"Heh, looks like there's a nuisance interrupting us," Harold stated.

"Calling me, of all people, a nuisance will be your downfall, moron!" Aiden retorted with a confident smile. Aiden shifted his gaze to the injured Amber, and the confident smile morphed into an expression of concern. "...What happened here, Amber?"

"I think...huff, the mafia sent...a hitman to kill me...huff," Amber struggled to respond.

"Well, well, now that you know the situation, I'll have to kill you as well," Harold said. "Not that I was going to spare you for butting in in the first place."

To think Amber is in such a state. Aiden thought. This bastard must have a nasty trick up his sleeve.

"I'll make you regret not finding your ass at home!" Harold declared as he charged at Aiden. Readying himself for combat, Aiden kept his fists up and set his feet in a stance.

The battle thus begins with a right hook from Harold, which Aiden weaved. Aiden focused on weaving and bobbing attacks thrown by Harold. The flexibility with which he avoided Harold's attacks seemed rather illogical.

The friction between Aiden's feet and the ground's surface seemed non-existent, allowing him to maneuver through Harold's blows like flowing water.

The way this boy moves is pretty weird. Harold thought.

It's as if he was trying to analyze the enemy's combat prowess...and keeping watch for their 'tricks.'

The injured Amber spectated while they fought. Although she seemed no longer delirious, Amber's rocking body made her still-injured state evident.

Ugh, Aiden's fighting him for me... Amber thought. If it wasn't for him, I might have been killed. I have to thank him after this.

"Haha! Is dodging the only thing you know?" Harold taunted. "Although you're rather good at it!"

"Tsk, you have good agility and strength but nothing special!" Aiden retorted. "How the hell can someone like you put Amber in such a battered state?"

"You wanna know so bad!?" Harold questioned as he attempted to deliver a quick elbow strike to Aiden's face. Proving his reaction skills, Aiden caught his elbow with his left arm and tried to counter with a right jab to Harold's chest.

Just as Harold was unsuccessful with his elbow strike, so was Aiden with his jab, as Harold also caught it.

"If you wanna know, then I'll show you!" Harold yelled as he pushed Aiden a few feet after catching his elbow.

Much to Aiden's shock, Harold suddenly sprinted away in the neighborhood.

"What the hell!?" Aiden yelled. Why the hell is he just running away!?

"Ugh, he can't have gotten...far..." Amber muttered.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll look for him," Aiden stated. "We might get good questions if we interrogate him."

With renewed determination, Aiden rushed forth to look for their attacker.

"Be...careful," Amber advised.

As Aiden searched the neighborhood, he quickly became annoyed at this sudden cat-and-mouse chase. The looming darkness of the night did not help Aiden's search either.

Tsk! Where the hell did he go!? Aiden thought with a stressed look. Don't tell me he retreated after making this big-ass confrontation!

Or so Aiden thought. As he passed a bunch of bushes, something happened that Aiden never expected. Harold suddenly hopped out of the bushes behind Aiden.

"What--"

Before Aiden could even process the situation, he received a devastating right hook across his face from Harold. Strangely, upon landing the hit, orange sparks flashed around Harold's arm and fist.

Without letting up, Harold followed up with another strike to Aiden's stomach. Again, orange sparks flashed on his arm upon landing the hit. The strike caused Aiden to roll violently many meters down the roadway.

Blood also flowed profusely from his mouth as he rolled.

Simultaneously, the injured and staggering Amber approached just in time to see Aiden's state.

"Ugh...Aiden!"

Ugh, shit...what just happened! Aiden thought as he struggled to get back up.

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"Haha! You wanted to know so badly, didn't you!" Harold said. "This is what I used to mess your friend up!"

Aiden finally stood on his feet but fell to the ground once more. The injury was greater than he had imagined. The right side of his face became discolored and heavily bruised from the right hook, and although it was not visible due to his combat uniform, his stomach was also significantly damaged.

"If I successfully land a surprise attack on my opponent, my strength is magnified to ten times!" Harold revealed. "This is my blessing! The blessing of surprise attacks!"

No wonder I'm in this state from two surprise attacks! Aiden thought. But I have to stand back up! I can't let Amber fight him alone in her state!

With determination and sheer willpower, Aiden once again stood on his feet despite his injuries. He didn't fall, but he didn't stand straight either. It was a start, at least.

"You managed to stand up from taking two surprise attacks? Well done!" Harold sarcastically commended Aiden. "Most guys are done from just one. Since you're a trained soldier, you're in a slightly better condition, I suppose."

Judging from his combat gear and the fact he recognized that woman, this man must be in the Enlightenment Program. Harold pondered. He likely has a blessing, too, so he's definitely from the Enlightenment Program. Heh, that makes it even better, then!

"But seeing the states of you two makes me cherish this blessing of mine!" Harold expressed. "I love bringing strong and cocky people to their knees. I love killing my targets after they become weak and helpless without any chance of defending themselves!"

"Ha, what a bastard," Aiden insulted.

His words proved to provoke Amber's ire. After all, that's one thing you shouldn't say to someone as good-willed as Amber.

From inside his overcoat, Harold pulled a knife.

"I'd have more fun breaking your wills, but I have a job to do," Harold remarked as he suddenly tossed the knife towards Amber's head.

Shit! Aiden thought with a shocked expression as he quickly outstretched his right arm towards the projectile.

In tandem, the speeding projectile quickly lost its speed before falling short of Amber.

"What?" Harold uttered.

Ugh, I stopped it in time...with enough air resistance... Aiden thought as he could barely stand.

"You must have done something when you stretched your arm out!" Harold deduced as he charged towards Aiden. "I'll just kill you first, then!"

BANG!

At that moment, Amber charged at him and attempted to deliver a spin kick to the side of Harold's head. He might have heard her moving towards him as he was able to put his hand up to block the strike. That did not stop him from being sent, however.

Tsk, she managed to recover enough to attack, huh? Harold thought.

"I'm sorry for bringing you into this, Aiden," Amber apologized.

"What are you...apologizing for..." Aiden muttered. I should be the one apologizing.

"Well, it's admirable that you got a hit on me, even though I blocked," Harold said. "But your resistance makes it more fun. I'll make you weak and helpless!" He declared before engaging Amber in close combat.

His attacks were fierce and strong. Amber found difficulty dealing with attacks ranging from jabs and hooks to grabs and follow-ups like elbow strikes and hooks. Her injured state only proved to hinder her combat prowess.

"You can't keep up, can't you!" Harold mocked.

"Ugh..."

"It's only natural since I surprised attacked you! You have no one to blame but yourself, do you understand that!? You meddled in the mafia's business!" Harold yelled, causing Amber to become more annoyed. "You guys are good for lasting so long against me, prodigies even! But I hope you understand that the only thing awaiting obstacles of the mafia is death! I can't wait to see how weak you'll become before you die--"

"SHUT UP!" Amber angrily shouted as she delivered a powerful blow to his face, her fist glowing brightly. He was unable to block and got sent into the ground. The force of her fist generated a loud bang and created cracks in the ground.

Harold lay there, unresponsive.

"Huff, Huff, I lost...my cool for a second..." Amber muttered. "But the way he spoke was upsetting..."

She gazed upon his body to ascertain his current state.

It seems he's unconscious... Amber thought. Feeling contented, Amber turned to check on her friend. "Aiden, are you okay--"

"Amber! Watch out!" Aiden yelled with immense urgency in his tone.

"Hu--"

BAM!

Harold, the one whom Amber previously thought to be unconscious, suddenly delivered a grievous strike to the right side of her stomach, creating orange sparks in the process.

"AAHHHH- GAK!" Amber yelled before coughing up more blood. All energy left her legs as Amber fell to the ground. I'm...so...stupid...

"Tch!" Aiden clicked his tongue in anger. That damn bastard!

"HAHA! YOU MADE ME LAND ANOTHER SURPRISE ATTACK ON YOU!?" Harold chuckled as he facepalmed. "How could you be so dumb!"

In his excitement, Harold pulled another knife from his overcoat. Due to the heavy damage Amber sustained, she could only watch as he raised the knife in the air in preparation for driving it into her.

"Weak and helpless. That's how you'll spend your last moments!" Harold insulted.

Please, at least protect Aiden from death... Amber internally pleaded. All hope left Amber's eyes as she awaited certain death. At least it would have been.

BOOM!

Out of nowhere, Aiden rushed up and landed a strike, which Harold had to block. The strike was much stronger as Aiden's fist generated an explosion after smashing into Harold's arm.

A-Aiden...saved me...again? Amber thought with a surprised expression.

Harold was sent a good distance from that punch.

"What was that...? An explosion...?" Harold thought as she shook his arms after blocking Aiden's punch. "That was...strong!"

"You keep bragging about...your sneak attacks!" Aiden yelled energetically, his expression contrasting his injured state. "There's no way...a bastard like you...is killing Amber!"

"Aiden...I'm...sorry for bringing you in the crossfire..." Amber expressed. "But please, leave me...you have to run--"

"Like hell, I'll run, Amber!" Aiden quickly rejected it. "What kind of...friend would I be if I abandoned you, even though you accepted me...despite looking down on you the first day...of the Enlightenment Program!?"

H-He's still hung up...on that? Amber thought.