Chapter 39- His Return

Over here? Nope. Maybe here? No again! Where the hell did he go?! I thought hopping across rooftops would be beneficial. I may have made a mistake…

Jahla was a weird city. The city is divided into three sections; the outer district, which is where the poor are allocated, the middle district where the middle -class is, and finally the inner district, where the wealthy and powerful folks live. Where I am is the middle district. The hoodlums in the bar were kind enough to expose their whereabouts. What they didn't know was where Airon could be heading.

"Where have you gone, you slippery eel… Aha! There you are!"

[Night Vision] paired with my spectacular vision, I could roughly make out the frame of Airon as he was leisurely strolling through the busy streets of Jahla. Up ahead was another gate checkpoint, which was fashionably constructed as they erected it with steel. Compared to the checkpoint at the outer district, it was like pitting a regular rock against a diamond. The middle district had homes constructed of brick and wood, unlike the mud huts and poorly fashioned homes in the outer district. The roads were made of the same material as the brick homes, and posts with lanterns strapped. Some residents who were having a nightly stroll had gowns and comfortable attire. The middle district was much like Port Silis in terms of readily available entertainment and places, as I spotted a theater and many pubs.

"Now, why would he be making his way inside the inner district?" I mumbled. Looking around, not a single person on the roads beneath me has noticed me perched on this roof. In an instant, a dagger made from mana materialized in my hand. I carefully aimed the weapon like how someone would throw a javelin.

"Now I wait for the perfect opportunity…"

The timing and execution had to be precise. Don't want any of the civilians to get skewered. Having that in my consciousness isn't good for my mental health.

After a period of waiting, the chance has finally come. There was no one near the Apithien that could obstruct me. I threw the dagger as hard as I could, aiming directly at Airon's head. The blade zoomed over the heads of the crowd, ruffling their hair.

Airon snapped his head in the blade's general direction and snatched it. I quickly released the mana within the blade as it fizzled into nothingness. Airon spotted me on top of the roof and had a quick surprised look on his face, but it was only brief. He gave me a slight smirk and hastened his pace.

"Like hell I'll let you escape…"

I sprinted with all my might, determined to catch the Apithien before he could make it to the checkpoint. I hopped along the building rooftops like an experienced thief in the night, my hair flapping in the wind. It didn't take long for me to catch up, as I was now directly behind him. I pushed my way through the throng of people and stretched my hand's pocket.

"We're really doing this?" Airon sighed. Pivoting his body, he hopped backward and unsheathed a sword. At the sight of his sword, the surrounding civilians screamed in terror and ran from us.

"It was dumb of me to think that you would die back there. Seems like I underestimated you."

"Give me The Oracle," I said impatiently.

"Heh. You'll have to take it from my cold, dead hands."

I glared at the man while holding the Damastril rapier. Airon paced around the paved streets of the middle district as the lanterns overhead illuminated the area. There was no one nearby but us. Wanting to take the initiative, I was the first to strike. Using speed to my advantage, I dashed over to the Apithien and lunged.

Airon defended against one of my thrusts with a grimace. As soon as our blades would collide, I would position myself in a different spot around him and strike again. I gave the Apithien no chance to rest or collect himself as I sped around like a pack of wolves hunting prey. While thrusting, I would use my available hand to reach into his pockets to pull out The Oracle, but Airon would move his hips away just in time. This game of cat and mouse would continue for two whole minutes.

"There they are!" A voice yelled out. Glancing sideways, it was one of the guardsmen posted at the checkpoint. I figured this would happen eventually.

With an outstretched hand, I summoned an array of mana blades and had them rotate at impossible speeds. I positioned them around us in a circle to not let anyone pass or they'll risk losing a limb.

"Don't come any closer!" I warned. At the sound of my voice, the guards froze in terror.

"S-Silence you wench! How dare you cause a commotion in our esteemed city, Jahla!" One of them barked. The guard was bigger than the rest and was wearing a badge on his breast. He appeared to be the captain. I ignored his remark and turned my focus back to Airon.

"Master was right after all. The way you humans use mana is just like us Apithiens. I wonder how that's possible. Did you know the magic in our world is categorized into different types?"

The Apithien kept on babbling along as if the situation he was in wasn't worrisome. Was he trying to buy time?

"Mana is an energy that all living beings possess. Despite the fact that all life is imbued with mana, some are unable to access it because they fail to recognize its presence or deny its existence. Apithiens are the most dominant species in terms of power and creativity when it comes to using magic- other than dragons."

I frowned at the talkative man and stepped forward. "That's nice and all, but I don't remember asking."

Since I didn't want to hear him talk any longer, I sprinted at the Apithien and crossed blades with him. I turned my speed up a notch when I noticed Airon was losing ground as he was desperately trying to keep up. However, the Apithien continued spewing out words.

"One way to sense mana is by either being near a person using magic or experiencing it yourself by internal or external forces. Once you can sense mana, only then will you see it and awaken to this newfound power. We call those people awakened."

This guy is way too talkative, and it's pissing me off to the extreme. He's also stalling for time, as if it wasn't obvious enough. The weird part is that even when I'm increasing my speeds, he's still keeping up. How is he able to do that?

"I bet you're thinking about how I'm able to keep up with your speed, right?" He quipped as he backed away in a hurry. "It's quite simple, actually. We Apithiens are considered the best of the best because of our genes and potential. We're basically geniuses in combat, like those in Bellagros. Because of that, our talent in mana usage is way above the norm. Because of that, all Apithiens have their own unique magic. That's all I will tell you. You can use your imagination on how I'm able to keep up."

Upon finishing, the Apithien peeked over his shoulders, and a smile formed on his face. Confused about why he was smiling, I glanced over at him and saw a figure walking up to us.

"My dear disciple, you really have to fix that habit of yours. You love talking way too much."

Airon smiled as he lowered his weapon. "I don't think I will, master. Communicating with others is way too enjoyable of an experience to pass on."

"Well, I can see where you are coming from. No matter though."

"…Volken." I whispered. At the mention of his name, the Apithien beamed with joy at the sight of me.

"We meet again! How long has it been? A few days? A week?"

"…How funny."

With a single snap of my fingers, the rotating blades disappeared. The guards that were still there shivered in surprise at the abrupt action.

"Now's our chance! Seize her!" The captain shouted to his men. With a collective roar, they all bumbled toward me, weapons drawn. Volken immediately appeared in front of them and held a hand up.

"Not so fast. Fall back. Let my disciple and I handle this affair," he advised.

The captain wasn't having it though and said, "Who do you think you are? I am the captain of the middle district, Damion Dulger! What I say here goes! Step aside!"

Volken chuckled at Damion Dulger's bravado. "Oh ho! Bold, aren't you?"

Volken glared at the man and released a portion of his mana at the captain. Upon feeling the heaviness of Volkens mana, the captain toppled backward in a frenzy, his teeth chattering like a nutcracker.

"I-I apologize for my impudence. Please carry on with your business," he whimpered. Volkens mana retreated into his body and gave the man a pat on the head.

"Thank you."

…Is Volken the reason Airon was stalling for time? The direction Volken came from was the inner district. That would mean Airon was going to meet up with Volken inside. The reason for that being…

"Human girl. I assume the reason you're here is because of The Oracle, yes?" Volken guessed. He had his arms folded behind his back as he stood next to Airon. I gripped my rapier tightly to prepare for any attacks.

"What of it?"

"What of it, you ask?" Volken sneered. "You're aware of its power, correct? You were also informed of what prophecies Claude has seen. Oh, by the way, he's dead. I thought you should know."

I gazed at him without emotion, not wanting him to enjoy the sight of me being disheartened.

"No reaction? Pity, but whatever. The prophecy about Athiens being bathed in a light of crimson? I think it's related to your species, the humans. Portals forming at random, spewing humans out and then annihilating whatever life is in the vicinity? That's not pleasant sounding at all. So, because of that, we decided to do something about that."

"And what would that be?"

"Before the humans could kill all life in Athiens, especially my people, it'd be best to strike first."

"What are you…"

It dawned on me what he meant by striking first.

"Don't tell me… You're not thinking of killing every human on Earth!"

Volken blinked at me slowly, at me raising my voice unexpectedly. He shrugged his shoulders with no empathy shown on his face.

This guy is thinking of committing genocide like it was a walk in the park!

"You don't know if The Oracle is accurate or not!"

"That may be true. But we in Athiens cannot let it happen either way, even if there's a slim chance of it becoming true. I cannot let my people die in vain."

"Instead of genocide, why not talk with them first? The first option shouldn't be killing every human on Earth!"

Volken shook his head at my displeasure. "Ah, but that's the thing. We do not possess a method of communication with them. Unless we somehow locate the portals that randomly form and vanish across the world, the possibility of conversing is impossible."

I had no comeback for Volkens' reasoning. The athios will not sit here and let the humans kill off everyone. We would do the same thing too if the roles were reversed. Even then, there must be a better way!

"Now that you understand, why not join us instead? You and your brother have no way of returning to Earth. Instead of dying like dogs tossed aside, work for us. You possess a similar core to us Apithiens, so your magic potential is the same as ours."

Volken stretched his arm out, beckoning me to take his hand. I glanced down at his palm and back at him. Airon, who is by his side, was looking away, trying his hardest to not make eye contact.

"…Thank you for the offer, but I refuse," I confidently declared. "I will not take part in the genocide. I know there's a better alternative to this somewhere."

Volken clicked his tongue in disappointment at my refusal. "And here I thought you were smart. Your way of thinking is just like my sisters…"

His sister? Who is he referring to?

"A pity indeed. I will have to kill you once and for all. This time, you will not escape from me."

Volken unsheathed his black sword and was positioned into an attacking stance, and I followed suit. Before he had the chance to act, something was rapidly drawing close to my line of sight. The roadway between us collapsed, the brickwork crumbling, and shards of debris flying everywhere. As the dust cleared, a long gash appeared in the middle.

"I made it just in time."

Zelke leaped out from a nearby roof and landed right next to me, his blade already taken out.

"I'll handle Volken alone," said Zelke. "As a warrior from Bellagros, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to face such a strong adversary."

I wanted to refuse the warrior, though I could tell he would not take no for an answer. Below, his hands were twitching on the sword's grip.

"Fine, I have unfinished business with Airon," I sighed, pointing my rapier at Airon.