As the assailants retreated with Sylvie in tow, they regrouped in a hidden location. The leader, a tall figure with a hood concealing their face, addressed Mason, the one who had attacked Astron.

"Why did you attack him, you bastard? What if she breaks, huh? Can you take responsibility," the leader of the group demanded, their voice carrying a tone of frustration.

Mason, maintaining a calm demeanor, responded, "He was getting too close, and I had to make sure he wouldn't follow us."

"Really? Do you think he was in a state to do anything? We already know for a fact that he is just a weak bastard."

"It doesn't matter. A threat is a threat."

The leader's eyes narrowed, dissatisfied with Mason's explanation. "Tch. You bastard, just say that you didn't like him; why are you going around with your words?"

Mason smirked, revealing a hint of amusement. "Yeah. That bastard was getting on my nerves, okay. And it is not like, if we let him live, things would be different. He was already going to alert the authorities."

"Sigh..You know, until he had alerted the authorities, we would already be away enough from the start."

"Again, it doesn't matter. A threat is a threat. And I just eliminated it."

"And again, we already made sure he wouldn't be able to move. We already got his dimensional ring and his watch with us anyway."

"..."

"....You are a reckless idiot." the leader conceded with a sigh. "Now, let's focus on the present. Girl, are you alright?"

Sylvie, still reeling from the events, looked lifeless. Her eyes, once filled with determination, were now vacant, reflecting the deep shock she experienced. She didn't respond to the leader's inquiry, her gaze fixed on some distant point.

Mason, indifferent to Sylvie's state, added, "She's fine. Just give her some time. The shock will wear off, and she'll be more compliant once she understands the situation."

"I know, bastard. Don't order me." The leader said as he looked at his watch.

"The transport will be here in at most half an hour. Until then, keep an eye on her, Mason. We can't afford any unexpected surprises," the leader instructed, emphasizing the importance of vigilance.

Mason, unbothered by the responsibility, merely nodded. "I've got it covered. Just make sure the next part of the plan goes smoothly. I don't want any more hiccups."

Just like that, they started waiting for the vehicle to come inside the backside of the restaurant that was working for them.

********

For someone who wants to operate from the shadows, what could be the most detrimental issue?

It is the possibility of their identity being revealed.

This is especially the case for me. After all, neither the government nor anyone could be trusted when it comes to what I have in mind.

Therefore, I needed to act in such a manner, making myself appear as if I had discarded. After all, most of the time, demon followers tend to be watched by something inside them, and that is something none of them know about.

While they gain powers, they also sacrifice their personal lives. The ones who have their powers can witness what is happening with their eyes.

Biting the small pill I had stored in my mouth, I felt the energy returning to my body. The

'Though, I really never expected Sylvie to do such a thing.'

She put her life on the line for me. Even though I was already prepared for the attack, what she did was something that touched my heart.

'Tch. Now, I feel like an asshole for playing with her feelings.'

Everything went as I had planned, aside from what Sylvie had done. She sacrificed herself..At least she tried to. I am sure she really thought she could save me.

That selflessness is what will make Sylvie the future Saintess, and witnessing it like that, a small knot appeared in my heart.

'Why am I remembering her now.'

Her actions made me remember someone in a certain scene. At that point, I almost lost control of my emotions and revealed myself. Anger soared, and I felt my hatred rising.

'Now, it is time for the hunt.'

With my eyes, I could already see the tendrils revealing the location of the assailants. And, now that I had created an alibi for myself, there was no need to hold anything back.

'Especially that Mason. I am going to pluck your eyes out.'

Whatever it is, I can still remember his smirk when he left with Sylvie.

Dash.

SWOOSH!

Swiftly and seamlessly, I blended into the shadows, the cloak of darkness becoming my ally.

With a calculated finesse, I activated the [Unknown's Armor], a gift from a stubborn old man who understood the value of adaptability as well as my trait [Shadowborne].

The shadows enveloped me as the armor's transformative ability came to life. My clothing underwent a silent metamorphosis, turning to the image I had envisioned in my head.

A mask slowly came to my face, and my whole body was covered by the black suit.

The once conspicuous attire now merged seamlessly with the darkness, each fold and contour designed to be indistinguishable in the obscurity of the night, and just like that, I disappeared into the shadows.

******

"Hey."

As the leader left the room, Mason looked at Sylvie, who curled onto the side. He had a widened smile on his face as he finally felt like he had achieved his objective.

Mason leisurely approached Sylvie, his smirk widening as he observed her curled form. The dim light in the hidden location flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

"Well, well, Sylvie," Mason taunted, his tone dripping with condescension. "Looks like your grand plan to stop us didn't quite work out, did it? A valiant effort, I must say."

Sylvie's gaze slowly shifted toward Mason, her eyes still clouded with shock but now tinged with a hint of defiance. She remained silent, unwilling to give Mason the satisfaction of a response.

"You know," Mason continued, crouching down to her eye level, "you were so confident back there, standing up to us and all. Thought you could be the hero, huh? But here we are, and you're just another damsel in distress."

Sylvie bit her lip, suppressing the anger welling up inside her. Mason's words were like venom, and she knew responding to his taunts would only fuel his satisfaction.

"How was it? Did you like the last gift I had left for him? After all, that guy was getting on my nerves for a long time, you know?"

Mason chuckled, relishing in the discomfort he was causing. He wanted to have a taste of this girl, but he couldn't because of the orders from higher-ups, so he needed to get this feeling from his chest, right? After all, he had been trying to get her to this point the whole semester. This whole fa?ade was also taking a toll on his mind.

"Though I have to say, his bravery was almost adorable. Almost. Pity it didn't amount to much, did it? He immediately got right before you to protect you. Hahaha...You should have seen his expression the moment I threw the last attack; he was frightened."lightsnovel

However, most importantly, he wanted to insult that guy. After all, for some reason, he could still feel that 'gaze' on himself. That gaze seemed like he was looking down on him.

He reached out and tilted Sylvie's chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes bore into hers, searching for any signs of weakness.

"I bet he regretted that he was with you at that moment, thinking if it wasn't for you, he would have been safe."

Sylvie's head sank as Mason's words cut through her, each sentence heavier than the last.

'Right.'

Guilt gnawed at her, intertwining with the anger she was desperately trying to suppress. The image of Astron, standing protectively before her, made her remember the same thing she had felt at that time when she was much, much younger.

'Still the same.'

She herself knew it was impossible to become strong enough in just a bunch of days. But, even then, she couldn't help but feel anger towards herself. The fact that she was still the same pathetic girl haunted her once more.

"Well, no use of regrets now. After all, I am sure he will forgive you in the afterlife."

'Afterlife...Right, he is dead.'

Anger soared for a second, and her eyes lit up. Even though her mana was sealed, she decided to act one last time.

"-Pitu"

Making eye contact, Sylvie summoned all the anger, frustration, and sorrow within her and spat directly at Mason's face.

"...."

Mason, momentarily taken aback by Sylvie's sudden act of defiance, stood frozen as the saliva landed on his face.

He touched the liquid with his fingers, bewildered and unable to comprehend what had just transpired.

The room fell silent for a moment before Mason's confusion slowly transformed into a simmering anger, and his eyes narrowed at Sylvie. He raised his hand, attempting for a slap.

"You bit-"

FLINCH!

But at that moment, his hand stopped, feeling ants crawling on his skin.

'What?'

An intense feeling of danger, the senses that were strengthened because of his demonic evolution, was now warning him.

[Mason, we are un-]

-BOOM!

Just as a warning came from his earbuds, an explosion suddenly occurred, blasting him off.

********

The moment I blended into the shadows, I started moving as fast as possible with maximum speed. The attackers seemed to stop as well since the tendrils showed their location wasn't moving.

'That is good.'

It was very likely that they were waiting for the transportation to come. Entering this city, where the government pays quite a lot of attention, wouldn't be easy, and escaping would certainly not be.

Therefore, it was understandable that they were waiting.

'Just as I had expected.'

With that thought, I reached the location where they were hiding in a matter of two minutes.

"Huff...Huff..."

I was slightly out of breath since I had used my body to maximum output.

I found myself behind a small restaurant. It was a narrow alley with a few trash bins scattered around, and it seemed like a perfect spot for them to hide temporarily.

'Let's take a look.'

lightsnοvεl I silently ascended to the rooftop, crouching behind a small ventilation unit. From this vantage point, I had a clear view of the scene below.

There were three of them, looking as if they were in their late twenties, dressed in dark attire that allowed them to blend into the shadows. They appeared to be discussing something, occasionally glancing around to ensure they weren't being followed.

'Three guards on the front. Two of them are the ones who attacked me, and the other one is probably the scout.'

From their body shapes and postures, I confirmed two of them were dagger users while the other one was a sword user.

Aurora Raven.

Calling my bond, I started moving it around the place, scouting the numbers. From another angle, I was able to spot another two. One of them was the leader, and the other one was non-combatant.

They were talking with each other while checking onto a device.

'Mana Observation.'

Within the last week, I wasn't simply only training my body. I also researched quite a lot of ways to use my mana and mastered Mana Observation to some extent. Of course, it wasn't fully mastered, but now I could somehow sense the prints of Demonic Energy around the place.

'And Mason and Sylvie are behind them.'

Sylvie's mana seemed to be sealed, but my tendrils were still connected.

'This is enough.'

The amount of information gathered was sufficient, and now it was time to act.historical

'Celestalith.'

I called my weapon and put it into its rifle form. And compressed the mana into the tip.

-PIU!

And then shot it forward.