Charles yanked the man's coat off, revealing his full appearance. No wonder the proportions of his face and body looked so off—beneath the coat, he was wearing combat gear and a tactical vest, stuffed with magazines and grenades.
Of course, it wasn't the outfit that prompted Charles to act so decisively. As the man passed by him, Charles's exceptionally sharp sense of smell caught a very particular scent.
It was the sharp odor of industrial oil, mixed with traces of gunpowder and metal. Charles didn't even need to guess to know exactly what kind of equipment gave off such a complex scent.
Then he read the man's aura—chaotic, murky, and filled with a malice that couldn't be more obvious. Worse, that malice wasn't directed at a specific individual, but at everyone within his field of vision.
This was clearly a dangerous individual. Charles didn't know what the man was planning, but there was no need for hesitation in stopping him.
The others understood Charles's actions the moment they saw the assault rifle. But the most important thing now was to determine who this man was.
Arisuin Nagi spoke up, "That gear—he's with Rebellion!"
"Rebellion? Are you sure, Alice?" Charles asked.
Arisuin nodded. "I got caught up in a similar incident before. This is Rebellion's standard loadout. If he really is from Rebellion, then this is bad. They never act alone. Which means there are more of them in this mall, and they're planning something."
Charles didn't doubt him. He turned immediately to Ikki and said, "This is urgent. Ikki, contact the chairman and report Rebellion's presence. Ask her to alert the security forces immediately. Also, request permission to use our Devices."
Ikki nodded, taking out his student handbook and contacting the chairman.
Charles turned to the others. "The three of you, start evacuating the civilians. I'll locate the Rebellion operatives already hidden in the mall. Time is critical. Let's move."
Everyone understood the severity of the situation and sprang into action without hesitation.
No one dared underestimate Rebellion. They were one of the world's three major powers.
The International Mage-Knight League—also one of the big three—named their organization to promote chivalric ideals among Blazers. Their slogan, "Blazers must protect the powerless," was the basis for the societal structure adopted by most nations.
Rebellion, however, was the exact opposite. They were a terrorist organization that abused Blazer abilities.
They believed Blazers were "humans chosen by the gods," and labeled regular people as "inferior humans."
All of their acts of terror were aimed at destroying the existing social order and replacing it with a paradise of their own—one where the "divinely chosen" ruled over the "inferior."
Ironically, the majority of Rebellion's members were ordinary humans—the very ones they deemed inferior. Called "disciples," these individuals wreaked more havoc than most Blazers, all for the promised title of "honored citizens of the new world."
True Blazers were a minority in Rebellion. The most famous among them were the "Twelve Apostles," a dozen Blazers of immense power.
That was all Charles knew of Rebellion—information gleaned from official records back in his homeland.
Even then, those documents had hinted that Rebellion was no ordinary terrorist group.
But due to his country's strict regulations, Rebellion had never managed to infiltrate its borders, and Charles had never encountered one in person—until now.
Having seen one up close, Charles wasn't impressed. If all of Rebellion's operatives were like the guy he'd just subdued, there was no need for hesitation. They could and should be taken down.
Wait a second… this setup—it's exactly like Byakuya's cult.
Two different worlds, same type of enemy? Guess that makes me a Rebellion expert now.
In the previous world, Charles hadn't bothered stopping Patry from sacrificing himself to the Eye of the Midnight Sun. And in this one, he had no intention of showing mercy to terrorists either.
Charles's eyes gleamed with killing intent. Time to stretch a bit.
...
At first, Charles relied on the scent of gun oil and the malice radiating from the Rebellion agents to find them. But he soon realized that wasn't necessary at all.
In this already sweltering weather, the Rebellion agents' getup made them stand out completely.
Charles dragged a short man through an alley and tossed him into a secluded corner like a bag of trash.
Including the first one, this was the fifth Rebellion agent he had located.
To avoid causing a panic—or tipping off the other agents—Charles had been moving as discreetly as possible.
The others soon regrouped. Ikki spoke first. "I contacted the chairman. She's authorized us to use our Devices, and the security force is on the way."
Arisuin added, "Most of the civilians outside the mall have been evacuated. But there are still quite a few Rebellion agents inside—and they've already started their operation.
They've rounded up about fifty hostages in the food court plaza. Looks like they targeted this mall as a way to raise funds."
Charles nodded. "I've caught four more agents—probably part of the outer perimeter. So the rest must be gathered in the food court."
Ikki agreed. "Yeah. The biggest problem is that we have no idea what's going on in there. The mall's surveillance room has probably been taken over. Charging in blindly would be a mistake."
Arisuin smiled. "Then it's time for me to shine. My ability was made for situations like this."
As he spoke, Arisuin summoned his Device—a silver-gray dagger named Darkness Hermit. It paired perfectly with his shadow-manipulating ability, making it ideal for assassination and infiltration.
"Everyone, grab onto me!"
Once everyone had a hand on him, Arisuin activated his ultimate move—Light and Shadow Labyrinth.
Their shadows rippled like black pools of water, and one by one they sank into them.
The technique allowed their bodies to enter shadows and move through interconnected shadow paths—an infiltration skill straight out of a spy thriller.
Thanks to it, the five of them bypassed Rebellion's perimeter and emerged directly into the food court plaza, where the hostages and agents were gathered.
Ripples spread from a corner shadow of the plaza like a disturbance on the surface of a lake. Arisuin emerged first, pulling the others out behind him.
It was Charles's first time experiencing shadow space. It felt like diving into a dark gray river.
There was no air inside—just like water—but with far less resistance.
Once they caught their breath, the group began surveying the plaza.
About twenty of the "disciples" were gathered there, each armed with assault rifles. Based on Rebellion's structure, this was the size of a typical task force.
And as expected, leading them was a Blazer Apostle.
Charles spotted a man with tattoos on his face, dressed in a black coat with gold embroidery—the formal garb reserved for Rebellion's Apostles.
But even if they managed to take him down, the remaining disciples would likely open fire on the hostages. After all, these terrorists were nothing if not insane.
In that case… they had to take out every last one of them before they could even pull the trigger.
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