Chapter 41: Who cares! Flying Kick!
The black mist swirling above the men’s heads made Ailiya’s stomach churn with visceral disgust.
It wasn’t just unsettling—it was a deep, soul-level revulsion.
Unlike traceable mana or ordinary dust, it was thick, filthy, almost alive.
It felt like a beached whale, rotting under the sun for weeks, its bloated corpse sliced open with a knife, spewing a putrid mix of innards and decay in a sickening squelch.
“Ugh, what’s with that gross metaphor?!” Aurora, crouched behind the display, turned green, pinching her nose as if smelling the stench, whispering fiercely. “That’s way too disgusting!”
Ailiya ignored her, peering through the velvet stand’s gap, eyes locked on the chaos outside.
What is this mess? I just wanted to buy some underwear in peace—how did I end up in a biochemical horror show? Who’s paying for my mental trauma?!
The men’s rampage continued.
A burly, bear-like man with a scarred face grinned wickedly, sweeping delicate lingerie displays to the floor, glass shattering and wood splintering in a cacophony.
A scrawny, goat-bearded man cackled lewdly, stuffing customers’ dropped wallets and jewelry into his bulging pockets.
A few thuggish yellow-haired punks tore lace bras from the walls, spouting vile comments about their styles.
“Help!” a panicked noble girl screamed, bolting for the ornate carved door, only to slam into an invisible wall, the force hurling her back to the floor in a heap.
“No use, little beauties,” a scar-faced man, likely the leader, crowed, spreading his arms theatrically. “This shop’s sealed tight with barrier magic! It’s our paradise now, and you’re the cutest angels in it… Be good, and your big brothers will ‘love’ you well!”
His words dripped with menace, sparking louder jeers from his crew.
“Boss, I’m picking one to play with!” a yellow-haired thug said, rubbing his hands, his leering gaze scanning the trembling girls.
He grabbed a nearby sobbing girl, dragging her toward a fitting room despite her desperate screams.
Her cries grew shrill, then muffled by the heavy curtains and the men’s laughter.
Inside, the thug tossed her onto the soft carpet, eagerly stripping down to grimy boxers, leering as he closed in. “Don’t be scared, little beauty, your brother’s gonna—”
A hand tapped his back, light and emotionless.
He froze, a chill shooting from his spine to his skull.
Before he could turn or scream, a white-wrapped fist loomed large.
Bang!
A dull thud, like a melon splitting.
His nose shattered, eyes rolled back, and he crumpled without a sound.
Ailiya exhaled, shaking her stinging fist. Ugh, hitting scum hurts my hand. Not worth it.
She turned to the stunned girl, gesturing “shush” and mouthing, “Keep screaming.”
The girl blinked, then wailed louder than ever.
“[Phase Walk].”
With a low chant, Aurora’s form shimmered through the wall from the next fitting room like a ghost.
She glanced at the unconscious thug, giving Ailiya a thumbs-up. “Done. The others in the fitting rooms are out too.”
Outside, the men kept looting, oblivious to their comrades “evaporating” in seconds.
Ailiya crouched, inspecting the fallen thug. The ominous black mist seeped from somewhere on him.
Aurora peeked through the curtain, her fingertips glowing faintly as she sensed the air, frowning. “Their mana’s weak—street thug level. But sealing an entire shop with barrier magic? That’s not amateur work. Something’s fishy.”
Ailiya’s eyes locked on an unremarkable iron bracelet on the man’s wrist.
The mist’s source.
“Found it.” She showed Aurora.
“Robbing ‘Venus’s Secret,’ the capital’s top shop, in broad daylight? That’s a historic crime,” Aurora said, ruffling her blonde hair in frustration. “But my ‘guide’ doesn’t mention this at all.”
“Another unscripted event?” Ailiya sighed, exhausted. Might as well burn Aurora’s useless guidebook…
“The patrol should notice soon,” Aurora said hopefully, glancing at the rainy window. “We just need to stall for backup.”
“They’ve got a barrier,” Ailiya countered, pointing at the faint magical shimmer on the ceiling. “Sound and mana don’t escape. Plus, this rain? Patrols are less likely to spot trouble. They probably chose today because fewer customers and rain cover their tracks.”
“We can’t fight head-on!” Aurora grabbed Ailiya’s arm, frantic. “We’ll get ourselves killed!”
As they argued, the situation escalated.
“Filthy bastards!” a brave clerk snapped, grabbing a metal clothing rod and charging a thug.
Her feeble strength was no match. The man easily snatched the rod, shoved her down, and stomped on her chest, sneering at the crowd. “Anyone else wanna try?”
No one dared respond.
His grin turned vile as he bent down, tugging at her uniform.
Rip—
A button tore free, arcing through the air and landing with a clink behind Aurora’s curtain.
“Ailiya, stay calm!” Aurora hissed, fists trembling with rage. “We need the right moment to— Ailiya?!”
She turned, grabbing only air.
Ailiya was gone.
A silver-white blur flashed, her long leg sweeping like a battle-axe, striking the thug’s temple with precision.
Boom!
His massive frame flew like a snapped kite, smashing through several displays before stopping in a wreckage, the sheer force silencing the shop for a moment.
“Per—vert,” Ailiya spat, landing steadily, hands on hips, sticking out her tongue in disgust.
Ugh, they forced my hand.
All this damage… will I have to pay? Whatever, deal with these creeps first!
She grinned, radiant but dangerous. “Wanna fight? I’m game.”