As soon as she found Taíra amid the chaos in the streets, Platinum decided to place her inside a shop where some civilians were hiding. Before leaving to search for Enrico, she left a girl in charge of protecting her. Now, Taíra remained near the counter, observing the stranger who was supposed to ensure her safety.
"What is your name? Do you know my sister?"
The blonde girl raised an eyebrow at the question. Her hair was divided into two long braids that reached her waist, while her bangs covered much of her forehead. When a few strands moved aside, Taíra managed to notice a mark in the center of her forehead, although she couldn't see it clearly enough to identify its details.
"To tell you the truth, no. But I think I recognize your brother. He's in Class S of the first year, isn't he?"
"Class S? What's your rank?"
The stranger stared at Taíra for a few seconds, unsure whether she should laugh or feel offended by the question.
"You're already asking about my rank before even learning my name? You're quite bold, girl. My name is Alenya Solvere Aurens."
She crossed her arms and sighed before continuing.
"And to answer your question, I'm Rank 6. At least, I should be his next opponent."
Taíra studied the girl for a few moments.
If Alenya was ranked sixth, that meant she was stronger than her useless brother. Considering that he now possessed absurd power, this girl would probably also be useful for protecting her.
Satisfied with the answer, Taíra sat down, keeping a considerable distance from the civilians hiding behind the counter and the shelves.
Alenya watched the girl for a few seconds before asking a question.
"From the looks of it, you're about thirteen years old. Since you haven't turned fifteen yet, what percentage of the First Circle have you reached?"
"Yes, I'm thirteen. I'm a prodigy, so I've already reached seventy percent of Circle Zero, and I even have two spells."
Alenya's eyes widened.
"Seventy percent? At your age? Most children haven't even reached fifty percent! Could you show me those two spells?"
Taíra raised her hands, pleased to finally find someone who recognized her talent. In one hand, she created a small fireball. In the other, she manifested an iron sword.
Alenya was genuinely surprised.
"You possess two magical affinities at this age?"
"I told you I'm a prodigy."
"That's incredible..."
Before Alenya could continue, a violent explosion echoed from outside. Her expression changed immediately, and she positioned herself in front of the door, ready to prevent any attacker from entering.
The explosions multiplied throughout the streets, accompanied by screams and the sound of magic colliding. The situation seemed to worsen with every passing moment.
Then, one of the windows shattered.
A boy was thrown into the shop, passing through the fragments of glass before hitting the floor heavily. His body was covered in injuries, and he could barely move.
Alenya recognized the young man.
'Isn't that the boy who ran to help the guards? From what I know, he's close to reaching the Second Circle.'
Before she could approach him, an unfamiliar voice echoed from outside.
"What do we have here? So this is where you were hiding?"
A second boy, wearing a dark hood, entered through the broken window. The injured young man tried to get up, but his legs gave way before he could stand.
Alenya immediately realized that the newcomer was dangerous. Without hesitation, she approached the fallen boy and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Life Magic: Complete Healing!"
A gentle light enveloped his injured body. Gradually, the cuts began to close, and his breathing became less irregular. When he realized he could move again, the young man looked at Alenya gratefully.
"Thank you very much!"
"Don't thank me yet. We need to get out of here alive."
The boy stood up, and the two assumed combat positions. The hooded attacker, however, showed no concern. He raised his hands, and the earth beneath their feet violently broke apart, tearing through the wooden floor.
Before they could react, arms made of earth wrapped around their bodies, pinning them to the ground and preventing them from moving.
"You're not on my level. Stay quiet while I kill everyone here."
Alenya gritted her teeth, trying to free herself.
"As if I'd let you!"
An intense light erupted around her body. The energy spread through her arms and shattered the earthen prison, breaking apart the fragments that held her immobilized.
Without wasting time, she concentrated the light in one hand and created a spear. With a quick movement, she hurled it at the enemy.
The tip pierced through the earthen defense and cut into the hooded attacker's shoulder.
"Damn you!"
The attacker retreated, pressing a hand against his wound. Alenya, however, gave him no time to regain his balance.
"Light Magic: Multiple Shots!"
Several luminous projectiles appeared around the enemy and advanced simultaneously. The shots struck his body, piercing his defense and inflicting minor injuries.
The hooded attacker growled and created a protective layer of earth over his skin. Then, he charged directly at Alenya, preparing to throw a punch.
The boy who had been healed tried to help her by creating an earthen shield in front of the attacker. However, the hooded man's fist struck the defense with enough force to send him flying backward.
The young man crashed into a shelf, knocking several products down, and fell to the floor, unable to get back up immediately.
Alenya realized she couldn't count on him in that fight.
'From what I can see, this boy is much weaker than someone at his level should be. Besides, his body is far too thin.'
The hooded attacker advanced again. Alenya dodged a punch by ducking at the last moment and concentrated light around her leg. Taking advantage of the opening, she kicked his body.
The magic worked, but the girl was surprised by her own movement.
'That was the first time I've used this magic. I panicked and must have activated one of my predecessors' spells.'
She had no time to investigate what had happened. The enemy was still standing, and his earthen defense made every attack much more difficult to overcome.
While Alenya tried to find an opening, Taíra decided to act.
The girl advanced from behind the hooded attacker, holding the iron sword she had created earlier. With all the strength she could muster, she struck the enemy, trying to cut him in half.
The result was disappointing. The blade struck the layer of earth covering the attacker's body but couldn't even cut through it.
The hooded attacker slowly turned his head, looking at Taíra with contempt.
"What is this? A brave little girl?"
Before she could retreat, he threw a punch.
The blow wasn't particularly powerful for someone at his level, but the difference between them was enormous. To Taíra, it felt like being hit by a carriage moving at high speed.
"Aaah!"
Her body was hurled against the wall. The impact knocked the breath out of her, and she fell to the floor, unable to move her limbs.
The difference between someone who hadn't yet reached the First Circle and someone who already possessed far greater power was cruel. Even with talent and determination, Taíra still wasn't capable of facing an opponent of that level.
Alenya immediately abandoned the fight and rushed toward her, leaving a trail of light behind her. She knelt beside the girl and placed her hands on her shoulders.
"What are you doing?! Didn't you say I was supposed to protect her? Your sister will kill me if you die!"
Taíra could barely breathe, but she still found the strength to let out a small sound of pain.
"Ah..."
The light enveloped her body, healing her most serious injuries. Despite that, the pain from her broken bones didn't disappear immediately, and she continued trembling.
When she saw the hooded attacker approaching, fear took hold of her. Taíra hid behind Alenya, clutching her clothes as if that were the only way to stay alive.
Alenya sighed upon realizing the situation.
'She may be a prodigy, but she's still not ready.'
Neither the injured boy nor Taíra could help her in that battle. One could barely stand, while the other lacked the experience and strength necessary to face the enemy. To make matters worse, there were still civilians hiding behind the counter.
Alenya needed to fight, protect the two young people, and prevent the innocent from being killed. Everything indicated that her luck had run out that day.
Or perhaps not.
"Is this the place where your sister said she put Taíra? It doesn't look very safe."
Enrico entered the shop carrying the woman he had rescued, accompanied by Kaela. His eyes quickly swept across the destroyed environment, assessing the situation.
"At least we arrived before anyone died."
Upon hearing that voice, Alenya immediately turned around.
Enrico was there. The injured boy also recognized the woman the young man was carrying. As soon as he realized she was alive, his eyes widened, and he ran toward them.
"Mother!"
Enrico carefully lowered the woman and allowed the young man to approach. Upon noticing his desperate expression, he immediately understood the relationship between them.
"So you're her son? Very well. Stay with your mother while we sort out this mess."
The young man knelt beside the woman, checking her condition before looking at Enrico.
"Thank you very much!"
Enrico nodded and turned his attention to the hooded attacker.
Realizing there were more opponents, the enemy concentrated a large amount of earth around his fist. The mass expanded rapidly, forming a structure much larger than his hand, prepared to crush anyone who approached.
He raised his arm, ready to attack. However, Enrico and Kaela had already moved.
The two advanced simultaneously, leaving trails of fire behind them. Instead of attacking from the front, they circled the enemy and kicked his back, sending him flying toward Alenya.
The girl immediately understood the plan. She concentrated light in her hand, created another spear, and hurled it at the opponent while he was still in the air. This time, the tip pierced through the earthen defense and penetrated his abdomen.
"Guh!"
The hooded attacker was sent flying, crashing into the wall with enough force to crack it.
He slid to the floor, trying to catch his breath. He was a Second Circle mage, and at that moment, he was surrounded by three opponents who also belonged to the Second Circle but demonstrated a much greater combat ability than his own.
Realizing he was at a disadvantage, the boy pulled off his hood. On the center of his chest was a brooch bearing the symbol of a dark forest.
"If I'm going to die, then you're all dying with me!"
He began gathering mana, preparing to unleash a desperate attack. Before he could complete the technique, however, a second hooded figure appeared behind him.
Upon recognizing the symbol on the newcomer's chest, the first attacker finally seemed relieved.
"You came to help me! Get me out of here and—"
His sentence was interrupted by an unexpected blow. The hooded figure who had approached him was wielding a water spear. Taking advantage of his companion's distraction, he drove the weapon through his back.
The first boy's eyes widened, unable to understand what had just happened.
"Why...?"
Enrico was the only one who didn't seem particularly surprised. While the others were still trying to understand the situation, he advanced and concentrated fire on his fist.
"Fire Fist!"
His blow pierced the attacker's chest before he could react. The hooded man lost his strength and fell to the ground.
"You bastards..."
Enrico watched the body fall and discreetly made a hidden signal to the second hooded figure. Without saying anything, the figure turned and ran out of the shop, disappearing amid the chaos in the city.
Kaela, who had witnessed everything, approached Enrico with a confused expression.
"Who was that guy? Weren't they allies?"
Enrico looked at the door through which the second hooded figure had disappeared and answered calmly.
"Maybe someone was wearing a disguise and simply picked up a brooch from the ground."
Kaela thought for a few moments before nodding.
"You're right. We could try doing the same thing you did with the one you picked up, Professor?"
"It's better to focus on saving the civilians for now."
Kaela seemed to agree after thinking a little longer.
"All right, I'll do my best to save everyone."
Enrico gave her a thumbs-up.
'That's good.'
In truth, the second hooded figure was an elemental water clone created by Enrico. Before entering the shop, he had ordered the clone to wear one of the discarded hoods and carry one of the brooches.
That way, when the opportunity arose, he could make it appear as a supposed member of the cult and use it to confuse the enemies.
Enrico intended to take advantage of that resource to assume Kael's identity, alternating between the two appearances whenever necessary. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a hesitant voice.
"B-Brother?"
Enrico turned around. Taíra was standing there, looking at him with a mixture of nervousness and fear. For the first time since he had arrived in the city, she seemed not to know what to say.
Enrico approached, observing his sister for a few seconds. Perhaps after that encounter, she would stop calling him useless for a while.