<strong>Ten minutes earlier;</strong>
A steam locomotive arrived on the seventh platform, fifteen minutes earlier than it was supposed to arrive.
At first, Azzy was surprised that a train was arriving too early. If it was a few minutes early, he would understand but twenty minutes, that smells suspicious indeed.
However, Claire, who was happy that they were finally going to leave this city where there is a life threat to her Azzy, hurriedly grabbed his hand, "Let's go."
Both of them entered the compartment where their seats were allotted. It was empty.
With only two of them present in the compartment, the train started moving.
Azzy unleashed Aura sensing once again, scanning the whole train.
"Coincidence or a trap?" Azzy could sense seven people in the front compartment and another six in the back compartment. The strangest thing is that all of them are at least of the six-star realm.
While Azzy couldn't sense their exact soul power, he could still guess their level based on comparisons between them and his past opponents or acquaintances.
A few are similar to that assassin from the night clan. A few appeared to be in the same level as the knights of Leah.
All of them were sitting, just facing the front.
This is a kind of train where all the compartments are linked to one another. So, one could go from the first to last, except for the foremost one.
Azzy turned his head to the back. He didn't see anyone. According to his aura sensing, every one of them sat beside the windows. So, Azzy couldn't see them through the narrow path that linked the two compartments.
Strangely, even the situation in the front compartment is also the same. On top of that, there was no other passenger in other compartments. Azzy realized that it was indeed a trap.
"How this is possible?" Azzy couldn't understand it. After all, no one followed both of them. And there's no way the enemies could have known their plan.
The plan was implemented within five minutes after discussing it. Then, how could there be enemies here before they even board the train?
Moreover, when they reached the seventh platform, there was no one else apart from the two of them either.
That would only mean either those people from adjacent compartments must have aboard after them or they were waiting in this train right from the start.
The former seemed like a low possibility as the train stayed only for two minutes on the platform. As for the latter possibility, for them to be waiting in either of the compartment, it means that the enemies must have known that Azzy and Claire would aboard in compartment-G.
All of a sudden, something clicked in his mind. "That Booking clerk."
As only she has the possibility of allotting the ticket seats, Azzy immediately suspected her. When he assumed that, everything fell into one place.
Azzy closed his eyes and started to converse with the Reaper to ask whether he has the possibility of getting out of this situation safely. He has confidence in himself but he was still worried about Claire as right now, they were in a train, not outside where she could escape with her wings.
To his surprise, the Reaper didn't give him any clues or any guidance. He plainly replied, "You were unsatisfied with the opponents so far. Now, there's an exciting real life and death battle ahead of you. Enjoy it while you can."
"Fine," Azzy didn't know why the Reaper rejected to help but at the very least, he knew for sure that that this deity won't let him die. So, he thought that he only needs to focus on protecting Claire.
Meanwhile, Claire was glancing at Azzy from the corner of her eyes. As there was no one present around them and they sat next to each other, her heart started to beat rapidly.
She tightly grabbed the edge of the seat to calm herself.
After a couple of minutes, as she calmed down, she opened her mouth, "Um, Azrael."
"Yes?" Azzy, who was looking outside of the window, trying to look as natural as possible, turned his head towards her.
"Earlier, on the platform, you were going to ask something. What is it?" She asked him, to start something to talk about.
"Nothing important," Azzy quickly averted his eyes away.
"C'mon, tell me. What is it?" Claire urged him. "We have at least three hours. I don't want to pretend that I'm mute and deaf. What do you want to ask me?"
Under Claire's insistence, Azzy couldn't hold it any longer.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke while through the window once again, "Just wondered whether you like me or something. I mean you worry too much about me.
You don't say anything when the rumors in our academy say that we are a couple. You got angry when I gave that plush toy to Ms. Pendragon. You sleep talk how you want me to stay with you. Now, you are dragging me to the Aclein city just because there's a possibility of a threat to my life if I continue to stay in the city.
After taking a seat, I began to think you might do the same thing even if Gideon or Mia is in my place.
I guess your sleep talking might be referring to how you wanted to make our Twilight group a permanent one. You said that we can try to make it if we win the tournament. As for the rumors, you probably don't want to bother with things like those just like me.
When I realized that, I thought there's no need to consider this topic. Anyway, it's not something you need to pay attention to..."
While Azzy seemed like he was asking the question as well as answering it himself, Claire stayed silent.
She was disappointed by Azzy's thoughts. She was worried that if she expressed her feelings, right now, there's a high possibility of rejection. So, she couldn't speak anything.
At the same time, she was also embarrassed about her sleep talk. It was something she had for the past few years. She also sighed in relief that she didn't reveal much of her feelings, not knowing that Azzy actually heard more of it but was too embarrassed to say those words.
With Claire staying silent, Azzy also thought he was succeeded. Whether she had any feelings or not it's alright for him if she didn't say it. He could take that as she was agreeing with this analysis.
Azzy felt like from now onwards, he could also look at her in the face just like before the incident of sleep talk.
With the problem with Claire solved, Azzy then, continued to focus on the people behind him.
Had he studied more about aura, he would probably realized that aura exists in different forms, not just the one that colored emanation of internal aura or the external aura that was released in the form of spirit energy to pressure the opponents.
Had he dwelled inside the subject and mastered Aura sensing of all types of Aura, he would perceive the emotions of the target.
Azzy would have realized that Claire was extremely sad and how wrong his analysis was.
But, he didn't have knowledge in that and neither is his focus, which was currently on the Arcana Experts sitting in the adjacent compartments.
For the next few minutes, nothing happened. Azzy began to feel tensed a bit as he never battled so many people at once. He was also wondering whether they are going to ambush when the train enters the tunnel. At any rate, he was well prepared for it. As for Claire, she too managed herself to revert to a normal state.
Slowly, the train continued to pick up its speed. It crossed 150 km/hr and is still increasing.
As soon the train picked up its fastest speed of around 192 km/hr as if they got the signal, all the 13 of them stood up from their seats at the same time.
Clearly, this was no coincidence.
Azzy then slowly spoke, "Claire, get ready."
"Hmm, ready for what?" She was a little bit confused at first but just after a few seconds, her pupils dilated in shock. Six people wearing priest robes entered the compartment from the front one.
At the same time, seven more in black robes with masks entered from the other one, sealing the way to escape.
Azzy and Claire stood up on their feet.
Naturally, Claire realized that they have fallen into a trap. Looking at them, she slowly spoke to Azzy, "I messed it up, right?"
Azzy nodded in response.
One of the priests then stepped forward and spoke, "Child of the Lefeuvre family, our target is only the devil. Step aside and you will not be harmed."
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