In the Imhotep Inn, tragedy had darkened. Kenkō needed to catch up with her family’s mission outside. She needed all the information about the victims and could not bear to see more.

Her heart had ached further upon seeing children. Those who lived—without teeth marks—suffered the epidemic instead. Fiery orange veins had burned their faces and even eyes.

She cleared her thoughts and kept walking. Minutes in, she opened the morgue’s door. Her three friends awaited her in their seats.

Teary-eyed, Florence hugged her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re okay. We thought you caught the Icarus Folly. Thank the Gods for the latest fashion ads.” Dorothea expressed the same gratitude with more tears. Even Lillian could not help but smile. In fact, she had the most pent-up waterworks.

Kenkō gently ended their group hug. “You’re dismissed, gals. I’ll take it from here.” Her words made them quickly leave with more smiles. Grausames needed his check-up in Room 13. Internally, Florence felt justice had served him right for years.

Dr. Gregory got off his chair, tall with his cane. “Listen… Since it was your birthday weeks ago, I guess this apology’s long overdue. I can’t imagine how—”

She shook her with closed eyes. “No need, sir. I’m here to save lives at stake, not wallow in my ongoing misery.” She smiled, hands on her hip. “I’d know better. I was a monster’s lackey, too.”

He sighed and smiled back. “So, that’s how we humans are, huh?”

“Yup,” she nodded. “Our evil can kill the strongest demons. But angels can’t fathom our empathy.”

He guided her to the uppermost levels of the morgue. In another world, it would be a five-hundred-story skyscraper. Luckily, runic arrays transported them within nanoseconds.

Gregory walked in front. “Don’t bother with the lower parts. I got corpses coming in every day.” He tapped his cane loudly, lighting the runes beneath their feet. Endless drawers had opened in a row.

Now alone, Kenkō wore gloves. The state-of-the-art Salvino Occhiali had put microscopes to shame. With a simple correction, her eyes could see even water molecules. Sadly, it was of the victim’s remaining blood.

After four hours, she had finished examining the 80th corpse. Glasses off, she blushed a little. The most damning evidence was far bigger than observing nerve impulses.

“Gingerbread crumbs…” she looked upon a coat.

The rest of the family took it to the streets. Tokino had to put their flashy clothes in disguise. Instead of trench coats, they blended with the public. Still, she thought having shades was cool.

Haruto rubbed the back of a bawling widow. He could hear regrets to no end—one even about Christmas. “I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t!” she exclaimed, tears rolling. “I thought I got away with it.” She bawled harder on his chest.

Rubbing again, he looked around the area. Citizens had endless talks as mages wrapped the corpse. Eighty-year-old Helfer despised all the glancing. “Alright, folks. Break it up, break it up!” He shooed them away.

Tokino comforted the widow next. Haruto walked toward the elder brigade mage. “Any luck with your team?”

The man raised his beret, eyeing the sunset. “Nope. I had more luck fighting Harald to a standstill.” He coughed and flicked his cigar to a bin twenty meters away.

Haruto’s eyes widened over the perfect shot. He turned again. “Do you have a lead, at least?”

His laugh came out hoarse. “Yes, indeed! Funny how that sounds.” He stood in front of the couple. “I dispatched some when I saw a guy running from another scene. Or more like flash-step. Ain’t no average joe for sure.”

Tokino stepped in and bowed in thanks. The elder laughed over the idea of retirement. He had one more nation to visit, declared loudly. Still, it made him realize he needed to right now before he would croak.

She waved as the flying carpet flew to the sky. From another angle, she saw her two children riding a motorcycle. Hayato could drive on the condition they stay at the central park.

She smiled more and turned to her husband. “Our little angel spins and swerves without flaw. It’s like we’re raising the ultimate generation.”

Haruto chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head. “Come on, now. You’re saying like I’m riddled with problems.”

She giggled. “Oh, you are. But that’s good! Very good.” She neared his ear. “It means you’ll always improve. Especially in bed.”

Flustered beyond belief, he prepared to move his lips away from another daring move. However, he failed to see the forehead tap. His cheeks stayed red as Tokino giggled again.

Unexpectedly, he smirked. “Oh, yeah!?” Aided by his magic, her foresight failed to see the outcome.

She tried prying his hands open but to no avail. Her laugh went louder as her sides felt more ‘torture.’ “Okay, okay! I’m sorry.” She now laughed softer, but it quickly disappeared.

At that point, she could not feel the tickling. Her eyes squinted when they caught a man who waved with a toothy grin. Too far away, she concentrated her foresight. She pried Haruto’s hands with ease. “Follow me!” She pulled out her rapier via runes. “Someone’s jumping, building to another. And it’ll get bloody.”

He nodded with determined eyes. With his sword as well, they flash-stepped on the chase above.

Atop a skyscraper, the orange-haired man installed a lawn chair. He had his sixth helping of Maiden Lane’s gingerbread doughnuts. “Mmmm… cannibalism.” He drooled, eyes relaxed with tongue out.

Before his eighth ring, the Every Hub rang with a notification. He put on his earpieces, “Yello!” and listened closely. “Uh-huh. Yeah. Right, I gotcha. I’m the first ‘wild goose’ and all. Later!” He swiped down the holo screen.

He stored his chair and stretched. “Welp, here goes nothin’.”

Tokino flash-stepped before his eyes. However, her rapier had not turned his head into a going hole. The man grinned again—even with another sword nearing his back.

Haruto’s blade turned silver, and a razor slash bifurcated a water tank. The couple carried on with an intricate dance against the enemy. However, it was futile. Still grinning, the man looked like he kept teleporting to another spot. Tokino could foresee his bloody injuries, yet none prevailed. She thrust to his thigh for a divisive blow to the waist.

At last, the man had an opening. Haruto took every opportunity with an upward slash. The now gold blade’s aura could reach meters. He had runes to make it invisible.

The man jumped backward and held his shoulder; his yellow shirt got drenched half in red. Haruto found its front design rather odd. Perhaps a cartoon cookie shouting ‘EAT ME NOT!!!’ appealed to some.

Now backed into a corner, he smiled faintly at the couple. He licked some red off his shoulder, but he spitted. “Blegh! I don’t taste good one bit.” He cleared his throat and bowed. “Come one and all, ladies and gents. In the name of Master Dominus, the show must go on. For I am Läufer Gebäck: co-founder of his circus.”

Haruto and Tokino lowered their weapons upon hearing the late ringmaster’s name. “Co-founder?” wondered the former. “There were no such records.”

He chuckled and cast healing runes over him. “Right you are, dude. I only sold him the flying carriage. And the fay under his servitude.” The arrays mended his shirt. “Still… ain’t hurtin’ carrying one’s will. Even when I’m way weaker.”

Tokino failed to warn her husband, who prepared a horizontal slash. “That makes it way easier for us!” he exclaimed after a flash-step.

Läufer’s grin returned. Once again, it looked like he teleported everywhere. Haruto did not take chances and became more divisive than his wife.

His blade changed color in quick succession. With every sharp wind from the silver, the gold’s unseen reach followed. Other nearby buildings had felt the wrath. Employees screamed when theirs got a close shave on top.

Boulder-sized debris had flung everywhere. Haruto kept swinging, yet the enemy still grinned. The latter yawned. “Welp, time to move quicker.” He threaded his sword and went for an eye poke.

The former had overestimated his innate ability. Even with such bolstered physical power, the enemy’s fingers neared an inch. Luckily, his wife intervened before both knew it. Tokino pushed him away and thrust her rapier by instinct.

Had she not hit an afterimage, Läufer would have lost an eye. “Geez Louise, babe. My runic skills ain’t that good.”

She panted heavily, eyes agleam. “Shut the fuck up. Lay one wound on my Haruto, and you’d wish a quick death.”

He asked loudly in disbelief if she had overreacted. Then, his intentions got revealed louder. As he could feel her intense pressure, he grinned again. “Oh yeah… forgot you can see the future. But I wonder. Can you save his skull again?” He raised his arms sideways.

Her eyes lit up, fully knowing what would occur. “Don’t you dare, bastard!!” She did a flurry of stabs 40/s.

Haruto joined in, having no time to stand still. The couple weaved through their dance tenfold. Läufer could now sense his growing respect. He would not miss it for the world and moved tenfold as well.

The building’s top now looked like a warzone—dust everywhere. Yet, the enemy dodged without a scratch. The couple still could not understand his power. Alas, they would now find out. Läufer delivered more moves than one. They failed to counter his fists that weaved through their swords. Both tried to hold off blood from their mouths.

Haruto and Tokino rolled on the floor several times. However, they had no time for shattered rib cages. They cast runes together on themselves. The husband was only half slower.

“Are you okay?” She walked closer.

He stretched his back forward. “Of course… We’re not archmages for nothing. It’s all child’s play.”

She smiled calmly and made a move on his cheek. He appreciated his first time immensely. Then, both smiled with sheer confidence. Not even the Gods could break it.

Läufer stood mesmerized by their valiant swords aimed for the kill. He slowly clapped. “Now this, I like. But I suppose you want answers? We’re not in an anime, you kno—”

Haruto flash-stepped and swung at his right thigh. Red had splattered above but did not stain his parka. He lowered his sword. “No need whatsoever. It’s as your tale goes. You’ve outrun a little old man, a little old woman, a cow, a horse, a barn full of threshers, a field full of mowers.

“And, of course, you can outrun our strikes. But how long? Are we the ‘fox’ you’ve feared for a time?” He pointed his sword. Tokino readied her stance from behind. Her praise for the literary tongue reddened his cheeks.

Läufer grinned once more. His pace had now matched a rabbit’s. “Hahahahahahaha!” He then sighed. “Welp… run, run, run, as fast as you can. If you catch me, I’ll eat my legs. Maybe.”