The Death of a Mob

SHADOW

Epsilon’s heart was racing.

She heard the rhythm of footsteps echoing from behind—the same footsteps that had always been there to pull her out of the fire. They were the force that shattered every obstacle in her path and guided her through the dark.

"You... you came for me... didn't you...?"

She looked back with those watery, dramatic eyes. And what did she see? Just your run-of-the-mill, ordinary black-haired, black-eyed boy. Me.

"D-Damn it! My... my leg!"

The assassin whose leg I’d just lopped off was busy trying to stop the bleeding with his magic. He shot me a nasty look.

"You... some kind of small fry? Who the hell took my leg, damn it?! Whatever. You’re dead."

He swung his sword at me with zero finesse. Amateur.

"Eh...?"

One second I was there, the next I wasn't. His blade slammed into the cobblestones with a pathetic, dry clank.

"Wh-Where did you—Gwah!"

A massive hole had suddenly appeared in the man's chest. Through the gap, he could see me standing there. I was holding his heart, and let me tell you, it was dripping everywhere.

"M-My... heart... is...?"

Clutching at the void in his chest, the assassin hit the ground. He gave a few good twitches and then went still. A nice, dark pool of blood started spreading across the stones. Aesthetics.

"Wh-Who are you...?" the last survivor stammered, his voice cracking.

Splat.

I tossed the crushed heart aside like it was yesterday’s trash.

"Now then, I wonder who I am."

I gave him my best bored stare. Total mystery man vibes.

"What did you do? How did you get the heart...?"

"Like this."

I was in front of him before he could even register I’d moved. I placed my hand right over his heart. I could feel his pulse racing—thump-thump, thump-thump.

"Wh—Impossible! When did you... I couldn't even see the flow of your magic...!"

"Master Shadow... so beautiful..."

I heard Epsilon whispering in the background. She was totally mesmerized by my Supreme Magic Power Control. Glad someone noticed the effort.

"Sh-Shadow?! No way, it's him—!"

I watched the guy panic. It was honestly a bit dull. Then, I leaned in.

"You’re just a mob," I whispered, my voice so low only he could hear it.

"...Huh?"

And just like that, his heart was gone.

Blood geysered out of the fresh hole in his chest. I crushed the organ in my fist and turned my back.

"So this is... Sha... dow..." the man groaned, clutching his chest. "Lord... Mordred... be... careful..."

He collapsed onto the cobblestones and breathed his last right then and there. End scene.