Gracie didn't who these men were. But they were peak level-1 Acolyte, like her. And these men were following her on the streets of Palm Springs, she assumed that they were after the piece of key that she had with her. She knew that they would follow her to the end of hell if they want to get their hands on the piece of the key that she had.

So rather than running, she thought maybe it would be easier to get away by some diversion. So while quietly walking on the street, she suddenly conjured a magic circle and fired it towards the nearest man.

​​

That attack took those men by surprise. They were not expecting that she would open fire on the streets of Palm Springs. Before they could understand what had happened Gracie ran towards the nearest shop and blasted its wall away. She then started running through the wall to another shop. Like that she went through the walls of 5 shops.

Gracie started running from shop to shop. While running Gracie suddenly took out a black color coin from her spatial ring while crushing it she threw it behind. That black coin made black color smoke screen. The smokescreen that was produced by the coin was so effective that it spread over the area of 200m.

Soon the men that were following Gracie caught up to her. But she was behind the smokescreen. Seeing that those men split up and started and started looking for her. But Gracie was a smart gal, she already sneaked out of the window. And she had a pink color liquid potion in her hands. She took that bottle and smeared it over her head.

That potion changed the color of hair from black to yellowish-blond. This way she looked like a normal fennec fox. She did not hide her face any longer. She threw away the cloth that she was using to wrap her body. She then showed that underneath the cloth she was wearing a normal dress. She then walked out of the smoke screen coughing like a madwoman.

The men that were looking for her originally were not able to recognize her by her face. So they simply let her go. If they weren't in Palm Springs then they would have killed everyone present behind the smokescreen. But they didn't want to create more ruckus than they have already created.

As Gracie was walking away, she had a big smile on her face. She thought that there was a little chance that these guys would identify her. But seeing that her plan was working, Gracie was happy.

She then happily started walking out of the shops towards the crowd on the streets, but lady luck was not her side that day. One of the men that were following her recognized her. He then weaved and magic circle and fired at her. Due to her instinct, she was able to dodge the attack by jumping sideways.

But she jumped sideways she hit a man that was standing by. She made that man fall with her. Gracie wasn't able to see who was that man. But she saw a glimpse of him, he looked like a middle-aged man with a cruel face.

Gracie got up again and was about to attack again when she started feeling tremendous pressure on her body.

…

All the people that were present there at that moment all them fell on their knees. It was like that the sky had fallen down on their shoulders. And their bodies would be crushed by this pressure. It was then a man wearing golden armor came flying down from the sky. Like his armor, that man had golden color hair. He had a white skin tone was an extremely handsome man.

When that man came down it felt like death itself had descended on earth wearing the golden armor. That man came down while yawning and he then looked at all the people that were kneeling as he arrived. He looked at the men and the fennec fox that was the main reason for this ruckus. Then his eyes fell on the middle-aged man with a cruel face, he smiled…

"All the people that were involved in the destruction of the street no-22 of the Palm street would stay here. While other people are requested to vacate the premises… And those people who tried to run would be executed on the spot." That man said.

….

Then the pressure on the shoulders of everyone present vanished. Gracie and all the people that were following her stayed behind while everyone other started walking away. Similarly, Arvin was in the disguise of the middle-aged man, also started walking away with the crowd.

Seeing him walking away, the golden-haired man smiled and said…

"You have some talent for illusions. At my level, it took me some time to figure out that your face was an illusion." That man said. Hearing his words, Arvin stopped in his tracks. He turned around to look at the golden-haired man…

"Thank You. It means a lot coming from you." Arvin said.

"Show me your face." the golden hair man spoke.

"Was that an order?" Arvin asked while glaring at the man.

"Maybe it is." Golden-haired man spoke.

"I don't take orders from you," Arvin said.

"Like I care." That man said and then he flicked his fingers. Power was generated from the flick and blew away the illusion on Arvin's face thus revealing the golden mask that he was wearing…

….

When Arvin caught up to the Gracie he was suited up for battle. But then the noise of the blasts stopped. That meant that the battle between Gracie and those men have come to a stalemate. That meant if he walks up to them now, then he would find himself in a very tough situation. So he casted an illusion on his face and made him look like he was a cruel middle-aged man.

But that golden-haired man saw through his illusion and blasted it off. Now with his illusion blasted off, Arvin stood in front of everyone wearing his battle gear and golden skull mask. As Gracie saw the appearance of Arvin, she instantly remembered who he was. She abruptly then checked her spatial ring. And to her surprise, the spatial ring was missing from her hands.

"Woah Woah… It looks like I may have come across a bigshot…" the golden hair man spoke.

"I am not a bigshot. I am just a very dangerous guy." Arvin said and then he threw a poisonous mana stone bomb towards the golden hair man…

That man smirked as he saw a mana bomb coming his way. He simply smiled and caught the bomb with his bare hands. And when that bomb blasted he used his power to simply suppress the blast between his hands. And in just a second the bomb was diffused…

"I thought you were some bigshot. But you are just a fool. I am an official magus dumbass. These kinds of things are child play for me." That man said with a creepy smile on his face.

"As I said I am not a bigshot. I am a guy that hunts bigshots. And you are the naïve bigshot that was swallowed by me." Arvin said with a big smile underneath that mask.

That golden-haired man was confused as to what was Arvin even talking about. But it was then he started feeling that something was wrong. His hands started shaking while his head started spinning. It was like the whole world around him had started spinning around.

The golden-haired man fell on his knees and started vomiting blood. Seeing that the man that was supposed to punish them was on his knees, everyone started to flee. Gracie was reluctant to move as the piece of the key was with that man. But then she thought that right now saving her life was much more important. So also she fleed from the scene.

While on his knees, the golden-haired man looked at Arvin and said…

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? Get over here so I could smash that face of yours." That man said while still spilling blood out of his mouth.

"*hehe*… You want me to come close to you?... Bastard… GET OVER HERE!!" Arvin suddenly screamed.

Then Arvin took out his chained kunai knives and send one flying straight towards the golden-haired man's head. That knife pierced through his skull, spilling the brain-like material on the backside of his head. Then Arvin pulled the knife back towards him. That way that man came flying towards Arvin.

As that man came, Arvin quickly stored that man's body in his inventory and then ran away from there. He came to a secluded alley and asked Loki whether he was being watched. After Loki's confirmation that no one was watching him, Arvin turned into an eagle and flew away from there in haste.

Little did he know that his today's feat would send tremors through the whole Bahamut Empire.