Facing Scar's flying kick, Aizen's eyes turned cold.
The kick was too fast and powerful. If this had been before he had practiced the Star Absorption Technique, even with his knowledge of basic sorcery arts, he would not have been a match for Scar. That ruthless kick would have easily broken several of his bones.
Aizen had not intended to cause any trouble, but now it was clear that sometimes trouble finds you, whether you seek it or not.
In the Magus world, sometimes you cannot control your fate.
A surge of inner Aura rushed from his core to his feet, and Aizen felt his entire body become lighter. He took a step back with the "wild toad climbing the tree" technique, his feet lightly tapping the ground with incredible speed, as if he were having a seizure.
In just a moment, he had already dodged Scar's flying kick. The powerful leg wind brushed against his robes, and in that brief exchange, he narrowly avoided the attack.
"Hmm?"
The other black-clad disciples, who were about to enter the Hall of Glory, stopped in surprise. Scar's kick landed on the ground, and his face showed the same astonishment. He hadn't expected this outcome.
While the kick seemed normal, its speed and angle were anything but. It wasn't something an average person could avoid.
Had Aizen, an ordinary servant, dodged the kick by mere chance?
Scar smirked. "You little brat, it seems I underestimated you. Come, come! Let your Grandpa Scar see what other tricks you've got. Today, I'm going to crush you!"
Having missed his kick in front of so many people, Scar felt deeply humiliated. His eyes now shone with murderous intent. Today, he swore to kill Aizen to vent his frustration, regardless of who Aizen was.
Aizen's heart sank, and a killing intent stirred within him.
It was true: retreating only made his enemy more aggressive. "Kindness begets exploitation," as they say.
His inner Aura surged through him. Faced with Scar's relentless aggression, Aizen decided not to hold back. Since he had already killed today, why not kill again? Whoever wanted to take his life, he would deal with them first.
After all, he had already reached the Hall of Glory. As long as he passed the Clan's trial, he could become a low-level disciple. Even if he killed another disciple, it wouldn't necessarily lead to execution. A bit of silver would smooth things over.
Scar let out a roar and charged at Aizen, his claws slashing through the air with a menacing force, his hardened fingers tearing through the air with explosive sounds.
The others watching from the side narrowed their eyes slightly, their expressions filled with a hint of mockery. They felt pity for Aizen.
They knew Scar was now intent on killing. Regardless of how Aizen had managed to dodge the first attack, there was no way he would escape this time. He was surely going to die.
Buzz!
Scar's claws descended, about to grab Aizen by the shoulders.
Aizen knew that if Scar got hold of his shoulders, he could dislocate both of his arms with ease.
He braced himself to strike, but at that moment, a gust of wind suddenly shot toward them from behind, fast as lightning.
Scar's face twisted in shock, and he hastily changed his move to intercept the attack.
But his reaction was a fraction too slow.
As they say, "a miss by an inch is as good as a mile," and this slight delay would cost him dearly.
Scar let out a scream of pain. A willow leaf dart had embedded itself in his shoulder, piercing two inches deep. While it wasn't a fatal blow, it had caused significant damage.
"Lilith..."
The others watching from the sidelines showed a noticeable change in expression, whose eyes now flashed with a hint of fear.
Scar staggered back five or six steps, his face a mixture of surprise and anger as he glared at the person standing behind Aizen.
Aizen hesitated for a moment. The situation had changed too quickly, and he canceled his plan to strike, turning around to see who had arrived.
"Aizen."
A light breeze carried a soft, feminine voice. A young woman wearing black robes approached. Her hair was tied with a green silk ribbon. She walked with a light, lively step, her large eyes sparkling as they smiled at Aizen. Her delicate face, adorned with two small dimples, was further brightened by her charming smile, with soft red lips and fair skin. Her aura was playful and mischievous, making her seem like a spirited sprite.
Despite her beauty and lively demeanor, she was a member of the notorious Heavenly Demon Clan, a Clan known for deception and merciless killing.
However, this woman, Lilith, was one of the most outstanding low-level disciples among tens of thousands in the Clan.
Many had been deceived by Lilith's beauty and innocent personality. They tried to get close to her with dirty thoughts and evil intentions, but in the end, all of them died.
The only person who had ever gotten close to her and lived was Aizen, because he had no malicious intent toward her. In fact, he had once saved her life.
Since then, Lilith had protected him.
"Idiot, what are you standing there for? What are you doing here today? Did that Steward Edric give you trouble again?"
Lilith looked at Aizen, who seemed lost in thought, and gently flicked his forehead with her porcelain-like hand.
This kind of intimate gesture was something Lilith did only with Aizen, even in the Heavenly Demon Clan.
Aizen snapped out of his thoughts, rubbed his forehead, which now throbbed slightly, and nodded, then shook his head, looking somewhat foolish.
"I came here to become a disciple."
"What?" Lilith thought she had misheard him. The others, who had been planning to slip away, looked surprised. Soon after, they felt amused, secretly mocking Aizen for his overconfidence.
Scar took the opportunity to shuffle closer the others.
But Lilith snorted coldly. She shot Scar a glance, and without anyone seeing how she moved, her black sleeve flicked slightly, and a sharp gust of wind followed.
Aizen's eyes flashed with recognition. Lilith's movements were quick, but thanks to his recent internal Aura cultivation, his vision had improved significantly, allowing him to catch her swift gesture.
Lilith was indeed powerful, far surpassing the average low-level disciple. She had mastered the difficult and elusive art of hidden weapons.
Scar let out another scream, as two more willow leaf darts embedded themselves in his body.
"If you hurt one of my people, you'll pay the price. Scar, consider this a warning. The next time you offend me, you won't walk away from me."
Lilith spoke with a cheerful smile, though her words carried a menacing tone.
Aizen, standing nearby, rubbed his nose and thought to himself, "This girl sure doesn't hold back with her words. It looks like I've officially become one of her 'people'..."