"Scarlett!" Aron exclaimed, relief washing over him at the sight of the red-haired woman. Her arrival couldn't have been more timely, especially given how weak he was feeling now.

Scarlett's determined gaze was fixed on Number 3 as she notched another arrow on her bowstring. Her eyes radiated a sense of fierce focus as she prepared to unleash her deadly shot.

Number 3, still clutching his wounded arm, blood oozing from his neck, glared back at Scarlett with a mixture of pain and rage. His plan had been foiled.

Number 3 shifted his gaze for a moment to his unconscious companion. In that split second, Scarlett released the arrow with expert precision.

"!!!" Without time to react, Number 3 let the arrow hit him in the same wounded arm. However, that didn't stop him from reaching Number 8.

Immediately after that, Number 3 brought out a small white crystal and threw it to the ground. The crystal shattered, creating a white circle on the ground.

"You're not escaping!" Scarlett declared, recognizing the summoning circle for what it was—a portal.

Before Scarlett or Aron could react, Number 3 stepped into the teleportation circle with his companion. The magic flared to life, and he began to vanish, a triumphant smile crossing his lips.

"We'll meet again," his voice echoed in the air.

Aron's heart raced as he pushed his aching body to its limits. Ignoring his pain and driven by pure instinct, he opened his mouth wide and unleashed his mighty Dragon breath.

FUSHHHHH

A torrent of searing red flames erupted from Aron's mouth, engulfing the area around the summoning circle. The flames roared and crackled, the intense heat consuming everything in its path. The portal trembled and wavered under the assault of the intense fire.

Scarlett shielded her eyes from the blaze as the flames illuminated the night. The ground shook, and the air became thick with the smell of burning magic.

Crack.

A cracking sound was heard from inside the portal right after the intruders disappeared. The portal struggled to maintain its form, and Aron's flames caused a faster closing of it.

With a final, defiant roar, Aron ceased his fiery onslaught. The flames subsided, leaving behind a smoldering, scorched circle on the ground where the portal once was.

BOOF!

"ARON!" Scarlett yelled when she saw Aron falling to the ground. She rushed to his side, dropping her bow and kneeling beside him.

Aron's breathing was ragged, his body battered from the fight, and his arms were damaged. Using his powerful Dragon breath in this weakened state had taken a toll on his body.

Seeing the look on Scarlett's face, Aron managed a smile, though it was unsettling due to the blood on his mouth from Number 3's neck. Scarlett, however, was relieved to see him smile.

"Are you okay, Boss?"

"I'm fine… Ughh… Can you help me out a little?"

Scarlett helped him sit on the ground, and Aron asked her to grab both his arms. Scarlett quickly understood why, as she saw that his arms were bent slightly.

Crack.

With a crack, Aron's arms were straightened back into their proper position. He winced in pain as the bones realigned, he felt more pain in this weakened state, but he let out a sigh of relief once the process was done.

"Thanks"

Scarlett gave him a reassuring smile. "No problem. But tell me what happened, and who are those two?"

Aron shook his head. "I don't know. I just heard the sound of someone approaching, and when I investigated, I found those two sneaking around."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"And that man did something to me."

Scarlett used her sleeves to gently wipe the blood from Aron's lips and asked, "What do you mean?"

"It's just that… When he placed his palm on my chest, I felt weak, like he was draining my powers."

"!!!" Scarlett immediately held Aron's face and forced him to look into her eyes.

"Repeat that! Did you say he drained your power when he touched your chest using his palm?"

"Yes… It was quick, and for some reason, I was at peace when he was draining my power."

"Peaceful hand… could it be?" Scarlett mumbled in disbelief.

"Scarlett?" Aron called her when he saw that she was lost in her thoughts.

"S-Sorry… cough… What you describe, Boss is a signature ability for a person known as the Peaceful Hand."

"And who is that?"

"As far as I know, Peaceful Hand is a famous member of a group that specializes in gathering information and spying… but the question we should ask is why he was here?"

"Gathering information about us?" Aron wondered.

"This is a serious matter, Boss. If that man was truly The Peaceful Hand, then someone powerful and wealthy is behind him, as hiring someone like him is extremely expensive."

Aron rose to his feet and stretched his arms a little, still feeling the pain. He turned to Scarlett and said, "It doesn't matter who he is or who's behind him. Someone dared to target us with evil intentions, and they need to pay for it."

Scarlett displayed a wide smile. This was one of the things she liked about Aron – if someone dared to target him or the people he cared about, he would be vengeful.

"But, Scarlett, keep what happened here a secret from the others. We just moved in, and I don't want them to lose their sense of safety so quickly, okay?"

".Mm…" Scarlett nodded in agreement. "Okay. If anyone asks, I will say that you were training and trying new techniques."

"Good, and one more thing, I need you to get me a few of those red potions to help me heal."

"Of course, Boss," Scarlett responded with a determined nod. She quickly got to her feet and went inside the mansion. Meanwhile, Aron circled around the mansion for some time before returning to his room.

"It looks like Scarlett took care of everything," Aron observed as he saw a few red bottles on his bed. He also didn't encounter the girls on his way in.

Glub. Glub.

Drinking two potions, Aron felt their instant effects, repairing his bones and healing his injuries.

Aron didn't sleep that night; he sat on a chair on the balcony observing everything with flaming crimson eyes, his dark-red mana leaked out, slowly forming huge massive wings of shadow behind him.

"All will pay for approaching my lair."

He was on high alert all night for the possible return or arrival of new intruders.

…

In an unknown dark place, illuminated only by four candles on the floor, a portal suddenly opened up in the middle of a stone platform.

Two figures jumped out of the portal, falling onto the platform. One of the two was unconscious, while the other hissed in pain.

"Ughhh!... Call a Healer NOW!" he ordered with a voice full of fury and authority.

Figures hiding in the shadows, one of them left and in less than a minute he came back with another person.

One thing noticeable about these people is they are all wearing black clothes and hiding their faces with masks, a different number is visible on each mask.

The two figures approached the stone platform. Both of them had numbers on their masks, with Number 27 and Number 35, the latter's number in red, different from the rest.

Number 35 began to check Number 3's injuries, but in their haste, they failed to notice that the portal Number 3 and 8 had used to escape was still open and slightly shaking.

Number 35 placed a hand above Number 3 and spoke in a calm manner.

"Your neck injury is getting worse. I need to cast 'Grand healing' on you, but I also advise that you take a recovery potion–"

Crack

A cracking sound echoed in the quick place. Everyone was able to pinpoint the source of it. They all turned around, looking at the portal.

"Why is the portal still open?" Number 27 asked in curiosity, while Number 3 narrowed his eyes, noticing the slight shaking of the portal.

"!!!" His instincts screamed danger, and he instinctively dashed behind a stone pillar.

The others didn't have time to question his sudden action when a massive burst of red flames exploded from the portal.

The healer, Number 35 was the first to embrace the intense heat and flames, and he didn't even get to scream. His existence disappeared like ashes on the wind.

The red flames erupted in all directions, making the entire room crumble. Even the stone platform cracked and crumbled under the force of the explosion.

Number 27 reacted swiftly by using one of his abilities. A yellow rope-like mana came from his hand, sticking to the wall behind a pillar in the corner. He tried to hide behind the pillar but was not quick enough.

The spreading red flames were incredibly fast, and they caught up to him as he was in the air, being pulled by the yellow rope.

"AAAHHH!" Number 27 howled in pain as the flames instantly consumed his legs, and in less than two seconds, his legs turned to ash.

The agonizing screams echoed in the chamber as those unfortunate enough to be close to the exit were consumed by the red inferno.

The room that was once dimly illuminated by candles was now illuminated by the searing inferno. The flames crackled and roared, consuming everything in their path—stone, shadows, and masked figures alike.

From a relatively safe place behind a stone pillar, Number 3 watched everything in shock. He recognized the red flames; he had seen them right before jumping into the portal. It was the same flames that the pale man had released from his mouth.

Number 3's shock quickly turned to fury as he watched his friends being burned alive. Their screams sent shivers down his spine.

He pressed on his neck wound, his eyes flashing with a dangerous glow.

"You will pay for this."