Chapter 256: Finally, It's Time!

Kaisen crouched on the roof of a small house like a damn alley cat watching a mouse with a death wish. His eyes were glued to a little figure zipping around the battlefield like she was on crack.

Teleporting? Nah, just pure speed—faster than most of these idiots could blink. Bodies were piling up like a Black Friday sale, but even she was starting to show cracks.

She was old—like "I need a nap before I finish this fight" old. No amount of magical steroids was going to cover that.

Sure, she could've dipped into some ancient, sketchy black magic to keep herself young, but Nora was all about that natural life.

Age was just a number, right? Except when you're trying not to keel over in the middle of a battlefield.

Her gray hair and wrinkled skin were betraying her youthful spirit. She was like that mischievous granny who'd slip you a shot of whiskey at family dinners and then tell you not to tell your parents.

But even Granny Nora knew when it was time to cut the crap and get serious.

Like right now.

Leaning on her cane, she was puffing like she'd just run a marathon... uphill... both ways. Her ears were ringing, her knees were wobbling, and her heart was banging like a club bassline.

"Damn... huff... I'm too old for this shit..."

Without missing a beat, she whipped around, cane raised like it was Excalibur, aiming straight at the intruder trying to pull a sneaky on her.

His footsteps were heavy on purpose—like he wanted her to know he was there. Because why sneak when you could just flex?

"Y-you broke out?"

Nora blinked in surprise, her eyebrows shooting up as she sized Kaisen up from head to toe, noticing his nonchalant stance.

He stood there with his hands in his pockets, like a guy who'd just strolled out of a bar instead of a high-security prison.

Kaisen raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a half-smirk, not even bothering to move.

"You and I both know there's no point in me busting out to save a bunch of ungrateful, flea-ridden cats." He spoke like he was commenting on the weather, completely unbothered.

Nora couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Bunch of old fools! Should've let you out the moment this whole shitshow started. I could've been sipping my coffee, feet up, watching you mop the floor with their asses."

"Pride's a real bastard, ain't it?"

Kaisen shrugged, clearly enjoying their shared distaste for the idiocy of others.

She gave him an approving nod, her chuckle turning into a full-on grin.

"You're working with them?"

"Nah, couldn't give a flying fuck about them. I'm here for a girl. Her village is under attack—that's the only reason I'm not hiding my presence. No games, no drama.

Just her."

"Ronali, huh? A simple man with a simple mission. Gotta respect that. Girl's a catch, I'll give you that.

Reminds me of myself back when I was younger than this whole damn village."

Kaisen closed his eyes briefly, letting out a deep sigh.

'Ah, shit...'

He knew better than to leave an old badass like Nora wandering around while he was about to stir up more chaos.

If she wasn't knocked out cold, she'd probably pop up at the worst possible moment and throw a wrench into his plans. And if there was one thing Kaisen hated, it was unnecessary interruptions.

"Guess I'm gonna have to put grandma down for a nap," he muttered.

With a quick step forward, he blurred into motion, reappearing just behind Nora. She spun around, faster than you'd expect for someone her age, but Kaisen was faster. Before she could react, his knuckles connected with her head like a hammer to a rusty nail.

Kaisen gently caught the old lady in his arms and laid her down like she was some fragile china doll, all delicate and careful.

"Sorry, grandma. But don't worry, I'll clean up this mess before you even wake up."

He patted her on the head like she was some sleepy child, before standing up and surveying the battlefield with his sharp, eagle-eyed gaze.

The chaos was almost entertaining.

Cats were scrambling everywhere, warriors clashing like they were extras in a bad action movie.

Thankfully, the non-combatants were safely tucked away in that underground bunker, well-hidden from the madness.

Kaisen smirked, satisfied. He didn't sign up to save every idiot here, just the ones that mattered. The warriors? Well, they knew the risks, right?

No harm, no foul.

Taking a deep breath like he was gearing up for a lazy afternoon jog, Kaisen vanished into the shadows, slipping through the battlefield like a ghost.

His target? His own damn prison cell. After all, who wouldn't want the convenience of having the perfect alibi in place before the shit really hit the fan?

Kaisen had his Veil of Shadows cranked up like some sneaky ninja on steroids. No way in hell was he about to blow his perfect stealth streak now.

He'd been playing this undercover game like a pro, slithering through the chaos without anyone catching so much as a whiff of him.

There was absolutely no way he was going to throw all that hard-earned stealth away by making a rookie mistake.

He wasn't about to waltz into the spotlight and ruin his grand plan with a spectacular display of stupidity.

After all, he had a story to spin—he could always claim he heroically rescued Elder Nora just after the cats let him out of his makeshift prison.

With ease, he slipped back into the cell, closing the door quietly behind him. He grabbed the busted lock and, with a smirk, squeezed it hard enough to jam it up like it was still working.

No one would be the wiser.

Then, like he had all the time in the world, Kaisen leaned back, arms behind his head, and closed his eyes as if he was just napping through the whole village getting turned upside down.

Exactly four minutes later, the cell door rattled violently as the chief, looking like he'd just seen a ghost appeared with panic written all over his face.

"We need your help... please, human, help us!"

The chief pleaded, practically slobbering against the metal bars.