Han's gaze remained fixed on John, his attention momentarily broken by a short nod to Aria. John's sudden hostility snapped Han back to reality as he uttered, "What are you doing here? We don't have time to babysit someone as weak as you!"
In spite of his frustration, Han couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Ah yes, there's the John we know," he thought, realizing that he missed the familiar sarcastic tone in John's words.
Then he spoke with a sly grin, his tone cocky. "Well, I came because it seems like you're all in a mess thanks to those pesky humans. I mean, I figured I had to step in, right? I won't be outdone by anyone, let alone some lowly humans."
He continued to stroll around John, intentionally trying to rile him up.
"I thought everything would be done in one or two months at most, but now I find out that the mighty John has taken a whole year? Oh, and you had to ask the prince for help, too?"
Han was in the middle of delivering his scathing remark before John shut him up with a hard punch. However, instead of the desired reaction, Han burst into laughter, wiping away the trickle of blood from his lip.
John's anger and annoyance flared as Han mocked the gravity of the war. The death toll among demons due to the human's anti-magic barriers was too much, and here was Han, treating it all like a joke.
He clenched his fists, the urge to end Han right then and there strong within him. However, Charlie's voice halted his murderous intentions.
Charles's firm voice sliced through the tension, commanding them to halt their bickering.
"Enough with your antics," Charles scolded, his gaze sharp as he shot a stern glare at both Han and John.
Han, looking irritated, accepted the help from Aria as she tended to the wound on his cheek inflicted by John's punch.
Charles voiced the pressing question, urging them to discuss their attack strategy.
"We need to plan our assault on the humans," he stated. "We have to act swiftly; my kingdom can't be left leaderless for long."
Han followed close behind Charles, keen to participate in the discussion, as if the previous tension was momentarily forgotten. Aria and John did the same, joining them to contribute their thoughts and ideas to their plans.
The three layers of anti-magic barriers between the demons camp and the human kingdom were meticulously analyzed during the discussion, each layer assigned to a specific group of combatants.
The first layer wasn't particularly powerful, so the lower-ranking demons were tasked with dealing with it.
The second layer offered more resistance, requiring demons of higher rank to handle it.
Finally, the third layer, the strongest of them all, would significantly weaken magic-users, forcing them to rely solely on physical strength. As they done discussed the plan
Aria protested loudly as she pointed out a concerning part of the plan.
"Hold on," she exclaimed. "Why is Han assigned to the third layer? He has no physical strength, and his life core is already wounded!"
She was visibly frustrated since the plan suggested Aria would stop at the second layer due to her status as a magic-user.