Just like the two expected, Alea missed a single big catch. With the Eilric Family tailing them or just the potential alone was enough to make the assassins think that they only had one chance to act if they didn't want to miss this opportunity.
They needed to strike Theo when the battle just ended because that was the only time they could see the military and the Eilric Family gathered in one place without doing anything.
And Theo also knew that timing, thus allowing him to draw all of them out by chasing the bait they had.
Inside the forest, he had started fighting the bait, which was none other than his former teammate, Sihan Raskaka.
Theo waved his spear from the side, using his Telekinesis, Cannon Blast, and External Flow.
Sihan stomped the ground and raised his shield, stopping this attack head-on. However, he soon got launched away because of the power difference between them.
"You won't be able to fight me anymore." Theo snorted and said, "I thought about sparing you until I got the clear answer from my brother, but since you seek death, I will deliver it to you."
"Since when you talk too much." Sihan snorted and regained his foothold while waving his sword backward, striking Clone Theo.
Clone Theo hit the sword as the two clashed for a moment before Sihan's sword flew to the air.
With a single wave of his hand, the sword fell down at fast speed, almost impaling him. Clone Theo used his Telekinesis to push the sword into the air to avoid him using it.
However, Sihan adjusted his fingers a little bit as Theo noticed two more strings were attached to the trees next to him. This string tightened and straightened, almost slicing Clone Theo's neck.
Clone Theo took a step back and slashed the string while the real body arrived and swung his spear together with his clone, trying to incapacitate him in this strike.
Sihan snorted and placed his shield on the ground, tweaking his fingers a little bit. A series of strings began to make their appearance, coated by blue-colored energy.
These strings stopped Theo's spear right below the spear's blade where there was no energy that could cut them.
Seeing this, Agata furrowed her eyebrows and maintained her vigilance. She didn't want to help Theo because he wanted to solve this problem by himself, so all she could do was watch out for the incoming enemies that would help Sihan.
"Theo, we don't have time. I can sense them coming," shouted Agata while asking, "Do you need help?"
"No. But this is certainly annoying." Theo nodded and covered his foot with his Cannon Blast energy before stomping the ground. The energy from the Cannon Blast destroyed the ground, turning it into a crater.
Losing their foothold and incapacitating Sihan's string for a moment, Theo kicked him on the stomach while his clone hit him on the back.
Because Theo just used the Cannon Blast, he couldn't use it anymore. Only his clone could throw a powerful strike next.
Knowing Theo's power, Sihan used his shield to block the Cannon Blast while using his hand to stop Theo's fist.
Unfortunately for him, each of Theo's strikes wasn't the same anymore. All of them contained at least External Flow and Telekinesis unless he didn't plan to use them.
The force blew his shield and his hand in the opposite directions, making his body spin. His wrist was twisted while he felt his lower's arm bone that held the shield cracked.
"Kh!" Sihan gritted his teeth and landed on the ground, coughing out blood. Still, he couldn't let down his guard when fighting Theo, so he hurriedly rolled once to look up, finding Theo swinging his spears downwards.
Using the ground as his support, Sihan raised his shield to block this attack.
Bam.
The crater became deeper when his spears hit the shield.
"Argh!" Sihan screamed in pain as his hand just broke and used his broken wrist to help.
However, the most shocking thing Theo did just now was cracking Sihan's shield. The shield was made of C Rank Material, the same as his spear. This meant Theo's power was far above an average C Rank monster.
"Kh!" Sihan gritted his teeth, knowing that this would be his end.
Meanwhile, Agata was impressed by Theo's power while thinking, "Theo's strength is extraordinary. He may be on par with Nella in terms of control. So, this is the genius that shook the world a few months ago…"
But her expression turned serious as she looked to the side, seeing their pursuers.
"Theo!" Suddenly, Agata's voice resounded in the area as she appeared next to Theo, releasing a heart-shaped pink balloon and shooting it to the sky.
Theo raised his vision and saw a red fireball that fell on top of the balloon, exploding together with the balloon. Luckily, the pink-colored smoke prevented the fireball from exploding.
"There are ten… No, fifteen of them. We need to get away right now," Agata warned him out loud.
Instead of running, Clone Theo reached Agata's shoulder while the real him planned to deliver the killing blow.
He planned to stab his throat to make sure he died since the heart was protected well by the shield.
"Die." Theo snorted and stabbed him.
As if this was his last struggle, Sihan raised his right hand and waved it down. In that instant, not only his wrist but also his arm bent in a weird way. Luckily, his gamble paid off as the strings restrained Theo's spear and redirected it.
In the end, Theo pierced the side of his chest, missing his vital spots.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue as the pursuers reached his position.
Without any choice, Theo pulled his spear out and used his Blink together with his clone, teleporting them away.
"He went in that direction." Xavier pointed to the left after getting his position through his Awareness. "Healer, stay behind to heal him. The rest of you will follow me."
"Understood!"
Sihan watched everything happening slowly, knowing that he was dying. He opened his mouth and looked at the blue sky while muttering inwardly, "Life for life. You saved my life back then. Now I have paid you back."