With a deep frown on his face, Dumbledore looked around at the situation of the current Liberator force, who were being forced back and had suffered heavy losses.
Sigh~
"We underestimated the Wizard King."
With a defeated sigh, Dumbledore made the decision to pull back for now.
"Blast Magic: Earthquake!"
Giving a nod to Gandalf and McGonagall, signalling that he accepted their decision, Dumbledore placed both hands on the ground.
Both Gandalf and McGonagall immediately understood and moved to his side as he prepared his next spell.
Immediately, the battlefield started to vibrate and shake.
A huge crack appeared in the ground, separating the majority of the Liberators from the Magic Knights they were fighting.
"Dear comrades... let's retreat! Hurry up and scatter!"
Using his Sealing Magic, Gandalf amplified his voice and loudly instructed the Liberator forces to scatter and escape pursuit.
While the Magic Knights on the battlefield were caught off guard by the sudden earthquake, the Liberators, now standing on more even terrain with only minor cracks, began retreating in random directions.
"Damn old man... can't you just rest at home?"
Click~ Puff~
Standing firmly on the shaking ground, Yami positioned his katana and took a deep puff from his cigarette.
His grimoire flipped to the page containing the spell he intended to cast.
"Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Avidya Slash!"
His grip on the katana tightened as dark-attribute magic began gathering around the blade, cloaking it in a dark aura.
This spell channelled darkness into his sword, increasing its power and range.
Yami swung his katana horizontally, unleashing a devastating slash that sent a wave of dark energy toward the retreating Liberators.
As Yami's Dark Cloaked Avidya Slash released a wave of darkness flying toward Gandalf, who had just given his speech to the Liberators, along with Dumbledore and McGonagall, it was clear he intended to finish them off in one devastating strike.
"Transformation Magic: Ground Wave!"
Feeling a chill run down her spine, realizing the opponent captain's deadly intent, McGonagall hurriedly cast a spell.
She moved both hands upward in a fluid wave-like motion, transforming the ground in front of them.
The earth rose up like a massive wave from the crack, forming a protective barrier between them and Yami's attack.
Gandalf immediately reinforced the rising ground with his Seal Magic, strengthening it to withstand the immense pressure of Yami's attack.
Hehe~
"Slash Magic: Death Scythe!"
With a wide grin plastered across his face, Jack the Ripper appeared before the barrier.
His incredible agility allowed him to reach the protective wall in an instant.
The mana blade on his forearm, resembling the blade of a scythe, gleamed as he swung it.
Jack's slash tore through the rock-solid ground effortlessly, cutting through McGonagall's hastily crafted shield as if it were butter.
The shockwave of the slash didn't stop there.
It passed through the destroyed barrier and continued forward, striking Dumbledore, who stood still.
The attack cut him cleanly in half, extending its deadly range for another 40 to 60 meters.
Everything happened in a flash.
Jack darted away from the impact zone, and Yami's earlier attack connected, hitting both Gandalf and McGonagall as they tried to grab the falling Dumbledore.
Boom~
A massive explosion erupted, shaking the battlefield.
When the smoke finally settled, it revealed a deep crater where the three elders had stood moments before.
No trace of Dumbledore, Gandalf, or McGonagall remained—nothing but emptiness.
Phew~
"It seems all three of them are dead. Not even a single trace remains,"
Rill said as he approached the pit, inspecting the aftermath.
He sighed in relief, finally believing the battle was over.
There was, however, a hint of sadness in his expression.
The old woman, whose magic resembled his in how it relied on imagination, intrigued him.
If only they hadn't been enemies, Rill thought, he would have liked to have a meaningful conversation with her.
Sigh~
"They escaped, kid. What a pain in the ass,"
Yami muttered with a tired sigh, scratching the back of his head.
His expression was deadpan as he stared at the pit.
"____!"
Hearing Yami's words, Rill's eyes widened in shock.
He truly believed the old trio was dead.
His failure to sense their mana had convinced him that they had been wiped out in the attack.
However, Yami, with his ability to sense ki, already knew the truth.
The old trio had narrowly evaded his attack and were moving at high speed in the opposite direction, just beyond the range of his detection.
Elsewhere, far from the battlefield...
On top of a massive black panther—McGonagall's transformed form—the trio raced through the dense forest.
The panther weaved through the terrain in a zigzag pattern, trying to avoid leaving a trail or being tracked down.
Two old men sat on her back.
One of them, Dumbledore, looked deeply troubled, his face marked with gloom.
Their mission to save Sirius had failed miserably, and they had suffered heavy losses.
Now, they would have to abandon their hideout to avoid being captured.
The other man, Gandalf, looked pale.
His magic was wearing off, and the seal he had placed on his wounds had weakened.
Blood began to seep through, staining his robes.
Cough~ Cough~
"Damn it... Dumbledore,"
Gandalf groaned, his voice strained as he coughed up blood.
His breathing was laboured, and pain etched deep lines across his face.
"It's no coincidence. Someone... someone betrayed us. But how…?"
He glared at Dumbledore, who remained lost in deep thought, his expression dark.
Gandalf's voice rose in frustration, his anger boiling over despite his weakened state.
"Answer me! How did this happen? Who betrayed us?!"
Chillbound Wildwood…
After the battle concluded, Charlotte, Mereoleona, and Nebra stood with narrowed eyes, observing Dosill, who had been captured alive by Ben in his Panuncian alien form.
Meanwhile, Harry, along with the Royal Knights, stood encircling the battlefield as per King Ben's orders.
Under Harry's command, they prevented any culprits involved in the assassination attempt from escaping.
The Royal Knights had managed to bring down several assassins who tried to flee after being flushed out from their well-hidden spots.
The Knights, though initially reluctant to leave their king exposed in such a risky trap, couldn't deny their admiration.
This was the first time they had witnessed a king use himself as bait to capture terrorists threatening the Clover Kingdom's peace.
Watching the carnage Ben had unleashed upon the enemy ranks made many of the Royal Knights sweat buckets, their awe and respect for their king growing by the minute.
With the fight now over, the knights diligently searched through the unconscious bodies of the enemies to see if anyone had survived.
After confirming that no one had, they reported back to their king, who still stood in his imposing Panuncian form.
Flash~
A radiant green light burst from the Omnitrix on the Panuncian's collar as Ben pressed the display.
The dazzling light caused Dosill to instinctively close his eyes.
When the light faded, Ben transformed back into his normal human form.
"____!"
Dosill's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Y-you!!! You're the king…"
His voice trembled with shock as he stared at the figure now standing where the monstrous Panuncian had been moments ago.
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt, freezing him in place.
The very monster that had mercilessly taken down his team turned out to be none other than the king they had been sent to assassinate.
Dosill's blood ran cold as his mind reeled from the revelation.
Haha~
Ben laughed loudly, his confident voice echoing across the clearing.
The Royal Knights joined in, smirking at Dosill's dumbfounded expression, which only deepened his humiliation.
'Damn… I've been played. That old bastard…'
Dosill's face contorted as the bitter realization dawned on him.
His teeth clenched in frustration, his anger directed at the one who had sent him.
Grit~
The thought of being used as a disposable pawn made him curse the "old fucker" who had manipulated him, leaving him to face this crushing defeat.
[Ding...]
[Special Task: Escape the Assassination...]
[Description: The Liberators coordinated an assassination attempt to serve as a distraction while freeing their companion from prison.
Completion: 200/200
Task Reward: 250 FP Points, Spell: Acid Infusion.]
[Task Reward Being Issued...]
[Issuing reward: 250 FP Points...]
[Issuing reward: Spell: Acid Infusion...]
[Ding...]
[FP Bar: 17/500] --> [New Alien: ???]
[Ding...]
Hearing the system notifications in his head, Ben felt a wave of satisfaction.
The reward issued by the system had exceeded his expectations.
Sigh~
He exhaled in relief, realizing that the enemies taken down by the Royal Knights were also counted toward the task completion.
This fortunate oversight by the system allowed him to relax for a moment.
[Ding...]
[Hidden Task Completed...]
[Task Name: Capture the Hidden Force Sent by Liberators.]
[Description: To ensure their plan went smoothly, the Liberators assigned three core members to observe and intervene if necessary.
Completion: 3/3.]
[Reward Being Generated...]
[Reward: Null Void Shreds x40. (Collect 100 shreds to access the Empty Null Void.)]
Hehe~
'Looks like someone helped me complete the hidden task. What a pleasant surprise.'
Seeing that luck had played a part in completing the hidden objective, Ben couldn't help but grin widely. The system's unexpected bonus made him genuinely happy.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):Thanks for reading the chapter!
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