Rei and Seto circled around to the rear of their target, a building tucked away in the slum district.
The paths were a labyrinthine mess, as was typical for the area, but they reached the back of the building before the raid commenced. There, as expected, stood a back door.
"Well, if they're conscious of the fact they're up to no good, they'd naturally prepare an escape route for emergencies," Rei muttered to no one in particular.
Seto purred in agreement.
Rei gave the gryphon a gentle pat on the head and waited for the chaos to erupt. Soon enough, the sounds of a commotion within reached their ears. Under normal circumstances, hearing through the walls would have been impossible, but with five senses far sharper than those of ordinary humans or beasts, the pair couldn't possibly have misheard.
"All right, let's make our move. I doubt they've had time to dig an actual underground passage, but keep an eye out for hidden passages anyway."
"Gurulululuuu!" Seto gave a short, affirmative trill.
Rei figured they hadn't been using the building long enough to excavate a basement or tunnel, though the thought briefly crossed his mind that magic might have made short work of such a task. However, since capable mages were rare in this world, he dismissed the idea and moved toward the door.
Fortuitously, there were no windows on this side of the building to spot them. Even so, Rei remained wary of magic items or surveillance as they reached the door. From inside, the crash of breaking wood and stone grew louder. Even if there were guards posted at the rear, their attention was surely fixed on the entry unit storming the front—specifically the hot-headed Ecethesus and the battle-hungry Vihera.
Rei exchanged a silent look with Seto, who responded with a faint purr. After drawing a dagger from his Misty Ring—opting for it over the cumbersome Death Scythe—he timed his move and eased the door open. He could have kicked it down to simulate a pincer attack, but he wanted to avoid a hostage situation if the enemies felt cornered.
The moment he heard voices, Seto used his Size Change skill to shrink his body. The two slipped inside and ducked into a nearby hallway.
"Damn it! How did they find this place?! Did you idiots lead them straight here after the ambush?!"
"As if we're that incompetent!"
"Then why are they here?! Ogul, that Ecethesus guy was the one you attacked, right?!"
"How should I know?! Those two would have been one thing, but that Mad Beast is with them! This is a nightmare!"
"At least we've got a head start to get away."
"Don't just stand there being calm! We're leaving while those pawns buy us time. We can't let them get information on us... or pass it to House Silwa!"
Rei and Seto listened as several men approached the back exit. The sounds of destruction continued to echo from the front. Just as Rei prepared to intercept them, one man spoke up again.
"What about the captive? They've seen our faces. If we leave them, they'll expose us."
"What? I thought she was already moved? That terrifying doll threatened us right before she was taken."
"That was the woman they're looking for, Tibia. I'm talking about the one we snatched after her."
"Wait, I didn't hear anything about a second one. If they're really still here..."
Rei paused. Tsk, so Tibia really is gone. In that case, I need to squeeze these guys for everything they know. I also need proof of their ties to House Marstchel.
He tapped Seto's neck as a signal and stepped out to block the path.
"Sorry, but this is a dead end. If you want to pass, you'll have to start talking."
The men froze. The sight of Rei—and especially Seto—brought them to a halt for a split second before they lunged forward without hesitation. There was no verbal command, but their coordination was impressive. Two men rushed Rei, two went for Seto, and the final two tried to slip past during the distraction.
Unfortunately for them, they had picked the wrong opponents. The two men who threw themselves at Rei with suicidal resolve found their strikes easily avoided. Rei didn't even draw his blade; instead, he used the sheathed dagger to strike their solar plexuses with blinding speed. They collapsed instantly.
Rei glanced at Seto. The gryphon had swiped two men aside with a heavy forepaw, sending them crashing into the two trying to flee. They all ended up in a tangled, groaning heap on the floor.
Well, no surprise there.
Relieved at the expected victory, Rei stepped over and knocked the remaining men unconscious, just like the first two.
"Now, since they were the ones trying to run, they likely know more than the grunts at the front. They'll serve as perfect information sources, but..."
Rei recalled the mention of another captive. If there was someone else here, he couldn't leave them behind.
"Seto, keep watch on these guys. If any of them wake up, put them back under."
"Gurululu?" Seto glanced at the back door.
Rei understood immediately. "Yeah, better move them outside. I don't want anyone besides Elena seeing your Size Change skill."
Seto gave a short cry of acknowledgement and began dragging the men out by their clothes with its beak. It was no struggle for the gryphon, and the task was done in minutes. As Rei looked at the six men lined up on the ground, he was suddenly reminded of a TV program he'd seen back in Japan showing tuna lined up at Tsukiji.
Leaving the catch with Seto, he headed back inside. The crashes from the front suggested the rest of the party was still making a mess of things.
Specifically Vihera, Rei thought with a wry smile.
The image of the seductive battle maniac flickered in his mind as he explored the building. Since the building wasn't that large, he expected to find the prisoner quickly, but after several minutes, he found no rooms capable of holding a person, let alone a jail.
"All that's left is that way, but..."
His gaze turned toward the entrance. It was a loud, chaotic disaster zone. He doubted they would keep a captive so close to the main exit.
"The only other possibilities are a hidden room or a basement, but it's hard to find those alone. Should I just use Faint Flame... No, that would stand out too much."
Faint Flame was useful for exploration, but it produced actual fire. Using it here would cause a massive uproar. The slum residents might turn a blind eye to a fight, but fire was a different story. Everyone lived in such close proximity that a single house fire could burn the whole district to the ground.
He hesitated for a minute, but in that time, the sounds of combat finally ceased. Realizing the raid was over, he headed toward the entrance.
He found the area in ruins. Doors and walls were smashed; one man was even embedded head-first in a partition. The lobby was a disaster zone that looked ready to collapse at any moment. Over a dozen men lay broken on the floor, most of them suffering from fractures. Vihera and Elena were spotless, while Ecethesus and Nakt had only minor scrapes. Rei looked at the battered guards with a mix of pity and exasperation. They had tried to buy time and only found hell.
"Oh, Rei. Are you finished on your end?" Vihera asked, noticing him immediately.
"Yeah. Caught a group trying to escape out the back. They were using these guys as pawns, so they're likely the ones with the real intel."
"What about information on Tibia?!" Ecethesus demanded, rushing forward.
Rei shook his head. "I overheard them talking while they were trying to escape. Tibia has already been moved somewhere else."
"No... damn it, after all this..." Ecethesus kicked the ground in frustration. Nakt patted his back to steady him.
"So, what brings you all the way inside, Rei?" Elena asked. "Just to tell us about the escapees?"
"No, I heard there might be another captive still in the building. I've been looking, but I haven't found a hidden room or a basement yet."
"So you came to ask these guys," Vihera surmised. Rei shrugged.
"I looked through most of the place. I figured one of these men could point me to it."
He walked over to a man pinned under some debris from the entrance and produced his Dagger of Flowing Water. He splashed a bit of the magical water on the man's face to rouse him. Elena and Vihera watched with pained expressions, clearly thinking it was a criminal waste of high-quality water, while Byune looked on with interest as the man began to stir.