Facing the Nachzehrer who had stepped aside, the convoy hesitated to move forward. Flandre Scarlet was somewhat puzzled.
"What are you afraid of? Didn't the Old Man say we could leave?"
"But...?" The leader of the merchant caravan, who had just woken up, looked at the Nachzehrer army not far away, whose bloodthirst seemed ready to overflow, and simply didn't dare to advance.
"Do you think with your skill level, that Old Man would need to lie to kill you?" Flandre completely failed to understand what they were afraid of.
Others had cleared the way, yet they still didn't dare to go. Truth be told, based on this single act of disrespect, Flandre wouldn't even lift a finger to save them if they were all slaughtered by the other side. After all, her sister often said that the dignity of the strong must not be desecrated. These people actually distrusted the actions of a top-tier powerhouse; if they died, they completely deserved it.
Flandre pulled on Sister Chen's hand. "Sister, let's get in the car!"
Chen Huijie nodded; she also felt that the people in the caravan were being a bit too impolite. In a situation where life or death was entirely at the whim of another, where did these people get the nerve to question a powerhouse's decision?
The people in the caravan also came to their senses. If they didn't hurry and leave while the other party was in a good mood and letting them go, and instead stayed here being afraid of this and that, they really wouldn't be able to leave if the other side changed their mind.
"Thank you, Old Man!" As they passed Nezzsalem, Flandre even opened the car window and waved at him.
Nezzsalem nodded slightly, the strips of cloth on his body fluttering in the wind. The surrounding Nachzehrers all looked on in surprise; their Patriarch seemed quite happy... After passing through the Nachzehrer King's ranks, the convoy sped away. They didn't breathe a sigh of relief until they had left the Kazdel-controlled area and entered the public zone.
Many were rejoicing that the trip wasn't a loss, thinking they'd have something to brag about once they returned to Great Yan. To be able to walk away alive from the Nachzehrer King—how many people could actually achieve that?
On the other side, two hours later, a blood-red figure appeared beside Nezzsalem.
"Where is she?" Nezzsalem remained silent, continuing to look toward the northern battlefield.
"Where did that Blood Demon who triggered this great war go?" Duq'arael looked at Nezzsalem and asked.
"She already has her own home. Why bother dragging her back into the mire of war?" Nezzsalem said calmly.
"Huh? Wasn't she the one who dragged us into the mire of war?" Duq'arael wanted to ask Nezzsalem if he was getting so old that his memory was failing. The fact that Kazdel and Ursus were fighting now was entirely thanks to her. And now you're telling me she has her own home and not to bring her back to the Kazdel battlefield. Isn't that hilarious?
"They went toward Lungmen, didn't they? I will go and confirm it myself. As for 'home,' whether the home she speaks of can truly become a harbor to protect her, we shall wait and see!"
After Duq'arael finished speaking, he once again transformed into a blood-colored light and rushed toward the direction of the convoy.
By now, the caravan was about to reach the borders of Great Yan. Everyone decided to rest for a while once they reached Great Yan; the past two days of travel had left many feeling exhausted. This exhaustion was mainly psychological. After all, when driving on the road and hearing the sounds of war all around from time to time, no one knew if they would round a corner and crash headlong into an ambush or an army.
Having safely passed through the war zone, everyone felt a wave of fatigue the moment they relaxed. So, considering they had left the Ursus-Kazdel conflict zone and were about to enter Great Yan territory, the caravan decided to find a place to rest as soon as they entered Great Yan's sphere of influence.
Chen Huijie looked at the distant green hills and clear waters belonging to Great Yan, a relaxed expression appearing on her face. "Phew, now that we're in Great Yan, we'll be safe!"
Flandre didn't say anything after hearing this; instead, she turned to look at the rear of the convoy. A faint, fresh scent of blood was coming from the distance.
"Not necessarily!" she whispered.
"What's wrong?" Chen Huijie asked, noticing the worry in Flandre's tone.
"Someone is coming, and they're full of malice! He's probably here for me. Let's stop here for a bit!" Flandre blinked, her tone becoming somewhat serious.
Chen Huijie nodded to the Shadow Guard driving the car, and then their vehicle pulled over to the side and stopped.
"Miss Chen, why have you stopped?" As soon as they stopped, the caravan leader asked for the reason through the internal communicator.
"You guys go on ahead. Someone in our car is motion sick and we're going to rest here for a while."
The caravan leader was left speechless. The people in Chen Huijie's car were experts who could defeat all those Ursus soldiers in an instant. They weren't motion sick the past two days, but suddenly they are today? Did she really think he would believe that?
However, since they clearly didn't want to say, it would be a breach of etiquette to press further. Thinking about how there was also a Blood Demon girl in that car who could make the Nachzehrer King show respect, he calmed down. If they really encountered trouble, it probably wasn't something someone like him could handle anyway.
After the last car of the caravan passed them, Chen Huijie also seemed to see that streak of crimson rolling in from the west. Seeing this, she tightly held Flandre's hand, as if Flandre would disappear the moment she let go. The Shadow Guards even drew their weapons, protecting Chen Huijie and Flandre in the center.
After another ten minutes or so, the red cloud came to a stop not far from them. Then, a man who looked young and elegant, like a Leithanien noble, stepped out from within.
"You were waiting for me?" The man's gaze locked onto Flandre immediately.
"Otherwise? You chased us for hundreds of kilometers. If we didn't stop and wait for you, what if people said we don't know the rules and are mistreating the elderly!" Flandre shot back.
"Sharp-tongued!" A cold light flashed in the man's eyes. Immediately, several drops of blood transformed into spears and shot toward them.
However, in the next second, a magic circle appeared behind Flandre, and then hundreds of Danmaku gushed out, sweeping toward the opponent in an overwhelming wave. Facing the approaching Danmaku, the newcomer's lips curled into a smile. "Interesting!"
With a wave of his hand, a shield wall made of blood blocked the path of the Danmaku. The Danmaku exploded against the blood wall in ripples, but they didn't affect the man behind it in the slightest.
"Who is this guy? The pressure he's giving me isn't any less than the one we met before," Chen Huijie asked in a low voice.
"Duq'arael..." Flandre replied while continuously washing over the opponent with Danmaku.
"Duq'arael?" Chen Huijie felt like the name was very familiar. A second later, her pupils shrank. "The Great Blood Demon Lord, Duq'arael!"
She never expected that the incredibly elegant-looking man not far away was the Great Blood Demon Lord Duq'arael, who had committed countless bloody crimes in Terra's modern history. His words and actions had also caused a large number of Blood Demons to imitate him, dragging the overall reputation of Blood Demons to an all-time low. Thinking about the Nachzehrer King, Nezzsalem, whom they had also met not long ago, she couldn't help but feel a bit dazed. Since when could she meet two of Terra's major figures in a single day?
And it was clear that this Great Blood Demon Lord was far less reasonable than the Nachzehrer King. After all, someone willing to talk wouldn't attack the moment they met.
While she was dazed, Flandre had already pulled her hand away and flown into the air. Not to be outdone, Duq'arael also took to the sky, and the two began their second round of combat in mid-air.
"Laevateinn!" Flandre shouted, and a massive flaming sword appeared in her hand. With a swing, even Chen Huijie below could feel the scorching heat carried by the wind.
On the other side, Duq'arael didn't pull out any weapon. But with a wave of his hand, blood transformed into various weapons that blocked the path of the flaming greatsword, seemingly stopping Flandre's offensive with great ease. The two chased each other in the air, locked in combat. But because the battle was taking place in mid-air, Chen Huijie and the Shadow Guards below were powerless to help. They even had to retreat a distance to avoid being caught in the aftershocks of the battle.
"Is this all you've got?" After a few rounds, the blood in Duq'arael's hand turned into a longsword and slashed at Flandre, only to be blocked by her.
While they were at a stalemate, Duq'arael let out a cold snort. "Hee hee hee, this is so fun! Flandre will play with you for a bit!"
As she spoke, her voice took on a layered, echoing quality. Duq'arael caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and found that Flandre had become four. Four Flandres, each holding a flaming greatsword, began to hack wildly at Duq'arael. It looked as if they were planning to mince him into fine pieces.
Seeing this, Duq'arael unhurriedly raised his hand, and a blood-sphere-like Originium Casting Unit appeared in his palm, radiating an eerie red light. The red light covered Duq'arael's surroundings, making it impossible for Flandre's flaming greatswords to cut through.
"Hahahaha, so fun, this is so interesting!" Seeing this, Flandre was delighted rather than surprised, and then she vanished from the spot.
The moment Flandre disappeared, Duq'arael felt his scalp tingle, as if he were being shrouded by death itself. He felt a terrifying aura coming from all directions. From four positions, four large Magic Bullets carrying countless smaller Magic Bullets surged in from all sides. He had a feeling that if he were hit by those Magic Bullets, he would definitely die.
So this time, he didn't choose to tank it head-on, but instead transformed into a streak of blood light, weaving back and forth through the dense Danmaku. It wasn't that he hadn't discovered Flandre's position, but she was currently located within the large Magic Bullets. He couldn't reach her at all, so he could only keep dodging. And those large Magic Bullets were also flickering in and out of existence. If it weren't for his extraordinary methods and his own mastery of speed, he probably would have been hit long ago.
One minute, two minutes, five minutes... ten minutes passed. The two sides were still at a stalemate in the air. Flandre's figure gradually revealed itself.
"Boring, boring! You only know how to run away!" Flandre reappeared in the air, pouting. She was extremely dissatisfied with Duq'arael's constant fleeing just now. It was only after Flandre appeared that Duq'arael managed to catch his breath.