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of ’em,” said the hoarse voice. “The second from the right—that’s a Noble by the name of Langlan. He had a courteous nature, and his reputation with those in his domain wasn’t bad, but that was the word seven or eight millennia ago. Wouldn’t have expected to see him throwing in with this lot. The others are Viscount Albidozen, Count Zegreib, and two I don’t know.”
    The man at the forefront closed his hand tight around Iriya’s throat. The illusion threatened to become reality.
    “Keep away from me!” Iriya cried, her right hand darting to her hip before a stark flash mowed through the torso of a figure in black.
    Reality threatened the illusion, as well. The attacker faded away.
    At that same instant, Iriya turned toward D. There was definite madness in her bloodless face, and her burning eyes fired boundless animosity at the young man called D.
    “There it is,” the hoarse voice said with apparent satisfaction. “There’s the face of a Hunter. Are you gonna give her a fight? If not, there’ll be no stopping her!”
    Though the Huntress stepped forward, D didn’t go anywhere.
    “Aren’t you gonna move?” the hoarse voice inquired.
    “You, too.” Iriya raised her sword by the side of her head. “Die!”
    Her stance was flawless. Energy radiated up from the earth through the soles of her shoes, traveling straight up her spine from her waist, racing to her shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The blade of her sword channeled it.
    Beyond her wide arc, a smaller silvery one was sharply executed. Iriya’s blade was effortlessly deflected.
    “Look at me,” said the hoarse voice.
    Iriya’s eyes turned toward the Hunter’s left hand.
    “No! The face— his face.”
    Ripples of rapture spread through Iriya’s countenance.
    Taking a step forward, D planted his left hand on the nape of her neck. Swiftly catching her as she collapsed, he tossed her onto the sofa.
    “Couldn’t you be a little gentler with her? She only drew on you because she was out of her mind!”
    “Anyone else she would’ve killed,” D said.
    “That’s—well, that’s true, actually. Didn’t seem like a woman’s blow in the least. I can say with pretty much total confidence there’s no way she could’ve got that way through any amount of training. That said, it doesn’t look like the girl’s undergone any kind of upgrades for Hunting, either. That leaves what—hypnosis? If you were only average to start, that couldn’t possibly give you superhuman skill!”
    “If you’re so concerned about it, try asking her.”
    Holding his left hand out in front of him, D once again went for his scabbard with the right.
    “W-wait a second!” The palm of his left hand turned to D, saliva flying from the flustered mouth that took indistinct shape in it.

    The storm broke around dawn. As the morning sun rose in the east, the white steam above the drenched plains gave the air a comfortable humidity.
    They left the dome in the early morning, and the steam had faded by the time they spotted a battered guidepost. McCrory 20 Miles, it read.
    “It won’t even take us an hour,” Iriya said encouragingly to Meeker, who was seated right behind her on the steed.
    The boy nodded, then looked down.
    “We’ll see you safely that far. Don’t worry.”
    There was no reply. After the horse had gone five or six paces, the boy said flatly, “I don’t wanna go.”
    “What?”
    “My uncle’s my father’s younger brother, but they didn’t like each other. Heck, the only reason he was taking me in was because my father left me a little money. Until the people from the orphanage told him that, he didn’t want me.”
    “And you don’t have any of the money?”
    “Nadja ran off with all of it.”
    “That’s awful!” Iriya said, crinkling her lovely brow.
    She knew that having lost the only thing of value he’d possessed, the boy would be branded a burden, and she could well imagine how he’d be treated.
    “What does your uncle do for