Chapter 147: Assassination [5]
Alaric flexed his fingers.
Caleb stood a few feet away, silent, arms crossed, watching the smoke curl from the bodies.
The silence stretched.
Alaric’s eyes flicked toward him.
Caleb’s face was blank. Unreadable. Just... standing there.
Doing nothing.
Saying nothing.
Just existing in that infuriatingly calm, self-contained way.
Alaric’s eyes narrowed slowly.
Why does he look like that?
FWOOSH!
The fireball shot out, not at Caleb’s face, but at his shoulder. Lazy trajectory. Almost bored.
And Caleb’s hand snapped up reflexively, and the flames scattered against his palm, dissipating into embers.
He lowered his hand slowly, staring at Alaric with that same flat expression.
"Really?"
Alaric blinked once. "Huh. Didn’t work."
Caleb just titled his head. "What?"
Flames dancing along his fingertips. "Your dearaunt didn’t tell you? Fire essence users have high resistance against fire spells."
Alaric’s brows twitched. His teeth ground together.
"You little—"
He didn’t finish.
WHAM!
Alaric closed the distance in a blink, his fist driving straight into Caleb’s gut.
"GUH!" Caleb doubled over, air rushing from his lungs.
But his hands were already moving, flames coiling around his fists as he straightened—
"ENOUGH!"
Elina’s voice cracked like a whip.
Both of them froze mid-motion, Alaric’s fist still raised, Caleb’s flames flickering dangerously close.
She stormed between them, shoving them apart with both hands. Her golden eyes blazed with fury.
"Are you two idiots seriously fighting right now?" She jabbed a finger at Alaric, then at Caleb.
"People are dying, the city is under attack, and you’re having a pissing contest in the middle of the street?"
Alaric lowered his fist slowly, jaw still tight.
Caleb extinguished his flames, wiping blood from his lip. "He started it."
"I don’t care who started it!" Elina snapped. She grabbed both of them by their collars and yanked them close, her voice dropping to a deadly hiss. "Get your heads out of your asses. Now."
She released them with a shove and turned on her heel.
"Livia, are the civilians secure?"
Livia nodded from the alley entrance, her earth wall still holding. "They’re safe. For now."
"Good." Elina’s gaze swept the square, calculating. "We need to move. This area won’t stay quiet for long."
Alaric rolled his shoulder, shooting one last glare at Caleb.
Caleb met it with cold indifference, then looked away first.
Then just as they were about to move...
BLAAAARE!
The sharp blare of a horn cut through the air, echoing off the buildings.
Then another. And another.
Alaric’s head snapped toward the sound.
"Shit."Elina’s expression hardened. "Move! NOW!"
She sprinted toward the alley, grabbing the nearest civilian by the arm.
"Go, go, GO! Stay low and don’t stop!"
Livia’s hands pressed to the ground, stone walls rising to guide them deeper into the narrow passage, away from the square.
The civilians scrambled, mothers clutching children, men helping the wounded.
Fear drove them faster.
Heavy footsteps came. Coordinated, from multiple directions.
The hooded figures that had left earlier came pouring back into the square, eight, ten, twelve of them.
More than before. Weapons drawn, formation tight.
"Fuck." Alaric’s hand ignited with flame as he dropped into a fighting stance.
Caleb stepped beside him without a word, fire already coiling around his fists, eyes locked on the approaching enemies.The hooded figures spread out, cutting off escape routes, weapons gleaming in the dim light.
One stepped forward, larger than the rest, a wicked curved blade in hand.
"You’ve caused enough trouble," the figure said, voice low and cold. "Time to end this."
Alaric’s lips curled into a grim smile. "Try it."
The hooded figures closed in, weapons raised, boots striking stone in unified rhythm.
Twelve against two.
The lead figure raised his curved blade. "Kill them."
They charged.
Alaric’s eyes narrowed.
His hand shot forward.
[Fireball!]
The sphere of flame roared through the air, slamming into the chest of the nearest attacker. The man screamed, stumbling back as fire consumed his cloak.
Caleb moved in sync, twin streams of fire erupting from his palms, forcing three figures to scatter left.
Two hooded men broke through the flames, blades gleaming.
Alaric sidestepped the first swing, his hand igniting as he grabbed the attacker’s wrist.[Flame Blade!]
His other hand materialized a sword of pure fire. He slashed across the man’s torso and the blood hissed against the heat as the body dropped.
The second attacker lunged low, aiming for Alaric’s legs.
But...
[Burst Step!]
Alaric vanished in a flicker of speed, reappearing behind the man.
His boot crashed into the attacker’s spine, sending him sprawling face-first into the cobblestones.
WHOOOM!
Caleb’s firewave swept across three more figures. They dove aside, but one wasn’t fast enough, flames caught his leg, and he went down screaming.
"Left side!" Caleb barked.Alaric’s head snapped around. Four figures flanking wide, trying to surround them.
He grinned coldly.
[Flame Arrow!]
Three rapid shots came out as he swung his arm.
The first arrow punched through a hooded figure’s shoulder, spinning him.
The second caught another in the thigh.
The third went wide, but forced the fourth attacker got caught directly into Caleb’s follow-up blast.
FWOOSH!
The man’s cloak ignited. He rolled desperately, but the flames clung deeper.
The large leader with the curved blade charged straight at Alaric, weapon raised high.
Their blades met, fire against steel.
CLANG!
Sparks exploded around them. The leader was strong, pushing Alaric back a step.
"Not bad," Alaric muttered.
[Dominion’s Gaze!]
His eyes flared crimson ans the leader froze mid-swing, pupils dilating, breath catching. Just a heartbeat, but enough.Alaric’s flame blade shifted angle.
[Flame Slash!]
A wide arc of fire extended from his weapon, cutting through the air.
The leader barely threw himself backward, the flames singing his chest plate.He stumbled, guard broken.
[Regnant Strike!]
Alaric’s fist ignited with raw willpower, slammed into the man’s gut.
The impact wasn’t just physical, it crushed something deeper.
The leader’s eyes went wide, knees buckling as his spirit cracked under the assault.
He hit the ground hard.
Caleb was surrounded by three attackers, fire dancing between his hands as he held them at bay.
One lunged.Caleb spun, but another came from behind, then Alaric’s hand shot out.[Fireball!]
And a flaming sphere slammed into the attacker’s back.
The man flew forward, crashing into his companion.
Caleb didn’t waste the opening. His flames surged, engulfing both in a roaring inferno.
Two left standing now.
They looked at each other. At the bodies. At the flames.Then they ran away.
Caleb’s eyes flicked toward the alley where Elina and Livia had taken the people.Alaric cursed under his breath and lowered his hand.
The square fell quiet except for the crackle of dying flames and the groans of the wounded.
Smoke curled through the air. Blood pooled between cobblestones.
Alaric rolled his shoulders, checking for injuries.
A shallow cut on his forearm. Nothing serious.
Caleb wiped soot from his face, golden-brown hair matted with sweat.For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Elina’s voice called from the alley entrance. "Clear?"
"For now," Alaric called back.
Livia emerged first, face pale but determined. Elina followed, scanning the carnage with hard eyes."How many got away?" she asked."Two," Caleb said flatly.
Elina’s lips pressed into a thin line.
Alaric wiped blood from his blade, eyes still scanning the perimeter.
Elina opened her mouth to speak.
But then—
SHIMMMMMER!
The barrier rippled like water disturbed by a stone. Light fractured across its surface, colors bleeding into each other.
Everyone froze.
"What the—" Alaric started.
Then the barrier shattered.
Not violently. Just... dissolved. Like mist under morning sun.
The oppressive weight lifted. Sound rushed back, distant screams, clashing metal, the roar of flames from other districts.
THUD THUD THUD THUD
Then suddenly sound of heavy footsteps came.
"Hold your positions!" A commanding voice echoed through the square.
City guards poured in from the entrances, armor gleaming, weapons drawn. Behind them came knights in heavier plate, bearing the royal crest, a phoenix wreathed in silver flame.
"Secure the area! Check for survivors!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The guards spread out with practiced efficiency.
Some moved toward the alley where the civilians huddled. Others began checking the bodies of the hooded figures.
A grizzled man in captain’s armor strode forward, eyes sweeping the carnage.
His gaze lingered on Alaric and Caleb, both still holding weapons, covered in blood and soot.
The captain’s eyes narrowed, assessing. "Get them out. Medical tent in the eastern plaza."
"Sir!" Two guards moved to escort the civilians.
The captain turned to survey the square again.
His jaw tightened.
"Captain?" One of his lieutenants approached. "The barrier just... dropped. All across this sector. Simultaneously."
The captain’s hand clenched around his sword hilt.
"It was a decoy," he muttered, voice low and bitter. "This whole sector. Just a fucking distraction."
The lieutenant’s face paled. "Then the real target—"
"Is already hit." The captain’s eyes were dark. "We were played. They kept us focused here while..." He didn’t finish.
Silence fell among the nearby guards, the weight of realization settling heavy.
Alaric’s eyes narrowed.
A distraction? The whole thing?
Caleb’s expression didn’t change, but his fists clenched slightly.
Elina exchanged a glance with Livia, who looked shaken.
The captain barked new orders. "Cordon off this area! I want a body count and identifications! Someone find out what the hell happened in the district!"
Guards scrambled to obey.
The captain turned back to Alaric’s group. "You four did well here. But you’re students, not soldiers. Get to the eastern plaza. They’re establishing a safe zone for civilians and academy personnel."
"What about—" Elina started.
"That’s an order, girl." The captain’s tone left no room for argument. "You’ve done enough. Let us handle the rest."
He strode away, shouting more commands.
Elina’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue.
Around them, the city guards worked with grim efficiency.