Chapter 16: Descends from the Heavens, Furious and Fierce!
Amid the bustling auction hall, members of the Order and various families marveled at the continuously presented items, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.
Yet, starkly contrasting with the lively scene, Zani stood like a solitary island, anxiously waiting in place.
'...Seven minutes.'
She counted the seconds silently in her heart, but Aeron was nowhere to be seen.
'What on earth is that guy thinking...'
This wasn't Zani's first time working with Aeron. They had crossed paths numerous times before while handling affairs between the Averardo Bank and the Order.
Aeron always wore a mask of nonchalance, resolving troublesome matters with methods unbecoming of a priest and entirely unexpected.
Though Zani occasionally found herself caught up in his schemes, she had to admit, deep down, she admired his capabilities and approach.
But this time was entirely different.
Knowing full well the dangers at hand, he had unilaterally altered the plan, facing the peril alone, and even uttered words to Zani that sounded like a final farewell...
'Tch...'
At this thought, Zani's anxiety only grew. She knew she should be focusing on the situation before her, but an overwhelming sense of guilt refused to fade.
She was, after all, the "top employee" of the Averardo Bank—subduing an ordinary person who wasn't even a Resonator should have been effortless. So why had she been swayed by Aeron's words, "Leave the rest to me," and that damned look in his eyes?
The consequence was this agonizing wait, minute by minute.
'Eight minutes...'
Time crawled by unbearably slowly. Zani's attention began to drift from her surroundings as she couldn't help but imagine the various scenarios Aeron might be facing: discovered by guards, surrounded, and ultimately captured somewhere no detector could find... Wait, had she let some strange thoughts slip in?
Just as she started counting the ninth minute since Aeron's departure, Zani steeled herself to follow his instructions and use the Opal to contact Carlotta. She couldn't let her personal worries disrupt the entire operation.
As time dragged on and Zani prepared to act—
Boom—!
A deafening explosion erupted from the main booth directly above the auction stage. Fragments of the wall, reduced to splinters, rained down onto the crimson carpet below. Then, a figure plummeted from above, crashing messily onto the floor.
In an instant, gasps and screams replaced the earlier clamor throughout the auction hall.
"?!"
When Zani got a clear look at the figure, she was stunned.
Clad in tattered formal wear, covered in blood, supporting himself only with a cracked short sword in his left hand, the barrel of his sidearm in his right still smoldering with the scent of gunpowder—Aeron spat a mouthful of bloodied phlegm and stood up as if nothing had happened.
He turned his head, glanced in Zani's direction, but said nothing. Instead, he raised his sidearm overhead and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
With the gunshot, the overhead lights—the hall's sole source of illumination—went out, plunging the entire venue into darkness.
Whoosh—
The next moment, chaos erupted as guests scrambled toward the far ends of the auction stage, fleeing to areas yet untouched by the turmoil.
It was only then that Zani snapped out of her shock.
She immediately understood Aeron's meaning and without a moment's hesitation, activated the Opal he had pre-arranged in the venue.
Bang!
The entire auction hall was instantly shrouded in smoke, simultaneously making the areas illuminated by the remaining lights even more conspicuous.
"Everyone, stay where you are!"
Carlotta's clear and powerful voice pierced through the smoke. The Montelli personnel who had been lying in ambush outside quickly entered and began taking control of the situation.
Finally, Zani had essentially completed the task that should have been Aeron's responsibility.
However, she knew her work wasn't finished yet.
Zani stepped forward, one hand removing the red tie from her chest as her white hair cascaded down, glowing like embers in the dim venue. The sweater on her upper body dissipated with the activation of her Resonance Power, revealing the uniform beneath and her well-trained, robust physique.
"Aeron, you just wait."
...
Although there had been a minor unexpected incident, at least the current situation hadn't slipped from Aeron's control.
Just as he had discussed with Carlotta, he would send the signal during the auction, and then she would bring people to control the scene.
As for the person they were both looking for, he was currently in the private room above Aeron, staring down at the attackers with furious eyes.
"Aeron..."
Capollo's voice was hoarse with anger and a trace of fear. He tried to say something to regain control of the situation, but the words caught in his throat. The current circumstances had long exceeded his understanding and control.
From his perspective, one moment he had been drinking tea in the main box, reviewing the list of attendees and the items for auction, and the next moment the entire auction was disrupted by a corpse suddenly thrown in through the door. Now, coming to investigate, he found that the corpse had actually come back to life.
But Aeron paid no attention to these concerns.
"To protect yourself, you even invited people from Fractsidus? You've got no shame, Capollo!"
"Just a lackey of the Order... how could you understand the efforts I've made to ensure Montelli's survival!"
"So you handed over all power of life and death to others? What a loyal dog!"
He understood people like Capollo all too well—incompetent yet pretentious, ultimately harming both themselves and the bigger picture.
How can we properly manage Montelli with such vermin around!
"Shut up! You..." Capollo sputtered in rage, "No wonder! No wonder Lord Fenrico is determined to have you killed! You're nothing but a scourge!"
Hearing Capollo's words, Aeron paused for a moment, then let out an even more delighted laugh.
Well now, an unexpected bonus.
"In that case, none of you will escape!"
Faced with Aeron's blatant threat, Capollo grew somewhat panicked. He had never encountered anyone quite like Aeron before.
"Do you really think you can get out of here alive!"
Hum—!
At Capollo's command, strange disturbances emerged from various parts of the auction venue. The Echoes that had originally been displayed as exhibition items activated one after another, preparing to attack the people Carlotta had brought.
Then, the curtain before Aeron slowly parted, revealing the auction's finale item—the Heteromorphic Armament, representing the pinnacle achievement of Montelli family tuners.
Meanwhile, Phrolova, who had just been locked in combat with Aeron, emerged from the shadows beneath the exhibition platform. She wanted to see how Aeron would break through such a hopeless situation.
Aeron's approach was straightforward.
In his current state, he certainly couldn't defeat Phrolova and the numerous Echoes before him.
But if he were to die once, the outcome would be entirely different.
Since they wanted his life, he'd simply give it to them!
[Focus Fire, activate]
The next second, Capollo was stunned.
Despite giving no further commands, all the Echoes on the field seemed bewitched, frantically lunging toward Aeron.
Simultaneously, Aeron on the platform spread his arms, feeling the chill emanating from the Heterogeneous Armament as he awaited his death.
"...?"
But the pain Aeron anticipated never came.
Instead, he felt warm breath as someone grabbed his arm.
Clang!
When Aeron finally processed what was happening, he was completely bewildered.
Zani, having unleashed her Resonance Power and entered her Blazing Flame form, stood before him wielding a massive sword-shield, blocking the Heterogeneous Armament that had been closest to him.
"Zani?!"
Before he could comprehend why Zani was here, she had already sprung into action.
With all her strength, she swung her great sword-shield, sweeping away all the Echoes charging toward Aeron. The weaker Echoes shattered upon impact, while even the Heterogeneous Armament before them was forced into a rigid stun.
"You really know how to keep me busy," Zani remarked as she raised her weapon again, turning to glare at Aeron. Her eyes held a flicker of annoyance, but more importantly, relief. "You owe me overtime pay for this. Alone."
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