Chapter 105: [BONUS] - The Assassination Begins!

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Night fell over the streets of Orario.

"Wow, it's spectacular."

Yui and Ui Hirasawa walked next to Lili, taking in the city for the first time. The buildings around them looked to them like they belonged in a grand castle.

The streets felt wild and a little chaotic compared to a modern city. It didn't feel completely safe, even though it was supposed to be a safe zone.

With Lili leading the way, the two sisters soon arrived at the Tower of Babel.

Babel wasn't just the entrance to the Dungeon. It was also a massive, multi-level department store. Most of Orario's best gear was sold here. Aside from a few private forges, Adventurers could find almost anything they needed in these shops, which proudly displayed their goods to visitors.

"Spectacular? Give it a few days. You'll get used to it," Lili said, acting nonchalant.

Lili was practical. The city's glitz and glamour were just for show. Underneath, Orario was a place that chewed people up and spit them out. It was much darker than the world the sisters knew.

"Oh, really?" Yui blinked. "You're so mature about this, Lili."

Yui saw a change in Lili's eyes. As Lili looked around the tall tower, she didn't look excited or bored. Instead, her eyes seemed quietly lonely, which was nothing like the sisters' excitement.

"Ahaha, it's nothing! Just some old memories," Lili brushed it off, realizing she had let her guard down.

"Let's keep moving." Lili quickly changed the subject, pulling the sisters along. "By the way, what are you looking to buy? Since we're here, I should probably pick out a couple of weapons for you two to defend yourselves."

With so many armories nearby, Lili figured it was a good time to get the sisters some gear. They were Adventurers now, so she just needed to find what suited them best.

"Me! Pick me!" Yui shot her right hand into the air, her eyes sparkling as she scanned the racks. "I want to be a magical girl!"

She gazed longingly at the display of casting staves and wands meant to help with chanting.

"We don't have those. At least, nothing like that exists in Babel," Lili deadpanned.

The thought of Yui as a 'magical girl' seemed like trouble waiting to happen. Giving her something that could cause real damage was the last thing Lili wanted.

"Aww, man. I thought for sure you'd have them," Yui pouted, losing most of her enthusiasm.

Still, she couldn't help looking at the staves. They were big and fancy, and holding one would definitely look cool.

"Whatever, I'll buy you a staff."

Lili was good at spotting quality gear. She quickly scanned the store, picked out two staves she liked best, and brought them to the counter.

The shop manager was surprised. It was unusual for a Pallum to spend so much on expensive magic items as gifts. But once Lili started bargaining hard, he understood.

A veteran outfitting rookies. A standard Familia rite of passage.

After some tough bargaining, Lili got a fair price. She bought the two staves and handed them to the sisters.

Yui started waving her staff around right away, like a kid who just opened the best present.

"Wow, Lili, you're really good at that," Ui said, impressed. She was good at grocery shopping, but she had never seen anyone bargain like that before.

"Of course. Never pay full price," Lili said proudly. If there was one thing she knew, it was how to avoid getting ripped off.

"Let's go. Time to head back."

"Okay!"

The sisters followed Lili out of the shop. They made their way to the grand elevators to head back to the Hestia compound.

They stepped onto the ground floor, chatting and laughing. Lili was about to give the girls a quick lesson on street smarts.

Then her instincts kicked in.

Someone was watching them.

"MOVE." Lili grabbed their wrists and started running.

"Eh?" The sisters stumbled, caught off guard by the sudden burst of speed.

"What's wrong?"

Ui asked, struggling to keep up. They still didn't understand how harsh Orario could be.

"We're being followed..." Lili glanced at the darkening sky.

It was already dark. Lili had just wanted to take the girls for a walk after dinner, but now someone was after them. She wondered who had betrayed them. If she found out, she'd make them pay.

"They aren't normal Adventurers. Tracking us so closely at night means they're high-tier assassins."

Lili kept them on the main streets, passing through the evening crowds. Going into a dark alley would be a death sentence.

All three of them were [Level 1]. A high-tier assassin could take them out easily.

Lili clenched her teeth. If it were just street thugs, she wouldn't be worried. But Orario was too rich and well-guarded for petty thieves. This had to be a planned attack.

Except for a few utility items, Lili had left her main combat gear at the compound. They were badly outmatched.

"Ui! That thing Lord August gave you, do you have it?" Lili remembered the special countermeasures August had given the sisters.

"Yeah, right here."

Ui reached into her small pouch and pulled out a heavy, compact flare gun. August had given it to her just for emergencies. She never thought she'd need it on her first night out.

"Fire it, Ui," Yui urged, holding her new staff tightly.

"Okay."

Ui pointed the flare gun at the night sky, flipped off the safety, and fired.

A wave of hot exhaust blasted backward.

The flare shot up, slicing through the darkness. It burst high above the city, sending a fierce red light over the rooftops.

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The sudden flash made everyone freeze. People hurried out of taverns and diners, staring up in confusion.

A bright red star burned above Orario.

"Hey, look up! What is that light?"

"It's coming from near Central Street."

"The hell is going on?" Inside a nearby tavern, August stepped onto the balcony, his eyes fixing on the flare.

Hestia, face flushed and obviously drunk, stumbled out after him. She thought it might be a festival or maybe a street fight.

Then she saw the crimson glow.

"Son of a bitch. Who's targeting my kids?"

Hestia straightened up. She immediately understood what the red light meant.

"Find them." August swiped his hand through the air. Hundreds of heavy combat drones poured out from his spatial void.

Armed and ready, the swarm filled the sky as they raced toward Central Street.

Demeter, Hephaestus, Miach, and Takemikazuchi stared in shock as August unleashed his mechanical army over the city streets.

"What are those?" Takemikazuchi gaped. It was his first time seeing drones.

"That's an SOS from my girls!" Hestia vaulted onto August's back. "Go! Move, move, move!"

She was furious. They were in the middle of a celebration banquet. Anyone who messed with her Familia was asking for trouble.

August took off toward the flare's coordinates, carrying Hestia.

"Can they ever just take a break?" Artemis groaned. They had just returned to the city, and chaos had already started. No one in this group ever followed the rules.

"We should follow them," Miach suggested, motioning for the group to move out.

A distress signal that obvious meant real trouble. And where there was trouble, there was always something to see. The Gods loved drama. Even Artemis, despite her complaints, kept up with the group. She wasn't going to miss out.

Back inside the tavern, Anya Fromel suddenly realized something crucial.

"Hey! You didn't pay the bill, nya!"

She reached out, but the group was already running down the street. They had disappeared.

"MAMA MIA! THEY DINED AND DASHED, NYA!"

This was a big hit to the Hostess of Fertility's nightly earnings.

"They'll be back," Ryu Lion said, walking over to clear the abandoned table. "Mr. August is not the type to run out on a tab. But for them to bolt like that..."

She knew he was an honorable man. His Familia members had just gone out shopping. If they sent an emergency signal, something was seriously wrong.

"I guess that makes sense, nya," Anya mumbled.

"Assassins..." Chloe Rollo stated grimly. "Who else strikes in the middle of the city at night?"

Chloe paused, trusting her acute instincts. She could feel the danger in the nighttime air.

As the landlady, Mia Grand knew exactly who worked in her tavern. They were all retired elites. If Chloe sensed assassins, then there were assassins.

Mia narrowed her eyes at Lunoire Faust in the kitchen. She gave the signal. It was time for all four of them to move.

When Mia looked over, the four waitresses shared dazed looks.

"Keep the collateral damage to a minimum," Mia ordered quietly. "And keep him in check."

Ryu immediately understood.

If assassins were out in the open, the crossfire could destroy the whole district. With August's wild fighting style, he might even flatten Orario to protect his people. They needed to calm things down before he lost control.

"Let's move!!" Ryu dropped her rag and pulled Anya toward the back exit.

Chloe and Lunoire followed right behind.

All four of them were [Level 4], top-tier Adventurers. They knew exactly how to handle dirty work.

Mia Grand owed August a huge favor. Sending her best people to help was the best way to pay him back and keep the neighborhood safe.

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On the streets, Lili, Yui, and Ui stayed on high alert.

Everything changed. As soon as the flare lit up the sky, the chase ended. Now the hunters were closing in.

"Are they backing off?" Yui whispered.

"Tch." Lili gritted her teeth. "They're making their move."

The two sisters had never seen real violence. They didn't know how to handle a street ambush. They were easy targets.

Lili reached into her pouch and yanked out a dense, specialized stink bomb.

She hurled it directly at the nearest shadow charging toward them.

The vial shattered.

A disgusting stench filled the street. It was strong enough to knock out a normal person. For beastmen with sharp senses, it was basically a chemical weapon.

The bystanders who had come to watch started coughing and ran away from the smell.

"Oh my god, it smells terrible!"

"What is that??"

The sisters covered their noses, eyes watering. The awful smell nearly made them faint.

"Stink bomb," Lili coughed, shielding her face. "Dungeon grade. Repels monsters. It's a lifesaver for Supporters."

She hated using it, but she was outmatched. She hoped the assassins were beastmen. She only needed a few seconds to catch her breath.

But the attacker wasn't a beastman.

A towering figure vaulted out of the alleyway shadows. Steel claws extended from his gauntlets, swiping directly toward Yui and Ui.

Behind his black mask, his eyes glinted with amusement. The stink bomb hadn't slowed him down at all.

Bingo. Six million Valis.

The assassin could already see the payout lining his pockets.

But a fraction of a second before his claws connected—

A blinding spotlight cut through the night, slamming into the assassin and pinning him in place. An aerial drone hovered overhead, illuminating his bizarre physique.

He was human, but heavily modified. His arm was surgically fused with the steel weapon.

"A half-dwarf modification."

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