Chapter 290: Almost Got Caught

So strong!

Tiona felt it clearly.

When she fought Ais before, her own strength at Lv.5 was still above Ais's. But now, that gap had flipped in an instant.

Even though she was fighting at full strength, Ais blocked her attacks with ease—and after receiving one of Ais's strikes, her hands went numb.

That feeling wasn't unique to Tiona. Bete, who kept attacking using his speed, could sense it just as clearly.

'I can't match Ais in speed.'

Kicks were Bete's specialty, and he was a master of speed-based combat. But now, that speed meant nothing against Ais.

All his attacks were easily read—and countered at even greater speed. He couldn't even keep up in his own domain.

'So this is Lv.6.'

Bete could feel the gap in power that came with the difference in level.

Overwhelming speed and strength, an incredible sense of awareness and precision in counters—even against two opponents, Ais handled everything with composure. And he hadn't even factored in her magic yet.

But now, even without using any spells, Ais was effortlessly overwhelming both him and Tiona. If she did use magic, the gap would be immeasurable. In the past, fights with Finn, Gareth, or Riveria never made this kind of difference feel real. But now, with Ais freshly stepping into Lv.6, it was as clear and direct as it could be.

Despite fending off their attacks, Ais remained calm.

After her level up, she could perceive the battlefield far more clearly. Her vision and senses had grown sharper, letting her handle Bete and Tiona's assault with ease.

'My strength has increased a lot. My speed too.'

Hm?

A subtle shift in the wind made Ais pause, and her eyes quickly shifted toward a particular spot in the crowd.

She saw no one. Even her senses confirmed no presence there. But the wind—it told her someone was standing there.

"What's wrong, Ais?"

Bete and Tiona noticed her gaze shift and paused, looking in the same direction. But all they saw were fellow Familia members. Nothing seemed off.

"Someone's hiding."

"I can't see them, can't sense them... but the wind tells me..."

Mid-sentence, Ais suddenly stopped. She tried to heighten her awareness, reaching deeper into the wind's flow to pinpoint whoever it was—but even the wind now lost its trail.

"...They're gone."

She couldn't see them. Couldn't feel them. And now, even the wind couldn't catch them. Ais didn't know who the hidden figure was—but she knew she had to find them.

"You lost them?"

Tiona looked around, confused. She saw nothing out of the ordinary.

But Bete stared thoughtfully in the direction Ais had pointed.

"That guy... could it be?"

"Huh? Bete, who do you mean?"

"Don't talk. Just come with me."

If it really was who he thought, then there was only one place that guy could have gone.

...

On the other side, Bell, having left the courtyard, was making his way toward Captain Finn's office.

'What a surprise. I didn't expect the newly promoted Lv.6 Sword Princess to detect my presence. I really didn't see that coming.'

Although it caught him off guard, he quickly patched up the flaw.

'Earth, wind, fire, water, lightning—these elements can all perceive me as a physical entity. I'll have to be more cautious from now on.'

Sight couldn't catch him. Neither could conventional senses. But the elements—especially the wind—had exposed him. It was a wake-up call.

And apparently, someone else had caught on to his identity as well.

From the footsteps approaching quickly behind him, he could tell by the rhythm and pace what they were after.

Bell paused in the corridor, waiting briefly until he saw three figures rush past.

He glanced at the trio as they moved past him.

'Not only powerful, but quick to react too. They're heading straight for Captain Finn's office. Did they identify me that fast?'

Bell wasn't surprised. For Lv.5s, that kind of reaction wasn't unusual—especially since one of them was Vanargand, who had met him before. It was probably Vanargand who figured it out.

With a relaxed expression, Bell casually made his way to Finn's office.

Even from outside, he could hear the conversation going on inside.

"Finn... someone I can't see or sense. But the wind tells me—he's always hidden."

"It's just Bell-kun, no need to worry."

Bell didn't enter immediately. He waited outside for their conversation to wrap up.

"Bell-kun probably has something to discuss. But Ais, you've really gotten strong to be able to detect him."

"...The wind only found him briefly, and then he was gone."

"I see. So Bell-kun realized your wind picked him up and managed to break free."

'You really do understand me.'

Bell couldn't help but feel a little impressed from the hallway. Maybe he'd been too thorough—enough that Finn had come to that conclusion.

But truth be told, Finn's deduction was exactly right.

Bell had indeed noticed that the Sword Princess's wind could sense him, so he had quickly implemented countermeasures.

He layered misleading signals around his body—similar to Loki's Authority.

Bell wasn't capable of deceiving the world itself, but tricking a gust of wind was well within his ability.

"Ais, Bete, Tiona—head back to your training. If Bell-kun's here, he'll find me soon, or go straight to Loki."

"Go check with Loki first."

Right after Bell heard that line, the office door opened and the three hurried out.

Once they were far enough away, Bell gently knocked on the door.

"Knock Knock!"

"Come in, Bell-kun."

With permission granted, Bell opened the door and stepped inside.

"Good afternoon, Captain Finn."

Finn, resting his chin on one hand, asked with a teasing smile, "Bell-kun, did you ever expect to get spotted by Ais?"

"That really caught me off guard. She clearly couldn't see me or sense my presence, but the wind exposed me. The moment I realized I'd been found, I was honestly shocked. Thankfully, I reacted fast enough. If not, my trump card would've been blown wide open by the Sword Princess."

Faced with the teasing, Bell responded with a helpless smile. He really had been one step away from being exposed.

After that brief exchange, his expression grew more serious.

"Captain Finn, I came today hoping to ask for the Loki Familia's help."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake