Chapter 63: Assassination [1]

Lorenzo and Sofia walked out of the Appetite of Heaven, with Enzo a few steps ahead of them.

Lorenzo was in a good mood. As far as he was concerned, the day had gone about as well as it could have.

His first day at the academy had turned out to be rather adventurous. Not only that, but he had also found Sofia, someone he hadn’t heard from since the terrorist attack.

Of course, Lorenzo knew where she had been and why she hadn’t contacted him despite his repeated calls and messages.

Just as he had expected, she hadn’t given him a straight answer, which annoyed him. Nevertheless, he chose not to press the matter.

Why would he?

After all, she was still with him, and that was all that mattered at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, Sofia certainly didn’t share his sentiments.

She would rather spend her time fighting abominations from the Spirit Realm than spend another moment with him.

But what could she do?

She didn’t have much of a choice.

At least, not yet.

Soon, they reached the sedan parked directly across from the Appetite of Heaven.

Lorenzo had sent the other security guards away because he didn’t want Sofia to feel suffocated while she was with him.

Enzo was about to open the passenger door when Lorenzo suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the luxurious vehicle.

A frown appeared on his face.

Sensing his unease, Sofia stopped as well.

She glanced at him, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What’s the matter?"

Lorenzo remained silent for a few moments, studying the sedan with a solemn expression.

Then, he slowly turned toward Sofia.

"Sofy... I apologize."

She blinked a couple of times.

It was the first time she had heard him apologize since the day they met.

Did he seriously hit his head?

Sofia stared at him, genuinely wondering whether something was wrong with him.

"What for?"

Lorenzo’s expression remained calm as he answered.

"It seems that I’m about to be assassinated. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"...What?"

Enzo had heard Lorenzo’s words, but it was already too late. His hand was still on the handle of the luxurious car.

BOOOOOOM!

In the next instant, the sedan disintegrated in a blinding flash.

A deafening explosion thundered through the street, engulfing the vehicle in flames and sending debris flying in every direction.

-+-+-+

A devastating shockwave rolled outward, spreading through the surroundings like an invisible wave of crushing force.

Windows shattered. Nearby vehicles shook violently, and the concrete beneath people’s feet cracked under the pressure.

For ordinary people, there was barely any time to react.

Death was already upon them.

However, Enzo was a Master.

And Masters were far faster than ordinary humans.

The instant the explosion erupted, Enzo moved.

He grabbed Lorenzo and Sofia, one in each arm, and dashed backward at his maximum speed.

Yet even with his incredible reaction time, he couldn’t escape the explosion entirely.

So he did the only thing he could.

He twisted his body, shielding both of them with his own as the shockwave caught up to them.

BOOOOOOM!

The force slammed into Enzo’s back.

His clothes tore under the tremendous pressure, and blood sprayed from the corner of his mouth. The impact sent all three of them hurtling backward before Enzo finally managed to stabilize himself.

His boots scraped across the pavement as he struggled to maintain his footing.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo remained surprisingly calm.

Even as the flames swallowed the street and the threat of death loomed over him, his mind continued to function with terrifying clarity.

He had experienced too many assassination attempts in his previous life to panic over an explosion.

As a mafia boss, he had learned to recognize danger long before it became visible.

That was precisely why he had sensed something wrong the moment they approached the car.

His instincts had warned him.

And Lorenzo’s instincts were rarely wrong.

His eyes swept across the devastated street, searching for anything that seemed out of place.

However, before he could finish his assessment, something else caught his attention.

Something he never would have believed possible if he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes.

Sofia.

More precisely, the flames surrounding her.

While Enzo had been shielding them from the explosion, Sofia had somehow managed to protect a nearby woman who had been caught in the blast.

The unfortunate passerby had been standing close enough to be engulfed by the flames. Yet, instead of burning her alive, the fire had bent away from her body, flowing around her as though an invisible barrier surrounded her.

No.

That wasn’t quite right.

The flames hadn’t merely avoided the woman.

They had moved according to Sofia’s will.

Meanwhile, Sofia barely spared her a glance.

What the hell?

Lorenzo’s pupils contracted.

Since when could Sofia do that?

Countless questions surfaced in his mind.

Was it an ability related to fire? Had she awakened some rare power? Or was there something else going on?

Before he could investigate any further, Enzo finally brought them to a halt.

He lowered Lorenzo and Sofia onto the concrete ground, then immediately stepped in front of them.

His expression had changed.

The usual composure of Lorenzo’s personal secretary had vanished, replaced by the cold gaze of a seasoned Master.

Enzo raised one leather-clad hand.

Then he slashed forward.

SHING!

For a fraction of a second, the world seemed to split apart.

The flames rushing toward them parted in front of Enzo’s hand, as though an invisible blade had cleaved through the explosion itself.

The remaining shockwave followed.

Its crushing force divided around him, sweeping past both sides without touching the three of them.

The resulting gust tore through the street, scattering debris and sending loose objects tumbling across the concrete.

Not a single fragment struck them.

That single slash had been enough to split the incoming force and clear the space around them.

It was an absurd display of power.

Unfortunately, it hadn’t come without a price.

Lorenzo noticed that Enzo’s breathing had become heavier. His mana fluctuations were unstable, and blood trickled from several wounds beneath his torn clothing.

The attack hadn’t incapacitated him, but the damage was undeniable.

More importantly, the technique he had just used seemed to have consumed a considerable amount of mana.

Behind them, the aftermath of the explosion was becoming increasingly chaotic.