"Running again, huh?"
"Weren't you pretty good at running just now?"
"Go on, try running one more time for me."
In a narrow alley, Ur loomed over Jericho, who had been cornered at last. A twisted, almost sadistic grin slowly spread across Ur's face.
He hadn't expected the thief to be so slippery. If Jericho hadn't blundered into this dead end, Ur might still be chasing him through the city.
Not that it mattered anymore.
The longer the chase, the more justified he felt when it came time to… discipline the target.
"D-don't come any closer," Jericho stammered, shrinking back until his deformed face pressed against the wall. He looked for all the world like a terrified bride cornered by a thug.
"Heh… then call for help," Ur said, voice dripping with mockery. "Scream until your throat bleeds and see if anyone cares—" He nearly let slip a line from his old world's trashy dramas, something unspeakably inappropriate.
Fortunately, one glance at Jericho's grotesque face yanked him back to his senses.
Phew. That was close. If I'd actually said that, my reputation would be ruined forever. He wiped imaginary sweat from his brow.
Joking around was one thing, but context mattered. Teasing a cute girl was one thing. Teasing Jericho? That was a one-way ticket to social suicide.
"Who the hell are you?" Jericho finally demanded, unnerved by the increasingly twisted grin spreading across Ur's face.
"I'm a mage from Fairy Tail," Ur replied evenly, then corrected himself. "Or should I say, a mage sent to hunt you, Jericho… no, Jeris. Now, will you come quietly, or resist and then come with me anyway?"
"You're… a mage?" Jeris' expression faltered. He clearly hadn't expected an actual mage to be sent after him.
"Of course. You should thank the rich man you stole the Heart of Lanyang from. If not for him, you'd never have had the honor of being hunted down by me."
"'Heart of Lanyang'? That trinket? That wasn't what he really—" Jeris' voice trailed into a mumble.
"What was that?" Ur pressed.
"Nothing!" Jeris snapped quickly, regaining composure.
"Fine." Ur shrugged. "So, what's it going to be, Jeris? For the record, I'd recommend the second option."
"???"
Jeris froze, staring as if Ur had sprouted horns.
Are all mages this terrifying?
He trembled harder, like his whole body had a vibration spell on it, and stammered, "I—I won't resist. I'll go with you."
"What a pity," Ur sighed, his tone dripping with genuine regret.
[!!!∑(°Д°ノ)ノ]
Perhaps realizing there was no escape from a mage, Jeris seemed to resign himself. He lowered his head and trudged forward, one slow step at a time, as though surrendering.
Ur waited patiently, standing still.
Finally, when Jeris was less than three meters away, he lifted his head with a dazzling smile. "Goodbye, foolish mage."
Buzz!
A cyan glow flared beneath his feet. A wind-element magic circle had sprung to life.
The sudden reversal shocked even Ur.
They had all been fooled. Jeris wasn't just a common thief—he was a mage-thief.
The circle was a speed-enhancing spell. The moment it activated, Jeris shot forward like a blur, skirting behind Ur and making for the alley's exit.
Ur blinked, then his grin widened into something fierce.
Ah, resistance. Now that's more like it.
If Jeris had gone quietly, it would've been awkward to make a move. But now? Now Ur had every reason to go all out.
Jeris' spell boosted his speed by nearly half again. For most pursuers, that would've been more than enough.
But against Ur? Not even close.
With raw physical power and the honed reflexes of Kuga Combat Technique, Ur didn't need magic. In a heartbeat, he exploded forward like a hunting leopard.
Jeris had barely cleared the alley's edge when the hiss of air split behind him.
He risked a glance back and nearly lost his soul.
There was Ur, grinning like a madman, less than two meters away. How had he closed the gap so fast?
Jeris' instincts screamed. He slowed for an instant, beginning to form another spell circle.
Bang!
A massive fist crashed into his face before the magic could take shape.
The blow hurled him several meters down the street, his body tumbling over the dirt and stone.
"Guh—!"
He spat blood, along with several shattered teeth, before crumpling.
Jeris lay there dazed, staring in disbelief.
Especially as Ur strolled forward, cracking his knuckles with deliberate menace.
He's a mage… right?
Since when do mages punch this hard?
This fight feels all wrong!
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
TN: Hi, everyone! Starting January 4th, 2026, I will be updating thrice a week. Until then, we'll revert to twice a week for now. Thank you for reading!