—Cling!
The shot rang out, cutting through the air like a blade as it travelled with precision. But there was a sudden sharp metallic clash from a few meters from him.
Conrad blinked when he discovered that the bullet he shot was intercepted by another bullet.
"What the hell…?"
He muttered in disbelief. His shot was perfect enough to take down a target standing still. Bartholomew's body would have been laying lifeless on the ground by now with a pierced skull. Yet he was still standing.
Of course, Meliora seemed to be not surprised at all by this, as if she was expecting it. Before Connie could ask, his attention was drawn to the figure at the far end corner of the rooftop.
Standing at the edge, was a tall middle-aged man who didn't even bother to look at them. He had an unshaved beard and unkempt black hair. His eyes seemed to be either tired or emotionless under that bucket hat he wore as well as a jacket.
"They've found us"
One thing that mostly stood out about him, was the wisp of smoke that came from the muzzle of the gun he held. It was clear that he was the one who intercepted his shot.
Without so much as a single word, the man turned his gun to the pair then shot off two bullets with calculated precision that could have claimed both their lives in that instance —Probably.
Connie didn't react to this attack for two reasons.
The first was that his speed was drastically faster than that of bullet speed, and also as a Diviner, his durability was off the charts when it came to being struck by ordinary tools or weapons.
—So, they were no threat to him.
The second reason was that before the bullets could hit their mark, Mel had already moved. Her arm fluidly blurred through the air, hand snatching both pellets.
She didn't flinch and her gaze was fixated on this mysterious individual. Then she casually opened her fingers and allowed the bullets to drop to the ground with a dull clink.
"A bodyguard?"
"No, an assassin"
By the looks of this man's act earlier, he was definitely protecting the target. Probably part of Secret Service, since unlike the men who stood at Bartholomew's side who were wearing crisp black suits and this man's attire seemed to be almost casual.
Connie thought he was a bodyguard, but Mel corrected him. But still, he wasn't way off.
The man turned to look at them for the first time. Seemingly taking interest in Mel's display of dominance.
"What is this world coming into?"
He spoke in a low and detached voice.
Connie dropped his sniper rifle then took a step forward. By the looks of it, this man was the first obstacle he needed to overcome to finish the mission.
Time wasn't on his side either.
Down below he could hear the crowd's noise crashing back. The rally was in confusion and chaos now. They just heard the sound of a gunshot after all, so it was a natural reaction.
_I have to act fast before that bastard makes a run for it_
As he stepped forward, Mel immediately placed a hand on his chest. Her serious expression made it evident that she had encountered this type of situation before.
Connie understood what she meant by that gesture and didn't resist nor questioned it.
" [Ace of Swords] "
She called out as she pulled out her Arcana Card in a swift motion. It shimmered in her hand in an otherworldly glow before transforming into a sleek, razor-sharp katana.
"Focus on completing the mission. I'll handle him"
Connie nodded.
"You're out of your depth"
Before he could react any further, another man voiced out behind him. His hand was already latched on to Connie's hoodie and with a single shove, the latter found himself launched off the building's edge.
—huh?!
The world spun around him as he was plummeting to the ground. He would be in panic but a fall from this short height wouldn't leave so much as a stretch on him. But he naturally reacted how a person plummeting to their doom would with that shout.
However, as he was falling, he suddenly found himself being hurled through the nearest window of the building.
Glass shattered as he crashed inside, tumbling onto the hard floor of what seemed to be a living room. His body ached a bit, which was strange, but it wasn't the time to think about it.
As Connie scrambled to his feet, he focused his gaze on the shattered window. There he was, sitting casually on the jagged frame was the man who had thrown him a few seconds ago. He sat there as if it was natural with one leg hanging lazily over the edge and in his hand, he held a pistol that was pointed at Connie. At his waist was a sheathed sword.
"If you want to live, don't move. I won't be compelled to kill you"
The man seemed to be in his mid-twenties with long blonde hair. Much like the first guy— he had an unreadable calmness in his eyes which unsettled Connie.
_Another one. Shit_
—He seemed to be dangerous…However.
"Oi! Oi! Oi!"
Connie made a break for it, much to the man's disdain. The cracking sound of gunfire followed immediately after as a burst of bullets dug into the wall just as he whipped around the corner from the room's exit.
_Dealing with him might take a lot of time. Plus, that sheathed sword looks like it could be troublesome_
During his one year training, the old man lectured him on the existence of items which stemmed from the power of the Arcana Cards. They were referred to as ' Aspect Tools or Enchanted' because before they had gained their Abilities, they were nothing more than just your normal everyday tools.
That was until skilled Diviners of the past poured their Aura into the item till it became an Enchanted. However, in today's modern world, the method of that practice was lost and all they had was a vague way of how it was done.
It was unclear whether or not the Diviners projected their Aura on the tool or used it a lot along with their Arcana that the tool began to adapt to the exposure.
Unlike Arcana Cards, which were randomly scattered across the globe. Enchanted were kept in secured locations like Assassin Organizations such as Sardes, the State Court confines or the SAA's Vault which housed most of them.
Enchanted held their own hierarchy as well. They are categorized from D-Grade to Special-Grade based on their Aspect Ability and potency.
The higher the grade, the greater the advantage it gave the user in a battle or situation.
Since these could be used by anyone who has their Soul Gate opened, a powerful Enchanted could fetch a high price on the black market, even among the five big assassin organizations aiming to increase their influence.
—So, as you can imagine. Their monetary worth can range up from a hundred thousand nova from C-Grade, all the way up to a billion with a Special-Grade Tools.
Arcana Cards weren't as valuable since they were basically useless to anyone who wasn't Marked by Fate.
The drawback was that not anyone could use them either, unless a specific condition is met. It had to be those who have their Soul Gate opened and can circulate the flow of Aura within their bodies. So, using one was heavily reliant on the person's mastery over Aura.
Sardes had a collection of them laying around somewhere in the hotel, even he didn't know the location. Even if he wanted to use one, not only would it deplete his Aura faster. It would also take time to actually get the hang of it, if not mastering it entirely.
Without knowing which category that one on the man's waist, Connie didn't want to risk wasting time on something that might prove to be more than what he bargained for.
—Also, his target was slipping away.
Connie pushed himself forward as he sprinted down the corridor. It was dimly lit and packed with old furniture such as desks and chairs spread throughout.
Because of the cracks in the walls, it was obvious that this building had long been neglected.
"Where'd you think you're running off to?!"
The man trailed Connie from behind. Another shot rang out as he ducked just in time moments before it could make contact.
Granted these were just normal bullets, he didn't feel the need to dodge. As the durability of his body would make them bounce off…no, they would bounce off any assassin's body who can control their Aura.
As an assassin himself, the man should know that. Normal guns were practically useless against them.
_He should know that. Then why is he chasing me with a gun? Or it's because I'm running that he thinks that gun can actually work against me. It could be that he isn't an assassin at all_
Connie thought as he slid under a low hanging pipe, then quickly rose to his feet without losing momentum. As another shot pierced through the air, he twisted his body in mid-air as he leapt over a crumbling desk.
"Nice, you got moves for a kid. I'll give you that!"
"I know"
At the end of the hallway, Connie busted through a door and was introduced to a spacious old office with a maze of cubicles and scattered filling cabinets.
_Perfect! _
He maneuvered through the room, knocking over chairs as he did in attempt to slow down his chaser, but he knew how pointless that would be. He was dealing with a man crazy enough to jump off a building without hesitation after all.
Just as expected, the man followed in, and the chairs were no issue at all. He raised his gun and fired again. The shot ripped through a filling cabinet just as Connie darted to the side, taking shelter behind it.
_I won't be able to keep this up forever. Especially if he decides I'm worth the trouble of taking seriously_
So far, his enhanced senses had allowed him to dodge the bullets narrowly and he couldn't rely on his durability. Even if the shots did bounce off, he wasn't sturdy so the force would probably make him lose his balance, thus leaving him open to a fatal split-second attack.
_Looks like I'll have to use it_
Connie raised his hand, but before he could go any further.
"Oi, listen up! My name is Quill, a Griffin Ranked Assassin serving as a bodyguard for Mr. Langley. What about you?"
He said in a rather formal voice. Connie raised an eyebrow.
"The hell? You tried to kill me a second ago and you want to know my name now all of a sudden?"
"I've spent more than 10 seconds with you. I believe it's only right to introduce ourselves since we've become so acquainted with each other. This seems like a perfect time to do so as any"
Connie smirked.
—Might as well entertain him.
"Name's Conrad and this isn't exactly how I pictured my first day"
Quill chuckled as he adjusted the gun in his grip and slid it into the holster at his side.
Connie watched the man slowly approach through a narrow opening. Quill's hands reached toward the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.
"I don't use this much. It ends things way too quickly, takes the fun out it. Reason why I prefer to use my gun first to test out if my target can last up to 10 seconds. Congrats, even though you didn't earn it"
His fingers curled up around the sheath and the hilt simultaneously. Connie felt an intense urge to quickly move as the Quill's eyes sharpened with deadly intent.
" [Flowing Sword Fafnir] "
In an instant, the gap between them disappeared.
Connie's eyes widened at the sudden display of unnatural speed.
The sword flashed in a deadly arc as it was drawn from its sheath with incredible speed. Connie barely had enough time to throw himself away from the cabinet as he felt the air shift around him, it was promptly followed by a deafening roar of heat.
—The world around him seemed to explode.
From the swing alone, enormous flames erupted from the blade, sending a wave of blazing fire that immediately engulfed the room.
The flames licked across the walls, the furniture and everything was swallowed in their path. The whole office space was turned into a furnace.
Connie had barely enough time to brace himself. The fiery shockwave slammed into him with a force that sent him hurling backward as though he didn't weigh anything.
The cabinet he'd been hiding behind was incinerated and reduced to ash.
—Gaaauurgh!
For a moment, he felt his back bursting through a wall, his breath left his lungs as he hit the ground in another room.
Through the flames, Connie could just make out the figure of the man in the center of the destruction steadily walking towards him, sword still raised in one hand.
"Hehehe. Still alive. Impressive. Drawing this sword wasn't a mistake after all"
Connie's eyes widened as familiar scenes flashed across his mind.
"This…fire"