Amidst the dark clouds, a faint whistling sound pierced the air, followed by the appearance of three shadowy figures soaring toward the town.
As they neared, without hesitation, they darted directly toward Nicole and the others. Stretching out sharp claws and letting out a shrill cry, they lunged toward them.
Though Zhao Lun had warned them earlier, the sudden shriek of the creatures still rattled them, causing a buzzing sensation in their heads and slowing their reactions.
The weapons they had intended to wield in attack momentarily froze in their hands. Only Zhao Lun and Mulan remained unaffected by the incoming enemies' cries, quickly shouting out to warn the others.
"Dodge!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Gunfire echoed just as their warnings were given. Zhao Lun's dual pistols and Mulan's single gun roared to life, firing relentlessly to intercept the attackers.
Three pistols, firing at full force, created a dense barrage of bullets that formed a barrier in front of the women. The oncoming enemies, three in total, appeared humanoid, their skin a grayish-white like stone, with claws, leathery wings, sharp fangs, and eyes gleaming with ferocity, sending chills down the spine.
To avoid the hail of bullets, they screeched to an abrupt halt, appearing rather disheveled, before letting out an enraged howl.
"Ahhh——!"
The scream reverberated throughout the town, causing the residents to panic. They hurriedly shut their doors and windows, curling up in their beds, trembling with fear.
With Zhao Lun and Mulan's intervention, the group quickly regained their composure, and their guns resumed firing. At that moment, Zhao Lun and Mulan had exhausted their ammo, and they quickly reloaded, each swapping magazines in less than a second before rejoining the battle.
The barrage of bullets was relentless, each one imbued with a palpable sense of danger that made the attackers wary of approaching.
Unable to break through the onslaught, the enraged creatures scattered, flying toward the homes of other townsfolk. Though the group had prepared for this, they could not immediately stop the assault.
"You're courting death!"
Zhao Lun, filled with fury, discarded all pretense and drew out a flying broomstick. With a swift motion, he took off, chasing after one of the creatures, which was about to enter a house.
Simultaneously, he aimed and fired his gun, the muzzle-flash lighting up the dark sky.
"Bang!" A bullet shot out like lightning, grazing the creature's head and striking the nearby wooden wall. The target wasn't hit, but Zhao Lun paid no mind. He needed to adjust to firing while in flight, confident that the next shot would find its mark.
Before Zhao Lun could take his second shot, the creature ahead screamed in panic and crashed into a house. The structure, made of wood, was easily breached upon impact.
Inside, a farmwoman cowered in a corner, trembling. The creature, upon seeing her, let out a triumphant screech, extending its claws to seize her.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Zhao Lun fired three quick shots, each aimed with precision. One struck the creature, another blocked its path to the hostage, and the final bullet sealed the window shut.
One of the bullets struck its mark with deadly accuracy!
The shrieking creature fell silent, its screech cutting off abruptly, and it tumbled to the ground in disbelief. As it fell, its monstrous form quickly dissolved, revealing the appearance of a beautiful woman. Dressed in scant, alluring attire, she exuded an undeniable charm.
But as soon as she reverted to her human form, she aged rapidly, her skin decaying and her body rotting, until she crumbled into a pile of ashes.
One of the attackers was vanquished on the spot!
"Ahhh——!"
"Mariska!——"
The death of their comrade triggered the panic of the remaining two creatures outside.
Earlier, the two had avoided Penelope's magic, steered clear of the formidable Mulan, and ignored Nicole's sharp shooting, opting instead to focus on Anna.
Facing their direct pursuit, the proud Anna stood her ground, evading with difficulty and countering fiercely with the support of her comrades.
Anna, taunted by the creatures, struggled to mount an effective retaliation. The two enemies reveled in their apparent superiority, with one darting off to sow further chaos. It wasn't until they realized their companion had perished that they grasped the gravity of the situation.
Horrified by the loss of their ally, they screamed, calling out the name of the fallen attacker, before fleeing in panic.
By the time Zhao Lun had the chance to pursue them, the creatures had vanished.
The townsfolk, still huddled in fear, froze in place, staring at the group in terror. Their eyes bulged, mouths agape, pointing toward them with trembling hands.
"Ah! They killed Mariska!"
"They killed Mariska!"
Their voices were filled with disbelief, relief, worry, anger, and a complex mix of terror, as they began to approach with knives and forks in hand.
"He killed Mariska!"
"Seize him!"
The frightened townspeople, forgetting the group's strength, began to shout, intent on binding them and handing them over to the retreating monsters.
"We saved you! Have we done something wrong?"
The surrounding reaction left Penelope and the others momentarily stunned, questioning if they had indeed made a mistake.
Heroes defeating monsters should be welcomed, yet here, they were not only unwelcome but were being captured by the very people they had protected.
The feeling of betrayal weighed heavily on them.
At that moment, a man, wearing a gentleman's hat and sporting long hair, arrogantly stepped forward and said, "Those monsters only kill one or two people every month! Now that you've killed one of them, they will retaliate mercilessly! They'll massacre the entire town! We'll all die unless we turn you over!"
This man, Zhao Lun recognized him instantly—he was the pompous "gentleman" they had encountered earlier.
The townspeople, looking to the man for guidance, seemed to draw strength from his demeanor. They, too, began shouting, demanding the group be bound and sacrificed to appease the monsters.
"Tell me your name, so I can carve it into your tombstone!"
"Ha! What gives you the audacity to act so recklessly?" Zhao Lun sneered. With a flick of his wrist, a burst of flames shot from his wand, the intense heat melting the earth beneath them.
With a terrified gasp, those attempting to advance quickly retreated.
Thud! Some, too frightened to react in time, stumbled and fell, landing in the dirt. They didn't even care, propping themselves up with trembling hands, eyes wide in terror as they watched the flames emanating from Zhao Lun's wand, backing away.
It was only then that they remembered—these individuals might not be the benevolent protectors they had hoped for.
"They're already terrified! Stop frightening them!" Anna urged.
"Hmph!" Zhao Lun grumbled as he withdrew his wand.
The townfolk, still shaken to the core, breathed a sigh of relief as Zhao Lun seemed to dismiss them. They quickly dispersed, retreating into their homes and locking their doors, like turtles withdrawing into their shells. (To be continued.)