OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 161: Kidnapping The Leaf

Chapter 161: Kidnapping The Leaf

?

Now standing under the camera, a single thought echoed in Emir's mind:

'Man, this would've been so much easier with Lyra around...'

'But we couldn't waste time. There's no guarantee that they wouldn't push the court hearing forward... The Elite are sly fuckers, after all.'

Emir thought about buying an augmented suit with stealth capabilities before coming here.

But he knew that even if he went invisible, the cameras would still spot him, so it would only make it obvious that he was up to no good to the ones watching.

Letting out a chuckle, he waited for the students near him to pass.

"Curved Plate."

He chanted, and a barely visible Aether construct appeared right in front of the camera, covering it entirely.

With swift movements, he positioned himself facing the wall and placed his rucksack on the ground.

From it, he took out a plain black mask and a cloak large enough to shroud his entire body.

Not minding the curious glances he received, he proceeded to put on the cloak and mask. Emir then turned around while ignoring the fact that his rucksack still adorned his back, as it looked similar to how most others of the same type were designed, and continued to merge with the crowd of students, yet this time, he stood out.

Nonetheless, he paid no heed to the attention he attracted; his intention was to create a stir, and this was only the beginning.

"Curved Plate, Curved Plate." He chanted, instantly covering two more cameras.

'I need to move quicker, the UEF Guard will soon catch on!'

With that thought in mind, he decided to create a large commotion.

Showing no warning, his steps quickened until he reached a full-on sprint, smashing through the crowds of students as if they were nothing but air.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU IDIOT!" A student some distance behind him shouted.

And soon, others joined in the chorus.

"Are you blind?"

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Watch out!"

"Are you a retard?"

"Ugh!"

But those words didn't reach Emir's ears, as he solely focused on disabling all cameras as soon as possible.

And now with this last chant:

"Curved Plate."

He was finally done setting up the stage.

'Preparation check.' He noted inwardly.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

"Wait till I tell my dad about this!"

"Dumbass!"

The students swarmed around him, their furious curses echoing in the air, yet Emir's gaze remained locked onto a shop across the street.

And then, as if fulfilling his anticipation, a lovely young woman emerged from the shop.

With springy twin tails of blonde hair, red eyes that held a hint of defiance, and a petite frame, she bore a childlike appearance.

Following her was a striking young man, seemingly untouched by any physical exertion, as if he hadn't lifted even a pencil his entire life.

His pallid complexion, combined with his almost delicate build, long gray hair tied back in a ponytail, and piercing blue eyes, gave him an almost doll-like quality.

'That's Elijah? Is he actually a guy? What was the word?'

'...Androgynous, I think... Do these kids really like someone looking like that? I don't get it...'

Leaving that thought behind, Emir continued to stand still, disregarding the two students who continued to curse him right in front of his face, waiting to see if there were any guards stationed to guard his target.

'There you are...'

His gaze was locked on top of the shops Aria was at, spotting the two guards that stationed themselves behind cover, away from prying eyes.

The only reason why he managed to discover them was due to his Weaver's Grasp essence, as he was able to clearly feel how Aether was being disturbed from the roof of those buildings.

He then turned his gaze to the street, shoving aside the student who remained blabbering in front of him, and chanted:

"Flash Step."

In an instant, he vanished from his previous location, leaving the students who had been watching him utterly bewildered.

And as his foot touched the ground, he was already outside the shopping district, nearing the gates that lead out of the academy.

"Flash Step."

He chanted once more, propelling himself onto the rooftops of the buildings.

From this vantage point, he easily identified the guards he had observed just moments earlier.

They didn't clock him in yet, as their attention was still on their mistress, and Emir knew that, so he continued with his stealthy approach.

"Sword, Sword."

With those two simple words, an Aetheric construct resembling a makeshift knife

materialized in his hands.

The blades had a modest handle, providing him with a firm grip.

Adopting a poised stance, he positioned his right foot ahead of his left.

With a smooth motion, he lifted his arms, settling into a throwing posture.

"Flash Step."

With his left foot reaching the ground, he landed mere meters away from the two guards,

and...

Whoosh!

The two knives surged from his outstretched arms, closing the distance to the guards in mere instants, severing their necks like blades cutting through the wind.

'Singling target, check...'

The guards never even had a chance to realize that they were dead.

It was only when their headless bodies crumpled to the ground that the shock of the situation

registered.

Their lifeless faces contorted in surprise as blood began to pool around them.

"Momentum is a great thing, isn't it?" He scoffed aloud at how easy it was to end a life.

Leaving their bodies to rot, he turned his attention to what was below, seeing that both Aria and Elijah remained outside the shop, looking to be asking around about what happened. "Dear students, consider yourselves lucky that they remained outside, otherwise, one of you would've certainly died today..."

With a snicker, he ran along the roofs, heading deeper into the academy, until he finally reached the end of the shopping district.

Effortlessly dropping from the building's edge, his feet made a light connection with the

ground, causing a gentle thud.

He landed directly before a group of students, who stumbled and fell in surprise at his sudden

appearance.

"W-What?!" They all stuttered out in panic.

Chuckling, he waved them goodbye and calmly walked until he reached the middle of the

road, now standing in between both sidewalks as he waited for his target to cross the road,

back to where she was minutes before.

And wait, he did, each passing second stretching like an eternity.

Emir was acutely aware that at any moment, the wailing of sirens could disrupt the air, and he couldn't dismiss the possibility of reinforcements hurrying from the Gold Leaf Family after the life signals of the fallen guards had surely flatlined.

His patience found reprieve when Elijah approached Aria, begging her to wrap up her

shopping.

The spectacle wasn't lost on Emir, and a suppressed snicker escaped him as he thought:

'At least that part of him is still a man.'

With a subtle adjustment of his posture, he extended his right arm, preparing himself.

His eyes maintained a predatory focus on the pair, scrutinizing every step they took as they retraced their path toward the shop.

Engaging his TP ability, he bided his time until they were almost in his direct line of sight.

Then, at the precise instant they reached his position, he acted without hesitation,

whispering the incantation:

"Flash Step."