Leo and were still in the middle of their battle when Killiaurned, and at that point, they both still appeared to be even, much to ’s shock.

  It had to be remembered that the ninth rank – whether it was fes or warriors – was unique in that the differeween each sub-rank was as great as the differeween a whole rank for other ranks.

  As hard as it was to believe, thought that even if the rumours were true and the lion-type magical beast was genuinely able to fight warriors of the ninth rank as a sixth-ra, that started and stopped with your average early ninth-rank expert. There was no way it would be able to fight on par with him – a mid-stage ninth-rank warrior.

  It was only when he saw ahe strength of the beast’s fmes that he uood that it was able to close the gap with its profound prehension, but that realisation only left him even more dumbfounded.

  On a fual level, the universe was fair. Magical Beasts were innately more powerful than humans as mortals because of their bloodlines. Still, because of their inferior intelligehey struggled more when it came to prehension, a, here was a sixth-ra who had already begun prehending the profundities of the ws of fire, whilst he, a warrior of the ninth rank, who’d been alive well over a tury already was yet to even prehend impose.

  Leonel had no idea how much of a shock his performahus far had e, and even if he had known, he wouldn’t care. He was solely focused on killing his oppo as quickly as possible.

  It was only wheiced Killian’s return that he allowed himself to momentarily focus on something but .

  “He has the key to the cells,” Killian replied calmly as his cold eyes focused on the assassin, who was frowning slightly at the return of another oppo.

  Killian may be just a teen, aerday, might’ve allowed himself to uimate him, but after experieng Leo’s incredible prowess, he now knew better.

  Still, with his wealth of experience, he wouldn’t allow such a thing to cloud his judgement and make him make a mistake unnecessarily.

  Before Leo and Killian had fiheir exge, immediately ged targets, believing and hoping that Killian would be weaker than his bestial panion, and right he was!

  But despite knowing that he was wholly inferior to even the weakest of experts at the ninth rank, Killian remained pletely calm.

  moved at a speed that Killian was incapable of following at his current level, but as he khe man’s target was undoubtedly himself, he didn’t have to be able to see him to be able to react.

  “[Supergravity Field], [Earth Guard], [Shield of Earth]…”

  ‘Where did all of these freaks e from?’ thought to himself as he watched in all new disbelief as his arget insta-cast defensive spell after spell, each of which held the power of a powerful fifth-rank spell.

  Even though the spells of someone so much weaker than him would do o nothing to stop his attack, it didn’t keep him from appreciating the talent o achieve such a feat, but if that wasn’t enough, Killian’s st spell almost made his eyes pop out of their socket from shock.

  “… [Destructo-Pulse]!” Killian voiced softly as grey spherical energy exploded out of him.

  “Edict of Destru?!” excimed as he hurriedly evaded the new spell.

  Most ordinairy civilians had never even heard of the four edicts, but for those who had, they uood that each of the four edicts wasn’t just rare but exceedingly mystical.

  It wasn’t that the four edicts were any more powerful than the ordinairy ws of the seves as such, but they all had a speciality, and when it came to that speciality, they were unmatched.

  For example, those who specialised in the edict of life were unmatched when it came to healing. Whether it was themselves or others, they were the very best healers.

  It was said that as long as you had even a breath of life left in you, a saint who specialised in the edict of life would be able to pletely heal a mortal from even the most deadly and life-threatening injuries and diseases.

  As for the edict of destru, its speciality was in the name – Destru! When it came to raw destructive power, the edict of destru eerless!

  For , this was his first-time meeting ah an affinity to any of the edicts, but he had read about them. As such, all he knew was that the edict of destru was unmatched when it came to offensive might. But unfortunately, there was nothing scarier than the unknown.

  If he had knower, he would’ve uood that as powerful as the edict of destru was, it wasn’t so powerful that it’d be able to simply allow the user to jump four whole ranks to defeat someone as strong as him. Unfortunately, just the sight of the grey mageforce put the fear of god in him!

  The moment he saw it, he instinctively jumped backwards to evade the co-shaped spell.

  That in and of itself wasn’t a big deal, but the problem was that he was so focused on dodging Killian’s spell that he fot about his inal oppo.

  A sigh of relief escaped ’s thin lips when the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on edge.

  “YAAAAAH!” roared as he summoned all his might to ssh at the desding mountain-sized lion’s paw made of pure fire.

  As the two attacks met, Leo’s [Divine Dest] paused for all of two seds before exploding.

  The shockwave of the explosio Killian flying in the opposite dire, causing his right shoulder to dislocate as he crash-nded on the floor.

  Unfortunately, wasn’t so lucky. In the middle of the crater created by the explosion, the middle-aged assassin y motionless with over half his skin and flesh burnt.

  If not for the sound of his muffled breaths and the rise and l of his burnt chest, almost anyone would assume him to be a mere corpse, but the vitality of a warrior at the ninth rank was not to be uimated.

  “WAIT!” Killian shouted to stop Leo, who had already leapt towards the half-dead assassin to finish the job.

  Leo’s razor-sharp cws were mere millimetres from ’s face when he looked up questioningly towards Killian. After the st year they’d spent together, Leo khat Killian wasn’t the type to show sympathy to an enemy, so he had no idea why he was stopping him from killing him.

  “I think he’s reted to Alissa in some way,” Killian said as he remembered the identical style in which both he and Alissa wielded their daggers. “Let her decide how to handle him.”

  Even though he had no iion of killing the man, Killian had no qualms about worsening his already severe injuries.

  The moment he saw the glint of the keys protruding from the man’s visible innards, he casually pulled it out, ign the man’s pained grunt as a relieved smile suffused his lips.

  He had initially been worried that the explosion would’ve destroyed, or at least damaged it, but thankfully, ’s battle-qi and flesh had been enough to keep it out of harm’s way.

  Both Alissa and her fellow prisoner were surprised to see Killian back with the key so soon, and from the looks of things, he didn’t seem to be in too bad a dition – all things sidered.

  “Looks like I was right to put my trust in you after all,” the armless prisoner voiced, a cautious glint fshing across his eyes as he looked at the giant lion eyeing him back.

  Even though he didn’t reise the lion, what he did know was that the fact that si could directly go up against a warrior like – who had been the oo defeat and capture him – meant that with his current injuries and ck of on, he likely wouldn’t be the beast’s match.

  Still, after getting over his initial surprise, he didn’t seem too bothered by the lion’s presence. Instead, he was far more excited about getting out of there.

  Unfortunately, he would have to wait as Killian walked straight past his cell, only ing to a stop when he reached Alissa’s.

  “You…

  You big oaf!” Alissa voiced tearfully as she watched her former cssmate and travel paniohe gate to her cell. “Why did you e? Why couldn’t you just let me…

  Woah, what are you…”

  Alissa couldn’t eve her words out before she was forcefully, yet gently hoisted up into Killian’s arms.

  Even though there weren’t many people there to witness Killian carrying her like a princess, Alissa’s pale cheeks still took on a rosy tint as she subsciously buried her head in his shoulders, uo take the embarrassment.

  “Wait here,” Killian said softly as he put her down to rest against the wall behind Leonel before making his way back to the other locked cell.

  Alissa had been so caught up with Killian previously that it was only when she was resting against the walls that she paid attention to his new fged panion, and it was as she did that her eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock.

  As an assassin, her senses had always been reliable, but after awakeniigerstriped Warrior’ bloodlihey had bee several times sharper. So the moment she began to actively pay attention to the lion, only two words came to mind, ‘Divi!’

  Unfortunately, now was her the time nor the pce to figure out where they would’ve met such a rare creature or how they mao tame it.

  “I thought you were gonna go ba your word,” the armless man ented as he watched Killian undoing the lock to his cell and the s tying his feet up.

  With Leonel beside him, Killian had nothing to worry about, despite the man he was freeing having the strength to literally kick him to death. Still, even though he wasn’t worried, he didn’t feel like making small talk.

  As soon as the s were uhe man ighe threatening looks he was getting from the lion as he watched with an amused smile as Killian picked Alissa back up and made his way towards the exit with Leo in tow.

  Upon making it back outside, Alissa noticed the cooked body in the middle of the street.

  “We left him alive so you could decide what to do with him,” Killian expined. “He has some sort of retionship with you, doesn’t he?”

  “Mmh,” Alissa nodded, a hesitant expression f on her pale face.

  The truth was, she really did feel betrayed. was the closest thing to a father she had ever known. Although she knew, he, like most assassins, was loyal to ‘Saber’ and Cesar, she still hoped that his loyalty to a man he had never eve before would e sed to the child he practically raised.

  If it were virtually anyone else who betrayed her, she wouldn’t hesitate to plunge her dagger through their heart, but for , she owed him too much.

  Still, there was no going back from this.

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me in the past,” Alissa voiced sincerely as she climbed out of Killian’s embrace. “But this marks the end of our retionship. No longer are we master and disciple!”

  Killian could hear the emotions the fatigued silver-haired teen was trying to suppress, but he didn’t say anything. He khis was something she had to do on her own.

  felt a pang of pain in his heart upon hearing his former disciple’s words, but before he could even attempt to say anything in response, a pained grunt escaped his lips as the grouh his back trembled violently.

  “ACE!” Killian shouted worriedly.

  As much as he wao give Alissa a ce to say her goodbyes in peace, Ace’s safety was of far more importance.

  Without another word, he lifted Alissa bato his arms and took off toward his brother’s ongoing battle, right behind Leonel, who was the first to move.

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  Book 6: Chapter 52 – Linley Vs. Ace (1)