'He' stood on the same rooftop as Signora and Dorothy, only a few meters away.
'When did they come out of the Window?! I sensed nothing!'
He wore an overcoat that hid most of his body, but Signora could see the scars on his palms, fingers, and neck.
Another short scar ran over his lips and another over his eyebrow.
His gaze was empty, like that of a blind, helpless person.
Yet the way he carried himself gave Signora shivers.
Another man stood behind him.
He had black hair, green eyes.
He looked to be in his early twenties, but the wisdom behind his gaze said he was much older.
Signora spent less than a fraction of a second judging them by their appearance.
'They are at least Grade 5 Paragon or higher! Dammit, it's really Wandering Gods,' she thought mistakenly.
She tapped on her intercom with a swift speed.
Signora was about to twist space and attack the men before her.
Dorothy swung her scythe and used Death to kill Signora's Space elementals.
Signora couldn't activate her spells.
"What are you doing!?"
"I'm a reinforcement, I told you." Dorothy shrugged.
Signora was confused by her actions.
Instead of talking sense into her, she looked around, knowing her colleagues would help.
They were frozen mid-air.
It was as if they hadn't moved an inch since the Crack broke while transforming into a Window.
Signora realized Time had been stopped.
Signora spread out her senses.
Even if the colleagues around her were locked in Time Stop, the ones farther should be able to move.
As her senses surged outward, she found a horrible truth.
The entire country was frozen in time.
The other Templars, who were Paragons, were no different.
"How?" she asked, unable to understand the situation.
The world's size had increased after the world's ascension centuries ago.
Aubern, a mid-sized country, was now twice as large as the biggest country that existed before the Age of Gods.
'The power of Time Stop shouldn't be this strong if the range is so large.'
As much as she wanted to deny the situation in front of her eyes, she couldn't.
A shiver ran through her spine.
"I guess that's enough time to understand the situation?" Neo asked with a faint smile.
The rooftop trembled slightly under the weight of his presence.
Signora flinched when she met his eyes.
He was blind, she was sure of it.
However, she felt as if he could see her clearly.
"Yes, I can see you," Neo said, having read her thoughts through her Intent. "And no, I'm not blind.
"I have lost my eyes, but… okay, I guess I'm blind technically."
His jokes didn't register in Signora's mind.
"Neo, I think you should let go of the Time Stop. It's scaring her," Jack said.
"We will be attacked by hundreds of demigods if I do that.
"It's either talking to her, explaining the situation, and leaving quietly, or doing as you suggest and fighting all of them," Neo replied.
"Uhm, nevermind then."
Jack scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.
He understood Neo's approach was the best.
The demigods would have attacked them if Neo hadn't used Time Stop.
Neo would have had no choice but to fight back.
It would've turned the matter into a political disaster if Neo subdued them with force.
"And who are you?" Neo asked Dorothy, even though he already knew her identity.
"Dorothy, a Templar of the Temple of Death," she answered with a smile.
"Why did you help me?"
Dorothy took out a stack of documents.
The paper rustled softly.
"The Academy contacted the Temple of Death and asked us to act as your reinforcement if it was you who was coming from the Window."
"Why... is the Academy and Temple of Death… interfering?" Signora asked.
She found it hard to breathe.
Neo's aura was like Death tightening its claw around her throat.
"Okay, stop. You are going to kill her."
Dorothy used her aura to protect Signora.
"I'm here to help you, but it would make things hard if you attack her like that."
"She wouldn't be alive if I wanted to attack."
Jack smiled bitterly when he heard Neo.
He knew a Templar called Signora had tried to force him to marry and even attacked him when he refused.
It seemed the woman in front of him was her.
Signora could breathe freely after Dorothy helped her.
"Why is the Temple of Death and Academy interfering with the Senate's task?" she asked instead of thanking Dorothy.
"You can read these."
Dorothy gave the documents to Signora.
The edges were marked with official seals.
"Neo is the Academy's student.
"Protecting him comes under the Academy's jurisdiction. They hired me for the task."
"And the Temple of Death agreed? I didn't know you guys were mercenaries," Signora said through gritted teeth.
The current situation where the Wanderer—Neo—dealt with her team and her easily was a huge blow to her reputation.
It would leave a stain on her career.
"I don't know why the Temple accepted the Academy's request, and I don't really care," Dorothy shrugged. "I came here only because I could meet the Underworld's prince."
She let out a savage grin.
Her hands itched for a fight, sensing Neo's powerful aura.
"I am glad I came here."
Her aura flared, taunting Neo into battle.
Neo's eyebrows twitched.
This was why he had been pissed as soon as he returned.
Dorothy was batshit crazy.
"Can we wrap things up here? I would love to leave since I'm busy," Neo said.
Dorothy blinked, confused. Neo's Death aura was suffocating, proof he was a battle junkie like her.
Yet he was backing away from a fight.
Dorothy dismissed her scythe.
She turned to Signora.
"You can't. It's not allowed. The Senate ordered me to handle whoever came out of the Crack."
Signora turned to Neo.
"It's the rules! How many times are you going to ignore the Senate's orders!?"