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The Death Line, fleeting as it may be, was present in the air.
By the time Fang Li noticed it, the Death Line moving in the air had already entered deep into the forest, completely disappearing from his vision.
Just as Rem had said, there was some invisible entity attacking Emilia, even moving within the forest.
"At this time of all times, you sure know how to pick 'em, Witch Cult..." Fang Li's ice-blue eyes glittered incessantly as he muttered.
To be honest, Fang Li hadn't expected the Witch Cult to show up at this moment.
It's not that Fang Li hadn't considered the possibility, but rather that the possibility had been dismissed.
The Royal Capital isn't far from here.
And the Witch Cult, which worships "Witch of Envy", is a true enemy in this world. Everyone wishes to eradicate them, without leaving a single survivor. To the people of this world, these folks are a scourge, truly evil and sinful entities.
Moreover, the followers of the Witch Cult emit the scent of the Witch, which is particularly noticeable to individuals like Rem with heightened senses. They would be easily detected, and anyone in their right mind wouldn't dare to approach the Royal Capital, which is teeming with considerable military might.
However, Fang Li underestimated one factor about the Witch Cult's followers: their madness.
These people are truly fanatical zealots.
For such fanatics, their own safety is not even a consideration. As long as they achieve their goals, they won't hesitate to sacrifice their lives.
So, even though the Royal Capital, with its considerable military might, is nearby, these individuals still recklessly charged in.
Thus, even knowing that there are many soldiers and mercenaries on this battlefield who might perceive them as enemies, they still recklessly surround Rem, staying here to buy time.
In other words, Fang Li fell victim to his own cleverness.
"Fang Li-Sama..." Rem spoke with her head bowed. "It's all my fault for not protecting Emilia-Sama..."
Rem's voice betrayed feelings of powerlessness and resentment towards herself.
This maid already had feelings of inferiority, and her inability to protect Emilia in this situation, leading to her being attacked, must have filled her with self-blame, right?
To this, Fang Li didn't offer any comforting words.
Because they weren't needed.
"After this, I'll punish you severely," Fang Li said. "For now, I'll go after them. I leave this place to you, Rem."
Fang Li's resolute words made Rem nod heavily.
So, Fang Li gave Rem a faint smile, tightened his grip, and once again turned into a stream of light, darting towards the depths of the forest.
"Wūūūūūūūūūūūū————!"
From high above, the Hakugei (White Whale), which had been vigilantly observing Fang Li since easily dispatching its own avatar just now, saw Fang Li abandoning it and heading for the forest. Fury surged in its blood-congested eyes, and it let out a manic roar, abruptly turning its massive body and following.
"Don't you dare interfere with Fang Li-Sama!"
The single horn on Rem's forehead once again emitted light. Enveloped in an Oni Transformation, she plunged into madness, letting out a chilling low roar as she leaped into pursuit.
"Crusch-Sama!"
"Crusch-Sama!"
At this moment, all the members of the extermination squad gathered around Crusch, looking towards the Hakugei (White Whale) flying into the forest, their voices tinged with anxiety.
Even Ferris and Wilhelm turned their gazes towards Crusch, awaiting her command.
"Never did I expect the Witch Cult to barge in at this moment, and they even took Emilia with them."
Crusch gritted her teeth at the sudden turn of events.
The entire situation had become chaotic due to the intervention of the Witch Cult.
Therefore, even Crusch found it tricky and was unsure how to proceed.
In this situation, Wilhelm offered counsel.
"We have no choice but to retreat," Wilhelm said, gripping the sword at his waist tightly, his eyes burning with a ghostly aura. "With dangerous Demon Beasts and evil individuals from the Witch Cult appearing before us, if we don't exterminate them, it will tarnish our honor."
Perhaps there was also a reason for Wilhelm's urgent desire for revenge in his words.
However, Wilhelm's counsel wasn't wrong either.
If this extermination battle were to fail, it would affect Crusch's reputation. If they allowed the universally feared Witch Cult to appear before them and did nothing, Crusch's evaluation in the eyes of the world would undoubtedly plummet.
However, these were just supporting factors.
"Ignoring the evil before us is something we absolutely cannot tolerate!"
Crusch lifted her head and, with a resolute voice, issued her command.
"We'll pursue as well. We must assist Fang Li Sama and the others and eradicate both the Hakugei (White Whale) and the Witch Cult together!"
"Yes!"
In a loud response, the extermination squad kicked up dust and, riding Earth Dragons, charged toward the direction of the forest.
In the end, only the thunderous roar of the Hakugei (White Whale) reverberated in the sky and earth, truly heralding the chaotic war's beginning.
...
"Chī————!"
Amidst the faint breaking of space, a stream of light darted through the forest, heading towards its depths.
"Hū————!"
The extremely fast flight brought with it the whistling of airwaves, sweeping past the surrounding trees. The trees seemed to sway belatedly after the stream of light passed, rustling with a chaotic shaking of leaves.
Despite the dense forest, the stream of light, moving at an astonishing speed, smoothly maneuvered around each tree, as if it could clearly see everything in its path. Its speed remained unabated as it dodged each tree, drawing closer to the depths of the forest.
During this process, figures emerged from various corners of the forest.
These figures all moved silently, like lost souls blending into the shadows - they were the followers of the Witch Cult.
Seeing the stream of light flash past in front of them, the Witch Cult members couldn't catch up at all. They could only continue their silent run while raising their hands before being left behind, unleashing flames of magic.
"Pēng Pēng Pēng Pēng Pēng————!"
Suddenly, in various corners of the forest, explosions erupted one after another wherever the stream of light passed, igniting a fire wave.
However, none of these fireballs hit their target; they were all avoided by the stream of light as if they were annoying flies, dodging them effortlessly.
It was as if they were no different from the trees blocking the path.
Of course, with the stream of light's flight, Witch Cult members also appeared ahead, wielding short swords like crosses, charging towards the stream of light.
"Get out of the way!"
Fang Li raised his Moonlight Dagger and met them head-on.
And thus, the slaughter began.
...