Flash Gordon is in an excellent position to attack this guy, but it seems like without my direct input, Flash Gordon is really lazy. He doesn't like using mana, so he struggles instead of using any of his abilities. At least he isn't sitting there like a rock.

I take a gamble and hope that my previous failed attempt to summon Flash Gordon didn't eat up the cooldown. I don't know the crafting process for golems, and I don't want Flash Gordon to go through unnecessary pain.

His smug smile dies as I simply whistle, and Flash Gordon apparates next to me. I flip him off with my one good hand. I switch fingers and point my index finger at the guy.

Duchess pulls the golemancer up into the air with her [Telekineses]. I just need to find the limitations of his skills so I can murder this man. How far can he be from his golems before his skills fail?

Once the initial shock of the numerous drones wore off, Duchess and Khan realized that they weren't a threat and floated down to join me, much to the vexation of the birds.

"What a marvelous trick. I'm assuming that one of your beasts is doing this, as you don't seem the type that is capable of delicate magic."

I don't know if he is referring to the [Telekinesis] or the teleporting.

Unfortunately, a massive concrete hand from one of the stores holds gingerly onto the golemancer's leg, rooting him in place.

[Ellis, this guy can comfortably withstand most of thisss one's [Mind] magic. Thisss one can try and overload him, but inform thisss one when.]

I subtly nod to Duchess and keep my eyes trained on the golemancer. I'd love to run up to the guy and punch him, but it'll be futile if he keeps teleporting around with his infinite martyrs. I tell myself to be patient, even though I don't want to be.

He pulls out a handgun and shoots me right in the chest. I take the blow without flinching and keep my eyes on him. If this guy can change places with his golems, or let them take damage for him, then he is unkillable right now. I can always try again tomorrow if I fail today.

He's talkative and enjoys his "gentleman persona," so getting him to give a verbal slip-up should be easy with a bit of riling up.

"What was that pathetic attempt of an attack? Don't tell me that was your magnum opus?"

"Oh ho ho! Not at all, my brutish foe."

He points to the gun with his other hand and says, "This is plan G. I still have plan E. Fret not. I won't kill you for knowing my secret plans. However, I'll kill you and purloin your body clean of any valuables regardless."

"..."

This guy is a weirdo. Plus, his plans are out of order. I take a look around before responding.

Khan and Rob are destroying the golems that try to approach me, but they'll be overrun eventually. I've given up on killing him here. He is an obvious schemer, and prolonging my stay will only worsen the inevitable.

But I refuse to be the one that backs down.

"You won't be able to kill me even if I put my head on a silver platter. You are too old to larp in public. You are only a weak thief that roleplays as somebody with grace, so you feel better about yourself. How old are you and still stuck at your level? You sure are a special kind of golemancer, quantity over quality is it? No wonder you needed bombs and grenades to hurt me, and you still couldn't put me down."

An eyebrow twitched and his smile dies again. He reached into his pocket to pull something out.

When he broke eye contact, I signaled Duchess by jumping at this guy and using [Bramble Blade] to make up for the distance. I can't get within melee in one jump, and I don't want to lose Flash Gordon by using him as a ranged attack again.

CRACK

Duchess [Interferance] overloads his brain for a second, allowing me to get a clean hit.

My whip sword rips into the golemancer's jaw. Blood and teeth spray from his mouth as he clutches his face. One end of his jaw hangs disconnected from his skull as his tongue loosely falls from his gaping maw.

*INCOHERENT SCREAMING*

I burn his wails of pain into my memory for later, just in case I need something to fall asleep to. I wanted everyone to go and rush this guy, but I noticed the item he pulled out of his pocket.

In his hands is a bloody remote control with one button. His messed-up finger was already pressing down the button. I throw caution into the wind, and hurl Flash Gordon, trying to get the killing blow. However, I'm too late.

*INCOHERENT SCREAMING with a set of hand gestures*

He suddenly disappears, leaving a tennis racket golem in his place. I glance about, and he is long gone. I should've used Flash Gordon in the first place, but I was still nervous about losing him. Regrets can come later.

How rude, not even giving a farewell. How ungentlemanly.

Hold on. If plan G was a gun, then plan E is probably another fucking explosion. I might be paranoid, but we have to go right now. For good measure, I activate [Bolster Resistance] in case there is more fire.

I frantically look around and spot my saving grace.

A golem that is just an animated door with a frame is stumbling towards us.

"Get to that door, or we all die."

[?]

I don't wait for a response and fully book it to the door golem and hold it open. I activate my magnificent mansion and kick my tamed beasts through the door.

The door golem struggles in my grasp, but I ignore its silent plead and keep it open.

Ten seconds after the button was pushed and the golemancer left, a roar of fire bursts out of every store, bathing the whole strip mall in a firestorm.

~

The explosion pushed me into the magnificent mansion, skill managing to scorch my back red. I tumble into the yard, fire all around me.

I ignored the pain and started putting out any stray flames before they spread. I'm not allowing that golemancer to destroy two of my homes.

"FUCK."

I really wanted to kill that guy! My skin isn't the only thing boiling. I need to find where this guy lives and see how he likes his house blowing up.

Shit, I only have two weeks before I need to leave the city. What should I do first? I can't force myself to be calm any longer. I'm pissed, and I want to do something about it.

I go up to my bedroom and get my phone. Luckily I had already moved most of my personal belongings to the mansions before going home. Fuck, my laptop was still in the house that exploded. I'll need to buy a new one.

I don't get any reception here, so I leave the manor grounds before making any calls. Surely the explosion wouldn't last for half a minute?

I leave the manor and find myself in a pile of rebar and rubble from where we entered. The smell of smoke burns my nostrils as I try to move the debris off me. My one arm bursts out of the pile, and I claw my way out to freedom.

"Hands in the air! Now!"

Dozens of guns are pointed at my battered body as a team of enforcers start to surround the pile of rubble I am in. I fucking hate the enforcers. Every opportunity I've had with them involved my safety being threatened.

I'm in a pissy mood, but getting into a fight right now is suicide. No matter how incompetent the enforcers in the city are, they are still a threat.

I raise my one hand.

"Your other hand too!"

I slowly look at the enforcer shouting this at me. He seems familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I know him from. I can't see his face from under his set of ballistic armor and helmet.

"This is all I have, boss. I'm a crippled man."

There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke up again.

"Alright, somebody get the suspect into custody. He's unarmed and injured badly. Don't bother the medics, their focus is on more important things."

"I still have an arm, so I'm not unarmed. Can someone tell me why I am being arrested?"

The enforcer approaches me with his gun pointed at my chest.

"Are you playing jokes with me?"

"I'm dead serious. Why am I being arrested?"

He doesn't answer me as a different enforcer tries to handcuff me.

"Uh, sir. How do you handcuff a one-armed man?"

"..."

"I have a recommendation."

The captain almost tells me to shut up before giving me consent to speak with his silence.

"I can come willingly since resisting arrest would make me seem like a criminal. Going out of my way to murder some enforcers for a misunderstanding would be foolish."

"... Get the full body restraint, cadet."

"Fuck."

~

I flipped a coin in my head and decided not to make a run for it. I don't want to test what a military-grade bullet can do to my flesh. So far, I only got shot by bullets without mana in them, and they still hurt like a mother fucker.

I'm sitting in the back of an armored van, getting the complete enforcer treatment. A body restraint is a set of metal rings on each of my appendages and around my neck. I don't know the exact magic behind it, but it's supposed to restrain my movements on command and allow the enforcers to walk me around like a puppet.

One of the enforcers is in the back of the van, watching over me. Right now, I can totally escape. One slap at the back of the van door, and I'm out of here. If I start worrying about the enforcer seeing my magnificent mansion, I can always abduct them when I escape.

"So, Mr. Cadet. What am I being charged with?"

"..."

"You're breaking my heart here. I need to know."

"..."

My persuasion attempts do nothing, so I just wait it out.

The next thing I know is that the van stopped, and a bunch of men escorted me to an interrogation room inside the enforcer H.Q.

I wonder if these cuffs can stop me from casting magic or activating abilities. I don't have any skills to test this except my [Heal Anything], and there is no sense in wasting mana or making myself look less like a victim.

I have to give one thing to the enforcers, they are very efficient. Putting me straight into an interrogation cell without any pauses. I wonder how many human rights violations I can squeeze out of them.

The room is lined floor to ceiling with metal, except for a big reinforced one-way window that takes up most of one wall. I stare a the mirrored surface and lament that my hair is gone.

The door suddenly swings open, and a more casually dressed enforcer walks in, probably a detective since they get more liberties in their uniforms. Unfortunately, it's not Captain Doyle, the enforcer captain I have in my back pocket.

Well, I met him twice, and he owes me money.

The detective in front of me has a mix of blonde and black hair and a pure black mustache. He slammed the table as I was still staring at the window, looking at him in the reflection.

"Thirteen people are dead, and more are being dug out of the rubble as we speak!"

How big was that fucking explosion?

"I want a lawyer."