Chapter 55: A False Hero Part 2

It didn't take a genius to realize that the current events on the street were an attempt on someone's life.

"Why's everybody tryin' to kill me lately?" Despite the situation, Harley wasn't fazed. Explosions and dangerous situations were the norm for her.

Arias got off her and frowned as the smoke thickened. "Doesn't look like it's us they're after."

Judging by the distance of the car explosion, Arias quickly concluded that he wasn't the target. With so many important figures gathered in one place, it wasn't strange for someone's life to be targeted. But even in crisis, Arias saw an opportunity. He took off his blazer and tossed it to Harley, who had begun coughing erratically due to the smoke.

"Cover your mouth and retreat to the very back of the street. It won't be long before help arrives. I'm curious who's hated enough that such a risk would be taken."

Harley, feeling her consciousness slipping, didn't protest. She liked Arias as a person, but her feelings weren't strong enough to risk her life for him. What confused her was that he had put himself at risk to save her, shielding her from the blast. For someone like Harley, who was ignorant of Arias's near-immortal physical body, his actions were surprising.

With the Joker, it had always been her risking her life, never knowing the feeling of someone doing the same for her. She had never thought deeply about it, but being abandoned and left to die hurt. Today, being saved and protected touched her in a way she didn't dislike but also didn't fully understand.

As her head grew fuzzier, she held Arias's blazer over her mouth and began to retreat, subconsciously looking back at him until he disappeared into the smoke.

Once Harley was safe, Arias stopped pretending to cough. His body combated the effects of the smoke before they could even surface. He avoided healing himself too quickly, as it would be suspicious to emerge without a scratch.

As he advanced toward the explosion site, he heard several rushed footsteps and voices shouting in thick foreign accents. Thanks to his superhuman senses, he navigated through the smoke easily, as if it wasn't there. Upon arriving, he found five armed and masked figures with feminine outlines surrounding a vehicle that, despite being close to the blast, was still in one piece.

It wasn't strange for the world's elite to have bomb-proof vehicles, so the state of the car wasn't surprising. Although largely intact, the car was flipped over, its windows shattered, and its body was dented and scratched. Four of the five individuals surrounded the car, while the fifth opened the back door.

They were clearly in a hurry, yelling in panicked tones, aware that time wasn't on their side. Once the door was open, the masked figure dragged out a woman forcibly before stepping back and pointing a rifle at her.

Even in her pitiful state, the woman—dark-skinned, with dark blue eyes and long black hair adorned with a golden diadem—stood out. She was slender, wearing a strapless gray mini-skirt dress with black leggings and high-heeled boots. A translucent pale blue veil hung around her shoulders.

A single look was enough for Arias to recognize her as Queen Bee, the infamous dictator of Greater Bialya. Despite the dire circumstances, she wasn't scared—only angry as she covered her mouth and coughed.

"Stop this foolish rebellion, your queen commands you!" Queen Bee's attempt to assert dominance in such a hopeless situation amazed Arias.

"We are all women; your vile arts will not work on us! Now pay for your sins!" The armed individual struck Queen Bee with the back end of her rifle, rendering her unconscious. She then aimed the rifle, yelling, "Freedom for Bialya!" before preparing to shoot.

Suddenly, her rifle flew out of her hands without warning.

"!!"

The others panicked, scanning the area until they spotted Arias through their smoke-penetrating equipment. Three of them prepared to fire at him, while the fourth hurried to finish off Queen Bee.

But with a flick of his wrist, Arias restrained their bodies with his telekinesis. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn't move, not even their fingers.

'It just had to be a notorious dictator,' Arias thought, annoyed by the discovery. Saving the life of such a figure was sure to harm his image, and the chances of her being grateful were slim.

As he held the five assailants in his telekinetic grip, he pondered his options. It only took a few seconds for him to decide. 'I'll save her and the other struggling survivors I passed by to lessen the blow to my image.'

Having made up his mind, Arias looked up at his captives and began to restrict their airways. Their eyes widened in panic as they felt themselves suffocating, helpless against his power. He sped up the process by forcing smoke into their mouths and nostrils, quickening their demise.

Once they were dead, Arias moved their bodies onto one of the burning vehicles to avoid the hassle of a potential autopsy. He then carried Queen Bee along with another struggling survivor out of the smoke.

People gathered at the edge of the smoke screen, taking pictures and videos. Most of them had come from other vehicles at a safe distance from the blast. Seeing that no more explosions had occurred, they began moving closer, some even trying to enter the smoky area. But they quickly retreated when the smoke made it hard to breathe and see.

Many were surprised to see Arias easily rushing in and out, each time bringing out one or two survivors. He only planned to save a few for the sake of appearances. On his last rescue attempt, the smoke was suddenly blown away in an instant.

Arias paused and looked up to see the cause of the sudden gust of wind—a figure hovering above the chaotic street.

A hero had arrived.