout was heard. Simon turned to her, seeing she seemed unharmed, and smiled."Thank goodness. Are you hurt anywhere?"
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