Under the siege of the demons, the last clergyman's chest was pierced by several Shadow Bolts, and the Holy Light was completely extinguished.
This demon squad was extremely efficient; in less than ten minutes, the gunfire in the canyon ceased.
The soldiers and clergymen of the transport team were slaughtered to the last man, leaving only the thick scent of blood permeating the wind.
Seeing this, the middleman quickly stepped out from the chaotic crowd of prisoners and brought Valger before a demon commander.
"Lord Shadowhide," he reported in a low voice, "this is Valger... the one Lord Barcas insisted I bring back."
Ansu pulled Freya along, standing warily a short distance away as he observed these demons who were quickly clearing the battlefield.
Their process was very practiced; the demons piled the bodies of the soldiers and clergymen in groups of two or three, then threw a mass of corrosive magic that churned with a dark green glow.
In just a moment, the corpses dissolved with a sizzling sound, turning into a puddle of bubbling, unrecognizable, viscous residue.
Ansu quickly assessed the strength of this group in his mind.
There were eleven demons present, while the other twenty-odd were demihumans of various appearances with beast-like features; the demons were clearly the main force, while the demihumans were the actual members of the Squirrel Party.
The strength of the demihumans was uneven, but in contrast, the demons were all excellent combat mages, with an average strength reaching the mid-tier level; in terms of magic level alone, they weren't much different from him.
As for the demon commander called Shadowhide, he was high-tier, and seeing the middleman's respectful attitude toward him, he likely held a certain status among the remnants of the demon army.
It had to be said that the average combat power of this demon squad indeed far exceeded that of the cult executors from the Echoes of Truth.
However... because Ansu had established the magic lab, many of the cult elders lived in his manor, and what he lacked least right now was high-end combat power.
Don't be fooled by how the elders usually trembled in front of Celia; in terms of strength, those old guys were each top-tier experts, and once they arrived, they would inevitably crush this elite demon squad.
Whether it was Barcas or the commander Shadowhide, neither would ever imagine that a seemingly simple rescue mission could actually draw out a whole nest of high-tier geezers.
On the other side, after the middleman finished reporting everything, Shadowhide's cold gaze turned toward Ansu and Freya.
"You two, come here."
Shadowhide's tone carried a command that brooked no argument.
Ansu and Freya exchanged a look; Freya lowered her head, hiding most of her face in the shadows, and the two slowly walked toward the demon commander named Shadowhide.
"Are you both mages? And are you both willing to follow us?" Shadowhide's inquiry was simple and direct.
The other demons nearby also stopped their cleaning work, their gazes shifting toward the two of them.
"Yes," Ansu nodded.
His attitude seemed submissive, but his gaze drifted past Shadowhide's shoulder, occasionally glancing into the deep darkness of the canyon behind him.
Shadowhide scrutinized Ansu's expression, his dark red diamond-shaped pupils narrowing slightly as his suspicion grew.
His gaze moved to the hooded woman who kept her head lowered.
The more he observed, the tighter his brow furrowed, as an indescribable sense of dissonance welled up in his heart.
How did these two... look more and more suspicious the more he looked at them?
He suddenly turned to the middleman and Valger, his voice abruptly harsh: "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake? Are both of these people members of the Northern Magic Mutual Aid Association?"
Valger was startled by his sudden questioning.
Shadowhide's gaze fixed on Freya again as he ordered, "You, lift your head!"
Freya's heart tightened; afraid of being exposed, she subconsciously squeezed Ansu's fingers.
Ansu's fingers gently squeezed back, conveying a reassuring warmth and strength, as if saying 'it's fine.'
The reason he had been distracted while observing just now was that he was waiting—waiting for the signal they had agreed upon in the darkness.
And now, those deep shadows indeed began to churn unnaturally...
The cult's support had arrived.
Seeing that the two had not only failed to obey the command but that the male mage had instead curled his lips into an inscrutable, faint smile, alarm bells rang loudly in Shadowhide's heart.
It's a trap!
He wasted no more words, his right hand snapping up as mana instantly converged into several sharp Shadow Bolts.
But in the next second, with a sizzle, a solid, deep blue shield blocked all those spells.
'He easily blocked my Shadow Bolts...' Shadowhide's pupils shrank, his anger and shock intertwining. "You're clearly a mid-tier mage, yet you pretend to be trash from the Magic Mutual Aid Association just to infiltrate us. Who exactly are you!?"
"It's a secret," Ansu's smile remained unchanged as he raised a finger to point behind him.
"I suggest you look behind you first."
Shadowhide's whole body shuddered violently.
It wasn't because of Ansu's words, but because a massive and heavy magical fluctuation had pinned him down without warning, making his entire body stiff and sluggish, rendering him unable to counterattack.
In the distance, the elderly silhouettes of two cult elders gradually became clear.
It was they who were controlling the invisible yet mountain-heavy high-tier gravity magic, locking Shadowhide firmly in place.
Elder Barnes and Elder Matthew.
At the same time, the shadows behind Shadowhide twisted violently, and a ghostly female figure appeared silently behind him.
The enchanted short blade in Danielle's hand, flowing with cold runes, instantly pressed against his throat.
A flash of cold light, and blood splattered.
Shadowhide's eyes widened, despair and fear not yet fully surfacing before his body slumped backward uncontrollably.
However, Danielle wasn't finished; she leaned down in stride, the short blade sinking deep into the demon's heart like a scalpel along the gaps between the ribs, and twisted forcefully.
This demon commander died in an instant under the joint assassination of three experts.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye—
Danielle casually flicked the blood droplets off her short blade, looked up at Ansu and Freya—whose little face was a bit pale—and joked with a smile, "Why are you so scared? Aren't you going to welcome me?"
"Ms. Danielle!" Freya recognized her and let out a surprised cry.
The situation in the canyon had reversed again; not just Barnes and Matthew, but all six elders of the Truth faction had now appeared.
The appearance of the cult elders brought about a crushing defeat with no suspense; just as the demon squad had crushed the city guards before, now the chasm in magic levels was being laid bare.
Seeing them clearing the battlefield like autumn leaves being swept away, Ansu didn't forget to remind Elder Barnes:
"Remember to leave some alive for me; I still need to interrogate them for information."
"Don't worry!" Elder Barnes nodded.
...
Seeing that the battlefield no longer seemed to need him, Ansu thought of another matter.
He looked down, silently watching their hands which were still held together.
"Uh... that, Freya."
"Hmm?"
Freya looked up, her pale gold eyes blinking. "What is it, Lord Ansu?"
"It's time to let go." Ansu coughed, his gaze drifting subtly into the distance, thinking that Celia would be arriving soon.
"Oh..."
"Also," Ansu added, "I will personally lead the cult to complete the rest of the plan. I'll have someone take you back to Norvigel first; you can just wait at home for our good news."
"Lord Ansu... do you not need me anymore?"
Freya pursed her lips, her eyes dimming slightly, but she still sensibly let go of his hand.
"Alright then, I won't get in your way for the rest of the mission. You'll be fine with Celia helping you..."
She looked deeply at Ansu, then turned and left, her pink hair fluttering gently in the night wind.
"Are you trying to prevent a field of carnage?" Danielle leaned in, not wanting to miss the fun, and teased him.
"But I don't think it's a big deal, is it?" she mused with a smile. "Everyone sees each other all the time in the manor, and you've been together for so long."
"I feel... although Celia has a bit of a temper, she doesn't seem like such a terrifying girl. Would they really start a fight if they met?"
Ansu glanced at her silently. "Then you are indeed mistaken..."
It wouldn't just be a simple fight... and he would be the one to suffer along with them.
Rate on N.U.
