Chapter 24: Elisa and Sarah?

Chapter 24: Elisa and Sarah? The door creaked open, revealing two stunning women standing side by side. One was a fiery beauty with long crimson hair that cascaded down her back like a blazing waterfall. Her amber eyes glowed with amusement, and her tight black combat outfit clung to every curve of her toned figure, radiating danger and seduction in equal measure. Her aura sparked C+ ranked, refined. The second woman exuded an entirely different vibe calm, graceful, and razor-sharp. She had raven-black hair, icy blue eyes, and a similarly skin-tight black outfit. Her elegance was chilling, her expression unreadable. Reo’s eyes narrowed. He’d already speculated these two weren’t ordinary bodyguards. There was no way someone would hire C+ ranked women to guard a mansion especially not for petty work. The cost alone would be astronomical. "Oh~? What do we have here?" the crimson-haired woman purred, a smirk tugging at her lips. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity and playful malice. "No scratches, no bruises... you walked right in. And those guards outside?." She took a step forward, her presence suffocating. "Sarah, what do you think? Should we kill the little intrude." The black-haired woman, Sarah, tilted her head, her tone calm but alert. "Who are you, kid?" Reo raised both hands slowly, showing he meant no harm. His voice remained steady, despite the knot in his gut. "I’m Reo. I’m not here to fight. I just wanted to rob this place—quietly. But clearly, that’s not happening anymore. You two are C+... I can’t do anything to you even if I tried." The red-haired woman blinked. Then grinned. "Really? That’s it? You broke in, took out half the guards, and now you’re surrendering like a gentleman?" Her voice was dripping with mischief. "How charming." She turned to Sarah with sparkles of excitement in her eyes. "Can I play with him a little?" Sarah let out a tired sigh but gestured for her to go ahead. "Fine. If he dies, it means someone else helped him get in. If he survives, well... we’ll know he’s something more." Reo’s heart pounded. He braced himself. "Althea... Bless Me" he whispered internally. Within his soul, the icy goddess stirred with a Cold Sigh "Don’t die too quickly." A wave of power surged through him. His strength, speed, and perception sharpened. Layers of icy shield wrapped around his body, and an ethereal sword of frozen light formed behind his back—a contingency from Althea. Reo activated his Angel Eyes. The world slowed. Just in time. A powerful punch came crashing toward him like a meteor. He barely managed to brace himself as the impact launched him several meters, his body slamming through a wall and tumbling into an open courtyard outside. "Still breathing? Good! I’m just getting started!" the crimson-haired woman laughed, cracking her knuckles. Her blood was racing. Inside, Sarah watched silently, intrigued. A normal F- would’ve been crushed to paste from that hit. This boy was clearly anything but ordinary. "Shit... fuck..." Reo muttered, his arm throbbing. He’d barely blocked the blow mid-air using raw instinct and a bit of the icy shield. The moment he hit the ground, the woman was already airborne, diving toward him for another strike. Thinking fast, Reo crafted an E- ranked shield mid-air—his weapon-making ability flaring into overdrive. As her flaming fist struck, the shield cracked but held. The shockwave cratered the ground beneath them. Using her moment of surprise, Reo commanded the icy sword behind him to strike. It shot forward like a bullet—catching the woman off-guard and slashing her shoulder. She staggered back a few steps, her eyes widening. "...What?" she muttered. The blow hadn’t pierced deep, but it was enough. Enough to numb her shoulder. Althea’s attack had carried true weight. Reo had managed to channel something nearing C- tier. Even Sarah, composed and quiet, was visibly surprised. A low whistle escaped her lips. "Now that’s something you don’t see every day..." The crimson-haired woman laughed, brushing strands of hair behind her ear, her amber eyes gleaming with newfound respect. "You’re full of surprises, kid." Reo slumped to the ground, panting heavily. That last exchange drained him. His arms ached, his knees buckled, and the lingering shock from her first punch still rattled his bones. "You passed," she said, walking over and offering a hand. "Name’s Elisa. Don’t take it personally—I just needed to make sure you weren’t bluffing." Reo hesitated before taking it. Her grip was firm but not hostile. Sarah stepped forward, her icy gaze fixed on him. "You’re not just some lucky one who stumbled in here, are you?" Reo managed a shaky smile. "Not exactly." She smiled back, slowly. "Then let me make you an offer." Her voice was calm, confident... and dangerous. "Reo. Would you like to join our organization?" "...Organization?" "NightGazer," Elisa said, eyes gleaming. "You’ll like it. We specialize in dealing with the shadows of the world... and robbing them blind." Reo stared, speechless. The infamous NightGazer? He’d heard of them in his past life—though details were scarce. They weren’t just thieves they were professionals. Underground elites. Dangerous. Efficient. And notoriously hard to trace. He was stunned.