Chapter 120: Breaking the Siege

The D’Aubigné estate was barely recognizable.

Jet stood on the rooftop of an abandoned commercial building overlooking the sprawling property, his expression darkening as he surveyed the destruction below.

The magnificent mansion where he had spent countless afternoons with Frey had suffered extensive damage, with several sections of its eastern wing reduced to smoking ruins.

The surrounding gardens were littered with shattered statues, uprooted trees, and enormous craters, while the estate’s once-impressive perimeter walls had been demolished in several places.

However, the most disturbing sight was the number of masked Awakeners occupying the grounds.

Dozens of armed figures moved between the damaged buildings, establishing defensive positions and transporting equipment toward the fortified training facility.

Several were attacking the facility’s reinforced entrance, while others maintained a perimeter around the surrounding structures. Every few seconds, another explosion shook the estate as concentrated attacks struck the defensive formations protecting the people trapped inside.

Jet clenched his fists. He could only imagine what Frey and his family had endured throughout the night, knowing that the people outside were determined to break through their final refuge.

"Those bastards really aren’t planning to leave," Jet muttered, watching another explosion illuminate the training facility’s entrance.

Cassian crouched beside him, studying the enemy positions with a pair of compact binoculars.

"They’ve established a proper siege perimeter," he observed, lowering the binoculars. "Look at the groups near the eastern courtyard. They’re rotating their attackers to prevent exhaustion while maintaining constant pressure against the defensive formations."

Adesewa stood several steps behind them, her expression unreadable as she examined the battlefield.

Unlike Jet, she seemed entirely unconcerned by the number of enemies gathered below. Her attention moved from one position to another, identifying the strongest Mana signatures and evaluating how the attackers had organized themselves.

"They’re expecting resistance from inside the facility," Adesewa concluded. "But they aren’t prepared for an attack from outside their perimeter. We’ll use that."

Jet turned toward her. "What’s the plan, Captain?"

Adesewa pointed toward a service road running along the estate’s western boundary. "Cassian, you’ll enter through that breach and disrupt their defensive line. Jet, follow behind him and deal with anyone who gets separated from the main group. Do not engage the stronger Awakeners, and don’t pursue anyone beyond the perimeter."

Jet nodded, although he couldn’t help glancing toward the training facility. "And you?"

Adesewa’s expression hardened. "I’ll give them something more important to worry about than breaking down that door."

Cassian chuckled quietly. "Well, I almost feel sorry for them."

Adesewa gave him a sidelong glance. "Don’t. They chose to attack a family and threaten children. Whatever happens next is entirely their responsibility."

With their roles established, the three descended from the rooftop and approached the western boundary. Jet kept his breathing controlled as they moved, carefully monitoring the condition of his injured body.

Safiya’s treatment had eased the worst of his pain, but his ribs remained tender, and his Mana reserves had only partially recovered. He couldn’t afford another prolonged confrontation, especially against enemies stronger than himself.

Fortunately, he wasn’t expected to carry the battle alone this time.

The first masked Awakener noticed them as they approached the damaged perimeter wall.

"Intruders!" the man shouted, raising his weapon. "Three Awakeners approaching from the west!"

His warning had barely left his mouth when Adesewa moved.

Jet felt a tremendous gust of wind sweep past him as the Captain accelerated toward the estate. She crossed the distance separating them from the sentry almost instantly, striking him with a devastating punch that sent his body crashing through a nearby stone pillar.

Before the surrounding assassins could react, Adesewa had already reached the next group.

A masked swordsman attempted to intercept her, but she caught his blade between her palms, twisted it from his grasp, and drove her knee into his abdomen.

Another attacker lunged toward her exposed side, only to receive a crushing elbow strike that sent him sprawling across the courtyard.

The entire western perimeter erupted into chaos.

"Enemy attack! Reinforcements!" someone shouted from deeper within the estate.

Cassian immediately moved forward.

Dark markings resembling nine interconnected gates appeared across his forearms as his Divine Rune awakened.

Nine Returning Gates.

Jet had witnessed Cassian use the ability during the expedition, but the pressure radiating from him now was considerably stronger. Since advancing to 4-Star, his control over the Rune had become far more refined, allowing him to manipulate incoming physical momentum with extraordinary precision.

Three masked Awakeners rushed toward them.

The first swung an enormous warhammer at Cassian’s head.

Cassian raised one hand.

A translucent gate appeared briefly between them, and the hammer’s momentum abruptly changed direction. Instead of striking Cassian, the weapon continued along a redirected path, dragging its wielder off balance and sending him crashing into another assassin.

The second attacker attempted to stab Cassian with a spear, but another gate redirected the thrust toward the ground. The spearhead struck the pavement with tremendous force, and before its wielder could recover, Cassian stepped forward and knocked him unconscious with a precise blow.

"Jet, take the one on the right!" Cassian ordered, already turning toward another approaching enemy.

Jet didn’t hesitate.

His Asura Physique Stage II surged into action, strengthening his muscles and sharpening his reflexes as he rushed toward the isolated assassin. The man wielded two short swords, and his Mana suggested that he was stronger than an ordinary 1-Star Awakener.

Under normal circumstances, Jet would have approached cautiously.

But the assassin had made the mistake of concentrating entirely on Cassian.

Jet closed the distance before the man could adjust his stance, summoning his Vorpal Blade into his right hand.

The assassin reacted quickly, raising both swords to intercept the incoming strike, but Jet altered his attack midway through the movement.

Weapon Master allowed him to transition smoothly between different grips and angles, exploiting the opening created by his opponent’s defensive posture.

The Vorpal Blade struck the assassin’s shoulder.

Blood sprayed across the pavement.

Before the man could retaliate, Jet kicked his knee sideways and followed with a second slash that brought him down.

Jet immediately retreated instead of finishing the exchange with unnecessary aggression. His objective wasn’t to prove that he could defeat every enemy in the estate. It was to prevent isolated attackers from regrouping while Adesewa and Cassian dismantled the siege.

Unfortunately, the assassins were beginning to understand what was happening.

"Fall back to the central courtyard!" one of their officers shouted, attempting to reorganize the scattered groups. "Don’t engage the woman individually! Regroup and establish a defensive formation!"

Adesewa heard the order.

Her expression remained cold as she accelerated toward the officer, crossing the courtyard with frightening speed. The man barely managed to raise his shield before her fist struck it.

BOOOOM!

The shield shattered.

The officer flew backward and crashed into the stone steps leading toward the mansion, leaving a trail of broken masonry behind him.

Several assassins immediately abandoned their positions and attempted to flee, but Adesewa continued advancing, overwhelming anyone who tried to stand against her. Her movements were economical, precise, and brutally efficient.

She never wasted strength on unnecessary attacks, and every strike was delivered with enough force to incapacitate or kill its target.

Jet watched her from the corner of his eye while dealing with another isolated opponent.

The difference between a 1-Star and a 5-Star Awakener was terrifying.

Even with his extraordinary Divine Rune, Jet understood that he couldn’t hope to match the speed and strength Adesewa was displaying. The assassins she was defeating would have posed serious threats to him individually, yet they were collapsing before they could mount meaningful resistance.

And she still hadn’t needed to manifest Agassou.

"Jet, behind you!" Cassian suddenly shouted.

Jet reacted immediately.

Two additional Asura Arms emerged from behind his shoulders, intercepting a heavy axe descending toward his back. The impact sent a painful tremor through his injured body, but the arms held long enough for him to turn.

The attacker was a heavily built Awakener wearing reinforced armor.

Jet recognized the danger immediately.

Rather than attempting to overpower the man, he used one Asura Arm to seize the axe’s shaft while the other struck the assassin’s exposed side. The blow forced his opponent to stagger, allowing Jet to retreat several steps and create distance.

The assassin attempted to pursue him.

Cassian intervened.

A Returning Gate manifested beside the man’s shoulder just as he launched another powerful swing. The axe’s momentum was redirected, dragging the weapon across his own body and leaving him momentarily exposed.

Jet seized the opportunity.

He swung the Vorpal Blade, releasing a compressed wind blade directly into the opening.

The attack struck the assassin’s chest, sending him crashing backward.

Jet exhaled sharply, feeling another portion of his Mana disappear. Maintaining Asura Arms while using the Vorpal Blade’s abilities was already placing considerable strain on his recovering body, and he knew he couldn’t continue fighting at this pace indefinitely.

Cassian noticed his condition.

"Don’t overdo it, Jet," he warned, stepping beside him. "You’ve done enough. Stay close to me and conserve your strength."

Jet nodded reluctantly. "Trust me, Cassian. After last night, I’m not interested in getting beaten half to death again."

Cassian gave a brief laugh before returning his attention to the battlefield.

By now, the western perimeter had completely collapsed.

Adesewa had already reached the central courtyard, where several stronger Awakeners attempted to intercept her advance. One wielded a massive sword surrounded by dense Mana, while another manipulated heavy chains that erupted from the ground.

Their combined attack would have been devastating against an ordinary opponent.

Adesewa barely slowed.

She evaded the swordsman’s opening strike, stepped inside his reach, and drove her fist into his chest. The impact shattered his armor and sent him flying across the courtyard. When the chain-wielding Awakener attempted to restrain her, she seized one of the chains and pulled violently, dragging him toward her before delivering a crushing kick.

Both attackers fell within seconds.

Jet could scarcely believe what he was witnessing.

The Captain’s decades of combat experience were just as frightening as her newly acquired strength. She seemed capable of identifying weaknesses almost immediately, exploiting every mistake before her opponents realized they had made one.

More importantly, her arrival had completely disrupted the siege.

The masked Awakeners who had been attacking the training facility were now abandoning their positions to confront the unexpected threat.

Several groups attempted to reorganize near the mansion, but Cassian repeatedly disrupted their movements by redirecting incoming physical attacks, while Jet prevented isolated enemies from rejoining the larger formations.

For the first time since the assault began, the fortified training facility was no longer the center of the attackers’ attention.

Adesewa approached the main courtyard, her gaze fixed on the reinforced entrance in the distance.

"Almost there," she muttered.

Then she stopped.

A powerful surge of Mana erupted from the mansion’s damaged eastern wing, immediately drawing the attention of everyone still fighting.

The remaining assassins abruptly retreated, their expressions changing from desperation to relief.

Jet felt the pressure as well.

It was far stronger than anything radiating from the enemies he had encountered so far.

A tall masked figure emerged from the ruined mansion, carrying a long black spear across his shoulder. Unlike the other assassins, he moved with absolute composure, seemingly unconcerned by the destruction surrounding him.

His gaze settled upon Adesewa.

"So you’re the woman who destroyed our western perimeter," the newcomer remarked, his voice calm but filled with unmistakable hostility.

Adesewa slowly turned toward him.

The masked commander lowered his spear, and the tremendous Mana radiating from his body intensified.

"Your little rescue operation ends here," he declared.

Jet’s expression hardened.

The real battle was only beginning.