Ambush
While analyzing Priscilla's intentions for transferring to the Rose Prison, Aiden had already considered the possibility that Priscilla might have set her sights on him after repeated setbacks, especially now that he had confirmed the powerful tool she held that can "seize" others body.
Looking at it from her perspective, Priscilla's current situation was actually quite difficult. Not only had she lost the "Token of the Great Witch," but she also wanted to rescue someone from the Rose Prison while avoiding the Inquisition.
If Aiden were in her shoes now, holding the weapon that can seize someone body, there were two possible courses of action he could think of.
One was to find a passerby to swap bodies with and then escape the Silver City without a trace—by changing bodies twice in a row, her magical intelligence would almost certainly be leaked.
The other option was to take a risk, seize the body of the Warden of the Rose Prison when the opportunity arose, rescue Dailey, and then flee.
In terms of benefits, the latter option was obviously more lucrative.
If Priscilla's thinking went even further and she realized that he might have caught wind of the truth, then it would be even more imperative for her to act against him.
Not to mention that the former Aiden was one of the targets Priscilla had originally intended to eliminate.
Of course, even if Priscilla had resolved to kill him, it didn't necessarily mean she had to strike tonight, just as he was about to leave the prison. Truth be told, while Aiden had considered this possibility before his departure from the prison, deep down, he felt the likelihood was not very high.
Fortunately, he had not completely overlooked this possibility and had decided to add an insurance policy for himself... no, strictly speaking, two insurance policies.
Just like when dealing with the mobs last time, he had Dailey's shadow demon and Arsena's guardian spirit attached to himself beforehand—since it wouldn't cost too much, this buff was not to be wasted; when it came to matters of life and death, it was wise to be cautious.
In fact, the reason he could sense someone tailing him was that the shadow demon attached to his shadow detected a shadow that suddenly accelerating towards him, and that shadow demon wriggling by his feet as a warning.
With these two protections, Aiden estimated that his current combat capabilities might even surpass Priscilla's. So, upon realizing he was being followed, Aiden remained relatively calm.
Handing over the task of capturing Priscilla to the Inquisition was the safest approach. However, if the situation escalated to the point where he had to confront the other party directly, he would try to engage in a battle.
The shadow demon had not detected the trackers earlier, indicating they hadn't entered its range. Now that they were completely within this range, it suggested the trackers were closing in on him.
If the tracker was indeed Priscilla, by now she should have noticed that he wasn't heading home after work but heading towards the Inquisition late at night—what this implied was self-evident.
Therefore, this decrease in distance should be seen as a prelude to an attack; generally, dark magic becomes more powerful as the distance decreases.
If Priscilla, the target was around thirty meters away, She was within the shadow demon's range, and he could act to subdue her...
No, it wasn't certain yet that Priscilla would strike at this distance; her lack of action might just be caution.
Priscilla was definitely cautious of him. The tense demeanor she had during his sudden visit yesterday was vivid in his memory.
Dailey's shadow demon materialization assault was a purely physical attack method. Priscilla, being a spellcaster, was entirely different from the mobs gunmen he had dealt with in the past.
Gun-wielding thugs were not as frightening because they were limited to using guns. Once subdued on a physical level, they posed no threat.
However, spellcasters were different. Skilled spellcasters could still cast spells silently even if their throats were gripped, meaning physical constraints did not eliminate their threat... unless they were killed directly.
But Aiden couldn't do that. If the tracker was indeed Priscilla, then that body belonged to Rebecca.
Capturing Priscilla alive was necessary to unlock Rebecca's memory block and switch bodies back.
He needed to strike first and render the opponent unconscious immediately.
As for the investigator Harold sent to monitor Rebecca, it was unlikely that the person could offer much help. Harold was unaware that the current Rebecca was Priscilla; it was hard to imagine he would assign an elite inquisitor capable of dealing with a Grand Witch to such a task of rotating surveillance.
He had to rely on himself. There was a corner up ahead where he could make his move.
With his decision made, Aiden immediately quickened his pace.
As he had anticipated, he soon felt the person behind him also quickening their steps.
Subsequently, Aiden turned the corner, momentarily vanishing from the tracker's view. After taking a few steps, he stood against the wall, drew his pistol, and summoned Arsena's guardian spirit.
The shadow demon clearly sensed the closer tracker accelerating towards him. Meanwhile, the more distant tracker, though lagging slightly, also started to speed up.
Here they come!
Aiden fixed his gaze on the corner, watching as a figure suddenly darted out.
The streetlight illuminated the person's face... "Rebecca"!
Priscilla!
Upon seeing Aiden pointing his gun at her and the massive spirit materializing before him, Priscilla's eyes widened.
In a reflexive action, she reached behind her waist, but Aiden, who was prepared well in advance, was much quicker.
Suddenly, a giant skeletal ghostly face emerged from under the ghostly cloak, opening its mouth to unleash a soul-shaking roar at Priscilla.
The "Specter's Roar" at close range instantly drained Priscilla's eyes of expression, causing her to lose consciousness on the spot.
Aiden promptly summoned the claw of the shadow demon beneath her shadow, catching her to prevent her from collapsing directly to the ground.
Surveying the unconscious Priscilla before him, Aiden breathed a sigh of relief.
Good, it's done.
This sudden tracker catching up was indeed a bit unexpected, but fortunately, he was prepared.
"Ugh!" A somewhat pained female voice came from Aiden's direction.
Aiden emerged from the street corner and, looking over, saw an unfamiliar woman standing not far away. She seemed disoriented, holding her head with one hand and the lamppost with the other, appearing as if she were dizzy or drunk.
This woman should be the second tracker, Harold's underling who was tasked with surveillance, someone he didn't recognize.
Although still at a distance, she likely had also been affected by the Specter's Roar.
"Are you okay?" Aiden shouted to her, confirming her identity right away, "I am Aiden Garrod, the Warden of the Rose Prison and a former senior inquisitor of the Inquisition bureau. You are the person appointed by the Director to monitor Rebecca, correct?"
"I'm fine..." The woman seemed to be recovering, cautiously observing the situation. "What was that just now?"
"Don't be alarmed. My recent actions were to apprehend a suspect..." Aiden explained, glancing at Priscilla, who was bound by the shadow demon.
However, in that glance, he suddenly froze.
Moments ago, he was facing Priscilla directly, but now his perspective shifted to behind the unconscious Priscilla.
At Priscilla's lower back... there seemed to be a gun tucked there.