Emojis
ForTestingPurpose“The same?”
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans scoffed.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHe couldn’t quite remember the man’s name, but he had seen that face before.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWhy else would Hans always go on expeditions alone, so easily accumulate grudges, and have no companions to call upon like the others?
EmojisForTestingPurposeWas it because of a bad personality?
EmojisForTestingPurposeIn the Labyrinth, everyone had one.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe answer was simple—Hans possessed things far beyond what a mere hunter deserved.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe favor of a witch—and now, even a beautiful girl.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThat face, too, belonged to one of those who had once envied Hans for becoming a witch’s hunting dog.
EmojisForTestingPurposeLike a starving stray dog resenting a pampered pet.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Let’s not spill any more blood. Haven’t we done enough?”
EmojisForTestingPurposeSo now, how delighted must he be?
EmojisForTestingPurposeEven if what Lebkuchenhaus had given him was nothing more than a meager crumb compared to what Gretel sent to Hans, it was still something an ordinary man could never obtain in his lifetime.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWhen too many slaves exist, they begin to crave shackles they can at least take pride in.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“More importantly, Hänsel—you’re alone, aren’t you?”
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut regardless of that hollow blessing, the difference in numbers was a real threat.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans considered himself among the more skilled hunters, convinced that the only reason he hadn’t become an explorer was due to his lack of specialized training and knowledge.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut that didn’t mean he could walk away from a fight against many without getting stabbed even once.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIf they were mere gatherers—weak-willed and spineless—perhaps.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut these were hunters, just like him.
EmojisForTestingPurposeLunatics who made a living slicing through monsters with nothing but their blades.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans gave an exaggerated shrug, as if conceding, his body language hinting at retreat.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Well, fair enough.”
EmojisForTestingPurposeAnd the moment he turned his head—a sharp, whistling sound tore through the air behind him.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHis ears, keenly perked, didn’t miss the noise of something slicing through the wind.
EmojisForTestingPurposeEven though he had anticipated it, Hans threw himself into a roll, deliberately letting his body crash onto the filthy ground.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWith a swift, fluid motion, he completed a full tumble, sprang to his feet, and drew his sword in one seamless movement.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“I knew it. You’re all so damn predictable.”
EmojisForTestingPurpose“And we didn’t think we’d go down that easily, either.”
EmojisForTestingPurposeDrawing a bow in the city was a forbidden act.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIt could be used to snipe a witch, after all.
EmojisForTestingPurposeJust the sight of a bow was enough to summon familiars that would rip the offender to shreds.
EmojisForTestingPurposeSpears were no exception.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe only ranged weapons permitted were throwing knives or stones—neither of which could pierce through a familiar’s protection nor do more than momentarily disrupt the senses of an experienced hunter.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIn the end, close combat was the only option.
EmojisForTestingPurposeKumo Strasse’s streets weren’t particularly spacious, but they were more than enough for a group to encircle a single target.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe hunters, swords at their sides, closed in.
EmojisForTestingPurposeUnlike last time, they had no distractions.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThis time, they had their sights set solely on Hans.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Idiots.”
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans laughed at them.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThey had no idea why he had moved so dramatically, nor did they understand the value of the meager blessing they had received.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans had wielded that power far longer than any of them.
EmojisForTestingPurposeAs the hunters drew near, Hans let out a sharp cry.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“
!”
EmojisForTestingPurposeA fragment of the Divine Language.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHe didn’t know its meaning.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe pitch didn’t even suit a male voice.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut it was the only pronunciation Gretel had ever forced him to learn.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIn truth, even in the Divine Language, it was meaningless.
EmojisForTestingPurposeNothing more than a jumble of syllables—gibberish as nonsensical as “ga-gyagu-gyo.”
EmojisForTestingPurposePointlessly complex, utterly devoid of meaning.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWhich made it perfect.
EmojisForTestingPurposePerfect as the final key to unlock a safety mechanism.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans’ exaggerated movement drew their eyes, buying just enough time.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe fire orb he had rolled toward them finally unleashed the mystery contained within.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBOOM!
EmojisForTestingPurposeA violent explosion erupted into towering flames.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHe had hoped to avoid using it, but there was no other choice.
EmojisForTestingPurposeA trigger pulled at just the right moment— the unleashed firestorm engulfed nearly half of the gathered attackers.
EmojisForTestingPurposeGretel’s flames could be far stronger, but this was a controlled blaze, prepared specifically for use within the city.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIt wouldn’t spread, but its heat was still more than enough to turn several people into charred husks.
EmojisForTestingPurposeAnd among them—was the homeowner, the one who had brandished another witch’s orb.
EmojisForTestingPurposeShhhhh.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe orb shattered in response to the unleashed mystery, and from within, an avalanche of earth and debris exploded outward.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe cascading soil swallowed even the house Hans had originally intended to destroy, forming a small hill over the wreckage.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThose caught in the collapse writhed and struggled beneath the weight.
EmojisForTestingPurposeChaos erupted among the group.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIt was the perfect opportunity to escape.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut instead of fleeing, Hans remained calm, sword in hand, and stepped forward.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWith his orb expended, the witch’s influence no longer shielded him.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIf he ran, they would undoubtedly give chase—and now, having tasted the overwhelming power of mystery, they would have long since discarded any sense of restraint or discipline.
EmojisForTestingPurposeKill, or be killed.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut if he killed them elsewhere, it would only create more problems.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThat wretched rule—so strictly enforced on humans, yet never on the witches.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWhat could he do?
EmojisForTestingPurposeWithout the power to change the world, he had no choice but to obey.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Gah!”
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe ones caught in the flames didn’t even require a sword; they were already as good as dead.
EmojisForTestingPurposeInstead, Hans turned his blade on those who had managed to rise from the landslide, cutting them down one by one.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe city’s streets, where violence was supposedly forbidden, were already stained with darkened, dried blood that could never be scrubbed away.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThat alone proved this kind of slaughter was anything but rare.
EmojisForTestingPurposeAnd yet, few humans could claim the favor of a witch as Hans did.
EmojisForTestingPurposeSo why?
EmojisForTestingPurposeWhy did the scent of blood feel so out of place in Heimvig—a city that was supposed to be safe?
EmojisForTestingPurposeThere was no time for questions.
EmojisForTestingPurposeInstead, Hans sharpened his senses and carved his blade into flesh without pause.
EmojisForTestingPurposeOf course, the other hunters weren’t so easily cut down.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Die!”
EmojisForTestingPurposeThey had braced for battle just as he had.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThose who were completely incapacitated by the unleashed mystery were one thing, but the rest wouldn’t be so simple to finish off.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIn the Labyrinth, metal was too precious to be wasted on weapons—but monster hides were everywhere.
EmojisForTestingPurposeA human body could never match the durability of a beast, but properly treated, layered, and hardened monster leather often became even tougher than it had been in life.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans’ blade drew blood, but a single strike wasn’t enough to deal a fatal wound.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Get lost!”
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Aaargh!”
EmojisForTestingPurpose“I’ve always hated you! Always strutting around, acting high and mighty just because a witch took a liking to you!”
EmojisForTestingPurposeScreams, shouts, and curses filled the air in a chaotic mess.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans had never been formally trained in swordsmanship, but his instincts for survival and experience in battle were more than enough to keep him alive.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHe moved swiftly and skillfully, dodging and weaving through attacks, enduring the relentless assault.
EmojisForTestingPurposeSince he couldn’t take them down in a single strike, he focused on drawing blood, forcing his enemies to wear themselves out.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHe used the narrow streets and various obstacles to prevent himself from being completely surrounded.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut of course, there was only so much he could do.
EmojisForTestingPurposeSome had lost themselves in rage, blindly charging at him.
EmojisForTestingPurposeOthers, however, remained calm and methodical, slowly tightening their encirclement as if hunting a beast.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIf not for the lingering effects of his earlier attack, he would have already been overwhelmed, beaten to the ground or decapitated.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWell, even now, he was barely holding on.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Clang! Clang! Clang!”
EmojisForTestingPurposeJust as one hand can’t hold off ten, a single sword can’t block ten blades.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans struck, parried, dodged, and countered, but he was steadily being pushed back.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“Huff… Huff…”
EmojisForTestingPurposeHis stamina was draining rapidly.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWhile he had inflicted wounds to tire his opponents, he hadn’t escaped unscathed—their blades had found him, too.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThough he had avoided lethal wounds, blood trickled down his body.
EmojisForTestingPurposeThe longer he fought, the more his wounds tore open.
EmojisForTestingPurposeShould he retreat?
EmojisForTestingPurposeIf he lured them into a narrow alley, he could pick them off one by one.
EmojisForTestingPurposeSome would die, some would resist, but once the heat of battle cooled, the rest would give up.
EmojisForTestingPurposeTheir leader was already dead, and in the Labyrinth, loyalty meant nothing.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut if he did that, it would mean moving the fight elsewhere—leaving a trail of bodies and chaos in his wake.
EmojisForTestingPurposeGretel.
EmojisForTestingPurposeOf course, no matter what atrocities Hans committed, Gretel would protect him.
EmojisForTestingPurposeShe often nagged and grumbled, but their bond was unshakable.
EmojisForTestingPurposeBut what about her time?
EmojisForTestingPurposeHans hadn’t realized it before, but Gretel had already burned away so much of her time for his sake.
EmojisForTestingPurposeIf all those sacrificed moments were added together—Would they one day exceed the time he could even spend by her side?
EmojisForTestingPurposeBeneath the hardened shell of a Labyrinth-stained, selfish bastard, there was still a trace of something simple and human.
EmojisForTestingPurposeAnd so, even as he recognized his own stupidity, Hans chose to fight instead of flee.
EmojisForTestingPurposeSwords clashed.
EmojisForTestingPurposeWounds deepened.
EmojisForTestingPurposePain surged through his wrist.
EmojisForTestingPurposeHis breath burned in his lungs.
EmojisForTestingPurposeYet, like a fool, he refused to run.
EmojisForTestingPurposeAnd when the blood-soaked Hans was finally driven to a dead end.
EmojisForTestingPurpose“I found it .”