“Be careful!”
Lena did not linger. After uttering a single warning, she broke through the demonic encirclement under Sharlene’s protection, fleeing into the distance.
The demons sought to pursue, but golden flames erupted from the ground, coalescing into a scorching wall of fire that halted them all.
Lilia, longsword in hand, stood behind the fiery barrier. Her gaze, cold as ice, fixed upon them. Golden magical enchantments manifested upon her form, akin to a skirt of armor, lending her the dignified bearing of a knight.
These demons did not chase after the scattering crowd, nor did they bother with the humans fallen to the ground. Instead, they all gathered before the fire wall, their pitch-black eyes locked on Lena’s retreating figure.
Only after Lena had vanished completely from their sight did they plunge into a frenzy, charging madly through the wall of fire.
Aurora calmly conjured a bow and arrows from her magic, slowly drawing back the bowstring. With a release of her fingertips, the arrows transformed into streaks of light, piercing through the demons’ hearts.
Isha drew her ring blades. Though the twin weapons remained dim and devoid of their usual potency, Isha’s martial prowess and strength were formidable.
She could easily overpower even demons of the same rank in close combat. The demons who fell upon the wall of fire were left to be consumed by the flames.
For a time, no demon could breach the defensive line Lilia and her two companions had established. To pursue Lena, it seemed their only hope was for demons elsewhere to intervene.
The entire celebration had devolved into chaos with the appearance of the demons. Figures vanished from the stage, leaving behind only scattered fragments of clothing and fabric.
The photography studio’s door lay shattered, and the ground was covered in chaotic footprints. Other heroes naturally stepped forward to confront the demons, but they could not compare to Lilia’s trio.
They could only manage to hold back a fraction of the demonic horde. As the battle wore on, Lilia began to feel a creeping weariness, and the demons gradually gained the upper hand. The fire wall defense began to contract.
Yet, defeat remained a distant prospect.
****
*Clap, clap—*
Just as she cleaved another second-rank demon with her sword, an eerie clapping sound cut through the demons’ roars, reaching her ears.
Immediately, the demons’ offensive slowed. A demon, noticeably more robust and intelligent, stepped forward to face Celia.
Strangely, it possessed only one wing on its back; the other appeared to have been torn off, leaving the area where the wing met its back a bloody, mangled mess.
“Impressive, indeed. As expected of Vidona’s strongest hero squad,” it clapped, its intelligence far surpassing that of an ordinary demon, almost on par with a human’s. “However, your journey ends here today.”
It spread its arms, fully revealing its power. The oppressive aura of a fourth-rank demon enveloped the central plaza, causing the hearts of some still-fighting heroes to sink.
But Celia remained unfazed.
“What big words. We’ve killed fourth-rank demons before. Do you truly believe you can survive against us?”
Only a few days prior, she had encountered a fourth-rank demon. While she hadn’t managed to kill it outright, she had successfully suppressed it.
Moreover, they weren’t the only heroes within the city. Skyfire, Chiling, and the heroes guarding the city gates would surely sense the demons and come as reinforcements.
At that point, a mere fourth-rank demon could be obliterated with a single fireball spell. Yet, how could the leading demon not have anticipated her thoughts?
It licked its parched lips with its tongue, letting out a couple of eerie chuckles. Its gaze, filled with mockery, settled on the young women before it, as if they were already captured prey.
“You are powerful, but what does that matter? Even the most formidable humans become vulnerable once they have a weakness.”
These words startled Lilia, and an ominous premonition washed over her like a tide.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her hands involuntarily tightening around her sword hilt as a realization dawned on her.
Her worried expression did not escape the demon’s eyes, prompting a satisfied smile.
“Still don’t understand? Your ‘Sister Lena,’ as you call her, will soon fall into demonic hands. At that time, I wonder if you would rather kill her or die for her?”
To capture Lilia and her companions, the best method was to seize Lena beforehand, using her to force them to abandon resistance.
Emotions were the greatest weakness of foolish humans, and high-ranking demons excelled at manipulating hearts.
Lilia finally understood why these demons were different from before, ignoring fleeing humans to desperately breach the fire wall. Their target, it turned out, was them!
And to capture them, they were even willing to harm Sister Lena!
Intense fury made the flames on her sword burn even brighter. With a push of her foot, her figure vanished from its spot.
When she reappeared, she was already behind the demon.
“Dare to harm Sister Lena? You’re asking for death!”
With a horizontal sweep of her longsword, she prepared to cleave the demon in two at the waist!
However, the sharp blade sliced through empty space; the demon was no longer there.
Sensing danger, Lilia instinctively turned, blocking the demon’s punch with her longsword. The powerful impact sent her stumbling backward, leaving deep indentations in the ground.
She plunged her longsword into the earth, taking a few gasps before regaining her composure. This fourth-rank demon was far more formidable than any she had encountered before.
“Angry? Heh heh, what can your anger accomplish now? You can’t even escape our encirclement.”
No sooner had its voice faded than the demons began to close in on Celia and her companions once more. However, unlike before, this time they were the ones who needed to break through.
If they didn’t reach Lena soon, she might…
Imagining the worst-case scenario, Celia straightened up, the flow of magic within her body intensifying. Her longsword, too, began to manifest more than just the element of fire.
Seeing her prepare for an all-out struggle, Aurora quickly warned, “Celia! Don’t let your emotions control you! Sister Lena is protected by Guild Master Sharlene!”
‘That’s right, Sharlene is protecting Lena!’
‘The Guild Master is a sixth-rank hero; these demons can’t harm Lena!’
Recognizing this, some clarity returned to Celia’s eyes. But in the next second, the demon cruelly shattered their illusion.
“Too naive! If we were to make a move, we naturally have a way to draw Sharlene away. She is the Guild Master of the Heroes’ Guild; how could she see other heroes in danger and ignore them?”
“Is Lena’s life a life, and other heroes’ lives not?”
“In fact, you can save Lena. Just surrender obediently, and she won’t have her limbs severed and suffer humiliation before your eyes.”
“Such a good proposal, don’t you want to consider it?”
After speaking these words, the demon let out a mocking, grotesque laugh.
‘Bastard!’
Thoroughly enraged by the demon, Celia raised her longsword and charged at it once more.