"Curse it, how can he be so strong!"
The three Seven Luminaries scrambled up from the ground, watching Hakurou's departing back with expressions of shock and uncertainty.
By this time, Vice-Captain Renard and the others had also snapped out of it. They stopped following the charge of Gerudo of "Fire" and instead led the other four Saints toward Hinata's direction.
Seeing this, Gerudo looked back, and the expression on his face shifted instantly.
He immediately turned around and quietly changed into a white robe, its style identical to those of the Seven Luminaries.
The identities of the Seven Luminaries were too mysterious; no one expected that Gerudo, one of the Ten Great Saints, was actually the Fire Luminary in disguise.
"Today's plan must not fail. Hinata must die."
A cruel arc curled on Gerudo's lips as he moved through the chaotic battlefield, silently approaching Hinata's position.
Fearing they would be surpassed by their juniors and lose their legendary titles, the Seven Luminaries Teachers had long since been subtly corrupted and dominated by the head of the Seven Luminaries, the Sunday Luminary, Granbell.
Both Glenda and Gerudo were moles planted within the Church by Granbell.
As the leader of the Rozo, Granbell had been plotting for a long time, all for this very day... Outside the battlefield, two clown-like figures stood still, quietly watching the chaotic scene in the distance as if waiting for something.
"It's starting, it's starting! What a great show!"
The clown Footman waved his arms excitedly, but Tia, on the other side, looked somewhat puzzled.
She held up a black box in her hands, examined it for a moment, and said, "Footman, does this thing really work? There's no movement at all."
"The souls used for Clayman's awakening were collected through this box, so there shouldn't be any problem."
The two were quite puzzled as they pondered how to use the box; casualties had clearly occurred on the battlefield, yet the souls had vanished.
"How strange..."
...Nazarick, Ninth Floor.
Draco lay on a rocking chair, watching the live broadcast while enjoying Albedo's service.
"Master, the targets have appeared. Should we make a move?"
Albedo placed a peeled grape into Draco's mouth and asked casually.
"Let's go. We'll deal with these two first."
Draco stretched and stood up.
"As you command!"
Albedo agreed with a smile, and then the two stepped into the portal behind them and vanished... Meanwhile, in the Holy Empire of Lubelius, at the Nocturnal Palace.
Shalltear was enjoying some fresh human blood when her brow suddenly furrowed.
She looked out the window as an inexplicable sense of danger surged in her heart, causing her to frown.
"Just as Master expected, someone really has come to cause trouble."
Shalltear smiled slightly and continued drinking the delicious blood, not taking it to heart.
At this moment, the Nocturnal Palace had intentionally withdrawn all its guards to lure the snake out of its hole.
Before long, a sneaky figure appeared at the entrance of the Nocturnal Palace.
"Yare yare, as expected, the Demon Lords have all gone to the Walpurgis. It wasn't easy for me to slip in here so smoothly this time!"
Laplace chuckled to himself, then tiptoed into the interior of the palace, finding the hall completely empty, which saved him a lot of trouble.
"There's actually no one here, hehehe."
Laplace gave a light chuckle and then walked quickly toward the depths of the hall.
But just as he picked up speed, he suddenly stopped. A bone-chilling killing intent instantly filled the air around him.
Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. He slowly turned his head, only to see a face full of playfulness.
"Are?"
Looking at the young girl in red who had suddenly appeared before him, Laplace was momentarily stunned.
"This isn't a place where you're allowed to be."
Shalltear stared at the clownish man before her with a beaming smile.
"That sounds like a threat~"
Laplace shrugged with a look of indifference. "However, it seems the plan has been seen through. Time to slip away."
With that, he dropped a smoke bomb, preparing to flee.
When it comes to running away, Laplace is a professional.
"You want to leave? It's not that simple."
Shalltear gave a charming laugh and then snapped her fingers.
"Holy Spirit Grand Barrier!"
Outside the Nocturnal Palace, Veldora the Storm King led the vampires in a joint effort, and a massive white barrier radiating a holy aura instantly enveloped the entire palace.
Laplace's expression soured. He hadn't expected the enemy to be so well-prepared, waiting for him to step into the cage.
"Stop struggling and just give up."
Shalltear looked at Laplace with a smile. "I don't know who you are, but you're definitely an enemy, right? I suggest you'd better surrender."
Laplace snorted coldly and then, without hesitation, raised the dagger in his hand and stabbed fiercely at Shalltear.
"Hmm?"
Shalltear was slightly surprised. The opponent actually dared to attack her?
But since he wasn't afraid to die, she would gladly oblige him.
Shalltear reached out her right hand and deftly caught the incoming dagger.
"Crack!"
The dagger shattered into powder.
"What a troublesome fellow."
Laplace sighed and retreated rapidly.
"Allow this one to test your strength."
Shalltear's figure blurred, appearing right beside Laplace. With a light flick of her slender finger, she sent him tumbling to the ground.
"This won't do; you're far too weak."
Shalltear spoke with a beaming smile as she walked up to Laplace in her high heels, looking down at him.
"Honestly, the Demon Lord and Hinata are gone, yet a monster like this shows up."
Laplace gave a bitter smile. "Chairman, you really know how to give me a hard time."
With that, Laplace prepared to stop hiding his strength; otherwise, he would meet his end here today.
Subsequently, the aura around him began to surge.
"Oh~ now this is interesting. Let this one see what you're truly made of!"
Shalltear said playfully. Then, two red figures collided, fists and palms clashing as explosions rang out in the air.
"Boom—"
"Rumble!"
As the sound of their intense physical exchange echoed throughout the Nocturnal Palace... In the Kingdom of Ingrassia, at the Free Guild Headquarters.
Kagali sat in the room, feeling uneasy, her hands tightly clutching the collar of her clothes.
"Are you alright?"
Yuuki, who was calmly reading a manga nearby, noticed Kagali's abnormality and spoke up.
"I'm fine. I just have a bad premonition, like something is about to happen."
Kagali took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
"Maybe you're just overthinking it."
Yuuki shrugged, clearly not caring much.
After all, everything was going according to plan so far.
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