Haru did not know.
He did not know the guild was looking for him.
But he would soon find out.
The world was getting ready to meet the S class mage.
And the mage was getting ready to show his true power.
It was a sunny afternoon.
People were walking in the shopping area.
Children laughed.
Old people drank tea.
Everything was calm.
Then, something strange happened.
---
A loud BOOM shook the ground.
Everyone stopped walking.
They looked around.
BOOM… BOOM…
The sound came again.
It was coming from the park near the mall.
In the park, a dungeon gate stood tall.
It was dark purple and always silent.
But today, it was shaking.
---
The gate made a loud noise.
Purple light flashed from the cracks.
The ground under it moved.
People screamed.
Shops closed quickly.
Mothers grabbed their kids and ran.
One man shouted,
"The gate! The gate is going to break!"
---
Haru was sitting on a bench nearby.
He had just bought some bread.
He looked at the gate with sharp eyes.
"That's not normal," he whispered.
"Why is a beginner dungeon gate shaking like that?"
---
He stood up and walked away from the crowd.
He moved to a quiet spot behind a wall.
There, he looked at the gate again.
BOOM!
The dungeon gate shook harder.
Cracks appeared on its surface.
Purple mist poured out.
---
Haru felt something in the air.
He touched his chest.
His mana was reacting.
"Monsters are trying to come out," he said.
---
He looked around.
No hunters were there yet.
The area was not protected.
It was supposed to be a safe dungeon.
But not today.
---
People screamed louder.
Shadows moved inside the gate.
Then—
CRACK!
The gate split open.
The dungeon gate was open now.
From the purple light, monsters came running.
Small ones at first.
Slimy, green slimes jumped out.
Their bodies made wet sounds as they hit the ground.
Splish! Splash!
Then came goblins.
Short, green creatures with long noses and sharp teeth.
They held sticks and rusty knives.
Their red eyes glowed.
After that, wild wolves appeared.
They had black fur and long claws.
They growled, loud and angry.
---
The monsters saw people.
And they attacked.
"Run!" someone shouted.
"Monsters! The monsters are coming!"
Children screamed.
Shoppers dropped their bags and ran.
Cars honked.
One car hit a light pole.
Chaos.
---
The goblins chased a boy who had fallen.
He cried and tried to crawl away.
Slimes jumped onto a food cart, crushing it.
A wolf bit into a man's leg.
Blood spilled on the street.
---
Haru stood behind a wall, watching.
His fists were tight.
His heart was fast.
He wanted to help.
He wanted to stop the monsters.
But he couldn't move yet.
---
"If I use big magic here…" he whispered,
"People will see. My secret will be gone."
He looked up at the sky.
The wind moved fast.
Something was coming.
Then…
A strong gust hit the street.
The wind blew away the slime and dust.
Everyone looked up.
A light flew from the sky.
---
BOOM!
A girl landed in the center of the street.
The ground cracked under her feet.
Dust rose.
The girl had silver hair.
Her clothes were stylish but strong.
She looked young, maybe a high school student.
But her aura was not normal.
It was powerful.
---
The monsters stopped.
Even the goblins stepped back.
The girl looked at them with cold eyes.
"You made a mistake," she said.
"Coming out here."
She raised one hand.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind flew out.
It hit the goblins.
They flew back and hit the walls.
Bang! Bang!
---
The slimes jumped at her.
But she moved fast.
With one step, she appeared behind them.
She snapped her fingers.
Fwoosh!
A ring of fire appeared and burned them.
The slimes melted.
---
The wolves growled.
One jumped at her from behind.
But she didn't turn.
Her magic moved on its own.
Zap!
A bolt of lightning came from her shoulder.
The wolf fell, shaking and smoking.
---
Everyone stared.
"Is she… an A-Rank?" one man whispered.
"She's so strong," said a woman.
---
Haru watched from behind the wall.
He was amazed too.
"That girl… she's not just strong," he said softly.
"She's dangerous."
But then, something else happened.
More monsters came.
A new goblin stepped out of the gate.
It was bigger.
It wore armor and held a club.
"Goblin leader," Haru said.
"It's strong."
---
The girl moved to fight it.
But this one was fast.
It jumped and swung the club down.
She raised her arm to block.
BOOM!
The ground cracked.
She slid back.
---
Haru's eyes narrowed.
"She needs help."
He looked around.
No one saw him.
He stretched out one hand.
Soft light glowed in his palm.
"Silent Flame," he whispered.
---
A small fireball flew fast.
It hit the goblin leader in the back.
BANG!
The goblin screamed.
Now the girl had time.
She moved again, fast and sharp.
She cut the goblin with a wind blade.
Then finished it with a lightning strike.
CRACK!
The goblin leader fell.
---
The girl stood there, breathing slowly.
People clapped and cheered.
The girl stood in the middle of the street.
Her silver hair shined in the light.
She looked calm, but her power was clear.
Everyone watched her.
She was strong.
Everyone could feel it.
---
The monsters were now all gone.
But the people were still afraid.
The streets were a mess.
Shops were broken.
Cars were turned over.
---
The girl didn't move.
She just looked at the monsters that were gone.
Her eyes were serious.
---
"Are you all okay?" she asked, her voice calm.
A man ran to her.
"Are you really A-rank?" he asked, his voice full of awe.
"Did you clear the monsters alone?"
The girl didn't answer at first.
She just looked at the people who had stopped running.
Then, she nodded.
"Yes," she said, "I am A-rank."
---
The man was so shocked.
He looked at her in disbelief.
"A-rank? You're so young. How…?" he asked.
"I thought A-rank was for only the strongest."
She smiled slightly but didn't answer.
She was very beautiful, but her face was serious.
She looked like a warrior, not someone who would smile much.
---
"Go home," she said to the people.
"Everything is safe now."
They nodded and quickly ran away.
They were still scared.
But now they felt safer.
---
The girl walked slowly.
She looked at the street and the people running.
Then, she turned and looked at the dungeon gate.
It was shaking again.
---
"It's not done yet," she said.
She stepped closer to the gate.
---
Haru watched from behind a nearby building.
He could feel the girl's power.
It was so strong.
He had seen strong mages before, but she was different.
She was in another league.
---
He had to be careful.
If anyone saw him now, they would know.
He didn't want that.
---
The girl was still looking at the dungeon gate.
She was thinking.
Then, she spoke again.
"I can't let more monsters escape.
I'll stop this," she said.
---
She raised her hand to the sky.
A large wave of air surrounded her.
Then, a gust of wind picked up.
The wind was so strong that it pushed the leaves and trash across the street.
---
Haru could feel the power in the air.
She was not just using magic; she was controlling the world around her.
---
She closed her eyes, and a circle of light appeared around her.
It grew bigger and bigger.
Whoosh! The air moved faster.
---
The ground started to shake.
Then, from the dungeon gate, a loud roar came.
A huge monster jumped out.
It was a giant spider.
It had many legs and red eyes.
Its body was large and covered in dark fur.
---
The girl didn't flinch.
She raised her hand again.
"Wind Slash," she said, calmly.
---
A strong wind blade shot out from her hand.
It sliced through the air.
It hit the spider's body.
Shing!
The spider shrieked and fell back.
---
But it wasn't done.
The spider stood back up.
It looked at the girl with angry eyes.
---
The girl stepped forward, her eyes cold.
She was ready for the fight.
---
But before she could attack again, something strange happened.
A small fireball hit the spider's back.
---
Boom!
The fireball exploded on impact.
The girl turned quickly.
She saw something.
A shadow behind a nearby wall.
---
Her eyes narrowed.
She saw the magic.
It was strong.
The fire was not normal.
It felt powerful, like the fire of a S class mage.
---
She stared at the spot where the fireball had come from.
No one was there.
---
Haru quickly stepped back.
He didn't want to be seen.
He had helped, but he had to stay hidden.
---
The girl didn't move at first.
She stood still, looking around the street.
Her sharp eyes were searching.
---
The giant spider turned and rushed toward her.
It was fast and angry.
---
The girl didn't wait.
She raised both hands high.
"Wind Storm!" she shouted.
---
A massive wind appeared.
It surrounded the spider.
It picked it up, twisting it in the air.
Then, with a loud crash, the spider was thrown back into the dungeon gate.
It disappeared inside with a loud roar.
---
The girl took a deep breath and looked around again.
But still, she saw nothing.
---
"Who was that?" she asked softly.
Her voice was full of mystery.
She shook her head.
"No matter," she said.
"I'll find out later."
---
Then, she turned away from the gate.
She walked through the street, her back straight.
She was like a warrior who had just finished a hard battle.
But her face was still serious.
---
Haru stayed in the shadows, watching her.
He knew she had noticed the magic.
He couldn't hide forever.
---
For now, though, it was safe.
The girl stood still on the street.
Wind blew around her.
Her long silver hair danced in the air.
The big spider was gone now.
She had pushed it back into the gate.
But her eyes were still serious.
She was thinking.
Her eyes looked at the empty street.
She felt something strange.
---
She had felt fire magic before.
Just now, when the spider attacked her…
A fireball hit the spider from behind.
It was not her spell.
It came from someone else.
---
"Who was it?" she whispered.
Her voice was quiet but firm.
She looked around again.
There was no one.
No people.
Only broken shops and dust.
But she knew.
Someone was hiding.
Someone helped her.
---
Far behind a stone wall, Haru was hiding.
He watched the girl from the shadows.
His heart was beating fast.
She was strong.
Very strong.
But she also had good eyes.
She noticed his magic.
---
"I must be more careful," Haru said softly.
He looked at his hand.
It still had some red glow from the fire spell.
He closed his fingers.
Then he took a deep breath.
"I didn't mean to show it," he said.
"But I had to help… People were in danger."
---
He peeked again from the wall.
The girl was still there.
Now, she was walking slowly toward the wall.
She was looking in his direction.
---
Haru stepped back.
His heart jumped.
"I need to move now," he said in his head.
He turned and quietly ran down a small alley.
He didn't make a sound.
He used wind magic on his feet to run faster and softer.
---
The girl stopped near the wall.
She looked behind it.
But no one was there.
---
She touched the wall.
It was warm.
The fire spell was real.
Very strong.
Not from a beginner.
Not even from a normal hunter.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
Her eyes narrowed.
She was curious now.
---
Later, Haru returned home.
He sat on the floor and drank water.
His shirt was wet from sweat.
He was tired.
"That girl…" he thought.
"She is A-rank. She's strong, but… she's also smart. She noticed me."
---
He stood up and looked at the mirror.
"I have to get stronger.
I can't hide forever.
If I want to protect my sister, I must be ready."
---
Then, he looked at a photo.
It was his sister, smiling.
She was still in the hospital.
Still sleeping.
"I'll protect you," he said to the photo.
"I'll stay in the shadows, but I won't stop.
Not until you wake up."
---
Back in town, the A-rank girl walked to a man in black.
He looked like a guild officer.
"Any clues?" he asked her.
She shook her head.
"No. But someone helped.
Someone strong.
They are hiding."
The man frowned.
"Do you think it's a rogue mage?"
She nodded.
"Yes. But not a bad one.
They helped. Saved people."
---
The man wrote it down in a notebook.
"We'll look into it."
---
The girl looked at the broken gate.
Then at the sky.
"I will find you," she said quietly.
"You're not a normal person.
You're hiding something."
---
And somewhere far, Haru looked at his glowing hand again.
He smiled a little.
---
"I guess… I can't hide forever."