Pant... Pant...
"What was that flame just now? Luckily we were able to escape somehow."
While panting heavily, Lacner took a glanced at the four beside him with a concerned look.
"Are you guys okay?"
The four are none other than his teammates. Hein and the other three who were guarding her while recovering.
Just like him, they were panting heavily but much worse than his condition.
Lacner was the first one to notice this and decided to leave the area first in order to find a suitable place to rest.
"Let's find a suitable place for us to rest first. With this many enemies lurking around, our only option is to flee here for the time being."
their current circumstance would only deteriorate if they stayed here any longer. In that case, they only had one choice and that is to follow his order albeit their predicament.
Nod...
Everyone gave a nod as a response to his decision.
That being said, the five of them hurriedly sprint out of the area to avoid fighting their enemies amidst the present situation.
It didn't take them long to find one as they arrived in a small forest somewhere near the mansion where they can finally take their breath back again because of the Trees producing oxygen for them to live.
Ha... Ha...
Everyone can be seen leaning against the tree worn out. Silence filled the area. Only the sound of breathing can be heard as everyone refused to talk until they fully recovered.
"Ha... Ha... Was it really okay to leave without knowing where aunt is at?"
Apparently, the first one to break the long silence unfolding the group was Anya.
With not that much of understanding, the other two nodded in agreement excluding Hein. she had no energy to even move a single finger. She got carried by Canor on the back.
If they left her behind with no proper details or explanation, then what they did is almost the same as neglecting the purpose in which they had agreed upon.
Moreover, they hadn't seen nor were able to make a contact with her the moment this mess started. Because of that, it was only natural for them to feel uncomfortable. Many negative possibilities came out of their heads.
Seeing their expression, Lacner had already guessed what's on their mind. To make them have a gist of it, he started explaining although the possibility to comfort their uneasiness is low.
"We've got nothing to worry about aunt. Albeit I do not know her whereabouts, I'm still a hundred percent sure she's alright."
The moment they heard this, the more they feel anxious.
"Why the hell are you even saying that if you don't know," Anya argued.
"That masked man said it"
"And you believed what he said?"
At this rate, the conversation won't get anywhere and will only repeat all over again.
In order to persuade them, Lacner had to put powerful words that would surely convince them.
"Although he doesn't look like a person we should put a trust in, we should at least believe what he said."
"What makes you think so?"
"Think carefully. Earlier, I said my aunt wasn't inside her room when I came in. Then, when I asked him, he said they went to a place no one could detect-"
"What are you trying to say? Are you saying that the enemy had already captured her? Doesn't that mean we're already too late?" Said Canor.
Smack...
"Dumbass!"
However, Coon who seemed to be only the one who was able to comprehend what Lacner was trying to say opposed his proclamation and even called him a dumbass.
"Why did you do that?"
Canor placed his hands on top of his head over the pain caused by Coon.
"What Lacner trying to say is Mrs. aria was able to escape the day before all this happened. This means she was hiding along with her husband in a safe place far away from us and that explains why the enemies were still in this place if not, they would've not attacked us in the first place."
Unfortunately, Coon is the only one who gets it.
Indeed, they shouldn't have done this in the first place if they had achieved their goal. But, their presence did explain everything. In that case, their only job right now is to fight their enemies into thinking that they're protecting her and lure them right before the government intervenes and helps them in the fight.
That way, they will definitely retreat in order to hide any evidence that leads to their organization.
"I see. However, why did they not inform us of this? Rather than us, why that person?"
"That's..."
Lacner was at a loss for words and tried to think deeply about it.
What Anya means is why assign an untrusted person with important information?
She thinks that they're more capable of handling this rather than a person with no background.
Of course, no one knew there was a spy inside the mansion.
Lacner might've felt it too, however, he wasn't sure enough.
It wasn't his fault. albeit the difference in power, hiluman made it possible to break through and infiltrate the house.
"I think he's much more capable than us."
"What made you say that?"
"Through observation, I was able to see something. From what I saw, every time aunt looks at him, her expression has somewhat trust on him."
"Trust?"
"What should I say, should I say that her eyes have some feeling inside them."
This made more sense for them when Lacner tried to explain. although it was faint they also somehow noticed it too. However, was it really just trust? Or there's more?😏
Whatever it is, there must be something that made her trust him.
"Then-"
Boom...
Their conversation was unexpectedly cut off by the sound of an explosion that occurred a few meters away from their position.
Everyone felt the danger behind this as they hurriedly grabbed their respective weapons.
'what was that? we didn't even notice it coming.'
is what they thought.
unfortunately, none of them were able to detect this coming even in the slightest bit.
They created a formation for the battle that will happen anytime soon.
"Hmm... An Ss-rank the moment I arrived? Not bad..."
The fog that covered the area caused by the explosion started to evaporate along With these words that came out of the unfamiliar man in the midst.
"Who are you? And what's your motive?"
Lacner asked for his name, but it seemed like he's not willing to share his name no matter how much you ask for it.
"Me? I'm just a nobody who came to kill you all"
Everyone made a serious look after hearing that. It's clear to them that he is an enemy. Given the sinister aura enveloping around him.
'This overwhelming aura... So this is Andre, the Ss-rank mass murderer.' Thought Lacner while protecting others using an invisible barrier against his hostile aura.
The moment he saw his face, Lacner had recognized him.
Lacner got this piece of information from his family. The sources were unknown. Nevertheless, the fact that he's here is something he hadn't expected.
'These two... It might seem like a normal staring contest, but, the battle between them had already begun' a cold sweat ran through Coon back.
"Why would you kill us? We didn't do something that would upset you. we don't even know you"
"Unfortunately, I was assigned here. I guess that's a bad day for you."
By the Black Moon?
This worthless conversation somehow revealed his identity.
Black Moon is an organization full of criminals. At the very least that's all they know. Just like his information, the source of it was something they're unfamiliar with.
They were only able to know about this through connections with the government but the real source was not revealed to anyone other than the trusted families supporting the government.
"I see... can you tell us who this person was?"
Despite the possibility of telling him that is low, Lacner continued to explore deeply through the ongoing conversation.
"No."
Just as everyone expected, he rejected.
"Rather than continuing this worthless conversation, why don't we start with it now."
A big long ax made of his own mana gradually materialized on top of his palm. Rather than calling it an ax, it's long handle made it looks like a Scythe.
A serious expression came out of Lacner face the moment this weapon appeared.
"Everyone, take Hein along with you and leave this place."
"What!!!"
"What about you?"
"I will catch up to you later"
Coon who was observing everything looked at him with a somewhat worried face before asking.
"You will come alive right?"
"Yeah..."
Lacner gave a slight nod...
With that said, Coon made eye contact with Canor.
Having received the message hidden underneath, Canor hurriedly grabbed both Hein and Anya forcefully towards Coon.
Then, Coon took something from his small bag. From the outside look, it looks like a teleportation scroll.
Without wasting any time, Coon injected his mana into it. Then, a magic circle appeared on the ground.
They entered inside it's range.
"Make sure to survive!"
"Wait..."
Coon gave a farewell words. Both Anya and Hein tried to resist Canor, however, it all went in vain because of his strong physical strength.
Teleport...
Silence filled the entire forest after they left as the wind blows around them.