More than eight hours later...
"Haaah..."
I exhaled deeply.
Glancing to my right, I saw Eleonora sleeping peacefully. Her breath was slow and even, her face relaxed in a way I hadn't seen before.
Her eyelids fluttered a little as she shifted, adjusting to find a more comfortable position.
"I need a cigarette."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
I hadn't smoked since I got here, but after everything that had happened today...
Yeah, I really wanted one. It was like a part of
missed the habit, the mont of peace it gave
after intense situations like this.
What ti is it?
I turned my head to glance at the clock on the wall.
11:21.
"She was really in heat, damn."
I couldn't help but chuckle softly, my gaze drifting back to Eleonora, who was still lost in her dreams. I guess the lust of older won is sothing else, huh?
Still, I couldn't stay here forever.
I could spend the night here, sure, but I knew Alaine and Chaerin would be missing
by now.
They'd be wondering where I'd gone, and I'd feel bad if I just disappeared for more than a day without a word.
With a quiet sigh, I decided to head back ho.
『 Clean 』
I muttered the spell under my breath, cleaning my entire body thoroughly.
Then, I picked up a set of clothes in the wardrobe, where Eleonora had conveniently kept extras for .
I grabbed them, slipping them on quickly.
Then, without a second thought, I turned to the window.
Yeah.
The window.
It was high—about forty ters—but it wasn't anything that would cause
any real harm.
If anything, it'd be kind of fun.
『 Ice Generation! (?? 1st-level Spell ??) 』
I focused for a second, and with a flick of my hand, a smooth slide of ice ford in front of , stretching down from the window like a slippery ramp.
"Here it goes..."
I didn't waste any ti.
I jumped onto the ice, feeling the cold rush beneath . For a mont, I felt weightless as I picked up speed, flying down the icy slide, the wind rushing past .
The ground ca up fast, but my landing was soft—thanks to the ice.
"Phew~"
I walked through the capital's streets, taking in the sights. The city was alive, bustling with people, and the night was bright with the glow of lanterns and streetlights.
The air had that familiar, fresh scent of the city, a mix of food stalls, the cool night breeze, and the hum of distant chatter.
As I walked deeper into the streets, sothing caught my eye—a small, slightly faded plaque attached to a building.
[Red Light District]
"Oh?"
I stopped for a second, raising an eyebrow.
"I guess it's not surprising. Every big city has one."
But the na...
Well, it was pretty on-the-nose.
I hadn't expected the area to be labeled so bluntly.
I took a mont to glance around, but there wasn't much that caught my interest. I wasn't looking to get mixed up in anything there. No point in sticking around.
So, I shook my head and continued walking, deciding to just keep going.
That was when I heard it.
"HELP! SOONE HELP !"
The scream cut through the air, and instinctively, I turned my head.
A girl, her face covered by a blindfold and wearing a strange light blue dress, was running toward . Her body was tense, and she looked frantic.
I didn't have ti to process it fully before a group of rough-looking guys appeared behind her, shouting.
"OI! CO BACK HERE, YOU DAMNED BITCH!"
Without wasting any more ti, I activated my skill.
『 Judgent Eye (?? S
Level Skill ??) 』
I quickly assessed their strength, and—
Ah.
Hell nah.
That woman....
She was much stronger than those guys.
Was this so kind of trap?
A setup?
I hesitated for just a second.
I glanced at her again—still frantic, still running for her life.
But then... sothing about the situation felt too off.
I didn't want to get tangled up in this.
So, with a quick glance back at the girl and her pursuers, I shrugged and turned away. No need to get involved in soone else's ss.
Besides, soone else may be falling into their setup or sothing.
I didn't need to get involved.
But then…
"Ah!"
A soft thud hit my back. I didn't even flinch.
I kept walking, thinking it was probably nothing.
But then I felt a hand tugging on my sleeve.
"A-ah... Sir!" The voice was shaky, desperate.
"Please help, I beg of you!"
I sighed and turned slightly, only to find the girl standing there, her face full of fear, her head bowed as she clutched at my sleeve with a trembling hand.
Why ?
There were so many people around.
Why pick , of all people?
But before I could say anything, I heard them.
The hooligans were getting closer, opening their dirty mouths.
"Oi! What do we have here, boys? A nice little damsel in distress, huh?"
One of them leered at the girl, his gaze not hiding the disgusting thoughts in his mind. Another one laughed.
"Hey, pretty girl, why don't you co with us? We'll show you a good ti."
They were clearly getting closer, circling us like vultures.
"I'm giving all of you five seconds to get out of here. If not, then we're going to have a problem."
My voice was calm, but the threat was there.
One of the hooligans scoffed.
"Why should we? You gonna do sothing about it, tough guy?"
The rest of them snickered, taking a few steps closer. The girl stepped back, hiding behind , looking up at
with wide, terrified eyes.
I let out a deep sigh, irritated.
"You've gotta be kidding ."
I muttered to myself, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Snap!
With a quick snap of my fingers, a low hum of energy filled the air.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Three pure mana balls, each one swirling with raw energy, ford above my head. I didn't even look at them as I casually tossed them toward the group.
The balls shot forward, each one hitting its target with an audible smack.
The hooligans didn't even have a chance to react before they were knocked out cold, collapsing to the ground one after the other.
The girl behind
gasped.
I turned slightly, glancing at her.
"They're not gonna be a problem anymore," I said with a shrug.
She stared at the downed n, eyes wide, a little breathless.
After a mont, she gathered herself, taking a step back.
"Th-thank you," she stamred, looking up at
with gratitude.
"I—I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't—"
"Don't ntion it."
I cut her off, already walking past her.
I really didn't want to deal with her. Especially when she could've easily handled those thugs on her own.
Who knows what she's hiding?
But then...
Tug...
I felt a light pull on my sleeve, and I glanced back, annoyed.
She wasn't letting
go. Of course not.
Then, out of nowhere—
Fwip!
The air around
snapped. My instincts kicked in, and I dodged just in ti to avoid whatever was coming at .
I shifted my body quickly, but not fast enough.
Drip…
I wiped my cheek, feeling the sting of a shallow cut.
A thin line of blood traced down my skin.
Damn, that was close.
"So, you were an assassin, huh?" I muttered, rubbing the blood off with my thumb, looking at her now with a serious expression, no longer bored.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't falter. Instead, she slowly pulled off the light blue dress she had been wearing.
Beneath it, she wore a tight, form-fitting suit covered in hidden knives.
An admission of what she really was.
I should've guessed it sooner.
"Aestrea Moon," she said coldly, pointing a dagger at .
"My boss ordered
to kill you after you took out our most precious asset. And unfortunately, now... you're going to die."
Her words sent a chill through the air.
"Girls, now!" she shouted.
Suddenly, the ground beneath us shimred and cracked as a massive barrier ford around us.
ZOOOOM!
It was a mana and strength sealing barrier.
I imdiately frowned.
The worst kind of barrier to deal with.
"With more than thirty percent of your strength halved, we should be able to kill you," she said, her tone oddly calm, almost detached.
"Next ti, don't offend the wrong organization."
I narrowed my eyes.
Plop!
Suddenly, a dozen or more girls appeared around her, all wearing similar tight suits, just as dangerous.
I quickly assessed them with a glance.
『 Judgent Eye (?? S
Level Skill ??) 』
Then, I frowned.
Deeply.
Most of them were skilled enough to pose a threat, but not a huge one.
The real problem was the woman in front of .
Her strength alone could probably bring
trouble, but with the barrier in place, it made everything a hundred tis worse.
...They really are skilled assassins.
And they were saying sothing about their most precious asset, huh?
They must be talking about Chaerin.
But even then, I had no idea they would go this far to attack , especially not in the middle of the capital.
I glanced at the street around . People were starting to gather, but no one was brave enough to step in.
Great.
Just fucking great.
But well...
After everything that happened with Eleonora, I was looking for a place to unload my anger.
After all, I got beaten up a load shit of tis.
And...
Looks like I found it.
Without a second thought, I summoned Lumi to my hands, the scythe materializing in an instant.
Fwoop!
{Master... I'm sleepyyyy...}
Lumi murmured in a lazy tone.
"Just a few minutes and I'll be done."
I replied with a sigh, not taking my eyes off the group.
{Okayy...}
But before I could act first—
Swoosh!
One of the girls lunged at
with a blinding speed, throwing a fist aid straight at my chest.
I barely had ti to react before her fist collided with my torso, but I twisted my body just enough that it only grazed my side.
The force of it still sent a shock through .
CLANG!
『 Ice Wall! (?? 3rd-level Spell ??) 』
I raised my hand, summoning an ice wall between us.
The girl smirked and charged forward again, only to be t with a shower of sharp ice shards that sliced through the air like blades.
SWOOSH!
She dodged, but one of the shards caught her shoulder, sending a spray of blood in all directions.
She staggered back, clutching the wound, but her partners quickly closed the distance.
SHING!
A second girl—this one with a dagger in each hand—darted in from my left. I saw the flash of steel before she even moved.
I spun around, bringing my scythe up in a wide arc to block the incoming attack.
CLANG!
The blades of her daggers t my scythe's edge with a violent collision. The force of the strike shook my arms, but I imdiately retaliated with a swift kick to her gut.
THUD!
She was knocked back, crashing into a nearby lamppost with a sickening crack. She slid down to the ground, groaning in pain, but she wasn't out yet.
They wouldn't be that easy.
"GRR!"
Another woman ca at
from behind, aiming a brutal elbow to the back of my head.
I felt the wind rush by
as I ducked, narrowly avoiding the hit, but she was quick and relentless.
Before I could recover, her knee slamd into my side with bone-crushing force.
CRACK!
"Agh!"
I gasped for air, feeling a sharp sting, but I didn't have ti to waste.
As my body twisted, I brought my scythe down in a deadly arc, slashing across her stomach.
Splurt!
Her stomach split open, and blood sprayed out, staining the pavent beneath us. She stumbled backward, clutching her wound, but she didn't fall.
"AHHH!" she scread in pain, but her teammates were already moving in to cover her.
They were relentless.
Fwip!
Two more girls closed in, one with a pair of brass knuckles and the other with a sharpened bone blade.
They ca at
from both sides, attacking in perfect unison.
The girl with the brass knuckles swung first, aiming for my jaw.
I leaned back, narrowly avoiding the punch, and the air whooshed past .
WHOOSH!
I retaliated instantly, swinging my scythe towards her.
She tried to block, but the force of my strike sent her flying backward, crashing into the ground.
THUD!
Before I could catch my breath, the second girl darted in, her bone blade aid straight for my throat.
I barely managed to deflect it with my scythe, but the force of the blow pushed
back, and her blade slid down, leaving a long gash on my forearm.
"Shit!"
I hissed in pain, blood dripping from the wound as I jumped back to gather distance.
Then, I turned, my eyes scanning for the remaining threats.
But it was then that I saw her—the woman who had attacked
first, the one who was in charge of all this.
She was standing at the edge of the fight, watching
coldly.
She wasn't even trying to get involved.
She was waiting.
The rest of the won kept coming at , but they were slowing down.
So, I took the chance.
SLASH!
One of the girls dropped to the ground, clutching her throat as blood pooled around her.
But before I could take a mont to assess the situation, one of the remaining girls rushed forward, aiming for my legs with a spinning kick.
WHAM!
The force of the kick hit
square in the knee, and I stumbled backward, but I quickly regained my footing.
My eyes narrowed in on the attacker, and with a growl, I thrust my scythe forward in a violent jab.
THRUST!
The tip of the scythe pierced through her chest, and she froze for a mont, staring down at the blood pouring from the wound.
She didn't even scream.
THUD!
She crumpled to the ground, her body limp.
"Ugh..."
I could feel the weight of exhaustion beginning to settle in my bones.
The blood loss, the constant attacks—it was all starting to take its toll. But just as I thought I could maybe end this—
CRACK!
A massive, brutal force slamd into my side, knocking
off balance.
I glanced to the side just in ti to see another girl charging in with a full-body tackle.
She slamd
into the ground, and I felt the wind leave my lungs.
THUD!
"Fuck..."
I was on my back now, struggling to breathe.
I pushed her off of
with a grunt, and with a swift swipe of my scythe, I cut her leg off at the knee.
SLASH!
She scread as she fell backward, clutching at the bloody stump of her leg. But before I could make my move—
"Stop."
The voice was cold and commanding, cutting through the chaos.
It stopped
in my tracks.
She was stepping forward now.
The woman—the one who had been watching from the sidelines.
Her eyes locked onto
with a predatory shine.
And then, I saw it.
A dark aura surrounded her—thick, black, and seething with an energy that felt wrong in every way.
My eyes widened.
She was…
A fucking humanoid demon.
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