Chapter 172: Doing Cool Stuff with Magji Friends.

As the trio prowled the luminous streets of Luminaurora, Lindsay's keen senses picked up a subtle shift in the atmosphere. The city's ambient glow seemed to dim ever so slightly as she glanced to her left. There, emerging from a cafe, was a group of regular young adults, seemingly no different from the everyday crowd. Their casual attire and carefree demeanor showed the remarkability of the Star Clan's healing prowess. She knew they were the Connate Faction prodigies they had been tracking.

Instinctively, Lindsay discreetly signaled to her companions, Alexander and Zoey, to prepare for confrontation. They had been searching for a while for this moment, but the real thing felt entirely different. The stakes were higher, and the adrenaline surged through their veins as they prepared for battle.

The Connate Faction prodigies, who were just regular young adults, went about their day after leaving the cafe. They were chatting, laughing, and joking with each other down the street. It was clear that they thought nothing about their failed attack earlier in the week.

With the tension mounting, Lindsay's heart raced as she knew this was the moment they had been searching for. Lindsay made the first move, pulling out her wand and reciting a spell. Lindsay sent out a quick, freezing ray from her wand.

The Connate Faction prodigies were unable to react as Lindsay struck from the shadows. But now that they were frozen into statues, she was confused about how to proceed. If it were a daemon, she would break them into pieces. But killing a fellow magjistar? Even if they were the type of magjistars she refused to allow in her organization when she became Head of Magji, it was impossible for her to follow through and actually kill another human being.

Luckily or unluckily for her, the choice was taken from her. Several rocks empowered with mahna were thrown at their incapacitated and frozen bodies. The Connate Faction prodigies were shattered into ice statue pieces. Zoey let out a small smile at revenge despite the major ache in her arm. Payback was a bitch, wasn't it?

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Lindsay exploded in rage at Zoey, making her complicit in murder! 

"What?" Zoey looked Lindsay in the face.

"I didn't sign up to kill people! Do this on your own, I'm not helping you anymore!" Lindsay started to walk off.

Zoey just shrugged before looking at Alexander as several people began to look at them. Before going on this Round Two prodigy hunt, they all disguised themselves in animal masks. So, unless they were de-masked, no one could tell who they were. "Are you out, too?" Zoey asked him.

"I'm a little less lenient on people willing to hurt my friends and their family." Alexander rubbed the back of his mask. "I'll try and soothe things over with Lindsay after we're done. She probably didn't think about how you felt having to defend your family from those guys." He tried to excuse her behavior.

Zoey was relieved she could count on Alexander… "Thank you…" Zoey softly told him. He didn't know, but she was very worried that he would turn his back on her, too. She wondered if he would choose the magjistars over his friendship with her, but then again, she wasn't asking him to murder anyone. Just help her get a little payback. 

Maybe she was a little out of line for killing those guys after Lindsay froze them… But did she regret doing so? Mostly no. Just a little because of the way it made Lindsay feel, but Lindsay was always a little sensitive. Did she really think she could become Head of Magji if she can't even handle killing people who deserve it? 

They were willing to hurt and kill a family of non-magji people just to get back at her for beating them up! Zoey didn't even cripple any of them! They just lost a fight and couldn't handle it. No matter what anyone said, Zoey felt 100% justified in her actions.

…

Alexander and Zoey continued with the prodigy hunt, both disguised with animal masks and roaming the streets of Luminaurora. Their disguises, though far from perfect, helped conceal their identities. Zoey's mask was that of a cute polar bear, and Alexander had a cheetah mask. It was a crude attempt at anonymity, but it was good enough as long as they avoided getting their mask taken off. Their mission was clear: to hunt down the Connate Faction prodigies who had ambushed Zoey and her family. They've been hunting since early morning. Zoey used this chance to look over Alexander's progress as a magjistar since she was injured and didn't want to worsen her injuries. Although, it seemed like he didn't need much help from her Teaching-wise.

In the time she's been going off on her solo-dolo, he's already ranked up to a B-grade magjistar, leaving Zoey in the dust. When she was still a magjistar, she was a D-grade magjistar. No one was willing to recommend her to climb up, so she was stuck at the lowest grade as a magjistar, no matter how many cases she successfully solved. She wasn't saying he could beat her in a fight. Zoey was just acknowledging his progress since the last time they fought with each other.

On the account of Alexander hunting the prodigies in Zoey's place since this morning, the Peacekeeping Order was also on the hunt to apprehend them for making a public disturbance. Unfortunately for them, and luckily for Alexander and Zoey, the public security was not in a good place right now for some reason. Alexander could grab Zoey and speed away before the Peacekeeping Order could trap them or surround them. His lightning magji was very, very amazing in Zoey's opinion.

"All the factions are like fighting to take what's left of The Council after Victor's you-know…" Alexander explained.

"So that's why no one really cares what we're doing," Zoey said.

"Yep. Pretty lucky for us." Alexander grinned.

With him and his lightning magji, they could scour the city at impressive speeds looking for any vulnerable out-and-about Connate Faction prodigies. Although he wasn't averse to killing them, Alexander still just left them with more severe injuries than any outright kills. Any spotted prodigy would be flash-kicked across the skull at speeds few could react to. This was enough to instantly incapacitate anyone who didn't have an impressively strong body, which was a majority of magjistars.

'Maybe we should've learned lightning magji…' Zoey discussed with herself.

'Combo Magji is superior.' Inner Zoey instantly shut her down.

'It still would've been pretty cool…' Lightning was badass.

'No way, bitch. It'd be totally boring. We'd end every fight in seconds with super speed!' Inner Zoey argued.

'I guess so. With Combo Magji, we do have time to warm up before things get really crazy.' Zoey could understand what she meant now.

…

Luminaurora, the hidden city of magjistars, had always been a place starved for events and excitement. It existed in secrecy, shielded from the prying eyes of the human world. Life in Luminaurora was usually marked by tranquility and tradition, a tightly-knit community where the magically mundane was the norm. But now, a new topic has formed. The death of Victor Khan had become a sensation that transcended the boundaries of this secluded city and even became news across several OM branches across the world. It was an event that gripped the imagination of every magjistar, young and old alike. Even though the results of his death hadn't changed much for the world at large, the city had become a boiling bubbling pit of anticipation for the next hottest news.

LuminauroraTimes, the preeminent newspaper within the city, had seized upon the sensational story with a fervor that matched the mood of the entire population. The headlines screamed in bold, black letters, "Mysterious Terrorists Unleash Mayhem in Luminaurora!" The newspaper, known by its abbreviation LT, had become the chief purveyor of news and information in the city. It was a publication with a legacy, and its headlines held sway over the minds of magjistars.

The entire city was abuzz with the story. People from all walks of life couldn't stop discussing the frightening actions of these enigmatic figures who had donned animal masks to hide their identities. LT had gone to great lengths to paint a vivid picture of chaos and disruption, emphasizing the terror and dangerousness of these criminals. They were depicted as dangerous terrorists who had sought to unleash terror upon the city. The articles spoke of the battles in the streets, no regard for the common man or authority, and the disruption of daily life with pictures in store shops. Public sentiment was divided; some saw them as a result of Victor's death. The significant drop in official power in the nation would lead to the rise of those who seek to bring the nation to chaos, while others just branded them as crazy criminals.

The trio, known only by their animal masks, were public enemies number one, two, and three. The city was torn between those who were planning to leave Luminaurora because of how public security had degraded and those who decried their actions as inhuman and unforgivable.

As Alexander, Lindsay, and Zoey read the headlines, the atmosphere within Alexander's place was far more calm in comparison. Alexander couldn't help but sport a sly grin beneath it. "This went a lot better than I thought it would," he remarked, his voice tinged with amusement.

Lindsay frowned as she stayed silent. Her glasses glinted with stoicism as she replied, "I still think there was a better way this could've been done." Zoey ignored Lindsay's words. If there was a better way to get revenge than beating the shit out of people, she didn't know it. Or didn't want to think about it. These headlines were proof of her revenge. Although she wasn't completely satisfied and would always hold a grudge, she certainly wouldn't go out of her way to assault any more magjistars anytime soon.

"They deserved it," Zoey shared her thoughts.