**Chapter 14: What Did You Just Say?**
"Run!"
"Run away!"
"That guy is a monster!"
Kaito looked annoyed. "Calling someone a monster is too much, don't you think? Look at me—so handsome, elegant, and kind-hearted. Where do I look like a monster? You're the monsters!"
"Buzz~! Swoosh—!"
"BOOM!!!"
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
"Help!!"...
"Buzz~! Swoosh—!"
"BOOM!!!"...
Before long, the screams stopped. Kaito lowered his hand and looked around. The entire valley had been almost completely flattened.
"Uh… The noise might have been a bit loud. No one got hurt, right?" Kaito turned and asked.
"Whoosh~!"
All the villagers took a uniform step backward, faces pale with shock. Even Erza was stunned.
She had seen Kaito use this move during his fight with Mirajane. The speed was frightening and the power was terrifying, but this was on a completely different level! Did his magic power cost nothing? Erza had seen stronger spells before, but those were ultimate techniques. Who could fire them repeatedly like this without even breathing hard?
Only now did she realize that when Kaito fought Mirajane, he probably hadn't used even one-tenth of his real strength. Looking at this boy who was the same age as her, Erza—who had always been proud of her power—felt a strong sense of defeat for the first time.
"Leave that fat pig to them." Kaito pointed at Darlock, who was curled up on the ground like a frightened mole rat with his hands over his head.
The villagers finally reacted. Seeing Darlock all alone and remembering that hated face, all their grudges surged up at once. Their expressions turned ferocious as they gripped wooden sticks and other crude weapons, closing in on him.
Darlock heard Kaito's words and immediately begged, "No! Don't kill me! I have money! I can give you money!"
"Money?! You dare mention money?! All that money you earned by selling us!"
The words only fueled the villagers' rage even more.
Suddenly, "Ah!!!" A sharp scream rang out.
Everyone turned toward the sound. The head maid Maria, who had been following Darlock, had somehow appeared behind the group. She held a dagger pressed against the young maid Sasha's neck.
"Sasha!" Sasha's mother cried out in horror.
Maria shouted, "Let me go! Or I'll kill her!"
"No! Don't!"
Darlock looked up, saw Maria with a hostage, and jumped up in delight. "Hahahaha~! Well done, Maria!"
"Buzz~! Swoosh—!"
"Puchi—!"
A golden laser beam pierced straight through Darlock's forehead. With a big smile still frozen on his face, his body fell backward.
Everyone froze. No one expected Kaito to kill Darlock so cleanly and decisively while a hostage was being held.
Kaito raised his hand to his mouth and said, "Ah! Sorry! Sorry! My hand slipped. Pure accident! Accident! What did you just say? I didn't hear clearly. Want to say it again?"
As he spoke, his gaze flicked slightly toward Maria. She instantly felt as if a terrifying monster was staring at her. Her body stiffened, cold sweat pouring down. Every instinct screamed at her: You will die! You will die! You will definitely die!
"Clang!" Maria let go of the dagger. It fell to the ground as she raised both hands. "I surrender! I know all of Darlock's transactions and where the other people were sold!"
Only after saying this did she feel that deadly pressure disappear. She let out a breath of relief. That oppressive feeling was too terrifying—it didn't match the boy in front of her at all.
She didn't dare gamble whether Kaito would spare her just because she had a hostage. From how decisively he killed Darlock without any hesitation, the chance was extremely low.
The young maid Sasha ran into her mother's arms. The mother and daughter cried tears of joy.
The villagers tied Maria up with ropes. She didn't resist at all. Seeing her attitude, even though the villagers hated her, they couldn't bring themselves to attack her further. The main culprit was already dead, and they still needed her to find out where the others had been sold.
Soon, everyone returned to the village to reunite with their families. The village chief contacted the Magic Council. Kaito also helped cut off everyone's shackles. At first, the people were terrified whenever they saw the golden light glowing from his fingertips, remembering the valley he had nearly wiped off the map.
Not long after, members of the Magic Council arrived, placed Maria in anti-magic handcuffs, and took her away for investigation.
The rest of the matter had little to do with Kaito and Erza, so the two prepared to leave.
The village chief led all the villagers in kneeling on the ground to thank them for saving their lives. They continued kowtowing toward the pig carriage as Kaito and Erza departed.
Today's events left a deep impression on Kaito. Maybe, possibly, perhaps… being a hero wasn't so bad. But on the surface he curled his lips and muttered, "Does kowtowing help? Might as well give something practical. Sigh! What a waste of a trip."