"Was that magic?" Tores asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"But that doesn't make sense," Loreen added, her brow furrowed. "There was no mention of Joshua Ambrose using magic in the file we read."
Jos turned sharply toward Malvin. "Please explain, Captain. Why wasn't there any men—"
"It was edited out," Malvin interrupted, his tone blunt and final. His answer left the room in stunned silence as confused stares settled on him.
"Why?" Clare asked, her voice carrying a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Malvin's expression hardened. "To hide the fact that someone using magic managed to infiltrate the city. And… there's another reason, but I'll get into that later."
Loreen's hand rested on her chin as she mulled this over. "But what about the magic users who sneaked in about a week ago?"
This time, Aeron spoke up instead of Malvin. "They caused too much of a scene to be covered up, unlike Joshua Ambrose. Isn't that right, Captain?"
Malvin gave a curt nod. "Especially the blonde woman, she made such a mess that we had to deploy that experimental Ironward Sentinel to stop her. Too bad it got trashed."
A grimace crossed Tores' face. "Oh yeah. Specialist Vied was livid about that—makes sense, considering he built the thing."
"Enough about that," Jos interjected, practically vibrating with curiosity. "Captain, please, just continue. I need to know what happened after you got beaten so badly. How the hell did you survive?"
Malvin let out a sharp sigh, the weight of the memory pressing on him visibly. "By pure fucking luck," he muttered. "But before I get to that, let me tell you what that piece of shit said afterward. Goddess help me, I can still see his damn face, clear as day…"
---
Joshua stood over Malvin, his lips curled into a smirk so cliche it would've been laughable under different circumstances. "What is it?" he asked mockingly, tilting his head with a faux innocent expression. "Surprised? I bet you're surprised." He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that carried an air of superiority.
He turned to Philip and Nunin, gesturing grandly as if addressing an audience. "Look at them! Even they're surprised!" He laughed louder this time, his finger pointing at the two men, who stood frozen with wide eyes and slack jaw respectively.
Meanwhile, Malvin's body screamed in protest as he clung to consciousness. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, each one agonizing. His ribs felt shattered, his lungs burning like they'd been squeezed in a vice. It wasn't just pain—it was devastation. His chest felt as though someone had taken a hammer to his insides, his organs rattling with each faint twitch.
"Oh!" Joshua exclaimed, his hand theatrically covering his mouth. "Don't go thinking I used some sort of magic, by the way. Stuff like that's cheating." He grinned, his tone light and playful, as if mocking the tension in the air.
Philip, his earlier fear now replaced by anger, took a step forward. "The hell are you talking about!? There's no way that was anything other than magic!" His voice was sharp, filled with hostility as he glared at Joshua.
Joshua sighed, shaking his head with exaggerated disappointment. Placing his hands on his hips, he spoke in a tone of mock condescension. "No, no, no. I understand that you people in this city don't have much of an understanding when it comes to these things, but comparing what I just did to magic? That's simply insulting." His voice dripped with feigned offense.
Meanwhile, Malvin, battered and bloodied, began to crawl. Each movement was agony, but his focus was locked on his baton, lying several feet away where it had fallen. The ground beneath him felt like it might swallow him whole, but he pushed forward, inch by painful inch.
"Then what the hell was that, huh!?" Philip snarled, his voice a growl. Behind him, Nunin shrank back, using his boss as a demi-human shield, his eyes darting nervously toward Joshua.
Joshua tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Chi," he said simply, his voice filled with pride. "Something far more… pure than magic." He spoke the word with reverence, as though it were a sacred truth.
To Philip and Nunin, the explanation was meaningless. It might as well have been gibberish. Philip clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over. "You can call it whatever the hell you want! But I know magic when I see it!"
Joshua shrugged, unbothered. "Clearly, you don't." His casual tone only served to further irritate Philip. Then, mid-sentence, Joshua paused, his gaze flicking down to Malvin. A glint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "Hmm."
Malvin's fingers were just inches from the baton now, his body screaming in protest as he stretched toward it.
Joshua chuckled, his grin widening. "Well, aren't you just the most devoted officer." His tone was mocking, laced with an almost playful admiration. Turning back to Philip and Nunin, he said, "Unless you two have short-term memories, you know what happens next. So, unless you'd like to be buried here, I suggest we leave." His voice was cold now, carrying a weight that silenced any protests.
Philip's jaw tightened, his teeth grinding audibly. He turned, motioning for Nunin to follow as he begrudgingly walked toward the entrance. The four thugs standing near the doorway were still frozen, their eyes wide with fear.
"What are you idiots staring at!?" Philip barked, his voice cracking like a whip. "Move it!"
The thugs jolted into action, hastily following Philip out of the building. As they passed through the doorway, Philip couldn't resist throwing one last sneer over his shoulder at Malvin. Joshua watched them go, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "See?" he said lightly, gesturing toward the departing group. "He acts tough, but he always follows my orders and plans like the good little dog he is."
As Malvin's fingertips finally brushed the baton, Joshua's foot came down, kicking it away with casual ease. "Oops," he said, feigning innocence. "Didn't see where I was walking." His voice carried a cruel undertone as he crouched down, grabbing Malvin by the hair and pulling his head up. Malvin's blurry vision met Joshua's sharp, gleaming eyes.
"You know," Joshua said, his tone strangely conversational, "I haven't known you long, but you and him? You feel similar to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's there." His voice turned cold, his grin fading.
Without warning, Joshua slammed Malvin's face into the ground with brutal force. Blood smeared across the floor as Malvin's world spun. Every part of his body screamed in pain, but he couldn't muster the strength to fight back.
Joshua rose to his feet, brushing his hands off as though Malvin were nothing more than a chore he'd just finished. "It's a shame, really," he said, his tone light again. "Fighting you was kind of fun. I wanted to get both you and your partner, but… eh, I'll deal with him later. All fun things must come to an end, after all."
Joshua began walking toward the exit, his laughter echoing through the room. "Enjoy being buried!" he called over his shoulder as he stepped outside.
Malvin's body trembled, his vision fading in and out as he tried to cling to consciousness. Then he heard it—a shattering noise from outside, followed by a violent tremor that shook the entire building.
Malvin's vision blurred, his strength finally giving out. *This is it?* he thought, the weight of failure settling over him. *I thought I'd make it further than this…*
The floor shook violently as debris began to fall, the structure threatening to collapse entirely. In his final moments of consciousness, a familiar voice pierced through the haze.
"Malvin!"
The sound was distant, muffled by the roaring chaos around him.
*Don't… you'll just mess it up…* he thought faintly, before darkness consumed him.