Chapter 157: Pathfinder!!?
The question hung in the air, creating a tension that seemed to electrify the entire training room. The very atmosphere seemed to thicken with anticipation, as if the ship’s recycled air had suddenly become charged with static electricity. Every person in the gathered crowd leaned forward slightly, their collective attention focused on the three figures at the center of the room with an intensity that was almost palpable.
Aziel and Arthur exchanged another brief glance, their confusion evident in their expressions. In that single look, they communicated volumes—neither had any idea who this man was or what had prompted such a dramatic confrontation. The crowd around them had grown completely silent, as if everyone was holding their breath in anticipation of the response. The stranger’s confident demeanor only added to the surreal nature of the situation.
"You want... to spar?" Arthur asked questioningly, his voice carrying a note of disbelief. The words seemed to echo in the suddenly quiet space, each syllable hanging in the air as if waiting for judgment. The idea seemed almost absurd given the theatrical way this man had presented himself and the crowd he had apparently gathered for this specific purpose.
The man’s smile brightened considerably, as if Arthur had just asked exactly the right question. He let out a brief laugh that echoed through the training room, the sound carrying an edge that made several onlookers shift uncomfortably. "Oh no, no... I want to embarrass you in front of all these lovely people!" His declaration was delivered with such casual confidence that it took a moment for the words to fully register.
Arthur and Aziel stood blankly, neither knowing what to say in response to such a brazen statement. The sheer audacity of the man’s words seemed to have temporarily short-circuited their ability to process what was happening. The crowd around them began to murmur more loudly, sensing the tension building between the three figures at the center of attention.
"Excuse me?" Aziel said, his voice tight with the first hints of rising temper. His eyes had narrowed slightly, and there was a dangerous quality to his tone that suggested the stranger had just crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed.
The man seemed completely unfazed by Aziel’s obvious irritation, if anything, he appeared to be enjoying it. "Well, I don’t have all day, so which one of you will I be beating up? Or are you both too scared?"
Aziel’s face began to slowly turn red with anger, the color change visible even in the dim lighting of the training room. His hands clenched involuntarily at his sides, and small sparks of electricity began to dance between his fingers. "...What!?" he said, his tone now carrying a grueling edge that made several nearby spectators take an involuntary step backward.
Arthur, sensing the situation escalating rapidly, tried to interject with some semblance of reason. "What’s your problem, dude? We didn’t do anything to you." His voice carried genuine confusion mixed with growing concern about where this confrontation was heading.