[88] Night Attack

Glancing ahead, Aiden's eyes caught sight of the familiar fashionable columnar magic stone street lamps, their delicate columns marred by destruction.

Looking up again, he realized that the deep blue canopy above had completely transformed into an impenetrable darkness that refused to dissipate.

Robbery? Was this a magical effect? Aiden furrowed his brows, equipped with night vision, instantly sensing someone spying on him in the darkness.

"Be careful, stay behind me." Aiden halted his steps with a solemn tone, his ice-blue eyes firmly fixed ahead. His left hand gripped the hilt of the Dragon Slayer, while his right hand shielded Bell and Eina in front.

Bell and Eina bumped directly into Aiden's solid right arm, staggering slightly, almost causing the bottle of wine to slip. Fortunately, due to their height difference, they didn't hit his chest.

"Come out, I know you're there." Protecting Bell and Eina behind him, Aiden aimed the Dragon Slayer forward, not hiding his hostility.

From between the crevices of buildings, several slender figures emerged into the darkness.

"Cat people?" Aiden stared intensely at the figure leading them.

Clad entirely in black armor and clothing that seemed to merge with the darkness, a black metal mask covered half his face, revealing only a pair of emerald vertical pupils and the ears of a short male with catlike features. Behind him followed four similarly dressed, diminutive figures.

Following closely were five human males dressed similarly behind the cat-like male.

"It seems this isn't a robbery, but rather organized and planned." Aiden speculated on the intentions of this group. Though outnumbered, he felt no fear, rather a sense of excitement, ready at any moment to invoke Tempest or silently prepare Firestorm.

"Aiden, be careful." Eina, hiding behind Aiden, nervously whispered.

"Senpai, do your best." Bell, still lacking combat prowess, anxiously encouraged Aiden.

"Don't worry." Aiden replied confidently. These narrow lanes were perfect for silently unleashing Firestorm without notice.

When the distance between them was less than 20 meters, the cat-like man suddenly halted, waving his right hand.

With a dull thud echoing on the stone floor, a figure behind him had vanished into thin air.

In the next instant, the disappeared figure reappeared right in front of Aiden.

In a split second, the distance between both sides vanished. Such agility, while still at Level 1 speed, had reached at least A-rank proficiency.

A short sword enlarged in Aiden's eyes, its blade painted black without a hint of reflection, as if time froze in that moment.

The masked assailant revealed a disdainful smirk.

Just as they say, timing is everything.

"You're quite brave~" Aiden smirked slightly, his right hand clenched into a fist, swinging straightforwardly. A plain and unembellished punch struck directly at the cat-like man's chest.

Time resumed its flow.

Boom!

With a dull thud, the assailant's diminutive figure flew back like a cannonball, displaying an incredulous expression on his half-visible face, finally caught effortlessly by the leading cat people.

"Puh." The assailant coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Too bad, too weak." Aiden casually shook his right hand as if brushing off dust. "So, who's up next?"

However, the leading cat people did not take the bait, calmly handing over the injured assailant to his companions behind him.

Silently, he appeared before Aiden in an instant.

Aiden swung Dragon Slayer with almost full force.

Clang!

The dark red Dragon Slayer clashed head-on with the black spear blade, sparks flying.

"This power..." The cat people quickly retreated, sounding displeased with a low, hoarse voice.

In response, before him unfolded a Firestorm rapidly expanding.

"Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm!" With the enemies eyeing him menacingly and considering Bell and Eina behind him, Aiden summoned three Firestorms without hesitation.

Facing the rushing Firestorms, the cat people effortlessly sidestepped them.

Even before Aiden finished chanting Firestorm, the cat people's underlings had already evaded.

Only the injured man was directly hit by the flames.

Three Firestorms illuminated the alley.

"Aghhhhh!!!"

Enveloped by the Firestorms, the assailant screamed in unbearable agony as the flames burned fiercely.

Incredibly unscathed, the cat people male casually walked through the firestorm, casually knocking out and carrying away the assailant being consumed by the Firestorm.

Aiden chose not to pursue the attackers in order to protect Eina and Bell, and he dared not pursue them. Despite his confidence, he knew he was no match for this group at his current level. Except for the assailant hit by the Firestorm, including the leading cat people, they all harbored hostility without intent to kill. Recklessly chasing them could provoke deadly intentions, and while he could ensure his own safety, he couldn't guarantee the safety of the two behind him.

"He's already Level 2 and has this kind of magic..."

"We must report to our lady."

The alley had turned into a sea of flames, crimson light soaring into the sky.

"Too ostentatious. This fire will attract many others."

Aiden protected the two behind him, watching helplessly as the cat people and his cronies, after dropping a few words, vanished with their underlings into the depths of darkness.

In the alley, only the gradually diminishing flames continued to flicker like a spring.

Aiden stood silently with Dragon Slayer in hand, contemplating.

"Who are these people? Why did they attack us? They are well-trained, wearing no insignias but clearly from the same familia. They destroyed all sources of light, including the magic street lamps, using magic to create darkness."

"They were aimlessly wandering at night, and I chose this path myself. Yet they could predict my movements. They cleared the area beforehand and planned the attack location and time. This means they must have detailed plans and real-time knowledge of our actions."

"I came to Orario without offending any familia and even saved members of the Ganesha and Takemikazuchi familia."

"So, it must be Freya after all?"

Finally, Aiden reached a conclusion. Freya had the power, capability, and reason to do this. In the original work, she had used a crystal ball to spy on Bell.

But Aiden was still puzzled. Why would Freya attack him? Shouldn't it be Bell after his growth?

"Phew, are you both okay?" Aiden turned around, pretending to be calm as he smiled and asked. However, out of sight of Bell and Eina, his left hand gripping Dragon Slayer was already tense with bulging veins and slight tremors, while his right hand, sensing his unsettled emotions, began to ache faintly.

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