Aaron's hesitation didn't last long.
...!
In an instant, he and Kiana both sensed a new killing intent.
Only, this killing intent wasn't directed at them.
Threads appeared from nowhere, flashing past. The bandits on the ground were all easily decapitated by those threads.
In a single strike, the man had taken the lives of all those bandits.
"Ah..."
Although Kiana had sensed the killing intent, she never imagined so many lives would be extinguished right before her eyes in an instant.
In the years since Siegfried disappeared, Kiana, who had spent most of her time wandering, was no stranger to seeing people die.
But to see so many lives suddenly snuffed out at once... such a shocking scene was, as expected, too much for the young woman.
"Calm down!"
Sensing Kiana's composure start to waver, Aaron immediately pulled her into his arms and whispered again, "Calm down. Don't worry, I'm right here."
"...Yeah."
Replying softly, Kiana suddenly felt the heavy weight in her heart lighten considerably.
*Actually, I was just thinking that if they were dealt with here, they couldn't go on to hurt others, which would be a good thing.*
*But... why did I... waver just now?*
*I don't get it. Is my heart... really this fragile?*
"Ah, sorry, sorry. Didn't scare you, did I?"
After finishing his work, a young man slowly walked out of the nearby woods, stopping about a hundred meters away from the two.
"...You scared my friend! Pay up!"
"No way! You're really scared?"
Hearing this, the newcomer seemed to be the one who was startled, saying in shock, "The two people who defeated two Teigu users in a row... shouldn't be scared by something of this level. That was my judgment."
"Could it be... that my judgment was flawed?"
*Tch. So it's out.*
Looking at the young man, Aaron's expression didn't change much, but inwardly he was already feeling the trouble.
*Threads that can easily slice through human flesh and bone. This is undoubtedly the threads of the Teigu [Crosstail].*
*And combined with his short stature, this man was undoubtedly the Night Raid member, Lubbock.*
*This is so annoying. How did he know we defeated two Teigu users?*
*What's his purpose in coming here...*
*And speaking of which, the Lubbock who's appeared this time is actually wearing a white mask to hide his face...*
*Seriously? You Night Raid guys are usually so blatant when you assassinate people, wearing a cloak is your best effort to hide your identity. But now you're wearing a mask?*
*Do you really need to be this cautious... just for us?*
"Ha, no denial. Looks like you and the young lady are admitting to it then, buddy."
After probing and getting the information he wanted, Lubbock dropped his teasing attitude and, like a true gentleman, bowed to the two of them.
"If my drastic actions frightened this young lady, then I sincerely apologize to you both."
"Oh, okay. I forgive you on her behalf. If there's nothing else, let's just pretend we never met."
After whispering "Be careful" in Kiana's ear, Aaron let go of the girl.
Upon receiving Aaron's message, Kiana's eyes instantly sharpened.
*Aaron told me to be careful. That means this guy is an enemy.*
*If he's an enemy...!*
"Hey! Wait up, my friend!"
Seeing that Aaron was genuinely preparing to leave, Lubbock immediately called out, "You and I, my friend, we hit it off right away—"
"Give me a break, you're still wearing a mask."
"Hey, why worry about little details? When I saw you punishing those villains, I just knew you and I would get along great."
"Give me a break. You're not a cute girl. I'm not interested in 'getting along' with guys."
"Hey, look, you like cute girls, right? I like them too! We should be on the same side!"
"Save it. Just look at you, you reek of 'single'."
Pulling Kiana back into his arms, Aaron mocked Lubbock coolly. "I have a girlfriend. Why would I need to stoop to your level?"
"...Hey, man, that's just low. Don't hit a guy where it hurts."
"So, bottom line: you keep trying to keep us here with all this small talk that has nothing to do with what you're really thinking. What is your goal?"
"Didn't I say? I just want to make friends~"
"If you really wanted to make friends, you wouldn't have been crouching in the forest watching us get attacked."
*Tch. He sensed me earlier?*
*Or is this a conclusion he drew after the fact?*
"Let me guess. You didn't make a move because you wanted to check us out, right?"
"Man, you're paranoid. I just couldn't tell who the bad guys were, okay? Attacking without knowing who's who, that's against my principles."
As if he hadn't heard Lubbock's explanation, Aaron continued on his own.
"No, it's not just to check us out. You had another motive, didn't you?"
"You didn't know what our attitude towards the Empire was, so you used these guys to probe us, and also to test our attitude."
"Oh, and you also let us see the so-called 'Darkness of the Empire', to make us thoroughly disgusted with it, which would help your next move."
"That's my judgment. I wonder, Mr. Night Raid, are you going to keep playing dumb?"
..........................