Chapter 245 - Looks Like You Remember
At the sight of the familiar figure, Lili stiffened momentarily before quickly recovering.
Her previously gloomy and depressed expression shifted back into the fake, sweet smile she always wore.
"Mahiro-sama, why are you here?" Lili asked, pretending to struggle to her feet, her tone slightly unnatural.
"Of course, I followed you here. And I got to watch quite the show," Mahiro said as he approached her, his voice calm and deliberate.
"So... you saw everything?" Lili asked, her voice low as she lowered her head.
"Of course. It was quite entertaining," Mahiro nodded.
"But I'm glad I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known someone was plotting against me."
From the very beginning, he had been watching her, curious to see what she would do.
When he noticed the injuries on her body that morning, his suspicions grew.
After parting ways at the guild, he had followed her to see what was really going on.
"Now that you've seen it, what do you plan to do?" Lili asked, her tone now laced with bitter mockery, her mask completely dropped.
"I don't like it when people speak to me in that tone," Mahiro said coldly.
With a flick of his hand, Hyōrinmaru appeared, its blade resting lightly against Lili's neck.
"Or do you think you have the right to be willful in front of me?"
Even through her cloak, Lili could feel the biting cold of the blade.
The emotionless look in Mahiro's eyes sent a chill through her entire body.
"That's why I hate adventurers like you. No matter what, you only know how to solve things with violence."
"You only know how to bully those weaker than you," Lili spat, her voice filled with venom, even with the blade at her throat.
"It's disgusting how you act like the victim after being exposed," Mahiro said mercilessly.
"From the very beginning, you approached me with ill intentions. I don't know where you get the confidence to say such things."
Lili's expression darkened, and she fell silent.
Mahiro was right. She had approached him with the intent to deceive and steal.
Her hatred for adventurers, born from past experiences, had blinded her to the fact that she was the one in the wrong.
"Also, this is the second time you've targeted me," Mahiro added.
"Second time?" Lili looked confused.
She had only met Mahiro yesterday.
"Have you forgotten? Let me remind you."
"Four nights ago, in a small alley on Northwest Street, a certain thief was being chased by three adventurers in a rather embarrassing situation," Mahiro said with a playful smirk.
"It's you!" Lili's eyes widened as the memory came flooding back.
"Looks like you remember," Mahiro said leisurely.
"I have to admire your boldness."
"Even while running for your life, you still tried to steal from me. Should I praise your audacity?"
"So, what are you going to do, Mahiro-sama? Are you going to turn me in to the guild?"
"Or beat me up right here?" Lili asked, her voice tinged with despair.
"I believe in tit for tat. The first time you targeted me, I've already repaid you," Mahiro replied.
"Repaid me?" Lili looked confused. "I don't remember."
"Do you think it was an accident that those monsters escaped my attacks and went after you today?" Mahiro said bluntly.
"You did that on purpose?!" Lili glared at him, her teeth clenched.
The experience of teetering on the edge of death today had been unforgettable.
Her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest multiple times.
"So, the first debt is settled," Mahiro said.
"However, deliberately approaching me with ill intentions and conspiring with others to cheat me—that's not so easily forgiven."
Lili trembled involuntarily.
She had only wanted to make a quick profit, and now she was paying the price.
What would Mahiro do to her now?
"To a certain extent, you're still useful. So, from now on, you'll belong to me," Mahiro declared.
"You want me to be your slave?" Lili asked, her voice filled with anger and unwillingness.
"Slave? If that's how you want to think of it, sure," Mahiro said indifferently.
"Don't even think about running away. Do you really think you can escape?"
"This is a magic mark, specifically for tracking," Mahiro said, placing his hand on Lili's shoulder.
A shimmering pattern appeared on her body before fading into invisibility.
It was a simple tracking spell, designed to leave a magical mark on its target.
As long as the mark remained, Mahiro could sense her presence within a certain range—a range that covered all of Orario.
In DxD, this low-level tracking spell would have been easily detected and removed by anyone except the most inexperienced.
But in Danmachi, where magic was an innate ability and not systematically studied, such spells were nearly impossible to dispel.
Even the simplest fireball spell was considered powerful here, let alone a tracking spell.
The spell would last for three days before dissipating.
Unfortunately, Lili, who knew nothing about magic, didn't realize this.
Her face turned pale as she realized her escape routes were cut off.
Lili had planned to pretend to comply with Mahiro's demands and then use Cinder Ella to escape and hide.
But now, with the tracking spell on her, that plan was ruined.
She had no doubt about the effectiveness of Mahiro's magic, especially after witnessing his terrifying strength.
She couldn't fight him.
She couldn't run.
She was utterly trapped.
Lili regretted her greed.
If only she hadn't been so reckless, she wouldn't have lost her freedom.
"Now, take me to the Soma Familia," Mahiro said, withdrawing his hand.
"What are you going to do at the Soma Familia?"
Lili asked.
"Do you think I'm the kind of person who lets others plot against me and does nothing?"
Mahiro said coldly.
"Since those fools dared to scheme against me, they'll face my wrath."
"And while I'm at it, I'll have a word with your Familia's captain—or even your god."
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