Chapter 64: Assassination [2]

People lay scattered across the street, some groaning in pain while others struggled to get back on their feet.

Several vehicles had overturned. Others had been thrown sideways, their windows shattered and their bodies badly dented.

The air was filled with screams, frantic cries for help, and the distant wail of approaching emergency sirens.

Fortunately, the sedan had been parked some distance away from the densest cluster of vehicles.

Although the surrounding area had suffered extensive damage, Lorenzo couldn’t immediately tell how many people had been seriously injured.

He had no time to investigate.

He needed to identify the attacker before another strike came.

Lorenzo’s gaze swept across the street.

Then, just as he was about to order Enzo to contact the Riina family’s security network, a thought struck him.

His eyes widened slightly.

He looked at Enzo.

Then at Sofia.

The two of them seemed to reach the same conclusion at almost exactly the same time.

’This was a diversion.’

And indeed, it was.

A shadow suddenly moved at the edge of Lorenzo’s vision.

A bulky man wearing leather armor emerged from the shadows, gripping an oversized sword in both hands.

His eyes were fixed on Lorenzo’s head.

"Die, you scumbag son of Overload!"

The man lunged forward, bringing his massive sword down toward Lorenzo.

But before the blade could reach its target, Enzo stepped between them and drew his own sword.

CLANK!

Sparks flared into the air as their weapons collided.

Enzo planted his feet and pushed forward, attempting to overpower the bulky man.

However, the man didn’t budge.

Instead, he met Enzo’s strength head-on, forcing the latter to slide backward by a few inches.

Enzo’s eyes narrowed.

An A-rank Awakener...He was a Master.

And he had enough strength to hold Enzo back.

Before Enzo could adjust his approach, several more figures emerged from the shadows.

One after another, they rushed toward Lorenzo and Sofia, surrounding them from different directions.

"Young Master!"

Enzo tried to turn toward Lorenzo, but the bulky man immediately attacked again.

CLANG!

Their swords collided once more.

"You should focus on your opponent!" the man snarled.

Enzo’s expression turned cold.

He couldn’t afford to let this man keep him occupied. Every second he spent fighting him was another second Lorenzo remained exposed.

Yet the bulky Master was clearly determined to keep him away from his target.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo slowly pushed himself upright.

His body swayed slightly, and he shook his head to clear the dizziness caused by the explosion.

’it’s okay. Everything is still manageable.’

At least, that was what he wanted to believe.

He looked toward Sofia, intending to check whether she was safe.

Then he froze.

For the second time in mere minutes, she had managed to surprise him.

There wasn’t a single scratch on her body.

Her clothes were tattered from the explosion, and a few strands of hair had fallen across her face, but her skin was completely unharmed.

Even Lorenzo had suffered injuries despite Enzo shielding him from the blast.

Yet Sofia appeared to have emerged from the explosion without so much as a bruise.

And that wasn’t even the strangest part.

She was already fighting two Awakeners.

Twin sabers flashed in her hands as she moved between her opponents with astonishing precision.

’What the hell is going on?!’

This wasn’t the Sofia he remembered.

The woman he knew had always been stubborn and defiant, but he had never seen her fight like this.

More importantly, she didn’t appear to be struggling.

’Since when did she become this strong?’

Unfortunately, the battlefield offered him little time to contemplate the question.

Four men immediately closed in around him, each wielding a sword and radiating an E+ rank aura.

The first attacker stepped forward and swung his sword toward Lorenzo’s head.

Lorenzo reacted just in time, summoning an axe from his storage space and raising it to intercept the blow.

CLANG!

The impact sent a jolt through his arms.

Before he could recover, the other three attackers moved in to support their ally.

One aimed for his left side, another thrust toward his abdomen, and the last moved behind him to cut off his escape route.

He twisted aside, narrowly avoiding the first sword, then used his axe to deflect the second.

However, the third attacker was already moving.

Lorenzo attempted to turn, but he was a fraction of a second too slow.

SHING!

A sword pierced his back.

"Aguh!"

Pain exploded through his body.

He twisted around and swung his axe toward the man who had stabbed him.

The attacker tried to retreat, but he was too slow.

SPLAT!

The axe severed his hand at the wrist.

Blood splattered across the pavement as the man’s hand fell to the ground, his sword clattering beside it.

"ARGHHHH!"

The attacker screamed, clutching his bleeding stump.

Lorenzo didn’t give him a second glance.

He twisted his body, ignoring the agonizing pain radiating from his back, and swung his axe toward the nearest enemy.

CLANG!

The man barely managed to block the strike, but the tremendous force sent him stumbling backward.

Lorenzo immediately followed up with another swing.

The man’s eyes widened.

He tried to retreat, but the axe was already descending toward his shoulder.

SPLAT!

Blood sprayed across the street.

"ARGHHHH!"

The attacker collapsed, clutching his ruined shoulder.

However, Lorenzo had no time to finish him off.

The remaining two enemies attacked simultaneously, one aiming for his neck while the other thrust his sword toward his abdomen.

Lorenzo’s pupils contracted.

Too fast!

He twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding the blade aimed at his neck, while his axe intercepted the second attack.

CLANG!

The impact numbed his fingers.

Before he could recover, a boot slammed into his chest.

BAM!

"Ugh!"

Lorenzo stumbled backward, his heels scraping against the pavement.

He barely managed to keep his balance.

His back wound throbbed with every breath, and warm blood trickled beneath his clothes.

His body was still too weak.

No matter how much he had improved during his successor training, his physical abilities remained those of an E-rank Awakener.

His opponents were different.

They had spent years fighting other Awakeners, refining their techniques through countless battles. Their mana control was considerably more sophisticated, and their coordination made them even more dangerous.

Lorenzo tightened his grip on his axe.

A crooked smile appeared on his bloodstained face.

"Come on, then."

He raised his weapon.

"Let’s see which one of you bastards dies first."

The two attackers exchanged glances before charging at him again.

Lorenzo stepped forward instead of retreating.

His axe swept horizontally, forcing one man to raise his sword defensively. At the same time, Lorenzo shifted his weight and kicked the other man’s knee.

CRACK!

"AH!"

The man’s leg buckled.

Lorenzo immediately brought his elbow down against the back of the man’s head, sending him crashing onto the pavement.

But before he could turn around, the first attacker slashed at his side.

SHING!

Blood splashed across Lorenzo’s clothes.

He gritted his teeth and swung his axe.

The attacker retreated just in time, the blade cutting through the air where his neck had been a moment earlier.

"Damn it! Why is an[ E-]rank brat so troublesome?!"

The man cursed, glaring at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo laughed.

"Because you’re all fucking incompetent."

’Though, to be fair, I’m the one getting beaten up here.’

His internal commentary was considerably less confident than his expression suggested.

He was already injured, and his stamina was draining rapidly.

Worse, the sword wound in his back continued to bleed, and every movement sent another wave of pain through his body.

His grip was beginning to weaken.

His breathing had grown ragged.

If the fight dragged on, he would eventually collapse.

And his enemies seemed to realize it.