"The gang has vanished into thin air..." the reporter's voice carried across the streets, her disbelief evident. "The money and the gang members are no longer in the mall."
The crowd outside Skyview Mall fell silent, stunned by the announcement. A few whispered to each other, their voices hushed.
"At least the hostages are safe," someone murmured, watching as the knights escorted the remaining captives out of the mall.
The air buzzed with tension. While the hostages were safe, the gang's sudden disappearance left everyone uneasy. Knights moved with urgency, spreading out and searching the surrounding area.
Hina stood beside me, her eyes darting from the knights to the mall.
"How...? Where did they all go?"
I glanced at her briefly but didn't respond. My eyes were fixed on the mall and the space around it.
The way they vanished—it wasn't normal. My mind raced, analyzing the possibilities.
Likely, one of them must've a portal magic. But portals have their own limitations with distance. A large group teleporting with money couldn't have gone far without leaving traces. Unless… they had an artifact amplifying the portal's range.
If they had one, it explained their escape. Even so, the constraints on such magic would mean they couldn't teleport endlessly. They have to stop somewhere.
Well...it doesn't matter.....
Sighhh* I exhaled sharply, my gaze narrowing as the pieces began to fit together.
"Tiring people," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head.
Hina tugged at my sleeve. "Oye, what happened? Where did they go?" she pressed.
I sighed but said nothing, my focus elsewhere. *Clap*
Clapping my hands together once, I slowly opened them, releasing a faint, transparent white energy. It rippled outward, covering the entire city in an instant before disappearing within a second.
Deep underground, in an old, damp tunnel barely illuminated by sunlight filtering through cracks in the stone, the gang walked confidently, their laughter echoing off the walls.
The woman, her hood pushed back to reveal her sharp features, carried a suitcase of cash with her shoulder. She smirked as she glanced at the others.
"They'll be running in circles for hours. Those knights have no idea where we are."
One of the men, Justin, stopped slightly behind the group, his steps slower. He glanced down nervously, his brow furrowed. "Did we really have to kill those two back there?"
The larger man beside him slapped his shoulder and laughed. "Weak nerves, Justin. This is what we signed up for. If you can't handle a little blood, maybe you're in the wrong gang."
Justin frowned, his shoulders slumping.
The woman rolled her eyes and leaned over to kiss Justin's cheek. "Don't be soft, Justin. We're rich now. Just enjoy the moment."
The third man, who had been quiet until now, spoke up, his tone curious. "Where did you even find that artifact, anyway?"
The large man grinned. "It was in my grandmother's necklace. She's had it forever. I just… borrowed it while she was asleep."
The group burst into laughter, their voices echoing.
*Tap*
Their amusement was cut short by a faint splashing sound behind them.
They froze.
"What was that?" the woman whispered, her eyes narrowing.
"I heard it too," Justin said, his voice trembling slightly.
"It's nothing," the larger man said, trying to sound confident. "No one could've followed us this fast."
Another splash echoed, this time closer.
The group turned as one, their eyes scanning the darkness behind them.
After a moment of tense silence, a small cat emerged from the shadows, its green eyes gleaming in the dim light.
Relieved, they exhaled collectively.
"It's just a damn cat," the woman muttered, brushing her hair back.
Justin chuckled nervously. "Right. Just a cat."
They turned to continue down the tunnel. The gang laughed as they stepped out of the tunnel into the open air, the mountain's cool air brushing past them.
Below, the city sprawled in the distance, unknown to their escape.
"Look at that," the woman said, tossing her hair back with a smug grin. "The clueless knights are probably still tearing apart the mall. I'll buy a new dress with my share once we're settled."
"Yeah me too! Will enjoy with girls in the pub" The big guy said.
"Sheesh, weirdo." The woman replied.
They were having their moment of glory until..
"Is it really that fun to be a sick-minded criminal?"
The sharp voice sliced through the air like a blade, silencing their laughter. They turned their heads together, their eyes narrowing as they spotted someone standing above the tunnel entrance.
It was Hina. Her gaze was sheer, her posture unwavering as she stared down at them.
"Who the hell is that?" one of them muttered.
"Did we get followed?" the big man asked, his voice low and tense.
"That's impossible!" the woman snapped, her confidence faltering for the first time.
"Oye… what should we do now?" Justin whispered, his voice trembling.
Before anyone could answer, the girl leaped down to their level, her boots landing on the rocky ground with a dull thud. Her serious expression didn't waver as she summon a gleaming silver sword, the light green hue of its hilt catching the sunlight.
"I'll stop all of you!" she declared, raising the weapon.
The gang hesitated only for a moment before preparing for a fight. Swords were summoned, one man conjuring flames in his palms. Justin stumbled back, clutching the stolen money tightly.
"It's just a girl," the large man scoffed, stepping forward.
But Hina didn't wait. She lunged, her sword clashing against theirs with a metallic ring. Her movements were swift and precise, countering their attacks while keeping them on edge. In a blur of motion, she slashed at the woman's hair, cutting off a chunk that fell to the ground.
"My hair!" the woman screeched, touching the ends with horror. "How dare you! My precious hair!"
"Buy that as well with the stolen money loser!!" Hina mocked her.
She smirked but didn't let her guard down. She jumped to avoid a blast of fire, only to feel a sharp force from behind. The large man had taken advantage of her distraction, slamming into her and knocking her sword away.
She hit the ground hard, the air knocked from her lungs. Before she could recover, he was on top of her, pinning her down. His blade gleamed inches from her face as he sneered.
"Kill this bitch!" the woman yelled, her voice filled with rage as she ran toward Hina.
The man raised his sword higher, ready to strike
"Done playing heroine? Now say goodbye!"
"Hey…"
The calm voice came from behind him, with the weight of a hand on his shoulder.
He stopped and looked up.
"Huh?"
*SMASHH!!*
Before he could turn, my shoes connected with his face, sending him crashing to the ground with a deafening *Boom* sound.