White silhouettes continued to rise from the floor, flickering like ghostly flames.
The queen's bodyguards immediately stepped forward, moving in front of Eliana to cover her.
Aiden drew his swords with a sharp metallic rasp.
"All of them are second-grade spirits!" he shouted. "It's a distraction—since the assassination failed, the sniper needs time to escape!"
In the next second Joan dashed toward the exit.
The spirits did not react to him at all. They didn't even turn their heads in his direction.
One of the royal guards leaped forward and slashed at a nearby spirit.
The blade passed through it—
The spirit exploded.
A shockwave threw the guard backward. He twisted in midair, barely managing to land on his feet, but his shoulder was ripped open and blood flowed down his arm.
Aiden flashed to his side.
"Sir, are you okay?" he asked.
"Don't worry," the man grunted. "It's just a scratch."
He raised his voice.
"Don't get close to them! They explode the moment we attack!"
