Iris didn't waste time and immediately released her second shot. This time, she didn't miss and was able to hit the High Night Critter on its forehead. Its loud scream broke through the night as the black thorny vines burst from the High Night Critter's body, its tendrils swishing violently around it, piercing and slashing its mindless subordinates.
She was taken aback, not sure of what was happening. She hadn't intended any of these to happen, nor did she have any idea how to proceed after her attack. As the black vines rapidly grew, Iris didn't have time to pull the rein of the steed to run away. She could only look as the vines rushed to her at an insane speed.
Would this be the end for her? She wondered. The more she knew about these darklings, the more she realized how deadly they could be. She had yet to arrive in Asnar, but they had already encountered enemies on their way.
Iris shut her eyes and braced herself, waiting for the pain that was about to consume her. However, seconds passed and it never arrived. Did something happen?
She opened her eyes only to realize that she was in Lord Kieran's arms as they floated midair while the black vines continued to spread and attack the other Night Critters. His black steed had already vanished into thin air as the demon lord took her before the vines reached her.
"You did well." The demon lord said impassively.
She was taken aback and went stiff in his arms. Iris had never been this close with a man before. Iris dared not to wound her arms around the demon lord and chose to hold on to the bow tighter.
"W-what…" Her question was forgotten when her eyes caught what was happening below them.
The demon lord didn't give her an answer, but the way he furrowed his eyebrows let Iris know that Lord Kieran was also confused by the sudden turn of events. His eyes were fixated on the wild black vines that were spreading below them.
"Everyone, be clear and retreat! Don't let the vines get you!"
Meanwhile, Aiden and his troop had also ceased their attacks and decided to pull back. None of them was sure what was happening and where these black vines came from, but seeing how it sucked out the remaining magic from those who were trapped in it, none of them dared to get closer to it.
They watched as the necromancer's body turned into ash as soon as the black vines dried it out of its magic, forbidding it to revive not only itself but also the other Night Critters around it. For Iris to be able to kill and annihilate all the Night Critters in just two shots, it was quite impressive.
Lord Kieran and the rest of the Frost Guards didn't need to do anything else, as the black vines did the job for them. They flew to a safe distance and joined Aiden's group on top of a hill. He helped get Iris back on her feet and she immediately stepped back, making sure to keep a safe distance between them.
Yuri joined them shortly after killing the first High Night Critter that arrived earlier and watched in surprise as the black vines grew in front of them.
"Huh? Isn't that the Black Mage's 'Flower of Darkness'?" He commented, catching Aiden and Iris's attention.
"Are you sure?" Aiden furrowed his brows in response. "It doesn't look like one to me."
"I'm certain that it is." Yuri said confidently. "It's partial though, and I doubt that it will bloom."
"What will happen if it blooms?" Iris asked curiously. "Are these Night Critters related to the Black Mage?"
Regardless if one lived in Asnar or Dravial, everyone knew or at least had heard about the Black Mage. For Yuri to mention the Black Mage, did it mean that they were dealing with blind followers that wanted to resurrect him?
In the end, there's a limit to what humans like her were capable of. There were forces in this world far beyond humanity was capable of contending with. There were other unimaginable beings living in Asnar that a mortal human wouldn't even imagine existed.
In the face of a deadly situation, Iris could do nothing but watch as the Night Critters were devoured and ravaged by the black vines that sprouted from the necromancer's body. A direct attack on the Night Critters and the necromancer wouldn't be possible even if she was a magus.
"The vines will stop growing and red flowers will spring from it. Once they bloom, they will detonate and make an explosion huge enough to flatten a mountain to the ground." Yuri explained nonchalantly, his eyes locked on the abandoned battlefield. "But it won't happen. This skill is incomplete and it will disintegrate on its own because the Night Critters wouldn't be enough to fulfill its ravenous appetite for mana."
The Night Critters had no chance to stand against the black vines. Although partial, it was ravenous enough to absorb as much mana it could, regardless of the source. However, there was something Yuri couldn't understand. The Flower of Darkness was made by the Black Mage himself and only he could utilize this skill, so who was the one that attempted to use it?
Yuri looked around, trying to see if another High Night Critter aside from the dead necromancer was in sight, but there was none. He couldn't fathom what caused the 'Flower of Darkness' to trigger itself. Or was it something that High Night Critters chose to use to keep their people in line?
As soon as the black vines consumed every single Night Critter in sight, it stopped growing and disintegrated into ashes, just as Yuri had mentioned.
While Yuri was conflicted over the events, Iris suddenly felt heavy and dizzy. Her eyesight blurred as she struggled to keep herself up. Just as she was about to hit the ground and lose her consciousness, an arm stopped her from falling.