Searching

"Do you think they're here?"

"I'm not sure. But, it's the only lead we have."

Sebastian gripped his spear tightly and stood up.

"I'm going to take the lead."

"Alright."

Amy nodded and moved behind him.

The two of them were currently fulfilling the mission that Markus had given them. They both wore cloaks and masks and were planning to raid one of Lizard Tail's supposed bases.

It was an operation without cooperation of the law, that's why the two of them wore disguises. If they went through all the legal measures, one month wouldn't be enough to find out the culprit behind the attack. That's why Markus sent the two of them.

Their job is to interrogate as many members of Lizard's Tail as possible. It had been a few days since the attack on the school.

The exams were postponed but those who had finished were allowed to submit their papers. Sebastian no longer needed to go to school until the next school year started. Amy was the same, though her duties as a student council president stopped that.

The two of them used the days after the attack to investigate Lizard's Tail, including how they managed to infiltrate the school. The Walt House was confronted, but they feigned ignorance and claimed they had nothing to do with the matter.

Though they didn't know how the Walt House did it, they managed to pass a vote that no further investigation would be held on the Walt House.

That left Markus Luna with only one choice, to leave it to Amy and Sebastian.

"Who are you?!"

"..."

Sebastian didn't answer the man who had just gotten out of the factory and swung his spear. Lightning burst out of the spear and shocked the man unconscious.

"Enemy attack!"

Following that shout, Amy and Sebastian nodded at each other. Normal factory workers wouldn't be alert to enemies.

Amy brought out her sword. It was a tool much like Sebastian's spear. It allowed Amy to use a different ability by converting her energy.

Though it wasn't as efficient as Sebastian's spear, it was all she needed to deal with the underlings of Lizard's Tail.

Amy swung her sword at an approaching enemy and sent him flying back to his comrades with a burst of air.

They didn't plan to kill anyone, but they also couldn't let a single person escape and warn the other hideouts.

Sebastian kicked the ground and cut through a number of them using Lightning Strike. He also had to use his ring to adapt to the speed. If he were simply going to kill them, then he wouldn't have to mind.

In the end, it only took around five minutes for them to subdue everyone. Nobody had those weapons that they used to attack the academy, they just used swords and bows.

"Speak."

"Screw you!"

Just as the man cursed Amy, he stepped forward and stabbed her sword into his thigh.

"AGH!"

"I'm going to ask you again, who ordered the attack on the academy?"

"D-don't mess with—AGGHH!"

Amy buried her sword deeper into the man's thigh. Sebastian was in another area interrogating someone else, there was no need for her to hold back.

Underneath the mask, Amy's eyes were cold. There wasn't a shred of sympathy in them.

"I'm only giving you one more chance, who did it?"

"I...I don't know!"

"I see."

Amy retracted her sword and then stabbed the man in the chest. She then moved onto the next person. Amy removed the gag in his mouth and aimed her sword at his throat.

"We don't know anything! Don't you realize that?!"

"What do you mean?"

Amy's sword inched closer to the man's throat and caused him to gulp.

"We're called Lizard's Tail because we can easily be discarded! In exchange for money, we do everything they want without questions! Nobody tells us anything!"

A lizard's tail could be cut off and regrown. In a sense, it meant that this organization of bandits were just a bunch of unfortunate fools.

"I see. So none of you have any worth."

The man felt chills and so did his allies. They looked at their dead comrade with a fearful gaze and then back at Amy.

"They don't know anything."

Sebastian walked back to Amy's spot and said. He paused slightly after seeing the dead man but didn't give him more than a glance.

"Then, no matter how many bases we raid, we won't get anything."

"There's got to be at least one person. Hey, you."

Sebastian kicked the man whose gag was off onto the floor. He then stabbed his spear right next to the man's head.

The man trembled. The pain from Sebastian's kick was just a light breeze compared to the fear he was feeling.

"Who's the one with the highest authority?"

…

After giving the knights an anonymous tip, Sebastian and Amy left the bound members of Lizard's Tail in the factory.

Currently, the two of them were outside town. It was already night but the two of them didn't need to fear anything out here.

"Just one person, huh… Whoever's behind these bandits is really thorough."

"Amy, can you go in alone? I'll provide support from here."

"What? From here? This is nearly two kilometers away, you know?"

"It'll be fine."

"Mmm…"

Though Amy knew that Sebastian was good with a bow, wasn't two kilometers way above what a bow could do?

However, Amy believed in Sebastian.

"Alright. I'll wait for your signal."

Amy brandished her sword and slid down the small hill they were on.

Sebastian took the black bow that had been covered in a different color and stood up. He could see the Lizard's Tail's camp in the distance.

—Two kilometers, you've never attempted to shoot at anything from this far.

"But it isn't impossible. Though I can't say why, I feel like I'll be able to do it. I'm at a high place too."

—You aren't just aiming for one shot, you're trying to shoot many arrows. You expect all of them to hit the camp with enough power to support her?

"Nn."

Sebastian took the special arrows that Pine had given him and began loading them with Sherry's potions.

"Explosive arrows. Pine had given explosive arrowheads to me before but they were too dangerous. With Sherry's help they managed to fix the safety, though it takes a bit more time."

After filling all of his arrows, Sebastian got a feel for the weight. He took a normal arrow and tried to fire at the camp.

"As expected, it wouldn't reach that far."

It only went a little more than a kilometer before losing its strength. The black bow was strong, but it wasn't enough without any abilities.

Sebastian closed his eyes and held onto an arrow.

"I need to arc my shot, and to somehow make the arrow pierce through the air."

Sebastian recalled the knowledge from the books he had read and used the stigma,

"This should do."

Sebastian repeated the steps for the other arrows but became faster and faster each time.

Since Amy had gotten into position, around fifteen minutes had passed. However, neither of them were impatient.

—Sometimes, you really are unbelievable.

"Thank you."

Sebastian chuckled and held an arrow back. He focused on the camp and then held his breath. He raised his bow and infused energy into his shot.

The arrow flew across the skies and pierced the clouds. Sebastian took a few more arrows and repeated the same movements even faster.

He didn't need to see the end result. He just knew in his heart that they would hit.

Finally, he could see the first arrow fall in the distance using his vision enhanced by energy. Another arrow followed, then another, and another.

The arrows that exploded on contact made a volley and landed inside the camp.

Even from a distance, Sebastian could see their destructive power. The tens were destroyed and many were killed in those attacks. However, Sebastian never stopped firing.

Before Amy arrived inside, he would deal with everyone he could see.

…

In the end, Sebastian's attacks never ceased. When Amy arrived after the barrage, everyone outside of the main tent was dead. She had made sure nobody escaped during the barrage.

Though Amy knew that Sebastian would fire arrows at the camp, she didn't know that each and every arrow would explode. It was a picture straight from hell, but Amy was unfazed.

She walked through without taking a second glance at the burning corpses and dying men scattered across the area. She opened the only remaining tent and was greeted with several swords being pointed at her.

"Which one of you is Hyde?"

Nobody answered, but Amy could somehow tell who it was. Behind everyone, there was a man whose expression was as calm as could be. It was as if he had no knowledge of the destruction and screams of his men.

"What is it?"

The person that Amy was glaring at spoke. His voice was as calm as his expression, it looked like he didn't believe Amy would be able to harm him at all.

"Who ordered the attack on the academy a few days ago?"

"Why do you think you have the right to know that information?"

"Because of this."

Amy swung her sword and a blade of wind cut the heads of everyone in the tent except for Hyde. She pointed her sword that had yet to be bloodied at his throat.

"If you think a little threat is going to make me talk, then you must be a fool."

As expected of someone trusted to pass the information to Lizard's Tail's members. His temperament was different from everyone else.

Even seeing his comrades get killed in front of him hadn't affected him in the slightest.

Amy didn't speak anymore. She went over to his back and bound him. She also made sure to gag his mouth just in case he had poison hidden in one of his teeth.

Amy led Hyde outside the camp while holding onto his restraints. Sebastian met her halfway.

"I'm guessing he didn't talk."

"Nn."

Amy threw Hyde on the ground in front of Sebastian.

"We have no choice, we have to get him interrogated by a Judge."

Sebastian nodded and carried Hyde. His arm was strong enough to hold up a man easily. Sebastian threw him onto the horse that he rode and tied him up. He was strangely obedient.

Sebastian and Amy returned to Aurum on horseback with Hyde in tow.