In a moment of carelessness, they were attacked.
Al didn't notice the attacker until he saw Maru, who's holding his hand, was took away by that person. He didn't even hear him approach.
He looks at him with vigilance, nerves are high on alert. This man exudes dangerousness, his aura is not something you can ignore. Not only he easily sneaked on him but also how easily he chopped his whole arm in just one slash. No excessive moves and great control of his sword.
In addition to that, he also destroys his favorite coat! The one he got from that dumpster that looked expensive! And, the popsicles that he earnestly put in time spell to return to its original state was on the ground. Again! Ah, such a waste.
Al watched the man as he moves away without taking his eyes off from him. The man wore a black mask that only hid his mouth and nose. He wore a casual black turtle neck, slim fit, paired with skinny cut pants while underneath a grey overcoat. Although he wore a half mask, his eyes hide behind his downed hair and impossible for Al to recognize.
Al can't help but admire the handsomeness of the masked man in front of him. He looked tall, had broad shoulder and fit body. There's something enigmatic about him, maybe because he's wearing a mask or the fact he seems familiar, rather than those trivial things, he smells something expensive. He smells like money（＄０＄）
Looking at his clothes, it was the same quality as the clothes Maru wore that day. Guess, all in the upper region has the same manufacturers of clothes. He shrugged it off at the back of his mind. Al didn't understand that it was only exclusive to a certain family.
Overall he looked like someone who just passed by. Not someone who would plan to abduct a child. But the problem is that he easily separated both Al and Maru. In just one slash of his sword, Al's arm separated from his body. It could only mean that he's very powerful.
He put his other hand to the empty area of his arm suppose to be. The next moment the magic circle appears and blue glowing liquid shrouded around the amputated arm and stops the bleeding. It remained there as he starts his move. He still needs the other arm, for now, this is enough.
He waves his good arm as if grabbing something and an indigo water blob appeared. Next, it formed into a sword as he touches it. A water infusion, he infuses water to form a sword so at least he can have a weapon attacking the man.
"Little Maru," Al called Maru smiling and wink at him. "Hold my arm carefully."
. . .
On the other side of the streets, Little Maru was still holding Al's detached arm. He was so shocked by what happened. He still processing how the hand he's holding suddenly falls down. Or how this man easily holds him in the collar as if a cat holding its kin. Both his hands and feet hanging in the air.
With his face smeared with Al's blood, he hugged the detached arm tightly. He was not going to let go of the hand he holds. He dazedly looked at the blood pool on the white snow.
For Maru, it was normal for him to see blood or chopped limbs or the screams of someone being tortured. At a young age, he'd seen people coming into the mansion and never able to get out. For him, it was normal to be killed. But now that he saw the blood of Al, he can't help but be anxious. Scared that he might be killed.
The person who grabbed him hide his face behind the mask but Maru knew who's this person was. With those eyes exactly the same as his, it's easy to know who the person.
He was found. He thought he could hide for a moment but now... he doesn't want to be found.
"I'll go with you." Maru raised his head and stare at him seriously. His crystal blue eyes shook slightly. Maru had realized but unwilling to accept the cruel reality. "Just... please, don't kill him." His voice shook at the end, making the person who hears those words feel sympathy towards him.
This was the first time he asks him something but the man just looked at the child's touching performance and ignore it altogether.
(≖_≖ ) Maru
"..." the masked man
ノಠ益ಠノ彡┻━┻ Maru
"..." the masked man
"Maru," Al called. Maru ignores the masked man and looks back at Al's situation. "Hold my arm carefully."
He was surprised when he saw Al's eyes, it was glowing. No, it was golden like the color of his magic.
He wore a calm expression, but you can see a small fraction on the corner of his lips is lifted. He's smiling and his eyes are full of anticipation.
Maybe he made a mistake. He wasn't sure if he saw it right or probably the moonlight or the street lights or the fact that he's bleeding but he saw the color of his eyes turn golden and hair become red. It only happened in a blink of the eye, even the mask man wasn't sure if he saw it correctly.
When Al moved his arm, Maru saw Al's golden particles infuse into a ball, this ball becomes a blue blob when he touches it and formed a solid sword. Maru saw the process of the golden particles turned into blue color, a lighter hue than the indigo color of the water element.
For the masked man, he only saw how the blue blob become a sword but for Maru, he saw all the process, how the originally golden particles become blue water element, and formed into a sword. His eyes round into amazement, this wasn't the first time he saw Al use his golden particles. Usually, his golden particles are the one who turns other elements into his, but this time he turned the golden particles into a water element.
A wisp of golden suddenly catches his attention. Making Maru looked around and saw scattered golden particles surrounding him. Paired with the falling snow it seems magical to see him surrounded with lights. So that's what the wink is for. He knew that Maru could see the golden particles and from the beginning, Al already won. He was just waiting for the opportunity to get him.
Maru who was asked nodded in a daze, trusting the mage with his life.
When Al saw Maru nodded his head, he moves towards the masked man and attack.
The masked man didn't wait for Al to arrive at him and move. He jumped first and throw Maru in the air like a ball. The man moved at lightning speed and used the momentum of falling to meet the sword of Al. There was a loud sound of a collision. Al was shocked by the powerful force of the man. He didn't dare be careless.
While still in the air the man formed a fist with his right hand. His ferocious fist caused a blast of wind and smashed it into Al's face.
The wind parted his hair and revealed his delicate face. He looked to be in the early twenties and had a pretty and delicate appearance. He seems frail and exhaustion was shown between his brows, but his eyes were spirited. He looked calm and refined as his eyes flickered brightly.
When the man formed his fist, Al was already prepared. He swiftly sidestepped and avoided the man. The fist of the masked man hit nothing. The man's control is frightening, in that seconds of Al sidestepping, the man already cancels his force so that he won't hit anything. He read Al's movement.
But as he said he's already prepared. Al took advantage of it and attack the man with a series of water bullets. The masked man agilely avoided the shots as he jumped back and uses his sword to deflects some water bullets. The sword deflected all of it.
Al frown and observe the sword, it was an anti-magic weapon. Of course, non-magic users invented something to counter the dominance of the magic-user. If they don't, how could they be an equal of the mages?
The masked man and Al's eyes met in the air. No one moved. In those brief encounters, they concluded that each person was powerful. But Al is obviously at the most disadvantage, he can only use one arm, while the man had thrown Maru enabling him to move freely.
Suddenly the man pulls out a small clothe then when he opened it the air, it becomes a sack. He raised it as if waiting for something to fall. Then Maru did fall "WAAAAaaaaaaa—" the falling Maru shot himself inside the waiting sack.
Paled face Maru was so scared that he could only shriek, and tightly close his eyes while hugging the cold chopped arm of Al and wait for his fall.
(ಥ﹏ಥ)
The masked man closed the bag, it becomes small again, and hangs it to his side. This series of action was done without him uttering a word,
Father, why are you like this? I am your son (╥⌒╥)