Vale's instincts were sharp, and he quickly realized that something was amiss.
'Aren't you the one who set this up?' Vale frowned at Celina's acting.
He knew that this ambush was too suspicious, and he could only think that Celina was merely playing the victim, and her cries for help were nothing more than a ruse.
However, he didn't have the time to confront her as he made a split-second decision to prioritize the safety of the unsuspecting passengers.
It seems that these mercenaries weren't holding back at all and trying to make this a real ambush. Other passengers had already perished!
'They really don't value other people's lives.' Vale thought as he proceeded to subdue the enemies.
With a swift motion, he unleashed his Spell Dispersion spell, a powerful ability that could neutralize and destroy incoming spells. The air crackled with energy as the spells of the Arcanists and mercenaries were shattered into nothingness, their magical attacks rendered useless.
"W-what?!"
"Is it the Runecaster's Anti-Dark Magic Rune?!"
"Not good!"
The Arcanists, taken by surprise at Vale's unexpected display of power, momentarily faltered. They couldn't even tell how he did it.
"Is that your doing?!" One of the mercenaries near Vale asked in frustration as he tried to activate his Spell again.
However, Vale simply smirked as he drew his Stormbringer to cut the man's arms! It was such an unexpected attack from a student of the Dark Arts Academy!
They have never considered that their target could wield a sword! Furthermore, Vale did it so swiftly using his Shadowblade Dance…
Their confidence wavered as they realized they were facing an opponent who couldn't just dismantle their spells easily but also fight them with a sword!
If they couldn't use their Spells, they would have to fight in physical combat, which they weren't prepared for!
"He can't do it repeatedly! Use your Spells once again!" One of the mercenaries in the crowd shouted. He seemed to be the leader and was closely paying attention to Vale's movements just now.
He could tell that Vale was an expert swordsman similar to the Knights he knew.
'This is not going well… Why is he even wielding a sword?!' He thought to himself, frustrated with this discovery as this wasn't in their briefing!
He couldn't help but glance at Celina's direction for giving them incomplete information. However, she also seemed confused since she had never seen Vale using a sword!
'How can he do this?!' Celina stood in shock as she witnessed Vale's ferocious attack.
Nevertheless, they couldn't give up just because of that.
As the battle continued, they confirmed that Vale could only use his Spell Disrupting Technique for a certain period of time. Although it was difficult to fight against him, it allowed them to at least have some chance to fight against him.
As for the Dark Spirit that they expected to appear, it hadn't shown itself at all!
They were told that Vale's strength would heavily rely on this Spirit, but it was nowhere in sight!
The mercenaries were caught off guard as the Mystical Items they equipped were meant to deal with Vale's Moonlight Curse, Ghost Hands, and Dark Spirit!
Seizing the opportunity, Vale swiftly moved through their ranks, using his nimble movement to incapacitate them one by one.
The Arcanists, surprised by Vale's agility and combat prowess, were unable to mount an effective defense.
They underestimated his abilities, never expecting him to possess such skill in spell destruction and close-quarters combat.
Thud!
As Vale incapacitated the last of the Arcanists, a feeling of triumph washed over him. He had even "saved" Celina from the Mercenaries without his knowledge because he was too focused on using his Shadowblade Dance to cut down his opponents.
Just like that, Vale had successfully eliminated the immediate threat, ensuring the safety of the innocent passengers on the Airship.
'As expected, not showing my true skills in the Academy was the right choice...' Vale thought as he also realized that the enemies were prepared to deal with his known skills.
It was a good thing that Celina only knew that he was just an outstanding student and didn't think that his level was already the same as First-Class Arcanist or even better.
Vale then summoned his Ghost Hands to Extract the dead and unconscious people around.
At this time, the guards who were previously locked up by Formation Arts had freed themselves and immediately went to Vale's side.
"Thank you for saving us, young Arcanist. I'm Gene Henry, the Vice Captain of the ship. I didn't know that the people we've picked up in Bellmourne City were criminals." Gene said, relieved that the situation was finally resolved.
There were a total of 25 criminals on the ground. They were either dead or unconscious because of Vale's attacks.
"It's fine… Please treat the injured, and I suggest that we immediately land." Vale said as he spread out his senses to ensure no enemies were hiding around.
Gene, on the other hand, agreed to Vale's suggestion.
"Yes! I've already informed the captain of the situation here. We should be landing on the next town immediately."
At this time, the ship's crew members started helping the victims. However, one of them went to the Vice Captain's side and reported that the communication system was still down.
Vale didn't think much of it since they would be landing soon, so he tried looking for Celina.
He immediately saw her being treated by one of the crews of the ship, and looked miserable.
Vale wanted to confront her and question her motives, but suddenly, he heard a slow, mocking clap from behind.
Clap… Clap… Clap…
Vale's senses heightened, and he spun around to face a strong foe.
The man in front of him was unnoticeable from his Divine Sense, and his Magic Zone didn't pick up his energy fluctuation either.
A mixture of apprehension and adrenaline coursed through Vale's veins as he locked eyes with the mysterious figure. It was clear that this opponent was no ordinary Arcanist or mercenary.
As the clapping ceased, the stranger's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Impressive, young Arcanist. Your little display of power certainly caught my attention."
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