The griffin soared into the sky!
Behind her, Mochizuki Shingen clung tightly to the seat in the second position.
In an instant, the howling wind roared in their ears.
Luo Li was so happy she was practically beaming.
Finally, she was going home. Once she left this Demon King's Castle, the sky was the limit!
Once I'm home, I'll eat and drink the best of everything to reward myself.
I'll comfort Lola and get the people's livelihoods back on track.
I'll strengthen the military and reorganize the nobility.
Man, there is so much to do.
It looks like I won't have much free time once I get back.
But... I still feel wonderful inside.
Is this what they call corporate brainwashing?
Just as Luo Li was basking in her joy, a squad of griffin riders flew toward them from the opposite direction.
The leader had long black hair, feminine features, and a black cloak draped over his shoulders.
Luo Li came face-to-face with him.
Both instinctively glanced at each other.
The moment Luo Li saw him, her pupils shrank.
But when the man saw Luo Li, his eyes were filled with confusion.
The newcomer was none other than the Demon Emperor, Asacreus.
He had just returned from outside.
The human Saintess of the Moon had fallen into the sea, specifically near the demon island, which gave the demons more opportunities.
Although the dragons had been searching the waters for clues about the Saintess during this time...
No matter how powerful the dragons were, they didn't dare to act alone.
To counter the dragons' search, the demon army had dispatched its own search parties.
The griffin units totaled over five thousand, divided into two groups.
One group was led by Bryce, responsible for the daytime search.
The other was led by the Demon Emperor, responsible for the nighttime search.
They searched for the Saintess's whereabouts day and night without interruption.
Whatever the case, they needed to find her, dead or alive.
If he captured her alive, it would be a major achievement for Asacreus, even if the overall war was a failure.
After toying with the woman, he would hang her on the edge of the demon island.
That would be enough to instantly reignite the demons' morale.
If it was a corpse, they could simply claim they were the ones who killed her.
Either way, as long as they found Luo Li Saint Sariel...
He had endless ways to humiliate the human race.
Asacreus had even considered gouging out the dead Saintess's internal organs.
He would turn her into a specimen and mount it high above the strait.
So that the soldiers guarding the Great Wall would see the Saintess's corpse every single day.
Asacreus believed those humans would surely go insane!
Because of this, the Demon Emperor had hardly rested during this period, leading the griffin riders every day.
He would patrol the coast and search everywhere.
Even the feathered serpent tribe hadn't withdrawn to the Demon King's Castle; they were still out searching for news of the Saintess.
Today, a light rain was falling. Although the violent storm had passed...
The scope of this rain was enormous.
Often, the entire demon island was within its reach.
This caused the storm, which had started over ten days ago, to linger without fully dissipating.
At this moment, in the distant air, the mana elements were faintly beginning to turn chaotic again.
Clearly, a second wave of the storm was about to coalesce.
This was a rare occurrence.
Usually, once a storm passed, it was over.
But if a second one followed immediately, it would be impossible to find the Saintess's body.
After all, no one knew if her corpse would be swept away by the ocean currents.
He was returning now because dawn was approaching; he planned to go back to rest and let Bryce take over the search.
Just as he was returning, he happened to encounter a griffin soaring into the sky.
He thought it was a messenger.
He glanced over instinctively.
To his surprise, the one riding the griffin was actually a queen?
Almost by instinct, his eyes fixed on the other's horns.
Those unique, backward-curving horns, along with their color and annual rings...
They all proved that this female demon was a queen.
He vaguely recalled his arrogant words from yesterday that a queen had overheard.
The Demon Emperor instinctively tried to avert his gaze.
However, as they passed each other, the Demon Emperor still instinctively stole a glance at her.
Black hair, black eyes.
This was the standard appearance of a purebred demon.
But in his mind, the image of another person suddenly flickered.
Though they were two completely unrelated people, they seemed to overlap for a fleeting moment.
One wore a Saintess's robe, with white hair and red eyes.
One wore witch armor, with black hair and black eyes.
Two existences that seemed to have no connection at all...
Suddenly overlapped in an instant.
The Demon Emperor didn't react in time, staring blankly as he brushed past the woman.
Luo Li saw the Demon Emperor too.
Of course she did. They were passing each other, barely a few meters apart.
Luo Li's gaze landed on the Demon Emperor, and alarm bells suddenly shrieked in her mind.
In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through her head.
Being captured for research, being forced into shameful poses, or being used for other unspeakable things...
Regardless, if she was recognized at this distance, she would have no power to resist.
Against a prepared Demon Emperor, she was just a level thirty amateur.
Even with her class skills, she might not be able to harm him.
For Luo Li to kill someone above level sixty, she would have to strike suddenly while they were completely off guard, winning through a sneak attack.
A direct confrontation was impossible.
Countless scenarios flashed through her mind.
But nothing happened.
The two sides simply brushed past each other.
The griffins they sat upon almost touched feathers as they crossed paths.
That close.
That thrilling.
Luo Li felt that in the nearly four months since she came to this world, this was her first time experiencing such a heart-pounding moment.
Dammit!
Passing the enemy leader almost face-to-face.
Luo Li was so terrified she felt like her heart was about to jump out of her mouth.
I'm freaking dying here!
But for some reason, the Demon Emperor seemed to have a screw loose.
Even at such close range, he didn't recognize her.
The griffin she rode continued to soar higher.
An altitude of several hundred meters was nothing for a magical flying mammal like a griffin.
In less than a minute, she was already hundreds of meters away.
A fine, misty rain met her face.
Luo Li sat blankly on the griffin. As the fine drizzle slapped her cheeks, her whole body shuddered.
She suddenly snapped back to reality.
A sentence blurted out of her mouth:
"Holy... shit! That scared the life out of me!"
In all the time since she transmigrated, this was her first time cursing like this.
It really wasn't her fault; she was nearly scared to death!
Who would have thought that just as she was about to leave, she would run right into the Demon Emperor?
Fortunately, although her facial features hadn't changed, her hair color, the horns on her head, and her outfit had prevented him from immediately associating her with the Saintess.
Otherwise, he would have recognized her at a glance.
No!
This place is too dangerous. I have to go!
At that thought, Luo Li yanked the reins, and the griffin beneath her unhesitatingly turned west.
It sped away at full throttle.
A few minutes after she left on the griffin...
In that massive sinkhole, a griffin shot into the sky!
The Demon Emperor, Asacreus, sat atop the griffin, his gaze sharp enough to devour someone as he scanned the surroundings.
He muttered to himself:
"It couldn't be her... it couldn't be. That was standard demon attire, and the color of those horns definitely couldn't be faked."
"But how to explain the annual rings? Sixteen rings, sixteen years old... isn't that Luo Li also sixteen?"
"How is that possible? How could it be! Even if it really were her, where would she learn what a queen looks like?"
"Your Majesty! What is the matter?"
A figure riding a griffin rushed up from the sinkhole.
It was the Demon Marshal, Bryce, ready for his shift.
"Are you sure that queen who asked for a griffin yesterday is a real queen?"
Bryce was bewildered and asked cautiously:
"Your Majesty, what do you mean? That lady is a queen from the outer islands."
"The outer islands?"
The Demon Emperor's eyes narrowed sharply.
"You mean she came from outside? What proof do you have!?"
"Your Majesty, have you lost your mind? Why would a queen need proof? Those horns are her proof, aren't they?"
"I'm asking you!!"
The Demon Emperor's voice rose sharply.
"Did she say which outer island she came from?"
"That... I haven't heard, but the Queen Empress might know."
Bryce gave an uncertain reply.
Meanwhile, the Demon Emperor had fallen into a deep daze.
Could it be?
Could that Lady Queen who just passed him really be the human Saintess?
But those horns definitely aren't something that can be faked later!
What on earth is going on?
The Saintess... is a Lady Queen?
No! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
How could that loathsome human Saintess be a Lady Queen!
"Quick! Send troops after her immediately! Chase her toward the west! No matter what, stop that queen for me!!"
"Your Majesty, what's wrong? Are you serious about blocking a queen's path?"
Bryce was stunned. This was the first time he had seen the Demon Emperor look so desperate.
"Hurry! Don't ask why, just chase her!! No matter what, catch up to her!!"
The Demon Emperor was going crazy.
If he had never seen the Saintess, it would be one thing, but he had met that woman more than once or twice.
He would recognize that face even if it were burned to ashes!
That was definitely that woman's face!
There might be people in this world who look identical.
But this was too much of a coincidence!
A coincidence so perfect it made the Demon Emperor's skin crawl!
A human Saintess who suddenly went missing.
A Lady Queen who suddenly appeared.
A human Saintess from the continent.
A Lady Queen from the outer islands.
A sixteen-year-old human Saintess.
A sixteen-year-old Lady Queen.
Identical looks, identical figure.
No difference at all.
What was this?
It was obviously her!
One coincidence could be an accident.
Two could be interesting.
But when three happen at once, it's definitely no coincidence!
In this moment, even though he knew the other party was currently a Lady Queen...
Asacreus was almost certain in his heart.
This person was the Saintess!
It was her, without a doubt!
Those distinctive eyes—it wasn't about the pupil color or the hair color.
It was that feeling he had never seen in anyone else.
The way she looked at everyone as equals, that very strange gaze!
It was her!
"Your Majesty..."
"Hurry!!! No matter what, catch up and stop her! Just say I want to host a banquet for the Lady Queen!"
Although Bryce didn't understand what kind of madness had gripped his Demon Emperor...
As a Demon Marshal, he naturally had to obey his superior's orders.
Besides, hosting a banquet for a queen was reasonable enough.
Bryce said no more. He cupped his fists, turned, and kicked the griffin's sides.
"Hah!!"
With a sharp screech, the griffin beneath him shot forward like an arrow.
At the same time, two thousand five hundred griffins flew up from below, following closely behind Bryce.
They sped toward the west.
The Demon Emperor, Asacreus, didn't stay behind either, heading west as well.
Meanwhile, Luo Li was pushing her griffin to its limits, racing toward the west.
She didn't dare stop. After all, she had just come face-to-face with the Demon Emperor. Even if he hadn't recognized her at first...
It was hard to say if he wouldn't realize it in hindsight.
If he suddenly did, he would definitely give chase.
This prevented Luo Li from relaxing for even a second.
Fortunately, with the misty rain today, visibility in the sky was poor. Beyond three to five kilometers, everything was just a gray fog.
And the griffin she rode was the best one Bryce had picked out.
It was incredibly fast!
It reached a speed of nearly three hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.
At this speed, the light drizzle felt like razor blades striking her skin.
Fortunately, Luo Li had made various preparations before taking off.
She wore two thick, heavy robes.
While they couldn't completely block the misty rain, they could at least absorb a lot of the impact.
As for Mochizuki Shingen behind her, to avoid any accidents...
She had tied a rope around his waist and secured it to her own.
If the boy really couldn't hold on and fell, she could at least pull him back.
In the midst of the wind and rain, Luo Li had to cover the horns on her head.
After all, they were unexpectedly sensitive.
Fortunately, while they were sensitive, they were also tough. This little bit of rain had almost no effect on them.
The griffin continued its westward flight. Just then, a sudden light appeared in the sky.
The source of this light seemed to be behind them?
Luo Li froze for a moment and instinctively glanced back.
Vaguely, despite the misty rain, she could still see a mass of griffins, like a dark cloud, tailing closely behind.
Holy crap!
They're chasing me?
Two classic curses immediately popped into Luo Li's mind.
But her very next thought was... she couldn't stop, no matter what!
Once she stopped, she would probably never get a second chance to leave the demon island!
With that in mind, Luo Li pushed the griffin beneath her even harder.
The griffin was reliable too; as soon as Luo Li urged it, its speed increased a bit more.
Though it wasn't much, it was enough to maintain a distance from the dark cloud behind them.
And so, the chase continued.
Luo Li didn't dare relax for a second. Behind her, Mochizuki Shingen seemed to understand the tension of the moment.
He didn't say a word, lying flat on the griffin and clinging tightly to the seat.
"Gods above, please don't let them catch us!"
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