"Neraxis," Aella called out as she, alongside Aurelia, Celina, and Eris, approached. "Did sothing happen between you two?"
"What do you an?" Neraxis asked, acting oblivious.
"You fought, a massive crack appeared in the ground out of nowhere, and then she suddenly forfeited," Aella said, narrowing her eyes. "Is she really coming to our academy?"
"I think so," Neraxis nodded, not trying to explain himself before turning to Eris. "Did you lose as well?"
However, Eris rely shook her head. "I didn't fight. I was like a backup in case soone couldn't make it. The tournant was supposed to be twenty-versus-twenty, after all."
"Hmm... I see," Neraxis replied, looking at each of the girls seriously. "It's ti to put the plan into motion."
"But you haven't seduced her yet," Celina pointed out. "Won't one hour be too short to torture, kill, and erase all our traces?"
"I don't think I need to seduce Alice anymore," Neraxis said before explaining, "I went to the bathroom earlier and used one of my skills on Lar to inflict a lot of pain. Safe to say, I don't think he's going to stay silent during this break."
"Neraxis." Aella got his attention, showing him her phone.
It was the trackers they had put on both Alice and Lar, and each of them was straying further from the other.
Lar headed for a shop inside the arena. On the other hand, Alice seed to have left the arena completely, heading sowhere with her friends.
"Safe route?" Celina asked. "I can separate Alice so you can chat with her, or we can simply proceed with Lar, using you as the dium."
She really sounds like so assassin when she speaks like that. Neraxis chuckled inwardly before glancing at each of the girls. "What do you all think is the best choice here?"
"It doesn't hurt to try ssing with Lar," Aella remarked.
"I-I believe you should go the safe route with Alice," Aurelia added with a stamr.
And of course, Eris: "We don't have the ti to argue about this. Let's just go kill Lar already."
"Agreed," Celina nodded, and Neraxis let out a relieved breath.
"Majority vote, sorry, Aurelia."
She shook her head. "It's fine... I will still help."
"Good, let's head toward him," Neraxis prompted, and with that, he, alongside the girls, began heading toward where Lar was.
It didn't take long to arrive, and Neraxis found Lar inside the clothing shop, all alone and looking for a new pair of shoes.
Surprisingly, the entirety of Lar's arm looked pale, even after being fully healed.
Guess I did a lot more damage than I thought. Neraxis chuckled inwardly and explained the last-second plan.
"I'm going to head in, antagonize him, and head out to the abandoned hospital. Aella, scramble the caras and delete the feed. Aurelia, protect Aella. Celina, you're behind —preferably while invisible. And lastly, Eris, high-ground support—make your way over to the abandoned building in advance."
"Sure~" Aella replied as the rest nodded.
Eris ran out, and Aella, alongside Aurelia, walked to the won's bathroom.
As for Celina, she turned invisible and, all of a sudden, brought her hands under his shirt and embraced him.
"Celina?" He whispered, flustered.
"I don't want him to see my shadow." She replied and hugged him tighter. "I'm not taking any chances of being caught."
"...Suit yourself." Neraxis shrugged as he began making his way over to Lar, stopping right behind him.
"Neraxis Valen. What do you think of these shoes?" Lar turned around, trying to mask his hostility.
"I'd say they are as shitty as your smug smile, Lar Hardcrest." Neraxis scoffed, looking at Lar in disgust. "It seems like your arm has healed up fine."
"No thanks to you," Lar replied in a cold tone. "I don't feel the sensation of touch anymore. Thank you, Neraxis, truly. You broadened my horizons on how short life and ambition can be."
What bullshit is he spouting. Neraxis tilted his head. "Are you going through a midlife crisis at your age? Doesn't seem like you."
"My age? I guess you can say that." Lar let out a chuckle before narrowing his eyes. "But you could say I'm a little older than I look, Neraxis Valen."
Despite it being a casual remark, Neraxis picked up on the possible intentions behind Lar saying that.
"Oh? What? Did you spend several years inside the fifth floor... Or maybe...?"
Maybe you ca back from the past too. Neraxis's gaze darkened. "Maybe you just read too many comics."
"Maybe I do," Lar replied with a shrug. "Maybe I don't. What matters is that you are in my face, Neraxis Valen, and I wish to have so peace and privacy before the upcoming match."
"It looks like you need a retainer for nial stuff like clothes shopping. Where is Jeremy? You know, the red-haired kid?" Neraxis asked plainly.
However, this question was more of a test—to gauge whether Lar was foolish enough to reveal his past ties.
After all, there was only one red-haired kid nad Jeremy, and that was the hero wielding the shield as well as Lar's future butler.
"Him? He's a good prospect of the A-class. Not quite up to my level yet, but he seems promising," Lar replied and walked past Neraxis, approaching the receptionist and placing down a pair of old-looking shoes.
So he's in Skryder Academy as well. A lot of unforeseen variables indeed. Neraxis nodded to himself.
Even though Neraxis hadn't cleared his suspicions, it seed like his plans needed to be revised.
Since on the off chance that Lar rembered the past, there was an equally high chance that Alice did too.
Clearly not Bale, but the two he had the most complaints about were Alice and Lar.
Therefore, Neraxis walked up to Lar and patted him on the shoulder, making him flinch.
"You did it again," Lar remarked with a groan.
Neraxis didn't bother to answer Lar as he began walking away. "See you later, Lar Hardcrest."
The {Aura of the Abyss} mark he left on Lar's body was many tis weaker than what he had done earlier since he was practically out of mana.
But despite that, it was enough to piss him off greatly.
As Neraxis left the clothing shop, he approached a nearby wall and leaned on it before sending a text in the group chat.
"Are you calling it off?" Celina whispered, still clinging tightly onto him.
"Temporarily. I need more information. I will go see Alice instead." Neraxis replied.
"Should I inject her with an aphrodisiac?" Celina asked, making him flinch.
"I'm not going to fuck her, Celina," he stated in a firm tone. "I won't be trying to seduce her either. Instead, I want to find out if she knows as much as Lar does."
As he finished his words, Neraxis sent one more text in the group chat.
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