My feet moved incredibly fast,time was moving slowed and my nose was following sera's scent as I continued pacing through different alley ways jumping left and right over people and obstacles while keeping my eyes sharp,hands gripped and my footing stable.

My senses were tingling and the scent was still there even though it was distancing itself from me still meaning that sera was indeed running,the slowed time did a lot to make her reachable for me,but she was still very fast in my current speed we were almost at par,I was sure that I could catch her if I stopped time without a question,but if I did that then the scent would also disappear leaving me disoriented of the path I was supposed to go to find her...right now I could only chase until I reached her how far we would go was unknown to me.

With these thoughts I continued to chase after sera she was stunningly fast and I didn't even get the chance to glance at her,knowing that she was not far off only behind the next alley way,but even then my eyes never caught her the closest I got was catching a glimpse from the edge of her gray cloak,but either way it didn't matter at one point on of us had to stop and I was ready to continue this chase until I black out.

Either way she and I ended up running through almost a eternity,the time it took to make this whole run was small technically,but amount we ran was incredibly my legs also slowly started to feel pressured,but I didn't give in yet hoping that sera would finally stop and talk to me properly,fortunately or rather unfortunately sera finally stopped running into a dark alley way which was also a dead end to be specific.

When I first entered the alley way I felt a incredible force washing down my body,that feeling only ever lasted for a split second until it disappeared completely it was mysterious and weird,but I didn't concern myself with it anymore and simply searched for sera inside this empty dark alley way...only to discover that...

-She isn't here...

Just as muttered,sera wasn't seen in any part of this alley way mysteriously enough it wasn't touched either with no evidence that she smashed a hole into a wall to run through and her scent also disappeared just like that only ending at this very spot where she last was,I had to check multiple times to see whether or not I wasn't just mistaken,but in the end I was convinced...She vanished.

I growled,breathing in deep as I felt a sting of disappointment running through my heart,it only lasted temporarily because I had a deep suspicion that she would somehow shake me off,but this simply frustrated me since I hadn't a single where she could have gone from here the only thing I could think of was maybe...

-A transportation circle ?

The transportation circle was one of the more liable answers to this question since it would allow her to get away from here instantaneous without leaving any trace,but after inspecting the alley way some more I realized that my theory was wrong...there was no,transportation circle drawn anywhere it could have relatively just as been an item that transported her or made her invisible even masking her scent and sound,but in that case I would have also simply be able to see through her even if she used something to disguise herself since illusions didn't work on me making me only believe that she teleported using a item.

Another point to add was that the alley way here was incredibly odd,it felt as if this place wasn't supposed to be here,but at the same existence for convenient's sake,the dead end was also just the back of a building with no door or window attacked,but a simple creamy white wall.

Anyways I decided to stop my chase at this point,sera had run away she hadn't left any trace of where she may have gone,but my appearance was very evident to her which brought her shock that may also help me...sooner or later she would maybe even decide to personally meet me until then I had to do my own thing and help scar,participate in the tournament and then speak with the emperor about my way back home.

While standing in the alley way I silently turned the time back to normal,sound and vibration started to come back to me normally and stronger my feet on the other hand also started to suffer feeling like mushed up potatoes being watered down into a mere disgusting puddle and then frozen over again just to be hacked by a cleaver shattering into million shards...

Not a very good metaphor,but at least you know what I mean.

-hoho...what do we got here...how did this boy get here ? I thought that this area was supposed to be invisible and impenetrable by the citizens.A grand mage had set it up after all so I had some expectations towards it...on the record I didn't see him enter either...

A voice spoke out startling me for a brief second as I didn't sense the particular person who owned the voice,now that time was back at normal things started to get clearer invoking my senses further I sensed my surroundings and discovered 3 people in this place lurking over the tops of the buildings watching me from a hidden angle,but even so I could sense their locations and knew where they were standing...

Who were they ? And why were they here ? The words this guy just spoke also seemed very bizarre,but made me slowly understand a few things...this place seems to be actually hidden and because of my ability I hadn't seen it like this before since illusions don't work on me the impenetrable part on the other hand also explains a few things since I felt something when entering this alley way the resisting force had probably come over me when I passed through,but it wasn't strong enough...seeing that sera had specifically come here and vanished...then it must mean that these three should know something doesn't it ?

Maybe the chase wasn't over after all ?

Either way these people continued to talk to each other as if I wasn't here a bit rude,But I didn't mind that and kept a straight face while listening to them,it could be useful who knows.

-Maybe he came here by mistake ? He could have just been leaning on the wall and suddenly pushed through it ?

The voice of the second person said this one a bit different more deeper and muscular as to say making me imagine a buff guy with a huge build.

-Che...do your muscle brains even work pergiun or did you put them all into your body instead ? Look at him it is obvious that he is a normal human without any magic power ! Him pushing through the array without any resistance is ridiculous he would have died if he was forced inside.He also appeared out of nowhere one of us should have known that he was standing outside if he got in that way !

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The first person rebutted his voice also very different a bit more higher,the initial insult also seemed to have agitated the second guy as he shouted out angrily towards his comrade.

-Naxrian don't call me by my name ?! Don't you remember that what we are doing is secret ? If the prince finds out that we let someone know about us he will kill us without mercy !

-...

-...

Suddenly an awkward silence came ,it was followed by another two separated clapping sounds which sounded to me as if the other two guys held onto their foreheads making a facepalm...listening to these two I couldn't help,but smile wryly the corner of my lips quivered,but I still didn't say anything and just waited,they were giving me a lot of information even though I wasn't doing anything.This was much more convenient since I didn't need to torture them if they didn't want to talk.

-Shut it out you two imbeciles ! We are done with our job lets just get down already and kill this boy if he doesn't live then he can't tell anyone either way so who cares ?!

The third person finally spoke his voice a bit more dignified and higher as he shouted out the other two in a annoyed tone,it showed that he was the leader of this small group since the other two also stopped talking like he ordered them to,things were only now starting to get a bit more exciting as the third person finally came down by himself,the shadow extremely quick as he descended,but in my eyes it seemed very slow as I could see every move he was making,the other two soon followed,finally revealing themselves to me more properly..

-Knights ?

I muttered to myself,immediately recognizing the full plate armor on these guys with the emblem marked on the their chests and the design being completely identical to the other knights I had seen in front of the gate entrance that escorted that official.In a way I wasn't surprised to see these knights present here knowing that sera was a royalty it was a matter of course that there would be people who like these knights not too far away from guarding her.

But the thing was,from the words they just spoke previously...It was very clear that their original intent wasn't here to protect sera at all,they were under the orders of the prince and since there is only one prince you should know the rest.

-Hey ? Lushen,Naxrian...don't you think that this boy is a bit strange ?

One of the guys said,listening to his voice I knew that he was the second person with the deep muscular tone,their voices really matched their appearances as I was only now looking up towards their faces to identify them,there were a total of three guys one big ,one short and one decently tall their faces were ordinary really and together they looked more like a comedic trio then proper knights even though they do seem to have the ability to be knights after all.

I wasn't very concerned about my well being since I was confident that I wasn't going to die or be killed,I didn't believe them to have the ability to do so and simply kept my facial expression calm which must have somewhat unnerved the big guy,the other two guys were also staring at me intently showing intimidating glares trying to scare me off,I felt decent amount of pressure,but I didn't feel that much to actually start sweating it was relatively a small numb and nothing else.

-Now that you are mentioning it,he seems really strange right ? He isn't even begging nor is he running for his life ?

-Maybe he is just so scared that he is paralyzed ? Our knight attire probably shocked him even more maybe he'll even die just by shock ! hahhaha

They said exchange some humorous words with each other while laughing together cynically...only the leader seemed to be unamused as he continued to stare at me hard,his eyes scanning my entire body looking at me at what seemed for him to be foreign clothing and then finally going up my face staring into my most note worthy features my faintly glowing golden eyes...I also didn't spare the confrontation and met eyes with the team captain giving him friendly smile and a slight nod...

The action alone seemed to have made the leader quickly disturbed as his eyes widened for a slight moment,his hands moving slowly,but surely towards his weapon while keeping his hard look on me as if he was trying to restrain me with those eyes.

He realized now,yes ?

-You two stop blabbering...draw your weapons kill this boy !

The leader shouted out a bit too panicked,the other two were confused by the panicked tone and looked back towards me with raised eyebrows,in the end the two just laughed again making the leader temporarily lost for words as he couldn't understand his teammates at all.

-Oh come on lushen don't you think you are bit a too paranoid ? This boy obviously isn't anyone at all.Watch me explode this boy's head with a single grip this should calm you down right ?

The muscular guy laughed cruelly quickly moving towards me his speed was fast,but it looked like he wasn't even trying as his hand was reaching for me without a single shred of security...mistake.

-No,you idiot don't !

The leader was surprised,he didn't expect one of his subordinates to go like this without even putting his guard up,he wanted to stop this guy,but was already too late to do anything.

(Slice) (Thud)

In a single instance a thuding sound could be heard as the hand of the muscular could be seen falling to the ground,a golden beam could be seen too flashing in a circle making noise as the golden beam even cut through the air around us finally going into a stand still the black handle nestled into my right hand tightly as I continued to keep my calm facial expression.

-Ughh ? What...ahh...

It began slow,but when the muscular guy finally looked at his hand,he had discovered.

He didn't have it anymore.

Afterwards a extremely loud blood wrenching scream could be heard throughout the alley way.

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