"How did I end up getting sold out like this?" Looking around at the unfriendly gazes, Constantine's mouth twitched slightly as he muttered somewhat speechlessly, "Couldn't he have taken me with him?"
The answer to Constantine's question was, of course, obvious. Robert couldn't possibly take Constantine with him, leaving Clare behind with only the werewolf Luke to protect her. Especially after sensing Luke's strength during his transformation, Robert was unimpressed. Even after transforming, Luke couldn't intimidate the guardian at all, which explained why the guardian had previously looked down upon werewolves so much.
Therefore, Robert naturally left Constantine behind to keep an eye on the guardian, since Clare was, after all, a person led to them by the guidance of the Angel's Blood and couldn't just be abandoned.
But this action put Constantine in a difficult position, finding himself surrounded and expected to deal with the situation with his summoned beasts. He thought everything would be under control, but now he found himself in a situation where he might be overwhelmed. He formed a few magic seals with his hands and vanished once again.
"Head to the infirmary and catch them! They are sent by Valentin, intending to destroy the academy!" The guardian, upon seeing Constantine disappear, made a bold claim to the bewildered Shadow Hunters, shouting, "They plan to continue summoning demons. They've already succeeded before. The increasing number of demons you've seen outside is their doing!"
"What?!" Jess and the others' pupils dilated, and they quickly sprang into action, trusting the guardian's words without hesitation and rushing towards the infirmary.
Constantine didn't vanish to flee but instead reappeared in the infirmary, casting a series of strange objects around the room before vanishing again under Luke's puzzled gaze.
"What... what are you doing?" Luke asked, somewhat concerned, protecting the still unconscious Clare behind him. He didn't quite understand why Constantine returned alone and started performing incomprehensible actions, but he instinctively shielded Clare from Constantine, known for his bad reputation.
"I'm setting up defenses against the guardian and the Shadow Hunters here. The Saiyan went to deal with Valentin, leaving just the three of us. We better hold the fort until he returns, or I won't be able to handle so many Shadow Hunters on my own..." Constantine glanced at Luke and explained a bit.
"You can't handle them?" Luke frowned, having seen Robert easily deal with the guardian and thus assuming Constantine, who accompanied Robert, possessed similar strength. But it seemed that wasn't the case.
"Isn't it normal I can't handle so many? And if I can defend, why should I go out and risk everything? It's a waste to use my trump cards!" Constantine wasn't unwilling to deal with the Shadow Hunters; he simply preferred not to waste his valuable resources on them.
Besides, the only real problem in the academy was the guardian. If Constantine used his trump cards against the Shadow Hunters, that would be the real waste.
Constantine didn't bother explaining to the Shadow Hunters that the real villain was the guardian. After all, the guardian had been protecting the academy for years, and generations of Shadow Hunters had grown under his watch. How could they possibly doubt the guardian based on a few words from Constantine, who lacked any protagonist-like persuasive power?
Thus, Constantine decided to stall for time, waiting for Robert to deal with Valentin and return to confront the guardian. Then, whether to suppress the Shadow Hunters for a serious talk or something else, Constantine would have the upper hand.
In a very short time, Constantine set up an array in the infirmary, blocking outsiders from entering, while Jess led the Shadow Hunters, already on their way.
Jess felt guilty for bringing enemies into their academy but saw the situation as not beyond redemption. With the most powerful Robert gone, and only the infamous Constantine left, Jess believed they were manageable since they had the numbers.
"Buzz!" Unfortunately, as Jess was contemplating his next move, an array emerged at the infirmary door, shattering his illusions. The array blocked all the Shadow Hunters from advancing.
"Boom!" Jess and the others unleashed various powers, attempting to destroy the array. Though the array stirred, it wasn't completely destroyed, indicating the Shadow Hunters couldn't breach the infirmary in the short term.
"Don't hold back! If we can't solve this now, when that guy returns with Valentin, they'll summon a horde of demons, and our academy will be in danger!" The guardian frowned upon seeing this, uncertain of Robert's or Valentin's strength but wanting to take control.
Whether it was threatening Robert or Valentin with Constantine, Clare, and Luke, or continuing to trade with Valentin for the Holy Grail, they needed to breach the infirmary's array first!
Jess and the others increased their firepower output, forcing Constantine to integrate more objects into the array, visibly pained by the use of his collected treasures. Though not as costly as his direct countermeasures against Shadow Hunters, these treasures were accumulated over time, and Constantine preferred not to use them unless necessary. However, to avoid greater losses, he reluctantly employed them.
"The array in the infirmary is robust. We can't break through it with our strength alone in the short term!" After Constantine made some sacrifices, the initially faltering array stabilized, seemingly impervious to the Shadow Hunters' powers. Seeing this, Jess and the others grew anxious.
"I'll adjust the academy's array. Remember, there's a werewolf among them. Don't let a single werewolf defeat you!" The guardian hesitated, then firmly instructed the Shadow Hunters.
As the guardian of a long-standing lineage of Shadow Hunters, the academy wasn't without its last resort. Facing the current situation, the guardian felt it was time to use it.
"Yes!" Jess and the others responded solemnly, gripping their weapons tighter. These Shadow Hunters weren't just magicians; they had excellent melee capabilities, often using their magic power as mere support in battles against demons.
And with the Angel's Blood enhancing their physical strength after awakening, they felt confident facing a werewolf, weapons in hand.
Hearing the Shadow Hunters' response, the guardian took a deep breath and disappeared. Soon, an invisible, more potent force enveloped the entire academy. Constantine's expression changed drastically as he felt his usual spells become alien, his extraordinary items obscure, and most importantly, he lost all connection to the array he set up in the infirmary!
"What the hell? You have such a technique? Blocking magic? Are you even magicians? Why use a formation against magicians? Where's your mage dignity? A bunch of soulless things!" Constantine exclaimed, speechless.
"Boom!" Just as Constantine finished speaking, the infirmary door was kicked open, and one after another, weapon-wielding Shadow Hunters charged in, glaring menacingly at Constantine, Luke, and the still unconscious Clare.
With the array in the infirmary disabled, the mere door couldn't stop the fierce Shadow Hunters. Seeing their current state, Constantine felt like he had walked into a gang fight.
Hearing Constantine's remarks, Luke prepared for battle, not covered by the anti-magic array and believing the Shadow Hunters weren't necessarily his match, even armed.
"
Give up, there are too many of them!" Constantine waved, stopping Luke, "With so many, a slash each, and you're done. Your werewolf healing isn't that strong, right? Better not fight. Surrender, or we'll end up in a dead-end conflict..."
Constantine couldn't read the guardian's mind, but he could guess his intentions. The guardian likely wanted to use them as leverage against Robert or Valentin. Constantine believed Robert would ultimately win.
So, with magic disabled, the best course was to wait for Robert's return to avoid unnecessary casualties. After all, without magic, Constantine was just a regular person, and with an unconscious Clare to care for, a single werewolf couldn't withstand the assault.
"Surrender?" Luke looked bewildered, unsure about Constantine's sudden shift from resistance to surrender.
"Surrendering?" Jess and the others, armed and ready for a fierce battle, were also stunned. They had expected a tough fight, but now the enemies were suddenly surrendering?
Were these people not Valentin's subordinates, ready to summon demons? Why were they so shameless? Or was it their shamelessness that made them Valentin's underlings?
Thoughts raced through Jess and the others' minds. The guardian, intending to enter after the battle, walked in upon hearing Constantine's voice, his expression darkening as he ordered, "Tie them up, gag them, and keep a close watch on the portal and outside the academy. Report any disturbances to me immediately!"
"Yes!" Jess and the others complied, binding the unresisting Constantine and Luke, who glared at Constantine before reverting to human form. They hesitated when facing the unconscious Clare but ultimately decided to tie her up as well, following the guardian's orders.
With Constantine and the others secured, the guardian finally lifted the anti-magic array. After all, it wasn't just Constantine affected, but also the Shadow Hunters themselves. Without the array, if the distinctly non-magical Robert broke in, the Shadow Hunters would have no means to resist...
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