Chapter 47 Azares City (part 3)

—Asher Frostblade's perspective.

The inside of the mall, at first glance, the whole place itself is very luxurious.

People entering different places, stores of all sorts of things were in sight everywhere I looked.

People's voices were not lacking, in fact, the place is very noisy with so many people everywhere and even some drunks walking around. The bars were everywhere and, as usual, the men were bowling, others were not.

But the bar part is apart; the clothing stores are also apart; there is even a coffee shop on the second floor, a very big one.

The smell of alcohol was what caught my attention the most. I used to have a few shots of whiskey in my previous life; to some extent, I missed alcohol.

After all, I couldn't taste alcohol before my death.

"They're... refreshing."

"What is?"

"It's nothing."

"..."

Encrid looked at me confused.

We kept following the girls, I had no idea where they were going. Of course, they came to buy clothes and all that, but we kept walking and the clothing stores we had already passed on the second floor. For some reason, we were going up to the top floor of the building.

"This feeling..." I muttered silently.

For some reason, it felt like something or someone had an eye on us. I could recognize the feeling for a few seconds, but not quite, so I just ignored it.

But that feeling of being seen by someone didn't take off. Then I looked around me.

"There's no one."

Through all the crowds I couldn't see very clearly. Maybe my killer instincts were warning me, but I couldn't see anyone strange or out of the ordinary.

"Maybe it's just my thoughts."

We kept walking until we finally reached the top floor of the building. At first glance, the floor was made of marble as was the ceiling. Also, the clothing stores were different in this place, they looked more modern. Maybe that's why we climbed all the way up here.

Then Luna spoke.

"Let's go in this one, the clothes look nicer."

I simply followed them. Encrid, on the other hand, stood still. Then I looked at him.

"You feel something strange, don't you?"

"That's obvious, after all I'm now just as strong as an eighth circle."

Well, it's true. In the past, Encrid was a tenth circle mage, but maybe for some reason now he's only an eighth circle. I wondered that, maybe it was because of his death that his power was reduced.

"You died. I had to know if you really died in the past and only your soul or something was left as a sword."

"That's right, that's why I don't have a physical body anymore, only you can give me a body with mana."

"But why is your power so high?"

"I don't know, maybe it's the power I had left when I died and sealed myself in a sword."

"I see."

Then he was right, but why it is so strong I still don't know, even he himself doesn't know.

"You two hurry," Isabella spoke up.

Encrid and I hurried.

The time passed quickly. As usual, the girls forced us to carry things. They were still shopping, but Isabella was buying the most.

I was getting worried because I had no idea where she would take those clothes. After all, Isabella can only have one body because of my mana.

The shopping went on for a few hours. The feeling of being seen by someone continued. Encrid was attentive, but he couldn't seem to tell very well. He told me that something was preventing him from seeing the person who was sneaking a peek at us.

We assumed it was a person. No, actually, more than one person. Like Encrid, I likewise could not detect whoever it was that was peeking at us. Of course, it's not like I kept my guard down. In fact, I was aware with all the people around us.

So we went down to the middle floor and sat at a table together in front of some bay windows. We were waiting for a coffee order. The smell was very pleasant, but of course the feeling of being seen by someone increased.

"It's very strange," Encrid spoke up.

"For some reason I feel like my senses are being blocked."

"It seems that whoever is watching us must have something in what keeps us from sensing their whereabouts."

"You're right. I remember something similar like that, I think it must be an assassin."

Then I remained silent. On the other hand, I knew it could be some observer, but an assassin, I didn't expect that.

I have no idea what assassins are like in this world, I don't know how they do their missions and I don't know what kind of magic or artifacts they use to not be seen. But if he is an assassin, he could be very dangerous, maybe not to Isabella, Encrid and me, but to Luna and Gloriana.

"It could be..."

I think I already knew the answer.

They are definitely assassins, but I can't confirm it yet. What I am sure of is that they are definitely targeting Gloriana and Luna. Being assassins, obviously their mission would be to kill someone important, and who are the most important right now? Of course, Gloriana and Luna.

"It's dangerous, let's be alert for any noise."

"Out of pure curiosity, what do assassins usually use to kill?"

"..."

"In the past they used a unique magic, the range of their magic was extremely long."

At one point I could guess that this was a sniper, but according to me, in this world there are no firearms. The technology in this world is not that developed, so firearms are ruled out. So, maybe it's the unique magic that Encrid mentioned.

"Here's the coffee, three cappuccinos and two regular ones."

I had a cappuccino coffee, it's my favorite. It tastes good and is very refreshing in flavor.

The three of them sat down, then the small talk began.

"The dress looks great on you, Gloriana," Isabella said.

"What are you talking about? You look good in all the clothes you tried on," Gloriana spoke praising Isabella.

"Well I just like the black dresses, they're like more elegant."

"Yeah, yeah, you like only that color," Gloriana said.

"Hey..."

"Sip."

Encrid and I took a small sip to our coffee, making a small noise at the same time.

Then all three girls stared at us, as if to say "these two are the same." Of course, I didn't like being compared to this idiot.

Their gazes were still on the two of us.

"And you guys... You didn't get bored, did you?"

"No."

"No..."

"..."

"..."

Encrid and I looked at each other for a few seconds before looking back at the three girls. For some reason, all three of them looked at us in a strange way.

It's like they were looking at a couple of idiots who are usually connected to each other. I simply looked away, ignoring the stares of the three of them.

"How strange... I feel something familiar right now," I thought to myself.

As expected, the killer feeling was the first thing I instantly remembered.

It was as if there was my past life self pointing in this direction with a sniper. It was very familiar that feeling, something I could instantly recognize, but it's not like I let it go.

In an instant, I felt weirded out by the situation. Then I looked at the buildings in front of the mall.

"There's nothing."

Although I didn't look at anyone on the roof, which usually assassins shoot from that place, there was no one. Also, it was all flat on the roof of the building in front, but I couldn't see through the windows of the building.

"Maybe it's..."

"Baam!!!"

The windows of the front building shattered. A small light traveled through at an incredible speed, then it hit the window where I was and that's when I looked for a few seconds at something like a bullet, but this one was pure mana of a blue color.

Then quickly my hand moved in the direction of the trajectory of the mana bullet, which was going in the direction of Luna and Gloriana's head. I then reached out my hand as fast as I could.

My hand moved in the direction where the mana bullet was headed. That's when Encrid's hand came behind mine. In fact, both hands were right in front of Gloriana's head.

Then a hole appeared in my hand. The mana bullet hit my hand and pierced it, but when it hit Encrid's hand, it instantly disintegrated.

"Drip" "Drip."

"I'll go, you guys stay," Encrid spoke and quickly disappeared.

My hand was still extended right in front of Gloriana's head as she looked at me in terror.

"Asher...your-your hand."

Then I looked at my hand, a hole right in the center was there, blood was pouring out uncontrollably, but I didn't pay much attention to it and looked at Gloriana, who was looking at me terrified.

"I'm fine."

"What are you talking about... your-your hand has a hole in it?" Luna spoke up.

"Don't worry, I'll heal it," Isabella spoke and then touched my hand.

Then a familiar sensation covered my hand and the hole disappeared.

"It's healed now, don't be alarmed, I'll protect you in case there's a snag."

"Where the hell did it come from?" I looked at the building on the other side. In fact, it came through the building next door. Whoever sent that strange bullet made of mana fired from far away.

For a moment I thought of a very well-trained assassin, but looking at least at the building in front that was pierced, it must be someone good.

"There shouldn't be any danger, Encrid must be taking care of that," I spoke instantly.

My cold expression didn't change one bit, but, in fact, I was too angry inside.

"That bastard... I was only seconds away from losing both of them."

I tried not to show my anger every time I spoke, but if it wasn't for Encrid also putting his hand and making the mana bullet disappear.... Luna and Gloriana would have died.

If that had happened... I wouldn't be able to rest easy knowing that someone killed my first two friends I've had both in this life and in my past life. But fortunately, nothing happened. I took a long sigh and looked at the two, who were still scared.

Then I spoke.

"The two of them... they shouldn't leave the castle.... If they die, I..."

I couldn't speak anymore. I came close to losing my sanity at that moment, but I remained steady and cool as always. However, I came close to... crying. It was a strange thing, I hadn't even really felt it. Of course, when I looked at Encrid's memories, my tears came out in a different way and it wasn't normal.

But at this moment I was close to feeling that feeling. It was for a second, but I controlled myself.

"Hey kid, I thought you had no feelings."

"Eh... What the...? So that's what I felt," I was instantly surprised.

Then Isabella looked at me strangely.

"You... have you never felt any feelings similar to what you're feeling now?"

I shook my head instantly. Maybe when I was reincarnated I had various emotions I never had in my past life, like fear, for example.

Then the feeling of sadness, something similar to what I felt, that was it. It was strange to feel something like that for a second.

I had never felt emotions and no feelings for anyone in my past life, but maybe it is this body that gave me feelings and emotions. It's very strange.

"We'd better go to a more enclosed place, it's still dangerous here."

"By the way... how strong are you?"

I looked at Isabella curiously, in fact I didn't know how strong she was.

"I don't know, find out for yourself."

"..."

Then I stood up from the seat. I still had a hint of that strange feeling inside me.

I looked at Luna and Gloriana. The moment I saw them, something akin to an illusion came into my head. It was only an image of the two dead on the floor.

My heart pounded and I opened my eyes instantly. I stood still for a moment, but then I closed my eyes and opened them again. Everything in me changed in that brief instant.

"What the hell was that?"

For a second I looked at an image of dead Luna and Gloriana, and the second it was gone I felt strange and my face changed its expression to an uncontrolled and surprised one.

Then I looked at the two of them...

"They saw me..." They both looked at me, their faces changed for a few moments until Isabella spoke.

"Don't stay behind, if you get separated it could be dangerous."

"Uh... yeah, we'll follow you."

They both said at the same time.

"What the hell... was that?"

I was puzzled, their looks seemed different, as if they were seeing something in me they had never seen before.

I felt... embarrassed. was that what I felt or was I wrong? Maybe it was an emotion I hadn't felt before, a new emotion that suddenly arose. What the hell was that I felt in that instant...?