Not long after splitting into groups, Alice took control of the six demon knights and headed to the western path. She gazed back at her black horse, looking at Vinea, Ciela and Sariel, who sat on the back of Ciela's steed.
Alice couldn't help but narrow her red eyes and curled her lips into a slight grin. Then she turned back to the front as they moved through the forest at a slow trot.
'Vinea will be our vanguard if anything goes wrong.'
'anwhile Ciela's archery will save us if we can avoid an ambush.'
"Demon Knights, secure the area and hunt small prey. Vinea, Ciela support the troops, and Sariel please co with ."
A thick scent of flowers filled her chest as the short woman took a deep breath. Alice felt a sense of excitent rembering the tis she trained with Asura in the Inukami forest. Yet a feeling of doubt lingered after Asura's warning.
'Will we be attacked... by who? I hope it's not the pope.'
Alice shook her head before lifting her heavy black crossbow, aiming it towards a distant wolf, and pulling the trigger.
A poison-laced bolt shot across the air, flying over 40 tres and penetrating through the forehead of the gigantic beast. A painful cry soon resounded, followed by a loud thud.
Her eyes narrowed while pulling the tight lever, preparing for a second shot.
"Don't hold back, kill enough prey, but remain in formation."
'Asmodeus made sure that we all studied the formation and maximum distance for the past three days...'
'So annoying.'
Rustle—!
Alice snapped towards the bushes beside her, holding her crossbow ready. Her heart was racing as she felt danger. Alice had developed this special trait ever since she was young.
The more she fought and trained her body to cope with the curse, the more accurate this warning beca.
'It feels... human.'
She glanced back at Sariel to confirm whether she sensed what she did. Unfortunately, her worried expression seed to be a reaction to her actions and not a sign of sensing imminent danger.
"ep!"
A small rabbit then hopped through the bushes, causing Alice to sigh.
"Damn, it was just a rabbit?!"
'I should focus...'
However, the next mont, the sound of wind sounded from behind, and a black arrow suddenly shot past her cheek, slicing it open with a burning pain filling her face. "What?!"
"Argh!"
A thud sounded from behind her.
One of the six demon knights fell from her mouth, with an arrow penetrating her neck.
"Fight back!" A loud cry ca from her lips. "Knights—It's an ambush!" She shouted with blood falling down her cheeks. The cries of n and drawn swords followed the words.
'The attack ca from the south!'
Alice aid her crossbow and shot up. 'Bullseye!' Her red eyes glead, satisfied with another hit as a figure wearing light armour and grey clothes flew through the air with a shocked expression before hitting the ground.
"Sariel, hide among the demon knights!" Alice ordered, looking back to see her horse following close behind. The succubus was already casting shadow spells under her breath, the deadly bolts of shadow then flying away in random directions.
"We're surrounded," Vinea spoke out as she charged towards their rear with a spear.
'I can handle these filth, but the knights would be destroyed...'
'What would Asmodeus do?'
Alice snapped her reins, causing her horse to gallop towards the eastern flank; over ten knights holding heavy swords and shields blocked her path as she loaded another poisoned bolt. "Ciela, aim for the throat!" Her deep voice echoed before the indistinct sound of a lowbrow releasing an arrow. "Bring em' down!"
Swoosh—!
Another knight beside her dropped dead to the floor, a clean headshot. The arrow pierced the knight's eye! However, arrows were also flying around them in large numbers. 'We've been pushed to a desperate situation.'
'You filthy bastards!'
"Vinea, take command—Break through their ranks!" In between her words, Alice shot another bold with a heavy thud, and the knight's body hit a tree while convulsing.
She then discarded the crossbow and leapt off her horse; with tal gauntlets and grieves, she pulled back her left arm and smashed into the leading knight at high speed. "Gah!" Her fist cracked against the knight's plate mail with a grunt before piercing its body with a loud crack! Blood splattered onto her face as she ripped through the body and armour like paper.
Another arrow then flew right above her head as it decapitated an incoming attacker. "Nice, shot!"
Ciela narrowed her eyes while aiming her bow and shooting arrows at the enemy's approaching lines. However, there were still many more ahead. But even if her face remained calm and serious, her heart was beating faster with anticipation.
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'Too many!' Ciela thought, gritting her teeth and clenching her bow so hard that her knuckles went white. Nocking two arrows, she took another shot into the eastern flank while watching Alice crush them with her agile and brutal martial arts.
"Shields!" Vinea couched her spear while screaming out, the enemy's volley of arrows raining on the five knights. After the storm had ceased, only Vinea stood outside the protective circle, with blood seeping down her chest.
"Ahh-!" Alice scread in desperation.
Ciela bit her bottom lip tightly. It was impossible to count how many enemies surrounded them.
"Oh my~ it seems you're trying to fight so desperately."
Their enemies didn't know if the two demon knights, with their pierced throats, would live or die while the other four, wounded, still protected Vinea's flank.
"Empress Aurelia!" Vinea growled, the clashing of steel and screams behind her, allowing her to take a mont to breathe.
'This woman isn't useless... she used thirty knights as bait for us to split apart...'
'Then with her real knights she appears and shoots us down.'
"Give so damn support!!"
Alice shouted desperately before charging towards her enemy, ignoring the overwhelming odds of defeat.
"Damn it!"
The won fought back bravely. However, not long after, several knights charged the elven princes and pinned her to the ground. Many arms held Ciela down. "Gah! Damn you!"
anwhile, the last three standing Knights ford a triangle around their forr princess, each bleeding profusely from all the wounds they endured.
"I comnd your efforts; however..." Aurelia grinned evilly, revealing a set of pearly teeth. "The lord of death cannot lose!"
Vinea bit her teeth, feeling a sense of frustration. "My husband will be his first!" She shouted before lifting her shield and spear. "We fight to the end, transform."
"Eh?"
Suddenly, an explosion of aura emanated from the downed knights and those captured before their bodies began to demonise. Horns protruded from their heads, and dark magic seeped from every part of their bodies.
*Roar*
Ciela's wings flung the woman, holding her down against the trees while she flew into the air and escaped the knight's range. She gazed down while holding a bow created of pure magic. "Vinea, I have your back!"
Six demonised knights, wounds rapidly healing with Vinea and Sariel in a small wedge.
"Do you think this petty trick can help you survive?" Aurelia looked at the group before snapping her fingers.
Boom—!
Two knights beside Vinea exploded.
"You evil bitch!" A ferocious look appeared on her face, looking at the Empress.
Suddenly, a black flare, which erupted from the explosion, revealed the damage to the forest, a huge black crater, while Vinea tightened her grip.
'This is bad... she's totally under control!'
***
anwhile, Yuina stood holding her sword with her five tails spread apart, a fierce aura wrapped around her body.
At her side, Aki wore a black armour, once pristine, now covered in damage, torn and broken, with her bare flesh oozing blood. Fuuka and the demon knights knelt on one knee, already transford, and they faced off against a group of holy knights in golden armour.
The young pope narrowed his eyes and glared at them.
"Surrender yourselves to the great one!" Johan called out, his lips curled in a disgusting shape.
Dozens of holy knights lay on the ground; their chests hollowed out after they exploded.
A deep purple smoke rose from the bodies of the dead n while so twitched slightly, breathing but on the verge of dying.
"You may kill yourself if you wish," Yuina sneered. "It'll be much cleaner than anything I could offer." She lowered her hips, ready to draw her sword. A powerful aura flickered from her body as she snarled at the enemy.
'I will not lose!' A thought of determination as she slipped her right leg forward, creating a foothold in the dry dirt.
"Aki, prepare yourself!" Yuina's tails narrowed.
Watching the pope constantly, she flicked her pupils across the enemy knights while listening to the gasping coming from behind her. "We will crush the enemy." The strong words slipped out from between her thin, red lips.
Shing——Clang!
A heavy tal impact echoed after Yuina drew her katana as sparks illuminated their surroundings.
'He's fast...' Yuina thought as Johan stood in front of her with his heavy mace raised.
Yuina leapt backwards to avoid his swing. 'And powerful...'
Thud--!
'Yet, he underestimated .' Yuina blocked his second strike without breaking a sweat. Twisting her wrist and stepping forward, she struck out with a lightning-fast stab, but Johan dodged her attack using his giant weapon as a shield.
'Tch...'
'Speed and strength aren't his only good qualities.'
"I told you to surrender!" Johan swung down the mace at the fox beauty.
Then, in a mont of tension, a voice sounded from behind the holy knights. "Sorry, old man. My won don't surrender that easily."
"How about,
you
surrender?"
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