The caravan was moving steadily, and everyone was tense and alert. They didn't let go of any movements around them, whether they were caused by small wild animals or something else; all of them were extra careful.
"Hmm, they're here," Luna's uncle murmured calmly from within the carriage, his words meant to prepare his niece for what was coming.
Outside, the caravan continued moving steadily, unaware of the storm brewing just ahead. But after a few moments, both Ash and Captain Edward felt it—a subtle, foreboding presence in the air. Their expressions immediately darkened as they realized danger was imminent.
But before they can say anything, the enemies appear right straight ahead of them, blocking the road. They appeared full of confidence without any intention of hiding or trying to ambush. It was clear they were confident and didn't take them seriously.
Three figures stood ahead, dressed in black and wearing strange masks that immediately caught Ash's attention. The designs on their masks seemed eerily similar to constellations he remembered.
Among them, two appeared to be men, while the third was clearly a woman, her stature and movements distinct from the others.
He was surprised to see this and could not help but think these people had some weird hobbies. But he didn't let his guard down, although they looked ridiculous.
All the other soldiers and people in the caravan were also anxious as they saw the three stopping them. Even Captain Edward was also furrowing his brows as he looked at the three guys standing in the middle of the road.
"Who are you guys, and why are you stopping us?" Captain Edward asked calmly without showing any anxiousness.
"Hmm, we have nothing to do with you. And why aren't you two coming out? You should know that we have come from quite far just to meet you two."
One of the two masked men wearing a Taurus-like constellation mask said quite haughtily like he didn't care about others and wasn't afraid of anyone here.
Hearing this, everyone understood who they were talking about and where they had come from.
"Oh, they are quite provocative; they came directly to us. All of them must be very confident in their strength." Luna smiled devilishly as she looked at her uncle.
"We'll know after we fight," her uncle said as they got ready to come out.
Everyone's eyes looked towards the carriage, and slowly they heard the movement from it. Its door opened, and steadily two figures, Luna and her uncle, calmly came out of it.
As they came out, the atmosphere became more tense, and soldiers tightly gripped their weapons or armour as they knew a fierce battle was about to happen.
"Hehe, you really are beautiful. I'm getting too excited," said the man wearing the Taurus-shaped constellation mask, his laugh brimming with twisted excitement as he stared at Luna.
"Tch, she's not that good-looking. What's her face even worth? She'd just end up as a plaything for someone else," the woman in the scorpion-shaped mask scoffed, her tone cold and clearly dripping with jealousy and hatred.
It was clear the scorpion-masked lady was jealous even though she tried to insult, but jealousy of her voice was very clear.
And the last one was wearing a Sagittarius-looking mask and remained silent like he wasn't present there.
"I thought some big shots came, but it was just some weirdos. A bull without mind, a slutty bitch, and the last one didn't seem to have a sense of presence." Luna smiled and teasingly said these words, looking towards the three.
The two guys didn't care much, but the words seemed to poke the scorpion-masked lady as her aura quickly flared up.
Boom!
Her aura instantly covered not only Luna but the others in the caravan, making them terrified. The aura released by her was extremely strong, something most of them had never seen before.
Only a few among them were able to remain standing, feeling the pressure that seemed to crush them. Ash, Captain Edward, and some martial artists with a strength of fist-rate martial artists and above were barely able to remain standing straight.
"Enough talking. I'll end this quickly," the woman in the Scorpion mask said coldly. Without hesitation, she raised her palm, and a massive purple hand materialized in the air, surging forward with immense force toward Luna and her uncle.
Seeing the attack, Luna responded swiftly. She gently raised her hand, pointing a single finger forward, and murmured softly, "Light Ray."
A brilliant beam of light shot out from her fingertip, colliding head-on with the massive purple energy hand.
Boom!
The clash created a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the area and shocking all in the caravan.
But Luna wasn't happy as she felt something that made her furrow her brows. The smoke from their attack didn't disappear, and the purple energy with the smoke seemed to expand.
The moment the purple smoke came into contact with anything—land, grass, plants, or trees—it all withered and died instantly.
"Poison," Luna murmured, immediately realizing what the scorpion-masked woman's energy was. It wasn't just poison—it was a highly corrosive, airborne energy that spread rapidly, expanding at an alarming rate.
Ash and the rest of the caravan quickly noticed the growing danger. The purple smoke showed no signs of stopping, its deadly tendrils creeping closer, threatening to engulf them all.
"Run! Leave this place immediately!" Luna commanded quickly; her voice was still cold and calm as the smoke crept closer, nearly enveloping her and her uncle.
Others hearing this immediately started to leave, with Captain Edward taking command and letting the group of soldiers and others in the caravan leave the area quickly.
The poisonous smoke might not pose an immediate threat to strong individuals like Luna, but for others, it was a deadly hazard they couldn't hope to withstand. Even for someone as powerful as Luna, it was clear the smoke wasn't something to take lightly.
Ash didn't waste a second. Grabbing Jin and with others, he bolted in the opposite direction, running as fast as they could to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the expanding cloud of death.