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[I once met someone who possessed a similar feeling mana.] (Syrus)

[That’s it?] (Luna)

[Yes.] (Syrus)

Out of the trio’s past, Syrus had been nearly mute on hers, only bringing up information when she believed it was relevant to the current situation. Outside of the knowledge she gained, Luna didn’t talk much about her past as well, but for a different reason. However, Luna had been making small chatter every now and again about events, people, and the organisations of her past. Eva, on the other hand, after she opened up, talked about the city, her classes, her job, and everything else besides her first family. But Syrus was still the only one to not mention anything without something else pulling it out of her; the other two had reached the point where they could, on their own, bring up those topics.

Still, it wasn’t as if Syrus had some strong reason not to, she simply believed that it was just the past.

[Can... you give us any more details?] (Eva)

[I’m not sure what to give. I met someone with a similar feeling of mana, who did, similar but not as strong magic.] (Syrus)

[Have... you suspected that person from the beginning?] (Eva)

[No.] Syrus held back a shrug. [They were on a separate continent and likely dead by now, so I didn’t suspect them.]

[Was it their attribute that allowed them to have... a similar power?] (Luna)

Eva wished Syrus would give them clearer details, but she also knew that Syrus might not have any more details to give. Depending on if the person was an enemy or a stranger, Syrus’ information would be limited, and only knowing the results rather than the method was to be expected.

[I...] Syrus paused. [Don’t believe it was their attribute.]

Anlesa continued to walk down the streets to Ash’s store, going down the side streets even though there was no one to see them from any angle anyway.

[I… don’t understand…] Eva was completely lost. The more she looked around the city, the more it hurt her. [Why here, why now?]

[Likely the person got hired to do the job for the skills, and once everything was over, simply chose to take advantage of the situation.] (Syrus)

[But…] Eva felt it was unfair to everyone. Why did the people of the city have to deal with someone tormenting them just after victory was in sight? Why was there more trouble for them to deal with? Why were there no warning signs to pick up on earlier?

[We can figure out the buts later.] (Syrus)

On the way to the shop, Syrus started some small talk. “You are looking worse than usual. Did you get attacked by one of the mutated animals earlier?”

“Maybe? Would you consider yourself mutated?”

“No, I'm the peak of human physique.” Syrus joked as she flexed the arm, not shouldering Ash.

“Well, my answer is then no.”

“If that is the case, it shouldn’t be too hard to patch you up. I know a place, but it can be a bit pricey.”

Ash asked, "Oh, where?”

“Down this road, then turn and walk for about twenty seconds.”

“You fucker, my fees are not bloody pricy.”

“Well, you walked right into that one like a headless dog. I couldn’t help it.”

“Helpless dog? Are you sure you didn’t smoke anything?”

“You are my main supplier, so you should interrogate your ingredients, not me.” Said Syrus.

Soon they made it to Ash’s shop.

“Thanks for this…” Said Ash.

“What? Did you expect me to just leave you on the road?”

“You know what? Can you not say anything?”

“No.”

Syrus pushed open the door and walked the two of them into the building. “You're lucky this place wasn’t destroyed.”

“I will count my blessings after the day is over.” Said Ash.

As they were walking in, Syrus saw two peeking hazel green eyes with a pinch of brown hair.

Syrus asked, “Ethan?”

The door slammed open.

“You're here!” Ethan exclaimed, happy and relieved; he rushed forward towards them.

Syrus kneeled and hugged him, “What... are you doing here?”

Ash added, “In my shop of all places.”

“Wel… when I was looking for a safe place, this was the first place I thought of,” Ethan explained. After noises erupted, he was able to convince his family to run towards this side of the city. They were going to head for an extraction point, but they got jumped by a mutated animal, and this building was closer.

Afterwards, he explained they didn’t leave as they could still hear noises, and Ethan’s dad judged this building was made out of stronger materials, so they decided they would be safe here.

When the trio entered the backroom, they found Ethan’s parents on the ground with small puppy-sized bite marks on their legs.

“...I…” Ethan found it difficult to explain what happened next.

Syruss reassured him. “Don’t worry, I have some ideas. Just explain what you saw.”

“Okay.” Ethan took a deep breath. “When the noise finally died down and we were thinking of leaving the building. I started to get a headache, and my mind faded, but after a bark from Cobalt.” Cobalt rubbed its head against Ethan’s leg. Ethan reached down to scratch Cobalt’s ear. “But my parents went weird… they ignored me and just started moving… wobbling they were moving towards the door and then… Cobalt attacked them, and they fell to the ground.

Ethan's hand grabbed his chest.

Ash was already on the ground examining them. “Don’t worry, they aren’t currently poisoned; it does seem like they were simply knocked out. Somehow.”

[Cobalt did something?] (Luna)

[He… is a mythic creature, and he has that connection with Ethan.] Said Eva. They have noticed Cobalt and Ethan’s near-supernatural connection with each other. [That could be why he was safe, but that doesn’t apply to his parents.]

[I’m not sure Cobalt knew what it was doing either, I think it just followed its instincts.] (Syrus)

“Did you do anything else, Ethan?”

He paused. “I… went outside to see what was happening, and I saw a crowd of people walking down the road towards the government hall… they all looked despondent like mum and dad. But then I saw someone standing on the buildings yelling at them… I stayed for a few minutes but came back after I got scared…” Ethan bit his lip. “I shouldn’t have gotten scared. I would bring shame to hunters… I could’ve done someth–”

Syrus stopped him. “There is no mistake in being scared, fear is an important emotion for survival. That fear protected you, as I don’t believe you would be here unharmed otherwise.”

[How can someone do that? Is it like puppetry?] (Eva)

[I’d say necromancy is a better fit.] (Syrus)

[That’s forbidden.] (Luna)

[It’s forbidden because no one knows how to do it.] (Syrus)

[Wait, I thought people could control the dead with Manipulation?] (Eva)

[They can, but while that is also forbidden and can be called necromancy, it is not the same. What you are describing is basically the puppetry techniques, but necromancy…] (Luna)

[Is literally about raising armies and sending them headfirst into other people. I thought you guys would know this from the stories?] (Syrus)

[Stories. Simple stories.] (Luna)

[But many can contain truth within them; I learnt that from you three.] (Syrus)

Luna paused.

[So, is what we are seeing here an application of the puppetry arts?] (Eva)

[No, the soul makes manipulating unwilling people’s bodies with mana incredibly difficult. Even if they are unconscious.] (Luna)

“I’m going to ask a tough question.” Syrus readied Ethan, and he nodded. “Did they kill anyone?”

He shook his head. “No…” He tried to remember what he saw. “I… think they were trying to make sure people didn’t die as they were being moved… She was yelling loudly, angrily, whenever people were about to fall over… She was extra loud when someone tripped, landing on someone's sword.

[So the person has some conscience?] (Eva)

[I doubt it.] (Luna)

[Why then?] (Eva)

[If not morally, then it must be because it will negatively affect them.] (Syrus)

“Whatever ability this person has… it is likely treading on forbidden areas.”

“Forbidden?” Ethan questioned.

Syrus shrugged. “Well, it is not like there is an exact list of what is forbidden. But what kind of thing gets slapped on it are the acts that you see big bad guys do in children's stories?”

[Syrus.] (Luna)

[What?] (Syrus)

[Don’t teach Ethan anything inappropriate.] (Luna)

[I…] Syrus didn’t know if Luna understood the correct meaning of what she said to Ethan.

Ethan nodded, not understanding. “Okay?”

“Think of actions that involve the dead–their body or mana; souls; stealing attributes; and controlling people. Like Syrus said, children story villain abilities,” said Ash. These were abilities that some writers loved to use, as it was a great way to scare the audience with something unknown, but these were still supposed to be fantasy, as none of the abilities had ever been seen in historic records.

However, the trio had seen that at least some of such actions were possible.

“So, people who do those things are all villains?” Ethan only slightly understood what they were going on about. He understood it conceptually, but he never read these stories, so it was hard for him to picture everything.

“No.”

[Syrus?] (Luna)

[What? I’m making sure he knows the truth. Neither of you are bad people after all.] (Syrus)

“What about the person outside?”

“Them? A complete piece of shit that I will be trying to kill.” Syrus ruffled up Ethan’s hair.

“Speaking of which, now that you two are here safe, I will be leaving.”

Ash stopped her. “Wait. Syrus, I’ve got some recovery potions in the back. Let me give some to you.” A wonderful gift for Anlesa, if it could be used.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t take it; my body won’t be able to handle it.”

“You're injured.” Ash assumed.

“No, just a medical condition.” Syrus lied. “I just get extra bad effects when I consume additional mana recovery potions in a period of time.”

“...Is there anything else I can get you?” Ash asked. She didn’t want to do nothing for Syrus.

“Well, do you have any rope?”

Anlesa received a small number of supplies from Ash–some rope and bandages.

Afterwards, she went to leave the building.

“I’ll do my best, and if you start hearing proper city noise, that probably means it is safe again. However–”

Syrus pointed at the lock on the door.

“–Don’t let anyone inside.”