Deception

The awakening was over soon, and Zayne returned to her. 

" Congratulations. " Claire greeted him. 

" Thank you. " Zayne said with a smile. 

" I have something to .. " - tell you, is what she wanted to say. However, the corrupt police officer approached them, cutting their conversation short. 

" Mr. Rhafyre ! Your talent in fire is unparalleled among your peers. Congratulations on the awakening. " the officer began. 

" Thank you, officer. " Zayne answered, in his usual short worded manner. 

" It is like this. This year, our base is going through UBO accreditation. As such, we will be participating in the UBO annual hunter competitions. I have a recommendation spot for the team. However, we need to leave tonight. This is a great shortcut to becoming a citizen of the base. How about it ? " The officer asked him seriously. 

Had Claire not known that he was a spy and held malicious intentions towards themselves, she would have never realized this man is spouting bullshit. 

His words were very believable, even to her experienced eyes and ears. I really aged for nothing. Claire thought as the officer acted as the ever benevolent public official to guide them to the jeep. 

" Officer, we really appreciate the offer. However, we are both family heads with children to look after. We can not leave them for the night. " Claire spoke before Zayne could answer. 

" Is that so ? How about this ? One of you could go with my subordinate here to pick up the children, or if you give a token, they can pick up the children and bring them to you. " The officer answered. 

Claire was struck dumb for a moment with the smooth operation of the officer. 

" How about this, Officer. You give us an address, and we will arrive by ourselves early in the morning. " Zayne offered, his voice just as sincere as the officer. 

' thank god, he's not slow in situations like this ! ' she mused. 

" Ah.. I am afraid that will not be advisable. Between us, I can be open and give you some more information. There is a fierce struggle among the elite of the base for the slots in the UBO team. Once your place is determined, it's hard to change it. Every minute counts during this time. Tomorrow morning will be too late. " The officer said, shaking his head. His expression, tone and even the words were on the point. 

' wow.. In times of peace, this guy would have won an Oscar ' she snarked inside her head. 

However, it's only now she realized the purpose of the officer. 

Almost everyone left the school while they were talking, including the school teachers. The only people in the auditorium were the base's guards. 

The walkie talkie in the officer's hands crackled at this moment. 

' Perimeter secure ' the voice came over. 

A cheshire cat-like smug smile spread over the face of the officer. 

Claire, who had already been on high alert, and Zayne, who had become annoyed at the persistence of the officer, both sprung into action at that smile. 

She ran full throttle at the window, while ten fireballs started swirling behind Zayne, creating a halo. 

But the windows are closed, and they are not just closed tight, they are sealed with spiritual energy. 

Zayne immediately threw one of his fireballs at the officer, but the fire ball deviated half way through its path, and hit the floor, dissipating into nothing. Surprise spread over Zayne's face at the display. His fireballs are not regular fireballs, but eight times stronger fireballs. Even if they hit the concrete floor, at the minimum they cause a small explosion, or cause a small melted pool of lava. 

" Oh, fire away ! Keep firing away as much as you want. This barrier is designed specifically to take in attacks and replenish its own strength. More you fire, the stronger it is. Go on ! Fire ! " The officer goaded Zayne. 

Claire checked all the windows during that time, and realized, there was no way to get out through the windows. 

She immediately ran up the pedestal, and jumped up at the last minute, catching hold of the low lying iron rod. With a swing, she jumped on to the beams. The auditorium is an amphi-theater, which did not have a concrete roof, but a stadium type iron beams overwhich asbestos sheets were put on as tiles. Thus, the beams of the auditorium were many and sturdy. 

" Oh ! Come down, little girl. You don't want your little nephew to be hurt over something like this, do you ? " the officer teased her. 

Robin was not in his hands. Ofcourse, Claire herself sent the message, so she is absolutely sure of this. 

She ignored him, hid behind a pillar, and activated the mirror eyes. 

The runic code for this barrier is as extensive and long as the arm cuff in her innerworld. It's not a magic circle that one could remember and operate.

' No, I can not think like this. Pompeii flourished for millennia only to fall in a day. We just need to find the correct plug to pull. ' Claire hyped herself. 

Zayne seemed to have stepped back, and seems to be increasing his spell's power. 

However, he is just coming off the intense combat with the mana parasites. Calamari is contracted to him, but it's not acclimatized to using fire mana. Zayne poured in all the mana to fire the strongest spell in his arsenal. It was absorbed by the barrier all the same. 

Zayne stopped for a moment. 

" Let her go. I will go with you willingly, as long as you let Claire go. " Zayne proposed. He, as a single element user, can not overpower this barrier. It's even more impossible for Claire to accomplish such a thing. However, As long as there's no barrier, no matter how many people are behind her, Claire could escape, Zayne was sure of that. 

" How about a … No ? " The officer said in a childish sing-song voice, then cackled like a witch. 

" oh.. Our pooovvr Zaynie Weenie think jusht because you ashk, we will let you go ? You are fish on the board. We are the fishermen … get over yourself. " The officer mocked Zayne, and with his right hand, he pointed at him. 

A set of sticky ropes like spider web caught Zayne, pinning him to the floor. 

The officer walked over to Zayne. He stomped on Zayne's chest, saying ' you. Insect. Like . thing. How . dare . you. Talk . to . me . like . an . equal ? ' with each word, a stomp. 

Zayne choked up with blood, but he could not spit it out because he was stuck to the ground on his back. 

She wanted to run to his defense … However, she was too frightened for a moment there. Her legs were locked in fear, as the officer let go of all the pretense and let his murderous and immense aura engulf the inside of the auditorium. He is far stronger than she expected. 

At this time, despite their growth, if the corrupt police officer wanted to take their lives, it would be as easy as squashing bugs. The only fortunate thing in this entire debacle was that she moved the kids, and no one knows where they are. 

The children may be away from the humans, but they will be able to survive on their own. ' They could, right ? ' Claire worried. 

While the officer focused on Zayne, she floated up in the air, still curled up like a ball, and watched the guard entering and leaving with the mirror eyes. She remembered the sequence of the runic array. 

She moved away from the conspicuous position as soon as she memorized the sequence. 

" Come down, little girl. There's no use playing hide and seek with me. " the officer cooed, shooting sticky spider webs onto the beams. If she gets stuck, there's no way either of them will survive. At least one of them should get out of this lock. 

Then the officer will have no choice but to move the location, which will give her a chance to rescue Zayne. 

Claire rushed to the circular vent on the side, opening the barrier. The metal frame, he removed with the iron ingots coming out in circular shape. 

It fell out of the sky, then Claire dived out through the fast closing hole in the barrier. 

Even so, the barrier touched half of her pants, burning a straight scar on her calf. 

She did not care for her body at all. She zoomed straight up into the air. She had never traveled this fast in the air. She rushed so fast, that the radars of the base focused on her, to open fire at her if needed. 

The terrible malicious mana of the Corrupt police officer still weighed on her. When she was an Ice mage in her previous life, she was numb to all these feelings. However, this time around, her sensitivity has reached a higher realm - as such, she felt the terrible ness of the officer's mana all the more. 

The officer's mana was hungry. It was willing to devour anything and everything that is within it's path. That's the feeling she got from the officer's mana.          

She ran the remaining kilometer, only coming to a stop in front of the gate.